(RE/MAX Blog)- As you tour homes, do you stop in the backyard and visualize your friends and family fighting over the first burgers off the grill while the dogs play in the yard? If outdoor entertaining is a priority in your new home, here are four things to look for.

1. Space

You may be dreaming of an extensive outdoor kitchen, complete with weatherproof appliances and a table with a built-in cooler. Or, your budget may limit you to a Hibachi and camp chairs. Regardless, make sure there's enough space to host the backyard soiree of your dreams.

2. Shade

Western facing backyards will provide the perfect sunset backdrop for your barbecues. Yards on the eastern side of a property may leave you overexposed to the sun.

3. Flooring

If you're looking to lounge around barefoot, take note of the patio or deck's condition. Make sure it's been refinished so you can avoid splinters.

4. Fire pit

A fire pit can help stretch the seasonal use of your outdoor space by providing a cozy place to gather around after dark. But don't let it be a deal breaker – fire pits can be added at any time (and may be on sale if you wait to purchase one toward the end of summer).

(RE/MAX Blog)- Imagine you finally find the house of your dreams. It has everything you hoped for in a home, from the right countertops to the right landscaping. You spend hours envisioning the parties you'll throw in the backyard and the baths you'll take in the clawfoot tub. But fate intervenes. For some unfortunate reason – perhaps a fierce bidding war or a fickle owner who decides to stay put – deal falls through. How do you recover? Here are some tips.

1. Get right back in the saddle

If you must have a pity party, do it quickly. Perhaps a quick toast to what could have been, then dive straight back into search mode. In today's market, things move fast. You don't want to miss an even better home while you're mooning over photos of the lost listing.

2. Don't dwell on one dwelling

Delete the listing of the home that got away. Erase the pictures you took with your phone when you toured. Do your best not to compare new homes to the one you lost. There are lots of homes with lots of new possibilities. Keep an open mind.

3. Don't settle

Don't let your frustration push you into a hurried purchase of the next available property simply to get the process over with. Stay true to your shopping list of features you need and want.

4. Re-evaluate your budget.

Take another look at what you can spend and what the homes you're looking at have been selling for. Do you need to add cushion to be more competitive when making an offer? Or do you need to start looking at a less expensive neighborhood to find a home that has everything you want?

5. Talk to your agent.

Your RE/MAX agent will be full of advice for surviving the lows – and highs – of your real estate journey. Start your search today. 

RE/MAX Realty Group/100 has eight office locations and 400-plus agents who can assist you with all your real estate needs. 

Contact us today. 

(RE/MAX Blog) - A great lawn can serve as a green calling card for your home. Here are a few things you can do this spring to help your lawn – and curb appeal – flourish.

1. Test before you invest
Find out the acid and alkaline levels of your soil with a testing kit from the hardware store before you shell out bucks for fertilizer and seed. The test will help you determine the right products to help your lawn flourish.

2. Give it some air
Grass and soil can get compacted during the winter, making it difficult for oxygen and nutrients to reach root systems. Aerating, or poking holes in the lawn, helps. You can hire a lawn service to do this, buy a rolling tool, or use inexpensive strap-on attachments for your shoes that aerate the lawn as you march around.

3. Seed or weed
Spring is prime time for seeding sparse areas of your lawn or applying a natural herbicide to prevent crabgrass and other weeds from sprouting. Don't do both, as the herbicide will also kill the grass seeds.

4. Mow tall
For the lushest lawn, set your mower to the tallest setting and cut only about the top third of the grass. Taller blades promote healthier root systems and help shade the ground soil, preventing it from drying out.

Ready to plant a "For Sale" sign in your lawn? Contact us today. 

(RE/MAX Blog) - There’s no online calculator for setting the perfect listing price for your home. It takes experience, market savvy, and even a bit of psychology. A strong listing agent can help you set the right, most competitive price for your home. Here are a few things they might look at:

1. The competition
Your agent will look at the prices of similar homes in your area that either are currently listed or sold during the past few months. They’ll take into account how many days the properties were on the market, and how the listing prices for those homes differed from the final sale prices.

2. Market trends
What’s affecting the market in your neighborhood, and your region? Your agent will consider national factors that shape the real estate market, such as possible rising interest rates, as well as local factors, like whether the average home price in your neighborhood has been rising or falling. They’ll also think about things such as new companies moving to the area in the near future, or plans for improving local amenities, like parks and shopping districts. All can increase the value of your home to a buyer.

3. Your neighbors
Although a home the same size and age recently sold for a high price, your own place might not fetch the exact same fortune if, say, junky cars continue to proliferate in your neighbor’s driveway. On the flipside, if the grass is in fact greener on the other side of the fence, your home’s value may be higher due to your neighbors’ curb appeal.

4. The Goldilocks price
Listing your home at a price that’s “just right” from the start is critical to selling it quickly, for the best price. Overpricing your home, and then dropping the price a few times while it sits on the market, could lead to a lower final sales price than if the home was priced appropriately from the beginning. And, of course, setting a price that’s too low leaves money on the table.

Wondering how much your home might be worth in today’s market? Begin the process of finding out your home's worth here.

(RE/MAX Blog)- Did you know? Housewarming parties started in medieval times when they were held to, literally, warm the house as the new homeowners moved in. Neighbors would come with firewood and light up the hearth not only for warmth, but to chase off any bad spirits that might have been lurking about.

In modern times, it's more customary to bring a gift (no experience with the supernatural required). Here are some ideas with a medieval spin.

1. Bread

The gift of a loaf of bread is traditionally given with the wish that the home would never know hunger. These days, you might want to check with your hosts' gluten sensitivities before kneading away. An electronic bread maker could be an updated option.

2. Salt

Salt is given with the wish that life in the home always has flavor. While a bag of salt suits the bill, you can class it up by giving a fun set of salt and pepper shakers.

3. Roosters

Roosters used to be given to serve as a feathered home security system. Depending on zoning laws, and whether or not the hosts are morning people, consider rooster themed dishtowels or crockery instead.

4. Wine

A gift of wine conveys wishes of joy and prosperity. Wine-related gifts, like stoppers, glasses and decanters can do the same.

5. Candles

These are given with the hope that the people in the home always live in light and happiness.

6. Wood

Wooden gifts symbolize a wish of stability for the home and the people who live there. Salad bowls and cutting boards are useful options that can also be works of art.

And what not to give?

Knives. Tradition holds that the gift of a knife may cut a friendship.

Is it your turn to make a move? Start the search for your new home.

RE/MAX Realty Group/100 has eight office locations and over 400 real estate agents who can assist you with all your real estate needs. 

Contact us to begin the search for your perfect home.

(RE/MAX Blog)- Here's a look at the traditions behind painting a door red.

Painting a front door red can be about more than personal preference. Here's a look at the history behind this popular color.

1. During the Civil War, a red door meant a home was a safe haven for escaped slaves traveling the underground railroad.

2. Scottish homeowners paint their door red to signify they've finished paying off their mortgage.

3. Red doors are also popular in Chinese culture, where red is considered a very lucky color. Many celebrate the New Year with a fresh coat of red paint on their door.

4. And rumor has it Albert Einstein painted his door red so he could easily remember which house was his.

5. If red isn't your thing, an old Southern tradition suggests blue to ward off ghosts. Since ghosts can't cross water (as everyone knows), they'll be afraid to cross through a water-colored door into your home.

Ready to open the door of opportunity for your next home? Start the search for your new home here.

FAIRFAX COUNTY- Broker/Owner, Ken Crowley, and Office Manager, Matt Cockerham, will host a grand reopening for the RE/MAX Realty Group Springfield office in Virginia on Wednesday, June 21, 2017.

The celebration will be held from 4 PM to 7 PM at 5501 Backlick Road in Springfield, Virginia. It will include a ribbon cutting ceremony at 5 PM. Hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served. 

The RE/MAX Realty Group Springfield office has undergone multiple renovations and now has a more modern and spacious layout. Upgrades to the facility feature a larger reception area and an open floor plan with a larger kitchen overlooking a spacious workroom. The office also got a fresh coat of paint and new carpet.

The RE/MAX Realty Group Springfield office is one of eight office locations owned by Broker/Owner Ken Crowley. Crowley, who opened his first RE/MAX Realty Group office in 1986, acquired RE/MAX Realty Group, its six offices and 275 agents in 2015.

RSVP to ElizabethDLanger@gmail.com.