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Question: When I fall in love with a house, should I discuss it with my agent while in the home?

Answer: With today’s amazing technology, it’s increasingly likely a home may have a security system or other recording device in use. Homeowners regularly use cameras and sound recording devices for many reasons. Sometimes it’s a security concern, while other times it’s just to see who’s at the front door. Some use cameras and listening devices to check on their children while the babysitter is there or to make sure their puppy is not misbehaving. Whatever the reason, when you’re buying or selling a home, home recording devices should be considered.

Question: Where in the World Wide Web can I settle on my new home?

Answer: It started in March 2020 — my first “drive-by” settlement in a parking lot with sellers getting a clipboard, papers and a clean pen through their car window. I was in another car watching with my phone on speaker. The buyers copied the process 15 minutes later — same parking lot, same paperwork plus loan documents. It worked. One-time event, right?

Question: How can I buy a house before selling my current one?

Answer: After skipping a year, the real estate market is playing out its usual late summer to fall softness. It’s hard to call it a slowdown since sales in many areas remain brisk. Last year, however, during the COVID-19 rush to buy social distancing via one’s home, we did not have this traditional softness. So, what does that mean for people who are considering selling a home?

Question: Is the number of home sale contracts in Alexandria City closer to normal levels this year than in 2020?

Answer: In August we wrote about our mid-year Market Report, which takes a look at closed sales in Alexandria City for the first half of 2021 compared to the same months of 2020. As expected, there were substantial improvements this year compared to the peak months of shutdowns and isolation due to COVID. But 2020 was definitely not a normal year as far as traditional spring and summer markets are concerned, so this week we decided to go a little further back and compare contract activity for this year with both 2020 and 2019, which was a more “normal” year for Alexandria real estate.