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Stay informed with the latest Harrisonburg real estate market updates, home buying tips, seller guides, and Shenandoah Valley community news.

Harrisonburg Real Estate Market Report February 2026
Market Reports

Market Report — February 2026

Harrisonburg & Rockingham County real estate market update for February 2026. Median price $345K, inventory up 18%, homes selling in 8 days, mortgage...

Market Report November 2025
Market Reports

Market Report November 2025

November 2025 · By The Valley Homes Team · Market Updates The Harrisonburg and Rockingham County real estate market continued to show stability and gr...

Winterize Your House
Misc

Winterize Your House

Winterizing Your Harrisonburg Home — A Practical Cold-Weather Checklist Winter is coming. And while we're turning up the cozy factor in our homes, coo...

The Heart of a Home Is the People in It
Misc

The Heart of a Home Is the People in It

We truly love where we live. And loving our home means caring for the people who share it with us. That's what makes living in Harrisonburg so special...

3 Simple Swaps for a More Polished Home
Misc

3 Simple Swaps for a More Polished Home

When it comes to giving your home a fresh new look, you don't have to break the bank for a high-impact upgrade. A few simple, inexpensive, low-effort....

10 Best Kitchen Countertops
Misc

10 Best Kitchen Countertops

A kitchen is central to both the style and functionality of a home. The average American spends about 40 minutes per day in the kitchen preparing food...

Flipping Real Estate: An Overview
Flipping Real Estate

Flipping Real Estate: An Overview

Are you looking to invest in Real Estate? One common way people invest in real estate is by flipping a house. Our guide to fixing up a house covers wh...

Fixing Up A House
Flipping Real Estate

Fixing Up A House

Whether you are renovating a home to prepare it for sale or just want to improve it, renovations can be expensive so it's important to find a contract...

What Green Features do Home Buyers Want?
Misc

What Green Features do Home Buyers Want?

Check out what is important to buyers throughout the United States in regards to environmentally friendly features of a house. If you're planning upgr...

Selling Your Home Before Buying A New One
Sellers Market

Selling Your Home Before Buying A New One

In our last post we introduced some strategies for buying and selling a house at the same time. But the question still remains, which should you do fi...

8 Signs You're Ready to Sell
Sellers Market

8 Signs You're Ready to Sell

Selling your home is a big step. How do you know you're ready to sell your home? Here are 8 signs that you're in a good position to sell your current...

People are Buying Homes Later in Life
Buyer Profiles

People are Buying Homes Later in Life

The infographic above displays the median age for all buyers, first time buyers, and repeat buyers. As we can see from the graph below, the age of fir...

The Stonewall Jackson Inn of Harrisonburg
Best Of The Valley

The Stonewall Jackson Inn of Harrisonburg

The Stonewall Jackson Inn of Harrisonburg is currently undergoing a revitalization. Located downtown at 547 East Market Street — in the heart of a...

Caverns Near Harrisonburg VA
Best Of The Valley

Caverns Near Harrisonburg VA

Whether you are a visitor just passing through the Shenandoah Valley or you have called the Valley your home for decades, exploring the region's caver...

Harrisonburg REI June Meeting
Flipping Real Estate

Harrisonburg REI June Meeting

Analyzing Multi-Family Properties with Cassidy Burns We will be having our first in-person meeting again in over a year! Guest speaker Cassidy Burns,...

Sage Bird Ciderworks
Best Of The Valley

Sage Bird Ciderworks

If you haven't noticed, the north end of downtown has been developing. The former Big L tires has been revitalized into new and exciting businesses…

The Basics of Virtual Staging
Sellers Market

The Basics of Virtual Staging

Most of us are familiar with traditional staging; the act of decorating and furnishing a home for sale to appeal to potential buyers. A well staged ho...

What Buyers Want In A House
Buyer Guides

What Buyers Want In A House

If you are considering putting your house on the market in the near future, you may be wondering what prospective homebuyers are looking for before…

Quick Ways To Upgrade Your Patio
Real Estate Education

Quick Ways To Upgrade Your Patio

With the Fourth of July right around the corner, you may be brainstorming ideas on how to celebrate with friends or family in a time of social distanc...

Merge Coffee Shop Opens New Location
Best Of The Valley

Merge Coffee Shop Opens New Location

​Summer has officially started and downtown Harrisonburg is once again open for business, following some temporary closures due to COVID-19. An exciti...

10 Best Kitchen Countertops
Real Estate Education

10 Best Kitchen Countertops

A kitchen is central to both the style and functionality of a home. The average American spends about 40 minutes per day in the kitchen preparing food...

Recasting a Mortgage
Best Of The Valley

Recasting a Mortgage

If you currently have a mortgage you may be wondering how you can lower your monthly payments without refinancing. Recasting your mortgage is one way...

The Evolution of Magpie
Best Of The Valley

The Evolution of Magpie

​I had the pleasure of having a phone interview with Kirsten Moore to get a little back story on how Magpie went from idea to a coming soon restaurant...

Creating a Home Office
Real Estate Education

Creating a Home Office

As many of us find ourselves working from home, you may realize the temporary work space you had set up in the corner of the kitchen was fine in the f...

8 Storage Tips For Maximum Space
Best Of The Valley

8 Storage Tips For Maximum Space

Space. Do we ever have enough of it? Whether your home is a studio apartment or a mega-mansion, somehow stuff seems to multiply to fill any amount of...

Funkhouser Group COVID-19 Precautions
Real Estate Education

Funkhouser Group COVID-19 Precautions

Client Care Packages provided by Funkhouser Group Even in the face of COVID-19, the real estate market in Shenandoah Valley remains active. Funkhouser...

10 DIY Kitchen Reno Mistakes You Can Avoid
Best Of The Valley

10 DIY Kitchen Reno Mistakes You Can Avoid

​DIY projects can save money, increase the value of your home, and make you feel good about what you’ve accomplished. A kitchen remodel is a significa...

New Closing Procedures During COVID-19
Best Of The Valley

New Closing Procedures During COVID-19

If you are closing on a house as a purchaser or seller, you may be wondering what that process looks like during the COVID-19 outbreak. Settlement age...

6 Tips For Moving Safely During Covid-19
Real Estate Education

6 Tips For Moving Safely During Covid-19

Although the Covid-19 pandemic has forced most of us to shelter-in-place, some of us may find it necessary to move to a new shelter. A move could be…

Purchasing a House Sight Unseen
Real Estate Education

Purchasing a House Sight Unseen

In a time of social distancing, if you are looking to purchase a home, you may be wondering how to go about touring houses without exposing yourself o...

Help Protect Your Home Against COVID-19
Real Estate Education

Help Protect Your Home Against COVID-19

The rapid spread of COVID-19 has lead to a world-wide and state-mandated move to shelter in place. For now, our homes are not just emotional sanctuari...

Declutter and Organize Your Home
Best Of The Valley

Declutter and Organize Your Home

In light of recent events and government recommendations pertaining to COVID-19, many people have decided to stay confined to their homes. As we all a...

Types Of Mortgage Loans
Buyer Guides

Types Of Mortgage Loans

A huge aspect of purchasing a home is finding the right mortgage loan for you. There are several different types of mortgages that each have their own...

Pros and Cons of Open Shelves in the Kitchen
Real Estate Education

Pros and Cons of Open Shelves in the Kitchen

In recent years, homeowners have opted to replace their kitchen cabinets for open shelves. When done correctly, open shelving can complement all style...

Massanutten Area Considers Incorporating
Real Estate Education

Massanutten Area Considers Incorporating

For several years, some of the residents in the Massanutten area have been working towards making the community an incorporated town. The movement has...

Getting Ready To Sell In The Spring Market
Market Reports

Getting Ready To Sell In The Spring Market

​As most people know, Spring can be a great time to list your house. I have found that often buyers who have looked all winter are often ready to make...

10 Tips for Deep Cleaning Your Home
Best Of The Valley

10 Tips for Deep Cleaning Your Home

1. Maintain the Right Humidity Level It’s important to maintain optimum humidity levels in your home. If the humidity is too low it results in static…

Massanutten Area Considers Incorporating
Real Estate Education

Massanutten Area Considers Incorporating

For several years, some of the residents in the Massanutten area have been working towards making the community an incorporated town. The movement has...

10 Tips for New Homeowners
Best Of The Valley

10 Tips for New Homeowners

1. Hire a Professional While it’s great to be handy around the house, it’s important to assess the potential risks of taking on a project before you t...

7 Steps to Prevent Pipes from Freezing
Flipping Real Estate

7 Steps to Prevent Pipes from Freezing

Winter time and cold weather bring with them added responsibilities for homeowners. Winterization can be especially challenging for new homeowners, wh...

Eastern Mennonite Elementary School is Open!
Best Of The Valley

Eastern Mennonite Elementary School is Open!

Courtesy, Eastern Mennonite School As a follow up to the 2017 Blog, the Eastern Mennonite Elementary School (EMES) is now open! Eastern Mennonite Scho...

Selling Your Home With A Mortgage
Sellers Market

Selling Your Home With A Mortgage

About 59% of homeowners have a mortgage that they are still paying off, according to research done by Zillow. What happens to this mortgage when a hom...

12 Key Items for a New Home
Real Estate Education

12 Key Items for a New Home

Congratulations, you’ve just moved into your new home! But now what? You’ll need to be prepared for the unexpected when it comes to maintaining your n...

Selling Your Home After 6 Months
Sellers Market

Selling Your Home After 6 Months

As discussed in previous posts, you can sell your home at any point you want to after purchasing it, however it may not be the wisest choice financial...

How Soon Can You Sell Your Home Part 2
Best Of The Valley

How Soon Can You Sell Your Home Part 2

In our previous post we covered some general guidelines about selling your home soon after buying it. In this post, we’ll delve into some further deta...

Market Report: October 2019
Market Reports

Market Report: October 2019

October 2019 sales were not quite as strong as October sales in 2018. With low inventory levels, we are still in a sellers market. Is this a blimp in...

Harrisonburg Leaf Collection Begins Nov 18
Best Of The Valley

Harrisonburg Leaf Collection Begins Nov 18

It’s fall and right now there’s starting to be more leaves on the ground then there are in the trees. It’s time for Harrisonburg’s annual leaf collect...

What Lower Interest Rates Mean for You
Market Reports

What Lower Interest Rates Mean for You

Last week the Federal reserve lowered interest rates. This has an impact on homeowners and homebuyers alike. What do lower interest rates mean for you...

Buying and Selling A Home At the Same Time
Sellers Market

Buying and Selling A Home At the Same Time

Buying and selling a home at the same time is a complicated process. Here are some practical tips that will help things go more smoothly. Find an…

What Will Your Money Buy You?
Buyer Guides

What Will Your Money Buy You?

In our last post we discussed how to figure out how much home you can afford. The next question to answer is, what will your money buy you? That all d...

How Much Home Can You Afford?
Real Estate Education

How Much Home Can You Afford?

A home is, for most of us, the biggest expenditure we will ever make. How do you figure out how much home you can afford? The Calculations New website...

The Downside of New Construction
Real Estate Education

The Downside of New Construction

In our last post we explored some of the pros of buying new construction. In this post we’ll look at the downside of buying new construction, and the...

The Pros of New Construction
Real Estate Education

The Pros of New Construction

​One of the decisions you will need to make in choosing a new home is whether you want to look at pre-owned homes or new construction, either custom-b...

Must-Haves For Your New Home
Real Estate Education

Must-Haves For Your New Home

When it comes to choosing a new home, it’s important to define your must-haves. These are items on your wishlist that are non-negotiable. It’s importa...

How to Find the Right Real Estate Agent
Real Estate Education

How to Find the Right Real Estate Agent

If you are looking for a new home, there are many real estate professionals out there who will want to work with you. How do you select the right real...

How Long Does It Take to Buy A Home?
Flipping Real Estate

How Long Does It Take to Buy A Home?

The short answer is that it takes on average about 4.5 months to buy a home. However, different aspects of buying a home happen at different times. He...

Homeownership in 10 Simple Steps
Real Estate Education

Homeownership in 10 Simple Steps

Buying a new home doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are 10 Simple Steps to follow to buy your first home. ​ 1. Credit Score Find out your credit sc...

First Time Homebuyer: Are you Ready?
Best Of The Valley

First Time Homebuyer: Are you Ready?

How do you know if you’re ready to buy a home? There are several major factors to consider. Does it make sense for you to buy rather than rent? Can yo...

The Dream of Home Ownership
Real Estate Education

The Dream of Home Ownership

Owning one’s own home is truly part of the American dream. Home ownership means many different things, being rooted and grounded in a community, havin...

Market Reports
Market Reports

July Market Report

As shown, July was a strong month for home sales. There were a total of 149 home sales this July, up a significant 13.74% from last July. This July ha...

Best Of The Valley
Best Of The Valley

The Massanutten WaterPark

​The Massanutten WaterPark is one of the best water park options in the east. It was voted the 2 indoor WaterPark in the United States by USA Today’s...

Help Improve Downtown Parking!
Best Of The Valley

Help Improve Downtown Parking!

As a person who has lived in Harrisonburg for over 20 years, I love the changes I am seeing to downtown. It's thriving! However, with this improvement...

Best Of The Valley
Best Of The Valley

Massanutten Snow Sports

Skiing/Snowboarding/Tubing Massanutten resort is probably best known for being a ski resort. While resorts like Snowshoe and Wintergreen may get more…

Best Of The Valley
Best Of The Valley

Massanutten Series

One of the best aspects of living in Harrisonburg and the surrounding areas is the availability of recreational activities outdoors. While there are a...

Best Of The Valley
Best Of The Valley

Northend Greenway

The Northend Greenway is an exciting project that will add value to the Harrisonburg Area. The Northend Greenway is projected to be a 2.5 mile shared...

Market Reports
Market Reports

June 2019 Market Report

Compared to most other months this year, June was an extremely active month for home sales. However, this is expected as the summer is the busiest sea...

Red Wing Music Festival
Best Of The Valley

Red Wing Music Festival

Red Wing Music Festival is arguably the best annual local music festival in the greater Harrisonburg area. For annual attenders, the wait is nearly ov...

5 Common Myths About Real Estate Agents
Real Estate Education

5 Common Myths About Real Estate Agents

There are a plethora of misconceptions and myths concerning real estate agents in our society today. While these do hold true for some unethical agent...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report : May 2019

May continued to show similar trends to previous years. ​As in 2018, the median days on the market is in the high 20s. This shows that inventory is ve...

Open Houses - Are They Worth It?
Real Estate Education

Open Houses - Are They Worth It?

The truth about open houses. There is a longstanding myth within the real estate profession that hosting open houses is one of the key steps to sellin...

How To Childproof Your Home
Real Estate Education

How To Childproof Your Home

Whether you are a parent, babysitter, friend, or relative, if you are having small children in your home it is incredibly important to make sure you a...

Can Landscaping Add Value To Your Home?
Real Estate Education

Can Landscaping Add Value To Your Home?

Landscaping is one of the easiest options available to significantly improve the value of your home. While there is no magic number for return on…

"As Is" Sales
Best Of The Valley

"As Is" Sales

What does it mean? Selling a home “as is” means that the owner is selling the home in its current condition. The owner is not obligated to repair or f...

Fire Safety Tips For Every Homeowner
Real Estate Education

Fire Safety Tips For Every Homeowner

Summer is coming quickly here in the Shenandoah Valley. While summer brings many wonderful things, one unwelcome thing it brings is a higher prevalenc...

ValleyFest 2019 Beer and Wine Festival
Best Of The Valley

ValleyFest 2019 Beer and Wine Festival

This is a video of last years Valleyfest. ValleyFest Beer and Wine Festival is a wonderful annual festival available for Harrisonburg and surrounding…

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: April 2019

Hello Spring market! In April, we saw an increase in sales, an increase of the median sales price, less days on the market, and we still don't have en...

How to Win a Bidding War in Our Market
Market Reports

How to Win a Bidding War in Our Market

We all hear stories of bidding wars on houses. In some markets, houses sell for above asking price consistently. If you do a little online research, y...

Why For Sale By Owners Tend to Lose Money
Real Estate Education

Why For Sale By Owners Tend to Lose Money

Saving money is one of the main reasons people sell For Sale By Owner (FSBO). It makes logical sense. If a person sells their house for $200,000, they...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: March 2019

The statics are still indicating a slower start to the year. We don't have as many sales but contracts are on the rise. The lack of inventory is still...

Short Term Rentals - What you need to know
Flipping Real Estate

Short Term Rentals - What you need to know

The city council of Harrisonburg has recently changed the laws surrounding short term rental properties, or “Airbnbs.” Unless previously approved by t...

How To Prepare Your Home For Pictures
Real Estate Education

How To Prepare Your Home For Pictures

Advertising your home by posting pictures online is one of the first and most important marketing steps you will take when selling your home. More and...

Hiking Around Harrisonburg
Best Of The Valley

Hiking Around Harrisonburg

One of the biggest benefits to living in Harrisonburg is the outdoor activities that the surrounding area offers. One of the most popular activities i...

The Kiva Program
Best Of The Valley

The Kiva Program

If you receive my monthly email, this may be a bit redundant but I encourage you to keep reading as there is an update. I am so excited about this pro...

Buyer's Checklist Before Purchasing Land
Buyer Guides

Buyer's Checklist Before Purchasing Land

McGaheysville Thinking of buying a plot of land to build your dream home on? Be sure that you are fully informed on the parcel of land. Don’t purchase...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: January 2019

Overall, sales have slowed down. Is this an indication of the market or of the season? At this point, it's likely too early to tell. While the graphs...

What Comes With A House?
Real Estate Education

What Comes With A House?

​One part of a real estate contract that can result in a significant amount of stress, confusion, and conflict, between buyer and seller, are inclusio...

How To Prepare For a Home Inspection
Buyer Guides

How To Prepare For a Home Inspection

​ A home inspection is one aspect of selling a home that many first time sellers often overlook. Caught up in the excitement of change, potential for...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: December 2018

Going through the real estate market in 2018 made me feel like it would be a strong year because there seemed to be a sense of urgency. Buyers often n...

Is Winter a Good Time to Buy and Sell?
Sellers Market

Is Winter a Good Time to Buy and Sell?

You may have heard that the real estate market is dead over the Winter. Is that true in Harrisonburg and Rockingham? As with many things, the answer i...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: November 2018

Overall, the market dipped a little in November. Overall, 2018 is still on track for having more sales and a higher median sales price than 2018. It w...

What is PMI? Breaking it down
Real Estate Education

What is PMI? Breaking it down

Like many terms in the real estate industry, it can be hard to really get a handle on what a term like "PMI" means, but we’re breaking down the facts...

GIS: What is it and how can I use it?
Best Of The Valley

GIS: What is it and how can I use it?

To give an overview of the GIS system, I have asked Doug Sexton- GIS Coordinator - Planning Department, Warren County, VA, to answer a few questions:…

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: October 2018

​After seeing a slight dip in sales in September, October has come back with a vengeance. There were 18% more sales when comparing October of 2018 to...

What's On Today's Ballot
Best Of The Valley

What's On Today's Ballot

Here is a friendly reminder to go out and vote today. If you aren't familiar with the candidates, JMU provided this helpful overview of those running....

New to Downtown: El Paisano Bakery
Best Of The Valley

New to Downtown: El Paisano Bakery

There’s a new bakery gracing the streets of Downtown Harrisonburg in the very near future, right next to Kline’s Dairy Bar. El Paisano Cakes will offe...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: August 2018

The higher number of contracts signed in July 2018 than in July 2017 did not correlate to a higher number of sales in August 2018 (compared to August...

Wilson Hall Receives Renovations
Best Of The Valley

Wilson Hall Receives Renovations

Built in 1931, Wilson Hall is the distinguished building on the quad of James Madison’s campus. It’s a landmark for those who have attended JMU as wel...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: July 2018

Last month, I wrote I was curious to see how May's record amount of contracts and June's dip in contract would effect July's sales. As we can see, Jun...

Reservoir and MLK Intersection Reconfigured
Best Of The Valley

Reservoir and MLK Intersection Reconfigured

Increased population in Harrisonburg means an increase in traffic. In 2006, Harrisonburg City began to study the commute along Reservoir Street to hel...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: June 2018

Overall, we are still seeing a sellers market. If you have been paying attention to the real estate market, you will have noticed that houses are sell...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: May 2018

The home sale statistics for May are in and overall, they still indicate a sellers market. While houses are still selling quickly, we saw a pretty…

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: April 2018

To start, we are still seeing a sellers market. Buyers, there are some things you can do to help position yourself for competitive houses. See the lin...

Will Aldi Be Opening Soon?
Best Of The Valley

Will Aldi Be Opening Soon?

If you are like me, you have probably driven by the Aldi construction site on Country Club Rd many times and wondered when it will be open. I have it...

Cash Flow Defined
Flipping Real Estate

Cash Flow Defined

Most buy and hold real estate investors agree that cash flow is the ultimate goal. To calculate cash flow, you take the NOI and subtract it by the Deb...

Debt Service
Flipping Real Estate

Debt Service

Debt service is simply the mortgage payment associated with a property. This can be annualized by multiplying one payment by 12. If you are considerin...

Net Operating Income (NOI) Defined
Flipping Real Estate

Net Operating Income (NOI) Defined

The net operating income is the income minus the expenses excluding the mortgage. The NOI is used to help determine the profitability and value of a…

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: March 2018

Overall, sales are still strong going through March 2018. Houses have been selling quickly and the median sales price is still high compared to last y...

Effective Gross Income Defined
Flipping Real Estate

Effective Gross Income Defined

Effective Gross income is also known as EGI. This number is one of the first things you will want to look at when determining a property's income pote...

Vacancy Rate Defined
Flipping Real Estate

Vacancy Rate Defined

Vacancy rate is the percentage of vacant units in comparison to all the units in the property. Vacancies Total Units An example would be if a hundred...

Gross Income
Real Estate Education

Gross Income

Gross income is the total amount of income you can get in a property. This is important to understand because this number isn't necessarily guaranteed...

Move-In Checklist
Real Estate Education

Move-In Checklist

Moving into a new home is an exciting time, and you’re probably daydreaming about decor and paint schemes and new furniture. But before you get into t...

Finding Your Dream Home: Worksheet
Real Estate Education

Finding Your Dream Home: Worksheet

Can you picture the exact home you want to buy? That's great! If you can't, don't worry! Many people can't imagine exactly what they are looking for....

Why you Should Invest in a Rental Home
Flipping Real Estate

Why you Should Invest in a Rental Home

Investing in Real Estate Real estate is often one of the first things people think of when they consider investments. Why is real estate such a great...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: January 2018

In short, 2018 is off to a great start if you are a seller. The median sales price shot up significantly. While inventory was still low, houses sold a...

How 3D Tours Help Sell Your Home
Sellers Market

How 3D Tours Help Sell Your Home

If you haven't seen it yet, 3D tours are here and they are an amazing tool for selling homes. Take a minute to play with the tour below to see what I...

What Makes Buyers Pick the House They Buy?
Best Of The Valley

What Makes Buyers Pick the House They Buy?

Obviously, there are a lot of factors that go into making these types of decisions for buyers. As a seller, you may find presenting your house so that...

How to Save for a New House
Best Of The Valley

How to Save for a New House

​Finding extra money each month can be difficult. It may seem that when you are able to put money into your savings account one month, you end up need...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: December 2017

2017 was an interesting year for real estate sales in Harrisonburg and Rockingham county. If you have been paying attention to my market reports, ther...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: November 2017

November continued the trend of a slower market due to a lack of inventory. With this trend we continue to see the median price rise and the median da...

VMRC Expands and Improves
Best Of The Valley

VMRC Expands and Improves

This blog is part of my Developments in the Harmony Heights Area series. Click here to see what other blogs I've written and what will be coming. ​VMR...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: October 2017

Despite seeing an increase in sales this month, the year is shaping out to have fewer home sales than 2016. The lack of inventory is likely the primar...

When Will Harrisonburg Collect Your Leaves?
Best Of The Valley

When Will Harrisonburg Collect Your Leaves?

The friendly city would like to take those beautiful leaves off of your hands. All you have to do is rake them up, jump in the pile a few times, and f...

Do Buyers' Agents Want You To Spend More?
Buyer Guides

Do Buyers' Agents Want You To Spend More?

There are a lot of stereotypes and assumptions when it comes to REALTORS and rightfully so! I believe that there have been a lot of cutthroat and sale...

What Are The Costs of Home Ownership?
Best Of The Valley

What Are The Costs of Home Ownership?

So, you are thinking about buying? You may be asking yourself, "What other costs will I have to pay for once I own my own house?" If you are coming fr...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: August 2017

When you first take a look at the statistics this month, it appears that the market is on the down turn. Could this be due to the end of the selling s...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: July 2017

To summarize the data below, there is a lack of houses for sale which is likely correlated to quick sales, higher sales price, and a less sales. How s...

Construction for Aldi has begun
Real Estate Education

Construction for Aldi has begun

By now, you may have driven past the intersection of Country Club Rd and East Market St and seen some construction activity. This is where the new Ald...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: June 2017

Overall, the market has cooled a little when compared to May. All signs still point to inventory the culprit holding the sales back. We see a slight d...

Flipping Real Estate: An Overview
Flipping Real Estate

Flipping Real Estate: An Overview

Are you looking to invest in Real Estate? One common way people invest in real estate is by flipping a house. The basic concept of flipping real estat...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: May 2017

Home sales were very good in the month of May! Here are some highlights: - We saw the most home sales, in May, in the past 5 years. - The median sales...

Investing for Cash Flow or Appreciation?
Flipping Real Estate

Investing for Cash Flow or Appreciation?

If you are new to investment real estate, you may not know that there are a lot of different opinions and strategies. Ever since the real estate bubbl...

Capitalization Rate Defined
Flipping Real Estate

Capitalization Rate Defined

Capitalization rate, commonly known as Cap Rate, is the Net Operating Income divided by the sales price. The Cap Rate tells you how well your invest…

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: March 2017

Calling all sellers! This is a sellers market. If you are considering listing your home, now is an a great time! There were only 400 homes for sale in...

Home Ownership Tax Deductions
Real Estate Education

Home Ownership Tax Deductions

If you haven't filed your taxes, now would be a good time. Even if you have filed them, it's a good to know what deductibles are possible to claim as...

How to Prepare for an Appraisal
Real Estate Education

How to Prepare for an Appraisal

If you are interested in getting your house ready for an appraisal, someone is likely applying for a loan on your house. Whether someone is buying you...

Real Estate Tax Deductibles
Real Estate Education

Real Estate Tax Deductibles

Here you will find an overview of deductibles you can use in relation to Real Estate. For more information, or advice, contact a CPA or tax attorney....

When Should you List Your Home in 2017?
Sellers Market

When Should you List Your Home in 2017?

Image shared by Realtor Magazine Most people know that the Spring and Summer are the best time to list a house. But does this rule of thumb always hol...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: January 2017

Overall, it appears that the market is slowing down. However, with the inventory being very low it is hard for purchasers to find homes to buy. Furthe...

Tour 843 Star Crest Dr Virtually!
Best Of The Valley

Tour 843 Star Crest Dr Virtually!

843StarCrestDr.FunkhouserGroup.com Come see this updated home located in the center of Harrisonburg. Enjoy an updated kitchen with stainless steel…

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: December 2016

December marks the end of a strong year in real estate sales. We saw a lot of sales despite the inventory being low for most of the year. Median sales...

Getting Ready For Snow
Real Estate Education

Getting Ready For Snow

Time will tell if winter storm Helena will amount to much in the Valley but it is smart to be prepared for snow in winter. It may be time to upgrade t...

First Impressions That Don't Stink
Real Estate Education

First Impressions That Don't Stink

Nothing will stop a buyer faster than a bad first impression. What can you do to make sure your house smells fresh and inviting? Pet Odors First begin...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: November 2016

As we look back over November of 2016, it is clear that home buyers had no intentions of slowing down as we tend to expect in late fall/early winter....

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: October 2016

If you haven't been paying attention to the local market this year, sales have been excellent. The only thing that has been lacking has been the inven...

How Many Contracts Go To Closing?
Real Estate Education

How Many Contracts Go To Closing?

If you are an active buyer in the Harrisonburg and Rockingham area, you have probably had a house you are interested in go under contract. So, what ar...

Mortgage Rates Are Still Very Low
Buyer Guides

Mortgage Rates Are Still Very Low

As you can see, rates have been hovering for the past few months. One of the clear advantages of today's market is being able to borrow at rates this...

Have We Recovered From the Bubble?
Real Estate Education

Have We Recovered From the Bubble?

I talk with a lot of people who purchased homes at the peak of the bubble. In Harrisonburg/Rockingham, the peak of the market, in terms of median sale...

Best Outdoor Remodeling for Resale
Real Estate Education

Best Outdoor Remodeling for Resale

If you are thinking of maximizing the resale potential of outdoor remodeling, take a look at this helpful infographic from the National Association of...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: August 2016

The market continues to be strong with sales, list price, and days on the market. Inventory continues to be low which is bad for buyers but good for p...

Free Credit Reports: Beware
Market Reports

Free Credit Reports: Beware

A lender recently informed me that there have been clients coming into their office with significantly false ideas about their credit score. These peo...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: July 2016

Overall the market continues to do better than last year. Inventory remains low which may be correlated with higher sales prices. The timing is still...

How Much Money Do You Need to Buy a House?
Buyer Guides

How Much Money Do You Need to Buy a House?

Are you considering buying your first house? You are probably wondering how much money you will need to bring to the table. ​ While, each mortgage pr...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: June 2016

Overall, the market is not as hot as it was earlier this year. However, the market still is better than it has been in recent years. Highlights: - The...

How Important is Going Green to The Valley?
Real Estate Education

How Important is Going Green to The Valley?

Going Green ​The environment is a growing concern for many people. Going green has been has been an increasingly common phrase for products, organizat...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: May 2016

Overall, the market is still doing very well. We continue to see an increased number of contracts coming. We are now also seeing a spike in the number...

Schools Out For Summer and So Are Buyers?
Buyer Guides

Schools Out For Summer and So Are Buyers?

You often hear that summer is the busiest time for real estate. It makes sense. Teachers are out of school and able to devote time to buying/selling t...

Mortgage Rates Are Still Low
Buyer Guides

Mortgage Rates Are Still Low

Mortgage rates have been historically low for some time now. If you've been paying attention to mortgage rates, this may seem underwhelming to you bec...

Zillow Video Tours
Real Estate Education

Zillow Video Tours

Zillow has recently been promoting their new video tour feature. Video tours have been a round for a while. You probably have probably watched one in...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: April 2016

The market is still hot! I say still hot because March was also an excellent month for real estate sales. Click here to review my report for March 201...

1st Quarter Market Report for Timberville
Market Reports

1st Quarter Market Report for Timberville

In the first quarter, Timberville saw 9 sales. That compares to a total of 57 last year. The spring market has been hot in general, we will probably s...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: March 2016

The market is looking fantastic for listing your house. The number of houses for sale is low, the median sales price is up, the days on the market is...

Reservoir Street Updates Coming
Real Estate Education

Reservoir Street Updates Coming

As a frequent commuter on Reservoir, I welcome the news of Reservoir St getting some updates. The city plans on updating Reservoir St from the county...

How Much Can Your House Rent For?
Flipping Real Estate

How Much Can Your House Rent For?

Keep Your House as a Rental Have you considered buying another house and renting your current residence? Have you wondered how much cash flow you woul...

Do You Like Where You Live?
Real Estate Education

Do You Like Where You Live?

Research Shows According to this graph from the National Association or Realtors, most people would move to a similar place to where they currently li...

Home Staging Quick Tip: The Closet
Sellers Market

Home Staging Quick Tip: The Closet

Staging Your Closet Closets can be a tough place to stage. The closet is a little like the adult version of sweeping the mess under the rug; we put al...

Penn Laird: A Great Place to Live
Best Of The Valley

Penn Laird: A Great Place to Live

An Overview of Penn Laird Penn Laird sits just outside of the South Eastern side of Harrisonburg. With beautiful mountain views, a golf course, and a...

How to Cheaply Update Your Kitchen
Real Estate Education

How to Cheaply Update Your Kitchen

Cheap Kitchen Updates The kitchen is one the best updates you can do to your home to increase it's value. However, it can also be one of the most expe...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: January 2016

The statistics for January 2016 are here. I have not included year-to-date statistics because they would be the same as the statistics for January. He...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: November 2015

Overall, the market did very well in November 2015. This may come as a surprise to some because it appeared that the market was slowing down for the w...

Residential Housing Sales Forecast
Real Estate Education

Residential Housing Sales Forecast

According to the NAR, they anticipate the market to be strong nationally in the next 6 months. What can we say about our area? As of December 8th, 201...

Market Reports
Market Reports

Market Report: October 2015

Overall, sales are a little down when compared to this time last year. However, it is important to keep in mind that the selling season was a little d...

What is Earnest Money?
Real Estate Education

What is Earnest Money?

What is Earnest money? It's in the name. Earnest money is money is a way a buyer can show their good faith to the seller. The funds can help separate...

National Vs Local Days on the Market
Market Reports

National Vs Local Days on the Market

The median days on the market for National home sales was 49 in September, 2015. How do the national rates compare to the local sales data? In Septemb...

Harrisonburg Leaf Collection East of Main St
Best Of The Valley

Harrisonburg Leaf Collection East of Main St

Leaf collection started this week for those West of Main St. Click here for more detailed information on the West side leaf collection. ​As for the fo...

Selecting a Mortgage Adviser
Best Of The Valley

Selecting a Mortgage Adviser

There can be a lot of factors that go into play when selecting a mortgage adviser. You ultimately want an adviser who will find you the lowest and mos...

Market Report: July 2015
Market Reports

Market Report: July 2015

July 2015 saw a slight reduction in sales when compared to July of 2014. However, 2015 still remains a really strong year for sales. With the increase...

Walmart in Timberville Building Update
Real Estate Education

Walmart in Timberville Building Update

Austin Garber, Timberville town manager, reports that Walmart has purchased and is planning to develop land on South Main St. by American Legion Dr. W...

Market Report: June 2015
Market Reports

Market Report: June 2015

June proved to be a great month for sales! Here are a few of the highlights: - June 2015 home sales are up 12% when compared to June 2014. - The year...

Market Report: May 2015
Market Reports

Market Report: May 2015

When looking over the statistics for the sales in May 2015, one could conclude that the market is slowing down. However, I would argue that this would...

Construction Rates at a 7 Year High
Flipping Real Estate

Construction Rates at a 7 Year High

Construction rates have been steadily increasing since 2010. In April 2015, construction spending reached a significant milestone by passing the trill...

Market Report: April 2015
Market Reports

Market Report: April 2015

To put it simply, the market continues to improve over last year. In 2013, we saw a slow start to sales in the spring. By the end of the year, 2014 sa...

Real Estate Tax Deferment
Flipping Real Estate

Real Estate Tax Deferment

This is part three of a series. Click here to go back to "An Overview of the Three D's of Real Estate Tax" Being able to defer paying taxes and inste...

Real Estate Depreciation Tax Benefits
Flipping Real Estate

Real Estate Depreciation Tax Benefits

Click here to go back to An Overview of the Three D's of Real Estate Tax. The IRS understands that overtime, your house costs money to maintain. They...

Market Report:  March 2015
Market Reports

Market Report:  March 2015

Highlights: - March sales were up 28% when you compare to March of last year. - Year to date median sales price is up 3% over this time last year. - W...

15543 Spar Mine Rd Reduced Price: $159,900!
Real Estate Education

15543 Spar Mine Rd Reduced Price: $159,900!

More Info This beautiful country home is sitting on 2 acres of land. Enjoy country views from the front porch. Two storage sheds, and an unfinished ba...

How to Find Bank Owned/REO Properties
Best Of The Valley

How to Find Bank Owned/REO Properties

What are Bank Owned/REO properties? While bank owned properties is pretty self-explanatory. What does REO stand for? REO stands for Real Estate Owned....

Spring: A Great Time To List Your Home!
Sellers Market

Spring: A Great Time To List Your Home!

Spring is here and it is a great time to list your house! And here is a great example of why. I met the owner of this house, on Portland Drive, to dis...

Market Report:  February 2015
Market Reports

Market Report:  February 2015

Highlights: -February 2015 Sales were up 21% when comparing February of 2014. -February 2015 median sales price was down 3% when compared to February...

The Four Ways to Make Money with Rentals
Flipping Real Estate

The Four Ways to Make Money with Rentals

Have you been thinking about making a Real Estate investment? Is having rent come in once a month the only benefit to having an investment? Below I ou...

Real Estate Investing: Exit Strategies
Flipping Real Estate

Real Estate Investing: Exit Strategies

Exit Strategies Developing exit strategies before you purchase a property is an important step to help ensure that you have options. You will want to…

Should You Refinance?
Real Estate Education

Should You Refinance?

Do you remember signing a seemingly insurmountable stack of papers to buy your house and get your mortgage? Why would you want to do this again? In es...

Market Report:  January 2015
Market Reports

Market Report:  January 2015

We did see a 10% decrease in sales from January 2014 to January 2015. However, sales were even when comparing 2013 and 2015. Were the sales slightly h...

What Does a Mortgage Cover?
Best Of The Valley

What Does a Mortgage Cover?

Are you thinking of moving from renting to owning? You probably have a lot of questions. One of them being, what is a Mortgage? What does it cover and...

How to Buy a House
Buyer Guides

How to Buy a House

...No Matter Where You Are. If you are looking to buy a house in Rockingham County, I will be happy meet with you and go over the process in as much d...

How to Make a Custom Map Search
Real Estate Education

How to Make a Custom Map Search

Do you have a dream area you want to live in? Do you wish you could choose to be alerted for a specific area? Check out the Map Search option at…

2014 Market Report for Timberville, VA
Market Reports

2014 Market Report for Timberville, VA

More Graphs and Information at TimbervilleVAHomes.com - When comparing 2013 and 2014, Timberville saw an 11% drop in sales, or 4 houses less than last...

2014 Market Report for Broadway, VA
Market Reports

2014 Market Report for Broadway, VA

 More Graphs and Information at BroadwayVAHomes.com  - In 2014 Broadway saw the highest number of sales since 2007. - When comparing 2014 and 2013,...

Market Report:  November 2014
Market Reports

Market Report:  November 2014

- There were 5 more sales in November compared to 2013. - Median Sale price is down $7,400 when comparing November 2013 and 2014, but up $1,850 when…

Repeat Home Buyers in 2014
Buyer Guides

Repeat Home Buyers in 2014

Earlier, I gave some insight to what first time home buyers looked like in 2014. Click here for this blog entry. We are now going to explore what the…

First-Time Home Buyers in 2014
Buyer Guides

First-Time Home Buyers in 2014

- First time home owners made up 33% of national home sales in 2014. This is slightly less than the historical norm of 40%. - The typical age of a…

Preparing For Settlement
Real Estate Education

Preparing For Settlement

This blog is part 8 of a series. Click here for: The Process for Selling Your House: An Overview. The selling agent and clients will select a title co...

Market Report: October 2014
Market Reports

Market Report: October 2014

Highlight With October Sales, 2014 year-t0-date (YTD) sales have passed 2013! -Median sales prices are up significantly from 2014 The median days on t...

Contract Negotiations
Real Estate Education

Contract Negotiations

This blog is part 6 of a series. Click here for: The Process for Selling Your House: An Overview. When choosing a REALTOR®, it's important to get a se...

Communication With Your REALTOR®
Real Estate Education

Communication With Your REALTOR®

This blog is part 5 of series. Click here for: The Process for Selling Your House: An Overview. Communication is very important. Establishing a clear…

Preparing Your House To Sell
Sellers Market

Preparing Your House To Sell

This blog is part 4 of series. Click here for the overview. Most buyers know that it's the right one within the first few minutes of touring a house....

Establish an Asking Price for Your Home.
Best Of The Valley

Establish an Asking Price for Your Home.

This blog is a part of a series on selling your home. Click here forThe Process for Selling Your House: An Overview. Establishing an asking price clos...

September Market Report
Market Reports

September Market Report

House sales are still going strong. A late start in the spring, mostly due to winter weather, could be correlated to more sales as we go into fall. He...

Consulting a REALTOR® to Sell Your House
Sellers Market

Consulting a REALTOR® to Sell Your House

If you are at the beginning stages of selling your home and you don't have a REALTOR® . The first step would be to decide which agentyou plan on using...

Funkhouser App
Real Estate Education

Funkhouser App

Mobile: iPad App Promo | Funkhouser Real Estate Group from The Enterprise Network on Vimeo. Download Funkhouser Real Estate Group's app and discover a...

Market Activity for August 2014
Market Reports

Market Activity for August 2014

Here are some interesting sales stats for August. Some notable aspects of the data: - Home sales were slightly lower than August of last year. However...

Moving Checklist
Real Estate Education

Moving Checklist

After you have ratified your contract and fulfilled the contingencies, it is time to start thinking about your move! Use our checklist to help you get...

Dual Representation Vs. Unrepresented Party
Real Estate Education

Dual Representation Vs. Unrepresented Party

In my previous blog, we checked out Exclusive Vs. Designated Representation. Clickhere for more information. Dual Representation The Seller and Buyer...

Exclusive Vs Designated Representation
Real Estate Education

Exclusive Vs Designated Representation

Exclusive Representation The Seller and Buyer are exclusively represented by separate Agents and separate Firms. The Agent and the Firm are solely…

Be Alerted about New Homes for Sale!
Best Of The Valley

Be Alerted about New Homes for Sale!

Are you thinking about buying a home in the near future? Or, do you just have interest in seeing what properties are being listed at in your area? Bei...

Know Your Rights as a Mortgage Borrower
Buyer Guides

Know Your Rights as a Mortgage Borrower

If you are looking into obtaining a mortgage, you should know your rights. Obtaining a mortgage is one of the biggest loans you will ever get and you...

How Much are Houses Selling For?
Best Of The Valley

How Much are Houses Selling For?

General Market Snapshot The median sales price in Harrisonburg for July 2014 was $199,250. While the year to date median sales price, for July, was…

How to use a Realtor for FREE!
Best Of The Valley

How to use a Realtor for FREE!

Buyers If you are looking to buy a house, in general, a Realtor does not cost you anything. Let me repeat that, using a Realtor to help you buy a hous...

Harrisonburg Community Arts and Culture
Best Of The Valley

Harrisonburg Community Arts and Culture

Thinking of moving to Harrisonburg? Or, are you interested in finding out more about what Harrisonburg and the Shenandoah Valley have to offer? Click...

FHA Loans: How Can they Help You?
Best Of The Valley

FHA Loans: How Can they Help You?

Do you not have enough money saved to put down a full down payment but still want a house? An FHA loan might be the solution for you. Federal Housing…

How to Find Information About Local Schools.
Real Estate Education

How to Find Information About Local Schools.

When considering where to buy a house, school district is usually very important to most buyers. Maybe you are re-locating or simply don't know a lot...

What Do You Need in a House?
Best Of The Valley

What Do You Need in a House?

It is important to consider many things when purchasing a home. You want to make sure that the home makes sense for you and your family. When thinking...

How to Choose Your Real Estate Agent
Real Estate Education

How to Choose Your Real Estate Agent

Obviously, I think you should choose me as your Realtor®. However, I won't use this article to tell you why you should choose me. Instead, I will ex...

June Sales are Up!
Real Estate Education

June Sales are Up!

Sales are up! This is great news for people looking to sell their home. As you can see from the graph, home sales are at a 4 year high in the month of...

First-Time Homebuyer Savings Plans
Buyer Guides

First-Time Homebuyer Savings Plans

A First-time Homebuyer Savings Plan allows any Virginian to set aside up to $50,000 toward the costs of closing on a new home. The earnings on those f...

Mortgage Points Explained
Buyer Guides

Mortgage Points Explained

If you've done some research on Mortgages, you probably have stumbled upon the term points. You may be wondering about the purpose of points. Do you w...

First Time Home Owners Role in the Market
Market Reports

First Time Home Owners Role in the Market

Bring on the stats. Okay, why should you care about first time home owners in the housing market? It's because they make up 36% to 50% of the market.…

How to Know if You're Ready to Buy a Home.
Buyer Guides

How to Know if You're Ready to Buy a Home.

Are you tired of throwing your money away with renting? Have you been considering investing in a home? How do you know if you are ready for this seemi...

Mortgage Pre-Approval
Buyer Guides

Mortgage Pre-Approval

When looking for a house, what's the first step? Often people think it's contacting a Realtor, searching Zillow, or going to an open house. These are...

May Home Sales: A 4 year comparison.
Market Reports

May Home Sales: A 4 year comparison.

The graph above indicates that we saw a slight sale increase from the previous year. As with any market, there are countless factors that could have h...

Deck Vs. Kitchen
Real Estate Education

Deck Vs. Kitchen

Mattias Clymer Realtor with Funkhouser Real Estate Group According to Saber Grills, Outdoor Living 2014, 83% said that outdoor living area is the favo...