Is it time to sell a home I have owned for decades?
That is the first question, and the answer may be "not yet." We start with a worksheet that puts staying, selling and renting your house side by side, with the cost of the next place beside them. If selling makes sense, we sort the contents in a set order (keep, family, sell, donate, haul), decide what to fix and what to leave, and open the search for your next home at the same time, not after the contract. Capital gains questions go to your CPA with a list of records ready.
How do I sell a house I inherited in Virginia?
The first step is to find out who has authority to sign, and that comes from the estate attorney and the circuit court, not from us. In Rockingham County that is the Circuit Court clerk, and for a city address the Harrisonburg Circuit Court. Once authority is clear we handle the rest: a vacant-house plan for utilities, locks and insurance, a contents plan, and one timeline for the family, the attorney and every vendor. Before the estate is open, we can give a value range and a condition walk-through with no listing and no commitment. Timelines commonly run months, not weeks. Confirm with your attorney.
How does selling a house in a divorce work?
We work to the order or agreement. Both owners get the same information at the same time, in writing, and we start with a written communication agreement both of you sign. We do not take a side, advise on division, or address you jointly unless you both agree in writing. The order sets the timeline, and we build ours from it. Legal questions go to your attorney. Confirm with your attorney.
What if I am moving to or from the Valley for work?
If you are leaving, we do the consult by video, walk the house on camera, manage local vendors, and set up electronic signing, so you can be hundreds of miles away and still on schedule. If you are arriving, we can send an orientation brief with commute distances to James Madison University, Sentara RMH, Merck and other employers, utilities by address, and a home search that starts with your list. We will also give you questions to ask HR about your relocation benefit.
There are four workable orders: sell first and rent, sell first with a rent-back, buy first with a bridge loan or equity line, or buy first with a sale-contingent offer. Each has a different cost and a different failure point. We put them on one page, ask your lender to model each, and set a decide-by date. We handle both closings and write down what happens if one slips.
Buying and selling at the same time →
You pick the features that matter to you, and we search on those: a main-floor primary suite, few or no entry steps, laundry on the main level, a smaller lot, exterior maintenance included. Each candidate gets a fact sheet with the real numbers, including HOA fees, reserves, special assessments and what the fee covers. Community status is named only after we verify it in the governing documents.
One-level and low-maintenance homes in the Valley →