Ask Chris - FAQs

It stands for “Smarter Real Estate.” I use five primary skills to be the local real estate expert and serve clients at the highest possible level.

• RQ: Real Estate Intelligence
• FQ: Financial Intelligence
• TQ: Technology Intelligence
• SQ: Efficiency Intelligence
• EQ: Emotional Intelligence

After more than 20 years in the business, I am helping clients in all the markets from north of Richmond to the DC beltway, west towards Haymarket down to Culpeper and Orange, and east into King George.

It probably won’t be a surprise to hear how the disciplines learned flying in the Navy trained me perfectly to be a real estate broker. To keep it simple - I never took off in an airplane without a plan on where I was going, how long it would take, and what I was going to do along the way. I also always had contingency plans for things going wrong along the way. That is exactly how I approach helping clients buy and sell homes.

I have the heart of a teacher, but I listen more than I talk, because it’s not about me. It’s about your goals, your family and your next chapter. I’ll explain each step in plain language and answer every question, no matter how small, so you never feel rushed or pushed. One client told me, “You told me more in 5 minutes than any agent has ever told me.” That’s the standard I hold myself to.

Everything on this site is here to let you know who I am before you ever pick up your phone or send me an email or text. Many people who call me have already decided they can trust me and that I’m the right person for the job. If you’re still researching, that’s smart. Let’s get together in person so you have all the information you need to make your decision.

If you hire me to help you, you get me, the broker and the owner. I do not hand you off to anyone else. I build your pricing, run your marketing plan and handle your negotiation myself, start to finish. I reply personally, and you’ll often hear from me directly from my cell phone.

Yes, and one of my favorite pieces of feedback from clients is “I felt like Chris’s only client.” I leverage both my experience and technology to be organized and efficient so that I can make sure every client gets the attention and care they want and deserve. I enjoy serving people and having an impact in their lives, so the hard work to make that happen doesn’t feel like hard work at all.

My clients can cancel their agreements without any costs, fees, or penalties up until the point of signing a contract to buy or sell real estate.

I give you a pricing recommendation based on upgrades, condition, location, recent sales, and your personal goals and risk tolerances. I don’t fluff numbers just to get a sign in your yard. You get straight numbers like “if we price here, expect this,” then an in-depth consultation, and you make the final pricing decision with my guidance.

Every client gets a customized sales and marketing plan that reflects your home, your situation, your goals and your risk tolerances. I advertise directly on over 67 different websites so your home will be everywhere in addition to localized social media exposure and direct mail campaigns. My marketing plans include the right combinations of professional photos, video walk-throughs, 3D tours, floor plans, and drone pictures for land and acreage. After launch you’ll get updates on showings and any feedback I receive, plus periodic updates on the competitive analysis so you’ll know exactly what is happening with homes you are directly competing against.

I negotiate every offer myself, and I never walk into one without a plan. Before we ever see an offer, I define your walk-away point and your best alternatives, so you always negotiate from strength instead of pressure. I pay close attention to the other side’s motivations and leverage points, use anchoring and framing to set the tone early, and know when to hold firm, when to trade concessions, and when silence does the work. Strong negotiating is as much emotional intelligence as numbers, so I stay calm and keep the deal moving toward your goals. Before you sign anything, you’ll see a written net sheet, line by line.

It’s my free, no-obligation home selling plan: what your home is worth, a written net sheet, your best timing based on your goals and current mortgage, a prep list of what to fix and what to skip, and whether your assumable loan could be a competitive advantage. Ask questions anytime. I’m always willing to share what I know.

It might. All VA and FHA loans are assumable, which means a buyer may be able to take over your lower rate mortgage. In today’s market that can be a real competitive advantage to getting sold. I’ll review your loan as part of your Smart Equity Review and tell you honestly whether it helps. There are some calculations I need to do in order to know for sure, and I’ll need more information from you to do that.

Yes. As a former Navy pilot, I’ve lived the PCS life, and my brother and co-founder Mike is a former Marine Officer. I know the timelines, the VA loan details and the stress of moving a family on orders. I’ve helped clients buy from out of state and overseas on tight schedules, including one family relocating from Alaska who toured nearly 15 homes in two days. For clients moving to the area, I also do video tours, make recommendations, and coordinate, attend, and advise on home inspections for clients who want to make sure they have a home to move into as soon as they arrive in the area. We’ll match the home search process to whatever your goals are.

Yes. Settling an estate or selling from far away is hard, especially during a loss. I handle things locally, keep you informed, and make extra trips to the house when problems come up so you don’t have to. My job is to take that weight off your shoulders. I’m an expert in estate sales and will help connect you with estate attorneys when needed to make sure your estate sale is done as quickly and smoothly as possible. I stress to everyone that estate planning should start long before the need to sell a property, so I also help clients begin their estate planning process as soon as they feel there is a need to prepare (which is never too early). For clients who did not have basic estate planning in place, sales were far longer and more difficult than they wanted them to be.

The legal advice that I’ve been given, and that I use in my personal life, is that having a family trust is far better than only having wills or medical directives, especially if you want to keep the government and the painful probate process out of your life. Send me an email asking for help preparing estate assets to smoothly transition to heirs, and I will connect you with some local attorneys who are experts in that area. Don’t wait until it’s an emergency, because I have seen people pass away before the paperwork was done, and the family was stuck with legal and court hassles for well over a year.

Absolutely. Selling as-is, settling an estate, or relisting after another agent didn’t get it sold. I plan for the home you actually have. We’ll look honestly at what went wrong, what to fix and what to skip, and build a new plan around your goals. I even had a case where I relisted a home for a client after it didn’t sell for 6 months with a different agent. I listed it at the same price and sold it in a week to the first buyer that looked at it. Experience and skills matter.

I will meet you exactly where you are and use our time together to teach you as much as I can about real estate, home ownership, personal finance, and how to take care of your home. I’ll walk you through how buying works and explain the local market in plain language, then help you understand the right loan before we look at homes, because the right loan can change what you can afford. No question is too basic. My job is not to sell you anything. My job is to be your personal consultant through the process to help you buy the home you want at the best possible price, terms, and conditions. I’ll get you through a learning curve so that you will feel both comfortable and confident making the best decision for you. There is never any pressure and I will work as fast or as slow as you want.

Please reach out early. More options exist the sooner we talk. I’ll listen first, look at your numbers honestly and walk you through the choices you have, without judgment and without pressure. My first goal is to always help you save your home from foreclosure, which doesn’t cost you anything and is just part of my commitment to helping our community with the skills and expertise I’ve been blessed with.

Yes. As a new home building and land expert, I help clients find the right lot and work through the steps of building on it. If you already have land, I help clients find the right builder to build their dream home.

I am here to support you the entire time you own your home, and beyond. Many of my clients come back to buy, sell and invest again, and send their families too. I’ve also stayed in touch with clients who moved out of the area but still reach out to me with questions about real estate, finance, remodeling, repairs, and more. I’m always happy to share what I know and help where I can.