By Sarah Cox

Brandice and Sara Hartsock are sold on the New River Valley -- and more specifically, Christiansburg. They both moved to the area from Nevada to attend college and simply stayed on, enjoying the seasons and the people.

Having just sold their first home, behind Christiansburg High School, they are similar to many other young professionals -- they anticipate needing a larger home in the future and expect their first home to appreciate enough that they will have a sizable down payment to make on the next one.

Brandice explained that he and his wife purchased their first home when housing was being snapped up quickly they bought it before it was even finished. And, he added, although they do have an adjustable-rate mortgage, it is not up until 2010.

Currently, the housing market is extremely competitive, and while it's a good time to be looking at what's out there, it's not as easy to be selling.

Brandice's wife, Sara, is in a business group, BNI, with REALTOR Mary Wright of NRV Gateway Realty. Sara said that influenced them when it came time to choose a seller's agent.

"But I also felt that she was one of the best REALTORS in the area,'' said Sara.

Brandice said the couple initially priced their home a bit high, listing it in February. "Mary said it would take at least 60 to 90 days to sell,'' he said.

Back then, there were two or three other houses in their Diamond Hill subdivision for sale; now, he said, there are more.

"There are so many properties on the market, a lot more than back then. We started off too high intentionally, to be above the market, and we didn't get any response, so we dropped it $20,000 over the course of three months.''

When they did get an offer, it was another $10,000 below that, but they accepted it.

"We feared that the market wasn't going to get any better,'' he said.

Not only are there a lot of homes for sale, builders are also trying to entice customers with incentives and are negotiating lower prices, he said. But from the standpoint of appreciation, Brandice said the profit they received from the sale of their home was substantial enough to put them in a good position for another mortgage.

While they are looking at homes on the market, they are also contemplating building a home.

Sara, who works for State Electric Supply, is a lighting designer and has good contacts with the builders in the area. She said they have already located two lots, both in the Christiansburg area, and if they build a home, they want to incorporate some of the features that will make their next home low-maintenance.

"I want a flat lot, a fabulous kitchen and bathroom and built-ins. And, to me, lighting is going to play a completely essential role."

But first they have to get into the house. Brandice said that while he has not had a meeting with a mortgage consultant, he knows their credit score is good. He said his only concern is that because of the mortgage crisis, banks seem to be second-guessing everyone.

"We want to come in with the money we make on this [first] house, and we're willing to add to that a significant down payment."

Sara has seen some extraordinary homes, as she works closely with builders as a lighting designer. She said the couple's options are to buy a home that's presently on the market or rent a home while building.

In either case, they know they want more space than that in their 1,911-square foot home, and they know they want to live close to their work (Brandice works for Moog Components) to save money on gasoline.

"It's a great time to either build or buy,'' said Brandice. "We just have to find a home that suits our needs."