Case study | Written by Caitlin Ellis
How We Sold Frank's Leesburg Home in Four Days and Helped Him Move Out of State
A retired homeowner in Leesburg's Paxton neighborhood was moving to Florida's Gulf Coast to be near family, and his Florida offer depended on selling his Leesburg colonial first. We prepared the house, sold it in four days for $26,000 over list with no inspection and a free 60-day rent-back, and closed in 30 days. His Florida closing followed five days later.
Frank, a retired homeowner in Leesburg's Paxton neighborhood, was moving out of state to Florida's Gulf Coast to be near family. His Florida offer depended on selling his Leesburg colonial first. We prepared the house, sold it in four days for $26,000 over list with no inspection and a free 60-day rent-back, and closed in 30 days. His Florida closing followed five days later.
Why was Frank selling his home in Paxton, Leesburg?
Frank was retired, living on his own, and ready to move out of state to be near family in Florida. He had owned his four-bedroom colonial in Paxton for more than 20 years. It had a screened-in porch and an unfinished basement.
What makes selling in Leesburg and buying out of state so hard?
The timing on both sides has to line up. Frank's Florida purchase was contingent on selling his Leesburg home, so we needed a contract quickly and a fast closing to get his proceeds to Florida on time. He also had hip surgery scheduled after the sale and needed time to recover before packing up and moving, so a rent-back was a must.
The house was also more than 20 years old. It was in good condition, but we wanted to avoid a home inspection if we could, since that's one less hurdle between contract and closing.
What makes the Paxton neighborhood in Leesburg appealing to buyers?
Paxton is a small neighborhood with no HOA, and the homes are still very well kept. Downtown Leesburg is less than a 20-minute walk away, and Ida Lee Park and the W&OD Trail are within walking distance too. Paxton also sits outside Leesburg's historic district, so owners don't need approval for exterior changes the way homes in the district do.
How did we prepare Frank's Leesburg home for sale?
We started two months before listing. In our first meeting, we walked Frank through our listing services and marketing plan and gave him two estimates: what the house would sell for as-is, and what it could sell for if he completed a short checklist. The checklist was:
- Declutter the whole house
- Clear out the garage
- Organize the storage room
- Paint the entire first level
- Replace the badly scratched hardwood floors with LVP
Frank chose the checklist, and we lined up the vendors. We connected him with a flooring installer, a junk removal company, and a handyman. The handyman secured the outside stairs so they were safe and up to code, tightened the loose handrail on the back deck, and replaced and stained many of the deck boards.
We scheduled every contractor to finish two weeks before the house went on the market, which left time for a full media day to capture photos and video. Our vendors also accept partial payment at closing, so Frank didn't have to put up much money upfront. He could cover much of the cost at closing, out of a higher sale price.
How did we market Frank's Paxton home in four days?
We ran our full marketing plan the week before the house went active. It went live on a Thursday, and we spent Thursday through Sunday marketing it hard. We sent mailers to the entire neighborhood, reached out to our agent network, and held an open house with a private barista serving coffee.
We set an offer deadline for Sunday. Two offers came in. More agents were likely interested, but a few backed off at the deadline because they couldn't compete with the offer already in hand.
What did the winning offer on Frank's Leesburg home include?
The winning buyer came from the open house, and the offer checked every box on Frank's list. We ratified it on Sunday, four days after the house went live:
- $826,000, which was $26,000 over the $800,000 list price
- Home inspection waived
- A free 60-day rent-back
- A 30-day closing
How did Frank's sale compare to the Loudoun County market?
It sold far faster than the market average. Recent Bright MLS data for Loudoun County shows the median home taking 39 days to go under contract, up from 27 a year ago. Active listings are up 48% from last year, and about 1 in 9 active listings has had a price cut. Frank's house went under contract in four days, over list price, with the inspection waived.
How did we coordinate Frank's out-of-state purchase in Florida?
We connected Frank with a trusted agent in our network who knew the Bradenton and Sarasota area well. Frank wanted a specific neighborhood near family, and that agent already knew it. During our media week in Leesburg, Frank flew to Florida, toured homes with that agent, and wrote an offer on his first trip. The offer was contingent on selling his Leesburg home.
From there, the job was keeping both deals on the same timeline. The Leesburg sale closed 30 days after ratification. His Florida purchase was originally set to close 15 days after that. Because the Leesburg sale moved so quickly, the Florida closing was moved up to just five days after his Virginia closing, with his proceeds ready to go.
Where does Frank stand now?
Frank owns his new home in Florida and is still living in his Leesburg house on the rent-back. That gives him time to recover from surgery and make the move to the Gulf Coast on his own schedule, without rushing.
What would we tell someone selling in Leesburg and moving out of state?
Work with an agent who knows the exact market you're moving to. If you're flying several states away to see homes, you want every showing on that trip to be a real fit for what you're looking for. Virtual tours help, and we use them with relocating clients all the time. But when you're spending the time and money to travel, the agent on the other end needs to make that trip count.
We're connected with more than 5,000 top-producing agents across the country, and we refer clients to them the way we would refer friends and family. When one agent handles both sides of a home sale contingency locally, it's easier to manage. When the purchase is several states away, maybe in a different time zone, both agents have to communicate constantly so every date lines up for the client.
Frequently asked questions about selling in Leesburg and moving out of state
Start with a trusted agent in the market you're moving to and a plan for how the two closings fit together. Frank wrote a Florida offer contingent on selling his Leesburg home. We sold in four days and closed in 30, and his Florida closing was moved up to five days after his Virginia closing.
It depends on preparation and pricing. Frank's house in Paxton went under contract in four days, while the median Loudoun County home is taking 39 days. Getting the house fully ready before listing and marketing it hard in the first few days made the difference.
Yes, if you negotiate a rent-back. Frank's buyer gave him a free 60-day rent-back, so he could close on the sale and still move on his own schedule. Our Reston to Piedmont case study shows another seller who used a 60-day rent-back to buy in Piedmont before moving.
No. Paxton has no HOA, and it's outside Leesburg's historic district, so owners don't need district approval for exterior changes. The homes are still very well kept.
Compare what the house would sell for as-is with what it could sell for after targeted updates. Frank chose paint, new LVP flooring, decluttering, and deck and stair repairs. Our vendors accept partial payment at closing, so he didn't have to pay much upfront.
About the author: Caitlin Ellis co-owns Ellis Properties at Samson Properties with her husband, Steven Ellis, serving Loudoun, Prince William and Fairfax counties, Arlington and Alexandria. The team helps homeowners sell in Northern Virginia and move out of state, connecting them with trusted agents in their next market through a network of more than 5,000 top-producing agents nationwide.
