David (Dave) Jones - Guiding Homebuyers with Extraordinary Transitions and Dedication to Community Service
Mar 06, 2025
Alimond Studio
Navigating the real estate market can be a daunting challenge, but imagine transforming that journey into something extraordinary. That's precisely what David (Dave) Forrest Jones Jr. of the Extraordinary Transitions Team does, and in our latest conversation, he shares the secrets to guiding clients, especially first-timers, through the complexities of buying a home. We delve into the effects of today's pressing industry issues like the scarcity of housing inventory and the surge of interest rates, while also discussing the power of a good old-fashioned recommendation and the expansive reach of social media in marketing. David, whose roots in finance have beautifully intertwined with his real estate career, also unveils the personal shifts that led him to where he is now, influenced by his wife and mother's wisdom.
Yet, it's not all about houses and transactions; David's story takes us into the heart of community service with the Leesburg Daybreak Rotary Club. Here, he highlights not just the importance of financial donations, but the irreplaceable value of dedicating one's time and effort to local causes. His tales from various service projects and the profound personal encounters offer a glimpse into the sincere impact of volunteering. By the end of our chat, we're reminded that the role of a realtor can be as multifaceted as a psychologist or marriage counselor, but the true reward lies in understanding and meeting the deeper needs of clients – enriching both their lives and the fabric of the community.
Navigating the real estate market can be a daunting challenge, but imagine transforming that journey into something extraordinary. That's precisely what David (Dave) Forrest Jones Jr. of the Extraordinary Transitions Team does, and in our latest conversation, he shares the secrets to guiding clients, especially first-timers, through the complexities of buying a home. We delve into the effects of today's pressing industry issues like the scarcity of housing inventory and the surge of interest rates, while also discussing the power of a good old-fashioned recommendation and the expansive reach of social media in marketing. David, whose roots in finance have beautifully intertwined with his real estate career, also unveils the personal shifts that led him to where he is now, influenced by his wife and mother's wisdom.
Yet, it's not all about houses and transactions; David's story takes us into the heart of community service with the Leesburg Daybreak Rotary Club. Here, he highlights not just the importance of financial donations, but the irreplaceable value of dedicating one's time and effort to local causes. His tales from various service projects and the profound personal encounters offer a glimpse into the sincere impact of volunteering. By the end of our chat, we're reminded that the role of a realtor can be as multifaceted as a psychologist or marriage counselor, but the true reward lies in understanding and meeting the deeper needs of clients – enriching both their lives and the fabric of the community.
Speaker 1:
My full name is David Forrest Jones Jr. My name in my business is the Extraordinary Transitions Team of Lyle Foster. We help our clients by mainly by listening to what it is that they're looking for. In many cases they may not even know, particularly with first-time homebuyers, and so we ask a lot of questions, draw the information out of them, and they're very nervous sometimes, so we really walk them through the process, even if they've done this before. They may not have done it in a long time, so the more comfortable they are with the whole process. That's why we call it extraordinary transitions because that's what we really want them to walk away with.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, and if it's been a while since you've bought a home, it's not exactly like riding a bike these days. It is not.
Speaker 1:
I always say realtors should have to move every five years just to be able to empathize with what our customers go through.
Speaker 2:
Sure, yeah, I could see that. Tell me a little bit how you got into real estate.
Speaker 1:
Out of college I did something completely different. And then my wife was in real estate, or got into real estate the year that we got married, and so I watched and observed and she really seemed to enjoy it. And then my mother got involved in it in Florida and so I thought, okay, I'll see how this works. I actually started off in the mortgage side, the finance side, for 14 years and I got a real taste of it then and then made the switch 15 years ago, something that you've always done or mortgage, and then real estate.
Speaker 2:
Right, yeah, and tell me a little bit about some challenges that you're facing in the real estate industry these days.
Speaker 1:
Well, the one that everybody talks about is the fact that there are no houses to sell, or very few houses to sell. Interest rates are a little bit higher than they were two years ago.
Speaker 2:
A little bit.
Speaker 1:
That was more of an issue at first. It's become less of an issue because if people if they want a new home or they want to own a home, they realize they either may get priced out of the market or if they wait forever for interest rates to come down they may miss an opportunity. So why not enjoy that house today? And so that's helped a lot that mindset of customers. We're seeing a few more houses coming on the market. This is sort of our peak season, okay.
Speaker 2:
This is spring season, right?
Speaker 1:
Absolutely. Usually April, May, June Stops a little bit in the summer while people go on vacation and so forth, and then they have to get their kids in school if they're going to move. So it picks up again.
Speaker 2:
Is that a big motivating factor that people want to list or buy kind of around this time when school is about to let out before the next year? Is that a trend?
Speaker 1:
It is. Spring used to be defined as March, April and so on and so forth, and now it's almost defined as January through June. If we have houses to sell, we have way more buyers than we have sellers right now.
Speaker 2:
Interesting. What are you doing as far as marketing and advertising to get your clients in?
Speaker 1:
Most of our business is from word of mouth or from past customers referrals like that. We do have a social media presence, which you have to have in today's world. We have occasionally magazine features where we don't so much promote ourselves as we do put what the sales have been in the Leesburg community sort of as a public service kind of an announcement.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, speaking of service, I know you do a lot with the community. Can you tell me a little bit about your work with the community?
Speaker 1:
Sure, it's one of my favorite things to talk about.
Speaker 2:
Oh good.
Speaker 1:
I'm currently the president of the Leesburg Daybreak Rotary Club. We're a service organization that at least once a month we have some service project. Last week, I guess, we prepared and served meals to some disadvantaged people in the community. We were just recognized by the mayor last week, kelly Burke, and the town council for 34 years of service to the community and it's Leesburg Daybreak Rotary Day, so that was kind of fun. But we provide scholarships. We've done everything from paint fences at Morven Park and Loudon Therapeutic Riding to last week for Earth Day we had some people that went on the W&OD trail and cleaned up trash Just anything we can do for the community.
Speaker 2:
Yeah. Is there a particular story or somebody that you were able to help, someone that touched you in a way that?
Speaker 1:
stuck with you. Yeah, a lot of what we do is try to raise money for some of the great nonprofits that are in our community and then watch what they do with it. Example Loudon Hunger Relief. Jennifer Montgomery fantastic organization.
Speaker 2:
Great organization.
Speaker 1:
Every year we try to provide them with funds, because they really know what to do with it, they know where the needs are, and so this year, for instance last month, we gave out eight grants to nonprofits in Leesburg.
Speaker 2:
That's amazing, great. How did that feel to be able to give back to the community?
Speaker 1:
Amazing, yeah, amazing. Christmas time is one of the interesting ones, where we get their gift lists, the kids' gift lists, and then we will fill the list and then take the gifts to the families. And what's really amazing to me is that the kids in many cases aren't asking for themselves. They're asking for their brothers and sisters. So I mean, how does that not affect you in some way?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, touch you and stick with you. Yeah, what do you find most rewarding about what you do in the real estate world?
Speaker 1:
Well, it can be very confusing and we have to wear lots of hats. One of them is psychologist.
Speaker 2:
One of them is marriage counselor.
Speaker 1:
But it's important that we draw out of people what it is that's really important to them. Is it schools? I once had a man who said give my wife anything she wants, then I will be happy. Well, that's not enough. So I said so a man cave is not important to you. Well, yes, got to have a man cave. Oh, garage important. Oh, yes, got to have a garage.
Speaker 2:
So he did have a list after all.
Speaker 1:
He had 25 items that were really important, and she just shook her head and laughed and said I knew this was going to happen. She said I wouldn't want a house, just because he said I want everything. So helping them make decisions, seeing the kids run around the house and pick out their rooms, that's a pretty neat experience too, and we've also done a lot in the last couple of years with people downsizing. They don't need the big house anymore, or maybe they, for COVID, needed three rooms where the kids could be in school, sort of.
Speaker 2:
People were working from home. We were all searching for that space during COVID.
Speaker 1:
And now kids are back in school, or maybe they're in the next grade and they don't need all that anymore. So that's sort of where our houses are coming from, that we're selling.
Speaker 2:
Yeah. Do you see a big trend in empty nesting and people downsizing to senior communities, or where are they going?
Speaker 1:
The over 55 communities are the hottest properties out there, right now Really.
Speaker 1:
People are. They want to be active. This is not a go to dive kind of a place. This is a let's be involved in the community, let's play pickleball, let's, you know, let's do all these things. A lot of them have regular trips down to the Kennedy Center. I mean the activities that they have are amazing and that's what makes it fun for them. I mean, this is we actually have a second home ourselves down in Florida and it's in a Jimmy Buffett community.
Speaker 1:
That sounds fun, and it's a playground for adults, and that's what a lot of the ones here are.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, where you can have your golf cart and go to your pickleball and your golf and all the fun things.
Speaker 1:
All those things, great big resort pools and tons of things.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, tell me a little bit about where you see your business going in the next five, ten years.
Speaker 1:
In the next ten years, I hope to not be in the business anymore, and the important thing for us is trying to identify what that next area is. You mentioned the over 55 community or the active adult communities. That wasn't always the case Five or ten years ago. It was very hard to sell those, so it was an attitude change. I'm hoping that one of the things that will be happening in the next three years or so is that rates will get back. They won't get back to 2% or 3%, but they will get back to 5%. Yeah, and that will help a in the next three years or so is that rates will get back. They won't get back to two or 3%, but they will get back to five, and that will help a lot of people.
Speaker 2:
A little bit more manageable.
Speaker 1:
The other thing is we sort of run out of space. We don't have a lot of land here and so you don't have as many new homes as you have in other parts of the country. So we're not being able to fulfill that. There are some pieces of land that will have houses on them in the next two to three years.
Speaker 2:
Oh, yes, I've noticed some of those pieces of land close to me and that's going to help us a lot.
Speaker 1:
We really can use that. The other thing is, in our particular case, we'll be looking to add someone to our team who, ultimately, would take over our business.
Speaker 2:
And this team is it, you and your wife.
Speaker 1:
And one other licensed person who takes care of a lot of the duties that allow us to be out with our customers.
Speaker 2:
That's great. What advice would you give to somebody trying to get into the business?
Speaker 1:
The real estate business. Yeah, the most important thing to me is training. There are lots of opportunities. To you know, there's an old saying that you come into the business and there's your desk and there's your phone. Good luck, yeah. And they just don't last. And things change constantly, as they do in other industries as well. And so, having a coach I've had a business coach for my whole 15 years, a real estate business coach that's really helped a lot. Getting aligning with an office or a company that gives you that kind of training. You don't have to stay there forever, but it's really important at the beginning.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, what advice did your mentor give you?
Speaker 1:
Don't be afraid of the telephone. Shy doesn't pay the rent, that's a good one. And so it's really important. So many people now are emailing and texting and that's all important communication, but it all starts with the telephone. Absolutely, and having that voice-to-voice care right it gives them confidence, they'll open up on the telephone. Text serves its purpose, but after the first 10 words, what are you going to do then? And sometimes those conversations are half an hour.
Speaker 2:
And you said your office is in Lund-Lauden. How do you like being in that area?
Speaker 1:
I really like it. When we first moved in it I gained 10 pounds because there are so many great restaurants going for lunch.
Speaker 2:
How long have you guys been in that space?
Speaker 1:
April 15th of 15. So what is that? Nine years, yeah, and we've seen a lot of changes to the community.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, there's been a lot of development there too. How are those houses selling?
Speaker 1:
There are some resales in there, and boy, they've really gone up in price, yeah from when they first started. And there's going to be a lot more growth in that area, both apartments and condos and so forth.
Speaker 2:
There's more coming. Yeah, what trends are you seeing now? What are the biggest trends? You said some downsizing, people looking for better school systems. What are the top three reasons people are trying to either sell or buy?
Speaker 1:
Well, they're looking for good school systems, and Loudoun has that, and Fairfax has that, and so this region is very fortunate in that respect. We're seeing more of a trend. Investors are back because they're sort of afraid they're going to get priced out of the market.
Speaker 2:
Investors meaning people looking to flip.
Speaker 1:
Landlords.
Speaker 2:
Landlords okay.
Speaker 1:
There are some flippers, but most of them are looking to be landlords and there is a big rental need. Not everybody can afford to buy a home, with first responders, teachers, a lot of others who may partner with somebody and live in a two-bedroom condo might be ideal for them at $1,000 a month, but at $2,000 a month it's kind of out of their reach.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, it gets a little tougher.
Speaker 1:
And we mentioned the over 55s. And the other thing is the lifestyle changes. Is there kids? It may not be a downsize, but for instance, we have some great golf course communities and if that's something that's really important and maybe the kids are now off in college or off on starting their own lives being able to move into a community that has a clubhouse where you can go get a sandwich and a beer, play golf, play tennis, you know, have the weight room in the community rather than going somewhere so having all those high-end amenities, yeah they cost.
Speaker 1:
But but if that's, if you're in a position to do it and that's important to you, you have it I know my husband would love it.
Speaker 2:
Having access to a golf course might be dangerous yeah yeah. Are there any last parting words you'd like to leave us with? Any business advice, real estate advice?
Speaker 1:
I I would say participate, and and what I mean by that is we have so many great things in our county, but it needs people to keep it going. We need people on boards of nonprofits, we need volunteers to help out with this or that.
Speaker 2:
Do you feel like there's a lack of people wanting to volunteer?
Speaker 1:
I don't think that it's a lack of them wanting to. It's trying to fit it in. Yeah, you know, we've had a number of people in our Rotary Club that start off in the club and then they had kids and so for 10 years they raised the family and 15 years and now the kids are in high school and they don't need that constant care and the people are coming back.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I can see that.
Speaker 1:
You know, men often are, and wives who play golf will often say you know, when the kids are born, the golf clubs go in the closet and they don't come out for 15 years. Well, it's the same way with nonprofits in many cases.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, people just don't have the time Right.
Speaker 1:
They know there's a need and they want to help. And it's not just the check that helps, it's the time, it's the volunteering.
Speaker 2:
The volunteering. So get out and participate and be part of the community. Yes, yeah, anything else you'd like to add to that?
Speaker 1:
You could start with Rotary if you are looking for a great organization, because we help a lot of organizations, not just one.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, that's great. We'll have to check it out. Well, thank you for coming in today. My pleasure. Thank you for sharing your story with us.
