 |
DC
METRO REAL ESTATE
Serving
the Real Estate needs of the communities of
Manassas, Bristow, Haymarket, Warrenton, Gainesville
and Culpeper in Northern Virginia
|
|
Dave
Scardina
Broker
/ Owner
|
|
703-829-SOLD
866-909-0900
|
|
|
|
|
Buying and Selling Haymarket Homes for SaleBuilding Haymarket Home Equity
A popular question from prospective Haymarket homebuyers relates to building home equity. Buyers like to estimate how much a home may increase in value based upon past appreciation. One of the many advantages of home ownership is that appreciation is based on the home’s market value rather than on the actual dollar amount invested or the down payment so that a $100,000.00 home that appreciates 5% is now worth $105,000.00, especially in Haymarket.
With a typical 30-year loan, most of your monthly payment goes toward interest payments with only small amounts going to the principle in the early years. Only half the principle is repaid in the first 23 years of the loan. You can build Haymarket home equity faster by choosing a 15-year loan instead of a 30-year loan.
Buying a Haymarket Fixer-Upper
Some Haymarket investors concentrate on buying fixer-uppers, making repairs and upgrades then selling for a profit. Going with a Haymarket fixer-upper can also be a smart way for those who are handy to buy a home in a neighborhood that they might otherwise be unaffordable. Fixer-uppers are a wonderful opportunity for those who simply love to create their space to their own specifications but for whatever reason do not want to start with a vacant lot.
Best to know the extent of the job and whether or not you are up to it before you buy. Some Haymarket fixer-uppers simply need cosmetic work such as paint, wallpaper, carpeting and maybe kitchen appliances are fairly easy to estimate the costs for fixing. Haymarket homes that need minor structural repairs such as roofing are also fairly easy to cost estimate.
Buying a Haymarket Fixer-Upper
This, of course, depends on the condition of the Haymarket home and the estimated cost of the repairs you must make. Haymarket real estate in a good neighborhood that is priced about 25% lower than others that are in good shape may be a good deal if it simply needs cosmetic or minor structural repairs. If the house is a gut job, that is the entire inside will be torn out and rebuilt the 25% rule may work and may not so estimate your costs as closely as possible.
Shopping by neighborhood makes good sense when considering the purchase of a fixer upper. As a buyer, the more you know about the Haymarket homes in a particular area the better able you are when it comes time to judge whether or not a home your are considering meets the financial parameters you are looking for.
Tips for Buying or Selling Haymarket
Most experienced real estate agents and brokers already have Websites that showcase their local MLS data so your Haymarket can show up online as soon as it is listed. On the other hand, if you are selling on your own it will take time or a considerable advertising budget to get your individual Haymarket property to show up on the major search engines where prospective buyers will find it. You could tap into one of the several For Sale by Owner Websites but that would limit your market of buyers.
Buying real estate in Haymarket is also much easier when you work with a real estate agent who knows the area and the market. While there is a great deal of information online about real estate asking prices, it is not always so easy to find out what a property actually sold for. And even then, specific terms of a sale often make a difference in how to interpret the sales price.
When Haymarket Does Not Sell
Here is where your agent’s expertise and diligence comes into play. A top agent will consider what similar Haymarket have sold for within the last 3 to 6 months and compare those homes condition, features and location with your home. If there are no comparable sales in the area, which is often the case with custom or one-of-a-kind properties, the agent may suggest that you obtain a formal appraisal.
A homeowner who must sell and sell quickly needs to price their Haymarket at or slightly below market to ensure a quick sale. A different homeowner may want to sell but has time and wants to get the top market price. These homeowners will often price the home slightly above current market prices and expect interested buyers to offer a lower amount to start the negotiation.
Haymarket BARGAINS
A bargain exists in the mind of a buyer when entering into an agreement to exchange goods when the buyer thinks the price is favorable. Bargains can always be found in the Haymarket market if a buyer is patient and willing to wait for a truly motivated seller. In economic downturns many people believe that foreclosures and short sales are automatically bargains when, in fact, this may not be the case.
|
|
|
