Facts About Bristow Homes for Sale / Buy and Sell Wisely

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

Facts About Bristow Homes for Sale / Buy and Sell Wisely

Bristow HOME BUYING PITFALLS TO AVOID


Sellers usually rely on sales of Bristow homes of comparable value to determine a fair and realistic price to set for their home but many sellers feel their home is worth much more and price their home accordingly. Buyers must also be tuned into sales for comparable homes in Bristow in order to judge the price of any home that is under consideration.

Being “House Poor” gets to be “Old New” real fast. A large and beautiful home with little or no furniture tends to be empty and cold. A life where almost every dime of income goes to the support of the Bristow house wears thin very quickly and is a frequent cause of family stress. Pushing yourself right up to your limit leaves you highly exposed when the inevitable changes to the national or your personal economy occurs.

Bristow Real Estate Contract Options


Finally, the Exclusive Agency Listing allows an agent to list and market your Bristow real estate. The agent will earn a commission if he/she or any other agent sells the property but not if the homeowner finds his/her own buyer. Very few if any agents are willing to agree to spend time, money and know-how on promoting a home without the guarantee of a commission when the home sells.

Many people imagine that the agent who lists their home begins an immediate search for likely homebuyers for Bristow but this is not always the case. The real skill of a good listing agent is her/his ability to market your home to other agents. Usually as soon as your listing agent returns to the office, your home is entered into the MLS and is now available to hundreds, maybe thousands of other agents.


Guidelines for Buying Bristow


Whether you are a seasoned veteran of real estate transactions or a first time buyer, my advice is the same: Know the Market, Know Yourself and Rely on Experts to give you the whole picture of what you are buying.

Know the Bristow Market. Another way of stating this is Research, Research, Research. Of course the Internet is a great way to give an overview of Bristow homes or homes in any given area but may not be enough, especially if you are looking to buy a home some distance from where you currently live. If you are looking to buy locally you can drive the neighborhoods that you are focusing on to get an idea if there are any problems you need to be aware of. Does part of the development back up to a busy highway? If so and if you want to avoid looking at homes in that area, know what streets are involved so you can recognize listings that may be involved.

Before You Buy Your Bristow Home


Whether you are a first time buyer or someone who is moving up to a more expensive home it’s a good idea to start by cleaning up your credit report. Let’s say you apply for a loan to purchase an Bristow condo, town home, single-family home or any type of Bristow. The lender will check out your monthly income and outgo to determine if you can afford to repay the loan. Therefore, it is to your advantage to pay off as many high-interest consumer loans as possible. If you are planning on buying a car, a boat or other major purchase, put it off until after you have bought your selected Bristow real estate. Lenders look for certain patterns they consider red flags. These are: late payments, overextension, liens, garnishments and, of course, bankruptcy. Remember, debts reduce the amount of cash you can spend on the Bristow you want to buy, so clear the decks as much as possible before applying for a loan


Buying a Bristow Fixer-Upper


Some Bristow investors concentrate on buying fixer-uppers, making repairs and upgrades then selling for a profit. Going with a Bristow 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 Bristow fixer-uppers simply need cosmetic work such as paint, wallpaper, carpeting and maybe kitchen appliances are fairly easy to estimate the costs for fixing. Bristow homes that need minor structural repairs such as roofing are also fairly easy to cost estimate.

Green Remodeling Your Bristow


Reduced material waste and resource conservation. When remodeling your Bristow, there is often a large amount of construction waste: 136 million tons of waste annually, or about 20% of the waste in landfills, according to the EPA.

If you are planning to remodel your Bristow anyway, going green offers money-saving advantages. In addition to increasing the value of your home, you will cut monthly operating costs, reduce waste and improve overall health.