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

Haymarket Real Estate Guide / Help for Buyers and Sellers

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


Finding the right Haymarket fixer upper often involves finding a seller who is in financial difficulty and wants to sell in order to protect their credit or to avoid foreclosure. Various government agencies such as VA, HUD, IRS and others offer homes in foreclosure for sale and these homes can make excellent fixer-uppers. Bank owned properties known as REOs, real estate owned, offer good opportunities since financial institutions want to eliminate their real estate holdings by selling foreclosures quickly.

Join my network of Haymarket buyers looking for specific types of properties. Call or Email me today.


Buying Haymarket Real Estate...Will it Pay?


The only factor being considered here is Home Equity. In individual cases it may be wiser to invest than to pre-pay your Haymarket loan. It also may be wiser to pay off high-interest, non-deductible loans before considering your home equity building options. Your financial advisor is the one to consult for these matters. If you would like up-to-the-minute information about home appreciation values in your area, please call or E-mail me today.

Rent or Buy Haymarket


In the early years of your Haymarket mortgage, nearly all of every monthly payment is interest. This means you are only paying off a tiny bit of the loan principal, but it is good news in terms of tax savings.

The monthly payment for a $100,000, 30-year, 8% mortgage on your Haymarket would be about $734. In the first year of your mortgage, $7,970 of your $8,805 payment or 91% would be deductible as mortgage interest. Even in the tenth year, almost 81% of your payments would be deductible. What this is worth to you depends on your tax bracket but this tax savings built into the home-buying equation is why you can afford to make higher mortgage payments than your current rent payments without squeezing your budget. There is no similar tax subsidy for renters.


Taking Title to Your Haymarket


There are so many details to consider when purchasing your Haymarket and mounds of legal paperwork to read that sometimes it seems overwhelming. Some important decision can be made ahead of time so you know what is in your best interests when the time comes. For example, right at the end when the paperwork is being signed you may be asked how you want to take title. This is an important decision that should not be rushed but often is. Knowing some of the common forms of Haymarket ownership ahead of time is one way to protect yourself.

A single Haymarket buyer will usually want to take title in his/her name alone. Husbands and wives usually own property through a form of joint ownership such as joint tenancy. Unrelated individuals can take title in a limited partnership arrangement.

The Benefits of Selling Haymarket


If your Haymarket holdings consist of both a personal residence and a rental, you can sell your personal residence and exclude up to $250,000 ($500,000 for a married couple) on the gain. Then you move into your rental, live in it as your personal residence for two years and then sell it, again benefiting from the $250,000 or $500,000 exclusion. This is true even though most or all of the increase in value occurred before you converted the property to your personal residence.