Learn About Buying Manassas Real Estate

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

Learn About Buying Manassas Real Estate

Preparing to Sell Your Manassas Home


Experienced agents know what puts prospective buyers off when they view a home, especially Manassas. For example, when buyers find dirty dishes in the sink, notice offensive pet odors or spot obvious stains suggesting a leaking roof they begin to devalue the property. Some buyers may decide to pass on the house completely while others may think about making an offer way below the asking price. So, a good agent’s first step is to help the homeowner see the house as others will see it and take care of problems.


Manassas Homebuyers Quandry


When you find the home you want to buy you may make an offer contingent upon the sale of your existing Manassas. In a Seller’s Market, offers with such contingencies are not well received because the seller must remove his home from the market while you sell yours. However there are times when this kind of offer is successful, even in the Manassas market. A backup strategy might be to put in your offer with a very long escrow giving yourself time to sell your home. Very few sellers will accept these kinds of contingencies or long escrows if your house is not already on the market.


Bitten by the Manassas Home Improvement Bug?


Money isn’t everything however so that if the most important consideration for remaining in your Manassas home happens to be the school where your children attend or the proximity to your work or to a particularly attractive recreational opportunity then remodeling may be the best option. On the other hand, if the idea of having your Manassas house torn up for weeks at a time makes your blood run cold, it really doesn’t matter how much money you might make turning a fixer-upper into a model home. You will be far better off selling the home you have and moving to a home that better fits your needs.

Does Your Manassas Have Curb Appeal?


Every prospective buyer who visits your Manassas home is struck by a variety of impressions regardless of whether your landscaping is eye-catching or merely so-so. Plants that overrun the walkway, trees that badly need pruning and visible suggest to the prospective buyer that this home will take a lot of landscaping maintenance and yet if your yard is well-maintained, the prospective buyer is inclined to simply admire the fact and move on. If your Manassas front porch or front door need paint, the prospective buyer is likely to notice the paint job inside and out and think about how much maintenance that will take on a yearly basis. The important message here is that things that look bad or run down call attention to all the work that needs to be done while things that are well maintained conjure up ideas of how pleasant it would be to live there.

What Makes Manassas Sell?


People often ask me when is the best time to sell my Manassas? I usually reply that if you want to get the best price for your home, it is wise to give yourself as much time as possible to sell it. However peak selling seasons vary in different areas of the country, and Manassas is no exception, and weather has a lot to do with an area’s peak season. For example, late spring and early fall are the prime listing seasons in many areas because houses tend to show better in those months than they do in the heat of summer. Having said that, houses sell in every season in areas where there is a demand. By demand, I mean a significant number of prospective buyers moving to the area for a variety of reasons.

When Manassas Does Not Sell


The number one, main reason why a home remains on the market is PRICE. There can be other problems as well such as the home’s condition or location and even overall market conditions but the major reason for the NO SALE sign is the Manassas is over priced. In fact, proper pricing will often overcome most all obstacles.

Some people prefer to buy Manassas that needs some work if the price is right. Investors look at the property, evaluate the cost of brining it up to speed and make an offer if they feel they can make a quick profit. These kinds of investors are looking to fix and flip. Others with limited budgets may see the fixer-upper as a way to get started with Manassas ownership. They may spend years working on improving the home, making improvements as they can afford it. So, a home’s poor condition will not prevent a sale if the price reflects the situation.