Manassas Homes / A Guide for Buyers and Sellers

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

Manassas Homes / A Guide for Buyers and Sellers

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?


Before you finalize your decision regarding remodeling versus moving, it is wise to get a professional estimate of your Manassas home’s current value, the actual costs of moving to a different home and the estimated return on investment of the most common types of home improvement. I’ll be happy to provide you with a complimentary analysis of your home’s current value. Simply call or E-mail me whenever you are ready. As for improvements that traditionally bring the highest rate of return on investment, here are some statistics. Kitchen remodeling and adding a bath tends to bring rates of return with averaging anywhere from 85% to 95% return on your dollars spent. Compare that with the 64% return on investment for adding a home office.

Buying a Manassas Fixer-Upper


Finding the right Manassas 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 Manassas buyers looking for specific types of properties. Call or Email me today.


Taking Title to Your Manassas


There are so many details to consider when purchasing your Manassas 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 Manassas ownership ahead of time is one way to protect yourself.

A single Manassas 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.

What Makes Manassas Sell?


If your only reason for selling your Manassas is for the purpose of taking your profits there are a couple ways to approach this. Assuming you have lived in the Manassas for two years so you can avoid federal tax consequences, if you sell when prices are high and rent until prices come down before buying a replacement home, you will have maximized your profit. Remember, if you sell when prices are low, you will still make a profit and be able to buy a replacement home while prices are still low.

Manassas BASICS


Location, location, location pretty much describes the basics of all real estate markets and the Manassas market is no exception. A lovely estate home next door to a power plant or on a hill where major sliding has occurred is not as valuable as that same home in a quiet, tree-lined neighborhood. This is why most astute buyers tend to rely on real estate agents who are well versed in the community and know the area well.