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DC
METRO REAL ESTATE
Serving
the Real Estate needs of the communities of
Manassas, Bristow, Haymarket, Warrenton, Gainesville
and Culpeper in Northern Virginia
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Dave
Scardina
Broker
/ Owner
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703-829-SOLD
866-909-0900
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Manassas Real Estate / Help for Buyers and SellersManassas Real Estate Cycles
During a slow economic time, fewer people are buying homes in the Manassas market. Even so, some homeowners find themselves in a situation where they must sell. Families grow beyond the capacity of the home, employees get relocated, and some may even find themselves unable to make their mortgage payment - perhaps because of a layoff in the family.
During sellers' markets, Manassas real estate sells quickly and sellers have a lot of pricing power. As a result, prices rise more rapidly than at other times. During buyers' markets, Manassas real estate may sit on the market for a while before selling, so sellers become more flexible and may even drop their prices.
Manassas Homebuyers Quandry
Before you begin your next home search, make sure the Manassas you have is Market Ready. If painting or landscaping or repairs need doing, get them done. If you are going to go out house-hunting you may save yourself a lot of heartache and headache if your house is ready to be listed at a moment’s notice.
In many cases the amount you expect to realize from your existing Manassas real estate will determine the price you can afford to pay for your next home. Start with a Comparative Market Analysis so you will know about how much you can afford to spend.
Manassas ...How To Determine Price
The asking price of your Manassas real estate is not something to decide willy-nilly. Price it too high and you may not get any offers. Price it too low and you fail to maximize the return on your investment. Here is a good way to go about determining the price for your Manassas home.
Buyers who will consider your Manassas are out there inspecting and comparing a variety of homes that are for sale at the same time your home is on the market. If your home is priced significantly higher than comparable Manassas homes, you may not get very many buyers to even look at your home. Ultimately, it is buyers who determine what your home is worth. Buyers who are represented by an agent are privy to knowledge of what homes are actually selling for. You should be armed with this knowledge as well and you should use this knowledge to guide your pricing decision.
Manassas: Art and Science
Buying a piece of Manassas real estate is a science but buying your Manassas home is an art. The science part involves getting the legal and financial parts down while the art is finding the Manassas property that you’ll be happy with.
The total universe of possibilities within the universe of Manassas real estate is quite diverse but narrowing your search ahead of time will help keep things in perspective.
In general there are two phases to any Manassas real estate search. In the first phase, you get a feel for the different areas and an idea of what is being offered at what price. In the second phase, you search for the Manassas real estate that meets all or most of your specifications.
Building Manassas Home Equity
As a Manassas homeowner you have the right to pay more towards the principle loan amount each month. Let’s say your monthly payment is $700.00 a month and $100.00 a month is being applied to the principle. If you choose to pay $900.00 instead of $700.00, the $200.00 overage will be applied entirely to the principle. Thus, instead of gaining $1,200.00 a year in Manassas home equity, you gain $3,600.00.
The only factor being considered here is Home Equity. In individual cases it may be wiser to invest than to pre-pay your home loan. It also may be wiser to pay off high-interest, non-deductible loans before considering your Manassas 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 Manassas home appreciation values in your area, please call or E-mail me today.
The Benefits of Selling Manassas
In order to sell Manassas as your personal residence, you must have lived in it for two out of the five-year period ending on the date of the sale of the property. This means that you can buy a second home and live in it as your personal residence while renting out your first home. If, in a couple years you decide to sell your first Manassas personal residence you can sell it and still benefit from the $250,000 to $500,000 Capital Gain tax exclusion. The law says that the home must be your personal residence for at least two out of the past five years.
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