 |
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 Real Estate News / Help for Buyers and SellersManassas HOME BUYING MORTGAGE PITFALLS TO AVOID
ALL MORTGAGES ARE NOT ALIKE. There are far too many variables—type of mortgage, term, lender and amount of points to mention a few—not to investigate all of your options in Manassas. Don’t simply accept the first plan presented to you, whether it is from a mortgage broker, an agent or on the recommendation of a friend. Spend time comparing to get the best plan for you.
HOME INSPECTION – A MUST. If you should ever think about skipping the Manassas home inspection in order to save money, stop and give yourself a good shaking. In the scheme of things, the Home Inspection fee is small potatoes but it is a very important step for any buyer to take. Going without a Home Inspection or choosing an unqualified inspector puts you at risk for not knowing about potentially expensive or even hazardous defects in the property.
Manassas Housing Patterns
Manassas Housing patterns tend to be homogenous, meaning homes worth $100,00 are located in $100,000 neighborhoods. It is important for properties to be within the general pricing patterns of their neighborhoods because over-valued homes, even if they are exceptional, are sometimes difficult to sell at full market price. Remember, lenders want to compare your home to nearby homes. If your Manassas real estate is located in a neighborhood of $100,000 homes but you have added another $100,000 in improvements, you may have over- improved your property in that lenders will be reluctant to lend the higher amount.
Many sellers think that the price of their home is determined solely by what they are willing to accept and what the buyer is willing to pay. However, the lender’s appraisal in Manassas is one more variable and it can complicate the sale of your home. In these cases, it helps to have a knowledgeable REALTOR working on your side.
Manassas Real Estate Cycles
What makes most sense is the "buy and hold" strategy. Buy a home you expect to remain in for at least seven years or more. Manassas is no different than most, although the Manassas market does have it's own special circumstances.
Want to get a clear and up-to-date picture of the Manassas real estate market? Call me at any time. I am happy to share my knowledge of the real estate market with homeowners and prospective homeowners who want to take advantage of market trends to buy and/or sell wisely.
Buying Manassas Below Market
Isn’t that everyone’s dream? I hear it from prospective buyers almost every day and many of them want to find the perfect Manassas home priced considerably under market. Is it possible? The answer may surprise you but often it is possible. You just need a sophisticated buying strategy.
Now the idea that you can simply decide one day to go house hunting and find just the Manassas real estate you want priced way under market is pushing your luck. But if you take advantage of some of today’s Internet technology, do your homework and bide your time, you might find just what you are looking for. First let’s look at the technology.
Does Your Manassas Have Curb Appeal?
Good curb appeal is definitely an advantage to home sellers when prospective buyers visit your Manassas and can be an advantage in advertising in the newspaper and on the Internet. However, it is important to note that even a home with great curb appeal can look bad in an advertisement if the photographer did a bad job with the camera. A photograph of a Manassas home on a dreary day will look quite different from a photo of the same home when the sun is shining. Sometimes it is better to take a picture of a home from an angle rather than a straight on shot that may turn out to be more about the garage door than about the house itself.
When Manassas Does Not Sell
Let’s say a home is in excellent condition but simply messy. The cat box needs changing, the dog dish is a mess, the dishes haven’t been put into the dishwasher and the beds are not made. Should these conditions affect the price of the Manassas? No, but they do. Take two identical houses next door to each other and priced the same. The sparkling clean house will sell much faster than the messy house and the messy house will more than likely sell for a lower figure. This is true of Manassas as well as real estate nationwide.
When a home does not sell, the owners tend to think that the REALTOR didn’t do a good enough job of promoting the property. There is a difference among agents and brokers and some will promote a property more than others. However, the main and most important method of promoting Manassas for sale is listing it in the local MLS.
|
|
|
