Manassas Real Estate News

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

Manassas Real Estate...Homeowners Insurance


Manassas real estate Insurance costs can vary by hundreds of dollars depending on the insurance company from which you buy your policy. There are different types of policies that differ in the amount of coverage they provide. The most popular type is called HO-3. This kind of policy offers Area property protection and liability insurance. Manassas real estate or property protection means that you will be reimbursed for losses or damages to the house and its contents. Liability Insurance protects you against personal liability, medical payments for injuries to others and damage to other people’s property. There are policies with more extensive coverage and are usually called “deluxe” or “executive” policies. If you do major remodeling to your home, make sure you upgrade your coverage. If you have an office in your home, you might want to consider special insurance for your computer equipment.

Manassas 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 Home Buying Pitfalls


Buying your Manassas home whether you are a first time buyer or an ‘Old Pro’ involves legal, financial and emotional considerations. The more you know about the most common buyer mistakes in Manassas, the more likely you are to avoid them.

Make sure that when you put in an offer on any Manassas home that you have spent time narrowing down just what you are looking for. When the sellers accept your offer, you are involved in a binding contract that could cost you your deposit and other damages should you decide to back out. The opposite scenario, waiting for the 100 % perfect home can be an exercise in futility. With the thousands of variables available in housing, including location, style, size, amenities and condition, perfection is almost always an unreasonable goal.


Building Manassas Home Equity


A popular question from prospective Manassas homebuyers relates to building home equity. Buyers like to estimate how much a home may increase in value based upon past appreciation. One of the many advantages of home ownership is that appreciation is based on the home’s market value rather than on the actual dollar amount invested or the down payment so that a $100,000.00 home that appreciates 5% is now worth $105,000.00, especially in Manassas.

With a typical 30-year loan, most of your monthly payment goes toward interest payments with only small amounts going to the principle in the early years. Only half the principle is repaid in the first 23 years of the loan. You can build Manassas home equity faster by choosing a 15-year loan instead of a 30-year loan.

The Benefits of Selling Manassas


As you know, you are allowed to sell your Manassas principal residence once every two years and exclude up to $250,000 ($500,000 for a married couple) of the gain of the sale on your Federal income tax. Please note: This is not a once in a lifetime tax savings and you don’t have to be any certain age or buy a more expensive property. If you meet the two-year residence test you can sell your principal residence every two years if you are so inclined and the market cooperates. But this tax saving does not affect rental property unless you convert the rental to your personal residence, live in it for two years and then sell it.


The Benefits of Selling Manassas


If your Manassas 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.