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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 ReportsManassas Home Improvement
In a recent study, a midrange bathroom renovation paid off with an average 102% return on investment and an upscale bathroom renovation recouped 93% of its cost. A midrange kitchen renovation recouped 91% of its cost on average, and an upscale kitchen recouped 85%. A minor kitchen-remodeling job returned 99% of its cost. There are numbers that apply to Manassas.
Proper maintenance and annual upkeep of your Manassas home may be the most important improvements of all. Clean the gutters to protect the exterior from water damage. Trim shrubs. Check for termites. Keep track of annual checkups -- and use that as a selling point. Annual maintenance pays back handsomely when you sell. And before the house goes up for sale, experts recommend a fresh coat of paint.
Manassas FAIR MARKET VALUE
When you buy Manassas real estate or refinance your present home, your lender will ask you to pay for an appraisal to help ensure that the sales price and mortgage amount is consistent with the property's market value. The appraiser uses the Rule of Three. What that means is the lender wants to evaluate three "comparables"—recent sales of nearby homes that are very similar to the one you are buying. Based on this information, the lender will make adjustments to reflect the differences between the properties and arrive at a fair price for your home.
Rent or Buy Manassas
In the early years of your Manassas mortgage, nearly all of every monthly payment is interest. This means you are only paying off a tiny bit of the loan principal, but it is good news in terms of tax savings.
The monthly payment for a $100,000, 30-year, 8% mortgage on your Manassas would be about $734. In the first year of your mortgage, $7,970 of your $8,805 payment or 91% would be deductible as mortgage interest. Even in the tenth year, almost 81% of your payments would be deductible. What this is worth to you depends on your tax bracket but this tax savings built into the home-buying equation is why you can afford to make higher mortgage payments than your current rent payments without squeezing your budget. There is no similar tax subsidy for renters.
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.
Manassas INFORMATION
The Internet makes it easy to get Manassas information online from dozens of Websites that all have the same data. Beyond information on the Internet, experienced real estate agents and brokers who know the area well will be able to fill you in on details that usually do not show up on these online data bases.
Manassas SAVINGS
Everyone wants to buy the home of their dreams at the lowest possible price. Here is a tip for making the best Manassas buying decision. Make sure you know the actual real estate values in the area or areas where you plan to buy so that when you come across a home priced below market, you will know it.
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