Manassas Real Estate Reports

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 Reports

Manassas has special regulations


Every area has its own building regulations. You need to know how these restrictions will affect the design of your Manassas home. Issues to consider include zoning, setbacks, rights of way and easements. Most subdivisions have CC&Rs (Covenants, Codes and Restrictions). Studies of Manassas demonstrate that these carefully to make sure they are not too restrictive for your needs or create excessive building costs.

Manassas Dream Home


As you can see, the lot you choose for your Manassas Dream Home could have
either a negative or a positive effect on your overall building costs. A large, square lot in the middle of a graded subdivision in Manassas is the easiest type of building site to work with. The further your lot deviates from the ideal, the higher your building costs will be. Building on a hillside or on a lot with varying topography and irregular shape is expensive.

Qualifying the Buyer for your Manassas Property


Either you or your agent will want to weed out potential buyers who cannot afford to purchase your Manassas home. Items to investigate include the buyer’s debt and credit history, current income and employment, the availability of cash for a down payment, the time the buyer needs before closing on the home and the buyer’s level of interest in your home as compared to other properties.


Manassas Home Improvement


Don't underestimate how much projects will cost. Expenses usually are added, not subtracted. Homeowners, even Manassas homeowners, routinely go 20% to 30% over budget. Remember, it is common to under budget cost and time.

When remodeling for resale, don't waste time with renovations that won't pay off. If you must have a pool, you still may have to lower your expectations on who will be interested in buying. The National Association of Realtors/Remodeling magazine study has identified four renovations that show the greatest return at resale: improvements to siding, windows, kitchens and bathrooms. Remember you have a lot invested in Manassas.

Manassas Real Estate Contract Options


Finally, the Exclusive Agency Listing allows an agent to list and market your Manassas real estate. The agent will earn a commission if he/she or any other agent sells the property but not if the homeowner finds his/her own buyer. Very few if any agents are willing to agree to spend time, money and know-how on promoting a home without the guarantee of a commission when the home sells.

Many people imagine that the agent who lists their home begins an immediate search for likely homebuyers for Manassas but this is not always the case. The real skill of a good listing agent is her/his ability to market your home to other agents. Usually as soon as your listing agent returns to the office, your home is entered into the MLS and is now available to hundreds, maybe thousands of other agents.


Buying a Manassas Fixer-Upper


Some Manassas investors concentrate on buying fixer-uppers, making repairs and upgrades then selling for a profit. Going with a Manassas fixer-upper can also be a smart way for those who are handy to buy a home in a neighborhood that they might otherwise be unaffordable. Fixer-uppers are a wonderful opportunity for those who simply love to create their space to their own specifications but for whatever reason do not want to start with a vacant lot.

Best to know the extent of the job and whether or not you are up to it before you buy. Some Manassas fixer-uppers simply need cosmetic work such as paint, wallpaper, carpeting and maybe kitchen appliances are fairly easy to estimate the costs for fixing. Manassas homes that need minor structural repairs such as roofing are also fairly easy to cost estimate.