Tips for Buying Bristow Homes

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

Tips for Buying Bristow Homes

Finding a Buyer for Your Bristow Home


Once your Bristow home is ready to show, your agent will list the property in the MLS or Multiple listing Service. Most homes are sold as a direct result of their listing in the MLS, which today also means the home will get extensive Internet exposure. Other ways that your agent will use to find buyers include advertising in newspapers and magazines, holding open house and signage.

Guidelines for Buying Bristow


Let’s say everything is a GO! You have found the perfect Bristow home. You know you can afford it and it is actually priced below what you expected to pay. What a bargain! Yes there are bargains to be found in Bristow. At this point it is fine to put in an offer on the property but only with a well-planned contingency. Of course, it the home is going to be financed, the lender will want a Home Inspection before agreeing to lend money on the property. However, you need to protect yourself by making an offer SUBJECT TO a clean bill of health from the Home Inspector of your choice. This kind of a contingency gives you an out if the inspector finds a problem with the roof, or foundation or other structural problem that was not apparent to the seller or to your agent. This does not mean you will not buy the house but you will have a good reason to renegotiate the price with the seller.


Bristow Homebuyers Quandry


When you find the home you want to buy you may make an offer contingent upon the sale of your existing Bristow. In a Seller’s Market, offers with such contingencies are not well received because the seller must remove his home from the market while you sell yours. However there are times when this kind of offer is successful, even in the Bristow market. A backup strategy might be to put in your offer with a very long escrow giving yourself time to sell your home. Very few sellers will accept these kinds of contingencies or long escrows if your house is not already on the market.


Building Bristow Home Equity


A popular question from prospective Bristow 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 Bristow.

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 Bristow home equity faster by choosing a 15-year loan instead of a 30-year loan.

When Bristow Does Not Sell


Here is where your agent’s expertise and diligence comes into play. A top agent will consider what similar Bristow have sold for within the last 3 to 6 months and compare those homes condition, features and location with your home. If there are no comparable sales in the area, which is often the case with custom or one-of-a-kind properties, the agent may suggest that you obtain a formal appraisal.

A homeowner who must sell and sell quickly needs to price their Bristow at or slightly below market to ensure a quick sale. A different homeowner may want to sell but has time and wants to get the top market price. These homeowners will often price the home slightly above current market prices and expect interested buyers to offer a lower amount to start the negotiation.


Bristow SALES


When you are thinking of buying Bristow, it may make sense to get a clear picture of the Bristow market before you get too far into your search. It is important to know the current market’s strengths and weaknesses so that you can make wise real estate decisions accordingly.