Tips for Buying Bristow Homes and Condos

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 and Condos

Bristow Real Estate Cycles


In the business cycle of real estate, there are buyers' markets and sellers' markets...and some markets in between. It is all based on supply and/or demand. Bristow is no exception.

There are times when the economy is brisk and everyone feels confident about his or her prospects for the future. As a result, they spend money. People eat out more, buy new cars, and... they buy houses, namely Bristow.

Then, for one reason or another, the economy slows down. Companies lay off employees and consumers are more careful about where they spend money, perhaps saving more than usual. As a result, the economy decelerates. When there are fewer people in the market to buy homes. This is true for the Bristow real estate market as it is for all markets nationwide.


Bristow Disclosure Rule


If you are contemplating the purchase of an existing home or any Bristow, I strongly recommend that you utilize the services of a trusted home inspector. The final purchase of any home should be based on obtaining a favorable home inspection. Bristow is no exception to this rule.

What if the home inspector discovers a problem? That happens and as long as it happens before the sale is final the seller can fix the problem or the buyer who agrees to take the property as is can negotiate the price. Any questions regarding Bristow, just give me a call.


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.


Bristow Real Estate Title Insurance


A Bristow mortgage policy that insures the lender remains in effect until the loan is paid off. An owner’s policy insures the buyer and remains in effect as long as the owner or the owner’s heirs own the property. An owner policy may cost a little more than a lender policy. For example, an owner policy may run somewhere around $3.50 per $1000.00 of home value while a policy for lender protection may run in the neighborhood of $2.50 per $1000.00 of home value.

The Bristow real estate Title Company searches and examines public records to determine if any problems with the title exist. Your real estate agents works very closely with the Title Company to help clear up any past clouds that may affect the transfer of title to the new owner.


Bitten by the Bristow Home Improvement Bug?


Money isn’t everything however so that if the most important consideration for remaining in your Bristow home happens to be the school where your children attend or the proximity to your work or to a particularly attractive recreational opportunity then remodeling may be the best option. On the other hand, if the idea of having your Bristow house torn up for weeks at a time makes your blood run cold, it really doesn’t matter how much money you might make turning a fixer-upper into a model home. You will be far better off selling the home you have and moving to a home that better fits your needs.

What Makes Bristow Sell?


The Condition affects its salability and possibly price. Bristow that is in move-in condition will usually sell for a higher price than a home that suffers from deferred maintenance.

The Home’s Accessibility refers to just that. Is the Bristow accessible to shopping and local transportation? For some this would be a necessity and for others, the more remote the better.

Marketing Exposure refers to how Bristow is advertised. Today the Internet is a fantastic way to market a home but it is still true that the best service a listing agent can do for sellers is to promote the home heavily with local brokers and agents. The Internet and other advertising certainly help, but it is still true that in most cases it is the agent that sells the home by making sure the right buyers know about it.