Bristow Homes Search

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

Bristow Homes Search

Bristow-Home of Their Dreams


Ever think you would like to build your own Bristow home and have everything just the way you want it? Lots of people do and they often start by looking at land or lots for sale. With many people the idea is to buy a lot today, get it paid off or mostly paid off and then sometime in the future, contract with a custom builder for the Home of their Dreams via Bristow.

Bristow Real Estate or Homeowner’s Insurance


While it is necessary to have Bristow Real Estate or Homeowner’s Insurance, there are ways to reduce your premium costs.

One: Raise your deductible. Deductibles are the amount you must pay towards a loss before your insurance company starts to pay. You can save costs on your overall policy by increasing the amount of your deductible. For example, according to a Federal Government paper on lowering Bristow insurance costs, you can save up to 12% on your rate if you go with a $500.00 deductible rather than a $250.00 deductible.

Bristow Home Improvement


Don't underestimate how much projects will cost. Expenses usually are added, not subtracted. Homeowners, even Bristow 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 Bristow.

Buying a Bristow Fixer-Upper


Some Bristow investors concentrate on buying fixer-uppers, making repairs and upgrades then selling for a profit. Going with a Bristow 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 Bristow fixer-uppers simply need cosmetic work such as paint, wallpaper, carpeting and maybe kitchen appliances are fairly easy to estimate the costs for fixing. Bristow homes that need minor structural repairs such as roofing are also fairly easy to cost estimate.

Buying Bristow Real Estate...Will it Pay?


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

As a Bristow real estate owner you have the right to pay more towards the principle loan amount each month. Let’s say your monthly payment is $700.00 a month and $100.00 a month is being applied to the principle. If you choose to pay $900.00 instead of $700.00, the $200.00 overage will be applied entirely to the principle. Thus, instead of gaining $1,200.00 a year in home equity, you gain $3,600.00. Investing in Bristow can be a very good idea.


Does Your Bristow Have Curb Appeal?


Good curb appeal is definitely an advantage to home sellers when prospective buyers visit your Bristow and can be an advantage in advertising in the newspaper and on the Internet. However, it is important to note that even a home with great curb appeal can look bad in an advertisement if the photographer did a bad job with the camera. A photograph of a Bristow home on a dreary day will look quite different from a photo of the same home when the sun is shining. Sometimes it is better to take a picture of a home from an angle rather than a straight on shot that may turn out to be more about the garage door than about the house itself.