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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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Facts About Bristow Homes / Buy and Sell WiselyBristow Home Improvement
Homeowners hear a lot about improvements that might add value to houses. But less attention is paid to what to avoid. Steer clear of renovations that will cost you money at resale time.
If an Bristow home becomes conspicuously larger -- and more expensive -- than those around it will risk becoming hard to sell. Additions tend not to return their entire investment. The 2005 "Cost vs. Value Report" found that homeowners were able to recoup only 83% of the cost of a family-room addition and 82% of a midrange master suite.
Bristow Real Estate Cycles
During a slow economic time, fewer people are buying homes in the Bristow market. Even so, some homeowners find themselves in a situation where they must sell. Families grow beyond the capacity of the home, employees get relocated, and some may even find themselves unable to make their mortgage payment - perhaps because of a layoff in the family.
During sellers' markets, Bristow real estate sells quickly and sellers have a lot of pricing power. As a result, prices rise more rapidly than at other times. During buyers' markets, Bristow real estate may sit on the market for a while before selling, so sellers become more flexible and may even drop their prices.
Bristow Real Estate Cycles
One problem with attempting to time your purchase to the business cycle is that even experts have problems accurately predicting the future economy. Even when they can, the Bristow market does not necessarily move in tandem with the stock market or the economy as a whole. Bristow is a unique situation.
When the economy is doing well, interest rates are generally higher. The result is that fewer people can afford houses, and Bristow is no exception. When the economy slows down, interest rates fall, the "affordability index" moves up and more people can afford houses. The Bristow market will take the lead.
Bristow Real Estate Title Insurance
Buyers in the Bristow market can be tempted to save money by foregoing a title search but the risks are heavy because title problems are many and varied. Some typical problems that title searches have uncovered include a second mortgage on a home that does not appear to have been paid off. The sellers borrowed money years ago from a parent who insisted that a second mortgage be recorded. The loan was repaid but the title wasn’t cleared. Another typical Bristow problem occurs when an owner had work done on the property but for one reason or another failed to pay the contractor in full. The contractor filed a mechanic’s lien on the property and it has never been removed. These are liens on the property and if you take title to a property without clearing these liens or encumbrances, you may be responsible them.
Buying Bristow Real Estate...Will it Pay?
A frequent question from prospective homebuyers relates to building home equity. Bristow 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. This is one way of building your Bristow home equity but there is more you can do.
Choosing Your Bristow Neighborhood
You’ve probably heard about the three major determinants of Bristow values are: 1) location, 2) location and 3) location. This is not only true about real estate in Bristow; it is true about real estate in general. If you cannot afford what you want where you want it, give up something inside the house rather than settling on a lesser location.
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