Manassas Homes for Sale / How to Shop for a Home

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 Homes for Sale / How to Shop for a Home

Fixed Rate Loans in Manassas


Advantages: As indicated earlier, predictability is the biggest incentive for choosing a fixed-rate loan for your Manassas real estate mortgage.

Disadvantages: Fixed rate loans usually come with higher interest than the start up interest rate on a fixed loan. Down payments for your Manassas on conventional, fixed-rate loans are usually higher than the down payment required for an ARM.

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 Homebuyers Quandry


Before you begin your next home search, make sure the Manassas you have is Market Ready. If painting or landscaping or repairs need doing, get them done. If you are going to go out house-hunting you may save yourself a lot of heartache and headache if your house is ready to be listed at a moment’s notice.

In many cases the amount you expect to realize from your existing Manassas real estate will determine the price you can afford to pay for your next home. Start with a Comparative Market Analysis so you will know about how much you can afford to spend.


Manassas: Art and Science


Buying a piece of Manassas real estate is a science but buying your Manassas home is an art. The science part involves getting the legal and financial parts down while the art is finding the Manassas property that you’ll be happy with.

The total universe of possibilities within the universe of Manassas real estate is quite diverse but narrowing your search ahead of time will help keep things in perspective.

In general there are two phases to any Manassas real estate search. In the first phase, you get a feel for the different areas and an idea of what is being offered at what price. In the second phase, you search for the Manassas real estate that meets all or most of your specifications.


Rent or Buy Manassas


For most people, the chance to trade nondeductible rent payments for mostly deductible mortgage payments is a powerful inducement to trade a rental home into a Manassas of your own. This is by far the single most important reason why people decide to buy their first Manassas.

However, whether you are considering your first Manassas investment or planning to move up, the number crunching necessary to figure out how much house you can afford depends on two calculations: one for actual monthly outlays, the other for the true, after tax costs.


Manassas ADVANTAGE


The advantages of buying in any particular city or area depend on the buyer’s individual needs. Factors include proximity to schools, work, shopping, recreation, cultural opportunities and health care. Affordability is another important factor. So your first step in considering Manassas or any other city is to determine which of your needs are met and which are not met.