News About Manassas 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

News About Manassas Homes and Condos

Shopping for Your Manassas Real Estate Loan


Manassas Real Estate Loans have become part of a worldwide mortgage market and mortgage lending is impersonal and competitive. When you shop for the best loan don’t pay too much attention to who is originating the loan. Instead focus on interest rate, points, processing costs and whether you want a fixed rate or an adjustable rate loan. The reason for this is that more than likely, your Manassas real estate loan will be sold to one of the organizations made up of what is known as The Secondary Market.

Manassas Home Improvement


In a recent study, a midrange bathroom renovation paid off with an average 102% return on investment and an upscale bathroom renovation recouped 93% of its cost. A midrange kitchen renovation recouped 91% of its cost on average, and an upscale kitchen recouped 85%. A minor kitchen-remodeling job returned 99% of its cost. There are numbers that apply to Manassas.

Proper maintenance and annual upkeep of your Manassas home may be the most important improvements of all. Clean the gutters to protect the exterior from water damage. Trim shrubs. Check for termites. Keep track of annual checkups -- and use that as a selling point. Annual maintenance pays back handsomely when you sell. And before the house goes up for sale, experts recommend a fresh coat of paint.

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.


Buying Manassas Real Estate...Will it Pay?


A frequent question from prospective homebuyers relates to building home equity. Manassas 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 Manassas home equity but there is more you can do.


Choosing Your Manassas Neighborhood


You’ve probably heard about the three major determinants of Manassas values are: 1) location, 2) location and 3) location. This is not only true about real estate in Manassas; 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.


Taking Title to Your Manassas


Each owner has a separate title to an undivided interest in the entire property. Each owner is allowed to sell, mortgage or give away his/her interest. Any number of people can take Tenancy in Common ownership of Manassasand husband and wife may choose this option as well. When an owner dies, his/her interest passes by will to his/her heirs. In other words, there is no survivorship right.

Each owner has an equal interest in the Manassas. If one owner dies, that person’s share of the property passes automatically to the other without going through probate. Any number of people can take ownership under Joint Tenancy and husband and wife may choose this option as well.

Community Property. Only husband and wife can take title to Manassas in this way. Title is in the community