Market Update for homes Carterwood Gainesville Virginia

There are two properties for rent in homes Carterwood Gainesville Virginia.  Rents have been about $2200 to $2400 a month, depending on size and type of property. These monthly rents are more than a monthly mortgage payment on a $350,000 home. 

Using Zillow mortgage calculator a monthly mortgage payment with taxes, homeowner's insurance, 3.5% down payment, and 3.36% interest rate is $1,889/month for a home price of $350,000.  Change the amount home only, to $400,000 the montly mortgage payment is $2,154.

The figures state clearly, it is cheaper to BUY than rent.

Average days on the market is 13 days.  Most homes only have 1 weekend to be viewed by buyers in home Carterwood Gainesville Virginia.  Sellers have to put their best effort when ready to list their home.  If the home doesn't show well buyers will place their offer on the next home that does show well.

Buyers need to come in a home ready to make an offer if the home meets their needs in homes Carterwood Gainesville Virginia.  There will not be time for buyers to sleep on the decision or come back on their next day off to take another look.

Please view homes for sale in and around Carterwood Gainesville Virginia.

Market update for townhomes Carterwood Gainesville Virginia

Since March of 2012, 7 townhomes have sold in Carterwood Gainesville Virginia.  Five of the 7 townhomes have sold in 9 days or less.

These town homes were built between 2002 and 2004.  They have a minimum of 3 bedrooms.  Some units have a fourth bedroom or study on the main entrance level.  All but one of the units sold have a one car garage. Also 2 out of 7 units sold were end units.  End units with a garage normally sell at a higher price.

Most kitchens in townhomes Carterwood Gainesville Virginia offer solid surface counter tops and stainless steel appliances.  Most powder rooms will have updated fixtures. Also separate tub and shower with 2 sinks in master bedroom.

Currently there are 2 townhomes for sale in Carterwood Gainesville Virginia.  With inventory at a low, short sales and foreclosures are receiving offers very quickly.

Just Sold in Gainesville:  One Car Garage Townhouse for $289,900

I had the pleasure of ending this week on a high note with buyers who found this great Carterwood townhouse in Gainesville, VA for their growing family.  

Finding a home larger than the condo they were coming from was no easy task.  If we saw something that they liked, it was bound to tickle the fancy of other Gainesville buyers, so acting fast was the name of the game.  My buyers were set up on an automatic listing search through the MLS.  The minute they got an email notification that this Gainesville townhouse hit the market on May 16th (2012), we made an appointment to see it....the same day.  And that evening were writing an offer to get over to the seller.  

The buyers made a full price offer at $289,900 and asked for $9,200 in closing cost help.  The seller accepted and got one of the highest sales prices seen in Carterwood and a painless transaction.  The home went to settlement today, June 15th, just one month after the buyers had seen it.

If you are looking for a home in Bristow, Gainesville or Haymarket, give me a call.  I'd be happy to help you get the jump on the competition your facing.  

Chris Ann Cleland, Associate Broker-Licensed in Virginia, Long & Foster REALTORS®

703-402-0037, ChrisAnn@LNF.com, www.NVARealEstate.net

HOMES FOR SALE in Carterwood, Gainesville, VA- February 28, 2012

6814 Innesfree Way, Gainesville VA 20155  $379,900

6702 Emmanuel Ct, Gainesville VA 20155  $265,000

14173 Hunters Run Way, Gainesville VA 20155  $249,900

6709 Emmanuel Ct, Gainesville VA 20155  $249,000

6715 Emmanuel Ct, Gainesville VA 20155  $260,000

These properties were listed as of February 28, 2012.  No guarantees can be made that these properties are still actively for sale.  Please ask your real estate professional for an updated status of these properties.

An Opinion Regarding Sellers Purchasing Home Warranties

To all sellers out there.  Please always have a home warranty for your buyers.  But most importantly for you; peace of mind is priceless , so I thought. 

My story is not new and unfortunately all too common.  Anytime I am working with a seller I always recommend them to purchase a home warranty.  It is very common for most agents to make this recommendation so I am no one special. 

However, I assisted another agent whose clients choose not to take the advice of purchasing a home warranty when selling their property.  That seller ended up purchasing a water heater shortly before closing; at the cost of $1200.00 instead of paying about $100.00 for a trade call fee. 

Because they were not my client I was unable to say anything to them.  I wanted to tell the clients of the other agent “I know you don’t want to spend any more money but a service call fee beats the cost of replacing the appliance any day”.  Sometimes you are not able to say anything.  We are natural risk takers.  The higher the stakes the greater the pay off if we win.  The down side if we lose the loss is great too. 

Sellers are you felling lucky?

Is it necessary to have a termite inspection for a condo?

During my last home inspection a debate was created regarding termite inspection for a condo.  The conversation ranged from the condo association will cover termite remediation, just confirm with the condo disclosure docs.  And headed towards it depends on what floor the condo unit is located.  Finally the debate ended at crossing out the entire section on the contract if its 3^rd floor unit or higher.  As the debate grew many biased comments were made.

What to do?   Do what is legal, what is ethically right, and what will protect buyers.  The regional contract that I use does not have an option to not have a termite inspection for good reason.  Termites that are found inside the condo unit may be the unit owners responsibility.  Wood boring termites live inside paintings and furniture.  If current tenants or residents of the unit have traveled and or purchased gifts containing wood; termites could be present.  Only the subterranean termites need to return to the earth every night.  So they limit how many floors they will travel within the building.  Subterranean termites have been found as high as the 7^th floor in a building.  Also termites are not the only insect the inspector is looking for; the inspection looks for wood destroying insects which could be beetles, bees and ants as well.

Termite inspections are such a low cost especially for a condo.  It protects buyers to purchase their inspection to control the reporting accuracy and have choices.  If sellers want to pay then do it at settlement and allow the buyers to choose and pay for their inspection.

The law: do not cross out the pre-printed contract and or add your own wording.  Ethics and buyer protection for me is combined.  If the sellers want to pay then pay at settlement have the fee listed on HUD1; allow the buyers to choose their inspector. 

In closing inspections do not provide full guarantees: walls, ceilings, and floors will not be removed.  The visual inspection by trained and licensed personnel will provide buyers their due diligence in making an investment purchase over an emotional attachment.

Termite photos provided by Terminx

Living and working in Prince William County Virginia.

I attended my local economic committee meeting at Prince William County Chamber of Commerce and found interesting information about the county I live and work in.  Also the county was feature in CNN "Where the jobs are".

Almost 50% of the county workforce has a college degree.  Prince William County ranks #11 in the nation for the highest median income.  The 2^nd largest school system in Virginia is Prince William County School District. Half of high school graduates transfer to 4 year institution.

In addition to the traditional suburban communities Prince William County also offers Gated, Marina, Range, and Golf Course living.  The county houses 11 public golf courses, 55 parks, and a county Wildlife Refuge.

Data Centers generates over a billion dollar investment to Prince William County also creating a few hundred jobs.  Federal contractor agencies bring a multi-million dollar investment with over 3200 jobs.  Expansion of technology in the county has brought in two companies who are doing research on cancer and anthrax.

Prince William County is working on building new VRE (Virginia Railway Express) Stations.  Within the last year more than half a dozen businesses have relocatated to the county.  We should continue to see business expansion in the future.

Thank you for allowing me to share living and working in Prince William County Virginia.