Tag Archives: Buying Home

Great Places to Live in the Washington D.C. Area: What’s the big deal about Gainesville, Haymarket and Bristow, Virginia? Part I

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Great Places to Live in the Washington D.C. Area: What’s the big deal about Gainesville, Haymarket and Bristow, Virginia? Part I

half-packed boxes

When people think of moving, usually images of half-packed boxes and household chaos come to mind. What most people don’t consider is what happens before the move, before the home buying and even before the financing. Yet this early step is one of the most important – deciding which community to live in. In speaking with folks in Western Prince William County (namely, Bristow, Gainesville and Haymarket), we’ve been asking what drew them to the area and how they made the final decision to move here. Here are just two aspects of Western Prince William County that were mentioned over and over.

Location

We know real estate is all about location, but in the case of Western Prince William County, location means something other than “we want to be near the city.” In fact, of the people we spoke with, most wanted access to Washington D.C. and the Metro area but didn’t necessarily want to be that close to the Capital. What they wanted was a nice little escape when they returned home from a long day at work. Western Prince William, with the Bull Run Mountains in the backdrop and its rural roots juxtaposed with contemporary conveniences made these folks want to call Western Prince William County home. And while residents of Western Prince William County appreciate the natural beauty of the area, they also enjoy easy access to shopping and dining. From the quaint shops and cafes of Old Town Haymarket to the restaurants and stores of Atlas Walk and Route 29, this area has something for just about every taste.

Schools

For families with children, schools are a major concern. Whether families want to send their children to private or public schools, quality of education is crucial. Western Prince William County is fortunate to have some of the best schools in the area. The award winning public and private schools are accredited and have excellent academic and athletic reputations, as well as active, supportive parent teacher organizations.

According to Prince William County Schools (PWCS), recent state test scores show PWCS scored above other Virginia counties in just about every area. In reading and writing, PWCS outperformed the state on six of seven reading tests and equaled the state on the other. On high school reading, PWCS improved and had a pass rate of 90 percent. PWCS outperformed the state on all three writing tests. In science, PWCS met or exceeded state performance on four of six science tests. In history and social science, PWCS met or exceeded state performance on eight of nine history/social science tests.

In addition to having excellent K-12 schools, Western Prince William has college campuses right next door in Manassas. George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College offer local options for higher education, as do some private colleges and career schools. We could go on about Western Prince William County and what makes it a viable place to live, and we will in Part II. For now, however, we will leave you with this thought. If you are considering a move and would like to know more about this growing but connected community, call Belinda Jacobson-Loehle at 703-338-9678 or email Belinda@JacobsonRealty1.com.

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Home Buying 101: What can you expect when purchasing a home?

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Home Buying 101: What can you expect when purchasing a home?

Buying a home

Buying a home is exciting, but it can also be stressful, especially for first time homebuyers. The process may seem overwhelming, lengthy and confusing. There’s so much to do! But, with the right network of professionals – a loan officer and realtor, for starters – you can make it through.

Here are some of the steps you will take when you go to buy your home.

You will need to start by checking your credit and resolving any issues that may prevent you from buying a home. There are many companies out there that will check your credit for you. Or, you can check your credit yourself. By law, you are entitled to receive a free credit report from a credit bureau such as Experian once every twelve months.

Next, you will need to find a loan officer through a bank, mortgage lending institution, or a local realtor. You will want to get a lender who can explain your financing options and the requirements of each so you can make an informed buying decision.

Once you have a lender, you will want to get pre-qualified or pre-approved for financing and receive the lender’s pre-qualification letter. When you do, you will have a better sense of which homes are in your price range and the responsibility you will have when making the purchase. Getting pre-qualified will also save you a lot of time once you start looking at homes and will help make your offer competitive .

The next step is to meet with a local realtor. You will want a realtor who is familiar with the area in which you are looking and educated in the latest real estate trends. A good realtor will be able to show you the kinds of homes in your budget, explain how to structure an offer and negotiate on your behalf to get the home of your choice.

When you begin looking at homes, you should have a checklist. How many bedrooms and bathrooms will you need? How much property would you like to maintain? Do you need a basement? What size garage is important? These are all factors to consider as you begin the home buying process.

Have you decided on a home? If so, with the help of your realtor, it’s time to make the offer. The offer will include an earnest money deposit, which is a good faith deposit. You will have to place money up front with the offer to show you are serious about buying a home. Your realtor will address the need for inspections and will prepare the offer in a way that best meets your needs and remains competitive.

Prior to closing the transaction, you will have a final walk-through inspection to verify the condition of the property. When it is time to go to settlement or closing with a title company or an attorney, you will be asked sign off on the loan commitment and accept the transfer of title along with several other documents to make your purchase official. Once you accept the keys, the house is yours!

As you can see, this process is not simple, nor is it necessarily short – but don’t let that scare you out of buying a home! Finding the right team of experts will help make for a smooth and hassle-free experience. For a more detailed explanation of how to buy a home, call Belinda Jacobson-Loehle at 703-338-9678 or emailBelinda@JacobsonRealty1.com.

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