Nearly everyone’s bucket list includes purchasing a dream home. However, many people go through life thinking it can’t be done. Perhaps people feel discouraged because the process of buying a home seems complicated and daunting.
In this article, I will take you through the entire process of buying a home in Charlottesville VA. I will guide you through the process, letting you know everything you should be doing at each point of the process.
How to buy a house?
The city of Charlottesville is centrally located in the eastern foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Central Virginia region. It was established as a town in 1762 by the Virginia General Assembly, and was incorporated as an independent city in 1888.
If you are planning to purchase a home here, you can start by researching early.
You can read websites, newspapers, and magazines that contain real estate listings. Take note of particular homes you are interested in and check how long they stay on the market. See if there are any changes in the asking prices. This kind of information will help you get a sense of the housing trends in Charlottesville VA.
Then, you need to determine how much house you can afford. The rule of the thumb is to aim for a property that costs about two and a half times your gross annual salary. This will help ensure that you will not be taking on a larger mortgage commitment than you can afford.
Once you’ve found a Charlottesville VA home that you really like, learn as much as possible about the property before putting in an offer. Find out how long the house has been on the market. If it has been on the market for several months with no offers, chances are it could be overpriced or it could be a slow market.
You can also look up the sales history of a home to find out how much it was previously purchased for. This will also give you an idea of how long previous owners stayed in the home.
Remember that the neighborhood is just as important as the house.
After all, there’s no point in falling in love with a home in an area you can’t stand.
Research the neighborhood you are interested in. Check out its school quality ratings, as they are often an indicator of the quality of the neighborhood. You also have to take a look at its architectural style, safety, amenities, and your commute.
Call me, Pam Dent, at (434) 960-0161. With my experience, I can help make your dream of owning a home in Charlottesville VA a reality.
Pam Dent