I have been active in many rental transactions over the past several months. Although rentals have slowed down in the last 2-3 months in Prince William County - it is still a "hot bed" as far as rentals go. With its close proximity to Quantico and Ft. Belvoir, the area is naturally transient and folks are always looking for GOOD rentals. If you are an investor and have an interest in purchasing property to use for rental purposes, as long as you are willing to invest in fixing it up you shouldn't have a problem renting it! Good Luck!

In a lot of cases in Prince William County, especially if you focus on the lower end properties, the average rent is higher than the average mortgage for the same property. Will you be able to rent it? I am not an expert on the rental market, but like buying a home, it comes down to the pricing and your marketing. Always keep in mind that if you focus on Dumfries and/or Woodbridge, there is always Quantico Marine Corps Base near by--which is a great source of potential renters with steady incomes and secure jobs. You can also consider doing Section 8--from what I have read, there is always a demand for that type of housing.

What are the low, average and high rental rates for a 3 bed, 2.5 bath 3 level town house with semi finished basement?

The rental market is still good in PW County in regards to how quickly you can rent a place out (typically 3 weeks on the market). But the rental rates are low and much like the sale of a property, it all comes down to how you price it.

You'd have to do a cash-flow analysis based on overall monthly payment (PITI+HOA/Condo dues) to see whether it would be worth it to you or not.