Before anyone can answer your question, they really would need to know a bit more about your situtation. There are many factors to consider and then an expert can help you with your decision. The good news is that you are looking to make a purchase because this is going to be one of the best years in history to buy real estate. Congratulations on taking the step to homeownership! You timing couldn't be better! I'm happy to help you sort through your options if you'd like. Feel free to contact me....

Wed Apr 2 2008, 04:46

Your search does require a real estate professional. I will be happy to assist you with your purchase having experience in finding buyers there dream home. Our MLS system does offer valuable information that may help make decisions. For now, you can visit my website but meeting at my office and discussing your options is more important.

Amal Lafhal

Tue Apr 1 2008, 18:25

Bre, Not sure what you can afford, but I am putting my house up Jul-Aug and will start showing 1 May. If I can keep from using a real estate agent I can lower the price by around $20K. Check out Zillow.com I just updated my info on it. 7688 Green Garland Dr Springfiled Va 22153. Also this is just a good site to look at for houses. Good Luck! Take your time before you lock in with any real estate agent and if you go that way interview at least 3, My house is being rented now.

Sun Mar 30 2008, 11:33

If you want to buy in the area of Northern Virginia I could maybe help if you give me more information. What kind of house and where and how much your budget allows you to spend. Also I work with people who help people with less than A Credit scores and get them into a house.
GrossRealEstateInvestor@gmail.com

Wed Mar 26 2008, 09:34

Consider all options before making a decision. If you have the time, determine your price range, time you are willing to commute, and proximity to things that are important to you (schools, grocery store, shopping, churches, etc). Then look at what you can get for your money to match your needs. Don't rule out for sale by owner opportunities. The owner is more likely to lower the price if a real estate commission does not have to be paid, and you can negotiate a good price if you are patient; remember it is a buyers market and you have the advantage when it comes to negotiating. A home inspection by a certified inspector is important whether you buy directly from the owner or go through an agent. A real estate attorney can execute the closing.

Sat Mar 22 2008, 10:11

Why are you thinking about buying in the first place? If you are happy where you are, why move? It sounds like you really do have to do a balancing equation here. What would be the benefits both financial and otherwise of owning versus the benefits both financial and otherwise of staying put?

One thing I would point out about resale. This is really only relevant if you are planning on moving again in the next few years. Based on historical trends going back for several decades, it is quite likely that your home will appreciate enough to turn a profit if you stay in it more than a few years.

This is important enough to be a deal breaker no matter where you are considering buying. If you are only going to stay in that home for two or three years, definitely buying is the wrong decision.

Otherwise, the only negative left in PWC is the traffic, according to your message. How would that balance out against ownership? Only you can answer that.

Lastly, how thorough has your search been so far? I find that folks are often surprised at what is available inside the beltway for lower than they think. Maybe turning over a few more stones will reveal something that actually could meet your needs without a bad commute.

Wed Mar 19 2008, 08:37

Unless you're a millionaire in this area, it's always going to be a trade off of some sort.

Think of it this way...you have 4 parts to the equation:

1) Type/size of property
2) Location/lot
3) Ammenities
4) Price

Those four all add up to a total of 1. Depending on the individual buyer, more weight/amount will be given to some than others, but it can not exceed a total of 1.

For example, if you hate commuting and don't mind getting a town home versus a single family home to be closer to work, you may give "location/lot" a value of 0.4 and give "type/size of property" a value of 0.2.

As far as PW County, it's the hardest hit county in NoVa when it comes to foreclosures and price depreciation. That's good and bad. You have more chance to get more for your money, but the upside of appreciation may be less than Fairfax County or Loudoun County.

If you're not a fan of traffic and commuting, buying less house closer to work may be worth the sanity you'll gain from not commuting through heavy traffic.

Tue Mar 18 2008, 08:48

You're correct that traffic is bad all around the area. But you didn't say where you work. If you work in D.C. or Alexandria, I'd definitely suggest you stay pretty close in. But if you're doing a reverse commute (say from the Alexandria area of Fairfax County out toward Tyson's), then you can go somewhat further out.

You also don't indicate what your price range in. If, for instance, you "only" have $300,000, then Prince William probably comes closest to what you're looking for, at least on paper. But, if you can afford a bit more, as Glenda notes, there are some very nice areas of Loudoun County, and if you're coming in to, say, just Tyson's or a bit beyond, the commute is manageable.

Both Loudoun and Prince William have substantial oversupply, but if I had to guess I'd probably agree that Prince William may have a more difficult time recovering resale values.

Buying a house usually seems to involve trade-offs of the type you mention. Buying in the D.C. area just seems to make the trade-offs more apparent...and painful. That means really prioritizing what you want--commute, single-family versus townhouse, newer versus older, and so on. And recognize that people do sell their homes; it's very rare for a first home to be your dream home. Certainly identify the things you require--there's the prioritizing, again--and hold firm to them. But recognize that some of the other elements may have to wait 5 or 10 years.

Hope that helps.

Mon Mar 17 2008, 19:38

wait another year, besides you don't want to carry a house through a recession. house prices going down in that area, because they are way out of whack with rental and income.

everyone in here will tell you to buy, guess why?

Mon Mar 17 2008, 16:47

Have you considered Loudoun County? There are some pretty good deals in Sterling, Ashburn and Leesburg. And the commute isn't quite as bad because there are more alternatives (Dulles Toll Road/Greenway, Waxpool Rd, Route 7).

Mon Mar 17 2008, 15:42

2008 will go down in history as one of those times that people will look back and say, "Man, I wish I would have bought a home (or two) in 2008." If you are ever going to buy, now is the time......everything is on SALE! Between the decline in home prices and the mortgage rates, it's the perfect storm to buy. I have a lot of data to back this up. Feel free to contact me if you'd like more information.

Mon Mar 17 2008, 15:10

Bre, as you probably know, there are three factors in home value -- price, condition, and location. Sometimes when buying a home, one of these items may need to be sacrificed. In Alexandria and Fairfax County prices are high but sellers are coming down a bit on price with the average home selling for between a 8-10% discount from the asking price. Prince William County does offer some less expensive options, especially in terms of single family homes, but you will want to consider traffic (as you mention) as well as where you plan to work and commute. Resale is tougher in PW than in the closer-in suburbs.

For more information, I'd refer you to click on the link to my blog.

Mon Mar 17 2008, 14:26