Janet Garinther

Saki, Jon would be able to do a great job with helping you. Usually the services of a buyers agent are FREE to you. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose by asking Jon to assist you with finding a home that meets your needs. It is far more convenient to have one great agent to always reach out to with your real estate questions...you will find it makes life easier. Good Luck! - Sun Nov 16 2008, 05:18

Hi Corinne, I am a former LEO, so I understand some of your financial and location needs. Not sure if you want to consider a location outside of DC, but where I am located we have a number of people who travel the metro into DC for work [even for the Park Police.] The area is far more affordable than those near DC...your price range could provide for a very nice home. Just a thought... you can reach me through my web site or email.. jgarinther@kw.com.

Best wishes! - Wed Nov 12 2008, 15:16

Hi, Chris has answered your other questions as I would have...just one other thing to be certain you are aware of ...depending on the designation there could be an historical easement on the property from the state. Even if there is not one, most historical homes require some type of approval before you can make any updates/changes/repairs...to protect the historical nature of the property. Just be certain you know what you would need to do.

Good luck - Mon Nov 3 2008, 09:05

It sounds like the yard is not huge so the drain field encompasses the majority of the back yard. Many homes have septic tanks and that does not diminish the value of a piece of property at all. Some buyers may not want a septic system vs public sewer but that is a personal choice. The value of a home is whatever the buyer and seller agree to on any property. If the system takes up the entire yard you can not put in a pool or or things you may like to do...but you can not "build" something else on most properties so that is not an issue. If the person wants a pool they buy a lot that can have a pool. If the system is working it is not a problem for the seller. If a buyer does not like it and wants to decrease value because of it that becomes an issue of value that each party needs to agree on. As long as it is functioning properly this sounds like an issue that comes down to the value of the property as a whole. it is hard do determine value with out knowing the rest of the community and the condition of this drain field. You should be asking your agent for comps and opinions about the rest of the community so that you know how you compare. If you need referrals to professionals in your area please let me now 443-866-6081 I would be happy to help. - Fri Sep 12 2008, 08:51

Jeff, If you do not have to sell to buy, your finances will reflect that. Your lender will approve you for a second mortgage if you can afford it. {there could be a question about which is your primary residence, but that should be easily overcome} If you must sell to buy then that is a different story. You would be approved contingent upon the sale and settlement of your current residence. You would then need to settle on your current home before you could settle on the new home. If that is the case you may want to consider waiting to purchase until you have an offer on your current house...you would be a much stronger buyer. If however, you can carry both homes then you have an ideal situation to be a strong seller whenever you are ready to sell and a strong buyer now. If you need a referral to a professional agent in your area please let me know...jgarinther@kw.com - Wed Sep 10 2008, 12:36