Tagged : buyer tips 
There are currently 18 blog entries matching this tag.
Need Down Payment Help: Ask Mom and Dad
Thursday, December 1st, 2011 at 9:07am. 468 Views, 0 Comments.
A national survey of 1,100 baby boomer-aged parents revealed that over two-thirds want to help their children or grand children with a down payment to purchase a home. Nearly 20% of the surveyed boomers have already provided financial assistance to their children for the purpose of buying a home. 75% of the surveyed boomers said that buying a property is a good investment for their offspring and 58% believe that homeownership is part of the American Dream.
Here in the District where condo prices are among the highest in the nation, it is quite common for first time buyers to get assistance from their parents. We often work with a young first time buyer to identify their top purchase choices…..then meet the parents to gain their buy-in as well. More…
Pet-friendly DC Condo Buildings
Wednesday, June 29th, 2011 at 1:25pm. 1769 Views, 0 Comments.
In a city where everyone seems to be out walking their dog, why is it so challenging to find a decent pet-friendly condo?
Pet-friendly is one of those terms that seems to have a different meaning to each and all and it is almost impossible to come up with a generic definition. Many condos are marketed as pet-friendly, sometimes it means that there are no restrictions, in other instances there is a weight limit or breed restriction.
If you are a dog owner in the market for the perfect DC condo, our team has experience assisting pet owners and can help you laser focus your search. To get started, here are some pet-friendly DC condo developments:
Adams Morgan
- Adams Station
- Beekman Place
Capitol Hill
- Axis Condos
- Butterfield…
Tax Record Database of DC Condos
Wednesday, June 1st, 2011 at 5:44pm. 668 Views, 2 Comments.
There is an online resource available courtesy of the DC Government that provides sales history for a condo or home in the District. This resource titled District of Columbia Real Property Sales Database provides sales history back to January 4, 1999. The database is searchable by address or property ID.
The Real Property Sales Database is a valuable tool for determining the last selling price of a particular condo unit. In addition, current year and proposed next year assessed value are displayed. From a particular property record, links are available to tax payment information as well as property features including year built, square footage and number of bedrooms and bathrooms.
The Real Property Sales Database search mechanism can at times…
West End FHA Approved Condos
Tuesday, April 12th, 2011 at 10:08pm. 1460 Views, 0 Comments.
3.5% Down Opportunities in DC's West End
DC condo buyers can qualify for 3.5% down mortgages at FHA approved buildings. This represents a major savings over the 20% or more down payments required for condos with conventional financing.
The FHA maintains a website with a list of FHA approved projects. We have extrapolated a list of FHA approved projects for the West End neighborhood and offer 1-click access to all the available MLS listings in these buildings. If the West End isn't your neighborhood of choice, we have previously highlighted FHA approved buildings in other neighborhoods.
The FHA approval list changes routinely, these are selected West End developments that are currently approved at the time of this posting:
- 22…
DC Property Assessor Database Flaw
Sunday, March 6th, 2011 at 7:48am. 1071 Views, 0 Comments.
The WBJ reports on a flaw in the DC Property Assessment Database where properties in the District constructed prior to 1877 are classified by default as being constructed in 1900. 1877 was the first year that building permits were required in the District, so records for properties built earlier than this are not readily available.
Being an analytical type, I wanted to look at some MLS data to validate the extent of this database flaw. Here are the number of active properties listed for sale or rent that were constructed in the years 1898 - 1902:
|
Year Constructed |
# of Listings |
|
1898 |
1 |
|
1899 |
0 |
|
1900 |
116 |
|
1901 |
2 |
|
1902 |
3 |
While 1900 was a great year for America and Washington,…
Rent vs. Buy in DC
Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010 at 9:50am. 1617 Views, 0 Comments.
An article titled, DC area's renters are caught in a squeeze, in yesterday's WaPo covers the continued escalation of rents in the Washington, DC area. Remarkably, the average monthly rent in DC apartment buildings jumped 8.2% this year to $1,643. The rental challenge is even greater in popular Mid-city neighborhoods like Dupont, Logan and the U Street Corridor as these areas command a significant premium to the District average.
Compounding the problem is a supply issue as vacancy rates in the DC area are the second lowest in the nation, only trailing New York City. The shortage of rental units will not improve in the near-term as very few new residential projects were started in the District over the past couple of years due to capital constraints…
DC First-time Homebuyer Tax Credit Extended
Monday, December 20th, 2010 at 1:04pm. 2364 Views, 0 Comments.
Today President Obama signed an extension through 2011 for DC's First-time Homebuyer Tax Credit program. The program offers a tax credit of up to $5,000 for low and moderate income first-time buyers in the District.
The program specifics are as follows:
Eligibility:
Any first-time buyer in the District, you can even qualify even if you own or previously owned a home in another jurisdiction as long as it is not the District.
Amount of Credit:
Up to $5,000 for married joint-filing taxpayers and $2500 for individual taxpayers
Income Restrictions:
Married joint-filing taxpayers up to $130,000 and individual taxpayers up to $90,000 in modified adjusted gross income (AGI) are eligible. A credit phase out kicks in for AGI…
Search DC Real Estate By Condo Name
Wednesday, September 15th, 2010 at 8:58am. 556 Views, 0 Comments.
If you are looking for a condo in the District and want to focus your search on a particular development or building, the DC Condo Boutique search by condo name tool is worth checking out. Simply enter the name of the condo you are interested in and the tool will deliver all the active listings in that development.
If you would like to be notified of any new listings that come on the market in a development, just check the save search box and we will automatically send you any new listings in the development. You can save as many different developments as you like.
Mount Vernon Triangle FHA Approved Condos
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010 at 9:17am. 1413 Views, 0 Comments.
3.5% Down Opportunities in DC's Mount Vernon Triangle Neighborhood
DC condo buyers can qualify for 3.5% down mortgages at FHA approved buildings. This represents a major savings over the 20% of more down payments required for condos with conventional financing.
The FHA maintains a website with a list of FHA approved projects. We have extrapolated that list for the Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood and offer one-click access to all the available MLS listings in an FHA approved building. If Mount Vernon Triangle isn't your neighborhood of choice, we have highlighted FHA approved buildings in other popular DC neighborhoods.
The FHA approval list changes routinely, these are selected Mount Vernon Triangle FHA approved developments at the time of this…
Columbia Heights FHA Approved Condos
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010 at 6:22am. 1722 Views, 0 Comments.
3.5% Down Opportunities in Columbia Heights
DC condo buyers can qualify for 3.5% down mortgages at FHA approved buildings. This represents a major savings over the 20% of more down payments required for condos with conventional financing.
The FHA maintains a website with a list of FHA approved projects. We have extrapolated that list for the Columbia Heights neighborhood and offer one-click access to all the available MLS listings in FHA buildings. If Columbia Heights isn't your neighborhood of choice, our site has detailed information about FHA buildings in other popular DC neighborhoods.
The FHA approval list changes routinely, these are selected Columbia Heights developments that are currently approved at the time of this posting:
Berkeley
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