Contributed by Century 21
Have you ever asked yourself if the time is right to sell your cute condo or charming bungalow and move your family into a home better suited to their growing needs?
It turns out that now is the right time in Prince William County.
“From my perspective, it’s a phenomenal time to buy a home,” said Todd Hetherington, owner and CEO of Century 21 New Millennium at Merchant Circle in Gainesville.
Many factors are important to consider when deciding whether to sell your home.
SELL HIGH – “Right now, it’s a seller’s market,” so you’ll get a good price for your home, and you’ll likely get it quickly, Hetherington said. Houses are on the market in Virginia for an average of 27 days before they sell, “and the good ones go faster.”
REINVEST QUICKLY – Once you clinch that sale, you can use the money to put a big down payment on a new home with all the bells and whistles you’ve always wanted. Sure, nice new homes are in demand, but the prices are not out of reach.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LOW INTEREST RATES – The current interest rate of about 4 percent can save you money on your monthly payments, depending on what your old rate was.
TIMING IS EVERYTHING – “Two years ago it was crazy,” Hetherington said of the real estate market. The sorry state of the economy hit home sales hard, and agents saw houses languishing on the market for months. Potential buyers had no money and feared for the future of their jobs and their ability to pay their mortgage. Homeowners were being foreclosed upon daily, and buying a home took on a frightening new feel. But all that’s in the past now.
CHANGING LAWS – Real estate transaction laws of just a few years ago were too lax, Hetherington said. People were approved for loans that were much too large for them to ever pay. Since then, the laws have become more stringent – too stringent, in Hetherington’s opinion. “Lending practices were far too open and easy,” he said, but now they’re too tight. “They need to be somewhere in the middle.”
PRICES WON’T LAST LONG – Prince William County has had the reputation of being more affordable than Fairfax and Louden Counties. “You get more house for your money,” Hetherington said. But now, Prince William is attracting its share of high rollers. Hetherington confirmed that a $6 million home was recently sold there to a prominent athlete. But, he said, sales run the gamut, all the way down to $60,000 lots, so buyers should be able to find whatever they’re looking for.
Century 21, in the Madison Crescent shopping center, serves clients in Prince William County from all walks of life, specializing in fine homes and estates, senior living, new homes, native Spanish speakers and. Call Century 21 at (703) 753-7910, or stop by their office at 8078 Crescent Park Dr., #205, Gainesville, to see what’s on the market for you.
Madison Crescent’s vibrant shopping center, which is anchored by Harris Teeter with its popular Starbuck’s counter, is also home to Brooklyn Brothers Pizzeria, Desiderio Italian-American Grill, Eggspectation, Subway “Eat Fresh”, Avalon Nail Spa, Gainesville Holistic Health Center, Hair Cuttery, LAXWorld, LaVida Massage, Virginia ABC, Sleepy’s The Mattress Professional and Capitol One Bank. The Madison Crescent Professional Building houses Anytime Fitness, Balans Studio, Twin Dragon Martial Arts, Century 21 New Millennium, Chrysalis Counseling, Prince William Family Medicine and SunTrust Mortgage.
Harris Teeter, the Marketplace shops and the Madison Crescent Professional Building offer customers easy access with ample parking. The center is conveniently located at the intersection of James Madison Highway (Rt. 15) and Lee Highway (Rt. 29) in Gainesville, Virginia. Directions can be found on the website at www.madison-crescent.com/marketplace.
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