Don't Sell! If You Can Keep Your First Home As A Rental Property, Do It!
If you own your first home now, and are looking to move up to your next home --- I urge you to carefully examine the potential benefits (and risks) of keeping your…
A Typical Short Sale Time Table In Virginia
Earlier this week I attended an educational session put on by the Virginia Association of Realtors in regards to Short Sales which was very informative! I am currently…
Is Harrisonburg Nearing Break Even Again On 80% LTV Investment Properties With Conservative Calculations?
Many (many, many, many) townhouses were built in Harrisonburg between 2002 and 2007. They are still being built, but not at the same pace. The principal reason for this…
A Casual Examination of Foreclosures in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County
For almost a year now, I have been posting information about scheduled foreclosures (Trustee Sales) in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County to HarrisonburgForeclosures.com…
VHDA DELIVERS... How to use the $8,000 home buyer tax credit for your down payment and closing costs.
There has been talk for some time about using the $8,000 home buyer tax credit as a down payment or for closing costs, but the details have been few and far between. How…
Everything You Need To Know About Buying An Investment Property in Harrisonburg, Virginia
This won't actually cover absolutely everything you need to know, but I believe it will give you a good overview. These questions were posed by a reporter from the…
All Condos at Urban Exchange To Be Leased, Not Sold
Construction is moving along steadily at Urban Exchange in downtown Harrisonburg. This exciting new mixed-use community will include 194 condos, two levels of structured…
Current interest rates are incredibly low!
Interest rates for a typical 30-year loan have never been better --- since they started being recorded in 1970. They're hovering just below 5% right now --- could they go…
$8,000 Tax Credit Creates Huge Increase in Home Sales in Harrisonburg, Rockingham County
I had suspected that the $8,000 tax credit for first time home buyers would get some buyers off the sidelines --- but I never expected that to happen so quickly, and at…
Benefits of $8,000 tax credit, record-low interest rates
Let's assume for a moment that a first-time buyer decides to buy a $150,000 townhouse in Harrisonburg. With the appropriate income and credit scores, they may be able to…
Short-term home ownership doesn't always work well
In days gone by (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005) you could buy a home in Harrisonburg or Rockingham County and sell it two years later for a tidy profit. Home values were…
Analyzing Investment Properties
When considering the purchase of an investment property, you ought to account for the following investment benefits: Cash Flow Before Taxes - if your rental income is…