I FINALLY bought a property! Here are pics!
 

After physically going into and looking at over 120 properties, I finally found the one I wanted. The contract was ratified today. Here is the listing, which includes additional pictures. (BTW, I paid less than their asking price.)

Now all I have to do is finalize the loan. I'm already pre-approved, but will shop for a couple days for the best rate.

Stefano's new condo

Stefano... Congrats!:D

Good on Ya, especially moving into Virginia from The PDR of Maryland.

I'm west of Manassas. (OK now, it's grown up a lot recently!)

congratulations Stefano - you will find that real estate, in the right area is by far one of the best investments you can make. Now all you need to do is find a beautiful single female living above/below you;) that is about your age:).

I was just in Reston for a wedding. It looks like a really nice place!

Alex

Looks good. I'd like to see pics of the sunroom. My wife and I have been thinking of some day (YEAR!) adding one to our house, we'd put it on the back next to the dining room and extend the dining room back that way. Their is a deck door there now, and a deck, we'd probably then put a smaller deck on the back of the sunroom.

What's up with the "electric fireplace" and electric water heater? No gas service there or what? I didn't see what it has for a furnace, just "forced air" so I guess at least it's not electric heat.

Good luck. There's nothing like owning your own house, it feels just like when you got your own first car!!!

Gilly

Thanks guys!

I don't really feel like the place is mine yet, because the loan hasn't been finalized yet. I think the pre-approval is more for the seller than for me. Being self-employed, there are a lot of potholes in the loan process, so wish me luck!


Gilly--
Looks good. I'd like to see pics of the sunroom.

Click on the "visual tour" icon and it'll load up a buch of pictures.


Alex--
I was just in Reston for a wedding. It looks like a really nice place!

I wanted to be closer in to DC, but Reston was one place I agreed to be further out. Any real estate there is going nuts!

wbain5280--
Good on Ya, especially moving into Virginia from The PDR of Maryland.

What's the PDR of Maryland? If it's a referrence to the state being liberal, I wholeheartedly agree! I'm glad to be going back to VA! :)

Not all areas of Fairfax County (Va.) have gas service. So townhouses and condos have heat pumps.

Stefano,

Nice place... I love the sunroom ! :cool:

I'm always shocked to see how much real estate goes for in NoVa! Congratulations on your purchase! I think it's always better to get equity from owning than paying someone elses mortgage.

P.S.

Ask your loan officer to list the points as discount points instead of origination points so you can make them tax deductable. ;)

Reston's a great area, being a "planned community" and all. Since you said you're self employed, watch the personal property tax. If you claim your car as a business expense you technically don't qualify for the reduced car tax, and get to pay the old annoyingly high rate. Only bad thing about living in Virginia to me. Even still, taxes are less than Maryland.

I used to live near Reston in Great Falls. I spend a lot of time in Reston at the Towne Center and other spots. That's one reason for chosing this place to buy.

Now all I have to do is get a mortgage! :eek: Being self-employed makes me a little anxious here!

You should have gotten pre-qualified. Just some friendly advice from your uncle Warren. ;)

Thansk Warren.

I actually did get pre-qualified before making an offer. But the pre-qualification was based on my gross income from last year.

I learned a couple days ago that because I'm self-emplyed (which I did tell them), for purposes of a loan, the lender doesn't look at gross, but "adjusted" gross income.

I have a great tax guy who finds all the legal deductions for me. Now it's biting me in the a$$ because my AGI is considerably less than the total amount I take home every year. Now I'm looking at different types of loans to see if the whole thing will actually work.

I can get a loan--- the question is weather it's worth what I have to pay to get it.

Anxiety attack in progress!! :(