Market updates, home buying guides, and property selling strategies across Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington, DC.
A foreclosure auction starting below $50,000 doesn’t mean you can buy the property for $50,000. I recently attended a real foreclosure auction at the Rockville courthouse in Montgomery County, Maryland. The property was a townhouse that I had researched before the auction. The advertised opening bid was under $50,000, but during the live auction, bidding […]
Winning a foreclosure auction doesn’t mean you immediately own the house. That’s one of the biggest lessons I took away from attending a real foreclosure auction at the Rockville courthouse in Montgomery County, Maryland. I’m Jeremy Rosenthal, a REALTOR® serving Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. I recently researched a townhouse heading toward foreclosure, reviewed its […]
If you’re buying a home in Ashburn, Virginia, one of the most important things to understand is that Virginia’s residential property disclosure system places substantial responsibility on the buyer to investigate the property. Under Virginia’s Residential Property Disclosure Act, the required statement tells purchasers that the owner makes no representations or warranties regarding the condition […]
A larger lot can be an important feature when buying a home in McLean, Virginia, but the acreage shown in a listing does not tell you everything you may need to know about how the property can be used. Fairfax County maintains property mapping with layers that include zoning districts, FEMA flood hazard areas, floodplains, […]
If you are buying a home in Gaithersburg, Kentlands, Lakelands, or elsewhere in 20878 because you already imagine adding a deck, replacing a fence, installing a shed, or changing the exterior, investigate those plans before assuming they are possible. For properties within the City of Gaithersburg, a project can involve multiple layers of requirements. The […]
If you’re considering a remodeled home in Gaithersburg, Maryland, don’t evaluate the renovation only by how it looks. Buyers should also investigate what work was completed, whether permits were required, and what available City records show. The City of Gaithersburg requires residential permits for many common improvement projects. Examples include basement finishing, kitchen and bathroom […]
If you are selling a home in Montgomery County, Maryland, preparing the listing should include a review of both state and county disclosure requirements. Maryland law generally requires a seller of covered single-family residential property to provide either a residential property condition disclosure statement or a residential property disclaimer statement, subject to specific exceptions. Montgomery […]
If you are buying a home in Frederick County, Maryland, do not assume every property is taxed exactly the same way. For FY2027, Frederick County’s published resources identify a county real property tax rate of $1.11 per $100 of assessed value, while certain municipalities can have tax-equity adjustments and their own local tax considerations. For […]
If you are buying a home in Ashburn, Virginia, calculate property taxes using the individual parcel rather than a generic estimate for the ZIP code. Loudoun County’s 2026 general real taxable property rate is $0.805 per $100 of assessed value, but additional tax districts can apply to certain properties. Loudoun County’s Metrorail Service Districts, for […]
Buying a historic home in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia can require a different type of due diligence than purchasing a property without historic-district regulations. If a property is within Alexandria’s locally regulated Old and Historic Alexandria District, certain exterior changes visible from a public right of way require a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Board […]