Scott Sachs Real Estate Video Blog
Scott Sachs Real Estate Video Blog

Scott Sachs Real Estate Video Blog

Scott Sachs

Overview
Episodes

Details

Recent Episodes

Take a Tour of 1305 Potomac House
MAY 30, 2017
Take a Tour of 1305 Potomac House
Ever wondered what it would be like to live in the Potomac House? Tour the building with me today.   Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report. Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale. Today I’m going to take you on a tour of the Potomac House in Georgetown. The Potomac House is a great place to live and there are a lot of things to cover, so here is a quick rundown of everything you need to know:  A closed loop security system covers the entire building. However, you should still be careful when letting people in.  The Potomac house features regular trash and recycling services. Cardboard boxes must be broken down and put in recycling.  All residents get three keys: the key to the front door, your unit key, and your mailbox key.  The Potomac House is a great place to live.   The foyer has designated mailboxes and an area for incoming packages.  There are fire extinguishers and fire alarms on every level. The lower level also has sprinklers in case of an emergency.  The setup is very similar in all units.  Each unit comes with a radiator and window A/C unit. You have to wash the filters for the A/C unit. The radiator heat is a management paid expense.  When you move in, management will make sure that none of the drains are clogged. The kitchens come with gas stoves and a garbage disposal. There is a garbage disposal below the sink, as well as a red reset button on the bottom of the disposal.   Every unit has a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.  The fuse box is also in the kitchen. Emergency information is all located on the front of the fuse box.  All work requests can be done directly through the website portal that you will receive upon becoming a resident.  That is just a brief overview of all this amazing building has to offer. To get the full experience, make sure you check out the above video.  If you are interested in living at the Potomac House or if you have any other real estate questions for me, please don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!
play-circle
-1 MIN
What Are the Tax Benefits of Owning a Home?
APR 13, 2017
What Are the Tax Benefits of Owning a Home?
Owning a home comes with some major advantages when it comes to your taxes.   Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report. Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale. Owning a home comes with many benefits, especially when it comes to your taxes. It’s especially true for anyone thinking about buying their first home.  Let me start by saying that I’m not a tax professional, but I’ve sold my fair share of homes, and I’m pretty proficient in this area. The biggest tax advantage of homeownership is tax and interest deductions. For starters, when you sell your principal residence, you can claim up to $250,000 tax-free as a single person. Married couples can claim up to $500,000 tax-free. This is a huge bonus that allows you to take advantage of appreciation over time.  However, the biggest advantage is mortgage interest and real estate tax deductions. Say you owned a $600,000 property that you put down 20% on with a 4.25% interest rate. You’d pay $20,244 in interest the first year, which you can write off against your income. If you’re in the 33% tax bracket, the actual savings amounts to $6,680, or $556 a month. That’s an advantage you don’t get as a renter. If you’re an investor interested in taking advantage of the 1031 exchange before it’s gone, I’d love to sit down and speak with you about the potential tax benefits you could utilize.  If you have any other questions about the tax benefits of owning a home or you’re thinking about buying your first home here in the D.C. area, give me call or send me an email. I’m here to help.
play-circle
-1 MIN
How to Beat Out Your Competition in the D.C. Market
MAR 10, 2017
How to Beat Out Your Competition in the D.C. Market
The Washington D.C. area is firmly in a seller’s market, and here’s how homebuyers can get ahead by making their offers on a home more attractive.   Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report. Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale. We’re definitely in a seller’s market in the Washington D.C. area right now, making writing a competitive offer more important than ever when buying a home. Price is obviously very important in an offer, but you can only go so high and still have the price make sense. There are a few other ways to make your offer compelling outside of price alone. Settlement date: Make sure the settlement date corresponds with what works best for the seller. If the house is vacant, a 30-day deadline is very important. If the home seller is looking for a home, you should consider giving them 60 days plus post-settlement occupancy. You need to be open to the needs of the seller in those situations. Contingencies: The standard contingencies are an appraisal contingency, a financing contingency, and a home inspection contingency. I’m currently seeing offers with no contingencies at all, but as a homebuyer, it’s important to write an offer you’re comfortable with. It’s also important to have a conversation with your real estate agent to understand the implication of this. Once you do, it’s important to write an offer that will be a winning offer, whether that means waiving your home inspection contingency but doing a pre-inspection before the offer deadline so you know of any adverse conditions with the property and you’re comfortable moving forward without that inspection in place. You can also speak with your lender before making an offer to make sure you’re fully approved. Creative things to make your offer stand out: This could include paying the seller’s transfer taxes or things like that to give them a higher net without impacting the price of the home. You can only go so high on offer price and have it make sense. These are all successful techniques that I’m currently implementing to help buyers get into the home they want. If you have any questions or you’re looking to sell a home in the Washington D.C. market, give me a call or send me an email. I’d be happy to help.
play-circle
-1 MIN