Learning how to find fixer uppers in Northern Virginia can be a bit of process, as the best deals are not always the easiest to spot. One of the most important things to keep in mind as you begin your search is that you’ll have plenty of competition in this area, from seasoned investors who fix and flip properties for a living, to casual investors or savvy homeowners who want to get a good deal on a property that needs some work.

How to Find Fixer uppers – Ways to Spot Deals

Overall, the easiest way to find the best fixer upper homes is to work with a great real estate agent who is used to spotting these kinds of deals for their investor clients. Agents also have access to the MLS, which has specific software tools that help in this research process.

However, if you’re intent on learning how to find fixer uppers on your own for a while, here are a few tips that will help save you time in your research:

  • Look for properties that are priced right around their tax assessed value or even lower. In Northern Virginia, unlike many other areas of the country, properties typically sell for considerably higher than their tax assessments. So when you find a property that is priced around its tax assessment or even lower, there’s a good chance that you’ve found a great deal.
  • Another tip on how to find fixer uppers is to look for online listings that have only a few pictures. When a professionally marketed property has only a few pictures, it could mean a couple different things. Either the property is outdated and needs some work, or for some reason the seller and listing agent don’t really care about maximizing the property’s marketing potential. Why the latter ever happens, your guess is as good as mine. That said, a listing with only a few pictures is more often an indication that the property needs some work.
  • If you’re looking at online listings, and want to shorten the time it takes to comb through lots of properties, hit “Ctrl – F” while you’re on a property listing page and type in phrases like “fixer”, “needs work” “TLC” “equity”. This will be located in any advertising verbiage on the page that references these types of phrases, which often appear in advertisements for fixer upper properties.

I hope this article on how to find fixer uppers has been helpful as you begin this exciting journey of locating great real estate deals in the Northern Virginia area! Call me at 703-462-0700 or email me at DarrenRobertsonHomes@gmail.com for a free list of the top 10 fixer upper deals in the area of your choice.