The following links give you access to the homes found in the Metropolitan Regional Information Systems (MRIS), which lists most homes for sale in Maryland, Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. This is the best Internet search tool for homes in this area. Most of the homes appear with the street address. If they do not, please contact us. We will be glad to provide the address. You can access this system in two ways . . .

Home Prospector. Will track homes that meet your criteria and notify you via E-mail of any matches as soon as they are input into the system. Best option for Buyers ready to make an offer for a home that meets their criteria. We would be glad to arrange for you to view any of the homes that might be of interest to you. Make sure that the box labeled "Save This Search" is checked. Requires you to register with your E-mail address so that the new listings can be sent to you.

Home Finder. Allows you to see at any given time what homes might meet your needs. Useful when you are first beginning to explore the market and do not need constant updates.

Buying an old house to fix up has an attraction for many people. If you can find a house with charm and character, a renovation may enable you to create just the living environment that you want. You should start with a good real estate agent to help you locate the right house and recommend lenders who make both acquisition and construction loans.

Financing a renovation is perhaps the most difficult part of the whole project, especially if the house needs extensive work. Few banks will make these loans to people who are not professional developers. You should prepare for your loan application by having a written proposal. It helps to have an engineer's report or architectural plans and to include estimates from contractors covering the costs and timetables for the work to be done. Your real estate agent can help you put together a market analysis of the neighborhood to show that you will not be over-improving the property compared with other homes in the area.

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