Sell Your House

How to Sell a House in Virginia

Virginia handles one part of selling a house very differently from Maryland and DC, and it works in the seller’s favor: Virginia is a caveat emptor — buyer beware — state. That single fact shapes the paperwork, the negotiation, and how exposed you are after closing.

Here is the process, aimed at Northern Virginia sellers in Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria, Loudoun, and Prince William.

Step 1: Choose how you are selling

  • List with an agent. Northern Virginia is a competitive, well-served market and a good house listed properly does well. You pay commission and you carry the house until settlement.
  • Sell it yourself. Viable in a strong market, and Virginia’s disclosure regime makes the paperwork lighter than in Maryland — but contract review still matters.
  • Sell to a cash buyer. Lower gross price in exchange for no repairs, no commission, no appraisal, and a date you choose.

Step 2: Understand what Virginia does and does not require you to disclose

Under the Virginia Residential Property Disclosure Act, sellers of most residential property provide a disclosure statement — but it is not a condition report. It is closer to a formal notice telling the buyer that the property is sold as-is with respect to condition and that the buyer is responsible for investigating the things they care about: defects, flooding and drainage, zoning, easements, historic districts, sex offender registries, and much more.

The practical effect is that Virginia sellers are not filling out a Maryland-style checklist of everything wrong with the house.

What that does not mean is that you can conceal problems. Buyer beware protects a seller who stays silent about a defect the buyer could have found; it does not protect one who actively hides or misrepresents a known problem, and fraud claims survive it. Federal lead paint disclosure also still applies to pre-1978 homes regardless of Virginia law.

Step 3: Deal with the association early

If your house is in a POA or a condominium — which describes an enormous share of Northern Virginia housing — you must provide the buyer a resale disclosure packet or certificate. The association prepares it, charges for it, and takes time. Critically, the buyer gets a statutory window after receiving the packet during which they can cancel the contract.

Ordering the packet late is one of the most common ways a Northern Virginia settlement slips. Order it the day you go under contract, if not before.

Step 4: Know your costs

Virginia’s seller-side transfer cost is the grantor’s tax, calculated on the sale price. Northern Virginia localities also carry an additional regional transportation levy on conveyances that sellers elsewhere in the state do not pay — so a Fairfax sale and a Roanoke sale are not the same math.

Beyond that: agent commission if you listed, settlement and deed recording fees, your loan payoff with per-diem interest, association fees and any special assessment, prorated property taxes, and whatever the inspection negotiation produces. Confirm current rates with your settlement agent — they change.

Step 5: Contract to closing

Thirty to forty-five days is typical for a financed Virginia sale. Northern Virginia adds two wrinkles: the association packet window above, and a buyer pool with an unusual concentration of federal employees, contractors, and military. Security clearance moves, PCS orders, and contract cycles all put people in the market — and occasionally pull a buyer out of one mid-transaction.

When selling as-is for cash makes more sense

Northern Virginia is a strong market and a well-kept house should usually be listed. The cash route earns its place in narrower circumstances: a house needing work you cannot fund, a property you inherited and cannot manage from out of state, a rental you are done with, a divorce or relocation with a fixed date, or a foreclosure already in motion — and Virginia’s non-judicial foreclosure process moves considerably faster than Maryland’s, so that last one is more urgent here than sellers expect.

8 Day Home Sale buys houses in Virginia — including Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria — plus Maryland and Washington DC. Any condition, no commission, and you choose the closing date. Request an offer or call (301) 242-SELL.

General information, not legal advice. Virginia’s disclosure act and association packet rules have specific requirements and deadlines — confirm them with a Virginia real estate attorney.

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Sell Your House

How to Sell a House in Maryland

Selling a house in Maryland follows the same broad arc as anywhere else — decide how you are selling, produce the paperwork, find a buyer, close. What makes Maryland different is a choice the state hands you at the start that most states do not, and a withholding rule that surprises out-of-state sellers at settlement.

Step 1: Pick your route

  • List with an agent. Best gross price for a house in good condition. You pay commission, you prepare the house, and you carry it until settlement.
  • Sell it yourself. Saves the listing side of the commission. You handle disclosure, contracts, and negotiation, and most buyers still bring an agent.
  • Sell to a cash buyer. Lower price, but no repairs, no commission, no financing contingency, and a closing date you choose.

Step 2: Disclosure or disclaimer — Maryland’s fork in the road

Maryland requires most residential sellers to give the buyer a Residential Property Disclosure and Disclaimer Statement, and the form asks you to choose one of two paths.

Disclosure means you complete the form describing the condition of the house — systems, structure, water, foundation, and the rest — based on what you actually know.

Disclaimer means you sell the property as-is and make no representations about its condition at all.

The disclaimer is why “as-is” is a genuinely usable route in Maryland, and it is the right choice for an inherited house you never lived in or a property you simply do not know the history of. But it is not a shield: even when you disclaim, you must still disclose material latent defects you actually know about. Choosing disclaimer to hide a known problem is how sellers end up in litigation after closing.

If the house was built before 1978, federal lead paint disclosure applies on top of this, and Maryland has its own lead registration and inspection regime for rental property.

Step 3: Assemble the rest of the file

  • Mortgage payoff figures, including interest through settlement
  • HOA or condo documents, which associations charge for and take time to produce
  • Ground rent documentation, if the property carries it — common in and around Baltimore and a routine source of settlement delays
  • Well and septic records, if you are outside a public system
  • Any permits for work done, which the buyer’s lender may ask about

Step 4: Know what comes out at settlement

Maryland charges both a state transfer tax and a county transfer tax, plus recordation tax, and how those are divided between buyer and seller is partly custom and partly negotiated — it varies by county. Your title company can tell you the split where your house actually sits, and that is the only number worth relying on.

Then there is the one that catches people: if you no longer live in Maryland, the state withholds a percentage of your proceeds at settlement. Nonresident withholding is collected at closing and reconciled later when you file a Maryland return. It is not an extra tax, but it is money you do not walk away with on the day, and inherited-property sellers living out of state are the ones most often blindsided by it.

Add agent commission, your loan payoff, liens the title search turns up, and property tax proration.

Step 5: Contract to closing

A financed Maryland sale typically runs 30 to 45 days from ratified contract to settlement, on top of however long the house takes to sell. Inspection and appraisal both live inside that window, and both can reopen a price you already agreed to. If the buyer’s financing fails in week four, you are back at the beginning with a listing that now shows stale days on market.

When as-is for cash is the better trade

List the house if it shows well, you can carry it for a few months, and nothing is forcing your timeline.

Consider a cash sale if the house needs work you cannot fund, if it is empty and costing you money every month, if you inherited it and live somewhere else, or if a foreclosure date or tax sale is already on the calendar. Maryland’s disclaimer option exists precisely because these sales happen constantly.

8 Day Home Sale buys houses across Maryland — including Prince George’s County, Montgomery County, and Baltimore — as well as Washington DC and Virginia. No repairs, no commission, and you pick the closing date. Request an offer or call (301) 242-SELL.

General information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm current Maryland transfer tax rates, withholding, and disclosure obligations with a Maryland attorney or title company.

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Sell Your House, Taxes

Who Pays Closing Costs in Maryland, DC, and Virginia?

Three houses, same price, twenty miles apart. Sell a $500,000 house in Arlington and the transfer tax bill on the seller is $1,500. Sell it in Frederick County and it is $4,750. Sell it in Washington DC and it is $7,250 — nearly five times the Arlington figure, on an identical sale price.

Who pays what is partly statute, partly local custom, and partly whatever the contract says. It works differently in all three jurisdictions we buy in. Here is how each one actually works.

We have also built a free calculator for each — Maryland, Washington DC and Virginia — so you can put your own price in rather than work from an average.

The short answer

  • Maryland — buyer and seller customarily split everything down the middle.
  • Washington DC — the seller pays the deed transfer tax, the buyer pays the recordation tax. Same rate each.
  • Virginia — the seller pays the grantor’s tax, the buyer pays recordation. The seller’s side is small.

None of that is fixed. Every one of these is negotiable, and in a slow market sellers are routinely asked to absorb more than the custom.

Maryland: split down the middle, by custom rather than law

Maryland stacks three charges on a sale: a state transfer tax of 0.5%, a county transfer tax, and a county recordation tax. Custom is a 50/50 split between buyer and seller, but that is convention, not statute — the contract of sale decides.

The county half is where it gets expensive, and the variation is larger than most sellers expect. On that same $500,000 sale, the seller’s share ranges from about $2,900 in Somerset County to $7,390 in Baltimore City. That is a $4,490 spread inside one state, driven entirely by which side of a county line the house sits on.

Two details catch people out. First, recordation tax is charged per $500 of price or fraction thereof, so a $412,300 sale is taxed as though it were $412,500. Second, and stranger: when the buyer is a first-time Maryland homebuyer, the state transfer tax halves from 0.5% to 0.25% — but the statute puts the whole of the remaining amount on the seller. On a $500,000 Montgomery County sale the seller pays $5,975 either way. The buyer’s share drops from $5,975 to $4,725. The entire discount goes to the buyer.

Run your county: Maryland transfer tax calculator.

Washington DC: a clean split, and a $400,000 cliff

The District is the simplest of the three to explain and the most expensive to be on the wrong side of. The seller pays the deed transfer tax, the buyer pays the recordation tax, and both are charged at the same rate: 1.1% below $400,000, and 1.45% at $400,000 and above.

The catch is that the higher rate applies to the entire price, not just the amount above the threshold. A house selling at $399,999 carries $4,399.99 in transfer tax. The same house at $400,000 carries $5,800. One dollar of sale price costs the two parties $2,800 between them.

If your likely sale price lands within a few thousand dollars of $400,000, that is worth deciding on purpose rather than discovering at settlement.

The DC first-time homebuyer benefit reduces the buyer’s recordation tax to 0.725%. It carries income and price caps and does nothing for the seller.

Run your price: DC transfer tax calculator.

Virginia: the cheapest of the three, unless you are close in

Virginia calls the seller’s transfer tax the grantor’s tax, and statewide it is genuinely small: $0.50 per $500, or 0.1% of the price. On a $500,000 sale that is $500. The buyer separately pays recordation tax at $0.25 per $100, plus a local share.

Northern Virginia is the exception, and it is where we buy. The nine Northern Virginia Transportation Authority localities — Arlington, Fairfax County, Loudoun, Prince William, and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park — add a regional congestion relief fee and a WMATA capital fee, each $0.10 per $100. That takes the seller from 0.1% to 0.3%, tripling the bill: $1,500 on a $500,000 sale in Arlington against $500 in a locality outside the authority.

Tripled or not, Virginia sellers still pay less transfer tax than anywhere in Maryland or DC.

Run your locality: Virginia grantor tax calculator.

Side by side

What the seller pays in transfer and recordation tax on a $500,000 sale, using each jurisdiction’s customary split:

Where the house isSeller pays
Virginia, outside Northern Virginia$500
Arlington and Northern Virginia$1,500
Somerset County, MD$2,900
Frederick County, MD$4,750
Howard County, MD$5,625
Montgomery County, MD$5,975
Baltimore County, MD$6,085
Prince George’s County, MD$6,125
Washington DC$7,250
Baltimore City, MD$7,390

A Baltimore City seller pays nearly fifteen times what a seller in rural Virginia pays, on the same price, for the same act of signing a deed.

This is not the whole cost of selling

Transfer taxes are simply the part fixed by statute — the part you cannot negotiate away. On a listed sale they sit alongside agent commission, whatever the buyer’s inspection turns up, settlement and title fees, prorated taxes and dues, and the carrying cost of every month the house sits unsold. Added together those are usually the far larger number.

They are also the lines a cash sale removes. Transfer tax you still pay; commission, repairs and months of carrying costs you do not.

Run your own number

8 Day Home Sale buys houses across Maryland, Washington DC and Virginia as-is, with no commission and no repairs, and closes on the date you pick. Request an offer or call (301) 242-SELL.

Rates verified August 2026. General information, not tax or legal advice. Transfer and recordation taxes turn on details a calculator cannot see — exemptions, the wording of your contract, and local practice — so confirm your figures with a title company or settlement attorney before relying on them.

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Sell Your House

How to Sell a House in Washington DC

Selling a house in Washington DC is not the same as selling one in Maryland or Virginia. The District has its own disclosure requirements, its own tax structure, and — if anyone is living in the property — a tenant purchase law with no real equivalent in either neighboring state. Sellers who assume the process works like the suburbs tend to find that out late, usually while a contract is already under way.

Here is the process end to end.

Step 1: Decide how you are selling

There are three realistic routes, and they differ far more in time and certainty than in headline price.

  • List with an agent. Highest gross price in most cases. You pay commission, you make the house presentable, and you accept that the buyer’s financing can fall through weeks in.
  • Sell it yourself. No listing commission, but you are handling disclosures, showings, and contract review on your own — and most buyers still arrive with an agent who expects to be paid.
  • Sell to a cash buyer. Lower gross price, no repairs, no financing contingency, and a closing date you choose. This is the route that exists for speed and certainty rather than top dollar.

None of these is the right answer in the abstract. A renovated house in a strong ward with a patient owner belongs on the market. An inherited property with a leaking roof and a seller who lives in another state usually does not.

Step 2: Deal with the tenant question first

If anyone rents the property, stop and look at the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act before you do anything else. TOPA gives DC tenants the right to buy the property before it is sold to someone else, on the same terms. You must give notice, and the tenant has a statutory window to respond and then to negotiate and settle.

The law was amended in 2018 to substantially exempt single-family homes, so a rented rowhouse and a rented four-unit building are not treated the same way. Which category your property falls into is the single most consequential thing to establish early — it can add months to a sale, and getting the notice wrong can undo a closing after the fact. This is a question for a DC real estate attorney, not for a blog post.

Step 3: Gather what DC requires

Expect to produce, at minimum:

  • A seller’s disclosure statement covering the condition of the property and its systems
  • A lead paint disclosure, if the house was built before 1978 — which describes most of DC’s housing stock
  • Condo or co-op resale documents, if applicable, which the association charges for and takes time to produce
  • Clean hands certification — DC will hold up transactions and permits when there are outstanding debts to the District
  • Your payoff figures from any lender, plus any liens you may not know about

That last item catches people. Unpaid water bills, DCRA fines, and contractor liens surface at title search, not before, and they get settled out of your proceeds.

Step 4: Understand what leaves your proceeds

The sale price is not the number you keep. In a typical DC transaction the seller pays the deed transfer tax, which is charged as a percentage of the sale price and steps up above a price threshold. The buyer customarily pays recordation tax at a similar rate — customarily, meaning it is negotiable and sometimes ends up split differently.

On top of that: agent commission if you listed, your loan payoff, any liens, and your share of property taxes for the year. Between transfer tax and commission alone, a listed DC sale commonly gives up a high single-digit percentage of the price before anything else is deducted.

Rates and thresholds change. Confirm the current figures with your title company before you rely on any specific number — including any you read here.

Step 5: Contract to closing

A financed DC sale generally runs 30 to 45 days from ratified contract to settlement, and that clock starts only after you find a buyer. Inspection and appraisal both sit inside that window, and either can reopen the price. If the appraisal comes in low, you are renegotiating with a buyer who has already mentally moved in.

A cash sale skips the appraisal and the lender entirely, which is why it closes in days rather than weeks.

When a cash sale is the better trade

Listing is the right call when the house shows well, you can afford to carry it for a few months, and nothing about your situation is urgent.

It is the wrong call when the house needs work you cannot fund, when it is sitting empty and accruing costs, when you inherited it and live somewhere else, or when a deadline — a foreclosure date, a job move, a settlement — is doing the deciding for you. In those cases the certainty is worth more than the last several percent of price.

8 Day Home Sale buys houses in Washington DC for cash, in any condition, with no repairs and no commission, and closes on the date you pick. We also buy in Maryland and Virginia. If you want to know what your house is worth as a cash sale before you commit to anything, request an offer or call (301) 242-SELL.

This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. DC’s rules around tenants, disclosures, and transfer taxes have real consequences — talk to a DC real estate attorney about your specific situation.

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Investing, Mortgages

State of Mortgage Rates in April 2024

we buy houses in maryland. sell your house fast maryland

As of late April 2024, mortgage rates in the United States have shown a noticeable increase compared to the beginning of the year. The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage recently marked at 7.17% according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, indicates a gradual rise from earlier weeks​ (FRED Data)​. NerdWallet reported a slight uptick to 7.204% APR as of April 25, reflecting ongoing fluctuations in the lending market​ (NerdWallet)​.

This increasing trend in mortgage rates can be attributed to several economic factors. Rates generally track the yields on U.S. Treasury bonds, which are influenced by broader economic conditions including inflation expectations and Federal Reserve policies. The Fed’s actions in particular—aimed at controlling inflation—can significantly sway mortgage rates​ (NerdWallet)​.

Given the upward trajectory in rates since the start of the year, prospective homebuyers and those looking to refinance might face higher borrowing costs. This makes it crucial for consumers to shop around and compare rates from multiple lenders to secure the best terms. Tools and websites like NerdWallet, Bankrate, and others provide up-to-date information and comparisons that can aid consumers in making informed decisions​ (NerdWallet)​​ (LendingTree)​.

Additionally, for those considering entering the housing market, understanding the impact of your credit score, down payment size, and the type of loan on your potential rates is important. Options such as FHA and VA loans might offer more favorable terms, especially for first-time buyers or military personnel​ (NerdWallet)​.

In this dynamic market environment, staying informed about the latest mortgage rate trends and understanding how economic factors affect these rates can help borrowers navigate the complexities of home financing more effectively.

Stay tuned for more updates on mortgages as the year progresses.

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Investing, Rentals

Featured in Redfin

Redfin selling a house

8 Day Home Sale was featured in an article on Redfin about build-to-rent homes:

Build-To-Rent Homes: What You Need to Know About the Future of Single-Family Rentals

Build-to-rent (BTR) homes are ideal for people who want the benefits of community living without the hassle of maintenance, mortgage payments, or HOA dues. In recent years, the movement to create more of these types of homes has been increasing due to higher demand. Because of its rapid growth, many real estate companies and investors are developing BTR properties to capitalize on the craze.

As always, 8 Day Home Sale is the go-to investor in the DMV area if you are looking to sell your home. Give us a call today at 301-242-SELL.

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Investing

Free Brrrr Calculator for Investors

Notebook and calculator used to total rental property expenses

We’ve released a Free Brrr and Rental Property Calculator for real estate investors to use to assess their deal economics. “Brrrr” stands buy, renovate, refinance, rent, and repeat. It’s a common strategy used by real estate investors to acquire a portfolio of profitable rental properties.

If you are interested in the strategy, our calculator is a great tool to help you figure our if a deal will give you working numbers. Give it a try and let us know what you think!

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Sell Your House

Selling Your Old House “As Is” or Fixing it Up First?

We buy houses virginia

Are you planning to sell your home this year? Do you want to fix it up or do you want to directly sell it fast to an we buy houses Virginia investor “As Is”? These are the concerns of property owners especially if their homes are not recently renovated or quite old.

What does “As Is” really mean?

It’s when the property is sold in its current condition. It means any issues or problems with the home will not be addressed by the seller.

Fixing Up Your Property

Interested in fixing up the property first before selling it? You will have to consider fixing these things:

  • Asbestos
  • Broken or malfunctioning systems (e.g. HVAC)
  • Old drywall
  • Faulty or leaking roof
  • Mildew or mold problems
  • Structural issues
  • Termite damage or infestation
  • Plumbing
  • Electrical wiring

It will also take thousands of dollars to make these fixes and typically take 6 to 12 months to finish the home renovation. Take, for example, fixing or replacing the roof can cost as much as $15,000, and painting the house can cause up to $8,000. 

Often times selling your house “as is” to a we buy houses Virginia investor like 8 Day Home Sale is the easiest path. Renovating a house is expensive, stressful, and very time consuming. You will have to deal with managing contractors an a realtor. Not fun!

8 Day Home Sale already helped a lot of old house sellers in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. We put those properties in great shape and made everybody get their share.

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For Sale by Owner, Investing, Real Estate Investing, Sell Your House, Short Sale, Uncategorized

Why Spring 2021 will be a great time to sell your house

Spring 2021 Tulips
Row of townhouses on a canal in spring
credits: flashpack.com

With the Covid vaccination in the US, real estate in the DMV area is gaining confidence. Home sellers will be getting ready to dispose of their properties to get their investment back. Housing demand is high for the first quarter of 2021 and will continue this spring.

Low Mortgage Rates

With the pandemic, home selling is quick as buyers are taking advantage of low mortgage rates and it might end soon after this season.

Limited existing homes for sale

Buyers are actively looking for the perfect home this spring especially now that covid has changed the way people work.

Taking advantage before summer

With 3 Million vaccinations on a daily basis, the economy might go back going faster. Mortgage rates will go higher, home buyers will decrease and the window of opportunity of selling your home will take a longer time than we expect. 

Home Sellers will be on the rise

Home sellers will be on the rise this summer, traditionally, people are ready to sell their property this season. Competition in home selling will rise so get ready in preparing your property. We have tips for you in selling your home. Check it out in our blog section.

In conclusion, this spring 2021, let’s take advantage of this opportunity and sell your home. Even old houses can be bought in less than 8 days with an investor like 8 Day Home Sale. Take action and decide to sell it before summer. 

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For Sale by Owner, Home Ownership, House Title, Real Estate Investing, Rentals, Sell Your House

3 Things to do with your old vacant house

blog old vacant house

There’s a lot of reasons why some old houses are vacant. Some properties were inherited from their parents or relatives and some moved to another location for better mobility and career opportunities. Let’s face it, we do not want these old houses to rot. Also in some areas, these properties are robbed or vandalized because no one is living in them anymore.

Tip #1 – Rent it out

Here are practical solutions for your old vacant houses.

There’s a lot of reasons why some old houses are vacant. Some properties were inherited from their parents or relatives and some moved to another location for better mobility and career opportunities. Let’s face it, we do not want these old houses to rot. Also in some areas, these properties are robbed or vandalized because no one is living in them anymore.

Notebook and calculator used to total rental property expenses

Tip #2 – Have a family relative live on your property

e have family relatives that might be starting with their careers and family that might be interested in taking care of your old vacant house. Instead of relatives paying rent, why not have these families renovate that property and taking care of all the quick fixes for themselves. Be sure that they will be responsible for the property and visit them just to make sure.

Vacant house with boarded windows in need of repair
Credit: Shutterstock

Tip #3 – Sell it fast with real estate investors

If you need to dispose of or sell your old vacant house, there’s a lot of real estate investors like 8dayhomesale.com who will buy the house. Fast transactions, especially with old vacant houses, are the niche of real estate investors. They take good care of your property and renovate it to find the perfect buyer for your once-old vacant house.

Sell your house fast sign outside a home

In conclusion, old vacant houses can be made into a perfect home for the right family.

Check out out our other blogs for more real estate tips especially in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia.

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