The Jamil Brothers Blog

Selling a House With Unpermitted Work in Fairfax County

A finished basement no one pulled a permit for, a deck the previous owner built one summer, a wall that was moved to open up the kitchen. Unpermitted work is everywhere in Fairfax County's older housing stock, and for a seller it can turn into a stressful surprise the moment a buyer's inspector or a

Polybutylene Pipes: What Fairfax County Sellers of 1980s–90s Homes Need to Know

If your Fairfax County home was built between the late 1970s and the mid-1990s, there is a real chance the water lines running through your walls are made of polybutylene, a gray plastic pipe that was popular for two decades and then quietly discontinued after it earned a reputation for failing with

What Is an Appraisal Gap? How Fairfax Buyers and Sellers Handle Low Appraisals

You have agreed on a price, signed the contract, and everything is moving smoothly, until the appraisal comes back lower than what you agreed to pay. Suddenly there is a gap between the price and the appraised value, and the whole deal is at risk. It is one of the most stressful moments in a transac

Top 5 High-ROI Home Improvements Before Selling a Townhouse in Kingstowne

When you are selling a townhouse in Kingstowne, the goal is simple: spend as little as possible on updates that make buyers pay as much as possible. The trap is spending thousands on the wrong things, a full kitchen gut, a fancy addition, high-end finishes the neighborhood does not support, and neve