All Forum Posts by: Doug W.

Hi @Sean K. I may be able to help. I am a rehabber and licensed contractor based in Alexandria. I will send you a PM.

I agree with some of the others -- that 2.5 months is a significant amount of time to consider your holding costs. In addition to that, even if you received a new offer of the same price and terms tomorrow it would still take another 30-45 days (at least in my market that is where a typical closing is coming in at) to get to closing. So now you are at 3.5-4 months that the original buyer has held you up. And this is best case scenario. Like you said... you are in a different market now due to the time of the year.

So you have the known damagers (holding costs since the day you went under contract with this original would be buyer to the day you actually do sell to another buyer) and unknown damages (different market so perhaps the price you get is lower). I'm sure there are better terms then "known and unknown damages" but hopefully you catch my drift. 

Best of luck to you on this one. 

Seems like they don't want to be responsible if, for example, you go under the impression that they said "you can subdivide" and then you get a property under contract, hire and pay an engineer, and submit your application only to have the subdivision denied. 

Their response is also going to depend on how you ask the question(s). Just asking "can I subdivide", for example, is likely too vague. You would be better off, IMO, if you at least had a plat survey and used that for a before & after so that a person in the Zoning Department could see an illustration of what you are trying to do. That being said... per their response: they aren't going to do the work for you or give you the advice you likely want to hear. That's what site engineers get paid to do. Hence the $10k-$15k fee you were quoted for the work. 

Also - you might want to read this @John Vandivier 

https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/code/sites/code/file...

Alexandria city's zoning regulations do not apply to 22309 which is Fairfax County @John Vandivier

Your best bet is to call the zoning department of Fairfax County. 

Fairfax County has a lot of rules related to unrelated people living at a property. They also are tough on approving rental spaces such as basements when those spaces have additional kitchens. 

What @Charan K. said. There is more to it than # of dwellings per acre. 

Also - don't depend on a Realtor to know for certain what is and isn't allowed on a property. Especially if it is the listing agent. I would always defer to the word of an employee in the planning & zoning department. 

@Mona Lisa Harrison replied to a post that is 12 months old. According to the tax record the last sale was in April 2017 and his post is from August 2017. Me thinks he is still the owner. 

@Jackson Tate are you asking about when it is time to hire a GC? Project manager? Subs? Cabana boy? 

Are you attempting to wholesale the property? Rehab it? Live in it? @Account Closed

You should have a licensed electrician come look at this for you.

You can change them to a GFCI receptacle or a GFCI breaker but those still won't give you an equipment ground. Check with your building inspector. Around me some will require you to mark those updated receptacles with "GFCI protected. No equipment ground". Those labels happen to conveniently be included in the box that the receptacles come in. 

*this is just friendly advice from a stranger on the internet. Check your local code and regs.*