Moving to Northern Virginia: A Plain-Words Guide to Buying From a Distance

Write down the date that matters most: your job start, your lease end, or the day you have to be here. Then plan backward from it.

Plan on about one to three months to find the right home, and maybe longer, since there's more to choose from now. After that comes the time from contract to settlement, which your contract sets. Your lender can tell you how long the loan will take.

This may be different from what you've done elsewhere. Virginia law requires a written agreement before an agent shows you homes. The national guide for consumers says that covers tours in person and virtual tours too, so we sign it before a video tour as well.

The agreement must state the fee, how and when it's paid, the services you get and an end date. If no end date is written in, it ends after 90 days. Pay is negotiable and not set by law. We go over it with you, line by line.

Virginia's disclosure statement tells buyers the owner makes no promises about the home's condition. It advises buyers to do their own checking, including a home inspection and a property survey. Don't skip this because you're far away. You can ask to join the inspection by phone or video.

Buying into a condo or HOA? You get a resale certificate with the rules, the budget and the fees. Virginia law gives you time to cancel after you receive it: whatever your contract says, or three days if it doesn't say.

If that home is in the area we serve, we can handle the sale while you're gone.

Getting it ready. Every seller who lists with us gets The White Glove Home Sale Method at no additional cost, whatever the price or type of home. It covers painting and repairs, physical staging, deep cleaning, carpet and window cleaning, caulking, power washing, landscaping, removing unwanted items and furniture, and taking donations to the charity you choose. We keep you updated from start to finish.

Bigger projects. If the home needs new flooring, a new kitchen or other big-ticket work, ask us about Concierge Services: renovate now, pay at closing.

As it is. Sometimes that's the right choice, especially when you're far away. We can show you what the home could sell for prepared and what it might sell for as it is, and you decide. Either way, we list it, market it and handle the sale.

Three things to check.

• Insurance. Tell your insurance company if the home is empty, because some policies have rules for vacant homes.
• Taxes. The IRS home sale exclusion, up to $250,000, or up to $500,000 on a joint return, generally needs 24 months of owning and living in the home within the 5 years before the sale. That 5-year window keeps moving after you leave, so ask a CPA how long you have. A partial exclusion can apply if you took a new job at least 50 miles farther from the home than your old job. Special rules can apply to some service members.
• Virginia paperwork. If you live out of state when you sell a Virginia home, Virginia Tax has a nonresident owner form (R-5), or an exemption form (R-5E) if the sale is exempt from income tax. Your settlement company can tell you which applies.