You've made the decision to sell your home - now you want to position
yourself for a quick and successful sale. What's the most important
thing you can do to entice buyers?
"The most important thing you can do is to make your home look
welcoming when people drive by," says Kimber Powell, Realtor and sales
manager in Altoona, Iowa.
"You want to invite them in. Make sure your front door looks nice.
Trim and landscape your yard. Accent your entryway with a new door mat
and pots of flowers that contrast with the color of your home," she
says.
Follow these tips to position your house for a successful sale:
Enhance Curb Appeal
A well-maintained house appeals to more buyers and can sell faster and may sell for a higher price, according to Realtor.com.
Maximize your home's exterior appearance. Keep the lawn and
landscaping edged, cut and watered. Inspect doors, windows, trim,
foundation and siding for peeling paint. Repaint and replace items as
needed. Clean out gutters and replace missing caulk and shingles.
Declutter Inside
Make your home look bigger by removing clutter and storing personal
items and extra furniture before prospective buyers arrive. Make repairs
where needed, Powell advises.
"Repairs are ongoing maintenance needs that show your home has been
well-cared-for and kept up-to-date," she says. "Most potential buyers
want turn-key homes that are easy to move into."
Repaint dingy or stained walls with a neutral shade of paint. Repair
cracks or holes in walls, ceilings, tile and woodwork. Replace broken
items and consider updating worn-out cabinet knobs, dated curtains and
battered bath and kitchen hardware.
Show Lifestyle Possibilities
Create a lifestyle story to help buyers envision themselves living in
your home. Have a small kitchen but a big deck? Focus on outdoor
entertaining by adding lights, comfy cushions and showcasing grilling
areas, Powell recommends. If you love your neighborhood, highlight a
front porch with wicker furniture and window boxes.
"You want to show buyers the ways they can use the entire home and
yard," Powell says. "If you don't have outdoor furniture or decorations,
work with a stager to borrow those items." Or consider borrowing items
from friends or family to get your home staged for sale.
Highlight Quality Brands
If your home features or you've replaced items with high-quality
brands, include their names in your home's sell sheet, Powell says.
"People are very conscious of name brands and high-quality products.
They also want to know about energy-saving benefits and warranties that
may transfer to them," she says.
Windows, Door Replacement
Projects like window and door replacements can recoup more than 70
percent of their cost at resale, according to the National Association
of Realtors and Remodeling magazine's 2013 Remodeling Cost vs. Value
Report.
Whether you're preparing your home to sell, or updating it to live in
longer, Pella offers low-maintenance, energy-efficient vinyl, wood, and
fiberglass replacement windows and doors that can help improve your
home's curb appeal, and help lower utility bills.
"Stylish exterior doors that look like wood with the minimal
maintenance of fiberglass are popular replacement options," says Kathy
Krafka Harkema, Pella spokesperson. "Plus, fiberglass offers exceptional
energy efficiency, weather resistance and outstanding durability."
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Ten Apps Every Homebuyer Should Have
When it comes to staying organize and efficient during the home-buying process your best tool might already be in your pocket: your smartphone. Whether you are buying a house, getting a mortgage or doing some remodeling, here are 10 must-have real estate apps.
HomeSnap
It’s hard to keep track of all the details when house hunting, but House Hunter does all the hard work for you by providing a scorecard that organizes notes and photos of potential homes. You can choose from more than 80 different home features to score potential homes and access a quick note feature to enter information about the homes.
When it comes to real estate, it’s all about location. AroundMe shows retailers, restaurants and other establishments located in the immediate area to give you a sense of a potential neighborhood. The free app uses a GPS to determine your location and identifies the closets bank, bar, gas station, hospital, hotel, movie theater, restaurant, supermarket, theater and taxi.
Buying a home can be confusing, especially if you aren’t familiar with real estate jargon. The app, which costs $2.99, has more than 3,000 real-estate specific terms to help navigate conversations with brokers and real estate agents.
Home Value Pro
Eager to sell your home but not sure where to price it? This app lets you view property values, foreclosure information and housing trends in neighborhoods across the country. The app lets you analyze housing data by ZIP code, provides 12 month median home price trends, foreclosure rates and home sales trend activity that can help you properly price your home.
The first step to the house-hunting process is determining how much home you can afford. The Mortgage Calculator from Left Coast R&D is a free app that lets you figure out your monthly mortgage payments based on the price of the house, the down payment and the interest rate.
Once you know how much home you can afford, it’s time to shop for mortgage rates. This app, also brought to you by Left Coast R&D compare mortgage interest rates based on users’ financial situations. The lenders that are competing for your business aren’t the Bank of Americas or Wells Fargos of the world-- instead its’ the smaller banks. If you find a rate you like, don’t worry about calls from mortgage brokers--you decide if you want to be contacted to start the loan process.
It’s hard to picture a fixer-upper in its final state, but Houzz will do all the imagining for you. Claiming to be the largest database of home design ideas on the Web, the Houzz app has more 500,000 high-resolution photos to give you remodeling ideas for out-dated homes. You can browse by style, room and location and save them to a virtual idea book.
For many home buyers, a new home comes with a list of required improvement projects. If you don’t want to hire a contractor you can get your own virtual one with Handy Man DIY and it’s only going to cost you $1.99. This app lets calculate and store room dimensions, figure out floor and wall square footage and create shopping lists for projects. The app also has how to videos and instructions to guide you through various projects.
Picking out paint colors can be tough but the free Color Snap app makes it a little bit easier. See a color you like in a photo, someone’s house or in a flower, all you have to do is snap a picture and the app will show you colors of Sherwin Williams paints that match. You can also browse hundreds of colors and adjust them to get the shade you want.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Holiday Retail Sales May Jump 4.5% as Housing, Jobs Rise
Retail sales are projected to
increase as much as 4.5 percent this holiday season, in line
with last year’s gain, as a rise in home prices and decline in
joblessness keeps consumers spending.
Total holiday sales are expected to rise to $963 billion to $967 billion, led by non-store sales from online and catalog retailers, Deloitte LLP, a New York-based consulting firm, said today in a statement.
“Rising home prices with steady job creation may buoy consumers,” Daniel Bachman, Deloitte’s senior U.S. economist, wrote in the note.
Unemployment dropped last month to its lowest level since December 2008, while sales of homes rose in August and housing prices have gained 15 percent since last year. Still, many retailers, from Macy's Inc. to Wal-Mart Stores Inc., missed second-quarter sales estimates and cut forecasts as consumers feeling flush prefer to spend their money on bigger items like cars and home-related products.
“There has been some positive momentum leading into the fourth quarter this year,” Alison Paul, a retail sector leader at Deloitte, said in a phone interview. “The well-heeled, prosperous families continue to be fairly optimistic in spending. Where you’re going to see some of the struggle is in the lower-income and lower-middle class.”
Those lower-income households are restraining purchases as their incomes are restricted by a 2 percentage-point increase in the payroll tax. The proportion of Americans living in poverty in 2012 -- 15 percent-- remained close to a two-decade high and median household income was stagnant, according to a Census Bureau report released Sept. 18.
Some retailers have begun announcing holiday hiring plans. Wal-Mart said today that it would boost holiday hiring to 55,000, a 10 percent increase from last year’s 50,000 seasonal hires. Target Corp. said in a post on its website last week last week it would take on about 70,000 workers, 20 percent fewer than year a year earlier.
The increase in non-store sales is the smallest since Deloitte began estimating the figure in 2010. The estimate is reined-in from previous years, when the forecasts overshot the actual data, rather than a potential reduction in non-store sales, Paul said.
Mobile-influenced store sales will account for 8 percent, or about $66 billion, of in-store sales this holiday season as shoppers use their smartphones to browse retailers’ sites, conduct product research and compare prices, Deloitte said. Customers using their mobile devices are more likely to make a purchase than other shoppers in the store who aren’t, the firm said. Shoppers who research their purchases online also help to boost in-store sales as retailers further integrate their stores and websites with features like in-store pickup.
Last week, Chicago-based researcher ShopperTrak said sales in stores may advance 2.4 percent in November and December, the smallest increase since 2009 as customers visit fewer stores. Retailers may offer promotions for holiday as early as Nov. 1 to take advantage of the shorter shopping season, ShopperTrak estimated.
This year, there are 25 days between the day after Thanksgiving -- known as Black Friday -- and Christmas, compared with 31 days in 2012, and four instead of five weekends.
Lindsey Rupp/Bloomberg
Total holiday sales are expected to rise to $963 billion to $967 billion, led by non-store sales from online and catalog retailers, Deloitte LLP, a New York-based consulting firm, said today in a statement.
“Rising home prices with steady job creation may buoy consumers,” Daniel Bachman, Deloitte’s senior U.S. economist, wrote in the note.
Unemployment dropped last month to its lowest level since December 2008, while sales of homes rose in August and housing prices have gained 15 percent since last year. Still, many retailers, from Macy's Inc. to Wal-Mart Stores Inc., missed second-quarter sales estimates and cut forecasts as consumers feeling flush prefer to spend their money on bigger items like cars and home-related products.
“There has been some positive momentum leading into the fourth quarter this year,” Alison Paul, a retail sector leader at Deloitte, said in a phone interview. “The well-heeled, prosperous families continue to be fairly optimistic in spending. Where you’re going to see some of the struggle is in the lower-income and lower-middle class.”
Those lower-income households are restraining purchases as their incomes are restricted by a 2 percentage-point increase in the payroll tax. The proportion of Americans living in poverty in 2012 -- 15 percent-- remained close to a two-decade high and median household income was stagnant, according to a Census Bureau report released Sept. 18.
Holiday Hiring
Holiday hiring by U.S. retailers may fall about 6.9 percent this year amid shaky consumer confidence and as stores implement more efficient practices reducing demand for seasonal workers, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. Retailers will hire about 700,000 temporary staff this year, down from 751,800 last year, the Chicago-based employment consulting firm said today in a statement. Last year’s hiring reached a 12-year high and was up 14 percent from 2011, the firm said.Some retailers have begun announcing holiday hiring plans. Wal-Mart said today that it would boost holiday hiring to 55,000, a 10 percent increase from last year’s 50,000 seasonal hires. Target Corp. said in a post on its website last week last week it would take on about 70,000 workers, 20 percent fewer than year a year earlier.
Mobile Shopping
Non-store retail sales are forecast to climb as much as 13 percent and “continue to surpass overall retail sales growth,” according to Deloitte’s report.The increase in non-store sales is the smallest since Deloitte began estimating the figure in 2010. The estimate is reined-in from previous years, when the forecasts overshot the actual data, rather than a potential reduction in non-store sales, Paul said.
Mobile-influenced store sales will account for 8 percent, or about $66 billion, of in-store sales this holiday season as shoppers use their smartphones to browse retailers’ sites, conduct product research and compare prices, Deloitte said. Customers using their mobile devices are more likely to make a purchase than other shoppers in the store who aren’t, the firm said. Shoppers who research their purchases online also help to boost in-store sales as retailers further integrate their stores and websites with features like in-store pickup.
Last week, Chicago-based researcher ShopperTrak said sales in stores may advance 2.4 percent in November and December, the smallest increase since 2009 as customers visit fewer stores. Retailers may offer promotions for holiday as early as Nov. 1 to take advantage of the shorter shopping season, ShopperTrak estimated.
This year, there are 25 days between the day after Thanksgiving -- known as Black Friday -- and Christmas, compared with 31 days in 2012, and four instead of five weekends.
Lindsey Rupp/Bloomberg
Saturday, September 14, 2013
How to Hire the Perfect Real Estate Agent
A real estate agent can often help you sell your home faster,
and get a better price than if you try to do it on your own. But to get
the best deal possible on your home, you’ll want to hire a real estate
agent that’s a good fit for you and your property. Here’s what you need
to know before you hire someone to sell your home.
Find Someone Local
When selling your home, getting someone who really knows the area is critical. Potential buyers are sure to ask a ton of questions about schools, parks, shopping and other quality-of-life issues in a neighborhood. You want a realtor that’s going to be able to really sell the neighborhood to a buyer. Ask real estate agents how many houses they have sold in the neighborhood, whether they live in the neighborhood, and, if so, how long they have lived there.
Ask For References
A key part of due-diligence on any realtor, asking for references can give you great first-hand information on how attentive a real estate agent will be. Of course, unscrupulous real estate agents can cherry-pick a few past clients that they know will speak well of them, so you should insist on speaking with recent clients. If they have to go back a few years to give you a reference, or if they seem reluctant to give you any names at all, it’s a sign they have something to hide.
Check Their Workload
Most realtors will represent a few people at any given time, but you want one that will really focus on your interests and make time for you. Ask how many clients they currently have and how many hours per week they spend on each client. You will also want to check their availability. Many people are forced to house hunt on evenings and weekends, so a realtor that will only show your house on weekday mornings isn’t going to help you that much.
Make Sure They Sell Houses Like Yours
Not all properties are created equally. If you’re looking to sell a middle-class single-family home, you don’t want to hire someone that mostly sells condos, commercial real estate or million-dollar mansions. So before you hire a real estate agent, make sure the agent has substantial experience selling homes similar to yours and in your price range.
What’s the Timeline?
With the housing market still suffering from sluggishness, it can be a tough time to sell a home. While you should be prepared to sell your home quickly, you should also have a plan in place in case it doesn’t. Ask real estate agents how long they will represent you. If a home doesn’t sell in a month or two, are they just going to abandon you? Do they have experience selling homes that take time to sell? You don’t want to waste a lot of time picking a real estate agent, only to have to do it all over again in two months.
Ask About Fees
Most real estate agents will work for a percentage of the selling price of the home. But many agreements also include a bunch of other fees. Make sure you understand the agreement before you sign and what you will be getting for your money. For instance, many real estate agents will include home staging as part of the contract, but some might add extra fees for these sorts of services.
Are They Part of MLS?
The Multiple Listing Service, or MLS, is a nationwide database of houses on the market, regardless of which company is selling the home. To give you the best chance of selling your home, you’ll want an agent that has access to MLS. Agents that simply list on their own company’s site won’t help you nearly as much as real estate agents that list on MLS.
-Fox News/
Find Someone Local
When selling your home, getting someone who really knows the area is critical. Potential buyers are sure to ask a ton of questions about schools, parks, shopping and other quality-of-life issues in a neighborhood. You want a realtor that’s going to be able to really sell the neighborhood to a buyer. Ask real estate agents how many houses they have sold in the neighborhood, whether they live in the neighborhood, and, if so, how long they have lived there.
Ask For References
A key part of due-diligence on any realtor, asking for references can give you great first-hand information on how attentive a real estate agent will be. Of course, unscrupulous real estate agents can cherry-pick a few past clients that they know will speak well of them, so you should insist on speaking with recent clients. If they have to go back a few years to give you a reference, or if they seem reluctant to give you any names at all, it’s a sign they have something to hide.
Check Their Workload
Most realtors will represent a few people at any given time, but you want one that will really focus on your interests and make time for you. Ask how many clients they currently have and how many hours per week they spend on each client. You will also want to check their availability. Many people are forced to house hunt on evenings and weekends, so a realtor that will only show your house on weekday mornings isn’t going to help you that much.
Make Sure They Sell Houses Like Yours
Not all properties are created equally. If you’re looking to sell a middle-class single-family home, you don’t want to hire someone that mostly sells condos, commercial real estate or million-dollar mansions. So before you hire a real estate agent, make sure the agent has substantial experience selling homes similar to yours and in your price range.
What’s the Timeline?
With the housing market still suffering from sluggishness, it can be a tough time to sell a home. While you should be prepared to sell your home quickly, you should also have a plan in place in case it doesn’t. Ask real estate agents how long they will represent you. If a home doesn’t sell in a month or two, are they just going to abandon you? Do they have experience selling homes that take time to sell? You don’t want to waste a lot of time picking a real estate agent, only to have to do it all over again in two months.
Ask About Fees
Most real estate agents will work for a percentage of the selling price of the home. But many agreements also include a bunch of other fees. Make sure you understand the agreement before you sign and what you will be getting for your money. For instance, many real estate agents will include home staging as part of the contract, but some might add extra fees for these sorts of services.
Are They Part of MLS?
The Multiple Listing Service, or MLS, is a nationwide database of houses on the market, regardless of which company is selling the home. To give you the best chance of selling your home, you’ll want an agent that has access to MLS. Agents that simply list on their own company’s site won’t help you nearly as much as real estate agents that list on MLS.
-Fox News/
Friday, September 6, 2013
"There is Nothing Short About It......"
Welcome future homeowner! If you have been hearing a lot about
short sales lately, that`s because many homeowners who are struggling
to afford their monthly mortgage payments are now entering into a short
sale. A short sale occurs when a mortgage lender agrees to take a
lesser amount than what is owed on the home in order to avoid
foreclosure. Many of the homes on the market now are short sale homes.
Buyers do need to know the pros and cons about buying a short sale home
on the market. A competent REALTOR is your best source for finding
short sales within your area and helping you work with the seller`s
bank to make a short sale offer. Let`s look at the advantages and
drawbacks of the short sale from a buyer`s perspective.
Short Sale Advantages
Prices for short sales are typically lower than other comparable homes within the market. This is because the lender needs to sell the house in order to recoup the money they loaned to buy the home, and the seller wants to sell the house to avoid foreclosure. The biggest advantage to the short sale is getting a bargain on your home. Short sale process takes a longer time to complete, many buyers put in an offer on a short sale but many walk away during the process. If you are willing to wait, this can be an advantage.
Short Sale Disadvantages
The biggest disadvantage to the short sale is that they do take several months in many instances to complete, and that during this time period, other buyers may become interested in the short sale property, too. Also, most of the short sale process is dependent upon certification by the lender. Depending on the bank and state, many lenders are not willing to accept low offers on the property. Buyers are often turned down if the offer is not up to the expectations of the lender, even when the listed price for the house has been met. Many times, a short sale listing price is ridiculously low, and the lender ends up now approving it, which is a frustrating and misleading to potential buyers who are looking for a short sale. The low price usually creates multiple offers. This can be frustrating for serious home buyers. Short sale properties are usually sold `as is`. Of course, this does not waive the buyer`s right to inspect the property and walk away from the escrow if needed.
If you are considering buying a short sale property and need guidance, or if you are a homeowner considering short sale of your own property, you need to talk with a licensed REALTOR right away.
Short Sale Advantages
Prices for short sales are typically lower than other comparable homes within the market. This is because the lender needs to sell the house in order to recoup the money they loaned to buy the home, and the seller wants to sell the house to avoid foreclosure. The biggest advantage to the short sale is getting a bargain on your home. Short sale process takes a longer time to complete, many buyers put in an offer on a short sale but many walk away during the process. If you are willing to wait, this can be an advantage.
Short Sale Disadvantages
The biggest disadvantage to the short sale is that they do take several months in many instances to complete, and that during this time period, other buyers may become interested in the short sale property, too. Also, most of the short sale process is dependent upon certification by the lender. Depending on the bank and state, many lenders are not willing to accept low offers on the property. Buyers are often turned down if the offer is not up to the expectations of the lender, even when the listed price for the house has been met. Many times, a short sale listing price is ridiculously low, and the lender ends up now approving it, which is a frustrating and misleading to potential buyers who are looking for a short sale. The low price usually creates multiple offers. This can be frustrating for serious home buyers. Short sale properties are usually sold `as is`. Of course, this does not waive the buyer`s right to inspect the property and walk away from the escrow if needed.
If you are considering buying a short sale property and need guidance, or if you are a homeowner considering short sale of your own property, you need to talk with a licensed REALTOR right away.
Monday, September 2, 2013
Marketing Tips to Sell Your Home
Today`s real estate market is more of a buyer`s market than ever,
and the housing market is ripe with homes for sale. Selling a home today
can be tough, and we are full-time real estate agents that will work
hard to sell your home. We have the right mix of internet marketing
strategies to best present your property and draw in potential buyers
for your home.
Tips for Marketing Your Home - Displaying Signage
Signage allows passersby to see that your property is for sale and provides a number for potential buyers to immediately get in touch with your agent or you. Think of signage in the yard and on the property as free advertising. Distinctive signage is important when selling your home. Having the sign of a well-known REALTOR® in your yard is a guaranteed way to get more 'lookers'.
Tips for Marketing Your Home - Taking Photos
The sagest advice that can be given to a homeowner looking to sell their home is to take great photographs of the home and the property. This means taking high quality photographs of the home from all angles, including exterior and interior shots. A REALTOR® typically works with a professional photographer or utilizes their own high-end photography equipment to capture just the right photographs for your listing.
Tips for Marketing Your Home - Creating a Virtual Tour
A virtual tour of the home is a wonderful way to provide access to the home 24/7/365 to potential buyers. You don`t have to be selling a three million dollar home to create a virtual tour. In fact, buyers in all price ranges now expect (and love) the virtual tour. The virtual tour will literally allow the buyer to go from room to room, viewing the home at a 360-degree view. Tours can have music added to them, or professionally narrated scripts. Most REALTORS® consider the inclusion of a virtual tour to be vital to a successful listing.
Tips for Marketing Your Home - the Internet
90% of buyers use internet to search for homes in today`s market. Internet marketing is a large part of getting exposure for your home to better reach potential buyers. This is a complex process, but the main part of a selling marketing campaign. Make sure your property is properly listed in MLS with virtual tours, on agent`s website, a dedicated property website, routine posting in Craigslist, posting in Youtube, and syndicating the property listing to major real estate classifies and directories.
These are just some of the tips that we suggest for marketing your home. Get in touch with us now, we`ll show you our step by step marketing plan for your property!
Tips for Marketing Your Home - Displaying Signage
Signage allows passersby to see that your property is for sale and provides a number for potential buyers to immediately get in touch with your agent or you. Think of signage in the yard and on the property as free advertising. Distinctive signage is important when selling your home. Having the sign of a well-known REALTOR® in your yard is a guaranteed way to get more 'lookers'.
Tips for Marketing Your Home - Taking Photos
The sagest advice that can be given to a homeowner looking to sell their home is to take great photographs of the home and the property. This means taking high quality photographs of the home from all angles, including exterior and interior shots. A REALTOR® typically works with a professional photographer or utilizes their own high-end photography equipment to capture just the right photographs for your listing.
Tips for Marketing Your Home - Creating a Virtual Tour
A virtual tour of the home is a wonderful way to provide access to the home 24/7/365 to potential buyers. You don`t have to be selling a three million dollar home to create a virtual tour. In fact, buyers in all price ranges now expect (and love) the virtual tour. The virtual tour will literally allow the buyer to go from room to room, viewing the home at a 360-degree view. Tours can have music added to them, or professionally narrated scripts. Most REALTORS® consider the inclusion of a virtual tour to be vital to a successful listing.
Tips for Marketing Your Home - the Internet
90% of buyers use internet to search for homes in today`s market. Internet marketing is a large part of getting exposure for your home to better reach potential buyers. This is a complex process, but the main part of a selling marketing campaign. Make sure your property is properly listed in MLS with virtual tours, on agent`s website, a dedicated property website, routine posting in Craigslist, posting in Youtube, and syndicating the property listing to major real estate classifies and directories.
These are just some of the tips that we suggest for marketing your home. Get in touch with us now, we`ll show you our step by step marketing plan for your property!
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
FOR SALE! 125 and 131 W TURNER ST. IN SUMMERVILLE!
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| Two for the price of one! There are 2 homes on this completely fenced in 1.57 acre lot. A must see to appreciate! The primary home has a tree lined driveway which features 1640 sq. ft., 3 bedrooms, and 2 full baths. This home also has a built on addition living room area with 10-11 ft. beamed ceilings with 2 48"overhead fans. There is hardwood flooring in most rooms and a fireplace in the main living area with cathedral ceiling and ceiling fan. The kitchen has a dining area, oak cupboards, and deep walk in pantry, stainless steel appliances, and a dishwasher. The master bedroom is spacious with cathedral ceiling, huge walk in closet, and the master bath features a garden tub with a walk in shower. The home has a large deck on the back that has an above ground pool attached. There is also a custom built pool changing room. In addition to the pool, the backyard offers plenty of shade and privacy, covered cement pad for outdoor entertaining, fire pit, outdoor buildings for extra storage, and a 2 car carport. The second home is currently a rental which has been completely remodeled and has 2 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms. The second home produces a rental income of $750 a month! This would easily cover a majority of the cost of the mortgage each month! With close access to I-26, minutes from restaurants, shopping, and the beach plus a rental income to cover the mortgage.WHAT MORE COULD YOU ASK FOR! Hurry! This great opportunity will not be around long! The asking price for both properties is only $224,980! If square footage is important - MEASURE!! | |||||
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
HOME PRICES INCREASE NEARLY 12% IN JUNE
Just released numbers from CoreLogic on the U.S. housing market
showed prices jumped nearly 12 percent for the month of June from this time
last year. The increase was contributed to a stronger demand amid a very slim supply of inventory.
Among the 50 states, 48 saw in
increase in home prices versus this time last year. Only Mississippi and Delaware
saw a decrease. Overall CoreLogic says prices rose 1.9 percent in June which
results in a 16 month-over-month increase.
With prices increasing this can be contributed to the latest sign
of a recovery in housing. Stable job growth and historic low mortgage rates have
pushed more people to look at buying versus renting. With homes in short
supply, the larger demand has pushed the value of homes upward.
What does this mean for the seller? Greater ability to
market their existing home to an abundance of wannabe home owners. With higher
demand for housing, the demand creates an opportunity to sell their home to a
broader spectrum not experienced in previous years.
What does this mean for the buyer? Headaches due to short
supply of inventory, increased competition with other buyers, better rates on
mortgages, and the list could go on, and on, and on. If you are currently in the market to sell
your existing home now is your time to shine. If you are a buyer there is no
better time than now then to consider home ownership.
With home prices steadily increasing, low mortgage rates, and
inventory remaining in short supply the current economic conditions presents a win/win
situation for both the buyer and seller.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Charleston Beat: 5 Key Points to Kill The Re-Sale of Your Home
Charleston Beat is an informative real estate video blog series dedicated to everything pertaining to Charleston, S.C. Brandon Ray is a local REALTOR in Charleston.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
For Sale: 3BR/2 1BA Single Family House in North Charleston, SC, $150,990
Gorgeous and absolutely stunning for a starter home! Located in the The Lakes subdivision of North Charleston, this 2 story home features 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, all hardwoods laminate on the first floor, beautiful new back splash in the kitchen, and so much more! With convenience to shopping and restaurants this is the perfect home and location! Sellers are motivated and will contribute $1K toward closing cost at closing! Hurry! This great opportunity will not last long!
If square footage is important - MEASURE!!
If square footage is important - MEASURE!!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
1984 IS HERE
GEORGE ORWELL'S 1984 IS HERE
by
COLONEL DONALD J. MYERS USMC (Ret)
It
is obvious that Big Brother really is alive. I don't know if our school
system still requires the reading of this book, but it should. We are
living many of the aspects of that novel. Remember that Big Brother was
the face of the all powerful and knowing big government. Nothing was
private. The vocabulary was reduced so that rational thinking also was
reduced. We have not gone that far, but we have changed the meanings of
words. Tax is now contribution, government spending is now investment,
civilian casualties are now collateral damage, and the list goes on.
Big Brother was the epitome of concern and caring for the population as was constantly broadcast by the media. Gee, that does sound familiar today when one reads the papers or watches TV.
It seems that a new scandal is exposed on a routine basis involving different parts of the government routinely. Now, we hear of the Internal Revenue Service seizing millions of medical records in California. Remember that currently, the IRS will be responsible for collecting fines and checking if individuals are purchasing the proper medical insurance when ObamaCare is implemented this October. They will hire additional thousands of agents to do that. I really get a warm feeling knowing that the IRS is involved.
It seems that there is little reason to bring leaders of the various organizations that have been charged with overstepping their authority since they either lie, mislead, or take the Fifth. Nothing seems to happen in each case.
It is obvious that the federal government has become much too large and has assumed powers that the founding fathers warned us about. The founding fathers wrote the Bill of Rights as the first ten amendments to the constitution specifically to limit the power of government. Those amendments are very specific about what the government cannot do. Unfortunately, the government continues to eat away at key elements of these amendments.
Most of my adult life was spent serving this country in the Marines. Since leaving the service, I have worked diligently staying abreast of current events throughout the country and the world. I recall what the country and especially the military was like in the 70's. It was ugly, but positive leadership at the Commandant level in the Marines in the late 70's and in the White House in the 80's made all the difference in the world. It is amazing what leadership can accomplish in any organization.
The same thing can happen in the future, but it will take much longer since some of our national fundamental strengths have been eroded by dependence on government rather than personal drive. We remain the most powerful and most free country in the world, but far too many of our citizens are not contributing to that effect.
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