Real Estate Investing Along The Coast Of North And Suth Carolina

Real Estate Investing Along The Coast Of North And South Carolina

Why to Sell with a Realtor

• A Realtor has access to market data about recent sales and other homes on the market that can be used to price your home appropriately. Studies show that homes priced right when they’re first listed sell more quickly and for a higher price than those that linger on the market.
• A Realtor can show your home when you are not available, can respond to inquiries from potential buyers and their agents, and can get valuable feedback from visitors – all things that save you time.
• A Realtor can look at your home objectively and suggest ways to improve its appearance – by staging and minor repairs - so it appeals to more buyers.
• Buyers typically prefer to look at a home without the seller present so they can feel more comfortable exploring the rooms and visualizing themselves in the property. At an FSBO sale, the seller must be present.
• A Realtor can screen visitors to your home, which provides a measure of safety that FSBO sellers don’t have. In addition, by checking to see if the buyers are legitimate and can afford to purchase your home, a Realtor can help you avoid wasting time showing your home to unrealistic buyers.
• Realtor's have professional marketing expertise contacts with other Realtor's who work with buyers, and the support of a brokerage that can market your home more widely than you can as an individual.
• A Realtor can help you negotiate a contract that not only garners you an appropriate price for your home, but that meets your needs for a settlement date and perhaps includes a period when you rent back your home from your buyer. In addition, a Realtor can make sure your contract is in compliance with all local regulations.

FSBO Dangers Most buyers today work with a Buyers Agent to Represent their Interests. If you choose to sell your home on your own, you’ll be Negotiating with a Professional and relying on your own skill to finalize a contract. Not only could you end up Selling your Home for Less Money, you could leave yourself open to potential legal problems unless you have the contract vetted by an experienced Real Estate Attorney. FSBO transactions can be successful, of course, but 90 percent of homeowners prefer to work with a professional rather than risk an unsatisfactory home selling experience.

Call us and we can explain in detail how we can help you. Thanks

Vacation Home Sales Rise in Myrtle Beach And the Grand Strand Area

As the Real Estate Market comes back and people are more comfortable with the economy, Second Home and Vacation Home buyers are back in the market. As a recent interview indicated:

In the Grand Strand, condos are what most folks are buying, according to President of Coastal Carolinas Association of Realtors Joan Crowther. She says folks are buying them, everywhere from beachfront properties to more inland opportunities.

Nationally, most vacation homes are being purchased with all-cash or large-cash down payments and home prices right now are fair.

Crowther says she expects the trend to continue into the next few years while prices remain steady. She says the Grand Strand's biggest draw is the weather.

"We certainly did see that effect, a lot of people are just tired of shoveling snow," says Crowther. "While we had some cooler temperatures and some frozen precipitation, certainly not to the degree that they did, this is a very desirable area to live and place to consider for a future home."

With all that being said, history shows us that purchasing these properties are best done during the Winter months from November through March. The reason is simple, people use these as rental properties when they are not visiting. They would rather receive the rental income during the peak seasons than to sell it and miss out on that revenue stream.

So if you have been thinking about purchasing a Vacation or Second Home now is the time to be previewing the best available and getting that offer in before the summertime rentals start booking up.

Buying a Home during the Holidays can be a great idea

Holidays are a great time of year. People are shopping, going to company Christmas parties and preparing for family to visit. So why would this be a good time of the year to buy a home? Well quite simply put you have less competition for the best homes on the market. The people that have their homes listed this time of year are usually very motivated to get them sold. I understand nobody wants to be moving during the Holidays so you could just contract a home and close after the Holiday season and everyone wins. If you want to be in a new home for the Holidays then you could concentrate on homes that are vacant. Many times if a home is vacant the sellers are more motivated since they may be carrying two mortgages. Sometimes you can get a quick closing date and do all of your Holiday decorating in your new home.

Another reason to purchase a home during the Holidays can be additional Tax Deductible items from the purchase of a home, check with your tax professional. A late year tax write off could make for a great unexpected Christmas present.

One important question to ask your Real Estate Professional is will they be available during the Holiday season? While most agents are willing to show properties during this time others may be out of town for the Holidays and others just feel the time of year is slow so they don't work very hard. The worst thing that can happen to your Home Buying experience is that your agent is not available and the home sells before you have an opportunity to see it.

If you are diligent with your home search, even during the Holidays, you to can achieve the American Dream of Home ownership. During the Holiday season you may just save some money on the Purchase of your New Home.

Have a Great Holiday Season, A very Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year

Don't Shop for Homes Alone

Home buyers are increasingly shopping for homes with a Real Estate Agent. Eighty-eight percent of buyers purchased their home through a Real Estate Agent or Broker, up from 69 percent in 2001, says a new report from the National Association of REALTORS^®

In 2014, buyers used a wide variety of resources in searching for a home, with the Internet (92 percent) and Real Estate Agents (87 percent) leading the way. And 90 percent of home buyers who searched for homes online ended up purchasing their home through an agent. Buyers who used the Internet were more likely to purchase their home through an agent than those who didn't (67 percent).

When buyers were asked where they first learned about the home they purchased, 43 percent said the Internet. That's up from 36 percent in 2009. Thirty-three percent learned about their home from a Real Estate Agent. That's pretty impressive odds.

So in the age of home buying apps, why are more buyers using a Real Estate Agent? A number of reasons. First, the bubble and implosion in housing values made buyers more cautious. Then the housing market rebounded, leaving many buyers unprepared for bidding wars, investors, and a tighter mortgage market. Last, buyers have been on the sidelines so long, that they're entering the market with more maturity than buyers of past generations.

There's no reason not to use all the help you can get. Licensing laws allow agents to work with both buyers and sellers as both fiduciaries and non-fiduciaries, depending on state disclosure requirements.

When an agent contracts with a seller to sell their home, the agent contracts commission fees with the seller to cover the costs of paying the buyer's agent. Buyers may not realize that most agents are paid at the closing, and that they won't be out any upfront money to hire their own agent.

Having an agent multiplies the buyer's chances of finding the right home at the best price. The buyer's agent networks with other agents to find the right home and they learn which homes are coming onto the market before the general public. Many homes are bought and sold without a sign ever going into the yard.

But, if a buyer goes to open houses, or builder model homes without registering their buyer's agent's name, or calls on a listing without mentioning their agent, the listing agent or builder's agent has every right to assume the buyer is unrepresented. They may refuse to pay the buyer's agent commission.

Today's agents are like today's buyers and sellers. They're more technology-savvy and willing to work hard to please their buyers. They know that buyers eventually become sellers, and sellers become repeat buyers.

That's how good agents build their businesses, through repeat business and referrals. They are highly motivated to do the best job possible for home buyers.

Why wouldn't any buyer want to take advantage of that?

How do you Start your Home Search

When you search for a home with eXp Realty, you have access to an array of free, powerful online tools. Search, save, organize, and get updates on your favorite homes, anytime and anywhere.

We recognize the level of service that clients demand. You have information. You have dreams. We possess experience, integrity, and innovation. Together we create leverage to make your dreams a reality.

Our Website displays full MLS listings, plus Bank Foreclosures and REOs in the cities where we offer service. Most real estate sites offer only a fraction of the listings we provide — as a licensed real estate brokerage, we can give you access to the same information used by agents across the country. Our listings are updated frequently, so you'll always see the latest and most accurate details.

When you do find a home you like, it's time to dig into the details. On our home details page, we show you as much information as we're allowed to for every home. We provide photos, details on the home, plus information on local price trends and nearby homes with similar features.

When you're ready to see a home, schedule a home tour. A home tour gives you the best opportunity to spend time seeing a home in detail. If you'd like an in-depth look at preparing for and getting the most out of a home tour, please get in touch.

Thinking of Selling your home yourself? For Sale By Owner?

To sell your Property without the assistance of a Qualified Real Estate Professional, you should be able to answer YES to each of the following questions.

*Do I have sufficient data to price my property realistically and so I can obtain top market value? Am I familiar with what comparable properties have sold for recently and what adjustments to those amounts I would need to make for my property?

*Can I draw proper contracts, recognize unreasonable contingencies, understand disclosure and agency relationships? Would I be on sound legal ground if conflicts arose?

*Can I handle the natural conflict of interest when working directly with a buyer, trying to protect my own interests versus my desire to accommodate theirs?

*Do I have complete understanding of how to stage my home for universal appeal? Am I able to accomplish maximum exposure to Buyers through a wide channel of advertising medias (Regional & National) so that I obtain the most money possible from the sale? 

*Can I properly screen and handle inquiries? Can I differentiate between lookers and serious buyers? What can I use to Screen Buyers? Can a particular Buyer get Financing and how do I know?

*Do I have the knowledge of the current mortgage situation? Do I know how the different loans will effect my bottom line dollars?

*Am I prepared to be available at all times for inquiries and/or showings?

*Am I willing to have myself or members of my household exposed to strangers? The motives of casual lookers can be suspect!

Hope this helps, call me for more information.