864-335-8490

I've been writing a Greenville SC Blog off and on for a while now.  I never really liked the term blogging.  I thought of it as just writing about what I see, hear, experience and the things I like about Greenville SC.  There seems to be quite a few Greenville South Carolina Blogs around.  You know everybody's got an opinion.... I just try and write about things I've experienced.  And you know what's great?  When  I get a call from people who read and really enjoy and learn from my adventures.  Quite a bit of stuff has been written here.  A lot of it get's lost in the past pages so I thought I'd throw out a few of my favorite Greenville blogs...I mean writings for you. 

Most of it is about Greenville SC Real Estate, but some other stuff too!  Hopefully the blogs may bring a little insight into Greenville, the area and real estate.  Enjoy!  Keep those comments coming...and I'll keep blogging...I mean writing :-)!

   Greenville SC Real Estate Blog, Photos and Other Stuff!

July 28:

Hey, the word has been the rain we've had lately, which is good.  Some big thunderstorms in the afternoons. 

Had a closing with a nice couple Monday who are relocating to Greenville and I've got another closing Friday with a nice fellow relocating to the area from out of state.  Both bought beautiful homes! 

Looks like I might have a lull in the action so I may get out and snap a few pictures for you, or may just drop in and see my dad, who will be 90 this year! 

July 27:

Good morning!  Folks, half year stats got published about mid July for the Greater Greenville Association of Realtors MLS.   So, let's jump in, shall we?

New Listings year to date are up 6.3% compared to last year.

Pending sales are down .09% compared to last year.

Closed sales are up 10.3% compared to last year.

Days on The Market are About the Same

The median sales price is up 3.9% compared to last year.

The average sales price is up 5.8% compared to last year.

Percent of list price received at sale is up .8% to 91.7%

Inventory of homes available is up 6.7% compared to last year.

"So, what's it all mean Don?"  

The main number I look at is closed sales and that's up.  You can infer other things from the numbers but that number tells me market is picking up.  Now, how do I compare these numbers with my sales and what I'm seeing?
   
Folks, I'm steady and seeing some really great deals out there.  There is still so much interest in Greenville from people transfering for work reasons and retiring. 

It's funny, I've read that Greenville South Carolina is picked to recover faster than most areas of the country.  Recover?  Hey we didn't take any big hits anyway.  Why, well because as I've said before, we really didn't have a big bubble like Florida and other areas.  Just, NICE, STEADY, GROWTH!

I've posted a few of the more important graphs from the Monthly Greenville SC Real Estate and Home Sales stats here for you to review.. 

Ya'll have a good one!

July 25:

Saturday at The Lake!

July 23:

Hey more good news for the Upstate!  New Auto Supplier just over the Greenville county line!  ZF Group, a BMW supplier will hire 900 workers to build transmissions in Laurens Co..  Folks, this will be a $350,000,000 investment!  Now that's what I'm talking about.... 

That's a whopping $488,000,000 in economic developments announcements for the year in the area.

Proterra 1,300 Jobs
Astra/CFX 50 Jobs
Sage Automotive 80 Jobs
Eberspaecher North America 30 Jobs
U.S Engine Valve 10 Jobs
CT&T 370 Jobs
Cooper-Standard 60 Jobs
ZF Group 900 Jobs

Wonder why all the fine companies coming to the Upstate.  Call me and I'll be glad to tell you why.  Or just browse through my web site!

Have a good one, and stay cool!

July 22:

Hey, I had a home under contract for a buyer not appraise yesterday.  It happens sometime folks.   Especially if there is an error in the information given in the mls or on the tax records.  Now, don't get me started on the tax records but anyway.  I pull comps for buyers before we make an offer.  I look at the sq. footage range in the Greenville MLS, closed information on the home in the Greenville MLS (if available) and finally tax information on the square footage.  
 
Well, the only place information was available was in the tax records and it was overstated by about 200 sq. ft.  This can be very material, and it was.  You see the comps for the home came out just fine, BUT the sq. footage was 5% low therefore it didn't appraise.  It's aggravating and I bet the seller thought they were getting more home too!

So what are the options here?  My buyer can withdraw based on it not appraising or ask the seller to drop the sales price to the appraised price.  That's not a problem as long as the seller has enough equity in the home to do that.  In this case it's $15,000.  We've asked for a reduction, the seller has the equity and I'd be surprised if he didn't drop the price, expecially since the comps were very fair.  The problem he will have if he puts it back on the market is the sq. footage.  You just can't fix the sq. footage problem.

Ya'll have a good one and call me if you see some great Greenville South Carolina Real Estate you're interested in!

Don
 
Hey , how about a nice hunting lodge?  :-)

July 21:

Hey, had lunch with some good people yesterday!  Jim and Eron were visiting from Burbank California.  I met Jim and Eron I guess about 5 or so years ago when they visited Greenville.  Their goal is to eventually relocate here.  I think they already would have but Jim is in a very specific field and when the right opportunity arises they will sell and relocate to Greenville!

Anyway, it was good seeing them, I keep them on auto email updates so they can watch the market from afar!  If you would like to watch the market based on a particular criteria, just let me know and I'll be glad to set it up for you.

Have a great day!

Don 

July 20:

Good morning and more good news for the Greenville SC area.  Greenville Third Strongest U.S. job Market!  Click here to read the article!
 
Have a good one!  And stay cool!

July 19:

Good morning!  We had some really nice rain yesterday!  It's been a pretty dry and a very hot summer.  I know a lot of people who I've helped relocate to Greenville are thinking WOW it's hot here.  Hey, we've had a very unusual hot summer, as a matter of fact I think most of the rest of the country has too.

So...what's up in the world of Greenville SC Real Estate?  I've got a lull in showings so watch out for some new video and images.  About this time in the summer it's slows a bit with vacations, which is nice for me because it give me a bit of time to do some updating to www.wesselrealestate.com!

I do want to comment briefly on the real estate market in Greenville today though.  As you may know I have a lot of people contact me interested in moving to the area.  One of the first questions I get is what is real estate selling to as a percent of sales price?  Folks, I hate putting a number on it because the Greater Greenville Association of Realtors MLS is made up of quite a large area.  And as you can imagine, pricing and sales points are all over the place.

Also, in the past it's been rather difficult to tell because it was fairly hard to look at what something sold at as compared to the original list price, not the price it was when it was sold.  Anyway, to make a long story short, the entire MLS sells at about 91% of the original list price.   But really it depends on the seller's motivation.  Some people need to sell and some people are just testing the market. 
 
Should be a very pretty day for shooting some pictures and video so I'm off.  I hope you have a good one.

July 16:

Good morning!  Had a great meal in Downtown Greenville last evening and I always like to give a highly recommend to places that deserve it.  Actually, it's one of my favorites in Greenville.

If you're visiting, check out Sassafras Southern Bistro in Downtown Greenville SC.  Folks, I tell you, just great food at resonable prices.  I love their chicken livers and mashed potatoes but frankly after the caesar salad and dip I just couldn't eat anything else! 

We had a server within one minute of sitting down, he was not pushy trying to sell the most expensive thing on the menue, just a great restaurant that has been there quite a while.  Nice atmosphere too. 

Anyway, weekend's on the way so let's check out what's happening in Greenville!

There's an Upstate Visual Arts Workshop, the Upstate Shakespeare Festival is in the Falls Park, Main St. Fridays will be going on right outside my Wow Upstate Realty, Carolina First Saturday Market at Main and McBee Avenue.  Community Day at The Greenville County Museum of Art. Shinedown, Carnival of Madness at the Heritage Park Amphitheatre.

Still hot but I really hope you have a great weekend and please call me if you want to view some beautiful Greenville SC Real Estate!! 864-335-8490.

Summertime Blues...

July 13:

Good morning!  Hey, I read an interesting article in USA Today the other day.  It sort of relates to something I blogged about HERE.  First, let me back up a bit. I graduated from Clemson University with a BS in Accounting/Finance.  I worked in public accounting for a few years then went into sales, got my securities license and worked for a major stock broker for a while.  

First let me say I didn't like it at all because I had to COLD CALL.  Hey, I'm just not the cold calling kind of guy.  Anyway, it like everything else in life was a good experience!

So with that being said the article I read in USA Today pretty much confirmed to me what I've thought about the Stock Market, especially in the last 10 or so years.  And I'll say it again like I did here.

Real Estate is still the place to be!  Yes you can lose your butt in real estate too, but at least you have some control over it and generally it doesn't happen in milliseconds.  What do I mean?

The crux of the article is that the individual investor is at such a tremendous disadvantage in the stock market today because of computers.  I've already said that institutional players (the big guys) can turn the market on a dime with their program trading.  Hey folks, it generally doesn't happen like that in real estate.   But now, and as the article states there is a lot more manipulation going on with computer trading than there ever has been.  Especially with the futures market.  So when you are making an individual trade on what you think you are seeing in trends, you better watch yo'self, cause there just may be some pretty impressive programs out there just making you think that you ought to play it a certain way.

The thing is these computers are making decisions in millionths of a second.  Further more the closer you are to the trade (New York) the more advantage these computers have over other computers.  Hey, it's wild isn't it!

So folks, go out and buy you some real estate!  I'd rather own a tree than a stock any day!

 
July 12:

Good morning!  Showed quite a few Downtown Greenville SC Condos this weekend.  I enjoy showing these every once in a while just to keep up with the market and see what's available.  Looked at 12 or 13 I believe.  Had a young fellow who looked in the morning then a very nice lady and her daughter from Charlotte NC, who wants a place to stay when she visits Greenville South Carolina.

Hey, let me take a minute, one of my favorite songs just came on Pandora.  If you're not familiar with Pandora, it's free music from the internet you can stream to you computer or phone, or, etc.  What makes it different and what I really like about it is the ability to build custom stations.  For instance the station I'm listening to now is my Christmas Song Radio....Hey I know it seems weird to be listening to Christmas music now but really I like it all during the year, but I choose more jazzy versions, with a lot of piano etc.  It's very relaxing, anywho I'm listing to David Benoit and Carol of The Bells!  Love that song! 

So, back on topic, let's talk about some Greenville SC Real Estate, and in particular Downtown Greenville South Carolina Condos!  Hey folks, saw some beautiful condos Saturday! 

I love it when the sellers have done a nice job, decorated it well and have kept it clean and well maintained.  Really saw a couple of darling places.  "So, where are they Don?" You ask.... 

Check out, Poinsett Corners and Court St. Condos.  So you ask, "which ones Don"?  Hey, call me for a showing and I'll show you where the value is.  You see here's a perfect example.  Had a nice young engineer with me Saturday who wants to invest and live in a Downtown Condo.  But hey, he's not from the area and is trying to make a good decision.  Well, you can study Zillow all day long if you want but don't you want someone on your side who can point out the finer points of what REALLY makes a purchase a good decision.  Folks, there's a lot more to it than just the numbers.

I'm checking out now but I've quite a bit of updating and additions coming to my site. If you need an exclusive buyers agent, please give me a call, I'll be glad to help!  Ya'll have a good one!  Hey, we may get some rain....

July 11:

Happy Sunday morning! Man it's been a busy week, I'm going to relax by the pool and enjoy the 90's!  If you need a downtown Greenville Church to attend then click here!

July 6:

Good morning!  Hey got a couple of inspections going on today!  Hope they go well.  

I wanted to put up a few links for you from my site for you to visit.  I've been working on this for many years and the site has changed a lot.  Anyway, some good and informative pages get lost so every once in a while I post a few links here.  Enjoy and let me know if there is anything I can do for you.

Greenville South Carolina Condos

Greenville SC Area Information

Greenville SC Real Estate Search

The Blue Ridge Mountains

Downtown Greenville South Carolina Churches

Downtown Greenville South Carolina Hotels

Pretty Place Chapel

Greenville SC Google

Photography

           Lake Property  Horses Allowed!  Condos/Townhomes  Gated Communities  

                                            Golf Anyone?  Basement Homes  Historic

These are just a few pages, don't want to overwhelm you!  Have a great day and call me at 864-335-8490 for help in finding a great place to live.

D

July 5:

Hey, Hope you had a wonderful 4th.  And I hope you have today off.  I've got to go meet some nice folks who want to relocate to Greenville from Florida!

Here's a shot from the lake yesterday!  We had a ball!

July 3 and 4th:

                            Happy Fourth of July!

And Thanks To All That Serve and Have Served and to Their Families

July 2:

Good morning!  Hey though I'd post a few images from Larkins Rhythm on The River last evening.

                     Hope you have a wonderful 4th!  God Bless America!

July 1:

Good morning!  And the heat continues, been the hottest summer I can remember.  Normally we don't get into the 90's till mid July.  Anyway, wanted to write a bit about teamwork.

Folks, I have a team of people that I have put together over the past 10 years that just get the job done.  I have an assistant who helps me manage the transaction, insures we make our dates and helps my buyers with the details of moving in.  She's good!  I also have an attorney that I have recommended for the past 10 years.  In my opinion you won't find any better or more reasonable.

Mortgage contacts, I've got two that I recommend who do an excellent job.  And inspectors, well you are welcome to use any you want but I have weeded them out for you over the years to find some good ones.

So what am I saying?  I believe in loyalty, finding people who just get the job done and who perform.  It's just that simple.  I have seen some pretty sorry performances over the years by those who call themselves professionals.  Not that they don't eventually get the job done.  But folks, I've said it before and I'll say it again, excellence is measured in inches, and those that have real pride in what they are doing go "above and beyond" in what they do.  Well, that's why they are so successful.  I can be very tough to negotiate with, although I do believe in fair transactions.  But why am I tough? 

Well, I'm working for the buyer!  I'm supposed to be tough, this is what I do.  There are plenty of horror stories out there in real estate, because most people just don't understand the in's and out's and what you can and should do to buy a home.  Most people aren't involved in 20 or 30 transactions a year doing this.  That's why you need someone on your side!  Especially if you are not from the area.

Ya'll have a good one and maybe I'll see you at Rhythm on The River tonight!  Here's one by the Chairman of The Board to warm you up a bit!

"Give Me Just a Little More Time..."

June 30:

I can't believe we are half way through the year.  Still got a lot of folks visiting Greenville from out of state though. 

Anyway, wanted to talk a bit about real estate requirements for the state of South Carolina.  I've been a Greenville SC realtor for about 10 years now.  (Hey, wish I'd been doing this since I got out of college).  Anyway, we realtors are licensed by the state of SC and we are required to take 8 hours of continuing education each two years.

I just finished mine up, and thank goodness, today was the last day to get it in!  I took two courses but and my favorite was an online course I took called Buyer Representation in Real Estate!  Hey, wonder why I would take a buyers agent's course :-)? 

Hey, I really enjoyed it and it's always good to catch up on things.  One of the interesting segments was about presenting the buyer agency agreement.  Yep, that's right folks, if you want to have a buyers agent as your Greenville realtor, then you have to have an agreement with the agent.  Actually, the state of SC requires an agreement for me to represent you. 
 
Most people have some sort of idea of what I do just by reading my blogs, writings and other stuff on website.  It's a little different with me because a lot of people who visit the Greenville area are just looking and considering the area, so I usually don't mind showing you around for a few hours to see what it's all about.  

Bottom line, the continuing education is a great way to keep up with the business and is required of all realtors in the state of SC.  

And in closing I want to congratulate the University of South Carolina men's baseball team in winning the national championship!  Congrats to Clemson too for making it as far as they did.  Great exposure for the state! 
 

June 29:

Wow, I can't believe it's been two weeks since I've blogged, I mean written!  Folks, I've just been busy and hey I'm not complaining!  But there were about 8 days there that I did nothing but show some great Greenville SC Real Estate and Homes for Sale!  Just a couple of shout outs to some very nice people!

Hey Lauren, glad you are enjoying your new home!  I know it's your first and that's very special.  I'll have those painters names for you today.

Greg, looking forward to meeting you Monday.  I think the 3 you picked out are worth a look and I'll add a few.

John,  glad the inspections went well.  I believe you've bought a real gem in the country that you will love especially when fall rolls in.  I'll remind you th check out Hwy. 11 in the fall.

Phil, should know on the appraisal by tomorrow.  Hope that goes well because it sure is a pretty home.

Muhammad, hope you get it for what you want.  I think it's a beautiful home!

Stephanie,  I'll keep you posted with listings, good meeting you and your family last week.  Try and keep up with those boys and I'll see you in the fall!

Shannon and Kevin, glad to meet you last week, I thought the one we saw in Kingsbridge was perfect for you, maybe just needed a little more yard!

Teri and Rich, your Greenville SC Relocation and Info packet went out yesterday.  Again so sorry for the delay.  I'm really looking forward to meeting you in the fall and I really appreciate the nice comments about my site and especially my blog!  Fall will be pretty!

Linda, best of wishes for a quick sale.  Looking forward to helping you make it to Greenville!


Jane and Mike, good meeting you and spending some time touring Greenville a couple of weeks ago.  Sorry for the scheduling mix up.  The two story with basement we saw sure was lovely.  Looking forward to helping you too!

Hey, I've got a lot of writing to do.  We've got more statistical reports to post from GGAR and the MLS shortly.  But I've got to sign off for now.  Don't worry I'll be back to posting daily now that I've caught my breath.

Oh almost forgot, for all you beach music lovers and those who just want to learn, guess who will be at Larkins on The River, Thursday night?  That's right, a personal favorite, The Chairman of The Board!  Here's a clip from them at The Grovepark Inn in Asheville last Labor Day for "Beach at The Mountains"  I think I know one of these gals :-).

General Johnson, The Chairman of the Board and some Cuties!

June 14:

Good morning, got some more folks in town thinking about relocating to Greenville!  Very busy week with another fellow coming in to buy Tuesday from out of state and 3 closings. 

It's been unusually hot here for this time of year with temps yesterday in the mid 90's!  Glad I've got a pool!  Ya'll have a good one and please let me know if you are interested in some great Greenville South Carolina Real Estate!

Somebody is chillin!

June 12:

June 10:

Riverplace, Greenville SC

June 9:

Good morning everyone!  Hey, been a few days since I've posted, been very busy showing some great Greenville SC Real Estate!  Hey you know, I go to Simpsonville, Greer, Taylors, TR, and really all over. 

I do have a very nice home under contract at the moment and been trying to get through all the inspections.....  So let's talk about inspections for a moment and the contract.  I've mentioned this before but it needs repeating.

Our GGAR contract allows the buyer to have an inspection period.  This period, normally 10-15 days from the date the contract is executed allows the buyer at his or her expense to conduct all inspections they deem necessary.  On my contracts I always check that the buyer will have the unilateral right to withdraw based on the condition of the home.  You actually can waive that right, why in the world would you?

So, if you follow my blog over the years you've probably read this before.  But let me make another point!  Depending on the situation, this can be a very good tool to renegotiate the sales price if you are not really comfortable with your findings and suspect you may be facing future expenses down the road with the air systems, roof, etc.  Because really folks, all these systems need to be at time of the inspections are in "working order" or not leaking, etc.  I mean if you've got a 30 year old air unit in the home, it ain't got but so much more life, and yes warranties do help with things like this but not with items like roofs.  

So, you can make a standard request for items to be repaired and contractually the seller is "supposed" to fix items specifically mentioned in the sales contract.  But let's say everything is in pretty good order or working but you know they don't have much life in them.  Or let's say they are "grey" area items in which the seller is really not legally obligated to address. 

Ask for a price reduction if they sale the home "as is".  All they can do is say no.  Then you, the buyer can decide if you want to proceed or withdraw.

But now folks, pay very close attention to this.  If you make that request you give up the unilateral right to withdraw and get a return of your escrow money.  Yes you can still withdraw if the seller refuses to repair contractual items like the air, roof leaks, etc.  But folks, I'm telling you if you are dealing with a difficult seller and the repairs are lofty it can get very hairy here.  You may see the seller send out "their contractors" to investigate and their findings may be completely different.  Let's say the seller doesn't agree on repairing some items based on "their findings".  Well you can imagine where this could go.

Hey, ya'll have a good one and let me know how I can help.

Downtown Greenville SC 

June 3:

Good morning!  I finally got downtown to get a few pictures of the new Marriott Courtyard that opened a couple of weeks ago!  Very well done!

Marriott Courtyard Downtown Greenville SC

View to The Courtyard at The Marriott

Walking By The Reedy River

Falls Park!

 

Reedy River, Greenville South Carolina

 June 1:

Good morning!  I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day.  Hey I can't pass up posting a pretty scene.  Showed a real pretty home this weekend and the view from the back was just beautiful.  This one is in Thornblade right on the course.  Call me if you'd like to see some of these homes! 864-335-8490.

May 28:

Good morning everyone.  Hey, you saw the news yesterday from the write up that Fortune Magazine did on the web about Greenville South Carolina.  Good article although short.  One thing I did want to repeat is that don't let the population figures that Fortune quoted mislead you.  They show Greenville's population at around 58,000.  Hey like I said before Greenville's city limits are pretty small, but if you take into account Taylors, Simpsonville, Greer etc, the metro area, then you're looking closer to 400,000.  Greenville is exactly what I've said before a "big, small town", lot's of city stuff, but not the big problems. 

Anyway, I've got a closing today with a very nice couple relocating to Greenville from the Northeast!  Ya'll have a good one and here's a shot from downtown Greenville last night at Rhythm on The River! 

Larkin's Rhythm on The Reedy River

May 27:

Good morning folks, sorry I haven't been blogging for a few days but I tell you I've been covered up!  Hey, I'm not complaining...

Anyway, the big news today is..... drum roll...... Fortune Magazine has picked Greenville SC as one of the top places to retire!  Yep that's right, another award or let's say article about good ole Greenville South Carolina and guess what?  They interviewed me for part of the story!  Hey, I'm not bashful when it comes to Greenville so I told them just how great I think it is here and how many seniors and just people in general I've helped relocate and retire to Greenville!  For more on the article, please click here.  Actually, I've had a couple of interviews about Greenville South Carolina lately!  Man, you just can't keep a good thing quiet!

May 24:

Good Monday morning!  I sure hope you had a wonderful weekend!  I did, actually got a little time off for yard work and relaxing by the pool.  The big thing coming to town next weekend is Freedom Weekend Aloft.  I thought I'd go ahead and mention it in case you are visiting Greenville next weekend.  I sure hope the weather is better this year.  We had a lot of low cloud cover last year which just didn't work out well. 

So, what's going on in the world of Real Estate in Greenville SC and the Upstate?  Let's take a look at last Friday.  Friday's generally are a popular day to close on.  We had:

50 Closings from a low of $23,000 to a high of $453,000.  Average sold price of $141,216.  Highest sold price per sq. foot $125.07 in Asheton Springs.   This happened to be the most expensive sale by the way too.  It first came on the market on January 26 of this year.  It sold at 96.5% of the original list price.  This would not be uncommon for a popular neighborhood like Asheton Springs.

Freedom Weekend Aloft in Simpsonville SC!

May 23:

May 21:

Wow!  The weekend is already here!  Man I've had a busy week and currently I don't have any showings this weekend....it's a double edge sword, nice to have a little time over the weekend but also good if you're out helping some great people find a home in Greenville and the Upstate. 

So what's going on in the world of real estate today?  The biggest thing is all the interest in little ole Greenville South Carolina.  I got interviewed the other day for a story about Greenville Real Estate and the area.  I tell you folks, it's just a nice place to live. 

I've got over six calls yesterday from people interesting in relocating to Greenville!  One from a very nice lady in Florida who had pretty much been there all her life.  So what are they doing?  Well they are bringing their family to visit Greenville and see if they like it.  I recommended our newest hotel, the Downtown Greenville Marriott Courtyard.  I like them all but this one just opened and she and her husband have Marriott points.  I'm going by there today to check it out and will post some pictures for your review! 

Real Estate Sales are really picking up which is normal for this time of year, a lot of families with children are buying now to make the move after school's out.

So what's happening in Greenville South Carolina this weekend? The Greenville Drive is hosting the Augusta GreenJackets at Fluor Field.  13th of Paris is playing at the Warehouse Theatre, Upstate Shakespeare Festival is going on at Falls Park, Riverdance is at the Peace Center, XTREME Cagefighting at Bi-Lo Center, Carolina First Saturday Market at Main and McBee tomorrow morning.   The South Carolina Governor's School dance program will be performing Spring Dance at the Gunter Theatre, Shriners Car Show at Sticky Fingers Sunday, and of course Main St. Fridays Music right out my office at the Hyatt. 

Ya'll have a good one and let me know if you want to see some great homes for sale in Greenville this weekend.  335-8490.

May 19:

Good morning!  Hey, I thought I'd write about real estate appraisals today.  I've got two deals pending right now that are cash, no mortgage.  I always recommend writing real estate sales contracts contingent upon a number of things including appraisal.  If a mortgage is involved the bank is going to require an appraisal but even on cash I recommend the same.  Why?

Well I've got a very nice gentleman buying a home in Simpsonville and he is paying cash for it.  We are getting the inspections and appraisal set up and he was going by the appraisers to drop off a check but stopped and called my assistant to ask why we are doing an appraisal. 

I called him back and told him "it's just another layer of protection".  Folks, yes they cost about $350 but hey if you're going to drop $160,000 cash on a home let's go ahead and spend the $350 just to make sure the real estate value is there!  Yes, I pull comps and the home looks to be priced in the market, but hey....let's make sure by ordering a professional appraisal.  Just good thinking folks!  Again, buying a home in the Greenville, Simpsonville, Greer or for that matter anywhere in the Upstate is a process!  We just want to be sure we are doing the right things! 

So anywho, let's check out some great Greenville SC Real Estate in the MLS this morning!  Over the past week we had:

318 New Homes Listed
355 Price Changes
142 Closed Transactions
65 Listings Expired
773 Pending Transactions

Let's look at the new homes for sale today.  I see a very cute 3 bedroom bungalow in the Augusta Rd. Area.  Around 1100 sq. ft. priced at $209,000.  $30,000 price reduction in Autumn Trace.  New condo for sale in the Field House for $214,000.  Around 800 sq. ft.   New listing in Half Mile Lake which is over there close to Paris Mountain.  There is another one in Neely Farm that has been reduced again.  And a small bungalow in the North Main area.

Hey, I've got a busy day so I've gotta run.  Call me if you need anything!  864-335-8490!    

May 18:

Congrats to Riverside High Girls Soccer Team for Winning The Upper State Championship over Greenville 4-2 Yesterday at Sirrine Stadium

May 17:

Good morning!  Hey, what a great rain we got last evening.  Had to be at least an inch.  I'm glad cause I got some yard work done this weekend and put some pine needles down.  Man, what a honey do list I had. 

Anyway, let's blog a bit about very nice homes for sale in Greenville SC!  It's a dilemma folks!  Here's the situation.  I met a fellow that had bought a home from me years ago in Holly Trace.  Well he sold it and had been living with friends and this weekend he found a home that he wanted to see.  So, I schedule it and we go see it.  Well folks here's today's Greenville Blog about very nice homes for sale in Greenville and why they can be a problem.  And here's the catch!

What if they are overpriced for the neighborhood???  Cause I'm gonna tell you....this pretty little home we saw was about as nice as I've seen for the sq. footage.  I mean it was pristine, open floor plan, hardwoods, the whole proverbial nine yards!  Fully sodded yard, etc!  The problem is that it's around 28% higher on a per sq. foot basis than the best comp sold there in the past year.  I've had this happen before and this is what bothers me.

The owners have taken great care in ownership and it is move in ready.   And I like the home and my buyer doesn't mind paying a premium for the upgrades and qualities of the home.  But folks, "should you pay for seller updates" is the first question, and then the next is will it appraise?  My buyer has made an offer lower than list and the seller will probably counter it.  So let's say we get agreement.  I am afraid the home will not appraise and the seller will not be able to drop the price to appraised price because of what they have in it.  So can they bring money to the table?  Hey folks, most sellers don't like doing that unless they absolutely have too.  And if they have a very nice home, well then ego get's into play and they start disagreeing with the appraisal.  Worse yet is you've got a listing agent who is supporting the seller, when the value is there in black and white.

I mean, here we go again.  Ya'll have a good one and I'll keep you posted, I mean blogged, I mean updated :-)!

Check out The Village Cup in Laurens at Their New Location on The Square!

May 16:

Congrats to the Greenville High Girls Soccer Team who will be playing in the Upper State Finals against Riverside High School tomorrow evening!  Go Greenville!

GO GREENVILLE!

May 13:

Hey!  I've got a nice couple I met last night for a couple of showings and WOW, was the home or should I say homes overpriced!  Based on the average sq. footage for the homes for sale, one was right at $153 a square and the other at, now sit down folks..... $173 a square, HEY that's Downtown Greenville SC Condo pricing!  Now I will agree these homes were appointed nicely but quality of work was a bit lacking and I actually saw some laminate counter tops in the laundry area.  The home really felt small too, I believe they had it listed at about 3800 sq. ft., that's small for a $600,000 home around here. Not much entertaining area either. I bet those folks didn't use a buyers agent when they bought that home! 

Why, well let me just point out the negatives briefly, LAMINATE COUNTER TOPS IN LAUNDRY AREA.  TINY LOT THAT BACKS UP TO A BUSY ROAD.  ALL THIS FOR AN AMAZING $599,000!  No wonder they can't sell the home.  Folks, I tell you, you need to think about these things before you get talked into the home by the builder or on site agent.  Remember who they are working for.  Anyway I've got a nice couple in from Florida looking for a home for their daughter and we'll be "getting after it" tomorrow with 10 to 15 showings!  Ya'll have a great day and stop by the office this afternoon for Downtown Alive!

Congrats to The Greenville High Girls Soccer Team who Won Their Conference Championship Against JL Mann!  They are 2 and 0 in The Playoffs!

May 12:

Hi Folks!  Great news.  Looks like Southwest Airlines is coming to Greenville!  Yeah!  Also, I've just finished a great new site for you to do all your Greenville SC related searches!  It's a portal and the Google search is tuned into Greenville and the Upstate!  Bookmark and share this page, it will be a quick and easy way to search for all things Greenville SC related.  Now the neat thing is I'm going to be adding photos daily there too, since so many people comment that they enjoy the pictures.  I'll link to even larger photos for your enjoyment of the Greenville area!  Greenville SC Online is here!  Enjoy, but let's don't forget that my job is just helping everyone I can to make good decisions as a Greenville SC Realtor/Buyers Agent. 

I'll update pictures, have some great Greenville links and a little Shaggin music at Greenville SC Online!

Ya'll have a good one!

Don 

May 11:

Good morning!  Got a little rain last evening which was nice.  So, we haven't looked at the Greenville SC MLS lately.  I say we jump in!  Over the last 5 days:

199 New Listings

205 Price Changes

93 Closed Sales

65 Listings Expired

782 Pending Contracts


I usually talk a lot about the new listings but let's take a look at what sold.

The average sold price was $165,523 with a high of $555,000 and a low of $15,500.  Average days on the market was 101.  Let's look at a few homes, land and real estate that sold.

Augusta Rd. is a very popular area.  One closed in that area for $254,000.  It had an original list price of $269,900.  So, the sold to list price was 94.1%.

We had one close in Autumn Trace, a popular Simpsonville neighborhood.  It sold at  $259,900 with an original list price of $305,500.  Wow! that's 85% of the original list price. 

We had one close in Country Meadows, a Greer neighborhood for $172,500 on an original list price of $179,000.  96.4% of sales price.

A home closed in Edwards Forest, a Taylors neighborhood for $127,000 on an original list price of $179,900!  That's 71% of original list price!  Now Greenville MLS shows original list price of $164,900 which is what I bet Zillow and other sites show.  Which is incorrect.  You see they didn't pick up the history far enough or it was relisted.

We had one close in Pelham Falls, a popular Greer neighborhood for $201,250 on an original list price of $285,000.  So what's up with that, Foreclosure!  That's 71% of list price.

Let's check out Sugar Creek another popular Greer location.  Home sold for $240,000 on an original list price of $254,900 or 94% of list.  

"So what's it all mean Don?"  you ask.  It means no one can give you an accurate number on what "Greenville" sells for as a whole, cause folks, it's all over the place.  You may want to think about getting an exclusive buyers agent on your side...know what I mean? :-)

Anywho, ya'll have a good one and call me if need help! 864-335-8490.

Sush Koji and The Blue Martini in Downtown Greenville SC!

May 10:

Hey!  What a great weekend!  We've had some unusually warm weather so I was actually able to swim in my pool this weekend.  A lot of buyers ask me just how long you can use a pool in the Greenville area.  Well, normally I open mine first of May and close it about mid September.  With the temps. in the high 80's that we've been having I was able to swim this weekend.  Water temp. was about 76 which is fine.  Hey, I've got a busy day so I hope you have a good one.  Call me if you need me and I'll be glad to assist you with your Greenville South Carolina Relocation or help you locate real estate in the Upstate!

May 9:

 Happy Mother's Day to All You Great Moms Out There!

May 7:

Have a Great Weekend!

May 5:

Good morning!  Hey I wanted to review my Greenville Real Estate search functions, I know I've done this before but here we go:

There's a lot of ways to search for real estate in the Upstate.

Basic Search is what you see on my home page.

Map Search let's you Search By Dragging a Google Map.

Address Search, well you can enter an address.

Listing Search is the place you put MLS numbers in if you know them.

And finally the Advanced Real Estate Search allows you to enter many different criteria from lot sizes to schools, to style of home, even search for homes with an out building with electric!  Some Greenville SC Realtors claim that you need to "sign up" to have full access to the MLS....Say what?  Don't even get me started.  We realtors all have the same date feed from the GGAR.  There might be one that's a little different but no better.  We all get the same information, pictures, etc. and it's updated daily.

So search you heart away! But please be cautious of "pretty pictures" they can fool you..... 

I've got to scoot, meeting a fellow at 9 who is relocating to Greenville!

Ya'll have a good one!

May 4:

5:18pm

May 3:

Good morning!  Got a little rain coming down this morning.  Thank goodness, we can always use it! Well, let's get to blogging!

Hey, I think I've got something nice for you.  GGAR (Greater Greenville Association of Realtors) has contracted with a group to provide monthly statistics for our area Greenville MLS.  I'm going to start including highlights from this report.  Now remember, I pull my numbers differently, because I don't include all the Greenville MLS only Greenville county and I don't include sales below $100,000, nor mobile homes.  Now there are a few other differences but I though you may find this interesting for Greenville as a whole.  Below is the March 2010 Monthly Indicator.

Alright folks, I just tried to insert it and it's too small and I hate to put in PDF's so I'm going to put it on another page.  If you want to read some of the report it's located here.  The page is mainly for you to see the nice graphical representation.  I've scanned through it and I want to touch on the highlights here. 

Finally, I can actually answer a question I get from all buyers interested in real estate in Greenville SC!  Yeah,  I have always quoted sales price to list price and to many think it seems pretty high.  Well the reason is there's no practical way for me to dig into the numbers to give you that figure based on original sales price to sold price.  This is the true closed sale price to list price.  Well apparently the company that has done the stats did this.  So here we go with my comments.  Now I want to say something first, again this is for the whole MLS which folks, I don't think this is representative of Greenville, I have my reasons, mainly because Spartanburg and Anderson along with Pickens County and some other areas are totally different real estate markets.  Anywho, here we go:
 
New Listings Year to Date

One year change +4.6%
Two year change -8.1%

Pending Sales Year to Date

One year change -0.3%
Two year change -30.1% DOUBLE WOW!

Closed Sales Year to Date

One year change +3.7%
Two year change -30.2%  DOUBLE WOW!

Now folks here is the one I get asked about a lot and finally I can give it to you!

Percent of Original List Priced Received at Sale

Year to Date

91%

So to answer your question, Greenville MLS as a whole sells at about 91% of list price.  But hey folks, again that can be very misleading because you are looking at the entire Greenville South Carolina MLS as a whole.  My point though is it's certainly not up there around 96% which I've had to quote before.  But guess what, some areas sell at close to list price, hard to imagine isn't it.  What's that old saying about location, location, location?

I hope you have a wonderful Monday, we've got a nice steady rain falling and I've got to get another cup of coffee and some more banana nut bread!  Ya'll have a good one!

Hey, if you're visiting, grab a room at the Hyatt Downtown Greenville SC, then you can just walk across the lobby to my office!

Stayed Here when we Saw Michael Buble at the Bi-Center!

March 2010 Greenville South Carolina Blog Updates
 February 10 Blog January 10 Blog  December 09 Blog  November 09 Blog 
October 09 Blog Updates September 09 Blog Updates 
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Jan 09 Blog Updates  December 08 Updates Past Real Estate Blog Updates