864-335-8490

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 transferring 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, especially 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 reasonable 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 menu, 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..."

Greenville SC Real Estate and Blog Updates for June 2010

Greenvile SC Blog and Real Estate Updates for May 2010 

March 2010 Greenville South Carolina Blog Updates
 February 10 Blog January 10 Blog  December 09 Blog  November 09 Blog 
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