January 31, 2009:
Thought I'd do another popular neighborhood focus for you. Let's focus on Woodruff Lake. Woodruff Lake is located on Woodruff Rd. past Hwy. 14 if you are coming from I385. This neighborhood sold fast and has been popular because of price point and location. Most homes will be between 6-10 years old. Currently there are 3 homes available in there with an average list price of $212,566. Let me mention that if you are seeing more homes available in this neighborhood or any other than are actually available, the reason is because our MLS will let homes under contract pending inspections or financing still appear active. The only way they come out of active searches is when the listing agent decides to change status to pending. In Paragon, the system I search for homes with, I can eliminate homes that are not really for sale.
Let's look at past year's sales in Woodruff Lake. From January 1, 08 through December 31, 08:
4 Sales
Average List Price $203,450
Average Sold Price $198,350
Average List Price Per Sq. Ft. $81
Average Sold Price Per Sq. Ft. $79
Average Days On The Market 103, just slightly above the Greenville MLS as a whole.
What does it mean? To me, sellers were getting close to asking. Either it's a popular neighborhood or sellers are pricing them right.
The next thing I look at is the number of sales, and it appears low. So what does that tell me? Either turnover is low....ie. people like it there or a lot of homes didn't sell, (taken off the market or withdrawn and or expired). Well I checked those figures and they are low too!
So the numbers appear to support my opinion that it's a popular neighborhood. Of course that's not all folks, experience tells me this too. These are very good things to consider when purchasing. Be sure you have an buyer's agent on your side, there's no charge to you. Any questions about areas or neighborhoods, please contact me or call me toll free at 1-877-896-1127.
Hey, had dinner at one of my favorite Simpsonville locations last night, Arizona Steak House. My review is here at Things to Do in Greenville South Carolina. Have a wonderful day!
January 30, 2009:
Good morning! Just got another page updated. Click Greenville South Carolina Things to Do for some ideas of events, places to see, parks, restaurants and other stuff to do in the area. This page will really grow. Also, I do get requests from buyers about new construction and building. I'm hoping I will have a new construction custom build page for you by end of this weekend. I'm going to be doing a lot of shooting today (photography) so I can get you some more great shots of the Upstate. Gotta run while the light's good. Have a great day! Be back tomorrow, God willing.
January 29, 2009!
Good morning! Had to run up to Lake Keowee yesterday, busy day. Let's look at what happened in the Greenville SC multiple listing service over the past 2 days.
133 New Listings
112 Price Changes
29 Sold
26 Expired
620 Pending
I see one in Thornblade that I showed back in 08. Was withdrawn and put back on the market. This one is actually located in the Gardens, small maintenance free lots. If you're looking for golf, I see one just listed in Cherokee Valley. I used to play that course when it was public. Located north of Greenville close to North Greenville College. If you are looking for a rental in an popular east side neighborhood there's one in Silverleaf. There's a new listing in popular Pelham Falls, looks like it sold in 2004 for $210,000, now listed at around $280,000. Price reduction in Overbrook, actually it's been reduced a couple of times. I see one was withdrawn in Montebello and relisted with the same company. Listing Agents will regularly do this when an mls number is getting old. Montebello is a great neighborhood if you want to be close to downtown Greenville and Paris Mountain.
Boy we've had the rain lately, but that's good, the lake levels are rising. As I've mentioned before, Hartwell and Lake Greenwood were about as far down as I've seen them. Oh, I almost forgot. I regularly get emails soliciting business for various realtor related products. I got one a couple of days ago from a RE/MAX vendor touting it's IDX product. IDX stands for Internet Data Exchange. It's what's used to share mls information on realtor websites. Anyway, it went on and on about capturing leads which I always think is funny. Another term is generating leads. Basically what happens when you are forced to register to even look at homes you become a captured lead. That way you can be called or emailed relentlessly.
Folks, that's why I don't require login to view homes for sale in the Greenville South Carolina area. I figure if you want to talk with me or if you need my assistance, you'll contact me! Remember when buying, always use an exclusive buyers agent who doesn't list any homes.
If you get a minute, visit the Greenville Zoo located close to Cleveland Park! Great place to take the family.
January 27, 2009!
Greed:
Good morning! I thought I would relate to you a story about greed I thought about this morning. Real life can be stranger than fiction, especially in real estate. Of course I can't name names here. Anyway, a couple of years ago I had a buyer contact me to purchase a lake lot. He came to town and we spent a day driving from Greenwood to Spartanburg and all in between looking at lots. We looked at a few homes too. At the time prices had been rising rapidly and there was much speculation going on.
We found a lot and got a contract on it. The seller had purchased the lot about 8 months earlier and was going to make about $60,000 on it. I believe we had contracted at around $140,000 again I'm going off memory. My buyer returned home (he was from out of state). We had a close date about 2 months out. I went and applied for a septic permit for my buyer, staked the lot and paid for the permit. Again, my buyer was in another state.
About 15 days into the transaction the closing attorney called me to tell me there was a problem with title, as he put it the title was cloudy. He explained that apparently the ex wife of the previous seller was still on title. Not the current seller but the previous seller. When I called the listing agent, he called his seller and his seller acted like he didn't know anything about it. To make a long story shorter, the previous attorney missed the problem with title. Now it's a real dilemma. Both my buyer and I have time, money and effort in this. He had already ordered an appraisal. Seller and buyer agreed to extend the contract 2 months to get the title problem worked out.
The ex wife from the previous sale was contacted to release the title. Well of course she contacts another attorney and figures she will get what she can out of it because nothing can be done till she is taken off title. Now this whole time the listing agent is telling me everything is going to be fine, we are working through this, the previous attorney is in touch with the ex, etc. etc. etc. The contract expires. I figure we are just going to move on. About a month passes and I get a call from the listing agent saying they will have the problem corrected in a month and do we want to rewrite the contract. I call my buyer and he agrees. We put the closing out about 30 days. Guess what, appears the ex wife is still not willing to settle and get off title. The listing agent has the nerve to call me and tell me the previous attorney (who missed the problem) will close the transaction and he has a title company that will insure it. You've got to be kidding I said! Then I said to the listing agent "You want me to go to my buyer and ask him to purchase a property with a title problem, just because a title insurance company will cover it????" No way. So after two weeks the listing agent tells me we have it all worked out. I'm happy, my buyer is happy and we are getting close to close. Well I get a call from the current attorney about a day before closing who tells me that the ex still has not released title.
I call the listing agent and he tells me that we should have it in a day and all is well. Since the contract is about to expire I ask that an extension be signed. Listing agent says no problem. I never get it and about two days after close I call the listing agent to write a new contract so we can finally close this thing. This has taken about 5 months and lot availability on this lake has dropped drastically, prices have continued to rise. I get a call from the listing agent. He says, "Don, I've got some bad news. The seller is willing to sell but he wants $100,000 more than we wrote the original contract for. Folks, I nearly fainted. Can you imagine what my buyer said? I'll give you the printable version here...no. Greed folks, pure greed. What goes around comes around though. The listing agent called me 6 months later to offer the lot at the price we originally agreed upon because the seller had not been able to sell it. We said no thanks. As of a few months ago the seller is still holding the property with no buyers. Everybody loses.
Let's finish on a positive note. Rarely do I ever see anything this outrageous happen but if it does that's why you should always have a buyers agent on your side. Below is a shot from the Village Cup in Laurens SC. Stop in and have lunch with them sometime.
Have a great day! I'm heading up to Lake Keowee! Be back tomorrow, God willing.
January 26, 2009!
Good morning! Pretty busy weekend with showings so let's jump in the Greater Greenville MLS and see what happened since Friday.
100 New Listings
87 Price Changes
38 Sold
51 Expired
594 Pending
There's an opportunity to buy on Cresent Avenue in Alta Vista. That's a very popular street right off McDaniel in the Augusta Road area. As I've mentioned before you pay a premium for location there. This is a 3/2 that has been renovated. There's a new one in Bells Grant. This neighborhood sits right off Woodruff Rd. so you are very close to shopping and restaurants. Remember though you can get a lot of traffic once on Woodruff Rd. In my opinion this neighborhood really started the trend of tight low maintenance yards, sidewalks with a cozy feeling. A lot of these have kind of a Charleston feel to them, palmettos, etc. There's a new townhome in Chanticleer. That's Greenville Country Club. I've see some nice ones in here if they are updated. New listing in the Fieldhouse. Looks like they withdrew it last May and just relisted. Probably was bought speculative preconstruction. They should still make money on it. If you're looking around $135,000 for a townhome there's one in a popular location off Pelham Rd. Please call me at 864-335-8490 to see any of these. Remember, time is of the essence in our sales contract.
Attack On Goal!
Have a great day!
January 25, 2009!
Thought I'd run a quick CMA (Comparative Market Analysis). Let's look at past 6 months sales in River Walk, a popular Simpsonville South Carolina Neighborhood. Information is from the Greenville MLS.
12 Sales
Average Days on The Market 64
Average List Price $418,515
Average Sold Price $405,286
Average Sold Price per Sq. Ft. $113
Folks, that's pretty good! Especially with things slowing a bit. So why is this? Every heard the old saying location, location, location? River Walk is a solid, established and popular neighborhood. Some neighborhoods aren't, it's a fact of life. A while back I had a buyer interested in a brand new neighborhood out a bit in a fairly expensive price range. They liked a home out there, only 5 or 6 were completed and only a few people had bought there. There I am looking at all these unsold lots, no clubhouse which by the way was supposed to have been completed, and I'm seeing the risk of my buyer being the experiment. I pointed this out and we went elsewhere. Folks, I've seen builders pull out, go bankrupt, etc. You don't want to be that family that has bought based on emotion and all the sudden you're out there by yourself. Lesson, use a buyer's agent to help point these things out.
Hey, let's visit the Rockies!
Rocky Mountain Black and White
Hope you have a wonderful day. I'll be back tomorrow, God willing!
January 24, 2009!
I was out showing yesterday and I had a buyer who has found a couple of homes that they like and asked me about making an offer before they got their current home under contract. Folks, I talk about that at 4 Buying Secrets, but it should be repeated here. I believe in leverage when helping my buyers. If your current home is not under contract then you have none. You're at the disadvantage with the seller. Get your current home under contract then you are in a much better negotiating position.
I was going through some files and found a gift certificate to the Spa at the Grovepark, I received a couple of years ago. Of course my wife got on the phone right away to see if they were still good....and they are! The Grovepark Inn is located about 55 miles from downtown Greenville SC in Asheville. It's a great getaway and I highly recommend it, especially in the fall or at Christmas, when you can sit in front of the great fireplace and sip apple cider...
Lake Robinson New Construction in Greer SC
January 23, 2009!
Good morning! Finally got my Greer SC Real Estate page updated! Hey, let's jump into the Greenville MLS and see what happened over the past two days.
As of 7:30am this morning:
133 New Listings
84 Price Changes
27 Sold
32 Expired
601 Pending (moving up)
Folks, activity is really starting to head up as it does every year coming out of January. When I review web site statistics I see traffic growing starting mid January and peaking in April. Why? That's when most people are trying to buy. They shop at the end of the school year so they can be in their new home by the beginning of the next school year. Property inquiries are on the way up.
Though I'd do something a little different today. Let's look at solds over the past 48 hours. We had one in Batesville Ridge close at $128.65 per sq. ft. One in Carsons Pond close at $81.66 a square. One in Foxglove close at $97.38 a square, and one in Orchard Farms close at $81.53 a square. Need help interpreting the numbers, give me a call, I'll be glad to help. 864-335-8490. Busy day today, got to run. Hope you have a wonderful day.
I'll be back tomorrow, God willing.
January 22, 2009!
Thought I'd write about Asheville NC today. Had a retired doctor and his wife contact me about a month ago. They were renting in Asheville. They had though they wanted to buy there but found out that pricing is on the high side. Folks, I've heard this from other buyers too. Don't get me wrong, it is pretty up there but my understanding that decent real estate is certainly priced at a premium. One thing I thought was interesting he said was that may owners who own there in the exclusive neighborhoods are rarely there. They came to town looking for a view, paid list and just come down for a few weeks a year. A lot of second homes. Thus prices have stayed high, getting list that is.
Still got that cold spell here. About 22 out as of 6:30 this morning. I've got a busy day so short post today. We'll talk about counter offers tomorrow. Have a great day! Also, should have my Greer SC page updated by tomorrow. Below is a Greer South Carolina home.
I'll be back tomorrow,God willing.
January 21, 2009!
Hey! Missed the MLS yesterday so let's jump right in and see what happened over the last 48 hours as of 5am this morning. We had:
108 New Listings
104 Price Changes
21 Sold
40 Expired
585 Pending
There's a price reduction on one in the Augusta Rd. area for around $200,000. That's low for the area based on the sq. foot. I would just have to take a look on that one. One in Blue Ridge Plantation only held for a year. I tell my buyers, hold that home for at least 5 years if you can. I don't normally see a lot listed in Caesars Head but there is a new one on the market for around 1.2 mil. with a price increase. Listing notes says it is in the historic old section of Caesars Head and was designed by W.E. Jack Freeman. Sweeping views of table rock. Call me at 864-335-8490 if you'd like to take a look. I always enjoy the drive up to Caesars Head. Ok, we've got one that expired then was relisted with another agent in Chancellors Park. This Simpsonville neighborhood sold very fast and has some really nice custom homes. Lot sizes are small though, designed for not much yard work. There's a new one in Gilder Creek Farm, bought about 4 years ago, price today at about $40,000 more. Schools are Bells Crossing, Mauldin Middle and Riverside high according to the seller. There's a little 3/2 in Haywood Crossing for about a hundred thousand. Hey folks, there's a new listing up in Horse Country at Links O Tryon. My grandparents lived in Landrum which is not far up the road from there! I've gotta say, the pictures look nice and sits on almost an acre. Built in 2004.
Hey, I mentioned horse country. I am getting more calls from people who want enough land to have horses. Some neighborhoods will allow them. Just let me know and I'll be glad to help. There's a new listing in Overbrook close to downtown. Folks, pricing in all over the place in there. Second opinions are valuable here.
I though it was worth quickly mentioning again that the Multiple Listing Service in Greenville South Carolina breaks areas down into zones. Below is a map of the zones. If you'd like a map mailed to you so you can better understand where homes are located, call me at 864-335-8490. By the way you can search by zone at my advanced search! All links pretty much open in a new window. Have a great day...I'll be back tomorrow, God willing!
January 20, 2009!
Good morning! Of course the big news this morning is the SNOW! It's really kind of funny. And I know it's really funny for my clients who have relocated from up north. Yes mention snow and the news channels go into full frenzy, all the bread and milk disappears from the grocery shelves, I mean we're basically shut down. Currently it's 30 with light snow. We do however have 30 school closing or delays. Now I'm talking about western North Carolina too. But I also see some delays in Greenwood. Greenville appears to be on schedule. Laurens District 55 is closed.
You know, I enjoy the snow, I just wish we would get a good one. I'm trying to remember the last really decent snow we had in Greenville. I think it was 1979. I believe it was around 9 inches. Now folks you can't imagine what happens around here when we get 9 inches of snow. Hopefully you've got plenty of bread and milk.... I85 was shut down. The whole town was, for days. Anyway, it sure was pretty!
Are there logical steps to home buying? You betcha!
1. Find a Qualified Exclusive Buyer's Representative
2. Assess Your Credit and Finances
3. Assess Your Wants and Needs
4. Shop for a Home
5. Negotiate Terms
6. Obtain a Mortgage
7. Prepare for Close
8. Close
9. Move
10. Celebrate
According to NAR (National Association of Realtors) research, buyers who work with a buyer's representative find their homes faster, while viewing more properties in their search, than buyers who do not engage a buyer's representative.
Have a great day! I'll be back tomorrow God willing.
January 18, 2009!
Man it was a busy weekend. Hope you had a good one. Have a great success story to relate to you that closed last week.
I had a very nice fellow call me last spring. Had found me on the internet and gave me a call at 864-335-8490. He said he was coming to the area in a couple of weeks and wanted to find out if I could possibly show him and his wife some properties. He was looking in an exclusive neighborhood and explained that the on site agent would be showing he and his wife their listings. That's when buyer agency came up. He had never worked with a buyers agent. I explained to him that listing agents, particularly on site agents are always pushing their properties and the development, hey, that's their job. I explained the advantages of having someone on his side. So I picked out some properties in the MLS. He met with me one day and the onsite agent another. One I showed him really caught his eye because of the apparent value there.
Lets fast forward a few months. He and his wife came back and looked at the home again. They were really starting to like it. Again way under market, I'll explain later. Finally in the fall, they make an offer. Now, this home is bank owned and been sitting empty for over a year. Folks, it's already priced right, but we go $200,000 below asking. It needs work to finish and frankly there is risk involved in buying a property that has been sitting. We contract for $150,000 under asking. Now read this carefully, we make the contract contingent upon inspections and have a 15 day right to withdraw.
My buyer gets inspections done and has a licensed contractor come up while inspections are going on to oversee and so he can put together some kind of an idea what it will cost to bring the home up to snuff.. Before we can close, we have the stock market and financial fiasco. My buyer gets nervous and pulls out. After everything calms down he and his wife talk it over and decide they really want it. So we recontract. Closed last week, they are in process of getting it like they want it. Hopefully, they will have their dream home and a great investment....Oh by the way it appraised for $225,000 more than they paid for it "as is"!
Let's please jump into the Greenville Multiple Service and see what happened this weekend! As of 8:30 this morning (I know I'm getting started late :-) )
92 New Listings
87 Price Changes
40 Sold (Includes Friday)
86 Expired
579 Pending
Price reduction in Cobblestone. Great Simpsonville neighborhood close to Kingsbridge. I see one for around $100,000 in a neighborhood that has had many foreclosures. You need to be aware. There is a Prudential C. Dan Joyner listing in the every so popular Forrester Woods subdivision. You will find mainly older homes but still very popular because of the location. Another price reduction in Half Mile Lake. If you are looking Eastside there is a new listing in Silverleaf with those schools many people like. If you would like to check schools by neighborhood you can go here. Opens in a new window. I've gotta run. Have a great day.
I'll be back tomorrow, God willing!
January 17, 2009!
It's all about customer service! I've got another recommendation for you folks who are in need of a vacuum or vacuum service. I'd like to relate a story to you. A week or so ago I took my vacuum to the place I bought it in Greenville. I had what I thought was a short in the cord and needed it fixed. Took it in and the owner of the store said it would be $100 to replace the cord. He didn't even examine it. Just $100 to repair. That along with the attitude I got prompted me to look elsewhere. I drove 34 miles to Spartanburg to Ray's Vacuum and Sewing. Ray said he would look at it and if it was in fact the cord, it would probably be about $30 to replace. Well I got a call yesterday and the cord didn't even need replacing! I had them service it and replace belts and the light, all for less than $45 and there was no charge for what ever was wrong with it in the first place. So I am going to highly recommend Rays. His web site is located here and he's been there since 1974. You can call him at 864-585-7436. Folks, nothing beats good service and honesty!
Have a great weekend...and stay warm!
January 16, 2009!
Wow, busy day yesterday. Let's go ahead and see what has happened in the MLS over the past 48 hours.
As of 5am:
117 New Listings
98 Price Changes
18 Sold
56 Expired
594 Pending (that's starting to increase)
There is a new listing on W Augusta Place. Big house, build in 1945 and looks to be renovated. Folks, this is premium pricing because of the proximity to downtown and the charm of the Augusta Rd. area. There's a small bungalow that's been renovated in the Hampton area that's worth a look. There's a new rental in Gilder Creek Farm for $1,500/mo. You know, I'm not sure I understand price increases after the home has expired or been withdrawn. I see this today in a popular neighborhood. Oh well, let's continue. If you're looking in that 100-125 range there are a couple in Lenox Lake and Dunwoody. New listing in Lyman if you want to be a little north of Greenville. There's a condo for rent in Riverbend which is close to the YMCA on Cleveland St. There's a new listing and price reduction in the ever so popular Spaulding Farms. Click Here to see homes for sale in Spaulding Farms. Opens in new window.
Received a coupon for appetizers at Stellar in downtown Greenville, next to Trios upstairs. Will have to check it out for you.
WOW, just checked the temp and it's 15 degrees out. Looks like the high will be 31. Folks, that's cold for around here. Will get even colder tonight. I know my Florida buyers who have bought here are going "What's going ON?" Like I said, you get a nice change of seasons here.
Looks like we had a Greenville native on the plain that went down yesterday. I'm so glad all survived. What a great effort the pilots made.
Oh yeah, I just updated my Taylors and Travelers Rest Pages.
Hope you have a great day, I'll be back tomorrow, God willing!
January 15, 2009!
I always like to recommend people in the Greenville area who do a consistently fantastic job. Folks, if you need a great car wash, go visit Beau Lott at Canopy Car Wash on Wade Hampton Blvd. This is a family run business and you can tell. I've used them for years and there is nobody in town who cares as much about attention to detail. Tell em Don sent you.
January 14, 2009!
Good morning! Let's jump into the GGAR MLS and see what has happened over the past two days. As of 5am we had:
132 New Listings
137 Price Changes
23 Sold
21 Expired
585 Pendings (up a bit)
There is a new listing in the Augusta Rd. area for those of you who would like to be close to downtown Greenville. Taxes show at around $1,500 per year. I see a new one in Chanticleer which I tour in my Greenville City Real Estate page. Looks like they only held it about a year. There's a new listing in Chaunessy, a very popular Eastside neighborhood. Wow bought in 05 for around $500,000, asking around $700,000. Nice size yards in there. Two new listings in the very popular downtown location of Poinsett Corners. Click Here to view available condos in Poinsett Corners. Opens in a different window. There's a new one up in the every so popular Simpsonville neighborhood River Walk. Around 3200 Sq. Ft. for $419,000. There is a lot of inventory for you first time home buyers. Please call me when you need help at 864-335-8490. And remember I only work with buyers!
Folks, we've got a cold front coming through (well cold for us). It's 29 and clear right now. High tomorrow will be 37 and the high Friday, 31 down to 11. Wrap up! You can find more about weather at my Greenville SC page along with other facts. Want some good oysters, visit Oysters on The West End!
Take care and have a great day. I'll see you tomorrow, God willing.
January 13, 2009!
South Carolina Seller's Disclosure
Good morning. Thought I'd write a bit about the South Carolina Residential Property Condition Disclosure Report. Beginning in January of 2003, South Carolina required owners of residential real estate to provide the purchaser a SDS (Seller's Disclosure Statement). There are four pages to the form with the first page being an explanation to the seller. The seller is asked 24 questions regarding the condition of the property. The statement must be provided in connection with the sale, exchange, option and sale under lease with an option to purchase.
One box must be checked for each of the 24 questions. Here's an example:
1. Roof (leakage or other problem)?
a. Approximate age of roof covering _____
The seller can answer yes, no or no representation. Then they fill in the aprox. age of the roof if they know. If the seller checks yes they must provide an explanation on page 3 and 4. I use the roof question as an example because roofs can be very expensive to replace and I have an example regarding roofs.
Had a transaction last year in a very nice neighborhood. Had a home inspection done and pretty much the normal things you might find on new construction. The buyer was there for the inspection and a neighbor stopped by to say hello. The neighbor mentioned that he knew that they had a bad leak in the home when we had a down pour. He mentioned the listing company was aware and they had assisted in getting a contractor to repair. I questioned the listing agent about it who, by the way is a big listing agent in Greenville. I got pontificated about how new construction, never occupied does not require a SDS. Listen folks, just because it may not be required doesn't mean you can't ask for it.
The other point the agent tried to make is there is nothing currently wrong with the property. I asked for a seller's disclosure and got it. Every box was checked no representation. Now I'll point out here that on the first page of the seller's disclosure it states that "If you check No Representation for any question, you are stating that you are making no representation regarding the conditions and characteristics of the property, but you may have a duty to disclose even if you know or should have known of them." Folks, I'm no attorney but I'm just trying to do my best to protect my buyers. In my opinion checking no representation does not relieve you of a duty to disclose if you have knowledge or should have known. Now some sellers disclose problems even if they have been repaired which is what I think should be done. Here's why and I told the listing agent this. If you have had a leak and repair it but don't disclose it, what if the leak caused unseen damage in the walls? If we are aware of it we can explore further but if you don't tell us the buyer may not see the problem for a couple of years. In my opinion, any material defect or repair that has been made should be disclosed and just because it's new construction, that should not relieve the seller, builder, listing agent from disclosing problems they are aware of or should be aware of.
Have a great day, I'll see you tomorrow God willing!
January 12, 2009!
Good morning. Hope you had a great weekend! Let's jump into the Greenville Multiple Listing Service right away and see what kind of activity we had over the weekend.
112 New Listings
75 Price Changes
24 Sold (Includes Friday)
52 Expired
Holding at around 550 pending transactions
We've got one that has come back on the market at Autumn Trace a popular Simpsonville neighborhood. I see a new listing up at Blue Ridge Plantation if you want to be north in Greer. Very nice listing and reasonable in Dunwoody Oaks. 3 bedroom in good shape at $129,000!
New listing in Overbrook, close to downtown. Must have done some renovations. Bought it in 04 at $134,000 and listed at $235,000. New listing in Stonehaven listed by Chet and Beth Smith of Prudential. Stonehaven is a very popular Simpsonville address. You can get some great homes in there and very decent lot size! Click here to view current homes for sale in Stonehaven! Opens in a new window.
Did you know Forbes ranks Greenville South Carolina as the number 5 place to live in the United States? If you would like more information on Greenville City Real Estate click here.
In store for a few colder days down to the low 20's. I'd like to see a decent snow this year. It's been quite some time since we have had 5 inches or better. Usually get that dreaded ice though. Below is a shot from my downtown office early yesterday morning. Enjoy and have a great day! Will write about seller's disclosures tomorrow God willing!
Click Greenville SC Real Estate to return to home page.
January 10, 2009!
Busy day yesterday, didn't get to post. Activity is starting to pick up, more inquiries, more showings. Talked with the appointment center who schedules showings for us realtors and they said they were covered up. It usually does though after Christmas. Spring usually gets very busy. Let's look at the MLS for the past 48 hours as of 9:07am:
135 New Listings
138 Price Changes
38 Sold
42 Expired
555 Pendings
There is a new listing in the Augusta Rd. area for those of you who would like to be close to downtown. Visit Greenville city real estate for more on downtown real estate in Greenville SC. This one near Augusta Rd. sold for $169,900 and is listed now for $275,000. Remember it's not what they paid for it...it's what it's worth. Looks like they did a lot of updating too. There's one in Carsons Pond, Simpsonville, if you want decent size yards. Fairly close to the MESA soccer complex.. Joan Herlong with Prudential has a new listing in Holland Place, nice neighborhood, popular location in Simpsonville SC. I see a townhome for rent. Let me know folks if you're interested in condos or Townhomes, great selections available. Got a new one in Planters Row, which sold very well when it was started, I would guess about 8 years ago. There's a lot of new homes to be built in Waverly Hall. Click here to see what's currently available there. Popular Simpsonville address. Hey, if you'd like a nice address between Spartanburg and Greenville, there is one in River Falls Plantation. Wow, a $55,000 price reduction! PS, my advanced search here allows you to search for a number of variable including lot size, schools and neighborhoods. Click Greenville South Carolina Real Estate for my home page.
If you are out on Woodruff Rd. stop by Bone Fish Grill! My wife and I enjoyed the bang bang shrimp last night. Have a great day, be back Monday, God willing!
The Bone Fish Grill
January 8, 2009!
Good morning! We really had some strong winds yesterday with the cold front moving through. I was checking the Greenville news and see that about 16,000 were without power as of 9 last night. I was out close to Furman University yesterday and saw a number of trees on power lines. Paris, Taylors Elementary and Sevier Middle Schools are closed.
Hey thought I'd check the Peace Center for the Performing Art site for you and see who's coming to town. Pretty busy schedule. Stories of Shakespeare in January. Drumline Live and Natalie Cole in February. Estonian National Symphony, James Gregory, To Kill a Mockingbird and Legally Blond the Musical in March. Don Quixote, K.D. Lange and Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella in April. Jim Brickman in May and Stomp and Willy Wonka in June. Check it out. It's great for a night out, stay at the Westin Poinsett which is just a block away.
Was up at Cliffs Valley yesterday. Cliffs seems to be doing very well. A lot of new construction. Something new every time I go up there. I remember when it first opened, you could get a membership at $5,000. Actually was one of the first golfers to play it. I wish Jay Haas still did his charity event there. I know it was very time consuming for him to put together.. BMW does the charity event now. But Jay used to get some great players there regularly.
If you would like to see what is currently available at Cliffs Valley click here.
Wonder what happened in the MLS yesterday? As of 7:30 this morning:
59 New Listings
55 Price Changes
14 Sold
22 Expired
558 Pending
Looks like there is one in Ashby Park that was the model home. Without doing a CMA pricing looks decent for the sq. footage. Can get busy traffic wise there being close to Butler and Woodruff Rd. New listing on Lanneau off Augusta Rd. Between 1800-1999 sq. ft. Can't comment without seeing this one. But I do want to comment on this. I get a lot of questions from buyers from other parts of the country as to why we use range for sq. footage. That's a GGAR MLS policy. People measure different ways so therefore a range. Of course there is a way that it's supposed to be measured but that doesn't always happen. If I have a concerned buyer, we measure.
Take care and have a great day, I'll be back tomorrow God willing!
January 7, 2009!
Still raining folks. I stopped by Stax Original Grill for lunch yesterday and over heard some fellows talking. Looks like Anderson got 4 inches as of yesterday. That's great! All this rain will really bring Lake Hartwell up. Lake Greenwood was as far down as I have seen it too. Here's a small clip from Stax Site. Just good hometown crowds and eating! Go get ya meat and 3. Don't forget the sweet tea.
So what's up in the MLS this morning? Man I hope there's some goodies. At 8:28am over the last 24 hours we had:
77 New Listings
70 Price Changes
23 Sold
24 Expired
554 Pending
I see two with price reductions in the Augusta Rd. area. I actually showed both of them a few months back. Looks like they were first listed in 2007. There's a slight price reduction in Morning Mist, a popular Simpsonville neighborhood. I've had a number of buyers purchase there. Looks like a new C. Dan Joyner Prudential listing in the Pebble Creek area in Taylors. Price reduction in Spaulding Farm...I remember when Spaulding Farm started and had a friend buy in there for $254,000! Can't do that today! There is one in Verdmont if you like 0 lot lines. Hey, if you want any more info. on these or other homes, I'm just a call away at 864-335-8490!
Click here to view homes available in Spaulding Farms and have a wonderful day! Enable pop ups.
I'll be back tomorrow...God Willing!
Don
January 6, 2009!
Gosh we've had the rain lately. But that's good. Especially since Lake Hartwell has gotten so low. Speaking of lakes we have a number of beautiful lakes in the area. If you head up to Greer you'll find Lake Robinson which allows for 9.5 hp and less motors. Lake Robinson lake front properties really shot up over the past year. Not far would be Lake Lyman, then over in Pickens you would find Lake Keowee. Lake Junaluska is not much further and just a beautiful place. Head back down south and a great lake many people overlook is Lake Greenwood. Of course if you head further south towards Atlanta you will run into Lake Hartwell. All are beautiful and have some very nice properties at varying price points with Keowee being the most expensive.
I'm heading up to Cliffs Valley today for a HVAC inspection on a home under contract. Click here to view current homes available at the Valley. Of course I always recommend that the buyer hire a good home inspector to evaluate the home. I get some buyers from different parts of the country that have had bad experiences with them. There are a number of good ones in Greenville and I recommend you call a few to find out who you feel most comfortable with. Let's go ahead and jump into the Greenville MLS and see what has happened over the past 24 hours as of 5:00am.
85 New Listings
57 Price Changes
19 Sold
23 Expired
556 Pending
Got a price reduction in the very nice Asheton Springs. There's a new construction in Chatelain Condos on Thornblade Golf Course. Got a brand new condo up at North Main for $500,000. And I see a remodeled 3/2 in Lake Forest. All of these would be worth a look. If you would like a great MLS map and relocation package mailed, just let me know. 864-335-8490.
Have a great day. I'll be back tomorrow, God willing.
January 5, 2009!
Good morning! Let's real estate search in the MLS and see what happened over the weekend. As of 6:47 am. we had:
71 New Listings
70 Price Changes
27 Sold (Includes Friday)
51 Expired
550 Pending
Had a price reduction on one in Neely Farm. By the way really had a lot of homes go up for sale in there a few years back when they re-districted the High School away from Hillcrest. I think it's all calmed down now. Looks like we have a $20,000 price reduction on one in Stonebrook Farm. NIce neighborhood, popular schools, gated in Simpsonville. Another price reduction in Mahaffey Plantation, another popular neighborhood. If you're looking in the $130,000 range there is one just reduced in Long Creek Plantation. If you're looking East Side new listing in Dove Tree, a very popular subdivision with most homes 15-20 years old.
The Case of The Missing First Time Home Buyer
I tell my wife there is no business like real estate where you get to learn so much about people. Especially being a buyer's agent. I had a fellow call me Friday while I was out showing with buyers. I called him right back and asked how I could help. He said he and his wife were in process of starting to look for a new home and wanted to meet with me. I said I would be glad to....when? He said Friday afternoon and I said I had people with me and was tied up but could meet the next day, Saturday at my Downtown Greenville office. He said he would speak with his fiancée and get back with me. Folks, I won't hear from him again and really it's a shame. I always do my best to accommodate people but sometimes I just can't stop everything and meet. Here's my point if you do find a realtor that can, then maybe they don't have enough to do. Second point, generally there is no need to be in a hurry about anything in real estate. Buying a home is one of the most important decisions you will make, be thoughtful about it and find someone good to help you.
This fellow told me he was looking for a buyer's agent, most realtors who are buyer's agents in the area are guess what, listing agent's too. You want an exclusive buyer's agent. Sir, if you're out there I'm available today :-).
January 4, 2009!
Captured And Converted!
Do you want to be a captured lead? This is a funny term and you hear about it all the time in sales. Captured lead comes from Forced Registration. Forced registration is when you have to sign up on a realtor web site to even "look" at properties. Most realtor web sites do this...why? They want to capture leads....you. You know, put you on an email list, call you, send you stuff so they can turn the captured lead into a prospect and maybe even into a buyer. Folks, I could go into a whole page why I don't require a log in to just look but here it is in a nut shell. You will contact me when and if you are interested in working with me, it's just that simple. So tell your friends, there is no required login to view properties here and there never has been. (I've had this site a long time). Now you can sign up for an account and save properties, get email alerts etc, but that's up to you. Looking's FREE!
Excellence is measured by inches and I've read that the difference between good and great or amateur and pro is less than 10%, but it is just that little more that changes the outcome. So what makes the difference in the good and the great. Partly I think is the passion and love of what you do. The other is practice. A love of mine is photography but just like anything else it takes practice. Another passion is real estate and just like photography it takes practice too. But another factor it takes is specialization. Folks, you can't be a jack of all trades, you know, listing agent one day, buyer's agent the next. I mean it's sorta like oil and vinegar. One day working for the seller, the next the buyer. And Lord forbid you're working for both (dual agency). Just a few light thoughts for the weekend.
January 3, 2009!
So what is it with Clemson? Nebraska 26, Clemson 21, same old story. Don't get me wrong I'm a Clemson grad and fan but why can't we be more than a middle of the road football team? I mean, when was the last time we won the ACC? 91 I think, correct me if I'm wrong. Tommy Bowden is a good person and did a lot for the university and Sweeney sure has the fire on the sidelines BUT come on, with the money spent over there on football...what's up? With the talent that's there, what's up? I mean we've got Thunder and Lightning in the backfield but we can only muster brief Thunderstorms.
January 2, 2009!
Good morning! Hope you had a wonderful New Years. Thought I'd start off with a quick look at the MLS for the past 48 hours. We had:
64 New Listings
47 Price Changes
37 Sold
330 Expired (WOW)
560 Pending
When you see this many expired it generally means the listing agent did not get the listing agreement extended before it expired. Since the 31st. was New Year's Eve many realtors didn't get to their sellers to extend the contract. Don't see a whole lot grabbing me this morning. There is one in Overbrook for less than $150,000 being sold "as is".
So what does "as is" mean? It means the home is being sold as it is, no repairs will be made. You the buyer have the right to inspect and I would only advise you make the contract contingent on accepting the home after inspections. That way you can see what you are getting into. Generally selling a home "as is" means one of two things. The owner knows there is something wrong with the home and is not willing to fix it or they are selling at what they consider a great price and are not willing to fix anything should something be found.
The main thing for the buyer is that they specify in the contract that the sale is contingent upon acceptable inspections.
Ok, so you've all been waiting. What happened last year. As of December 31, 2008 we had per Greenville MLS in single family and condo/townhouse $99,000 and up:
Entire MLS:
6,241 Sales
High $1,750,000
Average $217,259
Average Days on The Market Was 96
Greenville County:
4,503 Sales
HIgh $1,750,000
Average $223,023
Average Days on The Market Was 92
Greenville:
1476 Sales
High $1,360,000
Average $235,401
Average Days on The Market Was 91
Simpsonville:
1,370 Sales
High $1,375,000
Average $234,791
Average Days on The Market Was 90
Greer:
860 Sales
High $1,750,000
Average $223,220
Average Days on The Market Was 90
These are just a few numbers from the MLS for last year. I will have much more for you shortly. Remember, according to Zillow, through the first 3 quarters of 2008 real estate prices in the Greenville market rose 2.8%. Folks I'd look strongly at buying now if you can, there are some good deals out there and look at mortgage rates and what they are doing. I hear they will continue down in January. Well here's the thing, get in front of the eight ball not behind it. There is a lot of pent up demand out there but people are waiting, unsure. The best deals are had when the market is slow. I currently have a buyer buying way under market and a rather expensive home, why? Because he is savvy and sees the "value". Either things are going to get better or they are going to get worse. I think they will get better. But the down side of better is the demand that comes with it and the effect on prices. Got a lot more coming on this with some new pages. Will keep you posted.
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