General Real Estate Information

Do you have a Realtor on your current property search, or are you utilizing Realtors? It's an important distinction, and, believe me, more is not better when you are looking for a new home.

A Realtor friend of mine called recently to tell me about her very frustrating day showing property to a prospective buyer. Over the course of the day, my friend discovered that this buyer had been out with no fewer than three other Realtors in recent days, and had even written a contract with another agent.

This was a very frustrating situation for a very good Realtor, who had cleared her Saturday calendar, and taken precious time away from her family,  for this buyer.  And yet, while my friend had gone all out preparing for this buyer, the buyer was fielding calls from

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Short sales and foreclosures are on everyone's minds these days. As we mentioned in a recent blog, a foreclosure involves the sale of a property which is owned by the bank, which took back the property after the owner defaulted on the mortgage, while a short sale involves the sale of a property which is still owned by an individual, but is subject to approval by the owner's lending institution because there is a gap between what the property is worth and the outstanding mortgage on the property.

With so many foreclosures and short sales on the market in Beaufort, SC, it is tempting for a prospective buyer to focus only on these type of properties. After all, that is where the best values are.....right?

Not necessarily. A property does not have to be a short…

We in the real estate community get asked often about the difference between a "short sale" and a "foreclosure," two terms used frequently these days in real estate discussions. Beaufort, SC, like most areas of the country, has seen its share of foreclosures and short sales in recent years.

A foreclosure involves the sale of a property which is owned by the bank, which seizes the bank because the previous owner defaulted on the loan. After the bank completes the foreclosure process, it will put the property on the market, either through an auction, or by listing the property with a real estate agent.

A short sale involves the sale of a property which is not bank-owned. But although short sales are not bank-owned properties, they will

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Big-league baseball players step up to the plate looking to hit the ball with the sweet spot of the bat. The sweet spot, of course, is the location on the bat which is best suited for hitting the ball. From the sweet spot, the ball travels fastest and farthest.

Every piece of real estate has its own sweet spot, as well.  The sweet spot is the price at which a property is best suited to sell. Property priced in the sweet spot will sell the quickest.

Many developers in the Beaufort area have struggled in recent years with pricing before finding the sweet spot.

Over at Hamilton Village, a beautiful upscale condo complex just over the bridge from Historic Downtown Beaufort, condos were once listed at more than $800,000.  A few years later, the community's…

Surprisingly, insurance can be one of the last bits of business a home buyer will take care of before closing on a new home. Buyers tend to take care of mortgages, home inspections and termite inspections immediately after they get a contract to purchase. Not so much with insurance.

It is not uncommon for buyers to wait until just a few days prior to closing to call about homeowners insurance. So, if the buyer hits a snag,  the closing could be delayed.  Since Beaufort is in a coastal region, insurance guidelines can be tougher or easier than in some other parts of the country.

For instance, the insurance company may want information on the condition of the roof and a/c unit, among other things, before writing the insurance. Time may be required to make…

So, you are moving to the Beaufort, SC area, and you are unsure of whether you can afford to buy a home. Maybe you feel that renting is the best option for you and your family right now.

While renting may sound more economical on the surface, you may actually be able to buy a home for less than it costs to rent.

Just recently, one of the top real estate observers in the country released it's "Rent vs. Buy" index for the first quarter of 2011, and the report reveals that in 72 percent of America's largest cities, it is actually more affordable to buy than it is to rent!

Historically low interest rates coupled with declining prices in many markets have combined to create super home-buying conditions. As in other parts of the country, Beaufort has seen

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This month's numbers are stuck in the shadow of the spring 2010 incentive market. A number of factors hinder a full-scale housing recovery, yet there are positives that suggest improving consumer confidence. Slowing unemployment claims, strong corporate balance sheets and 13 months of private job growth are cause for long-dormant optimism. Let's see if our local glass is half empty or half full.

New Listings in the Beaufort region decreased 32.6 percent from last March to 207 new homes. Pending Sales decreased 15.7 percent to land at 97 contracts written. As a result, inventory levels decreased 2.8 percent from last year to reach 1,720 active listings.

Prices lost some ground - the March Median Sales Price of $162,500 decreased 9.7 percent. Negotiations

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I just sent off a listing agreement a short while ago, and I am very excited about my new listing, right here in Beaufort, SC. As I was typing instructions to the out-of-town seller, to ensure he was crystal clear on the terms of our listing agreement, I got to thinking about the concept of Dual Agency, which is a component of South Carolina listing agreements.

Dual Agency is probably one of those real estate terms that long-time agents take for granted. It bears explaining, though, because all prospective buyers and sellers should be very aware of and comfortable with the term before proceeding with a Realtor.

When you enlist a real estate agent to help you buy a house, that agent will serve as your buyer's agent. Your Realtor's job is to

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If you have read any of my blogs here on Lowcountry Properties, you know I am somewhat new to the Beaufort area.  A lot of people raise their eyebrows when I tell them I moved from Charleston.  Everyone has such a high opinion of Charleston, they often wonder why any one would leave.  It is a great question as Charleston truly is a nice city.  I moved to Charleston in 1995 to attend the College of Charleston.  For the frst 10 years I thought I had gone to heaven.  Charleston is a beautiful city, on the coast, fantastic restaurants, and more things than I could ever list.  Somewhere in the 2005-2006 timeframe I started to feel differently.  There were more people, more trafic, more condos, and more busyness.  As I got older I wanted less and Charleston, at…