So, what did you think about the home? don’t like the wall color – don’t like the stain color of the floors? those are cosmetics – what about the neighborhood? How about the amenities? Which features do you feel you like the best? Is that pool important to you? What about the floor plan? Square footage? After no response to any of the 20 questions, or not addressing me directly and studiously avoiding any direct contact - hey, I’m standing right here and I really do want to help you, we pile in the car – no thanks we don’t want any water and head off to another home.

On to our next home where I used the HGTV trick of just opening the door, being quiet and letting them walk around while I stand in the living room. And did my reticence work? – NOPE – I then reduced the number of questions, asked different types of questions, and then asked if THEY had any questions. Response – not so much.  Shall I mention that this process was repeated at all homes but 2 – and oh by the way, they had made the selections of the homes to see.   

Well, finally their ordeal was over after 2 grueling hours (this after removing 3 homes from the list) and I finally saw the first smile on her face – as she got out of the car heading to an afternoon at the pool with him trailing behind.

Now, you may think I dislike customers, and am unwilling to show folks around. That would simply not be the case; I realize that this is a HUGE decision and may indeed be the largest financial decision people make.  The only point I’d like to make is, surprisingly enough, we Realtors(R) do have lives, feelings, and are in the business of connecting folks with their dream homes, or villas, or condos, or trailers for that matter -  we tend to LIKE people, are curious about you and are anxious to please you – we’re not pushy sales people just trying to make a buck.

Endless summer

Actually, we do have definable times – just not as dramatic.  Our magnolia trees – which though they are evergreens- gracefully drop some of their leaves in July in neat piles just beneath the trees instead of blowing all about and causing us to have blisters and/or frozen fingers.  Marsh grasses in the next few weeks will begin to turn from their bright kelly green to a burnished orange and the red-winged blackbirds will stand out against the sky.  Soon too, the nandina bushes and holly trees berries will be red and the cedar waxwings will come in droves gobbling the fruit and becoming giddy with the sweetness.  The best season is yet to come when the waters cool and the oysters become available; then cool evenings with bright stars bring folks out around the fire pits and the oyster tables with homemade oyster knives, lots of beer, and tales of the summer.

So, no raking piles of leaves, no snow flying through the air, but the beauty of the lowcountry fall is very evident.  Don’t just dream and look at pictures,  you have to experience it to believe it and when you do, you’ll understand why so many folks are moving down here.

Red Cedar has the location – walking distance to the new Red Cedar Elementary, walking distance to 2 day care centers, a regional park right next to the community with baseball fields, basketball courts, etc.  Lifestyle comes in with a community swimming pool and playground as well as sidewalks, a fishing lake and gazebo.  In addition, Red Cedar is conveniently located to the infamous “Squat & Gobble” restaurant and Old Towne Bluffton. The lifestyle opportunities expand with community events, lowcountry neighborly ambiance, and developing a true village style.

Scott explained that the builder, Sabal Homes, can actually build a home in 2 months, finishes the inteiror of the garages, offers some upgrades but includes most expected features right along with the home. Good sized homes and a great mix of folks in the neighborhood.  Attention to detail right down to “we use an entire tube of caulk around each window” seems to be a firm commitment.

So, Red Cedar seems to have it all; location, good building practices, good marketing, nice floor plans, good price points AND the all important LIFESTYLE.  Let me know if you’d like to wander over – meet you at the Farmers’ Market!

If you’ve never run with 38,000 of  your closest friends, it’s really a hoot-it’s everything about challenges, motivation, commitment and competition. There is a parallel, surprisingly enough, with real estate.  The inventory at times right now may look like this mass – no particular order, blurred features, confusing choices, and impossible to overcome. For the real buyer, it’s a terrific opportunity; there’s a clear goal – finding a home – getting to the ‘finish line’ and, at the moment, an actual cash prize – the $8,000 first time homebuyer credit, or $6,500 for someone who has already owned a home who meets some requisites (meet me at the finish line and I’ll help you with that). 

As far as the competition issue – yes, there are indeed plenty of homes selling! The Island Packet week had a great article all about that very fact. Click here to read more!  I’ve already been in several multiple offer situations – so – about that finish line; it’s clear, it’s there and you can be a winner but don’t wait too much longer – call me to find out where you can still get terrific opportunities both on Hilton Head Island and on the mainland in Bluffton.  See you at the race!

For two consecutive months, home sales have risen dramatically in the Hilton Head Island Multiple Listing Service area.

Sales in the eight-county MLS region increased 103 percent in January compared to January 2009 and took a 64-percent jump in February from February 2009, according to areport Tuesday from the S.C. Realtors trade group.

The Beaufort MLS area has also experienced two months of increases, with a 4.9-percent increase in January and a 15.9-percent jump in February.

Those numbers point to a residential real estate market that slowly is recovering, a trend area Realtors and industry professionals say is because of low interest rates, federal tax credits for home buyers and low prices
Read more: http://www.islandpacket.com/2010/03/23/1182839/home-sales-soar-prices-fall-in.html#ixzz0j7YsSutL

Now, does this mean that our prices have stabilized and we’ve hit a ‘bottom’ – probably not, but you know that historically, it takes at least 6-9 months for the pundits to actually acknowledge that actuality.  So, moral of the story is, if you’re a buyer, it remains a GREAT time to buy, if you’re a seller it’s a great time to sell your home and get in line for those move-up homes that were WAY out of your price range before.

Instead of looking at the foreclosures and short sales as the bane of our existence, it is so exciting to again have inventory to offer, CHOICES for folks, and the ability to feel that you’ve gotten a bargain!

It’s a NEW DAY in real estate – rejoice in it and CALL ME to find out how best to take advantage of this market!

“The South Carolina housing market has bounced back from its low point in 2009. Consecutive quarters of GDP growth suggest a recovering economy that will continue in 2010. 

The housing market is adjusting to lower inventory levels. In the last six months, existing housing inventory for both new and re-sales have dropped four and two months, respectively. Thus, despite increases in foreclosures across the nation, states such as South Carolina with only small increases in delinquent mortgages are experiencing an overall decline in inventory. The reduction in supply is extremely important to the recovery of the housing market.”

This same trend is occurring on Hilton Head Island and in Bluffton. I’ve had several multiple offer situations – so be one of the smart buyers taking advantage of this great market before your choices are gone!

The course was designed by Willard Byrd and incorporates the challenge of play with the beauty of the nature all around the course. Golfers will appreciate the fact that on the average only 40 rounds of golf are played here each day. The Wexford course was also selected by the PGA to host the anual Carolinas Sectional Qualifier for the PGA Tour’s Verizon Heritage Golf Tournament. As a property owner you are also allowed to use your own golf cart.

Tennis figures into the amenities at the Club as well. With 6 Har-tru clay courts-4 lighted for night play, you can always find a game.

The cornerstone of the community is the Harbour. There is direct access to Broad Creek as well as to the Intra-Coastal Waterway via the deep-water canals. For the environmentally conscious, the harbour and waterways are exceptionally clean and maintained. No stormwater drains into the canals-thus not into the ICW or Broad Creek. There is a concrete bulkhead that protects all of the canal areas from the intrusion of any pollutants. The convenience of having your own boat gently bobbing up and down right out your back door, or having the sunset glistening on the water is a stunning reason to own in Wexford Plantation.

Exciting news too, with the approval by 80% of the membership, is the remodeling project to the main Club house-with added dining areas, expanded kitchen areas, a new dining area with sweeping views of the marina it will be a great addition.

If this seems like a great idea for you, be sure to check out this community on my website.

HHI Sales 12-07 thru 9/30/09

It’s property re-assessment time on Hilton Head and Realtors’ phones are ringing. Our area performs this property tax re-assessment every five years.  This year, due to the change in the market, lots of folks are up in arms. Though Realtors can’t advise on specific remedies, we can suggest:

Ask for an updated market analysis and general market study; the assessments are based not on 2008 sales but based on what your property was valued at on December, 2007. SC law requires a re-assessment every 5 years and the last one was in 2002; however, the result of that assessment was delayed for one year. Rather than using that additional year – which would have taken us to 2008 sales – the SC legislature passed a law allowing the assessor to use closed sales as of December 2007. Our market in Beaufort County, and Hilton Head in particular, was in a slight decline in 2007 but as evidenced on the above chart, certainly not the dip we experienced in 2008 and the continuing change in 2009.

So what can you do as a property owner? Enclosed with your property tax bill will be the appeal form and briefly you should outline a statement with respect as to why you are appealing providing the tax ID number as well as the tax key for identification purposes.  You must appeal within 90 days from the notice date shown in the upper right hand corner of your tax bill.

The appeal will be reviewed and a conference scheduled. If the issue is not resolved, you may file a formal protest. The form must be mailed to the assessor within 30 days of the conference. The assessor has 30 days to take a final action; but the matter may still be presented to the Beaufort County Tax Equalization Board in the Administrative Law Court in Beaufort.  This is separate from and independent of the Assessor’s office.

There is a tax calculator located on bcgov.net then in the online departments, tax assessor office.

You may also acquire an appraisal. Many of our HHI and Bluffton appraisers can perform this function in an abbreviated format but with applicable comps. If you closed in 2008 or 2009 and the bank performed an appraisal, you may include that information as well. 

Legislation was also enacted in 2008 that capped the increase at 15% from the previous year’s tax assessment-so be aware of the difference between the previous assessed value and the market cap rate.

Bottom line, call me for information, I love doing charts for you and have appraiser contacts that I will be happy to refer to you!

Are you in the market for a short sale? Have you heard the BUZZ that they are great buys and just another way to find a property with a great price….not so fast! There are some considerations that need to be made before proceeding. Get yourself an experienced Realtor and hire an attorney, and, most importantly be prepared to wait, and Wait, and WAIT – but, in the end, you may just get that home or condo you’ve been looking at for a great buy.