Goose Creek’s 2009 4th of July Celebration

Here’s a quick link to the City of Goose Creek Web site for information on this year’s 20th Annual Fabulous Fourth in the Creek: http://www.goosecreekrecreation.com/fireworks.html

It will be held at the Marguerite H. Brown Municipal Center from 7-9 p.m. on Saturday, July 4. There will be a jump castle, food vendors, and of course a fireworks display. The Fabulous Keys will also be playing.

CTAR Says Market Shows Improvement

The Charleston Trident Association of Realtors® (CTAR) published a report this week that suggests market conditions are improving – or at least stabilizing, citing three months of growth in the number of sales and median pricing from April to June. Keep reading for the report in its entirety… Call me with questions.

Get the $8000 Tax Credit at Closing?

It sounds so simple. There’s an $8000 tax credit offered to first time home buyers if they purchase a home and close on it before November 30. Why not make it available to home owners prior to closing so they can use the money for their down payment or closing costs? If folks are qualified for a loan but have no cash to put down, and the government has promised to give them $8000 after closing, why not give the buyers access to the money so they can actually buy a house?

Today’s Real Estate: Longer Contracts, More Work. Better Hire a Pro.

Used to be – and I say that with all my two years of real estate experience – use to be that once a buyer and seller agreed on price and terms, closing would follow about 30 days later. However, now that short sales, foreclosures, government assistance programs, and bad credit have become more the norm than the exception, closing dates are getting pushed further and further out. In my own business, for example, three closings scheduled for early June have all been postponed to later in the month.

“GREEN” Lighting Attracts Buyers, Increases Sellability

It’s no secret eco-friendly renovations are the new trend in today’s home décor. These days we’re all looking to save money and save the environment (but we want to look good while we’re doing it). Eco-friendly renovations allow us to do just that.

With so many homes on the market, hopeful home sellers need a fast, easy, and inexpensive upgrade to get them one step closer to the closing table. I have three words for these sellers:

Home Buyers Use $8000 Tax Credit for Down Payment?

Last February when the Obama administration increased the $7500 tax credit for first-time home buyers to $8000 and said the credit no longer had to be repaid to the government, real estate agents and home buyers alike celebrated the promise of  a stronger real estate market. Real estate agents looked forward to dwindling inventory while home buyers saw a real incentive to get off the fence and start writing contracts.

Unfortunately, as the new tax credit was put into practice, real estate agents and home buyers were still hitting a snag in getting to the closing table. Tightened lending practices combined with a nation of non-savers proved to be an obstacle that couldn’t be overcome for a lot of would-be first-time home buyers.

Goose Creek Publishes “Report to the People”

In this year’s “Report to the People,” City of Goose Creek highlighted several accomplishments for 2008. Even as the economy has continued to decline, our city has continued to grow at a rapid pace, with 500 new households last year. Through obvious hard work and dedication, our city employees and government have worked hard to ensure our city grows gracefully and remains a great place to call home.

These are the highlights from the report that stood out to me:

Crowfield Appreciation Day Saturday, April 18

Bring your family over to the Carolina One Real Estate office in Crowfield Plantation tomorrow, April 18, at 11 a.m. for Crowfield Appreciation Day.

Crowfield residents as well as all of Goose Creek are invited to enjoy fun, food and local vendors.  Bring your old files and papers with you too, as Shred-it will be there from 11-2 and all shredding will be FREE…with a donation of a non-perishable food item for Helping Hands of Goose Creek.

Facebook, Twitter, AND Dwellicious

Agent in the Creek on Facebook

Over the last few months I’ve been evaluating networking technologies and trying to determine which ones will reach and benefit my readers and clients the most. You’ll see that I’ve chosen to join three online communities: Facebook, Twitter, and Dwellicious.

Lower Mortgage Rates = More Purchase Power

Buyers today are looking for one thing: A DEAL. While President Obama’s $8000 tax credit for first-time home buyers has caused some buyers to go ahead and buy, many buyers are still waiting for “the bottom” of the market to hit before they make their move.

Enter rock-bottom mortgage rates. This week we saw rates fall below 5% for 30-year fixed mortgages. Should that get buyers moving? Absolutely. If they understand what it means. Let me explain.