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.

Wow! First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit

Earlier this week I shared news that Congress is voting to do away with seller-funded downpayment assistance programs. Bad news for most first-time home buyers – and sellers too. However, there is a silver lining. Yesterday The New York Times published an article that tells more about what the bill has to offer. According to the NYTimes, there’s something for everyone in this bill. My personal favorite is the $7500 tax credit

Economic Stimulus Checks

The big debate: what impact will the Economic Stimulus package have on American families and the economy in general? If you’re like me, you’ve already spent the money a hundred different ways in your head. Wouldn’t it be nice to go on a giant shopping spree? Maybe take that vacation you’ve always wanted? My hunch is that most people will

Be Sure to Scroll

I’ve added a couple of new sections on the right side of my blog. They are intended to provide you with all the resources and information you’ll need to make good decisions when buying and selling real estate. Please take a look and tell your friends. If there’s anything I can do to help you get started, please send me an e-mail at stephanie@prucar.com or call me at 843.574.3193.

City Employees Deserve More – Part 2

Our City Administrator, Dennis C. Harmon, sent me a letter in response to my January 4 blog entry, City Employees Deserve More. Because I have created this blog with the vision of connecting Goose Creek residents through intelligent discussion, I’d like to share his letter with you.

City Employees Deserve More

I’ve got to get something off my chest. What I’m about to say only barely ties in to real estate but I think it needs to be said.

I was outraged when I read the city council’s announcement of no new property taxes on October 18, 2007. They were patting themselves on the back for a ridiculous plan.

I had let it go, but it was brought up again today in the paper’s look back at 2007. According to The Goose Creek Gazette, the Goose Creek city council voted not to raise property taxes for the 28th year in a row last fall. With that, their budget includes an “aggressive” beautification project for the city and brings on six new police officers and equipment (squad cars), among other things.

Goose Creek Fall Festival (2007) Rescheduled

The Goose Creek Fall Festival scheduled from 6-9 p.m. tomorrow at the municipal center has been rescheduled for Saturday, October 27. The event is free and includes music, food vendors, and more. Bring your coolers, your blankets, and your family for a fun autumn night under the stars.

It Will Come

My husband and I were first-time homebuyers when me moved here 20 months ago. Before that we rented three houses and never felt like it made sense to make purchases tailored to our temporary address. As soon as we committed to buying a house, however, we were ready to trade in the hand-me-down furniture from our families and invest in the colors and styles we wanted.

Unfortunately, our brand new mortgage didn’t allow room in our budget for new furniture. Weeks dragged into months which dragged into nearly two years, and I was starting to get depressed. “It will come,” my mom would say. “Just be patient. It takes years to accumulate all the things your dad and I have. You’ll pick things up little by little. Wait for a sale and jump on it.”

Putting Down Roots

Didn’t think I’d have much to say when I started my first blog. It focuses on Alston Court, a subsection of Crowfield Plantation in Goose Creek, SC. I’m new in real estate, and just didn’t think I’d have much to offer in the way of discussion and information about real estate.

However, I’ve gotten a few posts under my belt over there, and I’m seeing a need to branch out. I’m doing research and discovering things that affect more people than just the residents of Alston Court, such as $180K the Magic Number for Goose Creek Real Estate. The experiences I’ve had so far as an agent also relate to more people than just the residents of Alston Court, such as the importance of qualifying a buyer before ratifying a contract. So I’m creating this blog for the whole city of Goose Creek.