Homes Fort Mill SC

Great news for Fort Mill Home Buyers and Sellers.  Congress has passed legislation to extend the First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit. But the bill added incentives to current home owners. Here are the details of the extended home buyer tax credit signed by the President November 6,2009.

The new bill:

* Extends the First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit of up to $8,000 to first-time home buyers until April 30, 2010.

* Expands the credit to grant up to $6,500 credit to current home owners purchasing a new or existing home between November 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010. (more…)

Should I buy or sell a home now?

If you are thinking about selling or buying a home right now you obviously have to be wondering how today’s economy, interest rates and local real estate market will affect your bottom line. There is not one answer for everyone, and as when any of us invest in the stock market, it is the long term return that should be our focus.

If you are thinking about buying a home now every investor and real estate analyst has stated that this is absolutely the best time. As with most markets, Fort Mill and Tega Cay SC are considered to be a “buyers market”. What does a “buyers market” mean?. It means that buyers are in the driver’s seat. There are a good number of homes on the market which gives you plenty of available inventory to see and choose from. Depending on the location or community some homes are now selling at 2005 pricing. The other side of the equation when looking at purchasing a home is interest rates. Interest rates are changing daily and are still considered to be low when compared to years past. If you are considering a home purchase this is NOT the time to get left behind.

Home sellers how about you? For sellers who have more than three years equity this can be a perfect time to find value in your next purchase. Move up buyers who have a solid amount of equity on their home can still sell for a reasonable profit and purchase in a market that is offering tremendous buying opportunities. Again, this is NOT the time to wait. We are still seeing price reductions and a steady inventory. To sell a home in this market you have to win the beauty contest and you need to be the best value in your price point. Be realistic about your gain today and look forward to the future growth of the investment you are buying at a discount price.

Consider the following points (more…)

What is one of the most important things to do when buying a home? Visualize were your furniture will go in each room. Well… yes that is part of the processes but more importantly hire a professional to do a home inspection.

So even if you manage to find the perfect home a good home inspection can help you understand exactly what’s not so perfect about the home you’re going to buy. That’s a good thing. Because when you’re buying a home you’re also buying all of the home’s problems too.

You’re making a large investment in the property and it’s nice to understand exactly what you’re buying. A structural problem or a heating and air condition system that isn’t functioning properly can be expensive to fix. So conducting a series of thorough inspections is a lot like buying an insurance policy against future expenses or knowing more about what you are buying into. Keep in mind, however, that home inspections are not a warranty or guarantee of the home.

What is a typical home inspection like? A home inspection typically includes an examination of the heating and central air conditioning systems, interior plumbing, electrical systems, the roof, attic, visible insulation, walls, ceilings, floors, windows, foundations, and basements.

A typical home inspection will take about 2 to 4 hours depending on the type of home; an unoccupied one story home on a concrete slab will take about 2 hours, where an occupied two story home on a crawlspace foundation will take about 4 hours to complete.

Although the home inspection report should include detailed descriptions and color digital pictures of any defects in the home, it is best if you are able to attend the inspection for a review and discussion of the findings. You, your agent, the owner/sellers, etc. should attend the entire inspection. Once the inspection is complete, you should walk through the home with the inspector to discuss any concerns or defects that may be present.

Some things that are not included in the general inspection are:

• Appliances that are not installed
• Building Code Compliance
• Environmental issues such as Radon, Mold, Lead, etc. (unless specifically requested) I would recommend including a least a radon test for the Fort Mill/York County area.
• Systems/components/areas that are not readily accessible or readily visible or shut down.
• Cosmetic issues (Acceptability is subjective and should be determined by the client)
• Exterior features such as retaining walls, storage buildings, pools, etc. (Unless their condition may affect the building)
• Low voltage systems/components such as: intercom, security systems, antennas, etc.

You will most likely have to hire a separate professional to do a termite inspection.

If you are selling your home, have an inspection done before you put your home on the market and you may avoid any surprises when potential buyers have a home inspector check it out. You may choose to have any repairs made using a contractor of your choice without having to satisfy a potential buyer or you may choose to disclose the conditions you are not going to repair and protect yourself from liability of nondisclosure claims.

Should you hire a home inspector when buying a new home? Absolutely. Just because the home is new doesn’t mean there aren’t problems. The contractors building a new home are human and make mistakes. There is no better time to catch and fix mistakes or problems than before you close and move in.

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Making a decision to buy or sell a home is full of challenges. So it’s important to be well educated with quality information to make the process successful.

HGTV is airing a special episode this month called The “25 Biggest Real Estate Mistakes”. Carmen and I watched the first showing of the episode and found the show and tips to be accurate and timely. (more…)

Carmen sent me a link the other day for a website called housingmarketfacts.com. So I’ve now become a real estate website critic during my lunch. Should I say two thumbs up?

Anyway, the new website is by the National Association of Realtors® or Realtor.com. The website is a resource promoting the benefits of owning a home. (more…)

I am getting calls every single day about the interest rates. Consumers are really confused right now because they are hearing “The Fed just cuts rates!” and then when they call a loan officer they hear “Wow, rates are going up!” How can rates go up if the Fed is cutting them?!?!? (more…)

Its a buyers market even in Fort Mill or Tega Cay, SC. I found a few tips I want to share with my home sellers.  

Below is a reprint of an article by David Sobel and RISMEDIA. The article has good tips for sellers on how they can increase curb appeal to make sure buyers come in to view their home.

By David Sobel

RISMEDIA, Jan. 17, 2008-You’ve all had that experience with a client where you drive up to a house and they don’t even want to go inside. It’s an immediate “un-appeal.” You may know the inside of the house shows much better, but you just can’t convince them to spend the time to even go inside. In today’s market where lots of choices in housing are available to the buyer, why should they?

Here are some easy, inexpensive fixes that will help create that outside appeal and get you one, giant step further to a sale.

1. Paint or stain the front and garage doors, especially if they show any weathering. These are the first visuals where a potential buyer focuses. If garage doors are metal and dented, they may need to be replaced.

2. Any old, basically abandoned sheds or small structures, must be removed, the area graded and the grass replaced.

3. Change any dated, outside light fixtures.

4. Fix that driveway. If it is blacktop, make sure cracks and crumbling areas are dug out and filled and then the whole driveway sealed. If it is cement, have large cracks filled and repaired professionally. The buyer must at least feel they can drive the moving truck in confidently!

5. Make sure landscaping bricks are in their proper placement. Mowing, weed-whipping sometimes moves them and this is something the homeowner rarely notices, but makes the property look unsightly.

6. Fill in bare dirt under large shade trees. Plant shade-tolerant plants in defined planters or groundcover. Landscape properly for that area.

7. All landscaping beds should be cleaned out and updated for the time of year it is in your region. Place new bedding material down.

8. Have trees and bushes pruned and trimmed. If a bush or tree is looking old or about to expire, remove it and replace it with a similar size and type if you can. If there is a tree limb(s) over the roof, have them removed.

9. If the house needs painting and a full paint job is not in the cards; have it touched up professionally in the worst, most visible spots. Paint shutters and fix them if they are hanging crooked. At least this may help get your client in the front door, even if they negotiate a full paint job into the sale later.

10. If the house is sided, have it power-washed and have gutters and windows cleaned. Window cleaning inside and out makes the house feel updated and fresh, rather than old and dingy.

11. Make sure grass is in good shape, weeds are removed, trimming done regularly. So many sellers fall down on this job the minute the house is listed, and this is critical to selling a house quickly, especially one where the owners have already moved out. In snowy climates, removal must be done regularly too. If owners have moved out, make sure you have an HWA Home Warranty to re-assure buyers.

12. Keep garbage and recycle containers inside the garage, along with all toys and equipment. Make sure the garage is neat and organized. Painted walls and floors also go a long way in this area and are inexpensive to do. (more…)

Walk the Walk What a Home Buyer Should Do before Closing – Fort Mill, SC.
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One of the final steps before the closing is called the final walk-through. This is an opportunity for you, the buyer, to see the property one last time before the money is exchanged and the purchase paperwork completed and filed.

It is important to note that this is not a home inspection. That should have been done weeks ago so there was adequate time to negotiate and address concerns. This is also not a time to nit-pick or back-track on agreed upon items. However, it is the right time for you to look! at the property and make sure it is in the condition you agreed to buy it. If repairs or upgrades were part of the deal, now is the time to make sure they were completed to your satisfaction.

Your real estate professional may or may not accompany you to the final walk-through. In either case, you will want to do the following:

• Open and close all windows, doors, garage doors
• Run all faucets and check for leaks
• Flush toilets
• Test outlets
• Check the basement, attic and crawl spaces
• Make sure that certain items as stipulated in the contract are left behind – i.e. light fixtures, window treatments, appliances, etc.
• Test the heating and air conditioning systems

In short, you want to make sure the home systems are operational and the seller has met the obligations laid out in the purchase contract.

If you do have a concern, bring it to the attention of your real estate professional and attorney. They can advise you ! about different courses of action. For instance, if it a significant expense, you may withhold money until a repair is made.

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