GREAT VALUE in Park West!! $232,000 - 1724 Alan Brooke Dr Mount Pleasant, SC @ Park West * MLS# 1116093
Thu, Sep 1st 2011 3:39 pm by Alan Donald First Time Home BuyersGuide to Paint Sheens: Oooo, Shiny!
Tue, Aug 30th 2011 2:35 pm by Alan Donald RehabbingI recently read this article on paint sheens, which I found interesting to share:
Guide to Paint Sheens: Oooo, Shiny!
By: Pat Curry Published: March 25, 2011
You think choosing the right color for your paint job is hard? Try picking the right sheen. HouseLogic will help you tell your semi-gloss from your satin finish.
In the painting world, very shiny translates to very durable. High sheen can take a lot of abuse and a lot of scrubbing. The lower the sheen, the silkier the effect; but, like silk, scrubbing will damage it.
High gloss: The most durable and easiest to clean of all paint sheens, high-gloss paint is hard, ultra-shiny, and light-reflecting. Think appliance-paint tough. Hig...
Mount Pleasant (SC) Residential Market Starting to Turn Around...
Mon, Aug 29th 2011 9:53 am by Alan Donald Mt Pleasant Real Estate MarketThe Mount Pleasant (SC) residential real estate market starting to turn around.
As this price band chart for July 2011 shows, the lower price ranges are now in either a "Balanced" or "Normal Seller's Market" stage in terms of absorption (we consider 6 months' inventory a "neutral" or "balanced" market in which neither sellers nor buyers have the advantage...
Bank_owned Foreclosure in Hamlin Plantation
Sat, Aug 27th 2011 1:18 pm by Alan Donald ForeclosuresThis modern townhome just came on the market:
http://ctarmls.com/CharlestonReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=0319356660
LÍNEA DE EMERGENCIA EN ESPAÑOL
Wed, Aug 24th 2011 6:10 pm by Alan Donald SpanishComo todos los años, las autoridades de Charleston, SC y el Departamento de Emergencia se encuentran trabajando para proporcionar la información necesaria a la población en cuanto a la prevención y preparación para un desastre naturaL, como puede ser un huracán o un terremoto.
La oficina ha activado una línea telefónica en Español, el número es: (843) 202- 7191, Normalmente atenderá sólamente de 9:a.m. a 5:00pm de lunes a viernes, pero durante un período de emergencia estará activada las 24 horas del día.
Líneas de Emergencia en Inglés (Emergency Lines for Charleston County):
Emergency Management Department (843) 202-7400
EMD Duty Officer: (843) 202-1700
New Client Testimonial
Wed, Aug 24th 2011 8:50 am by Alan Donald Testimonials"In today’s world we often find our experiences with people to be brief and selfish. Rarely do we find honesty and empathy in our contracts with people in business. Occasionally, however, there are those who practice honesty, kindness and empathy in all their affairs. I found Alan Donald to be such a person.
During a difficult time in my life, facing foreclosure, Alan worked diligently, for 19 months to turn my situation around. There were many times that I ran short on patience. Banks can be heartless, not to mention towers of inefficiency.
Alan persisted, patiently, one day at a time, going forward, never giving up. Never did he show signs of frustration. I am grateful – for Al...
WATERFRONT HOME NEAR DOWNTOWN CHARLESTON! $1,295,000 - 316 Sugar House Retreat Mount Pleasant, SC @ Molasses Creek MLS# 1119721
Wed, Aug 17th 2011 3:24 pm by Alan Donald Mt Pleasant Real Estate MarketMOUNT PLEASANT - Home For Sale, Bank Foreclosure in GOLF Community, Only $115 psf $289,900 - 3171 Linksland Rd @ Charleston National MLS# 1119187
Tue, Aug 9th 2011 9:42 am by Alan Donald Market OpportunitiesMid-Year Real Estate Market Update for the Charleston, SC Metro Area
Tue, Aug 9th 2011 9:14 am by Alan Donald Real EstateThe Charleston Trident Association of Realtors (CTAR) put together this market update (click to view presentation):
- Foreclosures are still placing downward pressure on prices
- The recovery is going to be slow, depending on employment the real estate market may start to recover between 2012 and 2014
- Sales activity is still at very healthy level, and inventory is still coming down.
What this update fails to mention is that:
- a few real estate sub-markets (such as single family detached homes below $300K in Mount Pleasant) are already at the point of inflexion (6 months' inventory or below) a...
UPCOMING CHANGES TO USDA 100% RURAL LOANS !!
Mon, Aug 8th 2011 11:19 am by Alan Donald MortgagesThe USDA Rural Mortgage Loan was one of the only remaining 100% loan-to-value opportunities for lower income buyers who do not have a lot of savings for downpayment. Bobby Wallace from Anchor Mortgage sent me a very timely reminder email that I thought would be good to share with the followers of this blog:
The changes being implemented as of October 1st are:
- "USDA will now start requiring a Mortgage Insurance Premium on these loans.
- USDA will now require a 0.3% annual mortgage insurance fee. While this fee is an annual fee, it is collected monthly in escrow like most Mortgage insurance payments. Another major difference between USDA’s annual MI premium and most other premiums. USDA’...
*** UPDATED ALLOWABLE SELLER CONTRIBUTIONS FOR BUYERS ***
Thu, Aug 4th 2011 12:22 pm by Alan Donald MortgagesRobert Weaver from Ikon Mortgage put together this information - which I found really informative - about the maximum allowed contribution from Seller to Buyer depending on the LTV (loan-to-value ratio) and the use of the home:
For more information contact Robert Weaver.
GREAT HOME, GREAT PRICE - SNEE FARM $269,500 - 1032 Royalist Rd Mount Pleasant, SC @ Snee Farm MLS# 1117886
Mon, Aug 1st 2011 8:59 pm by Alan Donald Market OpportunitiesCHEAPEST UPDATED 5-BR. HOME IN MT PLEASANT SOUTH OF IOP CONNECTOR $385,000 - 204 Mossy Oak Way Mount Pleasant, SC @ Belle Hall MLS# 1117863
Wed, Jul 27th 2011 9:33 am by Alan Donald Belle Hall PlantationTWO TYPES OF BUYERS
Fri, Jul 15th 2011 12:29 pm by Alan Donald NegotiationsTWO TYPES OF BUYERS
In residential real estate we are currently experiencing two types of buyers:
- Those fishing for "a deal"; and
- Those who are actually "looking for a home" to live in
Both types of buyer will start negotiations with a lowball offer, but their response to the Seller's first counteroffer determines their type:
- If they increase their initial offer substantially, they are actually looking for a home, they need a place to live (but of course they are shopping the market);
- Those looking for a deal will increase their offer just marginally or walk away if their initial lowball offer is not accepted... they are in no rush, have no specific time frame in mind, an...
CHARLESTON, SC NAMED SECOND BEST CITY IN AMERICA
Wed, Jul 13th 2011 6:10 am by Alan Donald CharlestonCHARLESTON, SC NAMED SECOND BEST CITY IN AMERICA – ACHIEVING ITS HIGHEST RANKING IN 16 YEARS OF TRAVEL + LEISURE WORLD’S BEST AWARDS READERS’ POLL
Copied from the Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau
"Charleston rises to No. 2 on the Travel + Leisure 2011 World’s Best Awards list of Top Cities in the United States and Canada, based on the 16th annual readers’ survey, from its third place ranking last year. Displacing last year’s No. 2-ranked city, San Francisco, Charleston achieves its highest ranking ever in this survey. The top-ranked city in the U.S. and Canada is New York City for the eleventh consecutive year. Four South Carolina hotels and resorts are recognized among the top...