Not all Realtors are the same. In fact, neither are all doctors, lawyers or accountants. In every instance, there are professionals who do a better job, take better care of their clients and provide better value for their services...

This holds especially true when selling your home. You may not have known it, but hiring the wrong Realtor could cost you as much as 5% to 7% of the value of your home. That's at least $5,000 for every $100,000 of value!

What's worse, is that if you try to sell your home yourself, national statistics say that you may give away as much as 18% of your equity. But you don't have to give up a dime of value in their home if you simply hire the right Realtor for th...

Top 5 Tips to Maximize The Space in Your Home

In our line of work we talk about Merchandising a lot. Merchandising is the art of presenting a product so it stands out against its competition, and that’s exactly why home staging is so important. It accomplishes two things:

a) it allows buyers to imagine the home as their own; and 

b) it maximizes the space.

The same techniques can be used to make a home you’re not selling more livable too.

Here are our TOP 5 Tips to Maximize The Space in Your Home: 

1. Fresh paint really does transform and open up a room. Just stick with neutral and light colors because, well...it’s science! Light colors reflect light rather than absorb it.
   
   
2. De-clutte...

Home Seller Tips: Prepare Your Home for a "Date"

We always tell our sellers to think back to how they groomed themselves for their first date. Selling a home is just like that: You need to put your best foot forward to create a fabulous first impression with the Buyers (inside and outside).

Homes that are well staged sell quicker and for higher prices!

This is why we offer a FREE, PROFESSIONAL STAGING CONSULTATION for all our Seller clients as part of our value added. 

Here are some of the most common tips our professional stager provides:

1. Clear horizontal surface spaces. Make sure that desks, countertops, coffee tables, end tables, etc. are as free of items/appliances/clutter as p...

How Accurate is your "Zestimate"TM?

Very often we go on a listing presentation with an estimate of value that we've put a lot of thought into, and the homeowner pulls out the "Zestimate"TM to argue for a higher list price. 

So, how accurate is the "Zestimate"? We went right to Zillow to find out. Here it what Zillow discloses on their website about the accuracy of their value estimates for South Carolina:

Source: Zillow

Acco...

Top Ten Reasons to Sell Your Home During the Holidays

Many sellers took their homes off the market for the holidays. Their rationale is that buyer activity is generally slower, and they don’t want to show their home when their family is hosting a holiday event.

While these are valid reasons, here are TEN REASONS why you SHOULD offer your home for sale during the holidays (assuming you really wish to sell!).

1. BUYERS who are looking at homes in Charleston at this time of the year are SERIOUS. It’s almost guaranteed there are no “tire-kickers” at this time of the year.
2. LOW INVENTORY. Since many sellers took their homes off the market there is MUCH LESS COMPETITION. Therefore you have mo...

I read this great article on HGTV - we agree wholeheartedly with their recommendations!!

HGTV's Buying and Selling offers up the industry's best-kept secrets to help you get top dollar when selling your home.

Selling Secret #10: Pricing it right
Find out what your home is worth, then shave 15 to 20 percent off the price. You’...

Why do people hire us to sell their homes?
Watch this 2-minute video to find out why!

FYI on DYI

Many homeowners spend a lot of money renovating their home before they put it on the market, thinking that they will make a profit on the money they spend on renovations. Remodeling Magazine (http://www.remodeling.hw.net/) publishes a regional analysis that will make most homeowners think before they embark on expensive and troublesome renovations! Sometimes it is just best to drop the price to reflect the current condition of the home than to spend time, energy and money on upgrades, additions or modifications that at the end of the day will not result in increased profits. 

Here are the current winners & losers for remodel projects in the Southeast Region/Charleston, SC:

SELL YOUR HOME OVER THE HOLIDAYS

*** TOP TEN REASONS TO LIST YOUR HOME FOR SALE OVER THE HOLIDAYS ***

Most people believe they should take their home off the market during the holidays...WE BEG TO DIFFER!

Here are the top ten reasons why:

1. SERIOUS BUYERS - people who look for homes during the Holidays are serious buyers! You don’t have to waste your time with “tire-kickers” who are just wasting everybody’s time…
2. LESS COMPETITION - Serious buyers have fewer houses to choose from during the Holidays and less competition means more money for you. Since the supply of listings will dramatically increase in January, there will be more competition for the available buyers.
3. TIMING FO...

Smelly Affairs

The sense of smell is a powerful motivator. When prospective buyers walk into a house, their senses are alert to visual, audio and smell stimuli to form that “first impression” .

It is well known that buyers respond more positively if they smell freshly baking oatmeal cookies instead 
of the lingering odors of mold, cigarette smoke or a household pet. 

Because you are used to some smells, you may not notice odors that visitors are aware of as soon as they walk in the door. Before placing your home for sale, 
ask a friend or neighbor to give it a "sniff test". If they notice any odors, you bet potential buyers are going to notice them too.

So, how do you 
get rid of th...

Why Is My Home Not Selling?

If you have had your home on the market for several months, you may start to wonder why it just isn't moving. How can you encourage buyers to look at your house and introduce new "zest" into the sale?

The first thing to do is to get together with your REALTOR and discuss showing activity and feedback received from buyers and showing agents. Is it the CONDITION of the home? Is it the PRICE? Has it been EASY TO SHOW on short notice? It's a numbers game - the more showings you get, the faster it will sell, if it is priced right. 

CONDITION - Does your home look the very best it can? With many options to choose from, buyers prefer to buy "move-in-ready" homes th...

What Would Your Mother-in-Law Think?

You can bet on it - the KITCHEN is one of the key areas of a home that most buyers will look at to short-list their preferred homes from a long list of available listings. A smart seller will devote time, attention and money to make the kitchen sparkle! Although many buyers want an updated kitchen (solid surface countertops, modern cabinets, stainless steel appliances, etc.), your kitchen does not have to be state-of-the art to be appealing.

Think first impressions: What would you do to impress your mother-in-law if she was coming to visit?

The first step towards enhancing the appeal of your kitchen is giving it a thorough cleaning and tidying up. M...

Why You Should NOT be Present During Your Home Showings!  

Once your home is listed for sale, it may be a difficult thing for you to step aside and let your REALTOR take over. Essentially, once you list the home, it ceases to be "the place you live in" and becomes a "showroom designed to attract buyers".

When prospective buyers arrive, you may be tempted to hang around to point out the hidden cabinet behind the kitchen door, the energy-saving features, the irrigation system or the electronic fence. But your presence most likely will be a hindrance, rather than a plus. If you really wish to sell, it is always best if you and your family leave the house whenever it is being shown!

The ...

USING CREATIVE NEGOTIATIONS

If a Buyer has an 850 Credit Score, 45%  down payment and does not have to sell a home, his/her offer on your home may be a strong one! However, many Buyers are not in this situation. And while as a Seller you would  like to get your asking price, on a cash deal with no contingencies, an experienced listing agent will prepare you for the possibility of receiving offers that involve less than ideal conditions and may require some compromise.


Experienced REALTORS® know how to structure creative offers to try to make an offer work, given that “a bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush”. If a Buyer is low on cash, your Seller counter-offer may includ...

Keeping the Transaction Together

One of the most critical services a REALTOR can provide, is the ability to "keep the deal together" until closing.

Many Buyers and Sellers believe that, once the contract is signed, it is a binding commitment on both parties and things will flow smoothly to the closing. This is not the case! In a Seller's market where prices are rising, Sellers may receive backup offers for higher price than the first contract they accepted, and are "chomping at the bit" to see the first contract fall through. In a Buyer's market, the Buyers may see another property that offers better value than the one they just wrote a contract on, and may find the way to get out, usin...

White Lies Sellers Should Avoid Telling...

Many states have mandatory "Seller Disclosure" laws to protect the public.

Some Sellers may be tempted to tell a few "white lies" when they want to sell their home - after all - how will the Buyers find out if any issues were fixed? Sellers may think no harm is done by omitting facts or "bending the truth". 

However, very few people will tolerate being lied to. Litigation often follows the failure to disclose a known material fact about the house... 

The fact is there are some issues that call for brutal honesty or they may come back to bite you later! As your REALTORS, we always recommend our Seller clients to tell nothing but the complete ...

BUYER’S DUE DILIGENCE - INSPECTIONS AND REPAIRS

After you conclude negotiations and “ratify” (sign) a contract to buy a home, you will usually have 30-45 days to do your Buyer's “due diligence” before the closing. Most buyers will request both a home and a termite inspection to be done, to make sure the home does not have any major problems. 

Your home inspector and your termite inspector may spend anywhere from one to four hours going over the home with a fine tooth comb, noting any defects and items that need attention or repair.

As a Buyer, you will need to produce a Repair Addendum with all your requests for repairs (within 48 hours of the scheduled deadline) for the Sellers to con...

BE PROACTIVE - DEAL WITH THE DEFECTS 


In any residential real estate transaction, the Buyers will likely conduct home and termite inspections as part of their "due diligence" to make sure the home is in good condition (for the price). Even if you are selling your home "as-is" (which means you are not willing to pay for any necessary repairs), most buyers will include an inspection contingency clause in their offer. 

These contingencies will allow them to hire any number of experts (including a home inspector, a termite inspector and a structural engineer) to make sure that the house is safe, structurally sound, free of leaks and that all the systems are working properly (i.e. that th...