...Renting...?
...Credit score above 660...?
...Wish to BUY now to take advantage of market conditions, low interest rates and the $8,000 TAX CREDIT...?
If we believe everything the media throws at us we would be 100% sure that there are no more 100% loans available for buyers! However, that's not the case...A few banks still have a 100% loan programs for buyers with good credit scores (660 and up).
Interested? Contact me today! I'll help you buy your dream home with no money down...
Our oldest son Kai goes to college tomorrow. On the one hand, I am glad he's making his own future now. On the other hand, I know that I am not going to enjoy any more high school soccer games, and will have fewer Apples-to-Apples and ping-pong challenges with him gone...in any case, we know that there is now a spare bedroom in our home (until he comes home during the holidays!)
This got me thinking about life, and the cycle for real estate ownership. Normally people don't start thinking about investing in real estate until they get married or kids come along. Only the smart ones see that real estate is a great long-term investment and start early, as soon as they graduate from colleg...
The popular Travel and Leisure Magazine World's Best Award has just ranked Charleston (SC) their No. 4 city in the U.S. and Canada (behind New York, San Francisco and Chicago). This is not the first time our Holy City receives such an award, in 2007, Charleston had already ranked #6 and in 2006 it had also ranked #4.
This is a great honor for such a small city to be compared against some of the biggest and most cosmopolitan cities in the continent!
Travel & Leisure comes up with the ranking after an online survey is posted for three months, where respondents rate services like hotels, spas, cruise lines and restaurants on value, ambience and customer service. A minimum number of entries...
The 4th annual Flip-Flop Ball benefiting Wings for Kids is a local event (min. age 21) that has all the markings of the Lowcountry: Flip-flops, dancing, all-you-can-eat barbecue, open bar and live music (Two Three Ways and Kim Lhuillier & Tom Diettrich).
When: Sat, Jul 18, 2009 7-11 PM
Where: Goldbug Island, 1560 Ben Sawyer Blvd., Mount Pleasant, SC.
Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door. For more info or to purchase a ticket, go online.
Have you ever danced in your flip-flops?
Boone Hall Plantation in Mt. Pleasant holds the Boone Hall Summer Concert Series.
This Sunday, July 19th at 5:30 pm (music starts at 7 pm) The Little River Band will animate the beautiful oaks and gardens of this Southern plantation.
You can come buy wine, beer and food, and enjoy a picnic-concert in a joyful summer evening setting under the oaks.
Tickets are $20 if you purchase them in advance, or $25 at the gate. You can also reserve seats. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.
I thought that we had seen the last of the loans without income verification!
I just received a promo email advertising a "Stock Loan" for those who have a stock portfolio but don't have two years' tax returns as independent contractors, or lack the ability to show supporting income from employment or investments.
Has your stock portfolio tanked? You may still be able to use it to make some savvy investments!
With the recent tightening of the "traditional" mortgage loan markets, this could be the perfect solution for people seeking bridge loans, new construction purchase, lot purchase, home purchase, refinancing, investment property purchase, commercial property purchase & develop...
This 4-br. elevated home facing the marsh has great advantages!
Golf community with pools, clubhouse, tennis courts, walking trails. Very close to the beach!
Click here for more details or to arrange a showing!
Reuters and the University of Michigan conduct a monthly consumer confidence survey, to gauge the attitude and expectations of U.S. consumers - measuring what people think will happen in the coming months.
The latest survey results shows the consumer confidence index rising to 69 in June (up from 68.7 in May), its highest since September of '08 when Lehman Brothers collapsed. The slighlty improvement in attitude is great news, but came dampened by job and income uncertainty which still has consumers on hold for certain planned purchases. This economic recovery is thought to be slower than originally anticipated, so consumers are expecting a longer period of time before things really star...
Expert Barbara Corcoran appeared in the Today Show a while back, talking about some of the myths that the slow property market has created. She's right: I have come across most of these during my dealings with buyers and sellers:
Buyer mythunderstandings:
1. "The longer a house has stayed on the market, the more you can negotiate on the price" - This is not always true. More typically, if a home has stayed on the market it is because the seller is unrealistic on the price, and holds on stubbornly to his/her idea of value. However, personal situations do change and I have found sellers that were once "ice fishing" for a buyer with no real motivation can suddenly get some urgency to sell...
Nature is powerful: No matter where you live on the planet, there is always a danger of some sort. Earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, droughts, mudslides, tsunamis and - hurricanes. June 1st was the start of the Hurricane Season for the East Coast of the U.S.
In the Lowcountry we must be prepared for the eventuality of a hurricane. Although none have had a direct hit on Charleston since Hurricane Hugo did in 1989, we need to be prepared for this potentially devastating event. From a personal point of view, hurricanes are predictable, pepole can evacuate and get out of the way. From a real estate perspective there are a few things that property owners should plan for in advance:
About two years ago, the Charleston and Mount Pleasant landscapes changed for good: 
The two old, ricketty bridges that connected the Charleston Peninsula with Mount Pleasant were permanently replaced with a gorgeous new structure that altered the city's skyline forever and has become an identity icon for Charleston.
The Ravenel Bridge is a cable-stayed structure spanning the Cooper River. Its main span is 1,546 feet (471 m) long (the longest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere) and carries 8 lanes of traffic, plus a pedestrian and bike path.
The new bridge not only improved traffic dramatically. The following Post & Courier video talks about the positive effect the bridge has had on l...
Last week the new and improved Mount Pleasant Farmer's market was re-launched, as part of the Coleman Boulevard Revitalization project. The Farmer's Market meets every Tuesday afternoon next to the (also brand new) Moultrie Middle School and offers local vendor's produce, crafts and services, as well as entertainment for all family members. Here is a link to the ABC News story:
Many people are looking at real estate prices and thinking it's a great time to buy. And they are right. The problem is - they may need to sell their home first to complete their downpayment, and in a buyer's market, this sometimes can be a challenge.
It is important that you sit down with your REALTOR® and explore all the options available to you. Here are some of them:
Spoleto USA, the 2-week festival that makes Charleston a bright spot with music, art, theater and dance performances and exhibits is opening tomorrow, May 22nd!
The opening weekend include a performance of the opera Louise at the Gaillard Municipal Auditorium; the Don Juan tale Don John, at the Memminger Auditorium;and an Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performance. Check out all the events here.
This year the festival features one of my favorite dance troupes, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater...
New regulation recently passed this year allows Reverse Mortgages (HECMs) to be used for the purchase of a home. The requirements to obtain an HECM are that one of the homeowners needs to be over 62 years old, and the owners must have substantial equity in the home (the HECM only lends up to 50% of the appraised value of the home).
What is HECM for Purchase?
HECM for Purchase allows seniors, age 62 or older, to purchase a new principal residence using loan proceeds from the reverse mortgage.
What is the purpose of the program?
The program was designed to allow seniors to purchase a new principal residence and obtain a reverse mortgage within a single transaction by eliminating the need f...
I read this article published by Experian, one of the three national credit rating agencies, and thought it was interesting to share:
IN THE KNOW: The Top Three Credit Myths: Revealed
Myth #1: Checking my own credit report will lower my score
Personal inquiries, also known as "soft inquiries" or "below the line inquiries," are not visible to lenders and therefore are not part of your credit score calculation. So you can rest easy-checking your own credit report or score does NOT negatively impact your score.
Myth #2: Applying for new credit will actually lower my score
This depends on the type of credit you're applying for. If you apply for several credit cards within a short period of t...
Legal Jargon Overload
When you buy a home, the closing attorney (SC is an attorney state) will make you sign stacks of papers, affidavits and documents filled with legal jargon. Most of these documents relate to establishing your identity (for legal and tax purposes), transferring the deed, and formalizing any loans and mortgages.
Depending on their personality, some buyers are anxious to get out of there and get their keys (so they sign all the paperwork as fast as they can without even reading it) while others are extremely cautious and read every sentence before signing (and find it very frustrating to have to read these documents at the closing table, while causing everyone else to ...
Welcome to BuyHomesInCharleston.com. With the advances in information technology, the role of the REALTOR has changed in the last 15 years. Before the Internet became popular, REALTORS and their MLS associations controlled all of the information about listings; nowadays every other website will give the savvy buyer more information than what they really want or need.
Our role as REALTORS has changed: We have become LOCAL MARKET ADVISORS (information interpreters), fiduciary consultants, savvy negotiators and experienced business relationship managers with the objective of ensuring successful and smooth transactions from contract to closing and protecting our clients' best interests.
We ...
