JL's Columbia SC Real Estate Blog: April 2008

Month	Year	Units Listed	Listed Volume	Listed Average	Units Sold	Sold Volume	Sold Average	Average DOM
Month	Year	Units Listed	Listed Volume	Listed Average	Units Sold	Sold Volume	Sold Average	Average DOM
Mar	2008	401	92,768,469	231,342	183	32,371,075	176,891	108
Totals:		401	92,768,469	231,343	183	32,371,075	176,891	108

Total Listed:401	Sold Units:183	Remaining Units:218	Inventory Accum.:1.19 *
Min Sold Price: $29,000	Average Sold Price: $176,891	Median Sold Price: $153,150	Max Sold Price: $690,000
Min List Price: $24,900	Average List Price: $231,342	Median List Price: $173,535	Max List Price: $1,795,000
* Inventory Accumulation (in months) = (# Remaining Units)/(# Sold Units/# Months)

 Though Northeast Columbia, SC real estate has not yet reached it's prime for the year, houses are selling and sellers are listing. The average days on the market are up a little compared to recent years, but the houses in Columbia, SC have ignored the national average on appreciation. While nationwide, the price of houses is on the decline, here in Columbia we have had 4.8% increase on average. For more information on Columbia, SC, or to search homes for sale in Columbia, SC, please log on to www.jlboney.com. Or call me today @ 803-730-9601.

 Is this a talent that you are blessed with? Lately I have been focusing more time with working on the FSBO market. I must admit that I have not had the most luck just yet, but I am still tweaking my system.

 Basically what I do is put together a packet for the FSBO, with helpful information. This includes a CMA, comps from houses that sold in the past six months in their neighborhood, and what is actively on the market in the neighborhood. I also include a blank property discloser statement alond with a message they are responsible for providing any purchaser of the property with a signed copy of the statement. It is the law in South Carolina, whether or not you list with an agent.

 I also include cards for closing attorneys, real estate attorneys, lenders, home inspectors, and home remodelers. Anything that I think would be helpful information for the seller, I include in the package and set it up in the form of a nicely put together presentation. Then, I follow up a few days after mailing the package with a phone call to see if the information was helpful or not, and if I can help them any further. Then, I will call again periodically to see how things are going.

 Again, I must admit that I have not gotten a great response. Most of the FSBO's have listed with other agents. Do you have any advice on improving my ability to work with FSBO's? What do you do? What has been successful for you?

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This message brought to you by http://www.jlboney.com/.

 When I was a child, I talked like a child........I walked like a child...........and I reasoned like a child. Then when I became a man, I put down my childish ways.

 I remember hearing those words as a child and doing what most children do, ignoring them. These words meant nothing to me, nor did the countless gems of advice that my elders bestowed upon me.

 I heard those words again earlier today, for the first time since I was a child. This time, rather than ignore them, I felt that I was ignorant for all the times someone told me precious advice and I did not listen. It's not like I knew any better at the time. When you are young and know everything there is to know, what on Earth could you possibly learn from another mere mortal? It's not like they have already been through everything that you are going through at the time.

 I have also heard that youth is wasted on the young. Remember though, you were young once too, and we all have to make our own mistakes. Rather than thinking of the youth as being wasted, think of young people as a life yet to be determined. No one knows what they are going to do, not even them most of the time. If you had told me as a child I would grow up to become a Realtor, I would have laughed at you. If you told me as a teenager that I would one day be married, you would have solicited the same response.

 Now I'm married and a Realtor. Happy at both, but I never really thought about it so very much until I heard those words repeated today. I had not even thought of them in many years. But know that my reckless abandon of childhood has begun to fade, I now constantly laugh to myself about how smart I used to be. I used to know everything and now I have been reduced to having to figure it out all over again.

 So, for any of you out there who happen to have teenage children, be sure you do not waste this valuable resource. You have been given a second chance to once again posses the knowledge that we all once held dear. To once again know everything. All the answers are right there at your finger tips. You just have to ask.

 When I was a child, I talked like a child........I walked like a child...........and I reasoned like a child. Then when I became a man, I put down my childish ways.  Somethings will always be worth repeating!

This message brought to you by www.jlboney.com.

 I write this blog today, not as a Realtor, but as a consumer. As a customer that expects a certain amount of customer service. Though, I realize that in this day and age that is far too much to expect. After all cutomer service is an oxymoron, and is usually run by morons. If you are in customer service and you do a good job, then let that last comment slide by you. If you don't do the job you should, feel free to be offended.

 Now, back to the point of this whole thing, if you ever have the opportunity to have any involvement with South Carolina Federal Credit Union, do not do so. I have had absolutely nothing trouble with this financial institution. So, while I will endorse no other bank specifically, I definatley will never in my life recomend SC Federal Credit Union.

 The first problem I had was that my pin number for my debt card never came to me. So, no big deal I just went in and got the card set up with a new pin number. Then I could not check my account on-line. So, I once again went in to solve this issue. That directly led to my next issue. The people in customer service that I dealt with were very rude and talked to me as if I was too dumb to figure out how to check my balance on-line. Come to find out that when I changed the pin number for the card, they never changed it on my on-line account and I needed it to log in and check the account.

 The next problem came when I was charged $40 dollars, because I was not receiving my mail, according to the credit union. I again went in and attempted to resolve the issue. This time I asked to speak with a manager and explained to her that I was receiving my mail and I would like to have my money refunded, because there was a mistake. She told me that it was too late for me to receive a full refund, that she could give me at most $10 back. So, I felt compelled to ask why I could not have all money back.

 She then said that since I had been receiving my mail, that I had been receiving my statements and it was my responsibility to dispute a fee within a reasonable amount of time. So, in case you totally missed what just happened, I received fees because I wasn't receiving my mail. Yet I could not get my money back, because I was receiving my mail. And by the way, this whole thing is completely my fault. I put the money in the credit union, but it's my responsibility to keep the money safe.

 Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought we put our money in the bank so we didn't have to bury it in the backyard and it would be safe. I just bought two cases of Maison jars, so I am good to go for a while.

 Needless to say, I wanted to close my account. I left some money in the account in order to cover a couple of checks that I wrote and took the rest out. Then  I went back later and told the teller I wished to completely remove any remaining money from the credit union. Today I received a letter from the credit union, that I was being charged an inactive account fee. They could not even get closing the account correctly, so now I'm being charged more fees. I will be closing the account first thing in the morning, but before I do, I will be requesting a list of names and contact information for the board of directors for the credit union and the president. Each and every one of them will get a letter and a phone call from me, so they can each hear how dissatisfied I am with their service and I will be sure to tell anyone that will listen, never ever use this credit union.