JL's Columbia SC Real Estate Blog: November 2009

Columbia, SC Real Estate

 In this day and age of doom and gloom it's always nice to hear some good news. According to Forbes Magazine, Columbia, SC is one of the fastest recovering markets in the nation.

 The list was on the front page of Yahoo today and uses as always, several key factors in determining which U.S. are currently recovering the fastest. The Columbia, SC Metro area ranked 35 on that list. I'd say to be number 35 out of all the cities in the United States sounds pretty good to me.

 To read the full report and see the complete list, please click here.

Columbia, SC Real Estate 

Columbia, SC Foreclosures

 One thing is for sure when it comes to Columbia, SC foreclosures, the feeding frenzy is on. The fact of the matter is that foreclosed homes for sale in Columbia, SC have managed to garner a lot of attention from buyers who are in the market to get a good deal. Frankly most of them that I have seen and shown are not exactly what I would call move in ready, but the they get attention from buyers none the less.

 The obvious reasoning behind this is the exhausted media discussion over the amount of foreclosed homes nationwide. Well, we have a slightly different situation here in Columbia. Foreclosed homes do not drive our market, new construction homes from builders and new home communities do. I consider us lucky in this respect and there are a lot of great deals to be had on brand new homes, plus builders are rolling out some great incentives to spark the interest of buyers.

 But if you are a buyer in search of Columbia, SC foreclosures, you can find them. If you happen to see one that is in good condition, you may want to make a move on it, but your competition is definitely there. Most foreclosed homes for sale in Columbia see immediate attention due to buyer interest in them as well as their tendency to be priced below market value. If the home is in good condition however, it can quickly and easily receive several offers in a relatively short period of time.

 With that being said, you need to be sure you are aware of what market value is on a home, because if you are looking for a deal, the last thing you want to do is over pay. However, some buyers simply fall in love with a particular home and are more than willing to do just that. You just need to be sure that you are well informed and prepared to deal with the hurdles that inevitably accompany the purchase of a foreclosed home. And be sure you expect the competition, because it will be there.

Columbia, SC Homes for Sale

A quick explanation- This picture was taken on a beach in Freeport in the Bahamas. It was the first trip that my wife and I have taken out of the country and we had a blast. We went on a cruise, also our first, with my Father, and three other friends. Everyone had a blast and the Bahamas were great.

  During this day and age of faster than light Internet connections and so many places to maintain your Internet presence, it would be easy to lock yourself up in a little room and work on your laptop forever. There are countless sites that you can join, most are even free, that will help you stay in front of millions of potential clients and customers through the use of Social Media.

 Without a doubt it's here to stay in one form or fashion, and more and more people are making use of it. I got friend request on Facebook a couple months ago from my Mother, so now I know that everyone truly is on there. I would think that any or all of these places, provided you use them correctly, can be an excellent addition to your business plan and marketing strategy. After all, you do want to go where the people go and obviously for now, the people are interested in Social Media.

 But in the process of maintaining that online presence, try to remember the original Social Media. Actually going out in the public and meeting people. Your website is a fantastic form of advertising, so is your blog and anything else that you may have in your arsenal. But nothing will represent you better than yourself.

 So don't forget to make the most of opportunities to go to parties or get togethers and actually meet people in person. Some of the best friend requests you'll ever make consists of walking up to a stranger and introducing yourself with a handshake.

Columbia, SC Homes for Sale in Pickwick Place

 Searching for Columbia, SC Homes for sale and haven't settled on a community, maybe you should take a look at Pickwick Place in Northeast Columbia. Pickwick Place is located off of North Brickyard Road in Northeast Columbia, which runs between Two Notch Road and Farrow Road.

Pickwick Place is a mostly vinyl sided community with brick accents and is convenient to I-77 and I-20. Only 20 to 25 minutes away from Fort Jackson and 5 minutes away from all the shopping and dinning you could want along Two Notch Road and The Village at Sandhill.

Pickwick Place offers a great location for home owners looking to commute to Southeast Columbia, any part of Northeast Columbia, or downtown Columbia. Homes start in the low 100's and the tree lined streets offer a wonderful, well established look for buyers who are looking for more shade than some new home communities can provide.

 So if you are searching for Columbia, SC homes for sale, you may want to take a look at this little community. It might be the perfect place for your first home or your next home.

 Columbia, SC Real Estate

 Recently I wrote a post about HUD wondering how on Earth one single agent could take care of over 400 HUD listings spread across an entire state. I for one believe that there is no way that one agent can keep up with them all, but I suppose HUD and all their glory disagrees. But enough about that bone to pick, let's move on to another strike at the lack of genius that HUD has displayed.

 For those of you who are unaware of it, you have to be HUD certified in order to make an offer on a HUD listing. You can procure your own HUD key, and show the homes for sale, you just can't help your client make an offer without being certified. This takes about 8 to 10 wells to do.

 Now with that being said, let's talk about a funny little thing called disclosure. Would it not seem only right that a HUD listing be required to disclose this information on their listings, so people are aware of this fact? I sure think that it would be a disclosure issue in my opinion, but I could be alone.

 Well, when my good friend Suzanne McLaughlin decided she would check into this, her MLS told her that it should be disclosed. She was then nice enough to call and get a response from HUD on the subject and explain to them that they needed to disclose that information in their listings on the MLS or they would be subject to fines from her local board.

 Their response was basically the title of the post. They were unconcerned about the rules and regulations that the rest of us have to follow. They feel as if they are about following the rules, after all they are HUD. So what do you think? Should they be above the rules?

 I take real issue with the belief that Government run organizations should be able to ignore the rules that the rest of us must follow so closely. I flat out take offense to their answer to Suzanne, but it's exactly what I would expect out of a Government entity. Sad that I would.

 So here's your chance to make a believer out of me. Tell me I'm an idiot for being offended, a fool for wasting your time while reading this post, or tell me that you don't like the people your tax money pays treating us like second hand citizens. Tell me something rather than looking the other way and letting it go.