Landmark Home in the Heart of USC!

1907 Pendleton Street Now For Sale

Built in 1910, this stately home offers upscale living in an urban environment. The home features over 3000 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, and is in close proximity to USC, 5 Points, and the downtown area.

Located on a quiet street in the heart of USC, this renovated house boasts a new kitchen with granite countertops, stained cabinets, and newer appliances. Beautifully refinished, wide plank hardwood floors and high ceilings create an open feel.

USC Home

Relax in the Florida room, walk to a local restaurant, or retire to the whirlpool tub! The large, open 3rd floor can be used as a bedroom, recreation room, or office. A new roof was put on in 2008, and the house includes a transferrable termite bond.

See a virtual tour of this home, click here. For more information and pictures, go to my website.

Is this simply not the home for you? Call me today and I will assist you in finding your ideal home!

If you are a first- time home buyer, or have not purchased a home within the past 3 years, the deadline for taking advantage of the $8,000 tax credit ends on November 30, 2009. (It is actually the lesser of either 10% of the home cost or $8,000). Why I am telling you this? Simple. Why would you not want to take advantage of this home buyer tax credit offer if you have the means? I personally feel like they should have given everyone a tax credit for purchasing a home, but I will address that when I run for office.  Ha…

Who is eligible to receive this tax credit? As I mentioned, as long as you have not owned a home within the past 3 years, you are eligible. In addition, the buyer cannot have an adjusted income of over $75,000. If the adjusted income is over $75,000 and does not exceed $95,000, then the home buyer is will receive a reduced tax credit.

How does this tax credit really work? Well….let’s say you owe $3,000 on your taxes for 2009. If you purchased a new home prior to December 1, 2009 (thus meeting the deadline), the IRS will give you the difference. Yes, they are going to cut you a check for $5,000! Is this a no-brainer or what? With interest rates at an all time low I am urging all first-time home buyers to get pre-approved and buy, buy, buy! You will be thanking yourself in 3 years when everything has turned around with the housing market.

Not only is the first-time home buyer going to benefit from this, but the market will hopefully see inventory lowered, buyer sentiment improved, and overall economic recovery heading in the right direction.

Please visit this site for more information on the $8,000 Tax Credit.

A great way to market your home for top dollar is to have a home inspection prior to putting it on the market. With the pre-listing home inspection you can make the repairs or identify them and factor them in the price. You have greatly reduced the chance of nasty surprises coming up after the buyer’s inspection. Unexpected repairs can mean money you hadn’t planned to spend or complete renegotiation of the price by a savvy buyer during the option period. Knowing about repairs in advance can make for win/win negotiations, especially if one party can easily make the repairs and the other would need to hire the work done by an expensive professional.

Quick fixes before selling a home always pay off, but which repairs bring the biggest return? Specific answers to this often-asked question largely depend on a variety of factors such as:

• Time of year
• Location of the home
• Market temperature
• Competing inventory

There is no hard and fast rule. But there are general guidelines that apply to most homes. For example, the National Association of Realtors publishes each year the Cost vs. Value Report with Remodeling Magazine, which features various home project costs and returns in four regions, including a national average.

Overall, buyers want to buy a home that has no deferred maintenance, newer appliances, updated plumbing, electrical and heating (including a/c), modern conveniences and is ready to occupy.

If you’re selling your home yourself you’ll have to go out of your way to make it easy for house hunters to tour your home. Without a lock box, you or a friend will have to be at your home to meet agents and their clients. And you must always remember that having you as the seller at the house is, according to most real estate pros, a significant disadvantage. House hunters are less likely to open closets, dawdle in bathrooms, and check out your new basement if you’re hanging over their shoulder or watching TV in the living room. And if they don’t linger, they won’t have a lasting impression of your home. If you absolutely must be at home while potential buyers are there, try to stay busy in the yard or garage. Above all, do not follow them around the house pointing out your remodeling projects or the cute wallpaper you hung in the kids’ rooms.

If you have simply had enough, hire a Realtor! Over 80% of those who attempt to sell their home For Sale By Owner end up using a Realtor.

Simply put, living green means making conscious choices that are healthy for you, others, and the environment. This can be complicated and may feel overwhelming, but one can start small and move forward!

Where do we start in the home? Here are some simple steps one can take to living a greener life while at the same time saving money:

1) Water heaters – Lowering your water heater to 120° will save you money in the long run, and helps reduce carbon emissions. Better yet, installing a tank less hot water heater is the way to go. You never run out of hot water, and it only heats the water when you need it. There are tax incentives for doing this as well. Rinnai is one company that offers this product.

2) Adjusting your thermostat – Moving your thermostat a degree or two can have a big impact! One can save 5% for every degree you lower your thermostat below 70° in the winter, and 2% for every degree shaved off above 72° in the summer. Use fans and bundle up!!

3) Checking your air filters – Most HV/AC companies check residential units twice a year, in the summer and fall when temperatures begin to change. While this is better than nothing, you can increase your efficiency by checking them once a month. Checking to make sure they are clean can save you 5-15% on your bill!

4) Cutting down air leaks in your home – Studies show that air leaks can increase your heating and cooling cost by 10%. The best remedy is to caulk and seal these areas which will decrease your carbon footprint.

5) Lights – Regular light bulbs only convert about 5-10% of its energy into light! The rest is wasted as heat. Using compact florescent bulbs (CFL’s…the swirly light bulbs) that conserve energy and last longer helps. It is also recommended that you try to maximize any natural light that you can. Energy Star offers more information on this product.

So now you can make a list and head to your local hardware store to get the ball rolling! These 5 simple steps should make you feel better about your contribution to living a greener life. And… you will save money! Who doesn’t want to save money? For more information on living green, go to The Daily Green.

My philosophy in business and life is having a balanced approach. The concept of balance in all things brings about harmony, growth, and clarity on how to move forward. This is where the housing market is currently failing. The housing market is way out of balance! Inventory is high, buyer and sellers are butting heads on pricing, foreclosure rates are increasing, and the government’s loan modification process is not working like it should (58% of loan modifications currently do not work).

Jim Gillespie, President and CEO of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, appeared on Fox News this past Thursday to discuss the state of the housing industry. Here is the clip of Jim Gillespie Fox News Clip.

Bottom line: Housing Needs To Be Balanced! Yes, we are still in an economic “funk”, but there are steps we can take to improve this. The first thing we need to do is get people back out there buying Columbia City homes. We currently have approximately 9.8 months of inventory on the market. The media creates negative emotion and fear, paralyzing Columbia City buyers and sellers. How do we get more people willing to buy homes, thus stimulating local economies? According to Mr. Gillespie, the government should lower all 30 year conventional rates to 4% for 12 months. In addition, provide a $15,000 tax credit for “every” home purchased that is for a primary residence. Currently, there is an $8,000 tax credit for Columbia City first time home buyers. We need to offer buyers alternative incentives to the continual lowering of housing prices. Consumers are waiting for prices and rates to lower for the ultimate feeding frenzy.

This sit and wait approach is stagnate. When in a recession, 6 out of the 7 times housing has brought us out. If we can balance housing, we can begin to see the economy balanced!

If you have the ability to borrow, money has never been cheaper! Average rates on 30-year fixed mortgages in South Carolina rose 3 basis points to 4.87 today. A basis point is one-hundredth of a percent. According to Bankrate.com, the mortgages in a recent  survey had an average of 0.66 discount and origination points. An origination fee, or activation fee, is a payment associated with the establishment of an account with a bank, broker or other company providing services handling the processing associated with taking out a loan.  Discount points are used to buy down the interest rates, temporarily or permanently.

What does this mean? Let’s use a 30-year mortgage as an example. A 30-year fixed mortgage is a loan that has an interest rate that stays the same for the 30-year term of the loan. Someone taking out a $165,000 30-year fixed mortgage at the current average would pay $872.69 a month for the life of the loan.

The highest rate in South Carolina on a 30-year fixed mortgage was found at one institution that charged 6.000 percent. The lowest rate was found at two institutions that charged 4.250 percent. Six months ago, the average rate in South Carolina was 5.85 percent.

Currently, Coldwell Banker Mortgage is offering the following:

• 30yr Conventional fixed is at 4.5%
• 15yr Conventional 4.2%
• 30yr FHA 4.6%
• 30yr VA 4.7%
• 30yr Jumbo fixed is at 6.0%
• 15yr Jumbo fixed is at 5.75%
• Refinances have been running about .2% higher than the rates above.

While borrowing remains cheap at this point, the criteria has remained a little tight. The criteria parameters for the above rates are: 150k loan amount, 1% origination, no discount points, 5% down, primary home, with 720 middle credit score.  The criteria parameters for Jumbo pricing are as follows:  $417,001 loan or more, 0% origination with 10% minimum down with 720 middle credit score.

For a no-obligation, same day pre-approval, contact Coldwell Banker Mortgage.  Once you’ve submitted your application by phone, you’ll receive a decision the same day or they will pay you $250!

Rates are low, inventory is high. Now is a good time to buy!