shandon: How To Lock In A 4% Mortgage Rate For 10 Years - 05/05/11 07:23 AM
Columbia SC I have never been a big fan of adjustable rate mortgages....until this week.
A large mortgage bank in the midlands has just announced an ARM with a locked in rate of just 4.0% for 10 years that provides a great opportunity for home buyers who will only be in their homes for a limited period of time! On average, most first time home buyers live in their first house for 5 to 7 years. With home prices at their lowest levels in 4 years what a great way to begin building your financial stability for the future.
Some … (0 comments)
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shandon: Heathwood Neighborhood Celebrates 100th Anniversary With Zoning Changes - 04/06/11 03:37 AM
Columbia SC Tuesday evening Columbia City Council approved new zoning changes for Heathwood, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. After a developer recently tore down an old house in the Heathwood neighborhood and subdivided the land into home sites, stricter zoning standards have been adopted.
Heathwood homeowners will now need to get approval from Columbia's Design/Development Review Commission for all new construction. All new additions or enclosures visible from the road, including driveway work and demolitions, will now require approval. Permission by the Review Commission for general maintenance and repair work not visible from the road is not required.
The Whaley, Sherwood … (1 comments)
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shandon: How To Throw Away $100,000 - 08/24/10 01:56 PM
How To Throw Away $100,000
It's very easy. Rent a house.
Columbia, SC I was talking with a would-be home buyer the other day and he couldn't commit because of dropping home prices. He said he was paying $850 per month rent for his house.
If he rents for 10 years he has thrown away $100,000!
30 year mortgage rates are below 5% today and that same $850/month will buy you a $140,000 house.
We have no idea what that house will sell for in 10 years but most likely it will not lose $100,000 in value.
View all homes … (10 comments)
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shandon: Introducing The New Bank Of America Doctor Loan - 08/18/10 01:55 PM
Introducing The New Bank Of America Doctor Loan
A new program from Bank of America Home Loans called the Doctor Loan is for licensed, practicing doctors, including dentists and other medical professionals.
This home loan offers significant advantages for these buyers:
as little as 5% down on mortgages up to $850,000 employment start date up to 60 days after the closing is allowed student loan debt is not included in the total debt calculation as always, some restrictions do apply
For more information on these loans contact
Terry Edwards tedwards@sc.rr.com
www.FeaturedColumbiaHomes.com
Shandon Forest Acres Old Woodlands Heathwood
And all the … (2 comments)
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shandon: Mortgage Rates Drop To Lowest Level of 2010 - 05/13/10 12:47 PM
Mortgage Rates Drop To Lowest Level of 2010
Columbia SC Mortgage rates fell this week to the lowest level of the year, extending the great once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for home buyers.
The average rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage dipped to 4.93% this week from 5% a week earlier. Depending on your credit score, you could purchase a $200,000 home in the Columbia area for around $1,325 per month, including insurance and county taxes.
For more information on attaining your dream home contact
Terry Edwards tedwards@sc.rr.com
www.FeaturedColumbiaHomes.com
East Columbia Lake Katherine Forest Acres Shandon Rosewood NE Columbia
please add this … (0 comments)
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shandon: 100% Rural Housing Loans Are Still Alive! - 03/20/10 04:41 AM
100% Rural Housing Loans Are Still Alive!
Hopkins SC Golden Gate Mortgage still has 100% Rural Housing Loans available until the funding runs out. With a minimum credit score of 620 there is no required mortgage insurance to carry and the program is not limited to first time home buyers. Almost the entire community of Hopkins qualifies for the rural housing loans.
Non-traditional credit may substitute for lack of traditional credit history with a rural housing loan, such as utility bill payments and insurance premium payments and other forms of non-traditional credit.
This is a great program that assists professionals beginning … (1 comments)
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shandon: New Short Sale Program Should Simplify Home Sales - 03/15/10 02:00 AM
New Short Sale Program Should Simplify Home Sales
Short sales are not scary. They are just business as usual in today's economy. A short sale is an arrangement between the current home owner and their mortgage company. The mortgage company agrees to accept a buyer's offer that is less than the total amount owed to pay off the home.
Slumping housing prices and surging unemployment have brought on a wave of foreclosures
A short sale is simply the most economical solution to a problem. Mortgage companies will incur a smaller financial loss than from a foreclosure and borrowers are able to minimize … (6 comments)
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shandon: Completed Short Sale In Hopkins SC - 03/13/10 05:14 AM
Completed Short Sale In Hopkins SC
Hopkins SC This nice 4 bedroom home in the Rosecliff neighborhood on Trotter Road just sold.
Here is a great testimonial letter I received from the seller:
Terry Edwards exceeded our expectations and anticipated sidesteps along the way. We were out of state owners of a rental property that was a challenge from the beginning. Terry took everything in stride; repairs, paperwork; short sale documentation. It was all handled via email or fax and we were informed every step of the way. He guided a timely closing to the satisfaction of all parties involved. Terry is … (4 comments)
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shandon: Columbia SC --- Who We Are - 03/10/10 04:58 AM
Columbia SC --- Who We Are
I have been looking over some reports about our city recently and here is what I have learned about who we are and what others think about us.
According to a Forbes.com report of the most affordable cities in the U.S. for 2009, Columbia ranked No. 12 in the bang-for-your-buck column. This isn't surprising, considering the median home price is just over $150,000.
In an Urban Environment report of 72 cities conducted by the Earth Day Network we landed the No. 1 spot in the nation for parks and recreation opportunities. Again, this isn't … (3 comments)
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shandon: Commercial Growth Along Garners Ferry Road In Columbia SC - 03/07/10 07:00 AM
Commercial Growth Along Garners Ferry Road In Columbia SC
Columbia SC The face of the Garners Ferry Road (Hwy 378) area east of Columbia is changing again. From remodeling entire shopping centers to brand new franchises on both sides of the highway business is bustling. All the farms and fields are being replaced with asphalt and brick.
This shopping center was already standing when I moved to Columbia in 1967. The only tenant still here from back then is the Leesburg branch of the Post Office, where the flag is waving. The entire strip is getting a new facade and has needed … (2 comments)
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shandon: Lake Katherine Area of Columbia SC - 03/06/10 07:46 AM
Lake Katherine Area of Columbia SC
In the early 1900s Lake Katherine was a vacation spot with a few weekend cottages on dirt roads scattered along the banks. By the 1950s the City of Columbia had expanded to the largest in-town lake and brick ranch homes were being built by the hundreds. The Lake Katherine neighborhood is defined by Beltline Boulevard (the old trolley line), Forest Drive, Trenholm Road, I-77 and Fort Jackson Boulevard. MAP
Today the Lake Katherine area is one of the most desirable neighborhoods inside the Columbia city limits for families with some of the highest rated schools … (0 comments)
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shandon: Senate Finance Committee Pursues Lower Home Tax Rate - 02/24/10 03:15 AM
Senate Finance Committee Pursues Lower Home Tax Rate
COLUMBIA, S.C. A state Senate Finance subcommittee will soon take up legislation that would let homeowners pay the lower, owner-occupied tax rate on two homes. Residents currently pay a higher tax rate for property they own but don't live in full-time. But the opportunity to actually use either of the proposed bills requires that certain conditions be met.
Bill No. 1 would allow homeowners having difficulty selling their home to continue paying property taxes on the vacant home and their new home at the current homeowner rate.
Bill No. 2 would maintain … (2 comments)
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shandon: Snow In Normally Sunny Columbia SC - 02/15/10 10:44 AM
Snow In Normally Sunny SC
Columbia, SC About every 5 to 7 years it seems the arctic jet stream dips down our way with some moisture in it and blankets the normally temperate area. Columbia, the state capitol, was laid out in the late 1700s for its central location to allow access to all the residents. Mostly the snow line only dips into a few counties in the NW corner of the state where the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains are found. This past weekend we got to join in the fun, also.
The best thing about snow in Columbia is that … (4 comments)
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shandon: Homes For Sale in The Knollwood Neighborhood of Columbia SC - 01/14/10 05:44 AM
Homes For Sale in The Knollwood Neighborhood of Columbia SC
Columbia SC The Knollwood area was built in the 1960s and 70s behind the Veterans Hospital in southeast Columbia. Almost every home in the neighborhood is a brick ranch with a large yard.
The following photos are of homes currently for sale.
These mostly updated homes range from 3 to 5 bedrooms and have 1600 to 2700 square feet of heated space.
This area is in the Richland One school district and is zoned for some of the top rated schools in the district.
Located just off I-77 at Exit 9 (Garners Ferry … (3 comments)
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shandon: One Bedroom Condo In Downtown Columbia SC For $54,900 - 01/09/10 07:30 AM
One Bedroom Condo In Downtown Columbia SC For $54,900
Heathwood Court is an all brick neighborhood tucked away from Devine Street on Poinsettia
You would never know you were so close to Five Points, the University of South Carolina campus and all the restaurants and shopping along the Devine St corridor and The Vista
The interior features ceiling fans in the living room and bedroom
This home has smooth ceilings, fresh paint and new carpet throughout
This upstairs condo is located close to the clubhouse and the pool
For information on any homes in the Columbia area contact
Terry … (0 comments)
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shandon: Household Debt Drops By Record Amount - 12/10/09 01:54 PM
The U.S. Federal Reserve Board announced that household debt had its biggest ever decline in the third quarter, down 2.5% with mortgage debt falling 3.5% and credit card debt falling 3.25%.
It was the fifth consecutive quarterly decline in U.S. household debt, the Fed notes. At the same time, the difference between assets and liabilities, households' net worth, rose 5% to $53.4 trillion, the second consecutive quarter of expansion.
It looks like some stabilization is finally taking hold. The economic picture for 2010 is looking better all the time.
Terry Edwards Russell & Jeffcoat Realtors
… (6 comments)
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shandon: Buying A Home In Columbia SC? I've Got An App For That - 11/25/09 05:40 AM
Columbia SC
Whether you are looking to purchase a starter home in the suburbs, an intown property or a foreclosure in the Columbia, SC area you can find them right here.
http://www.featuredcolumbiahomes.com/Home_20_Search.html
Terry Edwards Russell & Jeffcoat Realtors
tedwards@sc.rr.com
The Hamptons Melrose Heights Shandon Rosewood Forest Acres Arcadia Lakes The Pines
and all the great neighborhoods that make up our city
Please bookmark this page for future updates
… (0 comments)
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shandon: $8,000 Homebuyer Tax Credit And The Trickle-Down Effect - 11/14/09 07:04 AM
Columbia SC $8,000 Homebuyer Tax Credit And The Trickle-Down Effect
I have not been an advocate of this Federal tax credit because I don't believe in government handouts.....receiving tax dollars for doing nothing. But I'm changing my mind.
After completing a recent short sale with Citi Mortgage I began to examine where all this money was put to good use.
The home buyer used roughly $6,000 of the credit to put toward the down payment and closing costs of the loan. This supplied work for the loan officer, the home appraiser, the underwriter of the loan, and various unforeseen employees at the … (3 comments)
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shandon: East Lake Homes For Sale In Columbia SC - 10/23/09 01:47 AM
East Lake Homes For Sale In Columbia SC
The East Lake subdivision in southeast Columbia was built in different phases from 2001 through 2006. The neighborhood is located just off Garners Ferry Road near the Veteran's Hospital and I-77.
This is a sample of the homes currently for sale in East Lake
There are currently 14 homes for sale in East Lake ranging from a 1250 square foot one story home to a huge 2600 SF two story that has 5 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths. These homes are priced from $115,000 to $169,900. The neighborhood is zoned for Richland school district one and students … (0 comments)
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shandon: DOW 10,000 We Barely Knew Ye - 10/16/09 07:36 PM
DOW 10,000 We Barely Knew Ye
That didn't last long. Bank of America posted a $1 billion third-quarter loss due to delinquent credit card and mortgage payments.
GE reported weaker-than-expected quarterly revenue which was disappointing after such strong reports by some other companies earlier in the week.
Closing at 9,996 is not a bad way to end the week, though. More earnings reports are on tap for next week and any good data should move us back higher. This has been a tremendous rebound from the first week of March when the DOW slipped below 7,000. Hopefully everyone's IRA and 401K holdings are looking much better than … (7 comments)
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