home buying: Sales Info, Or How Are We Doing, Really? - 01/16/11 11:43 AM
Been awhile since I've posted any sales information.  As I'm not selling real estate anymore I've found it better to leave those posts to people who are actually in the trenches.
But, I thought maybe I'd take a quick look at how last year went, compared to the three years before.  Are we better? Worse? About the same?  Well, here goes...
The usual caveats apply.  This information addresses only residential properties.  I did not look at commercial or land.  These properties were in and around the Sumter area (Sumter, Lee and Clarendon Counties, for the most part).
This chart depicts solds, … (2 comments)

home buying: Video: Patriot Landing Subdivision, Sumter, SC - 03/07/10 01:30 PM
At the moment there are four homes listed in the MLS in this subdivision. This subdivision is just off Patriot Parkway, aka Hwy 441 until it gets to the intersection of the highway and Loring Mill Road, at which point it turns into Wise Drive.  Streets do that here -- cross an intersection, you're on a different street.  Takes some getting used to. All four homes are two-story vinyl, ranging from a little over 2,300 square feet to a little over 2,800 square feet.  One of the homes for sale is the model. They range in price from $160,125 to $289,500.  … (0 comments)

home buying: Home Sales Data for Sumter, SC October 16-31, 2009 - 11/04/09 08:38 AM
Home Sales Data, October 16-31, 2009 Sumter, SC This information was for residences only; I did not include land or commercial properties.  I looked only at Sumter and the surrounding area.For the period October 16-31, 2009, there were 75 new listings on the market.  Lowest list price was $10,000 for a 56-year-old 720-square-foot house with no heating or air system, in need of electrical work.  Highest list price was $285,900 for a 3-year-old 3001-square-foot home in a golf-course community. Nine of the new listings are new construction, and one is a duplex (although it's in the MLS as a condo/townhouse, it's … (0 comments)

home buying: Home Sales Data for Sumter, SC October 1-15, 2009 - 10/23/09 06:37 AM
Home Sales Data, October 1-15, 2009, Sumter, SC
This information was for residences only; I did not include land or commercial properties. I looked only at Sumter and the surrounding area.
Eight-two properties were newly listed between October 1-15, 2009. Lowest list price was $25,500 for a 26-year-old mobile home on an acre; the appliances do not convey.  Highest list price was $537,000 for a 25-year-old two-story home in an established subdivision of executive-type houses; it has a bit over 5,000 square feet, a vacuum system, a glassed-in porch, an in-ground pool and a lot of other spiffy amenities. Two of … (0 comments)

home buying: Refinancing Problems - 12/07/08 05:13 AM
There is a house we had listed in our office (before I was working here) in 2006.  It was a new construction (built in 2005, actually, and sold in February 2006). It has four bedrooms, four and a half baths, 3000 square feet, and sits on 2 acres. It has a sunroom, a garage that accommodates 3 cars (one single door and one double door), a deck in back, a screened porch, a gas log fireplace, and a security system.  This was as it was listed back in 2005-2006.  The list price was $299,000.  It sold for $270,000.
Fast-forward to today.  … (0 comments)

home buying: Housing Crisis and Attitudes - 09/27/08 05:34 AM
It’s a bad idea to take your cues for conduct of your personal life from television, but during the past few weeks, as the news gets worse and worse (banks failing, billions in taxpayer money needed to bail out failing financial institutions – do I get part ownership in those companies for my money? – and do I want it? – gas prices soaring and with the arrival of Ike, soaring again along with “out of gas” signs on gas stations – shades of the 70’s) I keep thinking about an episode of Law and Order: Criminal Intent.
One of the … (0 comments)

home buying: Dual Agency - 09/04/08 09:46 AM
Continuing on with the discussion of agency (clients and customers, who works for who and what it means), now I’ll address the concept of “dual agency.”
Dual agency occurs when a buyer makes an offer on a house that’s listed by the same company the buyer agent works for.  Classic dual agency is when the buyer makes an offer on a house that his buyer agent has listed.
[Mr. Rogers Voice]Can you say, “Conflict of interest?”  Sure – I knew you could.[/Mr. Rogers Voice]
I’ve twice represented buyers who purchased a home our company had listed.  I was not the listing … (0 comments)