Site marker for Bennettsville Tornado
Harrelson’s story is unique for the start of the storm he encountered because he was in Bennettsville soon after the tornado ripped through parts of the Pee Dee. Ron of Aiken & Company in Florence is joining in the REALTOR® lead effort to collect donations and supplies for the Joplin tornado victims and is providing a drop off point for Florence residents that wish to support this worthy cause. The final day for donations is June 10, 2011. Contact Jenna Kinard at B&P, Inc. for more information. 843-479-7151.
The Five Star Conference and Expo being held in Dallas TX in September is one of the best events for REO and Default Servicing Professionals in the Industry. This year the FSC is holding a contest and will be giving away a full conference package including hotel stay.
This is a wonderful opportunity for an REO Professional like myself to attend for free. All I have to do is get your support by watching my I am a Leader Video. Who knows, you might get inspired to make one for yourself. Thank you in advance for your help. Please share it with your friends on FB, Twitter, your blog…
Did I mention my birthday is in September? This would be a very nice present and learning experience for me.
As spring rolls into summer and the tempatures rising along the Grand Strand it seems everyone wants to head out to the pool. If you are lucky enough to have one in your community you certainly pay for it through your HOA fees. Some municipalities are cutting budgets and pools are one of the first to go in an effort to control spending. With options disappering just as the summer is starting to heat up are you ready for your own swimming pool?
Adding a swimming pool to your yard might add to your family enjoyment but it won’t necessarily add to your homes value. If you won’t be staying in your home for the long term it doesn’t make sense to add a pool especially if home values in your neighborhood are declining as many have been over the last year. One option could be a kiddie pool that you can take with you when you move and small inground pools are great for small spaces and small budgets.
An inground pool with hardscaping can turn unused space into a family oaisis perfect for relaxing or entertaining. There are many choices in materials and finishes and adding a pool is just one part of the process. You have to consider the landscape too both for where to site your pool and how you will landscape around it. Just make sure your HOA will allow you to add a pool and what type you can add as many people may find they are restricted.
Along with a new pool comes new responsibilities including keeping chemicals in check. Even salt water pools need to be monitored for health of your family and longevity of your investment. In addition all pools are prone to staining and need to be cleaned on a regular basis and if you aren’t up to the task you can certainly hire someone to do it for you just make sure you add it to your budget. Caring for landscaping, decks and fencing should also be taken into consideration when you are deciding if you are ready for a swimming pool.
After seeing the devastating tornados rip through many communites and Joplin in particular I could not help but feel a huge sense of need. People lost their homes and loved ones much as they did in Bennettsville, SC on March 28, 1984 but on a much larger scale. In the 1984 event in South Carolina people came from every direction to help the citizens that lost everything. Today we are reaching out to help those affected by this most recent outbreak.
It is so wonderful to see the citizens of Bennettsville step up to lead the effort to help those who need so much. An 18 wheeler has been donated to take the supplies and will be leaving Bennettsville on June 10, 2011. Please visit our event page to learn more about how you can help us with this important endeavor.
With over 4500 condo units for sale in the Myrtle Beach area second & vacation home buyers along with real estate investors have an enormous challenge when deciding what will be the best place to purchase and enjoy all the Grand Strand has to offer. Knowing the right place when you find it might be easy at first glance but there are many factors aside from location that must be considered.
With a budget in mind I can assist buyers in cutting through some of the clutter but how and when the units will be used could help to stretch any budget in this popular resort area and while many condo buyers may not want to be landlords, that is ideal for real estate investors that pick Myrtle Beach in order to take advantage of the influx of visitors each year.
For some ocean front is a must but don’t forget Myrtle Beach has an abundance of golf courses and many condos right on the greens and renting or living off the beach has many advantages in addition to being able to flow cash for investors. The amenities at any given location can be quite similar but the costs for HPR is often a factor that many buyers need to study before commiting to a purchase contract. While one project has monthly fees that includes insurance, others do not and there can also be special assessments and unexpected expenses that can and do occur.
Even if you are paying cash for a condo unit you would want to make sure you could sell the unit to someone who might need to finance and the rules have changed when it comes to financing condo units and could change again tomorrow. Then there are conversion units and tenant ratios and some of us like the idea of renting but the banks might not be keen on the prospect and the list goes on.
There are some great opportunities to own a condo in the Myrtle Beach area and just as many reasons why buyers continue to flock to the area for vacations each year. Buying a second or vacation home or a condo to generate cash flow are all possible along the Grand Strand and prices have never been better. Just make sure you do your homework prior to jumping into the Myrtle Beach condo market or at least find a REALTOR that can help you find your way around and land you in the pefect spot for you and your family. Copyright©2011 Sandra Bundy, Broker-in-Charge, B&P, Inc. Serving the Pee Dee and Grand Strand of South Carolina.
According to NAR sales of existing homes rose approximately 3.7% in March as many are looking for good news in the housing markets. In the Myrtle Beach area single family home sales were up 7.9% from March 2010.
While the number of homes sold increased so did the number of distressed sales that saw a 27% increase over March of last year. Myrtle Beach area numbers for cash sales are at 35% and in line with the national average while distressed sales edged up to over 38% of sales compared March of last year.
These numbers are a broad snapshot of all single family sales in the MLS and as a whole the sale price increased in the Myrtle Beach area to an average sale price of $238,587 for March. This is a 9% increase over sale prices in March of 2010. Copyright©2011 Sandra Bundy, Broker-in-Charge, B&P, Inc. Serving the Pee Dee and Grand Strand of South Carolina.
Murrells Inlet Waterfront
I spent the weekend showing condos to a very nice young man who is moving to Murrells Inlet from PA. While I had my doubts about some of the underpriced properties many of the units we previewed have great attributes that buyers will love. With many units priced below $100k and reasonable HOA fees it was only a matter of which one appealed most to my new client but there is certainly something to appeal to a wide range of buyers.
Golfers would love the first floor unit with a screen porch overlooking the green that made up for the sameness of the buildings exterior. Then there is the gardeners delight that is rare in Murrells Inlet that gives the unit owner a small piece of land to cultivate to their hearts content. Investors will take notice of the 3BR’s in the heart of the Grand Strand that with a little TLC would be ideal for rental units with bargin prices to match.
The condo market has been hit hard by the housing crash and the excess inventory gives buyers many choices when it comes to making a real estate purchase. Selection has never been better in the Murrells Inlet area for bargin priced condos and many will make great vacation homes and primary residences in addition to making great rental units for investors. While there are many choices on the South Carolina coast when it comes to location you can’t go wrong with anything in Murrells Inlet. Copyright©2011 Sandra Bundy, Broker-in-Charge, B&P, Inc. Serving the Pee Dee and Grand Strand of South Carolina.
The Port City of Georgetown has seen a surge in single family home listings in the first quarter on 2011 that appears to be continuing. The 268 active single family home listings in Georgetown equates to approximatley 50% increase in listings over the first 4 months of 2011.
The median sale price in Georgetown in 2010 hovered at $150,000 a level not seen for single family real estate since 2003 when the median sale price for the year was $147,000. Considering the improvement in Georgetown employment picture over the last few months there are many bargins to be found for home buyers in Georgetown.
There are many great neighborhoods with homes priced below $100,000 giving buyers many more affordable options. Georgetown has a much slower pace than other areas along the Grand Strand. While only 85 homes sold in 2010 it is likely that number will be higher as the real estate market continues to recover. Copyright©2011 Sandra Bundy, Broker-in-Charge, B&P, Inc. Serving the Pee Dee and Grand Strand of South Carolina.
Murrells Inlet Real Estate
