Do you believe home purchase is out of your reach?  Do you feel overwhelmed just thinking about it?  Don't let these home buying myths overwhelm you.  They're not even true! Let’s demystify some of the most common myths about purchasing. Myth #1:  My Credit Score Isn’t Perfect Fact:  As of February

When Covid caused hardships for homeowners, the government put into place forbearance plans to avoid a surge in foreclosures.  Homeowners were able to stay in their homes without making their monthly mortgage payments.  Today, almost three million households are actively in a forbearance plan.  If t

Talk of a housing bubble is beginning to crop up as home prices have appreciated at a rapid pace this year. This is understandable since the appreciation of residential real estate is well above historic annual averages. According to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), annual appreciation si

Credit Score While a recent announcement from CNBC shares that the average national FICO® score has reached an all-time high of 706, the good news for potential buyers is that you don’t need a score that high to qualify for a mortgage. Let’s unpack the credit score myth so you can to become a homeow

Through these unique and challenging times, you may have found your home becoming your office, your children’s classroom, your workout facility, and your family’s safe haven. With close to four in ten Americans now working remotely due to COVID, they are rethinking what they need in a home.  Half of

What Does Owning Your Own Home Mean to You? We often talk about the financial reasons why buying a home makes sense. But, more often than not, the emotional reasons are the more powerful and compelling ones. The concept and feeling of home can mean different things to different people. Whether

I’m sure everyone has heard the saying “60 is the new 40!”  The senior generation today is definitely more active, physically fit, and social.  With this, there is a growing desire to create a lifestyle that adapts and facilitates a community of like-minded people.  There is a comfortable feeling b

There’s a current narrative that owning a home today is less affordable than it has been in the past. The reason some are making this claim is that house prices have substantially increased over the last several years. Factors for Home Affordability House affordability.  It’s not just the price of

Summerville had a great year for real estate in 2019.  Interest rates remained historically low, prices appreciated over 5%, and homes took less than 30 days to sell.  Summerville sold over 3500 homes this year, keeping on par with the last two years.  Below are the numbers.  Click on the graph to s

Your August Monthly Market Update will give you a snapshot of what's going on in the real estate market as well as what the experts expect in the coming months.  First, we'll review home pricing.  Then we'll address the talk about a coming recession.  Lastly, we'll discuss the housing affordability.

  How Property Taxes Affect Your Payment When buying a home, taxes are one of the expenses that can make a significant difference in your monthly payment. Do you know how much you might pay for property taxes? When applying for a mortgage, you’ll see one of two acronyms in your paperwork – P&I or

Often we look back and say, "I wish I would have ..."  This is particularly true of homeownership when we hear of someone who purchased a home years ago for what now seems like a ridiculously low price.   At the time it didn't seem like a "ridiculously low price".   So the more relevant question is

The quick answer is yes.  Let’s dig into why. Termites are attracted to warm climates and moisture, two things that are common in South Carolina.  There are actually Termite Infestation Probability Zones (TIP Zones) and South Carolina is located in TIP Zone #1 indicating a very high potential for t

Congratulations to you if you have decided to buy a home for your family. Are you going to buy an older, existing home or you feel tempted by new construction? Resale vs new construction. This is a dilemma faced by many home buyers and they find themselves torn apart as they cannot decide which home

Once you've identified the house you want to make a home, the next important step is getting it at the very best price with the very best terms. It's easy to oversimplify negotiations to just about price, but there are so many other things that come into play to get the best deal. A great contract c

When purchasing a home, you will need to acquire homeowners insurance. In fact, all lenders will require a policy to be in force prior to funding the loan. Make sure you have enough coverage, should anything happen. Policies refer to "replacement costs" that may not cover everything. You should ask

Not sure if you can afford to buy?  Wondering if you should just rent? There are many articles out there on the rent vs buy debate, and opinions on what you should do, but how do you really know what’s right for you? Well here is some local information that will be useful in making your decision. T

Summerville New Homeowners Many first time homebuyers wait to enter the market because they think they need a 20% down payment, or don't realize the benefits of buying sooner than later. If that's you, please keep reading! According to the Confidence Index Survey by the National Association of Real

Benefits of Homeownership beyond the Financial Many people want to be homeowners for a variety of reasons. It’s always been known as "The American Dream." While there are many financial benefits of homeownership, a study by the National Association of Realtors findings show there are other benefits

Buying a home in a seller’s market can be frustrating, especially if you’re not aware of the market conditions, find your dream house, and lose it because you were not prepared. Markets change constantly. They vary city to city and even neighborhood to neighborhood but one thing is consistent latel