Discover Lake Keowee

1. Define your needs. Write down all the reasons for selling your home. Ask yourself, “Why do I want to sell and what do I expect to accomplish with the sale?” For example, a growing family may prompt your need for a larger home, or a job opportunity in another city may necessitate a move. For your goals, write down if you’d like to sell your house within a certain time frame or make a particular profit margin. Work with your real estate agent to map out the best path to achieve your objectives and set a realistic time frame for the sale.
2. Name your price. Your next objective should be to determine the best possible selling price for your house. Setting a fair asking price from the outset will generate the most activity from other real estate agents and buyers. You will need to take into account the condition of your home, what comparable homes in your neighborhood are selling for, and state of the overall market in your area. It’s often difficult to remain unbiased when putting a price on your home, so your real estate agent’s expertise is invaluable at this step. Your agent will know what comparable homes are selling for in your neighborhood and the average time those homes are sitting on the market. If you want a truly objective opinion about the price of your home, you could have an appraisal done. This typically costs a few hundred dollars. Remember: You’re always better off setting a fair market value price than setting your price too high. Studies show that homes priced higher than 3 percent of their market value take longer to sell. If your home sits on the market for too long, potential buyers may think there is something wrong with the property. Often, when this happens, the seller has to drop the price below market value to compete with newer, reasonably priced listings.
3. Prepare your home. Most of us don’t keep our homes in “showroom” condition. We tend to overlook piles of boxes in the garage, broken porch lights, and doors or windows that stick. It’s time to break out of that owner’s mindset and get your house in tip-top shape. The condition of your home will affect how quickly it sells and the price the buyer is willing to offer. First impressions are the most important. Your real estate agent can help you take a fresh look at your home and suggest ways to stage it and make it more appealing to buyers. * A home with too much “personality” is harder to sell. Removing family photos, mementos and personalized décor will help buyers visualize the home as theirs. * Make minor repairs and replacements. Small defects, such as a leaky faucet, a torn screen or a worn doormat, can ruin the buyer’s first impression. * Clutter is a big no-no when showing your home to potential buyers. Make sure you have removed all knick-knacks from your shelves and cleared all your bathroom and kitchen counters to make every area seem as spacious as possible.
4. Get the word out. Now that you’re ready to sell, your real estate agent will set up a marketing strategy specifically for your home. There are many ways to get the word out, including: * The Internet * Yard signs * Open houses * Media advertising * Agent-to-agent referrals * Direct mail marketing campaigns In addition to listing your home on the MLS, your agent will use a combination of these tactics to bring the most qualified buyers to your home. Your agent should structure the marketing plan so that the first three to six weeks are the busiest.
5. Receive an offer. When you receive a written offer from a potential buyer, your real estate agent will first find out whether or not the individual is prequalified or preapproved to buy your home. If so, then you and your agent will review the proposed contract, taking care to understand what is required of both parties to execute the transaction. The contract, though not limited to this list, should include the following: * Legal description of the property * Offer price * Down payment * Financing arrangements * List of fees and who will pay them * Deposit amount * Inspection rights and possible repair allowances * Method of conveying the title and who will handle the closing * Appliances and furnishings that will stay with the home * Settlement date * Contingencies At this point, you have three options: accept the contract as is, accept it with changes (a counteroffer), or reject it. Remember: Once both parties have signed a written offer, the document becomes legally binding. If you have any questions or concerns, be certain to address them with your real estate agent right away.
6. Negotiate to sell. Most offers to purchase your home will require some negotiating to come to a win-win agreement. Your real estate agent is well versed on the intricacies of the contracts used in your area and will protect your best interest throughout the bargaining. Your agent also knows what each contract clause means, what you will net from the sale and what areas are easiest to negotiate. Some negotiable items: * Price * Financing * Closing costs * Repairs * Appliances and fixtures * Landscaping * Painting * Move-in date Once both parties have agreed on the terms of the sale, your agent will prepare a contract.
7. Prepare to close. Once you accept an offer to sell your house, you will need to make a list of all the things you and your buyer must do before closing. The property may need to be formally appraised, surveyed, inspected or repaired. Your real estate agent can spearhead the effort and serve as your advocate when dealing with the buyer’s agent and service providers. Depending on the written contract, you may pay for all, some or none of these items. If each procedure returns acceptable results as defined by the contract, then the sale may continue. If there are problems with the home, the terms set forth in the contract will dictate your next step. You or the buyer may decide to walk away, open a new round of negotiations or proceed to closing. Important reminder: A few days before the closing, you will want to contact the entity that is closing the transaction and make sure the necessary documents will be ready to sign on the appropriate date. Also, begin to make arrangements for your upcoming move if you have not done so.
8. Close the deal. “Closing” refers to the meeting where ownership of the property is legally transferred to the buyer. Your agent will be present during the closing to guide you through the process and make sure everything goes as planned. By being present during the closing, he or she can mediate any last-minute issues that may arise. In some states, an attorney is required and you may wish to have one present. After the closing, you should make a “to do” list for turning the property over to the new owners. Here is a checklist to get you started. * Cancel electricity, gas, lawn care, cable and other routine services. * If the new owner is retaining any of the services, change the name on the account. * Gather owner’s manuals and warranties for all conveying appliances.

Perfect for people who love the great outdoors, Keowee is a picturesque mountain lake with majestic views and only minutes from Clemson University and Greenville, SC. Lake Keowee offers a variety of neighborhood styles with large wooded home sites both on and off the water. Choose from small scale communities with only a handful of spectacular home sites to larger neighborhoods with amenities like swim and tennis clubs, waterfront parks and meandering leisure trails.

The changing seasons at Lake Keowee provide residents year-round opportunities to enjoy lake living to the fullest. Framed by a backdrop of Blue Ridge Mountains and 300 miles of shoreline, the lake’s emerald waters are ideal for boating, sailing, water-skiing, kayaking and fishing. And, at the end of every active day, a stunning sunset awaits you.

As a compliment to the lake’s placid setting in Upstate South Carolina, the small town charm of Seneca, SC, and the college town amenities of Clemson, SC, are right around the corner. Also convenient are the mountain towns of Highlands and Cashiers, NC, which place popular dining, shopping and day-tripping at your fingertips.

There are only a few more chances to live where everyone wished they did!

Thinking about listing your home on Lake Keowee in the near future?  Most experts would advise that the best way to increase your odds of a successful sale is to price your home at fair market value. But, as logical as this advice sounds, for many sellers it is still tempting to tack a few percentage points onto the price to “leave room to negotiate”. To avoid this temptation, let’s take a look at the seven deadly sins of overpricing:

1. Appraisal Problems

Even if you do find a buyer willing to pay an inflated price, the fact is over 90% of buyers use some kind of financing to pay for their home purchase. If your home won’t appraise for the purchase price the sale will likely fail.

2. No Showings

Today’s sophisticated home buyers are well educated about the real estate market. If your home is overpriced they won’t bother looking at it, let alone make you an offer.

3. Branding Problems

When a new listing hits the market, every agent quickly checks the property out to see if it’s a good fit for their clients. If your home is branded as “overpriced”, reigniting interest may take drastic measures.

4. Selling the Competition

Overpricing helps your competition. How? You make their lower prices seem like bargains. Nothing is worse than watching your neighbors put up a sold sign.

5. Stagnation

The longer your home sits on the market, the more likely it is to become stigmatized or stale. Have you ever seen a property that seems to be perpetually for sale? Do you ever wonder – What’s wrong with that house?

6. Tougher Negotiations

Buyers who do view your home may negotiate harder because the home has been on the market for a longer period of time and because it is overpriced compared to the competition.

7. Lost Opportunities

You will lose a percentage of buyers who are outside of your price point. These are buyers who are looking in the price range that the home will eventually sell for but don’t see the home because the price is above their pre-set budget.

Most buyers look at 10-15 homes before making a buying decision. Because of this, setting a competitive price relative to the competition is an essential component to a successful marketing strategy.

Hello from Sunny Lake Keowee!  The temperature is hot and the Real Estate Market seems to be gaining momentum as well.  While I know every buyer in this market is looking for a deal to be had, I found an article that should provide to be beneficial to any buyer looking for a Short-Sale Property.

I hope this article proves to be an asset to anyone searching for Lake Keowee Real Estate and beware of some of these “So Called” Deals.

http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2011071502?OpenDocument

As always, Give me a call or email for any information on Lake Keowee!

Once you’ve helped your client make a budget, be sure to keep tabs on it. The budget can be victimized by mortgage rates.

See, homes are more affordable today than at any time in recorded history, but it’s not because home prices are down. It’s because mortgage rates are. And every time mortgage rates change, your client’s maximum purchase price changes, too.

Did you know : In June 2011, mortgage rates changed every 3 hours, 23 minutes on average.

With mortgage rates changing as rapidly as they are, your client’s home affordability can be short-lived. Consider the budget-busting impact of rising mortgage rates.

For every 1 percent rise in mortgage rates, a buyer’s maximum purchase price falls 10.75%.

For example, if your buyer has 20 percent to put down and sees a $300,000 home, today, he can borrow at 4.500% and pay $1,216 monthly. But your buyer wants to wait for a price reduction and, 4 weeks later, he gets it — all the way to $285,000. He’s ecstatic. Until he talks to his lender and finds out mortgage rates are up 1 point.

That same home — selling for $15,000 less — now costs $1,295 to carry. It’s a $79 monthly increase, and $28,440 in extra payments over the life of the loan.

This is why it’s foolish to “time” the housing market.

Sure, your client may get their “great price”, but rising mortgage rates wipe out the savings (and then some).

Article Source:  http://pro.truliablog.com/buyers/how-to-help-your-buyers-determine-what-they-can-afford/?ecampaign=anews&eurl=pro.truliablog.com%2Fbuyers%2Fhow-to-help-your-buyers-determine-what-they-can-afford%2F

Its common for the tax assessors office to continue charging the higher amount until the owner goes through the process of contesting the bill. Fortunately, its realitively easy to have your property tax assessment lowered…here’s how:

To get your property taxes reduced on the basis of the recent decline in market value:

1.Search Yahoo! or Google to find the Web site for your County Tax Assessor’s Office or Tax Collector’s Office.
2.Go to the Forms section and look for a form with the words “reassessment request” or “decline in market value.” If you can’t find it, give the office a ring and ask them to fax, mail or email the form to you.Usually the request will ask you for (a) an estimate of the current market value of your home, and (b) a list of recent, comparable sales in your neighborhood supporting that estimate of value.
3.Call up the Realtor who sold you the house (or preferably me as I would love to assist you) and ask them to complete the form for you or to at least provide the information you need about comparable sales. They want to keep you as a long-term friend, client and referral resource, so 9 times out of 10 they’ll do it for you.
4.Alternatively, find a trustworthy online comparables site, like CyberHomes.com, where you can get both an estimated value and a list of the comparable sales on which it was based.
5.Keep in mind that you are trying to make the case that your property value is significantly lower now than when you bought it, so list legitimate comparable sales which support that argument or you are wasting your time! And keep in mind that if you bought your home 10 or 20 years ago, your property’s assessed value might not be out of whack with current market values, even though your home’s market value may have declined from the peak of the market.
6.Sign it and mail it! Allow several weeks, then call and check on the progress of your request. If it’s accepted, you’re golden — for this year. Most areas require you to revisit the reassessment issue every year. If it’s denied, there will be a more formal application and appeals process available to you, and you can decide at that time whether it makes sense to undertake that.

If you have any problems or need any assistance you can reach me any time at Phil@DiscoverLakeKeowee.com.  I would love to assist you in any of your real estate needs!

article source: http://realestateinsidernews.com/breaking-real-estate-news/how-to-lower-your-property-tax-bill/