Buying your home ( 3rd step)
When you choose a home, we will represent your best interest in negotiations and follow up.
Using our South Carolina Contract, your agent will prepare all the paperwork per your instructions and explain your rights and obligations to you. (Please keep in mind your realtor is not an attorney and his/her explanations are not legal opinions.)
Your Realtor will negotiate strongly for you with the property owner or their Realtor, and help you evaluate any counter-offers.
After you and the property owner reach an agreement and initial any changes to the contract of sale, your Realtor will assist you in selecting a real estate attorney and a home inspector.
Your Realtor will accompany you to the home inspection and notify the property owner of any discrepancies.
They will follow up with the property owner, lender appraiser, surveyor, attorney, inspector and others to assure that all contract conditions and all deadlines are met.
In the meantime, there are somethings you need to do: Contact your insurance agent to make arrangements for a hazard insurance policy, confirm that you have provided all requested documentation to your lender, notify all utility companies, and obtain a certified or cashier’s check in the amount estimated by your lender.
Your Realtor will accompany you to the closing, review the settlement sheet, and strongly support your position if there are any disagreements. Then, proudly hand you the keys to you new home.
3 steps to owning a home in Charleston SC (cont.,)
Shopping for your Home
Now you have decided what you would like in your new home, and the price you will feel comfortable paying for your new home it’s time to get started looking.
Using the MLS data base and other sources your agent will research houses that are available for sale. Together you will choose houses that meet your requirements.
Your agent will make appointments for you to inspect the houses you selected and your agent will point out the pluses and minuses as you go through them.
When you decide on some house that you like, your agent will estimate your closing cost and monthly payments. Your agent will do the research to determine answers to any questions you may have about the houses and communities so he/she can present them to you. If none satisfy your requirements, your agent will then discuss options such as adjusting your wants and needs or simply waiting for other houses to come on the market Then the agent will show you other house at your convenience, for as many days as it takes to find you the right house.
3 Steps to Owning a Home inCharleston SC.
When buying a home there are many details involved, whether you want to buy in Charleston County, Dorchester County or Berkley our job as Realtors is to handle those details for you.
I know you will have many questions on what to expect, when you buy a house. The following is a guideline I created that will help you in the buying process.
Pre-purchase Consulting
Looking for your home
Buying your home
Pre-Purchase Consulting
Today I would like to l address the reasons why taking the time to have a Pre-Purchase consulting meeting is in your best interest. It’s important for you and your agent to invest some time together before you actually go out and look for homes, it will you help you feel confident about the home buying process and your choice of the Realtor your going to work with.
It’s important for the agent to really know what you are looking for so he/she will ask you to share information to discover your wants and needs. Your hobbies and special interests will be an important part of this process also what you do not like about the current house you are living in. For example you may be living in a home that has a very small kitchen and because of this you have discovered you would really like to have a house with more counter space or an eat in kitchen. We will show you some houses on the computer to see which houses catches your eye, we also will ask if schools are important to you, which school district you would like to in.
The Financial aspect of buying your home is important, so the Realtor will ask how much you would feel at ease with paying on a monthly basis, for your mortgage payment. You may have already been qualified by a mortgage company, however, many times the bank will say you qualify for a payment that you do not feel comfortable with, therefore, you may become uneasy with the buying process. We will help you decide how much money you wish to invest upfront as a down payment, how much you are willing to pay monthly for your mortgage payment and then determine the price range of the houses to show you. We will explain financial options that will suit your circumstances and if you would like choose a local lender so you can make application as soon as possible.
We will provide you with our local disclosure forms, plus a copy of the contract we use locally, so you can take the time to read it prior to us finding you a house, if you have any concerns or questions they can be answered before you make a commitment to buying a house. The Contract also explains the responsibilities of the buyer, the seller, and the agent.
To morrow we will share with the process of showing you homes.
Grape Stomping Festival This Weekend in Charleston
For those that remember that classic I Love Lucy episode, when Lucy goes to Italy and stomps grapes, you will appreciate what’s happening at the Irvin- House Vineyards on Johns Island. Saturday, August 28th from 2-6pm, the 7th annual Grape Stomping Festival. Admission is $5 per car. You can bring a blanket and a picnic lunch or graze on the food that they have available and enjoy the live music. If you have kids, bring them out as there will be children’s activities to keep them occupied. There will also be a Lucy Look-a-Like contest.
If you want to get a good laugh The Have Nots will be performing at Theater 99 at 8pm on Saturday, August 28th, followed by New York commedien Kenny Z at 10 pm.
Saturday, August 28 from 12-9pm and Sunday, August 29 from 12-9pm , The Beach Music and Shag Preservation Society present the 57th Annual Charleston Beach Music and Shag Festival. For more information go to Pivots Beach Club.
Charleston Battery vs Richmond Kickers for the USL-2 2010 Championship at Blackbaud Stadium on Saturday, August 28th. To purchase tickets go to www.charlestonbattery.com.
What’s Happening in Charleston!
Friday, August 20th and Saturday August 21st, Gallagher will be at Club H2o
Wednesday, August 25th, South Carolina Acquarium’s Sustainable Seafood Dinner featuring a “Fish for the Future” menu. Enjoy the local favorites while learning how your choices can today can ensure healthy fish for the future. This will take place at Carolina’s restaurant in downtown Charleston from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. For more information call (843) 577-FISH (3474) A portion of the proceeds will bo to benefit the South Carolina Aquarium Sustainable Seafood initiative.
Train will be at The Family Circle Cup Tennis Center on Thursday, August 26th.
Saturday,August 21, at James Island County Park at 8:30 p.m. Enjoy Reggae Nights. Bring your chair and enjoy the outdoors. Refreshments are available. For more information call (843) 795-4386
Fee: $6 adults, Free: children under 12
These are just a small number of options of things to do in Charleston. For more information a great place to look is The Charleston City Paper.
Free or Inexpensive Things to Do In Charleston!
As summer starts to wind down and the anticipation of the new school year approaches, you may be thinking about some fun things to do with the family as a last hurrah before the routine starts all over again. I got to thinking about the fact that sometimes I don’t do things because of the cost. It must be even more difficult for a family. I decided to do a little research and found some things that might be fun and are either free or relatively inexpensive. Take a staycation in your own town.
Colonial Dorchester County State Park: This park has walking paths, picnic tables and remains of the old town include the brick bell tower of St. George’s Anglican Church, a fort made of the oyster-shell concrete and part of a log wharf visible at low tide. Admission for children is free. Adults are $2. Have a look at this video and see the beauty of the park. ETV Video
Charleston Tea Plantation: Located on Wadmalaw Island. It is the home of American Classic Tea, the only tea grown in the United States. Free factory tours. Open 7 days a week.
Charleston Children’s Museum: This is a great place for kids to visit. Children under 12 enter for free, everyone else is $7.
Under $5.
Histotric Fort Moultrie Soak in some history at one of the most Admission is free for children under 16 and $3 for Adults.
Charles Towne Landing: Adult $5, SC seniors $3.25, children ages 6 to 15 $3 and under 3 is free. Self-guided audio tour for the historic trail is an extra $5
Hope I’ve given you and your family some good ideas. Also don’t forget, if you just want to stay outdoors and stay cool you can always visit any of the three waterparks in Charleston or any one of our great beaches.
What’s Happening in Charleston This Weekend!
July 16, 8pm – 11pm Society 1858 Presents An Evening at Bastille Café
Enjoy live jazz by Heddy Rae and hors d’ouevres courtesy of Rue de Jean.
July 17, 8pm The Smashing Pumpkins with Kill Hannah/Bad City at the Music Farm.
July 17, 8pm If you need to laugh catch The Have Nots at Theatre 99.
July 17, The first 1,000 fans to attend Saturday nights Charleston Riverdogs game against the Augusta Green Jackets will get a homemade Alvin Greene bobblehead doll.
July 18, The Hot Seats, Weigh Station, play their set of ragtime, bluegrass, old-time, and roots music to the Pour House deck for a free show at 6 pm
Have a great weekend!
WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND IN CHARLESTON
Fri July 9, at 7:30 p.m. Red White and Cash, at the Village Playhouse. This is a tribute to Johnny Cash.
Sat, June 10, the Storm Eye Institute and Sun Trust Bank will be conducting free eye screenings for those with diabetes or glaucoma or a family history of these diseases. To make your appointment call (843) 884-2222.
Sun, July 11, Boz Scaggs will be performing at The North Charleston Performing Arts
For other musical events this weekend check out the Charleston City Paper
If you are looking for something to do with the kids check out the Cypress Gardens . You’ll find a host of things to do such as, swamp boat rides, nature trails and a butterfly house that has over 12 species of butterflies.
You can also take the kiddies to the Charleston Museum which continues its kidstory mini-exhibition series for children with Magnificent Mammals, the second of three new Natural History Exhibits.
The value of Educating our Buyers and Sellers
I know in todays market we all know it is top priority to educate our Buyers and Sellers. So I thought I would take just a moment to share some thoughts.
As we place ourselves in the seller or Buyer’s shoes we have to acknowledge they may be confused a little frustrated and possibly scared. The information they have accumulated has mostly come from the news reports they have either listened to or read. Some of it will be fact, some may be myth, so we have to educate them on what is really happening and become their expert guide by directing and guiding them with factual information. First, whether it is buyer or seller it’s important to go over the process of buying and selling, make it detailed,sharing with them exactly what is going to happen including what might go wrong and how you will handle it.
Supply and demand has always been a measure on whether or not it is a buyer’s market or a seller’s market. In most markets today it is a buyer’s market; inventory is high, we have foreclosures and short sales competing with sellers who have to move for either business reasons or personal reasons. Which means we sometimes have to be the bearer of bad news (the house will not sell at the price the seller was expecting.) The houses that are selling today are either in perfect condition, or at the best value. Which means price per sq ft, incentives, and how we are planning to market it. Our goal of course (even though the absorption rate in a particular neighborhood might me 14 to 15 months) is to sell the house at the highest realistic price. The seller, even though they might not like what we are telling them, does appreciate the honesty. The goal of the seller is to move, our goal is to sell the house, we are doing the seller and ourselves a disservice if we do not share the market facts. Yes, that means sometimes they decide not to sell. Which is definitely good for us also as were not in the business of listings houses, we are in the business of selling the houses we list.
Explaining the process of the sale to the buyer means the difference between a smooth transition and possibly a difficult one. They will need to understand the contract, before they decide to buy a house. Give them a copy of the contact at the first meeting so they can go over it at their leisure, if there items that they have question about, you can explain them, so they will know what they are signing when they find the house they want to buy.
When we educate our buyers and sellers it establishes our value to our clients, they want to work with an agent who can recognize the importance of explaining each step of the journey to either buying or selling their investment.
Take your business to the next level with Carolina One
Carolina one offers many opportunities for our agents to grow. Our business model is a consumer and agent driven product.
We provide full service and our agents consistently list more and consequently sell more properties than agents with other companies. Carolina One signs are everywhere and as a result our agents are quite often able to sell their own listings based on the volume of inquiries.
We provide a variety of in house training programs, that vary from office to office but consistently we help our agents grow to a level they want to grow to. We will help you set goals and achieve those goals through regular office meetings, regular educational opportunities and one on one management assistance and coaching. Because of our top notch training programs our agents are the best prepared and best educated agents in the marketplace today.
Ask Sheila why our agents make more money than other agents in the area. And how we guide and direct you to take your career to the next level.
Sheila is actively recruiting new and experienced agents to join our team. Our office is located in the James Island area of Charleston, servicing all areas of Charleston.
Sheila’s goal is to help her agents grow their business to whatever level of success they seek and still achieve balance in their personal lives too.
Whether you are looking to make a career change, or if you are just curious and want to see what we have to offer, give Sheila a call today and set up a no obligation meeting.
If you are thinking about selling your home or buying a home call our office today and a well qualified Carolina One agent will be happy to assist you in the marketing and sale of your home, or the buying of your new home.
