Our monthly newsletter article.

We all know the Bluffton and Hilton Head Island real estate market is strong. We bet your home is closer to being "list or show ready" than you think. Don't let the overwhelm of finishing projects stop you from getting your home for sale. We would be happy to talk you through projects that make sense. Many purchaser's see projects differently and not everything needs to be completed before "going live." Let us see your home through professional eyes and take some of the anxiety away from getting your home on the market.

One of the biggest concerns for a homeowner looking to sell is the time they’ll have to put in before listing their house. If that’s the case for you, you should know – your home might be closer to list-ready than you think in…

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Millennials are entering the housing market at a record pace, fueling demand and driving sales prices higher amid an epic housing shortage. Currently, millennials represent 22% of the U.S. population but make up 43% of the current market share, according to a survey by the National Association of REALTORS®. With nearly a quarter of the population approaching their peak earning years over the next two decades, this new generation of homebuyers are expected to have a big impact on the economy—and on the housing market—in the years to come.

 

Q1 2022 Market Snapshot

Sales: In the first quarter of 2022, pending sales decreased -27.1 percent, rounding out the quarter with 1,688 pending sales. Closed sales were down -22.4 percent to end the quarter at…

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Dreaming about your vacation to Hilton Head Island this Spring and Summer of 2022? How about owning your own beach vacation home?

If you're like so many who've visited the beaches here in South Carolina and have fallen in love with the lifestyle that the Lowcountry offers - Pursuing ownership might be a great next step. We believe you'll find it more simple and rewarding than you think. (You can skip ahead to finding your Hilton Head Island Beach Home HERE.)

Here's our Top 10 Tips for Buying Your Hilton Head Island Beach House This Spring

1. GET MENTALLY PREPARED AND ON THE SAME PAGE WITH YOUR SPOUSE OR FINANCIAL PARTNER 

Step #1 is an important one that will help the ship launch or keep it on the launchpad. Be sure to…

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Let's prepare now so we can play all summer! No one likes to spend our precious Lowcountry weekends with yard work and home chores!  

April is the month to set the wheels in motion to get your home ready for a carefree summer. Summer is one of the best times of the year, so by doing some simple preparations now, you will be able to enjoy those times without any homeownership worries.

Start your prep by checking the toolshed to make certain that your yard maintenance tools will be up and running for the summer months. Be sure the lawn mower engine has new plugs, a new air filter and a fresh tank of gas. Sharpen the blades of the mower and all of your gardening tools.

An efficient AC will be your best friend when you crank it up, so schedule a…

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Welcome to your home tax deduction checklist! For homeowners, this kind of guidance is essential in the wake of all the changes ushered in by the new tax plan, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, that are still rolling in.

The biggest change for 2021? The standard deduction jumped a couple of hundred dollars for taxpayers—to $12,550 for individuals, $18,800 for heads of household, and $25,100 for married couples filing jointly. And this higher number means you need to dig into all of your home expenses to see if their total sum tops the standard deduction, depending on your filing status. (If the total doesn’t surpass it, then you’ll just take the standard deduction on your taxes when you file.)

To help, here’s a list of all the tax breaks for…

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In a competitive real estate market, buyers want to give as much strength to their offers as possible in an effort to try and edge out other offers for the same property.

One creative way to try and get a seller’s attention is for a buyer to write a letter to the seller explaining why the seller should select their offer. In the industry, these letters are referred to as love letters. These letters often include family photos.

While you may think this is a great idea, you need to know that love letters can be a detriment.

A letter to a seller that unintentionally reveals your status in one of the seven protected classes of the Fair Housing Act could result in a violation if the seller makes a decision based on information pertaining to your…

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Having an experienced guide coaching you through the process of buying or selling a home is important in a normal market – but today’s market is far from normal. As a result, an expert real estate advisor isn’t just good to have by your side, they’re essential.

Today’s housing market is full of extremes. Experts project mortgage rates will continue to rise this year, and that’s driving significant demand for homes as buyers want to make their purchases before rates climb even higher. At the same time, an absence of sellers is leading to record-low housing inventory. This imbalance in supply and demand is creating bidding wars and driving home price appreciation as well as considerable gains in home equity.

These market conditions can feel…

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“Being a homeowner is easy,” said nobody ever. Besides the routine maintenance and upkeep (that lawn always seems to need cutting or raking), there’s also the never-ending expense of homeownership. And we all know that number can be fairly significant.

According to a recent report, the average American homeowner spends between $3,000 to $12,000 a year on upkeep—and that’s on top of what you’re shelling out for your monthly mortgage.

So if you’ve ever racked your brain for ways to cover your home expenses, how about using your property to bring in some cash for a change? And no, we’re not proposing renting out your guest bedroom to a random backpacker.

Instead, we searched far and wide to track down the ways some savvy homeowners have put…

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In today’s sellers’ market, many homeowners in the Lowcountry are weighing their options and trying to decide if they should sell their house. If you’re in that group, you may be balancing things like the ongoing health crisis, rising mortgage rates, and your own changing needs to determine your best time to make a move.

However, recent data shows that time may already be here. According to the latest Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) by Fannie Mae, 76% of consumers believe now is a good time to sell.

Looking back over the past few years, it's clear consumers are incredibly optimistic today. The graph below shows the percentage of survey respondents who say it’s a good time to sell a house, and their positive outlook is on the rise. The big…

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5 New Rules to Go By!

1. Old rule: Find your dream home, then finalize your mortgage paperwork
New rule: Lock in a mortgage before you start your search
2. Old rule: Shop for homes you can afford
New rule: Shop for homes priced below what you can afford
3. Old rule: Tour a property, then take a day or two to decide whether to make an offer
New rule: If you love a property, act fast
4. Old rule: Offer below asking price and wait for the seller to counter your bid
New rule: Put your big number out there from the start
5. Old rule: Expect to buy a home after submitting one or two offers
New rule: It will probably take multiple tries before you succeed

 

Here’s an understatement for you: Buying a home today is not the same…

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