Home Matters! The Cobb Group Blog - real estate

Three Ways To Manage Your Home-Buying Anxiety

A real estate transaction can be an emotional roller coaster, especially for first-time buyers. A home is not an everyday purchase—you’re buying your future, the place where your kids will grow up and a lifetime of memories will be made. And a house has a much higher price tag than anything else you’ve ever bought. That alone can be scary. The money and emotions make up a big cocktail of stress. A study commissioned by homes.com shows that first-time buyers find the process overwhelming;   

• 1 in 3 buyers cried during the process. 
• 2 in 4 experienced anxiety. 
• 44% of buyers felt nervous throughout the process. 
• The average buyer had four arguments. 
• 2 in 5 described buying their first home as “the most stressful event in modern life.”

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"Fortune Favors The Bold!" Tips & Tricks to Win When Buying a House in a Seller's Market!

The market is tight as inventory is low, and there are many buyers circling to get into the game. Right now it's fair to say that we are knee deep a “Seller’s Market” in the South Carolina Lowcountry and that one needs to be very savvy in order to have their offer accepted. 

There is an art to writing an offer and having a strong, knowledgeable Realtor makes all the difference. Coming in aggressively and locking down a property before multiple offers are presented usually lands you the best opportunity and the desired home. Dancing around the obvious might cause a purchaser to end up with their disappointing second choice. 

• Go in knowing your bottomline and where you are comfortable walking away from the transaction without any regrets. Don’t…

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Should I Wait for Lower Mortgage Interest Rates?

Historically low mortgage rates are a big motivator for homebuyers right now. In 2020 alone, rates hit new record-lows 16 times, and the trend continued into the early part of this year. Many hopeful homebuyers are now wondering if they should put their plans on hold and wait for the lowest rates imaginable. However, the reality is, acting sooner rather than later may be the actual win if you’re ready to buy a home.

According to Greg McBride, Chief Financial Analyst for Bankrate:

“As vaccines become more widely available and a return to normal starts to come into view, we’ll see mortgage rates bounce off the record lows.”

While only a slight increase in mortgage rates is projected for 2021, some experts believe they will start to rise.…

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Now's the time to think of 2021 goals

We are almost to the new year, and most of us have been sidelined by some unexpected occurrences. This is a great time to set aside an hour or so of uninterrupted time to do a quick review of what you want to be different in 2021. Use this time to reflect and evaluate your goals and your progress and to plan.

Ask yourself the following questions:

REFLECT:

• What have you accomplished over the past six months (goal related or not)?

• What goals did you achieve or make progress on?

• What are your 3 proudest accomplishments?

• What goals were a challenge?

• What opportunities to learn new things did you take advantage of?

• What goals no longer feel relevant?

• What mistakes did I make and…

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How the Coronavirus Is Changing Some Boomers' Real Estate Plans for the Better

For baby boomers, the question of when—and where—they'll retire is a perennial topic of discussion. But with the novel coronavirus sweeping the globe, it has become an especially pressing question these days.

Many are feeling the pressure to ramp up their decision-making and act fast—between concerns over COVID-19 contagion, rampant layoffs, and new rounds of self-reckoning where they ponder "Why wait to realize my dreams?" Many believe that the time is now to make real estate decisions  they've been putting off—or they're changing course entirely.

Whether you're a boomer yourself or just paralyzed about your next move, these stories might inspire you to get unstuck, or at least realize that you aren't alone. Here's how the current coronavirus…

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5 Reasons to Make Your Bed Every Day

I completely agree with this article that I recently read. There's nothing like walking in your room and the bed is made. It feels so refreshing, and it's even better to get into bed when it's been made! What do you prefer?

You probably know all the excuses, and may have used one (or more) yourself:

• “It’s just going to get unmade again tonight.”
• “I don’t have time.”
• “No one is going to see it anyway.”
• “It’s not important.”
• “My mom isn’t here to make me do it.”
• “My cat is curled up in the sheets, and I don’t want to disturb her.”

Excuses are easy, but when it comes right down to it, it's also easy to make your bed each morning. No, you don’t have to turn out a display worthy of Pinterest or Elle Decor—unless you enjoy that…

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2020 Mid-Year Market Report

Mid-Year Review:

Spring is typically one of the busiest seasons for buying and selling homes in the Lowcountry. However, this year's Spring market was interrupted by COVID-19, resulting in a sharp, but brief decline in real estate activity. While the restrictions placed on real estate in the Spring made an impact on the market, buyers and sellers are making up for lost time by diving head-first back into the housing market. 

Pending sales over the last two months have been off the charts. The Lowcountry is benefiting from historically low interest rates and urban residents choosing to move to our suburban towns. The buyer demand is expected to continue, yet the supply of inventory is limited to meet this demand. With our pending sales up, we are…

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We Ranked Again in the Top 30%

We couldn’t wait to tell you!

Charter One Realty once again ranked among real estate's elite brokerages according to several independent organizations that monitor and measure the industry. We placed among the top 30% of all national brokerages according to the RIS Media Power Broker Survey and landed among the top 500 national brokerages based on the REAL Trends 500.

Being included on these lists of top brokerages in the U.S. is a direct result of having the best agents and staff and most importantly faithful clients like you all. Thank you for helping us achieve this honor!

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Home-Buying FAQ's

Your Top Questions About Purchasing Property During the Coronavirus Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has tossed millions of people's financial plans up in the air, and for many that has included their home buying strategies. But, hold on! There is still light at the end of the tunnel. If you were hoping to purchase a property soon, you no doubt have a lot of questions—about whether it's possible to buy or tour a house now, COVID-19's impact on home prices, and more.

We're already written a guide to home buying in the age of coronavirus to help you navigate this new reality in real estate, but we know there's a lot you still want to know. So here are the answers to your most pressing questions about buying a home right now. Whether…

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Staying Strong

We wanted to give you some real numbers from the last 30 days. We didn’t want to just tell you that the real estate market is strong, we wanted to actually show you some real facts & figures. We felt a small hiccup at the beginning of March when there were still so many unknowns but our real estate market is recalculating and moving full steam ahead. The wheels might have initially come off but they are back on tight as we move into summer. We have made many adjustments these past 60 days by way of virtual tours, video conferencing and FaceTime showings, but both Purchasers and Sellers have adjusted to the new norm quickly and are creatively making buying & selling successful coupled with innovative Realtors. Many positives have come out of this…

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