Charleston AFB - Three Reasons to Sell Now!

Selling your house in today’s Charleston AFB market can be extremely difficult. For this reason, every seller should take advantage of each and every opportunity…..and there is a fantastic opportunity available right now. Meet with your real estate agent and mortgage professional today and see whether it is the right time for you and your family to make a move.

Here are three reasons you should consider selling in the first 90 days of 2011.

1. Interest rates are on the Rise

Rates have jumped over 1/2 point recently.  The short term result of increasing rates is a new surge of buyers in the Charleston AFB market….. This is a short window of opportunity. If rates fall again, buyers will jump back on the fence. If rates continue to rise, it limits the number of buyers who can qualify at each price point. Now is the best time to sell your house!

2. Winter Buyers are Serious Buyers!

We all realize that buyers are not quick to pull the trigger on the purchase of a home today. There is no sense of urgency with the supply of eligible properties at all time highs. But the Charleston military families left in the market are serious and are more apt to buy.

3. Less Inventory means Less Competition!

Every year there is an increase of inventory which comes to market from January through April as homeowners put their houses up for sale in preparation for the spring market. Here is the number of listings available for sale in 2010.

• January – 3,277,000
• February – 3,531,000
• March – 3,626,000
• April – 4,029,000

We anticipate an increase in these numbers this spring. You won’t have to worry about this increasing competition if you sell now.
Also, with banks trying to rectify their foreclosure procedures, many discounted properties have been taken out of the market. We don’t know when banks will return to the normal flow of foreclosed properties…..but until they do, every homeowner has a better chance of selling their Charleston AFB property.

Bottom Line

If you are looking to sell in 2011, there may not be a more opportune time than this right now. Serious buyers, great move-up deals and less competition creates the perfect selling situation. Don’t miss it!

Torri Jacobsen, Military Homes of Charleston

            

Buying or selling a home doesn’t have to be hard, but choosing the right Realtor DOES make a difference. I specialize in making first-time home buying a great experience for military families moving to the Charleston, SC area. Call or email today, and let’s make this your best move yet! You’ll feel right at home with me.

                             

Charleston AFB Real Estate, Charleston AFB Real Estate For Sale, Charleston AFB SC, Joint Base Charleston, Joint Base Charleston Real Estate

Charleston Military Families: To Rent or Buy… That is the Question

Renting in the Charleston AFB Market

In a growing number of regions, homeownership is already less expensive than renting. And, it looks like rents are headed even higher. The WSJ, in an article on their online resource Market Watch, titled Double Digit Rent Hikes Are on the Way reported:

Apartment dwellers could be facing double-digit rent increases in the coming years as a shortage of new multifamily units coupled with a rise in prime renter-age households gives landlords clout they haven’t see since the mid-1990s.

“Demand pressures are building. It’s not bad today because rents have been down the last two years,” said William McLaughlin, an executive vice president with Avalon Bay Communities.
“But it feels a lot like 1992, when we were coming out of a deep recession … and we ended up seeing double-digit rent increases after that,” he said.

…Already there are signs the apartment market is tightening and in some cities rents are already going up 7% or 8% per year.


Does it make sense to rent in Charleston, knowing you could be facing a dramatic increase in cost over the next several years?

Buying                                                                                          

Although prices are falling in the Charleston AFB area, interest rates are on the rise and that can have a huge impact on your cost. The monthly mortgage payment (COST) you can negotiate today may be the lowest it will ever be in your lifetime.

John Paulson, one of the smartest housing analysts in the country, recently made it a point to say that if you don’t own a home – BUY ONE! Stan Humphries, chief economist of Zillow, explains that Paulson is talking about COST NOT PRICE.

Paulson is not just betting on house prices, but also on the ability to lock in low financing now with the expectation that it will be easier to pay it back in the future because of inflation.

Bottom Line

If Charleston military families want to make the best financial decision regarding housing…..now just may be the time to buy a home!  Contact Military Homes of Charleston today!

Torri Jacobsen, Military Homes of Charleston

            

Buying or selling a home doesn’t have to be hard, but choosing the right Realtor DOES make a difference. I specialize in making first-time home buying a great experience for military families moving to the Charleston, SC area. Call or email today, and let’s make this your best move yet! You’ll feel right at home with me.

*Information provided by KCM Group*

Selling Your Home in the Charleston AFB Market

In today’s confusing and rapidly evolving housing market, most Charleston Military families will use a professional real estate agent when it’s time to sell their home.

According to the National Association of Realtors’ 2010 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, the number one thing the seller wants from their real estate agent is “help pricing the home competitively”. And therein lays the dilemma.

What You Want to Hear

Every Charleston AFB homeowner wants to maximize the sale of their house by achieving the highest price possible. Every truly professional agent realizes this and has the same goal. However, what the homeowner thinks the value of their home is may not be in line with current market conditions. When the agent explains this to a seller, there can be a natural skepticism on the homeowners’ part. Is the agent telling me the truth or just trying to low ball the price to make a quick commission?

Adding to the dilemma is the fact that there is at least one agent in every market that will tell the seller whatever the seller wants to hear just to get the listing on the property.  

Remember……. A professional real estate agent worries about your family and how they can help. A professional real estate agent will tell you everything you need to know.

Bottom Line

If you are considering selling your Charleston AFB home in the next year, sit down with a local real estate professional today. Let them explain what is taking place with prices in your area. If an agent tells you the price you were hoping for is not available in the current market – listen!   Ask them to explain their thinking and, if they can do that in a simple and effective way, consider yourself lucky……You have just found a professional!

Contact Military Homes of Charleston today!

**Information provided by the KCM Crew via http://www.kcmblog.com/**

Torri Jacobsen, Military Homes of Charleston
Charleston Air Force Base/Joint Base Charleston, SC Real Estate For Sale
Buying or selling a home doesn’t have to be hard, but choosing the right Realtor DOES make a difference. I specialize in making first-time home buying a great experience for military families moving to the Charleston, SC area. Call or email today, and let’s make this your best move yet! You’ll feel right at home with me.

 

Charleston AFB Real Estate, Charleston AFB Real Estate For Sale, Charleston AFB SC, Joint Base Charleston, Joint Base Charleston Real Estate

Charleston Military – Get Out There and Buy and Sell!

If you are thinking of selling a house in the Charleston AFB area – Do it Now!  And if you’re thinking of buying a home – Do it Now! This sounds crazy – but it’s the truth!

PRICE is the most important thing to a seller. With prices projected to fall through the first half of 2011, if you want to sell, do it now. The alternative might be to wait over a year just for prices to recover to current values.

The second point revolves around the fact that buyers are more concerned about COST (price AND interest rate). Fannie Mae, the National Association of Realtors, the Mortgage Bankers Association and the PMI Company are all projecting interest rates to rise this year. If you want to buy, your best time to purchase could be right now.

Gallup just released a poll showing that 67% of Americans think this is a good time to purchase a home. The interesting thing is that the same poll showed that more people believed that prices would decrease (27%) than increase (21%). Most Charleston military families realize that now is the time to purchase even if prices continue to soften.

Even the Gallup people weighed in on the subject:

Overall, there is good reason for most Americans to think now is a good time to buy a house. Interest rates remain near historic lows. Home prices are down sharply, providing many incredible buys. 

Bottom Line

Remember – there is a difference between caution and fear. Fear can paralyze you and prevent you from making a good decision, but caution will help you make the right decision. And remember: if you do think it makes sense to buy your home in Charleston today, 2 out of 3 people agree with you.

Contact Military Homes of Charleston today – and let us show you what a great real estate agent can do for you!

**Information provided by the KCM Crew via www.KCMblog.com**                         

             

Torri Jacobsen, Military Homes of Charleston – Charleston Air Force Base/Joint Base Charleston, SC Real Estate For Sale

Buying or selling a home doesn’t have to be hard, but choosing the right Realtor DOES make a difference. I specialize in making first-time home buying a great experience for military families moving to the Charleston, SC area. Call or email today, and let’s make this your best move yet! You’ll feel right at home with me.

Jodie Hurt – Charleston Air Force Base, SC Real Estate For Sale

I specialize in helping military families enjoy a smooth PCS in and out of Charleston. I have a passion for helping people, and I love what I do. Call me (843) 819-4398 and let me make this the easiest PCS yet!

Charleston AFB - SELLER TO PAY $5000 IN CLOSING COSTS!!!

http://www.photosnack.com/slideshows/8e6336ec26a7cc55233556150a444138



This home is completely move-in ready and priced to sell!  Contact Military Homes of Charleston today for more information. 



Torri Jacobsen, Military Homes of Charleston – Charleston Air Force Base/Joint Base Charleston, SC Real Estate For Sale

Buying or selling a home doesn’t have to be hard, but choosing the right Realtor DOES make a difference. I specialize in making first-time home buying a great experience for military families moving to the Charleston, SC area. Call or email today, and let’s make this your best move yet! You’ll feel right at home with me.

Charleston AFB – How to Choose the RIGHT Agent to Sell Your Home

Once a Charleston Military family decides to sell their home and hires a professional agent to market it for them, most will interview a few agents before signing on the dotted line. This is a great idea! 

Unfortunately, many sellers don’t know how to choose the right agent and usually end up choosing an agent based on the following two questions:

1.      Which agent will sell my house for the most money? (That leads to overpriced listing inventory that sits unsold because today’s buyer is looking for a “deal” and NOT overpaying.)

2.      Which agent will charge me the least to do it? (That results in getting an agent less likely to invest in improving their performance through education or technology or an agent with a limited budget to spend on the marketing of your home.)

But this may not be the best way to choose your agent - You need an agent who is effective in getting results….Remember, you’re not hiring a friend; you’re hiring someone to do a job.

Here are questions that will give you a better indication of which agent is right for you:

1) “What percentage of your listings EXPIRE and how does your number compare to the average agent in the Charleston AFB marketplace?”

Expired listings are listings that didn’t sell during the time agreed to between the seller and the agent. If one agent has 95% of their listings sell without expiring and another has 25%, wouldn’t you want to know that?

2.) “What are your Average Days on Market?”

If the average days for homes listed “For Sale” in the Charleston AFB market is 180 days, and one agent is selling their listings in 90 days, wouldn’t you want to know what they do differently to get their results? Conversely, wouldn’t you want to avoid the person who is at 270 days?

3.) “What is your Average List Price to Sales Price Ratio?”

There are many agents who take overpriced listings in the Charleston AFB market, planning to lower the price once the seller becomes frustrated…knowing full well the house won’t sell at the overpriced amount. 

But – you want to SELL your home….not drag out the process.  Agents with big gaps between List Price and Sales Price are not doing you any favors – find this out early and save yourself the heartache. Great agents price correctly from the beginning because they know that price is the best possible marketing strategy and is the best thing for the seller!

You may be surprised to learn that some of the most “successful agents” in terms of “units sold” have a large percentage of listings that expire or a high number of days on market, or a significant gap between their initial list price and the actual sales price.  Or that once they list your home, they are off looking for another listing – and NOT looking for someone to buy your home.

Contact Military Homes of Charleston today – and let us show you what a great real estate agent can do for you!

**Information provided by the KCM Crew via www.KCMblog.com**                                      

Torri Jacobsen, Military Homes of Charleston – Charleston Air Force Base/Joint Base Charleston, SC Real Estate For Sale
Buying or selling a home doesn’t have to be hard, but choosing the right Realtor DOES make a difference. I specialize in making first-time home buying a great experience for military families moving to the Charleston, SC area. Call or email today, and let’s make this your best move yet! You’ll feel right at home with me.

Charleston AFB Real Estate, Charleston AFB Real Estate For Sale, Charleston AFB SC, Joint Base Charleston, Joint Base Charleston Real Estate

Jodie Hurt – Charleston Air Force Base, SC Real Estate For Sale

I specialize in helping military families enjoy a smooth PCS in and out of Charleston. I have a passion for helping people, and I love what I do. Call me (843) 819-4398 and let me make this the easiest PCS yet!

Charleston AirForceBase - Now is the Time to Buy!

Charleston Air Force Base families are asking: How do we get the wealthiest people in the country to advise us on the real estate market?  It’s actually rather easy……. Just look at what they are doing and do the same.

Right now the wealthiest people are investing in real estate. It was recently reported that sales of condos over $4 million have skyrocketed. Crain’s NY Business explains:

Nine apartments asking more than $4 million went into contract last week, according to brokerage Olshan Realty. The firm tracks the high-end residential market and began releasing its data to the public last month. By comparison, during last year’s Christmas week, no apartments over $4 million went into contract …

In fact, the number of luxury apartments that went into contract so far this month, 52, rose 62.5% from the same period a year ago. UrbanDigs, an analytics and consulting firm that tracks Manhattan housing activity in real-time, confirmed the strong contract signing activity for luxury apartments last week. It defines the luxury market as including properties listed at more than $5 million and found that there were 83 such contract signings this month, up 10 from a month ago.

Bottom Line
If we want to make great financial decisions, we must look at what the most affluent are doing and do the same. The wealthiest are buying real estate. So shouldn't Charleston  military families do the same?

Contact Military Homes of Charleston today, and let's get started!

**Information provided by the KCM Crew via http://www.kcmblog.com/**

Torri Jacobsen, Military Homes of Charleston – Charleston Air Force Base/Joint Base Charleston, SC Real Estate For Sale

Buying or selling a home doesn’t have to be hard, but choosing the right Realtor DOES make a difference. I specialize in making first-time home buying a great experience for military families moving to the Charleston, SC area. Call or email today, and let’s make this your best move yet! You’ll feel right at home with me.

Charleston AFB Real Estate, Charleston AFB Real Estate For Sale, Charleston AFB SC, Joint Base Charleston, Joint Base Charleston Real Estate