Posts in category 'Client Stories'
1
Why Choose One Real Estate Agent Over Another?
On Monday, our broker asked us to think about how we would answer someone who asked why they should choose us as their real estate agent. The answer needed to be about thirty seconds long, but there was one catch. We could not begin by saying "I." At first, that seemed like a simple restriction, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how difficult the question really was. Most real estate agents can say they communicate well, negotiate for their clients, know the market, answer their phones, work hard, and care about the people they represent. Those are all important qualities, but when everyone is saying essentially the same thing, they do not necessarily explain why a buyer or seller should choose one particular agent. It made me wonder if perhaps the answer to "Why me?" should not really be about me at all.
Recently, I worked with a family who had found a house they really liked and had gone unde...
26
Sometimes the Fix Is Smaller Than the Problem Feels
Owning a home means there will always be something that needs attention. Some repairs are large, expensive, and absolutely require a trained professional. Others are much smaller than they first appear. The difficult part is often figuring out which is which. Recently, Terry and I had one of those experiences at my daughter's house.
One room in her home was not cooling as well as the others. We discovered that a section of ductwork in the attic had lost much of its insulation. I asked about having that particular section repaired, but the answer I received was that the ductwork would need to be redone instead of simply rewrapping the damaged area. There may have been valid reasons for that recommendation, including warranty, liability, or workmanship concerns, but it was a much larger solution than the problem we were trying to solve.
So we started asking more questions....
17
Why Did My Mortgage Payment Change? What South Carolina Homeowners Need to Watch
Many homeowners believe that once they sign their closing documents, choose an insurance company and begin making payments, their monthly mortgage payment is settled. That may be true for the principal and interest portion of a fixed-rate mortgage, but it is not necessarily true for the total amount withdrawn from the homeowner's bank account each month.
Property taxes, homeowners insurance and escrow shortages can all change the total monthly payment. A homeowner who overlooks a letter from the county, insurance company or mortgage servicer may discover the problem only after the payment has increased.
South Carolina's 4% Legal Residence Assessment
South Carolina provides a 4% property-tax assessment ratio for an owner's qualifying legal residence. Other residential real estate generally receives a 6% assessment ratio. A home is not officially lab...
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