A Quick Walk Through Paris Mountain State Park

Have you been to Paris Mountain State Park? This beautiful area is home to some great lakes and hiking trails, and it’s just minutes away from downtown Greenville.

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I’m joining you today from the Sulphur Springs trailhead in beautiful Paris Mountain State Park. My son and I just finished up this easy little hike on this gorgeous fall morning, and the greenery here is absolutely amazing. In fact, I was just showing Paris Mountain Park to some clients who are new in town, and they noticed exactly how close Greenville was right away. Paris Mountain State Park is just minutes away from downtown Greenville, and it’s breathtaking to see up close.

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Paris Mountain State park is minutes from downtown Greenville.

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The original watershed for the water that provided Greenville its growth is right here, so there’s a lot of history in this area, too. The park is also home to a number of beautiful lakes, streams, mountain biking trails, and hiking trails, making it a great resource for those living in the Greenville area—including myself!

For more information about Paris Mountain State Park, click here. If you’re interested in living just minutes away from this spectacular state park or you have any questions about buying or selling Greenville real estate, give me a call or send me an email. I’d be happy to help you!

Should You Sell Your Home During an Election Year?

Recently, one of our email subscribers, Mike, sent in a question: “Is it hard to sell a home in an election year? Another agent warned me about trying to sell one of my homes right now.” That is a great question and it’s very timely, considering that we are less than 45 days out from electing a new President here in the United States. However, there isn’t one broad answer for this question. I recommend looking at the data to see what’s happening not only in the U.S., but also right here in Greenville. You should really pay attention to what’s happening in your specific neighborhood. I don’t think anyone can say, “Well, it’s an election year — that means it’s a bad time to sell.”

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Good real estate decisions are based on evidence, not emotions.

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You have to look at the data. Inventory is still low and there are plenty of buyers out there looking for a home. If you are thinking about selling your home, you have to consider your price point, what’s happening in your neighborhood, and what kind of buyer demand there is in the area. If you are selling a home for under $200,000 in Greenville, you would be selling in a very strong market. Even as we enter the fall season, now is still a good time to put your home on the market. Again, that is a great question that cannot be answered in broad terms. You have to look at specific data. In order to make good real estate decisions, you need to answer questions based on evidence, not emotion. If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I would be more than happy to help you!

Use Existing Equity to Buy a New Home

In my last video, I asked you all to submit your questions about real estate to me, and I’ve gotten a lot of terrific responses.

Today I’d like to answer a question from Amanda in Greenville, who asks, “What is the best way for someone that owns a house to buy a new home if they want to use their existing home’s equity as the down payment (as opposed to cash)?” In other words, how do you avoid living on the street while your new house sells? Is there a way to find your dream home and then sell your existing home?

In answer to your question, the first thing we need to determine is how much equity you have in your home, and secondly we need to determine your risk tolerance—are you willing to be in the position of owning two homes if need be?

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A short-term rental may be a worthwhile solution in the meantime.

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The first way to tackle this would be to first go down to your local bank and take out a home equity line of credit, which is used very much like a checking account. Remember, though, you are borrowing so you’ll have to pay interest on this line of credit. Then, use that credit line as a down payment on your next home, put your existing home on the market, and use that timeframe to market your home and move into your new one.

In this market, depending on the price point, there’s a good chance that you will sell your existing home quickly. We’re in a low-inventory market, so if you’ve found that dream home, you’ll want to make a non-contingent offer and use that home equity to put a down payment on it. Just be sure that you qualify for both the existing loan and the loan for the new home.

In order to ensure that this goes smoothly, you’ll want to bring in a great mortgage person to help you through the process.

The other, less risky way to approach this situation is to get your home on the market, sell it, get it under contract, and then begin looking for your new dream home. Again, in the environment we’re in now, it’s possible that you may not find that perfect home in this short time frame, so you may want to have a backup plan to rent a home for a while until you find the one you’d like to buy. Moving twice may not be the most fun thing to do, but a short-term rental may be a worthwhile solution to keep you from jumping the gun on a home purchase.

Thanks for this great question, Amanda! For participating in this process, we’ll be sending you a $25 gift card. In the meantime, if you have any other questions related to the buying and selling process, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I’d be happy to help you.

How Are Things Looking in Greenville?

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Thinking of selling? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation 

Call us at (864) 527-7685 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation

It’s been a little bit since we’ve done a market update, so we wanted to give you a look at what’s happening here in the Greenville area. Here’s a quick snapshot of what to expect through the rest of the year.

The first number we like to look at is inventory. We are down about 7% from this time last year if you look at the number of available homes. We have about 5,000 units on the market right now, which is actually less when you factor in that 1,200 of those homes are on contingent contracts.

The average price of a home in Greenville is $325,000. The average home sale price, however, is $209,456. This number is up 3.3% from last year. The number of homes sold has risen by 8.8% as well. We have sold 5,978 so far this year.

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We are very much in a seller’s market.

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Another key indicator we like to keep track of is the average days on market, or how long it takes a home to sell on average. Last year, our average was 81 days. This year, we are seeing an average of 69 days, a 15% decrease in the number of days it takes to sell a home on the Greenville MLS.

In a nutshell, that’s where our market is right now. We are very much in a seller’s market, especially in the price points under $250,000. Homes are selling very quickly at those prices and are getting multiple offers as well.

If you are thinking about selling, it’s a great time to do so. If you’re considering buying a home, just know that you’ve got to be prepared to act quickly by getting prequalified for a mortgage. You should also use a search tool like ours where you can get instant notifications about homes that match your specific criteria.

If you have any questions for us, give us a call or send us an email. We would love to hear from you.

Why Is it Such a Good Time to Move Up in Greenville?

Looking to buy? Click here to perform a full home search
 Thinking of selling? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation 
Call us at (864) 527-7685 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation

We compile a monthly Greenville real estate market report every month, and we track a lot of different numbers to get a good idea of the state of the market. Some of the important factors we track include the average days on market, the average sale price, the list-to-sale ratio and the absorption rate. Today we are going to talk about some of the recent numbers that have jumped out to us, but first, we want to give you an update on mortgage rates.

Last year, we saw mortgage rates near or at historic lows. They have dropped even lower since, and are down about 0.5% from where they were last year. Now, back to the numbers that jumped out to us.

The first number I want to mention is 1.4. That is the current months of inventory available for homes on the market between $100,000 and $200,000. That’s less than a 6-week supply! There’s a huge opportunity out there for sellers in the area to get top dollar for their home if it falls into this price range.

However, the higher you move up the pricing ladder, the more inventory we do have. In the $300,000 to $400,000 price point, we have more of a balanced market (5.3 months of inventory). In the luxury home market, we are actually in a buyer’s market.

If you’re thinking about upgrading to a new home in the near future, both our gut and the numbers say this is the time to do it. You’re going to sell very quickly if you’re priced right and staged correctly. Then you can go out and purchase a nicer home in a market where homes are staying on the market a bit longer, and have lower-than-usual sale prices. This is the perfect storm for move-up buyers, and we aren’t sure how long it will last.

If you’re looking to make a move up in the near future, or if you just have any questions for us, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

Pitfalls to Avoid When Buying New Construction in Greenville

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Call us at (864) 527-7685 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation

Today we are going to talk a little about newly built homes, and what you need to know if you’re thinking about buying one of these homes. New construction is very popular, and for good reason. You can get the exact home you want, while not having to deal with typical problems that concern home buyers. However, there are some things you need to know before signing that contract. 

When you walk into a new home, understand that the person in the model home works for that builder, and their job is to get the most money possible out of you for the home. That’s why you need to have an agent on your side as well. You want to make sure you’re protected, especially in case something happens.

We have several buyer’s agents that specialize in new construction and know all the ins and outs of the process. Even though the county does inspections, we will make sure the home is built to the specifications that it needs to be. 

If you have any questions for us, or know someone who is buying a new home and needs an advocate on their side, give us a call or send us an email. We would  be glad to help out!

What Are the Top Agents in the Country Doing?

Looking to buy? Click here to perform a full home search
 Thinking of selling? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation 
Call us at (864) 527-7685 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation

Today I’m here at the Keller Williams Family Reunion in New Orleans with over 15,000 of the best agents around the world. We are here to learn some best practices in order to improve the lives of our clients and our associates, and deliver a better experience for our customers and clients. I’m looking forward to bringing back some great ideas so we can continue to be the top team in upstate South Carolina. 

Our goal has always been to deliver great customer service, get homes sold quickly, and sell them for the highest dollar amount possible. We have a shortage of inventory right now, so you have a great opportunity to sell if you’ve been thinking about it.

If you’d like more information on how we would be able to help you sell your home quickly and for top dollar, give us a call or send us an email. We have tons of buyers out looking, and one of them may be the perfect fit. We look forward to hearing from you!

Looking For Top Agents in Greenville

Looking to buy? Click here to perform a full home search
 Thinking of selling? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation 
Call us at (864) 527-7685 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation

Today, I wanted to let you know I’m looking for a few people to join my team in Greenville. If you’re looking for a career, real estate is an amazing opportunity. We have so many leads from our marketing, celebrity endorsements, and radio/television advertisements that we’re overwhelmed. That’s why we’re looking for career-minded individuals that want to take their income to the next level. 

In fact, we guarantee $50,000 during your first year with us! If not, we will make up the difference. We’re confident we can help you become successful in the industry. If this sounds like an opportunity you’re excited about, mosey on over
RealEstateCareersinGreenville.com for more information. You’ll find a small assessment tool on the site to help coach you through the business. It takes up to twenty minutes, and we’ll follow up after you’ve completed the form.

We find the best folks are from our sphere of influence, including those we know and already conduct business with. Give me a call or send us an email today with any questions! We look forward to hearing from you.