Welcome to Charleston Real Estate Blog Sign in | Help

June 2007 - Posts

Saturday, June 30, 2007 5:59 AM

Staging your home for sale

In today's Charleston South Carolina real estate market with inventory of available homes at very high levels, it is important to make your home stand out among the many choices the buyer has. One of the most popular techniques in today's real
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Wednesday, June 27, 2007 6:33 PM

House hunting in a buyers market for Charleston South Carolina real estate

The buyer in today's Charleston South Carolina real estate market is certainly in a sweet spot. There are so many nice choices offered at very attractive prices that the biggest problem the buyer faces is choosing the perfect home. In new construction
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Tuesday, June 26, 2007 4:57 AM

From the beach to the housing market

We're just back from the beach after spending a long weekend doing not much more than sitting in the sunshine, listening to the sounds of the surf, watching the tide go in and out and soaking up some rays and now it's back to the business of Charleston
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 2 Comments
Friday, June 22, 2007 8:14 PM

MEW is the sound of the IRS going after your wallet

Many homeowners have taken money out of their homes in recent years as if their home was an ATM machine. MEW means mortgage equity withdrawal. The fine print in the tax deductibility of refinancing interest has probably been overlooked by almost everyone
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 3 Comments
Friday, June 22, 2007 6:22 AM

Charleston mourns 9 courageous heroes today

Charleston South Carolina Mayor Joe Riley declared Friday a day of mourning for the 9 firefighters who tragically lost their lives battling the massive blaze earlier this week. Approximately 30,000 family, friends, firefighters from around the country
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 2 Comments
Filed under:
Thursday, June 21, 2007 3:48 PM

A new record price of $7.2 million paid for Historic Charleston home

Despite the slowing real estate market nationally and in the Charleston South Carolina real estate market, a new record price for a home sale in Charleston’s Historic Peninsula has been set at $7.2 million with the purchase of 21 King Street, known
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 2 Comments
Wednesday, June 20, 2007 2:02 PM

Flop, a Charleston South Carolina real estate story of flipping for fun and profit or was it a loss?

Many of you will remember the story, a tale of flipping real estate that likely will result in a flop. The Charleston South Carolina real estate market is fine despite the current housing slowdown. However, the objective should be buying smart and selling
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Tuesday, June 19, 2007 12:10 PM

Do mortgage lenders have a new trick up their sleeves to get you in financial hot water?

I noticed an interesting post on Noah Rosenblatt's excellent website, Urban Digs, regarding a new mortgage product making the rounds to offer troubled borrowers who can no longer obtain subprime and alt a loans. This product could be even more insidious.
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Monday, June 18, 2007 1:17 PM

Mortgage rate update, rates are still historically low, 30 yr fixed at 6.375

About a week ago, I pointed out 10 year Treasury Bonds hit a new high for the past 12 months and since mortgage rates closely track the 10 year bond rate, mortgage rates were somewhat higher. That's the bad news, now for the good. While mortgage rates
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 2 Comments
Saturday, June 16, 2007 7:27 AM

Report on the nation's housing by the Joint Center for Housing Studies

Some highlights from the recently released report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University. While economists remain upbeat about the long-term outlook of the residential real estate market, the near term is tainted by the uncertainty
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Friday, June 15, 2007 1:50 PM

America's 25 greenest cities

As Kermit the frog says, “It’s not easy being green.” Country Home magazine, with help from Sperling’s Best Places, examined all 379 major metropolitan areas in the country, ranking them according to how green they were. Qualifications
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Thursday, June 14, 2007 5:27 PM

How to start your search for your new home in the Charleston South Carolina real estate market

Charleston . Mount Pleasant. Summerville. Daniel Island. West Ashley. James Island. Johns Island. North Charleston. Goose Creek. The names change but when all is said and done, these communities are just some of the many areas in what is more commonly
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Wednesday, June 13, 2007 3:06 PM

Mixson Avenue breaks ground in Park Circle

Mixson Avenue, the new mixed-use, mixed income neighborhood being developed by Vince Graham's award winning I'on Group is breaking ground today by putting the ceremonial first shovel in the dirt. A sales office is planned to open in the former
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Tuesday, June 12, 2007 5:55 PM

underpromise, overdeliver

Many Charleston South Carolina real estate agents promise the world and more to their clients. "I'm the best", "multi million dollar producer" and other sayings are common advertising messages shouting BUY FROM ME. But I think
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Tuesday, June 12, 2007 3:34 PM

10 yr Treasury Bonds, Mortgage rates rise

Rates on 10 Year Treasury bonds have been rising sharply in the past 2 months just recently hitting a 5 year high. 10 Year Treasury Bonds are the closest comparable to 30 year mortgage rates which just hit 6.5% on average as of today. The chart below
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Filed under: ,
Monday, June 11, 2007 11:26 AM

More pictures improves search on the Charleston MLS

Online real estate consumers will find searching the Charleston MLS to be more fun and helpful as more pictures will now be available on listings. Charleston South Carolina real estate agents will now be able to put up to 24 pictures on real estate listings,
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 2 Comments
Saturday, June 09, 2007 7:05 AM

Realtor vs FSBO, are real estate agents lower than dirt yet?

A new study by Northwestern University professors compared homes sold by Realtors and FSBO's in one city, Madison Wisconsin. The surprising result was that FSBO's did better. Read all about it. There are asterisks to consider. Then in the NY Times
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Friday, June 08, 2007 12:38 PM

It's summer and that means the crepe myrtles are blooming

When the Weather Channel has the same forecast for the Charleston area for the week, mostly sunny and highs in the 90's, lows in the 70's with only a degree or two difference from one day to the next and with a chance for isolated or scattered
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Filed under:
Thursday, June 07, 2007 2:58 PM

Do I really need buyer representation more than a rebate?

With a hat tip to Greg Swann, the big dog at the Bloodhound Blog , I noticed this skilled new? negotiating tool now being implemented by the experienced? Redfin agents. Glenn Kelman wrote, "At lunch with Cynthia and a local real estate baron, we
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Thursday, June 07, 2007 10:28 AM

Charleston South Carolina real estate prices

Charleston South Carolina real estate prices for single family homes have held up very well during the current real estate downturn. How can that be? Unit sales are down by 19% for the same 5 month period as last year. Inventory is at up by 37% and there
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 7 Comments
Wednesday, June 06, 2007 2:37 PM

NAR revises forecast for slightly larger price declines for housing

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) now forecasts a slightly larger price decline for both existing and new homes. The revised forecast for the National real estate market: median existing-home price will drop 1.3 percent median new-home price
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Tuesday, June 05, 2007 1:23 PM

New urban living condos in the Ashley River Bridge District

Beazer homes has announced the development of new urban living condos, lofts, studios and flats at Station West in the Ashley River Bridge District. On the site of the old concrete plant at the corner of Folly and Albemarle Roads, Station West joins several
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Monday, June 04, 2007 12:01 PM

Charleston South Carolina real estate market report, May 2007

For May 2007, I have once again reformatted the information presented in the Charleston South Carolina real estate market report to make it both easier to read and see the market trends and comparisons. Please note that the Charleston MLS has added a
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 1 Comments
Sunday, June 03, 2007 6:42 AM

Ginn Tribute at RiverTowne, Mount Pleasant

We're headed over to Mount Pleasant and RiverTowne Country Club this morning for the final round of the Ginn Tribute Presented by Annika on a soggy Sunday morning. After not having any rain in the Charleston area for at least a month, the skies opened
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Friday, June 01, 2007 5:42 AM

Hurricane season starts

June 1 marks the beginning of hurricane season. First, let's hope and pray no serious storms cause a widespread loss of life or property. Here is a link for hurricane preparedness . Finally, if you see Jim Cantore from the Weather Channel, who has
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Filed under: