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January 2009 - Posts

Saturday, January 31, 2009 8:33 AM

Charleston real estate market report, sales and inventory, January 31, 2009

The 2008 Charleston real estate year end market report could not have been accomplished without SnagIt which gives you the ability to do a screen capture and then easily edit the graphics. I've been using it for about the past 6 months and the charts
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Friday, January 30, 2009 2:45 PM

A haircut and a shave

Did you ever wonder why lenders with lots of problem loans on their books aren't more responsive in helping troubled borrowers. Sure, there are technical financial difficulties because loans were packaged and sold and nobody has any idea who actually
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
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Thursday, January 29, 2009 4:43 PM

Joe, you need to smile more for the camera

I know it's a photo op but couldn't Vice President Joe Biden at least appear to be interested in the serious economic discussion between President Barack Obama and Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner. Photo credit: Reuters.
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 2 Comments
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Thursday, January 29, 2009 7:37 AM

Hoping for change

The House of Representatives voted to approve the $819 Billion economic stimulus package by a margin of 244-118 with no Republicans voting for and even 11 Democrats voting against the pork laden bill. After the Bush administration's miserable attempt
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 2 Comments
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Tuesday, January 27, 2009 8:49 AM

When will the housing market recover

There is a lot of buzz across the re.net about when the housing market will bottom and finally begin to recover. Just as tops and bottoms in the stock market are not announced with bells ringing and fireworks going off, history has shown that we'll
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Monday, January 26, 2009 7:58 AM

Charleston is number one with Southern Living readers [again]

Charleston was picked as the number one city once again in the Southern Living Reader's Choice Awards. It's no surprise to me, Charleston is a wonderful place to visit and an even better place to live. And Southern Living seems to have an article
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Sunday, January 25, 2009 7:43 AM

Oyster fest

Brace yourself for lots of traffic as thousands of oyster lovers will be at Boone Hall Plantation in Mount Pleasant today for the 26th annual Lowcountry Oyster Festival. The event has been named one of the top 20 events in the Southeast by the Southeastern
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Friday, January 23, 2009 1:15 PM

Daniel Island, an urban / suburban Charleston community

A client recently asked me if I could live anywhere, where would I live. Not everyone is as fortunate to be able to live anywhere they want but I am and chose to live in Charleston. He went on to ask where in Charleston I would live if I could live anywhere
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Thursday, January 22, 2009 9:02 AM

The reality of Charleston realty

I noticed this listing in the Charleston MLS the other day and while it is somewhat bizarre to suggest that the buyer names price, that is of course what happens in a real estate transaction since the seller lists their home at an asking price and the
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 2 Comments
Wednesday, January 21, 2009 9:28 AM

Data could be dangerous

My friend Jonathan Dalton from Phoenix (who is actually a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan but will most likely root for the Arizona Cardinals in the Super Bowl) cautions the do it yourself real estate consumer of the dangers of data interpretation. Apparently,
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Tuesday, January 20, 2009 7:42 AM

An unusual Charleston picture

The weather in Charleston is generally great and I'm the first to brag about it to folks from the Northeast and Midwest who are considering relocation to Charleston. And while those areas have been especially hard hit by bad weather this winter, look
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 4 Comments
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Monday, January 19, 2009 9:58 AM

The Super Bowl and Charleston real estate

Now, you might be wondering what the Super Bowl between the ultimate Cinderella Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the most popular teams in the NFL and my home (my wife is from Pittsburgh) has to do with Charleston real estate. But
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 2 Comments
Sunday, January 18, 2009 9:20 AM

The Ponds may be the best reason to live in Summerville SC

If you like the idea of living in a large master planned community but with a small town neighborhood feel, The Ponds might be the best reason to live in Summerville. The Ponds is being developed by Greenwood Development Corporation who also developed
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Friday, January 16, 2009 10:01 AM

[Charleston real estate] location, location, location

The three most important words in real estate are location, location, location. Despite today's current troubled housing industry, here is a perfect example of why Charleston real estate meets the location test. I just noticed a home apparently in
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Thursday, January 15, 2009 6:15 AM

Foreclosure activity increased 81% in 2008

RealtyTrac just released their 2008 foreclosure market report and foreclosure activity increased 81% in 2008 in the US. Let's look inside the numbers and look at the fact and fiction of what is happening with foreclosures across the country and here
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Wednesday, January 14, 2009 7:32 AM

[warning] Showing this house may be harmful

Some people might still think they have the only home for sale in Charleston. If you were a Charleston real estate agent, would you really want to show this home. From the agent notes (my emphasis added): Agents...please read carefully. First and foremost
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 1 Comments
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 11:42 AM

December 2008 Charleston housing report

Here is your first peek at how the Charleston housing market ended the year with monthly, quarterly and yearly comparisons for sales, average and median prices and the inventory absorption rate. The more encompassing Charleston real estate market report
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Monday, January 12, 2009 7:16 AM

[a bright idea] Saving energy with lighting

Everyone wants to save energy but did you know that lighting consumes 22% of all electrical power in the United States so it would be a is a good place to get started. I'm not a big fan of compact fluorescent lights (CFL) but I stumbled across the
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
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Saturday, January 10, 2009 6:28 AM

How to get a mortgage in Charleston

... despite rumors that banks won't lend you money. My mortgage is with Countrywide and I'm considering refinancing because current mortgage rates are low and I believe they'll even go a little lower. I've always been happy with Countrywide
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 12 Comments
Thursday, January 08, 2009 3:43 PM

[really bad pictures of] A nice foreclosure for sale

From the "you've got to wonder why" department, some Charleston real estate agents need to buy a new camera and then learn how to take pictures, it really isn't that difficult. Here is a home for sale in Charleston but the home buyer
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 4 Comments
Wednesday, January 07, 2009 2:12 PM

Charleston homes for sale inventory

... is soaring as the New Year begins. In just one week, 277 homes have been newly listed and 230 homes have come back on the market. Now of course, some of those 277 homes were previously on the market and may have gotten a new agent or the agent simply
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Tuesday, January 06, 2009 8:09 AM

Winter foliage and colorful blooms in Charleston

While the winter weather in Charleston today is expected to be more like spring with sunshine and highs in the 70's, the winter foliage and colorful blooms would still be spectacular even with more normal weather conditions. Many visitors and those
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 6 Comments
Monday, January 05, 2009 12:46 PM

Surprised, not really

From the "you really shouldn't pile on when they're down" file, GM has a new advertising campaign paid for by the taxpayers running during the NFL football playoffs (and college bowl games) - and how about this for a novel idea, maybe
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
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Sunday, January 04, 2009 8:35 AM

Charleston real estate market report, home prices, January 4, 2009

Prices have been under pressure in the Charleston real estate market for several months due to high inventory levels and declining demand. The median price has been more affected primarily due to more home sales at lower price points and the few short
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Saturday, January 03, 2009 2:23 PM

Charleston real estate market report, sales and inventory, January 3, 2009

Because sales declined sharply in the past several months while inventory levels continue to remain high (although dropping slightly as is normal heading into the end of the year only to return to the market in the early part of the next year), the absorption
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Friday, January 02, 2009 7:46 AM

Days on market, the clock may start fresh

So you're searching for homes for sale in Charleston and you see this nice home that appears to be a new listing. After all, you may have noticed it though a listing alert and it does sport a fresh new number but how many days has it really been on
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Thursday, January 01, 2009 6:37 AM

Goodbye 2008, Happy New Year 2009

I think it's fair to say that 2008 will not go down in history as a very good year. So let's welcome 2009 with my hope and best wishes for a happy and healthy year ahead. And a big thank you to those of you who regularly stop by my little corner
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
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