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June 2009 - Posts

Tuesday, June 30, 2009 6:17 AM

Cramer calls housing market bottom to be June 30, 2009

I regularly read Jonathan Miller, NY real estate appraiser extraordinaire on his fantastic blog, Matrix . He just guest authored on Huffington Post and talked about CNBC's Jim Cramer call last fall of the housing market bottom on June 30, 2009. "During
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
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Monday, June 29, 2009 11:55 AM

You really can't take a vacation from Charleston real estate

... because the craziest things might happen and today was no exception. A quick story. My clients are due to close on a condo for sale in Mount Pleasant next Monday. It was a builders closeout and the unit was used by the builder as an office. Everything
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Saturday, June 27, 2009 5:16 AM

Rent vs. Buy

At the beach so posting will probably be a little light this week and not my usual detailed analysis of the Charleston real estate market or as some of you may refer to it as rambling prose . How about some light humor from Dilbert . Rent vs. Buy.
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Friday, June 26, 2009 6:10 AM

Selling your home in Charleston today

... is not as much about great marketing as it is about pricing it right. A lot of sellers are upset with their Charleston real estate agents because their home hasn't sold. While I'm sure that in a few cases, they might be justifiably angry that
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Thursday, June 25, 2009 6:15 AM

Mark Sanford, Don't cry for me Argentina

And another politician takes a swan dive into the cesspool of self destruction, this time it's our Governor of South Carolina, Mark Sanford. The first thought that I had was the classic song from Evita, Don't cry for me Argentina. The media and
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
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Wednesday, June 24, 2009 12:36 PM

Philip Simmons at Heaven's Gate

With Philip Simmons passing on Monday evening, it would be only fitting for God to commission the renowned Charleston artisan to craft a new gate to heaven. His work with iron is nothing short of amazing and of course, examples can be found throughout
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
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Tuesday, June 23, 2009 6:45 AM

409 Baycreek, Charleston West Ashley home for sale, $249,900

Just listed in West Ashley, a beautiful home with an open floor plan for sale at 409 Baycreek in conveniently located Stone Creek for just $249,900. Walking distance to the fabulous West Ashley Greenway, minutes to 526 and the Citadel Mall, convenient
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 2 Comments
Monday, June 22, 2009 12:21 PM

South Carolina's Lucas Glover wins the US Open

Work or watch golf or both. A tough decision but after all, it's the US Open and it was exciting as the leaders came back to the field but Lucas Glover from the upstate of South Carolina wins over Ricky Barnes, David Duval (in an amazing career comeback)
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
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Sunday, June 21, 2009 6:14 AM

[3 for Sunday] Father's Day, First day of summer, US Open golf

It's a busy Sunday. Most importantly, I want to wish all the Dads a Happy Father's Day. The first day of summer happens to coincide with the US Open this year and with all the rain and delays in play, that might be a good thing because the first
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
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Saturday, June 20, 2009 6:17 AM

[Charleston real estate] What's your dollar buy today

... in a word, more. After recently updating the What's Your $ Buy page, I noticed that since Charleston home prices have declined a bit, you are now able to buy quite a bit more home than before. Check out recent sales from around the Charleston
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Friday, June 19, 2009 7:18 AM

I can't show you that home for sale

[caution] small rant ahead. If this wasn't a true story, I'd laugh at how ridiculous it is. ... just because in the past week ... your Charleston real estate agent ... won't return your phone calls (2 buyers called me when their agent wouldn't
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Thursday, June 18, 2009 3:45 PM

[Price reduced] The new sign in Charleston real estate

Maybe Charleston home sellers are finally getting it. While the Charleston real estate market had steady appreciation during the housing boom, it certainly didn't compare to the frenzy in the most overheated real estate markets around the country.
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Wednesday, June 17, 2009 7:51 AM

[More] Bad Charleston MLS pictures

Jay Thompson, ThePhoenixRealEstateGuy has been ranting about MLS pictures the past few days and I really ought to write about bad Charleston MLS pictures more often because it's always very popular with readers so here goes. Let's talk about toilets.
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 2 Comments
Tuesday, June 16, 2009 6:02 AM

Seth says: you matter

I recently read that Seth Godin is the most widely read single author blog in the world. When you read this pearl, you'll understand why. Seth says: you matter .
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
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Monday, June 15, 2009 6:06 AM

Search the Charleston MLS

Unless you are a member of the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors, you really can't search the Charleston MLS. What real estate consumers interested in searching for homes can search is what is called an Internet Data Exchange (IDX) but since
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Sunday, June 14, 2009 6:33 AM

A time for patriotism, Flag Day 2009

The period from Memorial Day to the 4th of July is generally considered to be a patriotic time for most Americans. We remember those who gave their lives for our country on Memorial Day and the birth of our country on the 4th of July. But often overlooked
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 1 Comments
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Saturday, June 13, 2009 6:27 AM

Read carefully before signing

Despite today's current environment of not taking responsibility for one's actions, your signature is your commitment to live up to the terms of a contract so it is in your best interests to read carefully before signing. A real estate investor
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Friday, June 12, 2009 5:49 AM

Is real estate technology headed for the small screen

Brian Boero at 1000WattConsulting seems to think so. "Do we need more real estate websites? Maybe not. Do we still need a better way to find place to live? Definitely. The small screen is where that better way lies." Read more Did he just say
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Wednesday, June 10, 2009 3:24 PM

New Charleston home search coming soon

For those of you who were disappointed that I was forced to get rid of the map search from Diverse Solutions, good news is coming soon. A new map search from IDX Broker will be available soon on my website. You'll have your choice of a map search,
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Tuesday, June 09, 2009 3:23 PM

Charleston real estate [fact or fiction]

I got an interesting email the other day regarding realistic and unrealistic expectations from a buyer interested in the Charleston real estate market. I'll anonymize to protect the innocent and the guilty. "My spouse is sometimes unrealistic!
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 4 Comments
Monday, June 08, 2009 4:36 PM

As the world [economy] turns

I don't watch soap operas but I do love the title of As the World Turns and apparently, it is one of the longest running and most popular shows of the genre. I'm fairly certain my grandmother was a big fan. Anyway, back to more important matters
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Sunday, June 07, 2009 6:44 AM

HVCC, the home valuation code of conduct [MESS]

Let's face facts. During the housing boom, appraisals came in higher and higher. Lenders not only didn't care whether borrowers could repay a loan, they basically didn't seem to care if a property was properly appraised. It's a brand new
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Friday, June 05, 2009 7:00 AM

Rags to riches to stripes

Angelo Mozilo, the son of a Bronx butcher known for his tan and sometimes referred to as "Tangelo", Mozilo is the poster boy of reckless lending. Mozilo built Countrywide into the nation's largest mortgage lender and was charged with fraud
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 2 Comments
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Thursday, June 04, 2009 6:32 AM

Loan modification scams

California Attorney General, Edmund G. Brown Jr. (you may know him better as Jerry Brown ) is continuing his fight against scam artists who "prey on" vulnerable Californians by forcing foreclosure consultants to register with his office and
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 1 Comments
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Wednesday, June 03, 2009 6:37 AM

Does your real estate agent really matter

People pick their real estate agents in any number of different ways. Take friends, neighbors and relatives and more than likely, you'll know several agents. So how do you choose and does it really matter. It might. Of course, there are probably some
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 1 Comments
Tuesday, June 02, 2009 7:38 AM

Searching for a better Charleston home search

As many of you know, I did not renew my subscription last month with Diverse Solutions to provide their map based Charleston home search because their service was unreliable and their customer service was worse . I replaced it with an old standby, a basic
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Monday, June 01, 2009 6:04 AM

Back to NOLA [A happy hurricane story]

Since today is the start of hurricane season, it seems fitting to mention that one of my clients who were residents of New Orleans during Katrina will be returning home to NOLA in about a month. Of course they lost everything back in 2005 and were forced
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 2 Comments