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April 2010 - Posts

Thursday, April 29, 2010 5:30 AM

Forbes ranks best and worst housing markets and Charleston is on both lists

... so what are they using to make their best and worst lists anyway, a dartboard. Actually, there are two stories by two different Forbes writers who are relying on two different ways of analyzing and forecasting but come on, in the last year since Charleston
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 6:55 AM

Charleston housing market outlook and the end of government intervention

Some are saying that with the end of government intervention in the housing market that another round of home price declines is likely. And while that might be the case in other areas around the country, I personally don't think that the Charleston
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Tuesday, April 27, 2010 7:02 AM

Sometimes a sale can be as simple as

... answering your phone or promptly returning phone calls or responding to an email. One of my clients chose a home inspector from a list of recommended people I provided based on the first person they were able to get a hold of. There is a good lesson
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
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Monday, April 26, 2010 5:38 AM

Charleston foreclosure listings

... seem to be steadily added to the Charleston MLS. While all home buyers are interested in getting a good deal, some home buyers seem to be focused on foreclosures as the best way to go. And just about every day the banks are satisfying the desires
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 2 Comments
Saturday, April 24, 2010 8:32 AM

Charleston home sales are up sharply this year

... and most importantly, in all price ranges. While gathering the statistics for the Charleston real estate market report, I couldn't help but notice the improvement in sales on a year over year basis in both mid priced homes and luxury Charleston
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 1 Comments
Friday, April 23, 2010 7:09 AM

Charleston mortgage report, today's mortgage rates, April 23, 2010

Sometimes boring is good as is the case with little to no change in mortgage rates today compared to last week's Charleston mortgage report. So the "doom and gloom" crowd might have gotten it wrong when they forecast that mortgage rates
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 1 Comments
Thursday, April 22, 2010 7:06 AM

Earth Day, lead paint and new EPA rules

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created as a result of the first Earth Day 40 years ago and today, new rules on renovation, repair and painting (RRP) take effect. These rules will potentially affect approximately 25 percent of all homes
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 1 Comments
Wednesday, April 21, 2010 8:47 AM

Coming soon to an incredible Charleston real estate agent, the Droid Incredible

Just pre ordered from Verizon and based on rave reviews , I'm looking forward to receiving my new Droid Incredible very soon. Full disclosure : I have not received any compensation for writing this content and I have no material connection to the
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Tuesday, April 20, 2010 6:25 AM

How to buy a home in Charleston and finance repairs [FHA Streamline 203K]

The FHA Streamline 203K loan allows you to obtain one loan to buy a home in Charleston and include the amount necessary to complete required repairs. The program is designed for a smaller scale of repairs rather than a major rehabilitation. Some of the
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Monday, April 19, 2010 8:12 AM

Lease purchase options [advantages and disadvantages]

... are not necessarily the best alternative for a buyer. But depending on circumstances, could be a very attractive option for a home owner who is selling their home in Charleston. I seem to get a call or email about every week from someone who is interested
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Saturday, April 17, 2010 7:05 AM

Does a wall mount flat screen TV convey as an attached fixture when selling your home

It may or it may not. Some Charleston MLS listings clearly state that a flat screen television does not convey with the sale of the home. It would be similar to a listing that states that the dining room chandelier will not convey because it belonged
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Friday, April 16, 2010 12:26 PM

Charleston mortgage report, today's mortgage rates, April 16, 2010

There are nice improvements in mortgage rates this week with rates generally down by 1/8 for most loans. Of interest is the significant improvement in the 5/1 ARM over the past few months. Now some people might think that all ARM's are bad because
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 1 Comments
Thursday, April 15, 2010 6:41 AM

Viewing homes for sale in Charleston can be somewhat like an obstacle course

... but we really want to see that home. Real life and amazing but true, in just one day of viewing homes for sale, we encountered all of the following: A broken lockbox that the listing agent had to come out and fix so we could get the key. Meeting the
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 4:55 AM

The end of the blog

... seems to be what's happening in the real estate net. Three or four years ago, it seemed that everyone in real estate was buzzing about blogging and there was a ton of great stuff in the re net. I've noticed many fine real estate blogs that
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Tuesday, April 13, 2010 6:41 AM

The home buyer tax credit and short sales

In order to qualify for the home buyer tax credit, the IRS says that you must have a binding contract before May 1, 2010. In a short sale, while most people would say that if the seller and buyer agree, then the contract is ratified. But since short sales
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Monday, April 12, 2010 5:56 AM

Phil wins The Masters or Charleston real estate

No contest about what to write about, after watching all 18 holes yesterday, let's go with Phil winning The Masters, quite simply a great story. Mike Lupica in the NY Daily News, Good guy wins . But Jason Whitlock in the KC Star had an interesting
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Saturday, April 10, 2010 7:05 AM

[Fore] Golf course homes in Charleston

On this beautiful spring day with The Masters promising to be very exciting this weekend, perhaps you might be thinking about living in a home on the golf course in one of the many residential golf course communities that can be found throughout the Charleston
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Friday, April 09, 2010 12:12 PM

Charleston mortgage report, today's rates April 9,2010

There was a bit of a wild ride in the mortgage market over the past week with rates shooting higher as April began and then eased slightly. Dan Green offers an explanation of what happened and predicts slightly lower rates in the next week. And as you'll
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Thursday, April 08, 2010 6:22 AM

Searching Charleston waterfront homes

... is more difficult to search for than probably any other kind of home for sale in Charleston. I've been working with a couple recently who are interested in a home that they can dock their boat and be able to get out on the water anytime they want.
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Wednesday, April 07, 2010 6:57 AM

The Charleston real estate market is trending up

As indicated in the most recent Charleston real estate market report , the housing market in Charleston has been trending up. There are some naysayers who forecast a flood of foreclosures, the end of the home buyer tax credit or rising interest rates
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Tuesday, April 06, 2010 7:31 AM

Mortgage rates on the rise

As expected by many due to the Fed's completion of their purchase of mortgage backed securities on March 31, mortgage rates have started to rise. But it isn't just that which is causing rates to rise, the 10 Year US Treasury has been going up
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Monday, April 05, 2010 6:36 AM

Finding the perfect home for sale in Charleston

... could be the first home you see. Sometimes, you can view dozens of homes for sale and nothing is just right. It really shouldn't but it could take days or even weeks to find the perfect home for sale in Charleston depending on your time frame
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 2 Comments
Friday, April 02, 2010 5:37 AM

Housing boom and bust

Phil Izzo at WSJ reports on a Fed report highlighting the stability of the upstate NY housing market as a reminder that much of the US did not experience the housing boom and also hasn't experienced a bust. But what I find to be more interesting is
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Thursday, April 01, 2010 6:12 AM

Charleston real estate market report, sales, inventory and home prices, April 1, 2010

This is no April Fool's joke. The Charleston real estate market is doing very well considering everything being reported in the media about double dips, foreclosures, the economy, etc. February was an excellent month with sales higher on a year over
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 1 Comments