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January 2012 - Posts

Tuesday, January 31, 2012 7:30 AM

This report card has a BIG FAT F

A couple of big stories out there in the Financial World have my attention and it's only my opinion but I can't help but give a BIG FAT F on my report card. Unlike almost everybody from surprisingly on both the left and the right, I don't
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
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Monday, January 30, 2012 6:56 AM

Choosing the best Charleston real estate agent

It seems like an appropriate time to discuss a better way of finding and choosing a real estate agent which is probably just as important as finding the perfect home in light of this weekend's brouhaha in the REnet regarding syndicated listings and
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Saturday, January 28, 2012 8:15 AM

ARG Realty removes listings from Zillow, Trulia and Realtor.com

As I wrote in The Dirty Little Secret of Charleston Real Estate Search , you're being bought and sold as a LEAD when you search for homes on Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com and other syndicated websites. Late last year, Edina Realty, a large Midwestern
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Thursday, January 26, 2012 7:23 AM

Lowcountry Oyster Festival at Boone Hall Plantation

It's that Sunday again, time for the world's largest oyster festival, The Lowcountry Oyster Festival at Boone Hall Plantation this Sunday from 10:30 to 5. Presented by the Charleston Restaurant Association, the Lowcountry Oyster Festival is a
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
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Wednesday, January 25, 2012 7:43 AM

[Good news] Charleston's crazy winter of 2012

I'm not complaining. I hear it's been pretty mild everywhere this winter, well maybe not everywhere since Seattle had a record snowfall the other day and aren't those Boeing employees who moved to Charleston probably pretty happy they chose
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
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Tuesday, January 24, 2012 8:00 AM

If you're searching Charleston homes for sale, prepare for some possible disappointments

I got an email last evening from someone searching one of those syndicated real estate websites (you know the kind I'm talking about that don't have the most recent and accurate information) who fell absolutely in love with a Charleston home for
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Monday, January 23, 2012 8:38 AM

There are too many paint colors in some Charleston homes

Paint is inexpensive and one of the best returns on investment when you're selling your home in Charleston. For whatever reason, some sellers don't want to bother to paint their homes before listing them for sale and that creates a good opportunity
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Sunday, January 22, 2012 8:18 AM

Charleston homes might sometimes sell before you can make up your mind

One of my clients told me that they were a little frustrated that several of the homes they have looked at have gone under contract while they were still in the decision making process. The fact is that despite what you may have heard, some homes in Charleston
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Friday, January 20, 2012 9:04 AM

Charleston monthly home sales by price range 2011

As a follow up to the Charleston real estate market report posted the other day, here is a chart of Charleston monthly home sales by price range. For homes selling for $300,000 and under, sales were 6.5 percent higher in 2011 than 2010. For homes selling
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Thursday, January 19, 2012 8:18 AM

Is it really For Sale By Owner

Sometimes you just have to wonder. The other day, one of my clients happened to want to see a home for sale in Charleston that was offered for sale by owner. So I dug up the contact info and sent an email and followed up with a phone call to make an appointment
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 8:43 AM

Charleston real estate market report, sales, inventory and home prices, year end 2011

One word to describe the Charleston real estate market for 2011 is GOOD. Home sales were higher year over year, inventory of homes available for sale has been trending down and is at its lowest level in almost 5 years and prices, while down were only
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 1 Comments
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 9:04 AM

[Good news] Positive outlook for the housing market

I noticed a good news headline yesterday. Writing for USA Today. Julie Schmit reports that the housing outlook is more upbeat . “Home sales and home building are forecast to rise this year after sliding steeply the past five years in housing's
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Sunday, January 15, 2012 10:01 AM

Check out the new Charleston neighborhood focus

Over on my new website, CharlestonRealEstateToday.com, a new series where we take a closer look at some of Charleston's favorite neighborhoods including sales statistics and available homes for sale. So far, there are neighborhood profiles for Daniel
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Saturday, January 14, 2012 7:58 AM

[TILT] More bad pics from the Charleston MLS

Happy Saturday. It's always fun to share really bad pictures that pop up in the Charleston MLS from time to time. Tilt! Does this home have structural issues or is the photo just taken on a sharp angle. Notice the bottom left of the photo where the
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Friday, January 13, 2012 8:03 AM

The dirty little secret of Charleston real estate search

In a word, you're being bought and sold as a LEAD . A lot of people who search for Charleston real estate use what they consider to be impartial 3rd party sites like Zillow, Trulia and others to search homes for sale. That way, they don't have
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 1 Comments
Thursday, January 12, 2012 8:15 AM

There's an easier way to search Charleston homes for sale

Some Charleston house hunters seem to be pretty intense when it comes to searching for that perfect home. A good example is the number of times this particular guest has visited this website to search the Charleston MLS. Now anyone who has visited 1706
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Wednesday, January 11, 2012 9:19 AM

[Politics] Next stop: South Carolina

South Carolina (and from what I'm hearing, especially Charleston) will be the center of the political universe for the next 10 days as the Republican primary heads to the South. The bad news, the ads have already started. The good news, lots of money
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
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Tuesday, January 10, 2012 7:31 AM

[Wide Angle] Charleston real estate photography

In our continuing effort to cover Charleston real estate photography from not just bad but utterly horrible pictures in the Charleston MLS to professional photography, virtual tours, video and other ways of presenting homes for sale to Charleston home
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Monday, January 09, 2012 8:18 AM

Strategy for the move up home buyer

Back in the old days, the move up home buyer basically sold their home for a profit and just bought a bigger home. Obviously, that isn't always the case these days. And some homeowners may have simply outgrown their home if they had a new child or
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Sunday, January 08, 2012 7:27 AM

Are you really ready to downsize

After the kids have grown up and moved away, some people think it's time to downsize from the large family home that they've lived in for a number of years. They might look at some smaller homes, condos or patio homes that are available for sale
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Friday, January 06, 2012 8:48 AM

52 Murray Boulevard sells for $5.975 million

The Grand Dame of Murray Boulevard, a magnificent Colonial Revival home built in 1912 by C. Bissell Jenkins with stunning views overlooking the Ashley River at the corner of Murray and Limestone recently sold for $5.975 million, cash. The 6 bedroom, 4
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Thursday, January 05, 2012 8:05 AM

Why FSBO's #FAIL

Hint: the asking price has no basis with reality. First of all, I don't blame anyone for trying to save money by selling their home themselves. Of course, doing a successful For Sale By Owner takes more than just sticking a for sale sign in your yard
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Wednesday, January 04, 2012 10:23 AM

Median sales price, Charleston real estate year end review

Based on the median sales price, the Charleston real estate market is showing the famous "double dip" in home prices. The median price is affected by the mix of homes sold and when more less expensive homes sell, the median price will decline
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Tuesday, January 03, 2012 9:08 AM

Town of Summerville sports fancy new trash containers

... but the bigger story is the major recycling push. The Town of Summerville changed vendors for trash collection as of the first of the year and you're now seeing these fancy new trash containers all over town. The new company is called Waste Pro
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Sunday, January 01, 2012 7:04 AM

Happy New Year 2012

Happy New Year! May all your dreams come true.
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
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