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Saturday, July 19, 2008 5:48 AM

Can we walk?

Despite the record drop in price this week of a barrel of oil, I don't think anyone really believes gas prices will ever be cheap again. And one real estate trend that will be a result of $4 gas is the desire to live closer to work, shopping and activities.
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 2 Comments
Thursday, July 17, 2008 2:52 PM

Charleston property tax update

The South Carolina legislature reformed property taxes recently and some questions now have answers. (Of course, when laws are enacted, they need to be translated into English so we can understand them so it generally takes time.) I work with many people
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 1 Comments
Friday, July 11, 2008 6:03 AM

Charleston waterfront homes

Someone asked me to find them a beach house yesterday to use as both a second home and vacation rental. They were interested in a minimum 3 bedroom, 2 bath with a view of the ocean or at least a water view. They also wanted the property to be a foreclosure
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 2 Comments
Tuesday, July 08, 2008 12:18 PM

Mortgage reform proposed, mortgage abuse advertised

I've written about this subject many times and I know my friend Larry Cragun at Real Estate Undressed will be thoroughly disgusted by this. While the Fed is addressing new rules to protect future homebuyers, look who is advertising on the same Yahoo!
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 3 Comments
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Saturday, July 05, 2008 6:44 AM

Flood zones, flood insurance

An ask the agent question: Can I ask a question about flood zones and flood insurance? When a listing says a home in Mount Pleasant is in a flood zone does that mean that many or most of those homes will get water coming into their house? Will rivers
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 2 Comments
Sunday, June 22, 2008 7:31 AM

Buyer behavior is changing

... because of $4 gasoline. The high cost of gas is certainly influencing car buying right now and will influence home buying in the future as well. My wife and I were shopping for a new car yesterday. Right now we have 2 Saturn VUE's. Mine is leased
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 2 Comments
Friday, June 13, 2008 9:12 AM

Why register to search

Several regular visitors have emailed me recently asking why I now require registration to search the Charleston MLS on the new map based search provided by Diverse Solutions on my website. Actually, it's a small point but you don't have to register
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Monday, June 09, 2008 1:18 PM

Unreasonable expectations

Sometimes you just have to wonder. There are so many places that real estate buyers can search for homes today that when you receive a request to send listings that basically aren't available, you just wonder if the potential buyer was serious enough
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Saturday, June 07, 2008 6:50 AM

Charleston schools, Charleston home buyers

School is out so it's time to head to the beach and June is truly a great time to go. The weather is generally sunny and hot and the ocean breezes are delightful. So you might wonder why the title of this post has to do with Charleston schools and
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Saturday, May 31, 2008 7:32 AM

New map search of the Charleston MLS

I've just added the latest search technology to my website enabling you to search the Charleston MLS with advanced map search technology provided by Diverse Solutions. As always, no registration is required. You can search the Charleston MLS with
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 2 Comments
Wednesday, May 28, 2008 11:16 AM

Can HOA and monthly regime fees increase

An interesting ask the agent question. Can HOA and monthly regime fees increase in future years. I was showing properties recently to a couple from out of town and they weren't familiar with annual fees for Homeowner Associations (HOA) or monthly
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Friday, May 23, 2008 6:51 AM

What's up with Realtor.com

At one time, Realtor.com was the place to be. I used to pay for enhanced listings and I could absolutely document closed sales as a result of real estate buyers searching on Realtor.com. While their website was "clunky" and their technology
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Wednesday, May 21, 2008 6:11 AM

Do you plan ahead

It's been said that over 80% of all real estate consumers begin their search on the Internet. But when do most people begin their search. I've been told by several buyers that they were making plans to move to Charleston in a year, others were
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
Monday, May 19, 2008 6:14 AM

Find a home that looks too good to be true

... it may be. One of my long time subscribers just called me the other day inquiring about a home for sale in one of the nicest neighborhoods in the Charleston real estate market and wondered what I could find out about it. The home for sale caught his
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 2 Comments
Saturday, May 17, 2008 6:29 AM

Not everyone wants to buy a foreclosure

There are foreclosed homes in just about every neighborhood in the Charleston real estate market and my neighborhood is no exception. It's unfortunate and it's especially sad when you actually know someone who lost their home. And many buyers
Posted by Howard Arnoff | 0 Comments
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