A Charleston, SC Virtual Tour Can be an iPhone Production

A newly-updated NAR survey confirms that 51% of agents with smartphones use iPhones. This fact is hardly startling, since these phones have been such a boon to the real estate business. Today’s agent can use apps to quickly scan and electronically sign documents, instantly get property details for clients, access key boxes—it’s almost hard to remember how we got along before!

A Quick Guide to Assessing Your Home's Foundation for Cracks - And What to Do if You Find Them

When purchasing a home, there are a number of considerations that need to be taken into account. One of those considerations is the foundation of the home. No matter how perfect or suitable a property looks, taking the time to properly inspect the property for foundation problems can save homeowners thousands of dollars in repairs later on.

While foundation cracks are usually present in older homes, that does not mean that newer and even new homes aren't prone to them. When choosing a property, the following tips can help homebuyers find signs of foundation problems and take the right action if any are found.

Concrete Weakness

One of the easiest ways to check for a damaged foundation is to check the concrete of the home. When the foundation is strong and safe, the concrete is not brittle and breakable. To test this, when trying to poke the foundation with a screwdriver, the foundation should be rock solid. If it isn't, then there may be a foundation issue.

Posts Should Be Sturdy

If the house has a basement, then the posts that hold up the basement and crawl space should stand firmly in place. The bottom of the post should be unmovable and the post should stand straight and tall. If the posts do not do so, then there is a problem with the foundation.

Uneven Floors

The next component of the house that should be inspected is the floors. All of the floors within the house must be solid, straight, and not slanted. If the floor is slanted or separates from the wall in any place, then the foundation is unable to support the home properly and there is a serious issue.

Exterior Cracks

The walls are also a way to examine for foundation issues. Take a tour around the outside of the home and inspect for any cracks to the exterior. Each wall on the outside of the home should be smooth, solid, and free of any cracks. However, if there is a crack, this may mean that the foundation has shifted and the home is uneven.

Windows and Doors

Next, inspect every window and door on the property. Each should be attached to the surrounding wall and they must also open and close without any difficulty. If there is a difficulty in opening and closing windows and doors, there may be a foundation problem like shifting or uneven ground that is unable to support the property.

Moist Ground Around the Property

Lastly, another sign that there is a foundation problem is if the ground around the property is moist. A strong foundation will usually be set upon ground that is completely solid. When the ground is moist, the dirt particles are porous and unable to bind together, leading to shifting, cracks, and major damage to the home.

Choosing the right home is not a difficult process and making the right assessments of the property can save thousands of dollars in future repairs. To help with assessments, foundation repairs, and to get the right information about how to deal with a cracked foundation in a potential property, then contacting a trusted and professional real estate agent is the best solution when purchasing a property.

Interested in selling your Charleston area home? Visit: www.jeffcookrealestate.com
Interested in buying a Charleston area home? Visit: www.discovercharlestonareahomes.com

-Jeff Cook

Jeff Cook Real Estate

Charleston, SC

Mental Yoga: A Six-Step Guide To Making Time For The Activities You Love

Everybody struggles with not having enough time. This is such a common issue that a lot of people have given up even trying to make more time for themselves.

However, there are certain methods you can use to make time for things you want to do.

Feng Shui 101: How This Ancient Art Can Help Improve Your Home Staging

It is a buyer's market, making home selling a challenge that can range from relatively simple to downright frustrating. Boosting ones' chances of selling their home can be done in a number of ways. One simple way is to utilize the art of Feng Shui - an ancient Chinese art, used to manipulate the flow of energy in your home.

Feng Shui can be as inexpensive or as costly as you would like. Using what is already on hand is one way to keep it free, but sometimes a simple coating of paint on the front door or a few decorative pieces can make a big difference in the room.

Sellers, Beware: Five Reasons You Might Not Get Top Dollar when You Sell Your Home (And How to Avoid Them)

For most people, their home is their largest asset, so they want to maximize that asset by getting top dollar when they sell. Here are a few reasons you might not get top dollar when you sell - and how to avoid them!

Selling At The Wrong Time

From early spring to late summer is home-buying season for most people, especially those with children. Putting your house on the market during this period is when you are likely to get top dollar for it. Early fall is also a good time to list your home. Winter - especially December - is the worst time to list. If you list your home outside of prime selling season, you are likely to get less for it than you could have otherwise.

Charleston, SC among the Top Property Hotspots in the World

During the course of the global economic crisis and the recessions that followed, experienced investors have been adding solid assets to their portfolios to protect their investments.
The world's most common asset is property, and in recent years, with prices plummeting to well below peak levels, it's been very much a buyer's market for quite some time.
Unsurprisingly, those who have benefitted most during these times of recession have had quite a bit to lose before things went out of order across the globe, therefore it is no wonder that the strongest recovery in global property markets has been at the top end, in prime markets such as London and New York.
Rich investors have found value in these places and they are now considered the ten hottest property investment destinations for the ultra-rich:

1.) Vail, Colorado

2.) Jackson Hole, Wyoming
3.) Kauai, Hawaii

4.) Anguilla

5.) Antigua

 6.) Patagonia, Argentina
7.) Tel Aviv in Israel

8.) One Hyde Park in London

9.) Monaco      

And of course our very own….
10.) Charleston, South Carolina.

Tight Foreclosed Home Market Takes Heightened Scrutiny

If you’ve been following foreclosure news, you already suspect that cashing in on foreclosed home opportunities in Charleston, SC must be getting more difficult. According to CoreLogic’s Insights report at the end of last month, foreclosure inventory across the nation had dropped 35% from a year earlier. Whenever the number of available bank-owned homes shrinks, the tighter market produces some predictable results: the best deals are usually snatched up quickly with multiple offers and/or higher-than-asking prices, while questionable deals—foreclosed homes priced over market or requiring too many dollars in repairs—seem to predominate.

Choose a New Charleston Area Home That Addresses Tomorrow’s Needs

“At the end of the day...” “The bottom line…” “When all is said and done…”

The final verdict on whether any activity is ultimately deemed a triumph comes down to how successfully it addresses future circumstances. It’s especially relevant when you find yourself at the outset of searching for a new Charleston area home.

Property Type Wording Cues Charleston Prospects’ Expectations

If you are preparing to sell your property in Charleston, SC this fall, it’s worth considering what the marketing angle will be: how to characterize it most accurately—and appealingly. It starts with the choice of wording for your home’s property type, which will set up prospective buyers’ expectations before they come upon the more detailed description.  

Charleston, SC Rental Homes Sometimes Do Well to Welcome Pets

Owning rental homes in Charleston, SC may be a profitable venture, but sometimes the image of a landlord could use a little public relations boost. For instance, the cartoon version of a landlord is the opposite of pet-friendly. Lassie or Puff? Fuhgeddaboudit!

That parody landlord attitude might once have been pretty much on target—even in rental homes in Charleston, SC —because many landlords have traditionally been automatically against pet ownership in their Charleston rental homes.

Skipping the Charleston Real Estate Agent: Expensive Choice?

Even though nearly 9 out of 10 homeowners ultimately enlist a real estate agent to sell their properties, let’s face it: the thought of going it alone does go through many minds. And surveys confirm the primary motivation, which is, of course, saving the agent’s fee. Pocketing that cash would add that much more to the bottom line—that’s just common sense! Isn’t it…?

Charleston Rental Owners Take Advantage of Tax Benefits

As a homeowner in Charleston, you are pleasantly reminded each April 15^th that the interest portion of your mortgage payments is 100% tax deductible. When you own a Charleston, SC rental property, though, the tax implications are considerably different. You need to report rental payments you receive from your tenants as income—but you’ll also be able to write off some related expenses, as well.

Selling a Home in Charleston, SC and the Renovation Puzzle

When you are selling a home in Charleston, SC, two underlying unknowns are always present. How long it will take? Is one. The second is what will the final selling price be?

The answer to that second one at least partially depends on actions the person selling the home controls, since performing renovations and add-ons boosts a property’s salability. But which renovations add the most value? Even though considerable study has been given to the issue, for any given home it’s difficult to pin down which are most likely to have the greatest impact.

When Investing in Real Estate, Stick to Your Strategy

If you have been doing groundwork with an eye toward investing in Charleston area real estate, chances are you’ve also been watching some new national movement in housing sales. Last month’s Real Trends Housing Market Report showed U.S. sales of 5,880,000 units (a 5.1% increase over June 2013 numbers): “a substantial improvement over the five prior months.” Prices also continued to rise across most of the nation, though at a slightly slower rate. It’s the consistency of the appreciation that has continued to attract investors.

Architects Report Size, Accessible Homes on the Rise

When the American Institute of Architects reports on emerging trends, sooner or later they’ll be showing up in the Charleston listings. That’s been true of one trend the AIA started reporting in 2010: the move to ever-larger square footages.

Digging for the True Cost of a New Charleston Home

When you begin scouring the Charleston, SC listings for a new home, the cost of the home appears to be right there at the top: the asking price. All the other details about the property are there, too, but they usually get close attention only after that dollar amount at the top falls within (well, is at least close to) your target number.

Locating the Neighborhoods in Charleston, SC that Fill the Bill

There’s a lot you can change about a house. You can repaint it, renovate the interior, landscape the yard. The one thing you can’t change is its location—and there’s abundant truth in the familiar list with the three most important words in real estate: location, location, location…

Overpricing Your Charleston, SC Home: Why and Why Not

A crucial part of selling your Charleston home comes right at the outset—when you set your asking price. It boils down to a decision to go high (the I-love-this-place-and-gotta-have-it-no-matter-what price); or low, with a number that is just under neighborhood comparables (the I’d-better-snap-this-up-before-someone-else-does price).

Which Type of Pool Is Right for You? We Look at the Best Designs for Your Backyard

The decision to install a pool is generally one that is applauded by at least certain members of the family. Whether you have children or not, however, having a pool at home is certainly something you can enjoy for yourself. But what if you don't think your yard is particularly suited to a pool? Don't rule out the idea just yet; instead, consider some of these different pool designs to suit different sizes and styles of backyards.

Wrought Iron: A Simple, Strong, and Beautiful Addition to Any Modern Home

Wrought iron is a classic accent that has been used to beautify homes for centuries. The strong and simple elegance of wrought iron is a wonderful addition to any modern home. It can be incorporated into home design in many different ways.

First Time Home Buyers Described in Yearly Report

The upheaval in global financial markets over the past few years may have been unnerving for almost everyone, but among the hardest-hit group was first time home buyers, in Charleston, SC and across the country. Many had to deal with the stress caused by an uncertain economy, the fallout on business and job security, and, more directly, a pronounced increase in the difficulty of securing mortgages.

3 Things to Keep In Mind When Negotiating a Home Purchase

Negotiating tactics. It’s a topic that business authors adore. This is perennial best-seller territory…so much so, you could probably fill a moderate-sized home library with titles like The Art of the Deal and Getting to Yes.

The One Chance a Charleston, SC House for Sale Can Count On

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”

It’s a saying that job applicants (at least the successful ones) take to heart. It’s why a lot of serious primping goes on before a blind date. It’s why movie directors spend as much time as it takes to light and prepare the first shot that will introduce their lead actress. And if you’re going to have a house for sale in Charleston, SC this summer, it’s why it’s worth it to take pains to make its first impression as strong as possible.

Listings Missteps to Avoid…Any Time of the Year!

The Charleston, SC listings aren’t dominated by any particular kind of seller—like local listings everywhere, all kinds of homeowners are represented. One attribute they generally have in common is the motivation to make their sale happen quickly. Sometimes that’s because they have settled on a new home purchase and want to avoid months of paying double duty on multiple residences. Sometimes a seller is relocating; sometimes there’s been a death or divorce.  Regardless of the reason for entering their property in the Charleston area listings, most sellers are strongly motivated to do what it takes to accomplish a sale.