Shaun Donovan, the secretary of the US Department of Housing Development announced yesterday morning at a meeting of realtors® that FHA lenders had decided to allow home buyers to use the $8K tax credit as part of their downpayments.
These important changes, which the National Association of Realtors® has been calling for, are a step towards trying to help stabilize a struggling housing market in many parts of the country. The $8K tax credit will be monetized through short-term bridge loans through FHA approved lenders, thus allowing potenial home buyers to gain access to the funds quicker.
This is certainly welcome news for home buyers and I’m certain that home sellers will be excited to know that this added incentive has been made available to those interested in purchasing their home!
Filed under Announcements, News Reports by 
Without last minute toy donations, requests for toys from many York County families in need may go unfilled this year. With less than a week to go until Christmas, the toy tables at Toys For Happiness’ warehouse on Flint Street Extension in Rock Hill are nearly barren.
In fact, the warehouse is out of toys for infants and for children ages 9 to 14. “And the few toys the program does have for the 3 to 8 age group isn’t enough to fill the remaining requests for that group,” said Beth Covington, director of marketing and communications for the United Way of York County.
Toys for Happiness, a charity created by WRHI radio and the United Way of York County that allows families meeting eligibility requirements to submit a wish list for their children ages infant through 14, has filled the stocking of 1,914 children. Unfortunately, there are still 377 children that will be without toys Christmas morning if things don’t change quickly.
Certainly the economy has something to do with the shortages as requests for toys is up 32%, yet donation totals are down from previous years.
If you’re interested in taking donations to Toys for Happiness, I’m trying to find out where you can take them and will post the information here just as soon as I do. In the meantime, I would suggest calling the United Way of York County and asking them what you can do to help with this situation.
You can read the entire article by Mary J Balasco in today’s Rock Hill Herald.
Filed under Announcements, Get Involved, Rock Hill SC by
A new restaurant will open it’s doors today in Fort Mill’s Baxter Village. Fish Market, with a focus on seafood but also offering steak, chicken, and pork, will take the place of the vacant Inn at Baxter.
The restaurant boasts Executive Chef Bryan Lindsay who has 16+ years experience as a chef in various locations, including New York City. Menu prices vary with most entrees being under $20.
According to General Manager Selena Kelleman, “We thought this was the perfect place. There is nothing else like what we offer in this area.”
To me, this just shows how popular the Baxter Village area is. Vacancies don’t last long and when one business does leave, it’s not very long before another, high quality commercial venture takes it’s place. As the Charlotte NC area continues to grow, I predict that the Fort Mill SC and Rock Hill SC areas will benefit as people move further out from the center of the city. This in turn means we’re looking at increased property values and improved services.
According to the recent J.D. Powers and Associates Home Buyer/Seller Study, Keller Williams Realty ranks the highest in satisfying home buyers. This inaugural study measured customer satisfaction of home buyers among the national real estate firms.
According to the J.D. Powers and Associates website:
Overall satisfaction is determined by examining three factors for the home-buying experience: agent (65%); office (21%); and services (13%). Â Four factors are examined for the home-selling experience: agent (43%); marketing (38%); office (12%); and services (7%).
In the home-buyer segment, Keller Williams achieves a score of 831 on a 1,000-point scale, and receives highest ratings from customers in all three factors. Following in the rankings are Prudential (820) and Coldwell Banker (816). Prudential performs well in the agent and office factors, while Coldwell Banker performs particularly well in the services factor.
As a member of the Keller Williams family, I feel very proud and honored that we received this recognition. I know it’s my personal mission to help each one of my clients in the Rock Hill SC or Fort Mill SC are either buy or sell their home as pain and stress free as possible.
Real estate can seem like a roller coaster ride at times, but with the right agent, it can be an enjoyable ride at the same time.
You can download a copy of the press release HERE.
Filed under Announcements, Carolina Real Estate, Home Sellers, Market Trends by
 Starting today, local small businesses will have a new resource to turn to for advice and direction on growing their business. And the best part is, it’s a local group located right here in Rock Hill, SC.
Today at 4:30pm the York County Regional Chamber of Commerce will hold it’s first meeting at its office at 116 E. Main St. in downtown Rock Hill.
The goal of this new council is to provide guidance, assistance, and direction for small, local businesses up to 10 employees. The initial focus will be on helping owners understand new South Carolina immigration laws, navigate complex tax issues, and learn how to retain good employees, but the long terms plans call for providing direction and assistance in whatever areas the members need.
Being a small business myself, I look forward to taping into this valuable resource and hope to meet many of the other members of this group. And since success in business requires help and assistance from many different groups, I think it’s a great opportunity for local York County businesses to come together to help one another out.
For more information about today’s meeting, call (803) 324-7500.
You can read the entire expert in today’s Rock Hill Herald.
Filed under Announcements, Carolina Business News, Fort Mill SC, Rock Hill SC by
