Love’s Plaza, located at the corner of Cherry St. and Mt. Galant Rd, is the latest business to comply with a 2002 policy aimed at cleaning up Cherry St. The Rock Hill City Council approved a plan in 2002 that would require all businesses in the city limits along Cherry Road and Saluda Street to comply with tighter limits on signage.
According to the Rock Hill Herald Online, “This policy allows only monument-style signs that are no more than 10 feet high, featuring no more than 200 square feet of sign surface on each side. That rules out the towering pole signs and billboards that have dominated much of Cherry Road.”
The city agreed to immediately pay up to 60% of the cost of replacing non-conforming signs, with that amount being reduced over time, and none of paid in 2010.
The idea behind the policy was to clean up the commercial section of Rock Hill, but if it’s taking almost 7 years to complete, how much of an effort is the city really making? Believe me, I’m all for doing whatever it takes to clean up anything that devalues anything about our beloved Rock Hill SC so I definitely appreciate Love’s taking down the sign, but at what point do we get serious and make a concerted effort to really make it happen?
I don’t have a list of businesses or signs that don’t comply with the policy, but it would certainly be interesting to see a list of everyone that’s complied and those that have yet to fall in line.
One of the very first things to consider when you buy a home is that you will be granted many economic benefits from your investment. Homeowners benefit from many tax incentives, such as property tax along with mortgage interest deductions. If you are going to be a first time homeowner you need to take note taxes are in fact fully deductible.
Homeowners that have lived in their home for two out of five years, there will be a capital gain exclusion law that will let them deduct up to 0, 000 of the earnings from capital gains. This means lower taxes for homeowners.
Over years real estate always gains, this is not like a car or a boat, the home value will always increase. Except for some dips in the market. When viewing all the benefits of building a home, this should be a topic that is thought of well.
Don’t forget your obligation to look after upkeep. Not having enough money in the bank account isn’t a satisfactory excuse. When you hire a home, you give the owner a check. When you purchase a home, you have to guarantee that all costs are met and managed every single month, forever. Infrequently it’s month to month ; sometimes it is a twelve month lease. But, regardless of what, there’s always a way out.
Think about your monthly payments on your home as rent. This makes it easier to pay off your home. Every cent that you put against your mortgage, it increases the equity on your home.
When you buy your own home you can call it yours, you can paint whatever you want, and you can remodel they way that you choose. You will no longer have any landlords as we all love them.
Filed under Buy Your Dream House, Carolina Real Estate, Home Buyers by 
While it’s too early to celebrate the news that the first time home buyer credit that so many people have taken advantage of to get into a new home, the talk of extending the incentive is starting to build.
It appears as if Senators have agreed on the idea of extending the credit, but they haven’t quite nailed down all the logistics of the extension. And while the extension would prolong the $8,000 tax credit enjoyed by first-time home buyers that purchase a new home, it looks as though it might go beyond that to include those that aren’t first-time home buyers.
The new provision of the extension would provide up to $6,500 in assistance to those that have lived in their current residence for at least 5 years.
Again, as of right now most of this is still talk, but as we all know, anytime we can get both political parties in Washington to agree on something, it’s got to be a good sign!
If you’re still in the market to purchase a new home or you’d like to sell your current home, the market is still very warm and there are plenty of homes available for purchase and willing buyers looking to buy.
Contact me and let’s discuss your real estate options!
Filed under Buy Your Dream House, Home Buyers, News Reports by
As you might expect, with the turbulent real estate market we’ve seen for the past 2 years and with unemployment rates at record levels, the end result is a growth in the number of foreclosed homes in the Fort Mill SC area. And even though we’ve been lucky here in the Fort Mill SC area, we’ve still seen our fair share of foreclosed properties available.
And while it’s always a sad situation when someone loses their home to foreclosure, it also presents a great opportunity for those looking to buy a house at a great price. There really are some amazing deals available for foreclosed properties right now, especially if you know where to look and how to buy them.
One of the best opportunities for buying a foreclosed house at a ’steal of a deal’ is HUD homes, or properties that were financed via an FHA loan and then reposed. I’ve personally helped 5 people in the past 8 months purchase HUD homes and every single one of them has gotten an absolutely fantastic deal on their property.
According to the government’s website about HUD homes:
What is a HUD Home?
A HUD home is a 1 to 4 unit residential property acquired by HUD as a result of a foreclosure action on an FHA-insured mortgage. HUD becomes the property owner and offers it for sale to recover the loss on the foreclosure claim.
Who can buy a HUD Home?
Almost anyone! If you have the cash or can qualify for a loan (subject to certain restrictions) you may buy a HUD Home. HUD Homes are initially offered to owner-occupant purchasers (people who are buying the home as their primary residence). Following the priority period for owner occupants, unsold properties are available to all buyers, including investors.
So, if you’re in the market for a new home, it would definitely pay to take a look at purchasing a HUD home!
My only bit of advice would be DEFINITELY consult with an experienced real estate agent, and I don’t say that just to get you to call me (although that would be nice 
) While HUD would have you believe that buying one of their homes is an easy, painless process, it’s not. While most real estate transactions can be a stressful, frustrating experience at times, purchasing a HUD home is much worse.
You still have to go through all of the typical real estate paperwork and processes, but with a HUD home, you now have to do all of these things through a government agency, and as we all know, they aren’t always they easiest groups to work with!
Don’t let that discourage you though! Just make sure you work with an agent that has the experience and know-how to help make sure your HUD transaction goes smoothly and you’ll quickly be able to enjoy a fantastic new home at a great price!
Filed under Buy Your Dream House, Can't Miss Opportunities, Foreclosed Houses, Home Buyers by
Given the turbulent housing market this past year or so has led to an obvious increase in the number of foreclosures across the country, and even here in our backyard in Fort Mill SC and Rock Hill SC. This means an increased inventory of homes available for purchase, which in turn means lower home prices for both those buying and selling real estate.
Well, while a foreclosure is the worst possible scenario for someone that has fallen behind on their mortgage payments and it’s something you want to avoid if all possible, there are other options. One of those options is something called a ’short sale’.
As it relates to real estate, a short sale essentially means the lender has agreed to allow the home to be sold for LESS than what is actually owed. Now, not all homes qualify for a short sale simply because not all lenders will allow the home to be sold for less than what is owed on it.
If you’re in a situation where you feel like you’re about to lose your home, investigating the possibility of selling it via a short sale might be a good option, but as with everything in life you MUST do your own due diligence.
You certainly want to consult with your accountant and an attorney familiar with real estate short sales. You’ll find a great list of steps you could expect to have to take in order to sell your home via short sale right HERE.
On the buying side, purchasing a home via a short sale is much, much less certain a process than buying an average home listed for sale. You’d be wise to consult with a qualified real estate agent that has some experience working with real estate short sales.
If you have any questions about either selling your home via a short sale or purchasing a home via a short sale, I have experience in both so please don’t hesitate to CONTACT ME.
Filed under Buy Your Dream House, Home Buyers, Home Sellers, Sell Your Home by
