While this may not be news to some, this is the first I’ve seen of it, but Overstock.com, the discount warehouse website that sells everything from books and DVD’s to appliances and flat screen TV’s, is now jumping on the real estate listing bandwagon. I’m signed up to receive Overstock’s daily specials email and the one they sent today is promoting their real estate portal.
Here’s a screen shot of the emaill:
From what it looks like, you pay a flat fee to have your house listed in their portal. There are also a few other add on services that might be attractive to someone looking to sell their Rock Hill SC, Fort Mill SC, or Charlotte NC home by themselves, but as always, there are pitfalls to selling your home this way.
Yes, you save money on the real estate commission, but you’re left to your own devices to see that all the paperwork goes through smoothly, that the inspections are done properly, and that at the end of the day you’re protected from any type of negligence or lawsuit. Real estate can be a complicated game and while it’s definitely possible to navigate alone, it sure is a lot easier when you have a professional working with you.
So, aside from the obvious revenue Overstock generates from the listings, why would they get into the Internet real estate game?
Well, if you didn’t already know this, over 80% of all real estate transactions these days begins on the Internet. And that percentage is only going to continue to increase. So, if such a high number of people are online searching for real estate, and with Overstock’s huge online presence, it’s a great way for them to increase their online exposure.
As people are searching for their dream home in Rock Hill SC online, they may stumble upon Overstock’s new real estate website and decide to check it out. While their on the website searching for their dream home, they’ll be developing a relationship with Overstock.com that, if they didn’t already know who they were, might lead them to check out their primary e-commerce website.
You see, it’s all about exposure and developing a relationship with people. The more eyeballs you can be exposed to, and the better job you do at developing a relationship with those people, there more chance you have of making a sale for your product or service.
So, kudos to Overstock.com for jumping into the online real estate game. If you’re curious, the website is http://realestate.overstock.com
Is it a worthwhile investment for someone hoping to sell their home? Possibly. Again, the more people that see what you have to offer, the better your chance of someone that likes it finding it and ultimately making you an offer.
In the game of real estate, or just business in general, it’s about exposure.
If you have a home or property in the Rock Hill SC, Fort Mill SC, Tega Cay SC, Lancaster SC, or South Charlotte NC area you’d like to get increased exposure for, I’d love to share with you how my inovative marketing solutions can help you increase the exposure you get.
Give me a call today and let’s get your home sold!
Filed under Carolina Real Estate, Charlotte NC, Fort Mill SC, FSBO's, Home Sellers, Marketing, Rock Hill SC, Sell Your Home by 
The news was reported late last week that Wachovia was in discussions with several potential suitors as they looked to get back on stable ground following the recent mortgage meltdown we’ve been reading about on the news. Well, this morning it was made official, Wachovia is selling their banking business to Citigroup, the country’s largest bank holding company.
While the AP reports say the new combined retail bank will remained headquartered here in Charlotte, one has to wonder if it’s only a matter of time before Citigroup will begin moving operations back to their current headquarters in NYC.
Regardless, a stand-alone company that will retain the Wachovia name will remain here in Charlotte. It will include Wachovia Securities brokerage firm, the Evergreen asset management arm and insurance services.
So, what exactly does this mean for the Queen City and the surrounding areas like Rock Hill SC and Fort Mill SC?
Well, there will undoubtedly be some uneasiness for a time. It is projected that some 20,000 Wachovia employees in the Charlotte area will end up losing their jobs, which is a huge number.
The real estate market will certainly feel some of the after effects of this transaction, but the Charlotte business community remains a great asset to the region. I suspect there will be some reprocutions from this sale and that we’ll see our real estate market remain a strong buyers market.
However, I still expect our market to remain strong when compared to other areas of the country that have been hit hardest with the current financial rollercoaster ride. I think property values will continue to appreciate and if you have a house you MUST sell, while it’s unrealistic to expect the huge amounts of appreciation this area enjoyed 5 years ago, it’s still not out of the question to expect to see a fair amount of appreciation for your property.
As always, it goes back to making sure you have your home priced correctly and that you do as much as possible to make it stand out from the crowd of other available properties.
In terms of buying a house, again, it’s a buyers market right now. You can find some great values if you put in the time and effort required. Or, you could hire a real estate agent that knows the Rock Hill SC and Fort Mill SC markets and what’s available.
Give me a call today and let’s chat about either buying or selling your Rock Hill SC or Fort Mill SC home today!
Filed under Carolina Business News, Carolina Real Estate, Charlotte NC, Fort Mill SC, Life In the Carolinas, Rock Hill SC by
After several years of rapid growth, the Fort Mill SC School District started the 2008 school year with fewer new students than previously expected. While overall the enrollment numbers were up from the 2007 school year, a 6% growth rate, the enrollment was down from the 10% that had been expected.
From the Rock Hill Herald Online:
School officials say the current drop off in growth might signal a slowdown in the number of newcomers flocking to Fort Mill.
Another indicator of that, officials say, is a sudden drop last month in revenue from impact fees.
Fort Mill is the only district in South Carolina that still charges the fees, which amount to $2,500 per new housing unit. Developers generally pass the cost on to home buyers. The school district uses the money to build new facilities.
In July, Fort Mill received $230,000 in impact fees, an amount similar to what it had received in the previous months. In August, however, the amount dropped sharply, to just $57,500.
In spite of the slowdown in growth, the Fort Mill SC remains a very strong real estate market and as more people flock to the Charlotte NC area, it will continue to be. With SC’s lower taxes and slower pace of life, the Fort Mill SC and Rock Hill SC areas offer new comers to the area a great alternative and as a result, our real estate markets will continue to be active.
Filed under Fort Mill SC, Life In the Carolinas, Rock Hill SC by
With all the talking heads screaming bloody murder about the financial markets, it’s enough to make any intelligent home owner think twice about selling a house right now. I mean with all the doom and gloom you’d think the world was coming to an end tomorrow.
Not true!!
Yes, we’re definitely going through some rocky times financially. Just ask Merril Lynch and Lehman Brothers. But, we’re very fortunate here in the Rock Hill SC, Fort Mill SC, and Charlotte NC area because the housing market remains very strong.
Is it down compared to previous years? Sure. It’s definitely a buyers market. Foreclosures are available in almost every neighborhood, which in turn can affect property values and the potential price you might get for your house, but that doesn’t mean you should sit on your hands and not sell.
If you’re thinking about selling your Rock Hill SC or Fort Mill SC home, now’s as good a time as any, believe it or not. The key to getting the most out of the sale of your home in this market is to do the following:
- Price it correctly.Nothing sinks a solid home sale faster than pricing incorrectly. Price it too high and it’ll sit on the market longer than it should. Under price it and you end up leaving money on the table. If you have questions about how you should price your house, I’d love a chance to help you come up with a price that will move your home quickly for top dollar.
- Make your house stand out.If there’s competition from other houses, you MUST make your property stand out. A fresh coat of paint, inside or out. Steam cleaned carpets. Refinished hardwood floors. Some simple, inexpensive staging. A refresh of the landscaping. All of these are things that can be done to help you house stand out from the crowd and even though it might cost you a little bit of money, it’ll be money well spent.
- Work with a professional that can get your home the exposure it needs.The key to selling your home quickly, for top dollar is to make sure it gets the maximum amount of exposure possible. Working with an experienced real estate agent that knows the ins and outs of marketing a house effectively in today’s marketplace can do wonders for getting your house sold very quickly.
Again, I’d love an opportunity to show you what I can do to help you sell your Rock Hill SC or Fort Mill SC home quickly, for top dollar.
Remember, just because all you’re hearing about is the doom and gloom of the economy today, it doesn’t mean you should sit on your property. Selling your home for top dollar in today’s marketplace is still very much within reach, it just requires a careful plan of attack to making it happen.
Filed under Carolina Real Estate, Charlotte NC, Fort Mill SC, Hiring An Agent, Home Sellers, Market Trends, Rock Hill SC, Sell Your Home by
If you’ve been paying attention to the news at all then you saw the big news from the financial markets that Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy and Merrill Lynch agreed to be bought by Bank of America, headquartered here locally in Charlotte NC, for some $50B dollars. On top of that, the stock market tumbled close to 500 points today sparking many to ask the question, is this as bad as it gets?
Well, I’m certainly no expert when it comes to the financial markets, but just based on what I’ve read and heard, I’d venture a guess that this isn’t rock bottom just yet. According to an article I read on MSNBC.com,the answer to how many more banks are going to fall flat on their face because of questionable management practices is dependent on 2 questions.
“First: When will home prices stop falling? The value of trillions of dollars of assets held by big investors — both here and around the world — is pegged to the underlying value of the real estate on which those assets are based. Every quarter that home prices fall, those assets have to be marked down further.
Second: When will the foreclosure rate stop rising and stabilize? As of the end of June, some 9 percent of all Americans holding a mortgage were either late on their monthly payments or in foreclosure. Those foreclosures add to the backlog of bank-owned properties that go onto the market, putting further downward pressure on home prices.”
It certainly makes for a precarious situation, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to pack up and move to a cave in the middle of nowhere!
Fortunately for us here in the Rock Hill SC or Fort Mill SC market, the housing market is still strong. Yes, there are some bargain properties out there, but that doesn’t mean EVERYTHING’S going for rock-bottom prices.
If you’re looking to sell your Rock Hill SC or Fort Mill SC home, you can still get a good price for it. You just need to be certain you price your home to sell and not simply to negotiate. Many people make the mistake of thinking if they list their house higher thinking they’ll be able to negotiate it down. Unfortunately, it rarely happens this way as people see just the ‘too-high’ price and don’t even make an offer.
If you want to sell your home quickly AND for top dollar is this unsteady market, it’s critical that you price your house to move. If you’re not sure what that price is, I’d be more than happy to provide a Comparative Market Analysis to help you decide if now’s the right time to sell your Rock Hill SC area house or not!
And stay tuned to this blog because this week I’ll be sharing more tips for buying OR selling your dream Rock Hill SC, Fort Mill SC, Tega Cay SC, York SC, or Lancaster SC home in this turbulent financial marketplace.
