I know it seems like forever and a day that we’ve been talking about just how down the economy is and how there’s so much uncertainty about everything financial, but believe it or not, right now is a GREAT time to buy a house in the Fort Mill or Rock Hill SC area.
How can I say such crazy things?
Here are 5 reasons why I believe it’s such a great time to buy a Fort Mill or Rock Hill SC house:
- It’s a buyer’s market. I don’t think this one comes as any surprise, but today’s buyers have an opportunity to dictate a lot of the transactions. While you should still expect to pay a fair market value, given the state of the economy overall today’s fair market value is considerably lower than what it has been. As a result, there are some real gems available for those willing to do the work and find them.Or you could simply hire a savvy Fort Mill real estate agent to do all of the hard work for you.
- Interest rates are still at all-time lows. I personally don’t remember the days when interest rates where close to 20% so I can’t really speak from personal experience, but I do know that any time interest rates are around the 5% mark we’re dealing with some very inexpensive loans.All of the banks have definitely cracked down on just giving away loans so you’ll need to have good credit and the ability to pay, but that should really go without saying anyway.
- All of your competition is on vacation. With the summer in full swing a lot of your home buying competition is at the beach, in the mountains, or over the river and through the woods to visit dear old grandma. As a result, you’re less likely to face competition when bidding on that new home of your dreams.
- The Fort Mill and Rock Hill SC real estate markets are relatively strong. Unlike other areas of the country, the Charlotte metro area has remained relatively strong, in spite of the many job losses we’ve experienced.York County has done a great job of bringing in new companies and with some of the highest rated schools in the state of South Carolina, chances are we’ll continue to see an influx of people moving to the Fort Mill and Rock Hill area, either for jobs or simply to escape much of the chaos that is the Charlotte Mecklenburg school system.
- The school year is rapidly approaching. As summer moves towards the fall season, it means that school will soon be in session. Whether you’re hoping to get a child enrolled in one of SC’s highest rated school districts or the home seller is looking to be moved out before the school year starts, right now is definitely the time to take action.Remember, it takes 30-45 days to close on a typical residential real estate transaction, which means you’ll need to get moving soon in order to beat the school bus to the corner!
Finally, just keep in mind that any time there is uncertainly and ‘gloom and doom’ talk about the economy it means there are LOTS of great deals available for those willing to put in the time and effort required to uncover them. With a little bit of real estate knowledge and experience (or having someone on your side that has these), you can find that perfect new house that you’ll be able to enjoy for many years to come.
Filed under Buy Your Dream House, Carolina Real Estate, Home Buyers, Life In the Carolinas, Market Trends by 
A report from today’s Charlotte Observer shows that jobs cuts in Mecklenburg County appear to be slowing down, which is definitely some good news.
“The number of initial unemployment-insurance claims fell last month, and the year-to-year increase was just 5 percent – compared with a 76 percent year-to-year jump in June, according to N.C. Employment Security Commission figures released Monday.”
While this is certainly good news to use locally in the Charlotte NC area, it mirrors information from across the country that the recession does appear to be slowing down. While there were still some 274,000 jobs lost in July, the unemployment percentage actually fell by .1% from June, which is the first time that number fell since April of 2008.
Obviously, this informatio boads well for the Rock Hill SC and Fort Mill SC areas as well as people continue to look to York County for an alternative to Charlotte NC and seeing the number of job losses slow down certainly helps our real estate market.
And in spite of all the bad news nationally, we’ve always enjoyed a relatively strong real estate market here in the Rock Hill SC – Fort Mill SC area and I don’t expect that to change any time soon!
Filed under Carolina Business News, Charlotte NC, Fort Mill SC, Life In the Carolinas, News Reports, Rock Hill SC by
There was an article in today’s Rock Hill Herald that, in a tongue in cheek manner, listed some of the potential jobs available here in York County that Tommy Bowden, who resigned as head football coach at Clemson, could potentially land:
- Dog watcher. York County has animal rights activists falling over each other to decide whether dogs should be tethered. What real people call “chained.” Bowden could dog sit.
- Dishwasher at the Varsity Restaurant. Owner Roy Russell soon will have to spend time shooing away smokers when the city decides coffee and cigarettes together is illegal, so Russell might need help in the back.
- Fort Mill mayor. The current mayor forwarded an e-mail that wondered if Barack Obama might be the antichrist. He then wondered why anybody would care, why the media cared when it became an Internet sensation, and why some said he may have been silly or stupid to do so.
- Chaffeur, York County Council. Meetings in York are a long way from Fort Mill if you aren’t supposed to drive.
- Rock Hill police officer. Wait, the city management prefers hiring consultants over cops.
- Avon salesman. A classified ad in The Herald on Tuesday stated “Income Unlimited!” I guess that means millions.
Of course, with a $3.5 million buyout, chances are Coach Bowden won’t be coming to York County any time soon looking for a replacement job!
Filed under Carolina Business News, Fort Mill SC, Life In the Carolinas, Rock Hill SC by
As we head towards the 1/2 point of the month of August, it means all the kids are getting geared up to head back to school. In many cases, within the next week or so.
To help those looking to stay on top of the school schedules for this year, here are some links to the local York County 2008-09 School Calendars:
Rock Hill, SC – York County School District 3
Fort Mill, SC – York County School District 4
Filed under Fort Mill SC, Life In the Carolinas, Rock Hill SC 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
