George Clements Greenville, SC Realtor

One of the goals I have for my clients is to make real estate transactions as easy as possible. I have recently added electronic signature services that are making transaction even easier. In the past, when a document needed to be signed, one of three things had to happen: a. Meet with the client in person for signatures. b. Email the document and have the client scan and email the signed copy back. c. Fax the document and have the client fax the signed copy back. All three of these methods can be very inconvenient for the client depending on their circumstances. Here are just a few of the problems that can arise when something needs to be signed: a. The client could be out of town. b. The client might not have access to a scanner or fax machine. c. The client's schedule just does not work to come meet for signatures. With the new electronic signature service, clients just need the ability to get on line. Any document, from contracts to repair requests, can be sent to the clients email and electronically signed. The electronic signature system has already saved a lot of time for my clients. One was traveling out of town and able to sign a repair request when he arrived at his hotel. One had inconvenient work hours and was able to sign when he got off of work. The best part in each instance has been that it only took a minute or two to sign and was extremely easy for the user. The signer authentication methods used by the service make it totally secure to use. Of course, if a client is not comfortable with signing electronically, I am more than happy to do it the old fashioned way. George Clements Greenville SC Realtor

There are almost always some repairs involved when the time comes to buy or sell. According to the sales contract, there are certain things that a seller must fix if the home is not being sold "as is." Problems with the structure, HVAC, plumbing, electric, and leaks in the roof are all examples of things that must be fixed. There are many factors that determine if a repair is required or not and I can help guide you through determining which repairs are necessary. In the mean time, here are a few tips from the National Association of Realtors that will keep that repair bill down when it does come time to sell. Change your HVAC filters monthly. Very easy but must be done. Clogged filters decrease HVAC efficiency and can cause breakdowns. Drain your water heater at least once a year. Sediment will drain out along with the water from the water tank. Removing sediment can prolong the heater’s useful life. Check your circuits. Test the performance of the circuit breakers in your electrical circuit box twice a year by flipping them off and back on. If you have a circuit that keeps shutting off with normal daily electrical use, call an electrician. A faulty circuit breaker could indicate a short in the wiring inside your walls. Watch out for drips. Check under sinks periodically to look for leaks or water stains that might indicate leaks. Catching a small problem early can prevent water damage. Use a plunger to clean out sinks and tubs whenever water doesn’t drain normally. Be aware of life spans. Water heaters, furnaces, roofs, and other key components of your home should be replaced before they fail, based on their average useful lives. Here’s a general ballpark of the life span for key components: o Exterior house paint: 5-10 years o Furnace: 15-50 years o Roof: 13-20 years o Water heater: 7-15 years o Wood deck staining: 4-7 years Keep the wet out. Water is a major enemy of your house. Check each season for signs of water damage to your home. Flashing, the metal pieces used to seal the areas between roofs and chimneys, are especially vulnerable to damage by wind or age. Loose flashing can let water seep under a roof or inside walls, which in turn can cause major damage. Source: Realtor.org George Clements Greenville SC Realtor

I recently did a search on Greenville, Greer, Simpsonville, Taylors, and Travelers Rest and found that 119 homes sold between $200,000 and $300,000 in May and June of 2009. 4 of the 119 were an auction or unusual situation leaving 115 that were normal transactions. Out of the 115 normal transactions, all but 3 came down quite a bit on their price. The 3 homes that did not come down in price were all new construction and most likely had features added that made the price go up. Out of the 115 homes, the average difference from list to sales price was -$19,582. Something to keep in mind, the $19,582 average price that the 115 homes came down was taken off of the current listing when it sold. It does not include the original price that they might have started at if there was a previous expired listing. That means the total average price drop is probably much higher than $19,582. At the same time, we seem to be seeing a surge in first time home buyer sales. The first time home buyers are starting to realize that they have to close on their home by November 30th to get the $8,000 tax cut. This has created quite a bit of movement especially in homes under $130,000 that are priced and staged right. I recently listed a home in the $120,000's that showed 15 times and had an offer by the end of the first week. The home looked great on line and the web traffic was extremely high. Homes in the $200,000's plus that are getting the same exposure are doing well to get 15 showings after months of being on the market. We can take a few things from all of this. First, the market is not that bad if you are selling in the first time home buyer range. If you are buying in that same range, don't expect to find any great deals. There are a few great deals out there but expect them to go fast and have multiple offers. Second, if you are selling in the $200,000's plus you have to be aggressive and really stand out from the competition with pricing and staging. The good news is that the activity that we are seeing with the lower priced homes has potential to create a ripple affect. The people who are selling the lower priced homes could move up in price range after they sell and and this could increase activity in those upper price ranges. George Clements Greenville SC Realtor