Yesterday Jane and I were on our way back from the mountains.  At noon, we stopped in Columbia at Rush’s – our favorite bar-b-que hangout.  We always stop there when we go and come back from the mountains. 

When we got off the interstate, I noticed that there were two guys holding signs promoting business on the exit.  I thought it was interesting to “think outside the box”.  Obviously these businesses are slow and they are doing everything they can to try and stimulate some business.

I don’t necessarily think that you will see me standing on highway 278 with a sign promoting a house for sale, but it might not be a bad idea!  Maybe I need a sign that says “Buy Now, Great Values” or “We are having a 30% off sale!”  I was impressed that these businesses were willing to go the extra mile to try and get the business. 

We are continually trying to get the business at the James Wedgeworth Team.  We ask ourselves every day if there is a marketing idea we have not tried before.  We are trying to reach outside the normal areas of where our buyers come from.  This is why we have been doing promotions in Europe.

I recently listed a piece of property where the sellers had it priced quite a bit above what the comparative market analysis showed that the property was worth.  We had shown the property time and time again and most every prospect that we showed the home to said that the house was overpriced. 

When I talked with the seller they kept telling me that I was not trying hard enough.  They kept coming up with ideas, mail outs, and more advertising to try and get their property sold.  In other words, the reason their home had not sold had nothing to do with the price they put on it, but the lack of effort that James Wedgeworth was putting forth to get their property sold.  Daily, I would get a phone call from them suggesting another marketing idea. (more…)

A very experienced real estate agent once explained this to me, and the more you think about it, the more sense it makes.

When a house first comes on the market, a lot of agents will call people and tell them that the property is a great value, is in good condition in a great location with a great price.  The agent tells you that you better go and take a look at the house before someone else sees it, and sometimes they think they should make an offer before anyone else sees it because it would be such a great house for them. (more…)

I recently went on a real estate listing appointment on Hilton Head on a home that had been listed with another agent for about a year.  When I sat down to go over what was going on in our market, the owner of the house said that the one thing he knew for sure was that there was nothing wrong with the price on his property.  I asked him how he came to that conclusion.  He said that he had it on the market for about a year and I have not had a single person offer me less than what I am asking, so obviously everyone who has looked at my house thought it was priced correctly. (more…)

In Estill, South Carolina – a small town where my farm is located, a guy was telling me about a conversation he overheard at the local restaurant.  Two farmers were talking about their tractors; farmer A preferred one brand and thought it was a much better tractor and farmer B preferred another brand.  When I heard about this, I laughed because I deal with that every single day in the real estate business on Hilton Head.

It is what I call pride of ownership.  A person loves their house – they think their house is worth more than anyone else thinks it is worth because they are the ones that spend the most time there and it means the most to them. (more…)

This week marks the 31st annual Week of Champions event on Hilton Head Island. 

The Week of Champions is a non-profit volunteer organization that pairs more than 40 atheletes to work with children – golf, tennis, baseball, basketball, football and more.

For more information on the Week of Champions along with a schedule of remaining events please visit The Island Packet or WeekofChampions.com.

Back in the late 70s before I got into real estate I heard some real estate friends of mine talking and they said that your first offer is always your best offer.  The logic I have as a businessman says that this cannot possibly be true just because the law of averages. 

When I took my first real estate course the instructor said that your “best offer is always your first offer”.  Once again, I thought this was just a line – it cannot possibly be true. (more…)

There is some great news for first-time home buyers in 2009! 

WHO is eligible?  First-time buyers or anyone who has not owned a home in the 3 years prior to a purchase of a primary residence may qualify for this tax credit of up to 10% of the purchase price or $8,000 – whichever is less.  To qualify for the full credit, the buyer’s modified adjusted gross income must be less than $75,000 for single taxpayers and $150,000 for married taxpayers filing joint return.

WHAT qualifies?  A primary residence is the one you live in most of the time.  It can be a house, houseboat, housetrailer, cooperative apartment, condominium, or other type of residence.

WHEN does this apply?  The $8,000 tax credit is available for qualifying home purchases made from January 1, 2009 until December 1, 2009.

Click here to receive more information on this opportunity.  If you are interested in learning how to take advantage of the fantastic real estate opportunities on Hilton Head, please let us know - or click here to visit Hilton Head’s best buys!

I was recently on a listing appointment where we were discussing how to properly price the home compared to other similar homes on the  market.  I made the remark that neither you, the seller, nor I, the Realtor, determine the price of the house.  The seller gave me a puzzled look wondering how I came to that conclusion. (more…)