Here is a picture of my farm in Estill, South Carolina

When I was growing up in Mississippi, I would ride my bike to my grandmother’s house to help her in the garden.  She had the best garden in Jones County and she fed many people from it. 

Maybe that is where I got my love for gardening as I still have a garden today.  I enjoy growing all sorts of produce; tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, watermelon, okra, and more.

If any of my clients would like some fresh produce please let me know; I should have okra and tomatoes in about a week.

I had just listed a house and the next day I showed it to two different people.  Both prospects thought it was a very nice house, but they both thought there were other properties out there similar that were better values.

I called the seller and told them the feedback and said that based on the competition we might have to adjust the price.  Most sellers do not want to do this – especially right after they have put it on the market.

I loved their house, but I was giving them the honest feedback through the eyes of a buyer.  When anyone gets ready to sell a house, we should probably go out and look at the competition and ask ourselves, if I was buying today, what would I pay for my house?  If there is a newer, larger house out there with a better view than ours and is priced the same, our house probably is not going to sell.

As my client, I would love for you to use my truck whenever you need it.

Whether it’s furniture or plants, if you need a truck let us know.  Call Alisa at our office and you’ll be good to go!

I had a client ask where downtown Hilton Head was.  They had been here several days and assumed that they had not found it yet.  We don’t really have a downtown, but if we did it would be Pope Avenue.

When Hilton Head Island was planned, the original planner did a great job of making it a low density development and designing the commercial areas so they were hidden and in different areas. 

When I discuss this with people, some really like the way Hilton Head has it’s commercial areas.  There is nothing wrong with downtowns; in fact, I was just over in downtown Savannah the other day and it is a beautiful place.

A little depressed after Tax Day? Feeling like you paid out enough? How about I offer you something for free?

Do you know why our country is so great? Do you know what your rights are?

I would love to send you a free “pocket” Constitution of the United States. It is a written masterpiece.

Freshen up on your history. Read it to your children or grandchildren. We all need to start remembering. Just email me your name & mailing address and put Free Constitution in the subject line. I will send one right out to you.

I have a 1990 Ford F150 crew cab that I use to take things to my farm.  As my client, you are welcome to use my truck any time!

I had some clients from Cincinnati who recently used it to move some stuff and they were so glad they did not have to rent a truck.

Call my office and you can use it at anytime – it comes equipped with a cross island transponder and a tank of gas.

Last week there was an article on the front page of the business section concerning foreclosure numbers.  

There was a 15% increase in January foreclosures compared to January last year; however, they say numbers are down from December of 2009.  These are still very depressing numbers. 

The numbers are staggering – approximately 315,000 households received foreclosure notices.

 According to Fannie Mae, 5.29% of all homes are in foreclosure. 

 So, how does this affect the real estate market, nationally, and locally in our Hilton Head Island real estate market?

 Certain areas of Hilton Head that have seen few foreclosures, but there are other areas that have seen their fair share of foreclosures.  We have seen a strong number of foreclosures in the entry level Bluffton real estate market.   

Unfortunately, real estate values are not going to rebound until we work through these foreclosures.  But we all know that there is light at the end of the tunnel and the market will return. 

*Courtesy of The Island Packet

I was at workout this morning and one of the guys asked me what I thought about 2009. I responded with the title of this post! It is an old country music song. This guy was from up north and I had to explain to him what Greyhound Bus Lines were. He didn’t know they existed.

I think this song title truly indicates the feeling that most realtors have about the real estate market in 2009. It was the slowest year we have had in production in a long time. It was the biggest drop in production from the previous year in the 29 years I have been in Hilton Head.

2009 was also a year that saw many people leave the real estate business. Some of the major real estate companies went through a restructure and some even closed down.

It has been a rough year in more ways than you can count for the real estate profession. It has also affected other professions relating to real estate i.e. appraisers, closing attorneys, home inspectors, etc.

My hope is that 2010 will be the year of the buyer! I think 2010 will bring sellers around to realize that prices have corrected and that if they want to sell their property, they have to price it at a price to sell in today’s market. There is a silver lining in this dark cloud, if you are a buyer!

The old saying that “Good things come to those who wait” has always been true.  Well the wait is over! 

If you’re thinking of buying a resort property on Hilton Head, I have never seen a better time to buy.  I know there are a lot people whose New Year’s resolution is going to “pick up a place at the beach”; well now is a good time to do so. 

All of the lights are green when you look at what is important.  First of all, prices are down to approximate levels that we saw 6 or 7 years ago.  Second, interest rates are at historic lows.  Third, inventory levels are extremely high.  In other words, whatever you want, we probably have three or four of them. 

When you look at what is happening in the real estate market now it is a great time – the wait is over!

For buyers it is also good news that there are a number of bank foreclosures properties that banks are willing to sell at greatly reduced prices.  So not only do you get a good value but you get a good location, good interest rates, and there are a lot more motivated sellers that want to get their property sold.

How long will this window of opportunity last?  Well, I don’t know but I know usually the market picks up in the Spring.  So if people are looking to purchase, I tell them now is a good time to do so.

Sincerely yours,

James Wedgeworth