First Time Home Buyers! Buying NOW Has Advantages!

Yes, Virginia! If you are ABLE, READY and WILLING.....

NOW....is a good time to make a SMART, GREAT purchase for your first home.

Don't be deceived by the NATIONAL MARKET! All real estate is LOCAL!

Would you believe that home values in metropolitan Columbia are STABLE?


Yes, Virginia! The real estate sky is not falling in our area. What does that mean?

If you wait for prices and interest rates to drop......THEY MIGHT NOT!



Higher Interest Rates+Higher Prices+Limited Financing=REDUCTION!

A reduction in your ability to afford your first home!

Plus, there are TWO additional tax benefits to purchasing a home.....NOW!


1. Do you remember the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006?

This signed legislation will allow 2008 and 2009 homebuyers to deduct premiums paid for mortgage insurance - which typically is required when homebuyers purchase a home with less than a 20% down payment.

This new insurance premium deduction will only apply to mortgage insurance contracts issued in 2008 and 2009 and is only available to taxpayers whose adjusted gross income does not exceed $110,000 ($55,000 for married taxpayers filing separately).

For more information about H.R. 6111 (look in Act 419-Code 163-6050H) , contact your CPA or tax attorney.


2. Have you heard about Housing Stimulus Bill (H.R. 3221)?

As a first-time home buyer, this Congressional Act could give you a $7,500 tax credit for your residential purchase between NOW and June 30, 2009.

CLICK HERE for more information about H.R. 3221.

If you are ready for your FREE, NO OBLIGATION First-Time Home Buyer Assessment... please feel free to give David Patterson a call at (803) 772-5858 or email David at blogger@davidpatterson.net

10 Neighborhoods With Homes for Sale in Columbia SC That Should Be Considered

Don't believe everything on television and in print media. Columbia SC has experienced stability in their real estate values. Don't believe me?

Click This Link to read the November 2008 Edition of the Greater Columbia Economic Quarterly Review!

For those of you that are STILL attempting to sell your home......

I have experienced a significant amount of traffic on my website and blogs over the last few weeks. Some inquiries are from ABLE, READY and WILLING home buyers that are in the market for their next home.

Will your home be the next to sell?
Can I help with that process? Ooops...Sorry about that digression!

Anyway..........

Here are 10 of the Most Popular Neighborhoods with homes for sale throughout Columbia SC.

Please Note -- Crime Statistics, demographics and other common questions about a neighborhood did NOT have an impact on these rankings.

These are the ten neighborhoods that have been researched on a consistent basis at
http://www.davidpatterson.net/ and http://www.thepattersonfiles.info/

Click each link to preview current Homes for Sale in that neighborhood.

1. Lake Carolina

2. The Summit (click here for The Summit Homeowners Association)

3. Woodlake

4. Turtle Creek - Brick Homes for Sale in Northeast Columbia SC under $180,000

5. Chestnut Hill Plantation (Chestnut HOA)

6. Ashley Place

7. The Highlands (search #1) (search #2)

8. Palmetto Place (Governed by the Covenants & Bylaws of the Lansdowne Community)
CLICK HERE FOR 405 Sawtooth Lane and other Palmetto Place FEATURED HOMES.

9. Ashley Ridge

10. Indigo Springs

For more information about any of these neighborhoods, feel free to contact me at blogger@davidpatterson.net

Rule #1 - It’s Not Your Home Anymore!

Contribution from Linsey Planeta, Broker & Real Estate Coach

Belterra Fine Homes - Rancho Santa Margarita, CA

Phone: 949.939.2514 / linsey@ocrealestatevoice.com

www.ocrealestatevoice.com

If you are getting ready to sell, or you’ve already tried without success, it’s time to look at your home with fresh eyes. Better yet, not your eyes at all.

As soon as you decide to sell your home, you must change the way you view it.

It is no longer just the place you live. Your home has become a commodity that you are trying to sell quickly and for the highest amount that the market will bear.

I can hear some of you already, ‘But I have to live here and feel at home in the meantime‘ or ‘Everyone already says that my home shows beautifully.’

I know, I know. Trust me. I get it and I’ve heard it but believe me when I tell you, it’s the seller that says, ‘Tell me what I need to do‘ that will meet with success.

So what do you need to do?

Step 1: Stop going to your friends for advice. People often hang with people that have similar taste. That doesn’t mean you and your friends necessarily have the taste that will appeal to the broadest spectrum of buyers.

Step 2: Pay Attention to An Agent's Advice. They are working with consumers every day. They know what turns a buyer off and what is most appealing. Caution - we wary of the agent that says that it’s all just great and they wouldn’t change a thing.

Step 3: Change Your Mindset. If you are looking for your home to sell, understand the market conditions, competing properties and the inventory. You vying for buyer attention. You must be willing to let go of the personal things!

Step 4: Do the Work. Whether it means painting, removing wallpaper, cleaning up the clutter or removing bulky furniture, get to it. As soon as you start having a mental argument with your agent about the necessity of ripping down this expensive, decorator wallpaper - stop yourself and remember that you won’t be living here shortly anyway. Appeal to the greatest number of buyers - this is the goal!

Step 5: Hire A Professional. The best results and return on investment are from a full staging company, but if cash is not available hire them for a consultation. You are trying to create the emotional appeal that makes a buyer feel a sense of urgency about writing an offer. This is what a good stager is best at and this is what you are hiring them for.

Palmetto Place Price Reductions - Homes for Sale in Northeast Columbia SC

Nestled in a remote location of Northeast Columbia SC, Palmetto Place is a subdivision within the Lansdowne Community and is within five minutes of the Village at Sandhill and Summit Parkway Middle School. This community features tennis and basketball courts, a small lake, a swimming pool and a children's playground.

No matter your taste, the communities within Lansdowne has something for you including...

FEATURED PROPERTY -- 405 Sawtooth Lane -- $175,000!

This true four bedroom home has upgraded amenities that include His & Her Walk-in closets, double vanity sinks, a garden tub and separate shower in the Master Suite; laundry room and custom wood plantation blinds throughout the interior; finished garage and full sod coverage with a fenced backyard in and around the exterior and hardwoods in the formal dining room & foyer area.



--- CLICK HERE FOR MORE PICTURES OF 405 SAWTOOTH LANE ---


Call David at (803) 772-5858 to Schedule Your Showing Appointment!


-- CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE PALMETTO PLACE HOMES ---

Do You Want to Sell Your Home? Price It Ahead of The Market!

With the 2008 Presidential Election and the holidays quickly approaching, the Columbia SC real estate market has plenty of homes for sale. As a matter of fact, current market conditions have motivated me to post a series of "Trouble Selling Your Home" articles on my blogs. Topics have included:

1. Having Trouble Selling Your Home?
2. Having Trouble Selling Your Home? - Part Two!
3. Why Aren't Buyers Coming to See Your Home?

Unfortunately, one challenge of some current homeowners that hasn't been addressed at The Patterson Files is mindset. Why do I know this to be true? Just look at the questions that are posed by some homeowners. For example, one of my favorite real estate bloggers is Linsey Planeta from http://www.ocrealestatevoice.com/

I subscribe to her http://www.whydidntmyhomesell.com/ blog. When I opened my inbox on today, I received a copy of her most recent post entitled "The Biggest Mistake to Make in Pricing Your Home". This post was based upon the following question that was posed by a current homeowner:

"If you really want to move a house in today's market what is reasonable to ask over fair market value?" - Karen from Rockford

There are sellers that are still insistent on obtaining maximum (or above) price for their home.

Well, Karen from Rockford! I have some serious questions for you!

1. Do you NEED to sell your home in the next sixty (60) days? If YES, then here are some other questions that will go to the heart of your current situation.

2. Do you NEED to sell your home for the maximum price? or do you NEED to sell your home?

3. Do you NEED to sell your home for the maximum price under current market conditions.................... or do you NEED to sell PERIOD?

These seem like simple questions that border on the word DUPLICATION.

For those of you that are having trouble selling your home, I assure you! They are NOT!

They are not the same question unless your actions, motivation and mindset about selling your home are on one accord and are conducive to meeting your current real estate NEEDS.

Depending upon the Absorption Rate and popularity of your neighborhood, you might be disappointed by the maximum price that buyers are willing to pay for your home.

You must price your home ahead of the market!

What does that mean? If you don't price your home in a way that positions yours to be the next in line to sell, then you might be chasing the market instead of pricing the market in your favor for a quick sale.

Let me allow Joshua Hanoud with Tropic Shores Realty in Spring Hill, FL to explain the risk of not pricing ahead of the market.

"The risk that you take by pricing above market value is that the market throughout most of the country is still trending downward, and if you are not the next home to sell, yours will be worth less next month. Market value is market value. It's not set by you, your realtor, or anybody else other than the buyer who is willing to put cash down on the table and slide it all over your way in exchange for your keys."

I know you might not want to hear these statements. However, if you were sick, you'd want the doctor to tell you ASAP! Well......In my mind, it's no different with my real estate clients. Therefore, paraphrasing The Shawshank Redemption...

It's time to GET TO SELLING or GET TO STAYING! The choice is yours.

When Considering South Carolina Retirement Plans...Don't Forget Columbia SC!

While responding to general real estate questions from customers and the general public on Trulia.com, Roy from Ingleside asked the following question:

My wife and I are retiring in less than a year and are considering South Carolina…We live in the Chicago area now and are tired of the cold. We are looking for something under $200,000, near golf, boating and shopping. From what I have read, SC has low property taxes which is important to us. Which area around Columbia sc would be the best place for a retired couple to live?

What is my response? Peach Grove Villas could be a good option.


Unlike any other condo community in Northeast Columbia, Peach Grove Villas is an Epcon Community of ranch condos with private two car garages, sunrooms and floor plans from 1327-1927 square feet. The homes all feature stone and hardy plank exteriors and the community offers a clubhouse, fitness center and pool.

The first homes will be ready for occupancy in late summer or early fall of 2008 and Peach Grove Villas. Three of the four floor plans are one story homes and they are all built in the clustered "pinwheel" concept. This concept ensures all homes in the same building have front doors that face in different directions. This, along with the quality materials, provide the same comfort, style and character of larger, single-family homes all in a no maintenance, care-free lifestyle.

For more information about this or any other Epcon community, please feel free to give my friend Dan Elmaleh a call! He can give you more details! Dan can be reached at (803) 223-9545 or (704) 608-7621.

Irmo Homes For Sale - Ricefield Plantation Could Be A "Best Kept Secret"

Looking for communities w/cookie cutter homes & small lots?







Then, Ricefield Plantation is not the neighborhood for you.





Priced from the $260s, Ricefield Plantation is a custom neighborhood with homes constructed by such builders as Rice Planter Homes.

These homes are within two miles of Ballentine Elementary School in the Lexington/Richland Five School District.

The mission of School District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties, an educational community unified by an uncompromising commitment to excellence and strengthened in diversity, is to ensure that each student fulfills his or her potential and excels in a changing world by instilling integrity and virtue, stimulating critical and creative thinking, developing effective communicators and problem solvers, and fostering superior achievement and life long learning.

Most Irmo, South Carolina real estate, which includes Ricefield Plantation, is within minutes of Harbison Boulevard.

The Harbison Boulevard area, anchored by the 800,000 square foot Columbiana Centre shopping mall, is one of fastest growing retail center in Metropolitan Columbia, South Carolina.
The stores along Harbison Boulevard include many national restaurants and retailers such as Books-a-Million and Marshall's. Do you want to see a movie? Harbison offers The Carmike and Columbiana Grand Cinemas.

My featured listing is a 3 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath home has an open and bright floor plan with hardwoods throughout the kitchen and living areas. The kitchen has Solid Surface Countertops, Stainless Steel Appliances and cabinets galore.

This home can be yours for $254,900.

Here are some other available listings.........

4 Bedrooms - 3.5 Bathrooms - 3199 Square Feet for $319,000

4 Bedrooms - 2.5 Bathrooms - 2831 Square Feet for $268,945 (all brick)

Please feel free to call me at (803) 960-5231 for your showing appointments.

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