I am happy to announce my move to Grande Dunes Properties, one of the top agencies in town and the top agency for highest average sales price on properties sold.  While my role will be as Broker-in-charge, I will continue serving clients all across the Grand Strand when looking to sell their property.  My website, email address and phone numbers all remain the same.  Contact me anytime you have real estate questions  or would like more information on Grande Dunes Properties.

The Herd Mentality in Real Estate

Here are a few interesting facts regarding how our real estate market adjusts for seasonality and how that changes for Property Sellers.  Most people feel that June is the best single month of the year for real estate sales.  If you are simply to browse the total number of properties selling in a given month you would probably be correct, however there is much more to it than the total number of sales.

As an example the total number of residential properties that close per day in June is about 40.  The total number of properties that close in December is 30, which represents a 25% decline in properties selling the last month of the year as compared to June.  When digging into the numbers you would also see that starting in about July fewer and fewer properties come on the market and by the time December gets here there are at least 25% fewer properties on the market than in June.  Less competition is always a good thing for property sellers.

In my experience, we also see a typically higher quality Buyers viewing properties after "beach season" is over and they have a primary focus of finding a quality property, not going to the beach.

Lastly, if your property is a second home that you rent out then accessibility is far greater after vacation season ends and it is easier to get those high-quality, qualified buyers in to see the property.

Don't be fooled by the Herd and 1980's thinking that real estate sales stop in September or October.  The Grand Strand has grown up and has a great population to support year-round real estate traffic, plus the popularity of consumer sites like realtor.com, Zillow and homes.com make searching for your next property easy to start no matter the month.

For an in depth discussion on this topic feel free to reach out to me anytime.

5 Things to do right after your closing

If you just bought a new property, you’re probably still celebrating and feeling the sense of pride and accomplishment that comes with home owners p. You’re shopping for furniture, drawing up plans for renovations … but wait! There are some important tasks to cross off your list before you
get to the fun stuff.    
 1. Change the locks: A lot of people came in possession of your keys during the home sale process, whether it was on the market for a year or a day. Protect yourself by changing all the locks, just in case a set of keys fell into the wrong hands.
 2. Make copies: It’s good to have copies of all your closing documents, if only for reference. But in the worst case, you’ll be thankful you have your own copies if something goes wrong.
 3. Make sure you get your mail: The post office won’t deliver your mail if the mailbox doesn’t have a name, and it’ll be difficult to sign for packages if UPS can’t get to your front door. If you’re in a multi-unit building, make sure to put your name on your mailbox and verify that the buzzer or call box is working.
 4. Meet your neighbors: It’s not just about being cordial. It’s good to exchange contact info with your neighbors in case there’s a problem in the building or someone is being noisy.
 5. Prepare for emergencies: Store the contact info for insurance agents and services like plumbers and locksmiths in your phone. You don’t want to waste time searching the internet when you’re locked out on a winter night or your home suffers fire damage.

Whether you've just closed on a first home, an investment property or a second home these tips should guide you well.  For more information please contact us anytime at ben@benguyton.com or visit www.benguyton.com