Better Bathroom Basics . . . Even on a Budget!

So often it seems to be the relatively little things that finally make or break a deal.

"A dreary, outdated bathroom can be a home sale deal breaker. Remodeling magazine says the average price of a mid-range bathroom remodel in 2007 was $14,445. But $500 worth of nips and tucks can upgrade the room, says Lytel Young, host of HGTV’s 'Save My Bath.'

'There are three important things in a bathroom,' Young says. 'Clean, simple, and orderly. That's the key for every budget, whether it's $500 or $40,000.' He recommends these inexpensive steps to sellers whose baths need a facelift:

• Rip out the dated medicine cabinet and replace it with a big mirror.
• Replace the lighting with new sconces on both sides of the mirror plus a new overhead fixture on a dimmer.
• Re-caulk the tub and shower.
• Repaint with a neutral color, but decorate with big, fluffy colorful towels.
• Hang some framed art."

For the full article Washington Post article at Realtor magazine online: http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2008042505?OpenDocument

Can't We All Just Get Along?

Unfortunately the answer to the title question seems to be a simple, unqualified, "NO." Even here in Charleston the "Most Mannerly City" in the U.S. for 12 years running, we don't always agree with our neighbors. Here are some things to keep in mind when the inevitable difficulties arise.

"Conflicts with neighbors are a universal problem. Differences in lifestyles and values trigger disagreements wherever people live. Here are some of the top problems, along with suggestions for resolving them.

Too noisy. Barking dogs and rattling air conditioners are among the excessive noise complaints that most rankle neighbors. Solution: Try talking with neighbor about bothersome noise. There may be an easy solution - extra carpeting, piano practice limited to certain hours, outdoor parties moved inside after 11 p.m. If not, the noise-sensitive might be happiest living somewhere with large yards.

My view is ruined! We're not just talking about new construction that blocks your view of the water. The case of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts vs. Michael Palermo is expected to be heard in the Lowell Superior Court next month. The case deals with Palermo and his neighbor, a single mother of two young children. Local police charged Palermo with a string of misdemeanor and felonies because he stood naked in front of a window. Tyngsborough Deputy Police Chief Richard Burrows says, 'The window he was using for exposing faced the street. Not just the victim could see him, but potentially anybody on or near the street could see this going on.' Solution: Before buying, check zoning of nearby land and look into neighborhood construction plans. If all else fails, keep the drapes drawn.

That house is ugly. One side of the house is painted bright yellow; the other is a dark green. MIT professor Richard de Neufville, who lives on the yellow side, says the answer is peaceful coexistence. Before a difference in taste escalated into a much larger issue, de Neufville and his neighbor determined color coordination wasn't worth a fight. 'This is life in the big city. I'm not against, in principle, having the same color, but I don't think I have to make a special effort,' says de Neufville. Solution: Talk it out with neighbors rather than let resentment build, but pick your fights carefully. Is it really worth an argument?"

For the full Boston Globe article from Realtor magazine online: http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2008040901?OpenDocument

Smaller Floor Plans in Big Demand

It's true – bigger isn't always better, and sometimes less is more! Helping clients find the home that will best suit their family's needs, perhaps considering alternatives that had not occurred to them before and how those might really work to their advantage – that's a big part of what I love about my job!

"American’s appetite for big homes and over-sized furniture appears to be shrinking. New-home buyers began asking builder KB Home for smaller floor plans right after the collapse in subprime lending last year, says CEO Jeffrey Mezger. The demand for a huge, high-ceilinged great room is giving way to the desire for special-purpose rooms, including media rooms and home offices, says a spokesman for luxury specialist Pulte Homes.

In three of its four new sofa collections, Younger Furniture is offering 'apartment size' sofas, which are about 10 inches shorter than full-sized ones. Citing a trend toward smaller homes, Rowe Fine Furniture says it expects its Mini Mod line will account for a quarter of its collection this fall.

'They're finally getting it,' says Jodi FitzGerald, owner of Door Store Furniture, an 11-store retail chain in metropolitan New York that specializes in small-scale furniture. She estimates the number of smaller offerings has grown by about a third over the past year."

For the full Wall Street Journal article from Realtor magazine online: http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2008041503?OpenDocument

A Great Time to . . . Sell!?

In this business the LONG view usually offers the best perspective. With that in mind, here and now more than ever reasonable real estate is always a good investment! Pay especially close attention to the last sentence of the last paragraph to really catch the drift of the concept propounded in the article. The current market may provide the perfect opportunity to cross the bridge from where you are to where you want to be!

"Home owners who are reluctant to sell because prices have fallen, should do the math, and realize that the market downturn could work in their favor, say practitioners in hard-hit, but still pricey Boston.

Their reasoning may work in many other parts of the country as well. 'People are finding houses at prices they thought they'd never see again,' says David W. O'Neil of Century 21 Spindler & O'Neil Associates in suburban Boston. O’Neil points out to potential sellers that if the house a buyer covets used to be $500,000 but its price has fallen 20 percent to $400,000, it is a deal, even if the buyer’s own home also has lost 20 percent of its value.

In general, the toughest sell is people who bought about four years ago at the height of the market, says Zur Attias of The Attias Group at Barrett & Co. in Concord, Mass. But even for these home owners, selling now may make sense as long as they can at least break even.

He argues that almost everyone forgoes something, and probably several things, that he or she wanted when buying a house. For instance, the home may be in the right school district, but on a busy street. Or it may in a great neighborhood, but it's a Cape, not a Colonial. These are things Attias calls 'unchangeables.' He says it’s a good time to sell if a seller can get rid of the most negative unchangeables in his current home, and replace them with better unchangeables in a new home. Once the market really turns around, the growth will be bigger in the better house, he predicts."

For the full Boston Globe article at Realtor Magazine online: http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2008041601?OpenDocument

New Garco Park Continues Revitalization Trend

It is so exciting to see this area coming up so quickly! I love to think that my children will think of North Charleston in a completely different light than seemed likely ten years ago! Better and better!

"The old administration building is empty, the laboratories are deserted and Friday night dances are no longer held in Garco Village, where Garco workers once raised their families.

North Charleston’s General Asbestos and Rubber Co., the mill whose initials became the acronym by which the area was known, closed long ago. But the former industrial quadrant where generations of North Charleston residents both lived and worked is about to be reborn.

Plans for Garco Park call for 350,000 square feet of new construction that will include neighborhood retail, commercial offices, a grocery store, light industrial facilities and possibly a loft condominium development. The Beach Co. plans to develop the 40-acre former industrial site near Park Circle around a pedestrian streetscape similar to the recently revitalized East Montague retail corridor and also wants to restore the old brick mill building on the site.

Kent Johnson, The Beach Co.’s vice president of development, said the 72,000-square-foot building could house as many as 80 condominium units.

'The old mill building may be a residential loft condominium or it may be an antiques mall,' Johnson said. 'We don’t know yet. We just know we want to save that building.'

Gayle Frampton, president of the North East Park Circle Civic Club and a resident of North Charleston since 1943, said she is thrilled about the redevelopment plans, especially because a supermarket is in the mix.

North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said the Garco Park project will compliment other new mixed-use and residential projects under way in the area, including The I’On Group’s Mixson project and Oak Terrace Preserve."

For the full Charleston Regional Business Journal article: http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/pub/14_8/news/11808-1.html

For Troy's website dedicated to the area: http://parkcircleonline.com/

Google Employees Request Transfers to New Berkeley Site

Just as we've always know, Google employees recognize that it's a gift to be at home in the Lowcountry!

"Google hopes to add its new Berkeley County data center to its global facilities network by this summer, and will ramp up with local hires and current employees from its other U.S. sites, a company executive said earlier this month.

Matt Dunne, Google’s community relations manager, also said the new facility will play a key role in advancing an important new type of collaborative technology. Dunne spoke April 3 to a group of more than 200 at the Charleston Regional Business Journal’s Power Breakfast Series at Trident Technical College.

'Existing Google employees were given first preference of jobs at the new data center, and Charleston is a very desirable place to live,' Dunne said. 'As a result, we had a huge number of people who chose to transfer.

'That said, we’ve placed an emphasis on hiring locally because it’s not only good for business but good for the community, our new neighbors, as a whole.'”

For the full Charleston Regional Business Journal article: http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/pub/14_8/news/11796-1.html

Fun With Your Four-Legged Friend

The weather the last few days has people and pups alike feeling frisky, so I thought I would offer some outlets for your energy. It's not listed on the SC website, but North Charleston's Riverfront Park has an excellent dog park as well!

"Traveling with your four-legged friend is fun, but it requires some extra planning. This guide can help you plan a day-trip or a longer stay in SC with dog-friendly destinations and tips. On this page:

Off-leash Parks
City and State Parks - on-leash
Beach RegulationsBooks on Outdoor Destinations with Dogs
Dog-Friendly Bed & BreakfastsRelated Resources - events, restaurants"

For the full SCIway guide: http://www.sciway.net/tourism/dog-friendly-travel-guide.html

Metal Roof Trend

Not only do "tin" roofs have a certain Old South attraction, architects and homeowners are becoming more familiar with the versatility of modern metal roofing and effectively incorporating its great functionality with great-looking design!

"About one-third of new homes built today come with metal roofs, according to the National Roofing Contractors Association, and an increasing number of homeowners are choosing metal for replacement roofs.

Metal roofs have many advantages. They last about twice as long as traditional asphalt shingles. They can withstand high winds. When treated with coatings and finishes, they reflect heat, helping keep the house cool and air conditioning bills down.

They also have a few drawbacks. They are slippery, so it can be difficult to find people to work on them. Rain and hail sound loud. And they cost about twice as much as even the most expensive fiberglass-asphalt shingles."

For the Realtor magazine online article: http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2008040102?OpenDocument

$2.8M North Charleston Greenspace Purchase

For someone who has been around as long as I have and with so much faith in the potential of the area, it's really wonderful to see North Charleston coming into it's own. Better and better! It's an exciting time to live in the Lowcountry!

"Sometimes the most prosperous development is no development at all. One of North Charleston’s oldest land owners sold its last remaining parcels to the city in a deal that closed March 25.

It’s a story that hearkens back to North Charleston’s roots, where visionaries such as Rhett and Montague – the men whose names now grace the streets that cut through the heart of the historic city – saw potential in what would eventually become the thriving, and then struggling, and now revitalizing Park Circle area.

For $2.8 million, the city of North Charleston will acquire the land largely running along Noisette and Filbin creeks that for the last 75 years belonged to the North Charleston Lands Corp. All but 20 acres of the land must remain open green space as a caveat of the sale."

For the full Charleston Regional Business Journal article: http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/pub/14_7/news/11696-1.html

For Troy's website dedicated to the area: http://www.parkcircleonline.com/

Is It a Beautiful Day In Your Neighborhood?

Especially in a neighborhood on the brink, so to speak, a neighborhood association can make all the difference. Just chatting with your next door neighbor about how things are going and how they might be improved is a start! Remember, united we stand, divided we fall . . . or at least divided we have to put up with all kinds of irritations!

"An effective neighborhood association can turn a not-so-attractive community into a place where buyers want to live. Here are some basic facts you should know if you'd like to form one:

• Neighborhood associations are voluntary.


• They don’t have any authority to mandate solutions, but they can work with residents and city departments to identify problems and fix them.


• A neighborhood association must first have a vision, then it needs a leadership group that can reach consensus (not an easy goal).


• The next step is to build positive relationships with its elected officials. Nothing carries as much political clout as a capacity crowd of registered voters at a neighborhood meeting around election time."

For the Realtor Magazine online article: http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2008040104?OpenDocument

McClellanville's Charms

If you're looking for something a little further off the beaten path, but still within commuting distance to Charleston, McClellanville just might be the place! With all of the beauty of the Lowcountry and a quaint village atmosphere McClellanville is a great spot to build your dream home or find a Victorian fixer-upper – or just spend one gorgeous, lazy week of your summer!

"Nestled between the forested expanses of the Francis Marion National Forest and the marshy vistas of the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, McClellanville remains true to its roots as a fishing village and a close-knit community.

Located roughly halfway between Charleston and Georgetown on US 17, McClellanville is a welcome stop from the monotonous highway and makes a wonderful daytrip destination. Its quiet streets, arching grand oaks, and picturesque houses will draw you in. A variety of shops, a small cafe, and a seafood restaurant will further convince you that the village of McClellanville is worth the trip.

Still need another reason to go? Consider the 32nd Annual Lowcountry Shrimp Festival, which takes place May 3rd.A good place to start a visit is at the end of Pinckney Street, McClellanville's main road, where you will find a playground, town hall, and a boat landing. If you happen to visit on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, be sure to check out the Village Museum. It is located right next to town hall and features exhibits on local history and lore. If you have one, bring a bike or kayak to see more of McClellanville and enjoy its natural surroundings.

Established in the mid-1800s by the McClellan and Morrison families, McClellanville developed along Jeremy Creek, which today harbors a fleet of fishing vessels. The bounties of the sea and the marshes have always played an essential role in sustaining this small community. Even when the ocean brought the destructive fury of Hurricane Hugo in 1989, McClellanville's residents were keen to restore their village while preserving its unique personality.

Seeing how well the village's character has been maintained throughout time, it is clear that McClellanville residents care greatly about their community and wish to keep it that way. From preserving their natural surroundings to fostering genuine relationships amongst each other, the people of McClellanville may have perfected the art of coastal living."
For the full SCIway News article: http://www.sciway.net/sn/54.html#1

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand . . . Dollars?!

I have consistently observed the value of good photos. In fact I'm so convinced of their importance that I have been trained by a professional photographer and take 100 or more photos for each listing, 25 or 30 of which are selected for publication. A picture is truly worth a thousand words . . . and probably more than a thousand dollars, when you consider quicker sales time and higher price!

"Photographs that accompany home listings on the Web or in brochures, newspaper advertisements, flyers, magazine articles, and other marketing materials play a significant role in attracting buyers. These images serve as the first impression, and buyers often decide whether or not to see a home in person based on their quality and presentation.

Research reveals that the more photos a listing has, the quicker it sells. A property with a single photo spent 70 days on the market (DOM) on average, while DOM fell to 40 with six photos, 36 with 16 to 19 photos, and 32 with 20 photos.

Additionally, listings with one photo sold for 91.2 percent of the original price, while homes with six or more sold for 95 percent of the original price. The photos to be used in an agent's marketing materials should be taken by a professional, with experts noting that sellers will recoup the costs of professional photos if their homes sell faster and at a higher price."

For the Realtor Magazine article: http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2008040205?OpenDocument

To check out my listing photos: http://www.sandlappergroup.com/index.cfm?action=sandlapper.agentprofile&agent=twatson

Timely Tax Tip!

Taxes are always an exercise in remembering every little thing, and with this year's changes there are more last minute reminders than ever. Well, here's one more to add to the list!

"As April 15 tax day approaches, here is a reminder for home buyers with mortgage insurance. Home owners with adjusted gross incomes of $100,000 or less can deduct the full cost of their government or private mortgage insurance premiums on their 2007 federal returns.Families with incomes between $100,000 and $109,000 are eligible for a reduced deduction.

This is a new tax break that Congress has approved through 2010. 'On average, this year's tax break could be worth $350 per taxpayer — an annual deduction that qualified home owners can take each year through 2010,' says Kevin Schneider, president of the Mortgage Insurance Companies of America (MICA)."

For the full Realtor Magzine Online article: http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2008032702?OpenDocument

Curb Appeal!

The importance of first impressions has certainly played a big role in the many homes I have seen bought and sold. Sometimes people "just know" from the moment they walk in the door!

"A survey of almost 500 real estate agents commissioned by JELD-WEN Windows & Doors indicates the increasing importance of curb appeal in selling a home. According to the Real Estate Agent Community Trends survey, 82 percent of practitioners polled said buyers unimpressed with a home's exterior will not want to look inside. The results also found that 90 percent of respondents said a sale depends on first impressions of the front entry, while 91 percent said the home's exterior is just as important as what is inside.

Additionally, 75 percent of those surveyed said natural light is important; while the appearance of windows and doors and the presence of energy-efficient products were mentioned by 71 percent and 63 percent, respectively."

For the full Realtor Magazine Online article: http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2008032704?OpenDocument