In the Spirit of the Olympics

For all those who tried and didn't quite make it to the Olympics.



H/T Michael Hyatt

First Time Buyer Tax Credit

As part of the (900 page) Economic Stimulus Bill President Bush signed last week, First Time Homebuyers and Homebuyers who have not owned a home in the last three years will be able to deduct $7,500 from their income for that tax year. This tax credit is more technically a loan that has to be paid back over the next fifteen years after the tax credit year. Here’s how it will work:

First year: Income = $50,000. Reported income = $42,500.

Year 2-16: Income = $50,000. Reported income = $50,500

All home buyers taking advantage of this credit should use an experienced and knowledgeable tax preparer when filing their taxes to ensure that it is calculated and reported properly. I would be happy to provide a referral to any of our clients looking for a professional to provide them with more detailed help with this tax credit. Feel free to email or call me at the office (864-527-7685).

Happy Tax Freedom Day

Congratulations...you can now work to provide for your food, clothing, housing, transportation and everything else you might need...the government has theirs now.

10 Year Return on Investment

Here are a few things you could have bought for $100,000 in 1998 and what they would be worth today.

FYI--A typical $100,000 home in Greenville, South Carolina bought in 1998 would be worth about $162,847 today. Not bad...

Great Deal on the Terrace at RiverPlace

The Hamilton & Co. Team of Keller Williams Realty has just reduced the price on this premium penthouse unit at the esclusive Terrace at RiverPlace. It is now listed for $599,900, which makes is the best deal on the market right now. I'm quite sure it won't last long at this price, so if you are interested in getting into a luxury downtown Greenville, SC condo, this is your golden opportunity.

For more details and pictures of this property, go to www.terraceatriverplace807.com.

For more details about the RiverPlace development and downtown Greenville, go to www.riverplacesc.com.

Have you thought about this?

From Seth Godin's blog:

So, there's plenty of bad economic news floating around. From the price of
oil to Wall Street to bailouts to the death of traditional advertising.

Which is great news for anyone hoping to grow or to make an
impact.

Change (and the fortunes that go with it) is almost always made
during the down part of the cycle. It might not be fun, but it's exciting.
(Where do you think Google came from?)

The opportunity is to find substantial opportunities (in any field) that
deliver real value and have a future. Those jobs/investments/companies/ideas are
undervalued right now, but not for long.

Are you looking for opportunities or complaining about the circumstances?

How to Get Out Of Debt

I saw tonight on CNBC that the average credit card debt for the American family is $9,200. The average family would benefit by watching this short video. Taking this advice also could have helped avoid the current "credit crunch."

USA Today Profiles Greenville, SC Real Estate Market

This article on USA Today online profiles the current Greenville real estate market which stands in stark contrast to the rest of the state and nation.



When you look at the numbers, we have a lot to be thankful for here in Greenville. Home sales and prices were up 1% in Greenville, while statewide sales are down 9% and prices remained flat. The article states there is a seven month supply of homes on the market compared to an eleven month supply nationwide.


Depending on your situation, it really is a great time to buy or sell right now in our market. If you need to sell and are willing to price your home correctly and stage it properly, there are plenty of buyers out there. If you are in the market to purchase a home now, the interest rates are still quite attractive and there is plenty of inventory to choose from.

Don't let the national media-driven gloom and doom reporting distort what is actually going on in our local market. We are very fortunate.

More Residential Housing Announced for The Point in Greenville, SC

The Greenville News reported this morning that Georgia-based development company Flournoy Development co. plans to build nearly 700 apartment units at The Point in midtown Greenville. They plan to start building 348 units in phase one as soon as the city issues permits. The second phase would include another 348 apartments, but will not begin before the summer of 2010.

This announcement is in addition to the already announce McChesney Development Co. plans to develop 1,225 condos and 1,125 apartments at The Point.

With large employers such as GE, The South Financial Group, Hubbell Lighting, and ICAR nearby, this "midtown" part of Greenville, including the Verdae development will soon be the place to live in Greenville.

Search the MLS in Greenville, SC -- Now with Mapping

We are happy to announce you can now search for homes on the market in the Greenville, SC area by map on our website, MyGreenvilleHome.com.

Since many of you know where you want to live, searching by map makes it easier and faster to find that perfect home in the Upstate of South Carolina.

Here is a screenshot of what it looks like to search the MLS by map:

To start using this great new feature to find your next home, click here or use the link on the right side of the page to search the MLS of Greenville.