The economic recovery is not just confined to one region of the United States, according to a recent news article.

Evidently, a recent report from the U.S. Conference of Mayors noted that almost every city in the country is expected to see economic growth in the New Year!

This is great news for everyone because it shows that our economy continues to strengthen after the recent recession.

Why You Can Expect Great Things in 2014

According to the recent report from the U.S. Conference of Mayors, most cities in the US are expected to see economic growth and job gains in 2014.

Here are the cities that are expected to lead the pack:

• Naples, Florida
• Raleigh, North Carolina
• Atlanta, Georgia
• Austin, Texas

What’s more, those cities who were severely affected by drops in manufacturing or by the housing market crash are also expected to see gains in the new year:

• Youngstown, Ohio is expected to see economic growth of 1.6 percent
• Buffalo, New York is expected to see economic gains of 1.5 percent
• Shreveport, Louisiana is expected to grow by 1.6 percent, after the community saw a 5.2 percent decrease last year.

Experts say that part of the key to economic growth has been the stabilization of housing. Job growth has also helped to encourage spending.

They noted that college towns (such as Lawrence, Kansas or Austin, Texas) are expected to make strong gains while the larger cities (like New York and Chicago) are expected to see more modest growth.

Here are some more highlights of the recent report:

• 340 of 363 metro areas will see economic growth by at least 1 percent.
• Last year, only 183 metro areas saw such growth.
• In addition, experts predict that 69 of those 363 metro areas will see growth exceeding 3 percent.
• And only seven of the 363 metro areas will probably not see economic growth, according to the report.
• While that’s unfortunate, it’s still exceptionally better than last year when 97 metro areas didn’t see growth.

A New Year, A New Economy

With a New Year comes new opportunity. We’re thrilled to know that the local economy in almost all major US cities is expected to grow in the coming year.

Check back here soon to learn about more about national trends that may affect your efforts as a home buyer or seller.

May River Preserve is the area’s newest private gated residential community by Reed Development.  May River Preserve is located on Bluffton’s old historic corridor in Bluffton, SC which is a riverfront town located 15 miles from the beaches of Hilton Head Island and 25 minutes to historic Savannah, GA.

Features Include:

• Natural gas community
• 320 acres and only 109 total homesites
• Over 20 acres of water
• Low country architectural themed designs
• Low yearly Property Owner Dues of $1,200
• May River Preserve Amenity Site Plan

May River Preserve- Information and Pricing

Southern Coastal Homes and David Weekley Homes are the exclusive builders in May River Preserve.  The model designs are now complete and May River Preserve is offering home/lot packages in the price range of $399,900 – $480,000 + for the Phase One release.  Individual homesites are available, starting at $79,000 for those that just aren’t ready to build.  The home-sites start at approximately ½ acre offering lake and wooded preserve views.  The amenity package includes a community pool, indoor / outdoor pavilion, security gate and common space with fire pits.  Many Homesites have already been reserved.  Please email us for contact and additional information at May River Plantation.

Our Hilton Head Real Estate Advisory is “Do Be Careful” as our real estate Storm Warning stays in effect for the rest of 2014 .   We are experiencing a Blizzard Of Buyers 2014 in Hilton Head’s off-season and the wind chill feels like this trend will continue.   This forecast is the result of an awesome 2013 real estate year with high pressures building on cold climate buyers looking to be warm and wet.

Factors driving this severe move

The buyers barometric pressure has escalated  for the past few years as they sat on the fence waiting for clear skies.  With little comfort of global warming, these baby boomer buyers are scouring the internet in search of a warm front.  Stay tuned for more updates on this severe buyer storm warning.  We have included our real estate glossary below: Read the rest of this entry

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina – Hilton Head Properties successfully negotiated an average of 2 transactions per week in 2013 with a total sales volume over $40 million dollars.  This put Hilton Head Properties in the top 10% of the real estate companies in the Hilton Head Area.  Looking forward, Hilton Head Properties will be increasing their marketing presence on internet as over 92% of buyers using the internet to find Hilton Head Properties.   While this was the first year of business for Hilton Head Properties, many of their seasoned real estate professionals have been helping buyers and sellers in the Hilton Head Area since 1986.

When you are considering a move to Bluffton, Daufuskie Island, Hilton Head Island North and Hilton Head Island South there are a lot of factors to consider.  Each Hilton Head area offers different things to different buyers including community information, amenities and price points that we have listed here.  Demographics for the Hilton Head area can be researched at US Census Bureau’s Community Fact Finder, NeighborhoodScout.com and HomeFair.com.  Yelp is a great website for restaurant ideas and some of our best shops.  Another fun way to look at any community is to find out the walk score.  Check out Hilton Head Properties walk score here.

Experts emphasized recently what they’ve been saying for weeks: The US housing market will show even better gains in 2014.

Evidently, experts believe that it will be a good year for housing, despite the fact that sales are likely to level off slightly.

Those interested in buying and selling real estate in the US in 2014 will surely find the following information helpful as they navigate the market!

Good News for US Homes for Sale

Here’s the outlook for the US housing market, according to a recent article I was reading:

• Interest rates on 30-year mortgages are expected to rise above 5 percent by midyear. Currently, the national average is about 4.5 percent.
• Home prices are expected to increase 5 to 6 percent in 2014, which is about half of what it was in 2013.
• New home construction is expected to show immense growth in 2014, which is great for the homebuilding industry as well as those buyers looking for more options.
• The number of foreclosed homes has dropped significantly in the last several months, suggesting that the foreclosure crisis is nearing an end.

In a related article, CoreLogic reported a similarly optimistic outlook for 2014, especially given the most recent data available.

Citing November 2013 data, CoreLogic reported that:

• Home prices increased 0.1 percent from October to November.
• Home prices rose11.8 percent between November 2012 and November 2013,
• 2013 represented the best year for housing since the financial crisis.
• When all was said and done, home prices increased about 11.5 percent in 2013, which was the biggest gain since 2005.
• And sales of existing homes reached 5.1 million in 2013, the National Association of Realtors said.  That’s an increase of 10 percent from the previous year.
• That figure is also the highest it’s been since 2006.
• CoreLogic said that, after talking with several economists, they expect sales and prices to continue rising this year, albeit at a slower pace.

Those markets that are expected to be the “hottest” in 2014 include:

• Salt Lake City, Utah
• Seattle, Washington
• Austin, Texas
• San Jose, California
• Miami, Florida
• Raleigh, NC
• Jacksonville, Florida
• San Diego, California
• Portland, Oregon
• Boston, Massachusetts

Buying and Selling US Real Estate

Hopefully it will be a great year for the national housing market. One thing is for sure: It will be an improvement from the year before!

Check back here soon for more pertinent information on the current state of the national housing market!

Are you wondering what the Hilton Head Real Estate Market activity has been recently?  We have put together market research which is easy to understand.  Our monthly market updates will include trends keeping an eye on sales, inventories, negotiations and market research that can help you save time and or money. Read the rest of this entry

We have had an amazing 2013 and have a great story to tell.  As we approach the time ahead, we cannot but look back without gratitude.  First off, thank you for taking that leap of faith and switching over with us to our new company Hilton Head Properties.  We want you to know that we will play this forward in our goals for you in 2014.  You stopped by to check out our new digs, you gave us a boost when we needed it and spotted us to make our year and yours awesome.  Here is what you can expect from us in 2013! Read the rest of this entry

The sales of new U.S. single family homes fell only slightly in November in the wake of higher mortgage rates.

Meanwhile, prices on new homes continued to rise, signaling to national housing market experts that the market truly is weathering higher mortgage rates, according to a recent news article.

National Housing Market Showing Resilience, Experts Say

The Commerce Department recently reported that sales fell 2.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 464,000 units.

Here’s what else was revealed about recent market activity:

• November’s numbers marked a fall from October’s revised 474,000 pace, which was the highest level since July 2008.
• For November, economists had expected new home sales to be at a 445,000 unit pace in November.
• Compared with November 2012, sales were up 16.6 percent.
• Although higher mortgage rates have slowed the rate of home resales since August, activity is expected to accelerate next year.
• Experts credit this in part to employment gains.
• What’s more, experts say that a lean housing inventory is also expected to increase activity.
• For instance, in November, the supply of houses on the market decreased by 6.7 percent.
• The median price of a new home rose 10.6 percent from a year ago.
• If the housing market remained at November’s sales pace, it would take 4.3 months to clean the market of available homes, which is the smallest inventory there’s been since June.
• In October, the housing market inventory was at 4.5 months.
• For a reference point, a 6-month supply is normally considered as a healthy balance between supply and demand.
• Although home sales decreased in the Midwest and South, sales showed strong gains in the West and Northeast.

Helping You Buy and Sell Homes

The recent activity is actually encouraging, despite the fact that the sale of new single family homes actually dropped.

That’s because the decrease was actually pretty slight, meaning that the national housing market is adapting to higher mortgage rates better than even some experts anticipated.

Check back here soon for more national real estate news that affects your efforts as home buyers and sellers!

Purchasers of 2nd homes and rental properties don’t always factor the financial benefits into their purchase when weighing their buying decision.  Mortgage interest and taxes are standard deductions available to any second home owner, but what about the other deductions that may be available?  Before you proceed, the first question, is your second home or villa on Hilton Head classified as residential or rental?

Read the rest of this entry