As this market continues to change, we are finding new ways in which we do business.  It used to be that we would run a great ad for our open houses and hold our breath hoping that this ad would attract potential purchasers into our properties.  Needless to say it “physically” required the buyer and the realtor to be there.  This was such a waste of time for everyone involved.  In fact, it took longer to find a property a year ago than it does today, because our buyers are now virtual. Read the rest of this entry

The Island Real Estate Market typically slows a bit as we head into the Holidays.  Although it is easier to get a table at some of our favorite Hilton Head restaurantsat this time of year,  our market research shows that Hilton Head Buyers are not sitting back and waiting for their next visit or next year.  These buyers are aligning themselves during this off season with the best properties at great prices and negotiating before the start of the new year. Read the rest of this entry

Dear Friends, Clients and Fellow Associates~

The next four months or on Hilton Head Island will be busier than ever before.  The market has been building with 3 properties selling per day in October and in November we are now averaging 4 properties sold per day.  We will see more sales in the “off season” as buyers rush to grab the lower interest rates and better properties offered. 

Opportunity is when luck and timing collide.  If you are lucky enough to visit Hilton Head Island this winter you will discover timing.  The low interest rates, the return of the stock market and the buyer tax credit will affect our limited supply of real estate during our off season this year.  Of course, the “off season” offers many reasons to visit including “off season” access, “off season” accommodations, “off season” pricing, “off season” negotiations, “off season” weather and bottom of the market.  A buddy of mine told me  recently “the real estate bottom is so close, you can reach out and touch it”.  We are now negotiating bottom or below bottom!

Bottom will wait for no one.   Take action now and book a trip to Hilton Head Island this November, December, January or February.  Prices are now stabilizing and properties are selling.  If you wait until spring, you will pay a higher price   Call your REALTOR today.  Before your arrival have your agent set you up with a  free private MLS Link to start getting you familiar with the properties offered.   This is a great way to do some research prior to your arrival via internet. 

You will lose money if you wait.  Interest rates are set to go up in March 1% or more.  This means you will lose 10% of your purchasing power if you wait til summer.  Make your plans now.  We have lenders that contact us daily with money offers that are beyond belief, we have Jumbo lenders that have 80% Jumbo Money and very low rates.  In fact, we have Interest rates that start as low as 3.5%.  It is important to ask your Realtor to put you in touch with a lender before your visit.  Money talks when you negotiate and by spending a few minutes with a lender on the phone, you will save a few thousand dollars(or more) in your negotiation.  Be sure to ask your lender for a  prequalification/comfort letter!  This is almost the same as a cash offer when it comes to negotiating. 

You will lose the best property if you wait.  We currently offer for sale the power of three including superior locations, incredible interiors and unbelievable pricing.  These properties always sell first.  If you wish to take advantage of these you must make plans to visit the Island before everyone else does.  Although this has been a constipated market in the past, everything is moving now!  Some of the best Hilton Head deals include a 1.5 million architectural home now offered for only $849,000, a new oceanfront under $4, incredible villas $400 –  ,unbelievable homes under $800k, fantastic estate homes over $800k +, unbelivable villas over $400, and chance of a lifetime land opportunities, these properties and locations cannot be beat!

Buy in the “off season” and enjoy it “in season”!  If you are like most of our visitors to Hilton Head, you travel to Hilton Head Island during the seasons of spring, summer and fall.   The reason we are telling you to act now is that we don’t want you to be upset when you visit!  The best deals will be made this winter.  In fact, no one can argue that we will ever have better properties, better prices, better locations or better interest rates than we have now.   Market has created opportunity, one that we most likely will never see again!   

From an Island that offers opportunity,

We are~

Robbie Bunting & Jane Hyers

P.S. ~ The last 4 recessions were officially announced an average of 522 days (17 months) after they were over.  How are you going to get the best property at the best price?  Buy it in our off season and enjoy it in season!

Dear Friends, Clients and Fellow Associates~  

Vacation Time!  Everyone needs one!  Despite the recession, with summer right around the corner, the family simply will not be satisfied vacationing in the backyard.  Fortunately Hilton Head Island, South Carolina is an easy one day drive from practically anywhere in the northeast. 

For your visit we have put together a Free Map and the best places to dine.   The pdf below includes Islander Hints, Ideas, Guides and maps to better enjoy the Island.  

Included You Will Find:

·    The Top 10 COOL THINGS for FAMILIES TO DO Map of Hilton Head & Daufuskie Island

·     Latte Lou’s Guide to his favorite places to eat

·     An Islanders Double Top Secret Ideas to enjoy with your family

·     A menu of some of the areas best real estate for sale 

Click Here For Your Free Summertime Maps and Guides

Get ready to relax and recharge those batteries. Whether it is tennis, golf, kayaking, shopping, dining, the beach, or boating you deserve a getaway.  The weather is beautiful, the Island is wonderful and we hope to see you enjoying life on an Island. 

Happy Hilton Head!

Robbie Bunting & Jane Hyers

islandrealtor@hargray.com

800-932-3652

P.S.  If you have not yet made your travel arrangements, please feel free to shoot us an email or give us a call.  We have made arrangements with the Island Resorts, Hotels and individual property owners that we can share with you.  Feel free to share this blog address with a friend.  If you are a first time visitor and would like to recieve our e-letter….please be sure to sign up to the right.

P Before you print this e-mail, please think of our environment. Thanks!

10 Ways to Make Your House More Saleable

1.      Get rid of clutter. Throw out or file stacks of newspapers and magazines. Pack away most of your small decorative items. Store out-of-season clothing to make closets seem roomier. Clean out the garage.

2.      Wash your windows and screens to let more light into the interior.

3.      Keep everything extra clean. Wash fingerprints from light switch plates. Mop and wax floors. Clean the stove and refrigerator. A clean house makes a better first impression and convinces buyers that the home has been well cared for.

4.      Get rid of smells. Clean carpeting and drapes to eliminate cooking odors, smoke, and pet smells. Open the windows.

5.      Put higher wattage bulbs in light sockets to make rooms seem brighter, especially basements and other dark rooms. Replace any burnt-out bulbs.

6.      Make minor repairs that can create a bad impression. Small problems such as sticky doors, torn screens, cracked caulking, or a dripping faucet may seem trivial, but they’ll give buyers the impression that the house isn’t well maintained.

7.      Tidy your yard. Cut the grass, rake the leaves, trim the bushes, and edge the walks. Put a pot or two of bright flowers near the entryway.

8.      Patch holes in your driveway and reapply sealant, if applicable.

9.      Clean your gutters.

10.  Polish your front doorknob and door numbers.

5 Things to Do Before You Sell

1.      Get estimates from a reliable repairperson on items that need to be replaced soon, a roof or worn carpeting, for example. In this way, buyers will have a better sense of how much these needed repairs will affect their costs.

2.      Have a termite inspection to prove to buyers that the property is not infested.

3.      Get a pre-sale home inspection so you’ll be able to make repairs before buyers become concerned and cancel a contract.

4.      Gather together warranties and guarantees on the furnace, appliances, and other items that will remain with the house.

5.      Fill out a disclosure form provided by your sales associate. Take the time to be sure that you don’t forget problems, however minor, that might create liability for you after the sale.

5 Ways to Speed up Your Sale

1.      Price it right. Set a price at the lower end of your property’s realistic price range.

2.      Get your house market ready for at least two weeks before you begin showing it.

3.      Be flexible about showings. It’s often disruptive to have a house ready to show on the spur of the moment, but the more often someone can see your home, the sooner you’ll find a seller.

4.      Be ready for the offers. Decide in advance what price and terms you’ll find acceptable.

5.      Don’t refuse to drop the price. If your home has been on the market for more than 30 days without an offer, be prepared to lower your asking price.

© 2005 – 2007 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Dear Future Buyers,

If you are thinking of buying property now or in the near future on Hilton Head Island, don’t take a chance on time. The real estate market is dishing up some fabulous properties that not only offer incredible pricing with impeccable condition and fabulous locations. That said, below is a true story about waiting to buy.

In 1986, I met Ron a potential buyer for a second home near the beach at our furnished Huntington Model. Ron was my first real contact with an IBM engineer. Ron was a pipe smoking, Volvo driving analytical. Needless to say, for the next three years we spoke on the phone or met numerous times reviewing square footages, villas for sale, homes for sale and compared price per square foot as it related to location to the beach.

I should also mention that in those years, inventories were high and prices were still adjusting as the 1986 tax laws changed the deductions allowed on multiple properties. We were in a market pretty much the same as we are today. Finally after three years Ron settled on the place we first met, a three bedroom Huntington Villa. I believe he got a furniture package included, but paid pretty much the same price he would have paid in 1986. The one thing Ron did lose while we over analyzed the market was the time he could have had with his wife and grand children enjoying it.

A few years passed by and I saw Ron again and we laughed about our search together and the formulas we developed. I asked him how the villa was working out and did he have any regrets. He told me then that the only thing he regretted was not doing this three years earlier. To finish the story, a few years ago I had a call from Ron’s wife to tell me that he had passed away.

How much time are you willing to lose waiting for a sign, or the right time or the right price? You just cannot take a chance on time and when you are finally ready, I now have all the formulas thanks to Ron!

Hilton Head Real Estate