Category Archives: South Carolina

Greenville Remains On June’s Improving Markets Index

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Good news for South Carolina real estate buyers and residents, Greenville remains this month on the list  of the  nation’s improving markets on the monthly NAHB/First American Improving Markets Index.

Improving economic conditions have resulted in payroll employment being down just 5.2 percent from its highest point set in February 2008. This number is also up 4 percent from its lowest point set in September 2009. Single family home permitting is also up 3.2 percent from its low point set in September 2010.

Greenville’s success has been due to the city’s ability to reinvent itself from a textile center into a growing center for automotives, healthcare and logistics. Greenville is a transportation hub for many trucking firms and distribution centers because of its prime I-85 location between Atlanta, GA and Charlotte, NC. Greenville is also home to two highly regarded and still growing major health systems. Plus, the city is home to the North American headquarters for Michelin and BMW as well as the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research.

The Improving Marketing Index is a relatively new index unveiled by the National Association of Home Builders. It serves to draw attention to the fact that housing market are local, and that there are many metro areas where economic recovery is underway. The index measures monthly data on employment, single family housing permit growth and housing prices to determine whether or not a market is improving.

Florence, SC also made the June list, while the following North Carolina cities are on the list: Jacksonville, Burlington, Goldsboro, Greenville and Hickory.

Carolina One Real Estate is Leading the Commercial Market

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Downtown CharlestonEver been to the beautiful city of Charleston for vacation? With the housing industry on the mend, make your stay permanent!  Charleston is one of the top South Carolina cities for growth in the housing and commercial markets. It is now even easier to own your perfect waterfront home with an abundance of employment opportunities, home sites and new commercial real estate.

According to a recent report by the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service, Carolina One Real Estate’s Commercial Division is leading the commercial market. The company closed 41 units since 2088, more than double the number of its closest competitor. With a 25.1 percent share, the Carolina One Commercial is the leader in the market in that category of RMLS (residential firms that also sell commercial property).

Oliver Mathewes, Broker in Charge of the commercial division, said “Carolina One has led the residential market in Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties since 1992. Over the years we have gradually added commercial services. Since May 1, 2008 when we moved from the Prudential network to becoming an independent company, we now have the flexibility to strengthen our commercial efforts and also operate as Carolina One Commercial Real Estate.”

For more information on who’s hot in the Carolina real estate market, be sure to check out our site.

Carolina Real Estate Agents Can Attend Specialized Training Course for Distressed Homeowners

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ToolsThe Charfen Institute is offering a Certified Distressed Property Designation course to provide agents the perfect tools, processes and education to help distressed homeowners avoid foreclosure. Due to a high demand for property education courses, North and South Carolina local area REALTOR® Associations will offer industry-leading Real Estate Short Sale courses.

The North Carolina Association of REALTORS® and Greensboro Regional REALTORS® Association will meet June 14 and 15 in Greensboro, N.C.. If you are in the Cary, area, the Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS® will meet August and August 2. In addition, the Coastal Carolina Association of REALTORS® will meet in Myrte Beach, S.C. on August 7 and August 8.

This is an excellent opportunity for local real estate professionals to learn how to help homeowners facing financial hardships, while also earning their Certified Distressed Property Expert® (CDPE) Designation. Agents with this certification better understand homeowners’ circumstances and can better navigate foreclosure alternatives.

Since 2008, unemployment, underemployment figures and mortgage delinquency have been at a record high. Recent estimates show that more than one in five homeowners nationwide owe more on their home than it is currently worth.

To find out more about these events in the Carolinas and nationwide visit http://www.cdpe.com/schedule.

Struggling homeowners can get free assistance from a CDPE-designed rate estate agent in their area by visiting http://www.cdpe.com/find/cdpe. For more information on Carolina real estate, visit our website.

Greenville Ranked Ninth Fastest Growing City

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According to a CNNMoney report, Greenville was the ninth fastest growing city in the U.S. with a 32.5 percent growth between 2000 and 2010.

According to the report, Greenville has become an “international powerhouse” for companies globally. Greenville, once known for textile manufacturing, is now grouped with Spartanburg, Anderson and other towns as “The Upstate,” the northwestern region of South Carolina.

Because of the increasing job opportunities, real estate builders are expected to meet the growing population.

With over 250 international firms, including BMW (Germany), Michelin (France), GlaxoSmithKline (United Kingdom) and Kyocera (Japan), Greenville is becoming the manufacturing hub where people come from all over the world to buy, sell and study the manufacturing industry.

“That’s the highest international investment per capita in the nation,” said Nancy Whitworth, Greenville’s Director of Economic Development.

Eight out of the 10 fastest growing cities are in Southern states. Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson’s total population is approximately one million.

Looking for new homes in Greenville? Visit our website for all the latest South Carolina real estate news.

Housing Market on the Rise in Aiken

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Growing Graph

As the housing market continues to improve nationwide, Aiken is making sure it doesn’t get left behind. The Aiken Board of Realtors recently announced that area home sales are up 32 percent from March of 2011.

Local industry professionals attribute this increase to rising rent prices and lower interest rates. Average rent increased to $820 from $740 between February 2010 and February 2011. During this time, the average sales price dropped to $131,000 from $160,000. Similarly, the number of closings during this period increased 13 percent. The historically low interest rates–three to four percent on average–are also a contributing factor.

In addition to an increasing housing market, job stability in the area is also on the rise. For the first time in three years, South Carolina’s unemployment rate has dropped below 9 percent to 8.9 percent. Aiken’s unemployment rate is even lower at 8 percent, dropping .6 percent over the past year.

As long as the number of jobs continues to increase and as long as housing continues to become more and more affordable, Aiken should continue to see an improving housing market.

If you’re interested in buying a South Carolina new home, be sure to visit our site for all of the latest information.