Greenville Remains On June’s Improving Markets Index

Leave a reply
iStock

iStock

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.

Raleigh Makes 15 Hottest American Cities of the Future

Leave a reply

istock

Which cities are being influenced by the next generation of hipsters, tech-savvy pros, artists or environmentalists? According to Business Insider, Raleigh is sixth on its 15 hottest American cities list of the future.

Job growth, population growth, demographics, affordability, livability and health of residents are all factors on this list. Also, how the city is innovating in terms of technology, sustainability and culture are considered in defining how a “cool” city attracts the young, creative types.

Raleigh attracts thousands of college students, families and immigrants with its many job prospects, safe communities, affordable housing and short commutes. As a result, Raleigh was ranked the number one city for business and careers by Forbes, with the fastest growing market in the U.S.

settling into Raleigh is easier than ever with a young, vibrant population and endless opportunities for employment. With major employers like Duke University, the University of North Carolina, IBM, Cisco, GlaxoSmithKline, Nortel, Verizon and Lenovo. Raleigh is the new high-tech and biotech hub with over 75,000 new jobs. Between the steady job growth and culture scene and the diverse population, Raleigh is the next future hot spot!

Cities such as Brooklyn, Seattle, Portland and Detroit are on the list of 15 hottest cities.

For a complete list of 15 hottest cities, visit Yahoo Finance. For more information on Carolina real estate, explore our site.

Truths about Real Estate Investing

Leave a reply
Investing in Real Estate

Investing in Real Estate

Real estate

investing is big business these days, but just as with any “boom” there are some misconceptions out there about what’s really trending. Steve Cook, real estate and government writer, discredits five popular real estate investing myths in his article “

Buying a Home: Facts and Fictions about Investing” on the Equifax Finance Blog.

Myth 1: Real estate investors are basically flippers who buy and sell properties as fast as they can. Flipping isn’t easy these days, because home prices are still incredibly low in most areas. Investors want to buy low and sell high and flippers are having a hard time doing that. They can buy low, but just can’t sell high.

Myth 2: Real estate investors must be rich because they buy homes with cash. According to a study by the National Association of Realtors, 51% of investors did not pay cash – they either took out mortgages on the homes and lived there while fixing them up or they took out home equity loans or second mortgages on their homes. Of the 49% reportedly paying cash, many of those were actually bought with loans from real estate investment firms. The number of homes truly bought with cash is probably much lower.

Myth 3: By turning homes into rentals, investors change the nature of neighborhoods. Cook does a good job explaining the rental/ownership cycle that many neighborhoods will experience. Right now, demand on rentals is high, and investors can make more money by

buying a home and holding onto them as rental units. But as the market shifts, which it will, those renters will want to buy, and demand for rentals will decrease. As rents decrease, it will no longer be cost effective for investors to keep holding onto those properties – they will make more money by selling them.

Myth 4: Investors are interested only in lower-priced properties. Investors can get the best deals on foreclosures and short sales, which are priced much lower than comparable homes for sale. Smaller, entry level homes are in greater demand than larger, more expensive ones, and cost less to fix up.

Myth 5: Real estate investors are full-time professionals. Real estate investing is filled with newbies, one-timers and those who didn’t intend on getting into it. A recent Move study showed that only 36.5% of investors has experience in one or more property transaction.

Have you considered real estate investing? If so, now may be the time. Visit the Equifax blog for more tips on real estate, as well as retirement, credit, insurance and more.

Carolina One Real Estate is Leading the Commercial Market

Leave a reply

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.

Green is the New…Pain Killer?!

Leave a reply

PPG-Porter-GreenIn today’s society, people throw around the word, “green” more than I can count on my hand. Green can mean many things like building green homes, driving green cars, using green appliances and eating green food. Although many can argue that green is overused, what if green meant more than saving the environment? What if I told you it could actually increase your work productivity, reduce your stress and lessen the number of migraines you may get.

A professor of architecture and landscape architecture at Texas A&M University, Roger Ulrich, PhD., conducted a study that shows that following surgery, patients recover faster and require less pain medication if they are able to view tress, as opposed to a curtain or a brick wall outside their window.

This concept of the inclusion of nature within architecture is not unheard of. It is known as Biophilic Design, and it makes sense. We come from natural environments, and we should never leave these environments. Although not all environments allow for a large window or a tree, the concept of Biophilic Design is not restricted to sunlight. Consider an office in the center of a tight building with no windows, fluorescent lighting and drab walls. It’s time to get rid of those headaches and improve your mood and your health by bringing nature into the office space by adding a color such as PPG Porter Paint’s “Olive Sprig 410-4.” Don’t forget to use furniture with true wood grains showing through. Also, add a house plant or pictures of natural settings to calm your nerves. You’ll be amazed how little natural fixtures can make you feel more comfortable.

Visit the PPG Porter Paints website for more design and home ideas. Also, visit our website for all the trends and latest Carolina real estate news.