Recycling, Conserving  and Reusing products

Although I'm not the best role model for reusing and recycling products I try to do my best. It occurred to me one day when I was driving down I-20 toward Columbia just out side of Elgin when I looked across the horizon and saw a huge swell on the landscape growing and growing with each trip home(Landfill Pictured to Right). It was then that I realized that we take advantage of the garbage man coming each week to pick up the green "hurby-curby" full of trash each week.  Here's a challenge...try going a month without using the garbage man.  It's then that you will understand why recycling is important. Trash doesn't just vanish and we mu...

Tax Credits for Energy Efficient Building Products

As of early 2009 (as a part of President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009) there is a tax credit up to $1500, or 30 percent, for the cost of the products falling within a criteria for energy efficiency.  Many windows, glass doors and skylights will have an "ENERGY STAR" sticker to verify that your purchase is a 'green product' and will qualify for the tax credit.  If not, look to see if there is a manufacturer certification statement before checking out at the register.  Your local retailer should have more information on how to submit your receipts for the tax credit. As with any tax question we suggest speakin...

All About Blythewood Road

Blythewood Road is the main road that runs through Blythewood SC.  You can enter onto Blythewood road by taking exit 27 off of I-77 just north of Columbia SC.  Blythewood Road runs from "the stoplight" at the intersection of Wilson Blvd. (Highway 21) and ends at Highway 321 (known as Winnsboro and/or Fairfield Road).  Here you will find several commercial real estate developments and entrances to residential neighborhoods.

  Between I-77 and Highway 21 is where the majority of the commercial real estate can be found including several gas stations, The IGA Grocery Store, The USPS, Hotels, The Blythewood McDonalds, and a few other "fast food" chains.

On the opposi...

All about Harden Street

Harden Street Columbia SC

   Harden Street is a main thoroughfare running through old Columbia. It begins at Bull Street (at Palmetto Richland Hospital) and continues through Rosewood Drive splitting the historic neighborhoods of Shandon and Wales Garden (just beyond Five Points). Harden Street may be one of the most well known roads in Columbia because it is virtually impossible to get to Five Points without entering onto this road.

Beginning at Palmetto Richland Hospital on Bull Street, it intersects with most of the major streets including Farrow Road, Taylor Street, Gervais Street, Greene Street, Devine Street, Blossom Street and finally Rosewood Drive......

All about Rosewood Drive

Rosewood drive is the 4-lane stretch from Garners Ferry Road(near Fort Jackson) to Bluff Road(Near Olympia and The State Fairgrounds).  Rosewood drive is traveled heavily by students of Midlands Technical College and The University of South Carolina.  It is also a good route for Ft. Jackson soldiers to travel to favorite spots in downtown Columbia.  Rosewood Drive makes for a great alternate route to 5-Points(by turning on Harden Street), The Vista (By turning on Assembly Street), and of course Williams-Brice stadium at The State Fairgrounds.  You can jump on Rosewood drive by getting off of I-77 at the Fort Jackson exit.

Rosewood Drive also makes for a good phy...

The South Carolina State Fair

October 14th - October 25th 2009

Every October I look forward to the lights, rides, games, exhibits and food at the South Carolina State Fair.  This is the time of year when the leaves are falling from the trees and the chilly weather rolls into Columbia.  Cool nights and bright lights make for great fall outing.  This annual event draws thousands of people from around the state to Columbia, South Carolina.  This year there is a musical lineup that features country music legends The Charlie Daniels Band, Montgomery Gentry, and American Idol winner David Cook. There are also plenty of interesting exhibits and shows throughout the week. Download a map of the ...

A Legal Description

A legal description is the most important, accurate and reliable source of information when buying real estate in South Carolina.  A legal description is used in the deed when transferring title to real estate.  The deed will include a legal description along with the grantor, grantee, sales price and other pertinent information.  A legal description on your deed has more authority than the street address, TMS#, and the plat. When obtaining a plat of your property, a surveyor should use the legal description as a reference when drawing your plat, then the county will likely reference the plat (once recorded) to update the tax map information.  Always read this clos...

What is a Survey, Plat and/or Plot?

When buying land it is important to know where your property boundaries begin and end.   A survey is probably the most accurate illustration of property dimensions.  You will find angles, distances and witness identifiers for property corners on this drawing referred to as a "Plat".  A land survey should be easy to read on paper but more importantly identifiable on land.  Surveyors should cut your property lines, if you are on a wooded lot, and mark the lines with survey tape (or survey ribbon).  Many times we use a tax map number which is usually drawn from the land survey as a reference.  A survey can also include a plot plan which includes the exact...

Carolina Downhome Blues Festival | Camden SC

If you are a fan of the Blues and live music then Camdens Carolina Downhome Blues Festival has got you covered. Historic Camden, famously known for the Carolina Cup Steeplechase races in March, provides a great atmosphere for blues music. Many of Camden's historic homes and buildings have been preserved to maintain the charm of the south. Combine Camden's history with the blues and it will put you right back into the days when a 6-string guitar and harmonica filled the front porches of bungalow houses throughout the south.
The Midlands of Columbia, in which Camden sits, also has a few famous acts that truly capsulates time in a bottle. A Ca...

Video instruction for Columbia SC Real Estate! | MLS Search for Columbia

For those of you that are looking for homes in Columbia, or just wanting to browse the multiple listings in Columbia, I've put together a short video on how to use our Columbia Real Estate site. If you are familiar with the simplicity of our design the you are welcome to search for homes for sale, land for sale, rentals, commercial property and multi-family listings on our free Columbia MLS real estate website.

Having Trouble viewing this video? Watch it on YouTube.

We feel that personal service and knowledge is the key to a good real estate transaction.

Please contact us with any questions that...

Understanding a Tax Map

Parcels of Real Estate in SC are divided into tax maps in each county. This is a drawing that the county keeps on record for real estate tax purposes. Every property is identified by a TMS# or Tax Map Number. Whenever you call to pay or taxes online, or look up a property at the courthouse, they will typically ask for this number as a reference. Although this number is shown on the deed it does NOT mean that the dimensions of your property are as stated. So when you buy land in South Carolina, don't depend on this number for accuracy and always refer to the Legal Description for the most accurate description of your property boundaries.  If you are looking fo...

Choosing the Right Carpet | Tips for Rehab Properties in Columbia SC

If you are planning on replacing your floor covering with carpet there are several options that you have.  There are now practically endless choices of color to choose from.  Most retailers will loan you a "Sample Board" that has several swatches of carpet so that you match the carpet colors to your walls, furniture, and curtains.

Style: Berber vs. Plush

First you must decide what style and fabric type that is preferable for your home.  There are basically 2 types of carpet, Berber and Plush.  Looking for looped yarn fibers that make up the surface of the carpet will identify Berber Carpet, whereas 'Plush' carpet i...

Planning on digging in or around Columbia SC?

By law you must call Palmetto Utility Protection Service (P.U.P.S.) by dialing 811 locally, or call toll free at 1-888-721-7877, between the hours of 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM Monday-Friday. You may access them online at http://www.sc1pups.org/. You must contact them 72 hours prior to digging (excluding weekends and holidays) so that they can mark all of your utility lines. They will mark the ground with spray paint using the color coding below:

Red paint indicates- Electric Power Lines, Cables, Conduit and Lightning Cables

Yellow indicates- Gas, Oil, Steam, Petroleum, or Gaseous Materials

Orange indicates- Communication, Alarm, or Signal Lines, Cab...

Tips on how to find property corners when buying land.

Planning on buying land? Most of the time when you are looking at land for sale you will want to identify property corners. Although a survey is the best illustration to reference property lines you can sometimes just look at the property and see the natural barriers.

As a land specialist in the Columbia and Blythewood real estate market, I have walked thousands of acres looking for "corners". There are several unique witnesses in identifying property lines. Typically you will find monuments, axles, rebar, and open pipes on the property corners.

Monuments, in my area, are usually ‘blue granite' headstone-like blocks that sta...

What is a Land Home Package? | Manufactured and Modular Homes

A Land Home Package, as I know it, is a term that is primarily used in dealing with the purchase for a manufactured or modular home. In essence, it is a construction-to-permanent financing loan, which means that you have two closings before you are converted to a permanent, fixed rate loan.

Your first closing will allow you to withdraw, or "draw" funds allocated by the bank...at their discretion based on their schedule. Much like a line of credit, it will be an interest only loan. When you buy your land, you will take your first "draw" in the amount of the purchase price (of the land) to pay the seller. At that point y...

MLS Listings Columbia SC | Craigslist Cross-Reference

Looking for Columbia's Craigslist? You better read the paragraph below first!

  If you've ever scanned through the multiple listings on Craigslist that are being offered by a sales person, it may be beneficial for you to cross-reference the Columbia home listing on this website. "Why" you may ask? Well, recently I had someone contact me to double check a home for rent in Columbia. The person that posted the listing said that they required $1000 down as a deposit and $600 per month for immediate occupancy of a home. They requested that the money be wired into their account(since they were on a Christian volunteer mission in Africa...

Finding Lots Land and Acreage on the Columbia SC MLS

Looking for land in South Carolina?  There are many different types of land for sale on the MLS(Multiple Listing Service).   You may not get what you expect from the search results if you don't include the correct parameters on your MLS search.  Below are a few differences and tips.

1. "Lots" are units of real property that are typically in subdivision.
2. "Acreage" is a larger tract of property that may, or may not, have restricted uses.
3. "Land" can fall in both of these categories and usually include commercial property.

  When you decide to search the Columbia MLS for land it is important that you remember that the perspective of t...

What is the standard commission for Columbia SC?

If you find anyone that will answer this question you should warn him or her that they may be violating anti-trust laws.  Anti Trust Laws prohibit price fixing and competitors trying to "stifle competition", according to the FTC website.   The reason is because "price fixing" is illegal.  If I were to say that the typical commission in Blythewood SC is X % and in Columbia SC it is Y % then this would imply that all agents and companies use a standard commission rate, which in turn means that they are attempting to set and control a market.  It puts us as real estate agents in a difficult situation sometimes trying to explain what our rates...

Free Google Photo Storage and Backup

As a real estate agent I have found my computer over filled with real estate photos of homes and land for sale that I've collected throughout the years. Many times I have to email photos to a client or post them on a website. Since I have become a huge fan of Google's innovative and user friendly software, I've discovered yet another essential free tool by the name of Picasa. Picasa automatically uploads photos from your computer to an online album with any Google product account information,(such as G-Mail, YouTube, etc.) Picasa has intergrated local software with online software so that all of your information will be in "Sync" and sharing pho...

Gamecock Tailgating Real Estate | 2009-2010 Football Schedule

Columbia is home to the University of South Carolina and is filled with College Football fans.  This year is sure to be an action packed season and tailgaters have claimed their stake at the luxury tailgating spots near Williams-Brice Stadium.  If you haven't already invested in a assigned parking place, condo, townhouse or private facility for the upcoming season...NOW is the time.  There are plenty of tailgating spots for sale in Columbia SC and we can help you with any of the listings that you are interested in.  Just browse our Columbia SC Real Estate MLS website.  Or give us a call!

Here is the proposed schedule ...