How Has the Recent Extreme Weather Impacted the Charleston Market?

There are many great Charleston area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (843) 972-3833 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

The recent bombardment of heavy rain here in Charleston has, as you might expect, drastically affected our real estate market here. However, the impact of the floods varies depending on the neighborhood. For instance, Mount Pleasant was hardly affected, while other areas in the Tri-County were devastated.

Most of this month, the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors is really focusing on relief for people and families affected by the flooding we've seen. In fact, so far this month we have contributed over $25,000 to various organizations, which include the Realtor Relief Fund, The American Red Cross, and Salvation Army. Most of this money ends up in the hands of families who need the help. Additionally, there are currently some closed-door talks happening with FEMA, which should result in more relief for people who need it.

Here at Dave Friedman Real Estate, we have made personal contributions to various other organizations as well. If you or someone you know needs help as a result of the rough weather we've had, please don't hesitate to reach to me via phone or email. I would love to put you in touch with some resources that will be able to give you immediate help.

Most people are surprised that the Low Country wasn't as affected as some places in the middle of the state, like Columbia, which was hit hard. We've seen some flooding here, which has resulted in relocation for some families, but overall the impact has not been as severe as many other places.

Moving forward, it's crucial that you talk to your Realtor about FEMA flood zones and whether your home or the home you're interested in buying is at risk.

If you are in need of immediate relief right now, again, don't hesitate to reach out to me. I can put you in touch with the very best resources to help you recover and keep your family safe. You can reach FEMA (Disaster Relief) at 1-800-627-3362 or give me a call at (843) 795-7950 for immediate assistance.

Thanks, and stay safe!

How Can You Be an Expert Negotiator?

There are many great Charleston area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (843) 972-3833 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions. 

I became an expert negotiator as a very young kid. I was down in Mexico with my parents and honed in on a giant box of Chiclets. The man selling them wanted $5, but I only had $3. I went to go ask my mom for the other $2, but instead of giving me the money, she gave me a lesson in negotiating that I will never forget. I went back to the man, with the same $3 and a brand-new mindset, and bam! I bought the box of Chiclets for $3. 

The best kind of real estate agent is one that can achieve their clients’ goals, while making the other party feel like they are winning, too. In every negotiation, everything is up for grabs and the best negotiator will always come out on top. 

In real estate, negotiations start long before the first showing occurs. As an expert, I like to discover the motivations of the other party; that way you are armed with the information you need to negotiate the best terms. 

To win, you’ve got to ask the right questions and use the right words. If any desperation is sensed, you’ve lost the foundation you’ve built. The minute you act like you are afraid, you have lost the negotiation.

Becoming a good negotiator takes a lot of practice. You have to constantly hone that skill until you are unconsciously confident in being a negotiator. 


If you have any questions or want to become a better negotiator, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

Are Charleston Tri-County Home Values on the Rise?

There are many great Charleston area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (843) 972-3833 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions. 

It's time once again for a brief update on where the Charleston Tri-County market is heading and what it means for you!

We've seen a huge improvement in the market when comparing January-July 2014 to the same time period this year. Right now, the amount of transactions is up 17%, while the amount of transaction volume is up 23%. The great news is that, while there are a lot more sales this year, there has also been a spike in listings, as we've seen 11% more new listings this year in comparison to last year.

As the summer continues, more and more sellers are gaining equity in their homes and they are able to sell them for what they are actually worth. The great thing is we'll continue to see a lot of listings come on the market throughout the year before tapering off around November. Additionally, we've seen a modest appreciation of home values this year, around 5%, which is indicative of a stable, healthy market.

If you're a seller, it's still a great time to put your home on the market, as inventory is very limited, so homes are selling quickly and for about 97% of the asking price on average. If you're buying, working with a real estate professional will give you the best shot at locking in the home of your dreams in this competitive market.

If you have any questions, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We're always available to be your Charleston Tri-County real estate resource.

How Can We Generate Multiple Offers on Your Charleston Home?

There are many great Charleston area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (843) 972-3833 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions. 

In an effort to get multiple offers on one of my listings, I follow a very strict process to generate a feeling of urgency around the home. One way we do that is by doing a lot of pre-listing marketing.

We start by creating a specific website for your home and work to drive traffic to it. We also use social media to target people who are most likely to buy your home. In a four-day period, we can generate between 6,000 and 8,000 impressions, and get 500-600 people to actually click on the advertisement to view your property. This strategy is fantastic because we can measure how many people show interest in your home.

We also have a Buyer in Waiting Program - people who sign up for this give us permission to send them emails with unlisted and newly listed homes. Once you list with us, we'll send out an email list to this pool of motivated buyers. Every month, we have over 300 new buyers who use our site to find a home, so we are able to place your home directly in front of an audience of serious buyers.

Once we release your home to the market, we'll typically not allow showings for the first four days. This way, we are able to structure appointments so that each potential buyer sees that other people are interested in the home. Showing many buyers your home at once creates a sense of urgency and will usually end in a bidding war for your home! 

If you have any questions about how you can make the most of your home sale, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, give me a call or shoot me a quick email. I would love to hear from you!

Handling Multiple Offer Situations in Charleston

There are many great Charleston area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (843) 972-3833 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions. 

Charleston is one of the hottest real estate markets in the nation, and we're seeing a lot of multiple offer situations here because of that. 

If you're a buyer in a multiple offer situation, you really need to take a step back and evaluate if the home is right for you and whether it's worth fighting for. If you decide to go through and try to purchase the home, there are a few things that we'll do with you.

1. Ask questions: We need to know how much you're willing to spend on a home, and what else we can negotiate. Price is not always the top factor for a seller; sometimes they just need to sell the home quickly and without contingencies. 
2. Find the seller's motivation: We try to pinpoint the seller's motivation, because this allows us to make the strongest and most appealing offer on your behalf. We've won homes without offering the highest price because we've understood the motivations of the seller.
3. Escalation Clause: We can write into a contract that you're willing to offer (for example) $300,000 on a home and you'll offer $1,000 more than every offer until the price surpasses $320,000 (or whichever number you choose). This way, we can offer the most amount of money, yet you can control how much you're paying for a home. 

Hopefully this information can be useful to you if you find yourself in a multiple offer situation in Charleston. 

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns about this information. I'm always here to help you!

Where Is the Charleston Market Heading and What Does It Mean for You?

There are many great Charleston area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (843) 972-3833 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions. 

As the spring market kicks into full swing, we're coming off the best first quarter since 2005! Sales are on fire, inventory is extremely low, and homes are selling a lot faster than what has been typical over the last two or three years. 

Because inventory is so low, the Charleston market is very favorable to sellers. If you're a buyer in today's market, you need to be ready to act quickly on a home that you think is desirable, as there will likely be other people who are interested in the home as well. The crazy thing about our inventory levels is that they are about as high as they are going to be for the rest of the year. 

Over the past year we've seen an increase in home prices, from a median home price of $215,000 in 2014 to $221,000 this year. Interest rates remain at historic lows, hovering between 3.5% and 4.5%. The Fed has said they plan on increasing interest rates, which will decrease your purchasing power substantially. Rising rates will slow down the buyers who are out purchasing because homes won't be quite as affordable.

Now's the time to get the most out of the Charleston market. Low rates are great for buyers despite a crowded market, and now's the time for sellers to get top dollar, as inventory is incredibly low. If you would like to discuss your options, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, give us a call or shoot us a quick email. We would love to help you out!