Remodeling 101

As you look around your current home, you may dream of a new kitchen or bathroom. You may even think about an addition. Some remodeling projects are for personal enjoyment while you look to other projects to increase the value of your home. Which projects make the most sense for you? Take a moment to look over 10 Projects with the Biggest Payback to determine the Return on Investment of your project. The 2006 Cost vs. Value Report (a combined effort by Remodeling magazine and REALTOR® Magazine) explains which home improvements pay off when you sell your home - and which do not.

National Association of REALTORs Numbers Say Home Prices Improve; Sales Still Slow in Most States

The latest quarterly survey by the National Association of REALTORS® shows that home price trends are improving in metropolitan areas. But existing-home sales are below where they were a year ago in most states.

In the second quarter, NAR reported 97 of 149 metropolitan statistical areas showed year-over-year increases in median existing single-family home prices.
Total state existing-home sales are down 10.8 percent from a 6.63 million-unit pace in the second quarter of 2006.

The largest singe-family home price increases were seen in the Salt Lake City area, Binghamton, N.Y. and Salem, Ore. The best total sales performance on existing home sales were seen in: Wyoming, Iowa, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Indiana and Nebraska. read the complete press release

For Sale - Ocean View Condo at Monterey Bay

***MOTIVATED SELLER. BRING ALL OFFERS!!***

The Monterey Bay Resort has recently undergone extensive renovations. Room upgrades include tile flooring, granite counter tops, new furnishings and custom upholstery. This condos is an angled ocean front one bedroom with an ocean view. This sale is a short sale and a great opportunity for any investor.

Just Sold

Good news! This single family home located at 1021 Autumn Drive in the Pines of St. James has closed. The house went under contract on June 19, 2007 and the buyers and seller successfully closed on July 13, 2007. This home has three bedroom and two bathrooms. The sale price was $151,500. Additional information about this home can be found at http://1021autumndrive.kathyrukat.com/.

If you currently have a home in the Myrtle Beach area that you would like to sell or you are looking to move to Myrtle Beach or purchase an investment property in Myrtle Beach, please give me a call!

Just Sold

Good news! Houses are selling in Myrtle Beach! A buyer client of mine recently purchased this three bedroom, 2 bathroom home for $174,900. If you are interested in purchasing a home in the Myrtle Beach area, please give me a call!

Foreclosure Information

Headlines about foreclosure and the growing problem cover newspapers both on a local and national level. What can you do if you are facing foreclosure, think foreclosure is in your future or are in the middle of the foreclosure process?

REALTORS can help with the problem. Depending on where you are in the foreclosure process, you may be able to sell your home and avoid foreclosure all together. A REALTOR can help you price your home for a faster sale and help stage your home to attract homebuyers. If you are behind on your payments, a REALTOR can work with your bank on a short sale.

If you think foreclosure is in your future or you are having trouble making your payments, talking to your lender is the biggest piece of advice I have for you. Making that call and admitting you have a problem can be tough, but most lenders will work with you to come up with a payment plan that you can afford. Lenders are in the lending business, not the real estate business.

The National Association of REALTORS has several informative brochures on foreclosure and predatory lending. The best way to avoid foreclosure is to get into the right kind of loan for your financial needs. Read through the attached brochures to inform yourself, and let me know if you have any questions or if I can help you with a foreclosure or pre-foreclosure situation.

How to Avoid Foreclosure and Keep Your Home
How to Avoid Predatory Lending

My motto is "Helping You Build the Sandcastle of Your Dreams!" Homeownership can help you build long-term wealth, but foreclosure can hurt your credit, your future and your community. If you need help, call me today and let's work together to find the best way out of a bad situation.

Homeowners' Insurance Bill Signed into Law

As any coastal homeowner can tell you, homeowners' insurance premiums were a hot topic of conversation over the last year. Many policies were not renewed and those that were renewed carried higher premiums. Most hard hit were condo complexes between Business 17 (Kings Highway) and the Intracoastal Waterway. State Legislature worked hard to remedy the situation. A temporary fix was put into place in March 2007. The wind pool line was expanded to the Intracoastal Waterway.

Recently, the House and Senate agreed on amendments to H.3820, the Omnibus Coastal Property Insurance Reform Act, making insurance reform permanent. The passage of this bill was a big "win" for the citizens of South Carolina's coast. Among other things, the bill would create catastrophe savings accounts, establish incentives for insurance companies to write additional policies in the wind and hail zone, expand the cancellation notice period and force insurers to reveal catastrophe models to the Department of Insurance. The Senate made the wind pool expansion that took place in March 2007 permanent. The bill was signed into law on Monday, June 11, 2007 by Governor Mark Sanford. Bill signing ceremonies were held in Myrtle Beach and Charleston.