It's hard to believe we're only a couple weeks away from Thanksgiving ...and what a year it's been! Despite the rocky economy, 2009 has been another very productive year for the Mulligan Team - both personally and professionally, but still, from a real estate perspective we're ready to put 2009 in the books and move onto 2010.
There hasn't been a lot of good news about the housing lately, but for buyers, this may be an opportunity of a lifetime. Interest rates are the lowest we've seen in decades; home prices are at rock bottom; and the $8000 first-time home buyer's tax credit is a huge perk for those who qualify.
If you're a seller, your perspective might be a little different: Prices are down, there are more homes on the market then there are buyers, and the buyers who are in the market are bargaining hard for everything they can get.
But it could be worse, much worse. Detroit, Miami, Las Vegas and Phoenix - their housing market is just taking a beating, and there's no relief in site. Closer to home, we only have to look at some of our neighboring communities. While some neighborhoods, like Whitehall, are doing reasonably well, others have seen property values plummet - foreclosures and short sales are abundant.
But their may be light in the tunnel - Boeing's selection of North Charleston for their new 787 Dreamliner production plant will likely have a huge impact on our local economy over the next 7-10 years - to the tune of 3800 jobs and a $750 million investment. And this may be just be the tip of the iceberg according to some leading economists - the economic impact could reach $2 billion annually by 2017 - that's huge!
A question that seems to be on everyone's mind, "how and when will the Boeing move affect our local housing market?" It's unclear as to how soon we'll see the affect. According to Tim Coyle, the VP of Boeing Charleston, many of the Boeing jobs will be filled with local workers -workers who already live in the Charleston area. However they will need to bring in some Boeing employees from outside to get off the ground - we just don't know when and how many will be transferring yet. Fortunately, as this information becomes available we'll have the inside scoop - Carolina One Real Estate, our parent company, has been selected to handle the relocation of all Boeings employees.
To capture the attention of out of town buyers it's extremely important sellers understand on-line marketing. The days of searching the "Homes for Sale" section of the local newspaper are gone, as are driving around neighborhoods looking for "For Sale" signs and Open Houses. Out dated Real Estate Guides at the local supermarkets are worthless to a buyer in Seattle searching for a home in Charleston.
Today's buyers are on-line. According to a survey of buyers and sellers by the National Association of Realtors, 80% of the people across the country who purchased a new home last year used the Internet while researching their purchase. This is especially important considering many of the Boeing employees relocating to Charleston will come from Seattle, Washington - one of the worlds most "wired' cities.
"Web appeal" - the new "Curb Appeal"
Today's buyers are shopping for their new home on-line from hundreds of miles away - from the comfort of their home. They will narrow their choices based on what they see on-line. And when they arrive in Charleston they'll be armed with a short list of properties they want to see. If your home didn't capture their attention on-line, it's unlikely it's going to get shown.
A quick search on Realtor.com for homes for sale in Summerville returned 1369 listings, North Charleston returned 884 homes for sale, and in just the 29420 zip code there were 344 listings. Does phrase "small fish in a big pond" come to mind? So how do you make your home stand out on-line?
Buyers rated photographs as the single most useful tool in their search. The photos buyers see online are often the first, and sometimes the only, chance they may get to make a good impression. If the photos look shoddy or unprofessional, buyers are going to find your property unappealing., which is why all properties listed by the Mulligan Team are professionally photographed - inside and out.
What makes us so successful?
- We have lived in Whitehall for over 10 years
- We are recognized by our peers at the resident Summerville experts
- We understand the real estate Market
Making your home stand out from the rest is what the Mulligan Team excels at!
- Each of our listings are professionally photographed inside and out using professional digital cameras, wide angle lens and additional lighting to bring out the beauty of you home. No blurry, dark, out of focus pictures.
- You listing are distributed to over 700 websites, accessible worldwide, along with a detailed description of your property.
- We create hi-res, full screen Virtual Tours to highlight the unique features of your home to make it stand out from the rest
- Premium websites designed specifically for the Mulligan Team using the latest web technology optimized for search engines
- Over 23,700 page views per year
If you're thinking of selling your home, here are a few of things to consider when it comes to online marketing.
- Ask prospective agents to show you samples of their photographic work.
- Visit Realtor.com and the agent's website to see how you listing will be presented potential buyers on line.
- Visit www.MulliganTeam.com to see how we compare - I think the choice will be clear.