Getting To Know The Neighbors Before You Buy

Before you move to a new home, you might look at the shopping centers, schools, and neighborhoods to make sure the area has the things that your family needs and desires. One of the things that you might not think about doing is getting to know your neighbors. Consider spending a day talking to the people who will live beside you and in your community to find out what they think about the area. The details that they reveal could make it easier to make a final decision about buying a home in the neighborhood or not. 

Safety

One of the reasons why you might want to talk to your future neighbors is to learn about the safety of the area. Find out if there are a lot of break-ins reported or other issues involving crimes that are committed. Ask about…

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Use Social Media In Your Home Buying Journey

Finding the right home to meet you and your family's need can be difficult. You have to find the right neighborhood, schools, and a home close to work, all on budget. You need somewhere where you can find the best houses in the area. One new method home buyers are using in their home search is social media. Today, we're going to look at how social media can help you find the home of your dreams. Let's get right in!

How Can Facebook Help You Find The Right Home?

With social media becoming increasingly popular, many home buyers are using Facebook in their home search. Additionally, real estate agents are becoming more aware of the impact that social media can have on the home search. According to a recent study, around 70% of real estate…

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Checking Out The Neighborhood

Most individuals in the United States have the lion's share of their entire net worth wrapped up in the home that they purchase. Years of savings have gone into the purchase, and mortgages can be as long as 12 or 30 years. When it comes to checking out the home before purchasing, you might think that home inspections and noting all the pros and cons of the floor plan would be sufficient. As it turns out, other factors like schools, parks and other amenities in the area can matter a lot as well. 

Talk to the Neighbors 

Take a stroll around the neighborhood before you commit to purchase your new home. Ask people you find outside doing yard work whether they've had any problems with noise on the weekends and how loud traffic gets on the…

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A Quick Eminent Domain Guide

Local governments instituted eminent domain, which is the practice of converting private property into public land in exchange for fair market compensation, as a way to add necessary infrastructure to growing towns. During the past century, the use of eminent domain has often caused rifts in the communities in which it has been employed. In South Carolina specifically, the addition of highways, airports, and service roads has uprooted homeowners whose families had often occupied the land for decades.

These seized properties are usually located close to the center of downtown or between urban hubs. Relative urban density is also often a predictor of which homes may be subject to eminent domain. A row of single-family homes located near a zoning district…

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Pros and Cons of Living Near Businesses

Living near a business can be a polarizing experience depending on where you are located. While you will get a first-hand view of many of the organizations around you, some of the downsides can become very irritating. First, here are some of the positive aspects of living in a highly commercialized area.

Accessibility

Whether it is a restaurant or insurance companies, living near businesses means that you will not have a long journey ahead of you in terms of getting what you need. Compared to the distance that those who live in a residential neighborhood, those who have businesses overlooking their house can practically walk to their destination. This can prove to be very convenient, especially if you are in need of something urgently. There is no…

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Home Buying: A Land Survey Guide

Buying real estate involves more than just finding an available house or plot of land. Most buyers simply find what they want, make an offer, and go from there. But it’s wise to do a land survey first before buying a plot of land with or without a house on it. The land survey will reveal important things about the property you need to know.

The Importance of a Land Survey

A land survey tells you exactly what you’re getting. The surveyor will measure property boundaries to make sure they’re correct. Otherwise, you could actually get less than what you’re expecting. The surveyor can also determine if nearby driveways, sidewalks, fences, or other structures are on the property.

The survey is also important because someone might have a building or…

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Reasons Why It's Important to Check Out a Neighborhood Before You Buy

Before a buyer chooses a home, there are certain conditions that they should be aware of. Most real estate agents can guide a buyer to a better selection, but if the buyer wants to look for their own home, they should read about the statistics within the neighborhood before moving into a home. Since a buyer is looking to purchase a home, there are additional facts to consider. Some of those facts are:

• deteriorating houses in the neighborhood
•  no street lights
•  no caution lights
•  no traffic lights
•  drugs in the neighborhood
•  no friendly neighbors
•  increased crime rates
•  people speeding through the neighborhood
•   poor lawn service
•   loud noises

A buyer can usually find statistics about a neighborhood in the local…

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Pros and Cons of Built-In Bookshelves

The last thing that you want to do after purchasing your new home and getting unpacked is leaving the place cluttered.

Built-in bookshelves can enhance the functionality and aesthetics of your new living space by providing nooks for all kinds of things beyond books. You might decide to use built-in bookshelves for a media center or a place to showcase antiques and heirlooms that you've received over the years.

Pro: Use Otherwise Unused Space

Built-in bookshelves can, of course, be used for books and for turning an otherwise unused wall into a spot to put literally hundreds of books and DVDs. You'll finally be able to keep your closets clear for, imagine this, clothes. Then again, maybe you'll want to fold clothes and stow them on a built-in…

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The Pests That Call Your House Their Home

As a homeowner, you take pride in your property and want to do everything that you can to protect it, and keep it looking great. You may even have a long list of maintenance items that you work on to keep the value of your house from going down. For the best care, pest control should be at the top of your list.

Pests can damage your home, and cost you thousands of dollars. Whether you are in your “forever home” or planning on selling in a few years, removing and fortifying yourself against these invaders is important. They can destroy load bearing beams, flooring, and nest in insulation. Once you have these unwelcome house guests, they can be hard to get rid of.

The Greenville area is home to many insects and animals that are classified as pests…

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The Pros & Cons of Building a Home and Buying Pre-Owned

There are a lot more options to buying a home than you might think. Prospective buyers will narrow in on amenities and square footage based on the budget at their disposal, but there are plenty of other factors to consider. It can be a truly intimidating task, especially considering the financial investment involved.

That is why we’ve created this guide to help you navigate the pros and cons of two of the most common options for buying a home: building a custom home and buying pre-owned. While the better option will depend on your situation, this guide should help you determine which route will best suit your needs.

Building a Custom House

Pros:

The biggest perk of building a custom house is being in control of every detail. You can add any…

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