Selling Myrtle Beach Homes | Myrtle Beach Homes

Apr 15 2020

Are Home Inspections Safe Right Now?

During the process of selling your home, one of the important steps is always the home inspection segment where the buyers are allowed to have a licensed inspector come in and check different items throughout the house. The inspection process is rather in depth and they are going to go through virtually every section of your home to test things related to the electric, plumbing, heating/cooling & more. I wrote about that before in this article 5 Things Every Home Inspector Checks In Myrtle Beach.

With all the uncertainty currently in the world, the constant talks of Social Distancing and stay at home during this current pandemic, one of the questions I’ve been asked by clients that are currently selling their Myrtle Beach home is if they should allow home inspectors to come in during this time to do home inspections.

I figured to get the best answer to the question, I should ask one of the top home inspectors in Myrtle Beach, so I reached out to Justin Ferraro at Rivertown Property Inspections to get the best answer possible. Justin & his wife Elizabeth own this company and currently employ five full time inspectors and are averaging around 125 inspections per month. I did a meeting with them to discuss home inspections during the pandemic, and here’s what they had to say:

According to Justin & Elizabeth, allowing a home inspector during this time is a low risk item because they are testing for the signs of the virus, they are using proper precautions, and they are all certified with the COVID-19 Safety Guideline certification to know the proper ways to handle safety now.

It still is your option to say no to the inspection and your right to not allow someone in your home, but understand that if you do not allow the inspector to do their job, there is a very good possibility that the buyer will want to either pause the transaction or even cancel the sale. Know, the inspectors will follow proper precautions, wear proper safety gear, and do whatever they can to keep you safe while allowing for your home to be sold on time without the inspection process slowing things down.

If you have more questions about this subject, do not hesitate to contact me with any other questions you may have.

Dec 18 2019

3 Mistakes To Avoid In A Real Estate Transaction

Whether you are buying or selling a home in Myrtle Beach, there are some mistakes that you want to avoid during the transaction that can make the purchase or sale of a home more difficult. Check out this video below to watch quick video of what these three mistakes are:

Vacation

Everyone needs a vacation right? Yes, we all definitely need time away where we can simply relax unwind and disconnect. One of the best ways to do this is to take a cruise. Unfortunately taking a cruise on the week before buying or selling a home is not a good idea.

When buying a home, there are several times throughout the process the lender will need more documentation for the underwriters to clear the conditions placed on the loan. If you are unable to deliver these documents in a timely manner, it could make it impossible to close on time.

Or, say you are in the process of buying a home and the week before closing you are on a boat when the lender is trying to get in touch with you to review the closing disclosure and sign off. Due to the laws established by TRID in 2017, buyers must sign a disclosure and there must then be a 3 day waiting period before the loan can be funded and the sale recorded.

If you are out of the country on vacation or on a cruise ship without access to your email when the lender sends you the disclosure, you will not be closing the day after you return from your trip because the time period will prevent it.

Or, if you are selling a home in a gated community in Myrtle Beach like Waterbridge and you out of the country without any way to communicate with your REALTOR® for the weeks leading up to the sale of your home and a repair request comes in for the buyer. As I’ve shared in the past, one of the items your agent helps you negotiate after the contract is the home inspection repairs. If this communication does not happen, it could cost you the sale of your home.

So while you think a vacation is something you have to do right then, it can be a very bad idea to take during a real estate transaction.

Get The Right Attorney

To buy or sell a home in Myrtle Beach, you need to have an attorney to represent you in the process and to get the transaction recorded at the court house. So whether you love or hate attorneys, it is a necessity in order to do any type of real estate transaction here.

Too many times I run into clients who want to use a high school friend who is an attorney now to try & save a few dollars in the transaction. The issue is that normally this can end up causing more problems then the little amount of money you will save.

When buying a home in Myrtle Beach, the attorney is responsible for reviewing the chain of title on the property you are purchasing to make sure it is clear and that you are able to be issued a clear title on the property. While with some properties that isn’t that big of a deal, on others it can be much more work as they may have to go back through 30-40 years of research and look through a chain of ownership that could be very long.

Having an attorney that does this type of work every day is crucial to make sure you have no issues during the purchase or an issue come up when trying to sell. This past year I had issues come up more than once on transactions with title issues and all of them came from when the person purchased the home and used an attorney that doesn’t specialize in real estate.

In one situation, it was for a client of mine trying to purchase a house had a title issue that was found when the property was sold 2 owners prior and required weeks of work tracking down heirs of the previous owner to have them sign documents in order for my clients to be able to purchase a property with an insurable title. So when buying, always pick an attorney that handles real estate transactions on a regular basis.

Living Life

This one is kinda obvious, but if you were to pass away during the transaction, it will make it almost impossible to buying a property or sell one. Now, selling a home can still happen if one of the sellers passes away, but you would definitely want to have all the correct types of documents in place.

This includes owning the property as joint tenants with rights of survivorship so that if one of the owners passes away their ownership rights automatically pass to other owners. This is the quickest way to keep the property transaction in place.

If you don’t own it with rights of survivorship, then it is really important to have some sort of will in place stating who inherits the property. I had a client who was trying to purchase a condo this year where the seller had passed away and it was an estate property.

The representative for the estate tried to probate the property, but there was no will in place so they had to get documents signed off by all the heirs of the deceased which are currently located all around the world and not local. So we have now been waiting over 6 months on these items to be completed so that my buyer can eventually purchase the home.

If there was a will in place that was properly executed in South Carolina, none of these issues would be present. The executor would have been able to take the notarized will to the court house, process the estate and we would have been able to do the transaction with no problems. But because this wasn’t in place, we unfortunately are now months into this with no idea when we will be able to actually purchase the condo.

Avoiding the Mistakes

So avoid these three mistakes when you are either buying or selling a property and the transaction will be able to happen much faster. In our market, the average days from contract to closing is around 30-45 days. But, if you make one of these mistakes, the transaction could take considerably longer if it is even able to be done.

May 07 2019

6 Landscaping Tricks To Increase The Value of Your Myrtle Beach Home

Guest Post by Rachael Bain of Lawnstarter.com

Putting your home on the market in Myrtle Beach isn’t as simple as just calling a REALTOR®. The goal is to sell your home quickly and beat out the competition. That can sometimes leave little time to invest in large home improvement projects. Homeowners are often up against the clock in trying to present a clean and updated house that will bring the best offer in a short amount of time. Curb appeal is an essential part of selling your home, and there are certain things you can do to l boost interest without spending a lot of time or money. Consider these six landscaping tricks that will increase the value of your home when you list it this year:

Feed the Grass

The first thing a prospective home buyer sees is your lawn. It’s vital the grass is greener on your side of the fence! Regular mowing is essential, but also consider adding some extra effort to the turf to perk it up. Spreading slow-release fertilizer may take a few weeks to brighten up the dull spots. Consider using a quick release fertilizer that will provide instant color and make your landscaping stand out.

Plant Pops of Color

Nothing screams beauty and the arrival of a new season more than colorful blooms in the garden. Adding pops of bright color to the exterior of your home will add interest to your home, and boost the overall curb appeal. Consider planting native flowers that you often see in nearby parks and nature preserves. Black Eyed Susans and Wild Geraniums thrive in South Carolina and need little maintenance. Add plants to potted containers near the entrance and also around the backyard to draw attention to areas of the landscaping that you don’t want potential buyers to miss.

Pull Weeds

It isn’t a pleasant job, but pulling weeds from the yard will have a considerable impact on securing a top offer on your home. Check for areas of the yard where weeds have been allowed to grow unnoticed. Look behind plants, around corners, and along the fence line for any sprouts that could be a distraction.

Freshen Up the Mulch

Whether you use organic or inorganic mulching techniques, it’s vital that mulch looks fresh. It may have been a few years since you added new mulch and putting your home on the market is a great excuse to do it again… before the REALTOR® takes pictures. Inorganic mulch, like pebbles and stone, won’t need to be reapplied but you may need to rake out certain areas. Take a few minutes to relevel the mulch, especially in areas that see heavy traffic. Organic mulch, like bark dust we need another layer. If you don’t want to replace all the mulch, sprinkle some fresh bark dust on top to boost the color and overall appeal of your home.

Trim Overgrown Plants

It is easy for plants in South Carolina to grow out of control quickly. It may have been a while since you trimmed the tree in the front yard or shaped some of the bushes creating a privacy hedge in your backyard. Pay close attention to overgrown plants that need pruning as well as any dead or sick portions that you need to remove. Maintaining your landscaping will show potential buyers that you take care of your property.

Power Wash

You may not have noticed the discoloration on your siding, patio or deck. You’ll be amazed at the difference a simple power washing can bring to the outside of your home. Power washing removes the dirt, grime, and discoloration that can easily cloud the hardscaped areas of a yard. Rent a power washer to hose down not only the hardscaped regions of your yard but also the outside of the home for a fresh and updated look. Short on time? Some companies can do the job for you in just a few hours.

Selling your home in Myrtle Beach and preparing to move is often stressful and time-consuming. Consider these six landscaping tricks that will increase the value of your home without costing you a lot of time or money.

Oct 16 2018

How To Have A Luscious Lawn When Selling a Myrtle Beach Home

Curb appeal is essential when trying to sell your home to the right buyer. Making sure that your lawn is in excellent condition is a huge part of setting the stage when a potential buyer comes to preview your home. Make sure that your lawn shows prospective buyers that you care for your home and that more beauty awaits them once they step through the front door. Learn more about how to have a luscious lawn for your next showing with these tips:

Apply A Quick Release Fertilizer

Choosing to apply a quick release fertilizer to your lawn is a great way to instantly green up the grass as well as boost the overall growth. Many quick release fertilizers come in spray form to be easy for the soil to absorb. Make sure to read the directions on the fertilizer, as well as know the size of your total lawn area, in order to keep from adding too much fertilizer in one spot. Doing so could easily burn the grass and create a counterintuitive dead spot. Make sure to check the weather and apply the fertilizer after one of Myrtle Beach’s recent rainstorms to prevent runoff as well.

Mow Regularly

Choosing to mow your lawn the day before a showing is essential to providing the best curb appeal. Keeping an eye on your grass, and the recent weather patterns will help in making sure that your lawn is perfectly mowed before any showing. The Myrtle Beach area receives an average of 50 inches of rain per year which can make area lawns grow quickly. Consider mowing the lawn at an angle to create a polished and professional look. Never mow more than 1/3 of the total grass height during a mow to protect the root system. Busier homeowners may choose to hire a lawn care company when trying to sell their home in an effort to relieve stress and make sure that the lawn is well taken care of at any point during the week. The average price for a single lawn service is only $47 – a small amount compared to your home’s sale price.

Skip the Bag

While mowing you Myrtle Beach area lawn, consider doing so without the bag to allow grass clippings to fall back into the lawn. Doing so can be a great way to add an extra boost of natural energy to the lawn and encourage strong growth. Grass clippings break down easily and provide nitrogen to the lawn without the need for any other added chemicals. Make sure to blow any clippings from walkways or driveways, though, in an effort to keep the lawn looking tidy before a showing.

Keep Weeds in Check

With all of that annual rainfall, the weeds in the Myrtle Beach area can grow just as fast as the grass. Make sure to keep those weeds in check by regularly surveying your lawn and picking any weeds that pop up. The earlier you pick the weeds the better off your lawn will be when it comes to adding curb appeal during a showing. Applying weed control to the lawn can also be beneficial to keep weed growth down in the warmer beach climate of the area. Plucking weeds from the lawn is a great way to subtly show potential buyers that you care for your home.

Consider Your Grass Type

Many Myrtle Beach homes have lawns made up of warm season grasses. Bermudagrass is very popular in the area as well as Centipedegrass that does particularly well along the coast of South Carolina. As a warm season grass, both of these varieties will turn brown during the winter. Bermudagrass naturally turns brown in the fall to protect it from winter temperatures while Centipedegrass doesn’t go dormant but is known for dying during the winter due to lack of water.

Potential buyers want to see green grass in the lawn no matter what season they view your property. Consider overseeding your lawn with cool season grasses, like Kentucky Bluegrass or Tall Fescue, in order to provide a green lawn all year long. If you are sure that you have Centipedegrass, you can probably get away with not overseeding as long as you are diligent about watering all winter long.

Creating and maintain a beautiful lawn is important when your home is on the market. Make sure to continue to mow regularly as well as apply a quick release fertilizer to instantly green up your lawn. Consider mulching the grass back to the soil and control weeds as well. Knowing your grass type and how to combat a brown lawn over winter is also important. Choose any or all of these tips on how to have a luscious lawn for your next showing.

Tony Steine is a garden and landscaping writer at Lawnstarter.com. Tony prides himself on finding the easiest way to do anything he can, you can bet he’s tried to make his entire garden self-watering. Of course, he isn’t just about convenience either, adding a unique design flair to everything he does.

Oct 12 2018

What Type Of Lockbox Should Be On Your Myrtle Beach Home?

Yesterday afternoon I was out showing properties to a first time home buyer here in Myrtle Beach and as we approached the door of the property, she asked how we were going to get into the home since nobody was home to let us into the property. I explained to her that the key was secured in a lockbox that holds the key and gives easy access to REALTORS® to enter the property. As we got closer to the door, we noticed a combination lockbox on the door she mentioned how she would never want one of those on her home and she would feel unsafe having it hang there giving others access into her home at any time of the day.

It reminded me of a recent Two Minute Tuesday video I recently did on this exact subject. Check out the video below:

Whenever a home is occupied or holding the belongings of my seller, I am never going to install a lockbox like the one pictured above. While these combination style lockboxes have a level of security with the code, they also leave people selling their Myrtle Beach home at a great level of vulnerability.

See, most the time when a lockbox is installed on the property, the listing agent does not go back to the home again unless they are showing the home to a potential buyer, holding an open house, or to remove the lockbox from the property. That means, if a lockbox like the one above is being used, that code is not being reset from the day it is installed. While agents are supposed to be the people keeping the codes safe for homes, sometimes the buyers are nosey and see that code and could access at a later time. Unfortunately I’ve seen/heard people giving the codes to others and then they have access into your home at any time they please.

Also, when a lockbox like the one above is in use, the listing agent has no way to know when the lockbox is being opened or limiting the times it is accessed. Instead of using a combo lockbox, I feel agents should spend the extra money to get a MLS approved electronic lockbox like the one below.

The reasons I am a big fan of using these types of lockboxes is pretty obvious. First, these lockboxes are virtually indestructible and almost impossible to break into without the proper access codes. In comparison, the cheaper combo lockboxes have several videos on YouTube teaching people how to hack them open. I’ve actually used these videos to open one of my own that I had forgotten the code to in the past. It only took me about 15 minutes and I was in. MLS approved lockboxes are only accessible electronically and unless you have the application on your smart phone and have the 20+ digit alphanumeric code, you cannot access these boxes.

The second reason I prefer using these types of lockboxes on properties that are occupied is that they limit the times in which the lockbox can be accessed. Most of the time they are set from 8 AM-9PM. This means that the sellers can rest peacefully at night knowing that someone will not be coming in their front door while they are sleeping or showing up early in the morning while they are in the shower getting ready for work. With a combination lockbox, anyone with the code can access at any time of the day.

The third reason why using the digital lockboxes is that it keeps track of every time the lockbox gets opened and by whom it was opened. I went back into the system a pulled a screenshot below of activity on my listings from over 2 months ago. This way if something were to happen where my sellers had an issue in their home I could immediately check and see what agent was in their home that day and reach out to them. In the past I’ve had things get broken in a home during a showing, doors left unlocked, lights left on, an inspector accidentally leave the oven on, and much more. Since I had an activity log on the home, I could immediately check and know who was the person responsible for that happening.

After sharing these reasons, you may be asking yourself, why would any agent ever use one of the less secure lockboxes on a property? Well, there are a few reasons where I do use those type of lockboxes and they come in handy. Many times when a property I will place one of these types of lockboxes on the home. These lockboxes are usually about 1/4 the cost of the electronic loxkboxes.

I will also use a combo lockbox on properties where we might need a contractor to access the property. Many times I am helping my my clients get their home for sale in Myrtle Beach by assisting them with getting the home painted, carpets cleaned, and other items fixed throughout the home to make it show ready. I could go meet each of these people individually each time they need to get into the home and let them in, but most of the time, they are going to want to visit several times over a time period to do the work needed and I cannot be there. Because you need to join our local REALTOR® Association in order to access the electronic lockboxes and it is an extra expense, many contractors do not have the ability to access electronic lockboxes. I can simply give them the code and they can then go do what is needed on their schedule.

So, in closing, when you are selling your home in Myrtle Beach, do you want an agent that is using the cheap combination lockboxes on your home, or do you want an agent that takes your safety seriously and will spend the extra money to keep you, your family, and all your valuables safer?