About Sumter County, SC

The Department of Energy (DOE) has a program called the Weatherization Assistance Program that gives up to $6500 in rebates to lower income families to help them cut down their energy usage and save money in energy spending. To qualify for the rebates, the average family of 4 must not make over $44,000 in the lower 48 states, $55,140 in Alaska, and $50,720 in Hawaii.

The DOE Weatherization Assistance Program web site says, " The weatherization funding will improve the energy efficiency of the homes of low-income families by adding more insulation, sealing leaks, or modernizing heating and air conditioning equipment, at a cost of up to $6,500 per home." The site goes on to say weatherization could help a family realize a savings of up to $350 a year in utility bills.

In our day to day dealings with the public, we each have an occasion to talk to lower income families and we could let them know of this program. If we could help them save money on their utility bills then they would benefit and the earth would benefit as well.

The web site for the DOE Weatherization Assistance Program is:

http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/weatherization/news_detail.cfm/news_id=12346

I can now personally vouch for the excellence of the emergency response services in Sumter.

Monday afternoon I was on my way back to the office to meet some people who wanted to see one of our listings. I have to pass Shaw Air Force Base on the way, and the junction at 76/378 where the on ramp from Shaw occurs is sometimes hazardous. I generally stay in the left lane there so the people merging have a lane to use.

I saw the car coming down the on ramp, but I wasn't concerned because I was in my usual place in the left lane; he had someplace to go. The next thing I knew he was careening into my car. He knocked me across the median and into the oncoming traffic.

I remember seeing a red car with another car behind, and another car in the other lane. I don't remember the impact. The next thing I remember is sitting up in my car surrounded by emergency response people.

They were wonderful, very professional and made a point of talking to me. I don't recall what was said (except for the moment I told them I had a gun in my purse and a woman asked me if I had a concealed weapons permit, which I do), and on pain of death I couldn't tell you what any of them looked like. I just remember they seemed like angels to me.

They were having trouble getting my car door open, so they had to cut it off (although I don't remember them doing that). They took me out of the car on a blanket or something, if my memory is at all accurate, and they kept apologizing for hurting me. They loaded me into a waiting helicopter and I was flown to Palmetto Health Richland, where they have a trauma center.

Once in the emergency room there, another group of professionals took good care of me. If I remember correctly, I was given an MRI or two. I was put in a room, asked a few questions ("What happened?" "I have no idea.") and my in-laws were the first to arrive. I think. Forgive me -- my memories are a bit disjointed and fuzzy.

My husband arrived shortly after -- poor man. He was called by his father, who was called by my sister-in-law, who was called by my niece who was driving by the scene and saw my car up on the flatbed truck and freaked. You know how they encourage everyone to put ICE numbers in their cell phones? Well, I have two -- my husband's and my in-law's. Even though the emergency folks had access to my cell phone, as it survived the crash clipped to my belt, they didn't use it. No idea why. My sister-in-law wouldn't have found out much except she has a friend in the state troopers, and he'd just left the scene so he could tell her where I'd been flown.

Anyway, they kept me overnight to keep an eye on me, and discharged me the next afternoon.

Injury tally (as far as we know right now): Four broken ribs, a bruised lung, a laceration on the back of my head (which they stapled, ow ow ow), bruises all over my legs, a banged up knee, various bruises caused by the seat belt, facial lacerations, and facial burns from the airbag.

Here's what my car ended up looking like:

I am thankful no one was in the car with me; they'd have been killed. There's no room for a person in the passenger seat, the frame is almost all the way over to the console.

The woman in the red Mustang was also injured, and was released that same evening. The airman and his friends were uninjured.

The airman stayed behind to tell the police what had happened. If he hadn't, they'd have charged me with the accident. I know there were people behind us who witnessed it, that's a very busy exchange, especially in the afternoon. I guess they couldn't be bothered to wait.

I'm alive, though, and thankful. I sent an e-mail to Saturn to thank them for building a good car, as I'm quite certain my car saved my life. It breaks my heart to lose her; I loved that car.

My injuries should heal. I've been very, very lucky. Someone was looking out for me that day, and I'm grateful for that, too.

In the last two weeks of March (16-31 March 2009):

For the period 16-31 March, there were 111 new listings posted. These were all residences; I did not include land or commercial properties. I looked only at Sumter and the surrounding area.

The lowest list price was $8,900 for an as-is where-is mobile home that went pending after nine days on the market. Highest was $440,000, a five-year-old home described as "highly upgraded," measuring 3,200 square feet, four bedrooms and four and a half baths, blue pearl granite (doesn't say where, I'm assuming counter tops), mouldings, "plush" carpeting, security system, all the bells and whistles. I do hope the agent will be holding an agent open house, I'd really like to see it. The photos are lovely but probably don't do it justice. Of the new listings, two were condos/townhouses, six were duplexes (one of which was pulled off the market the same day it was listed, three of which are selling only the one side of the duplex and one of those is a short sale, and one listing selling the entire duplex in a short sale). Eleven are new construction.

Forty-five properties sold (closed). The lowest list price was $14,900 for an as-is/where-is brick home built in 1964, which had no HVAC. It was on the market for 234 days and originally listed for $39,900; it sold for $14,900. The highest list price was for home built in 1997 (listing says it's a "Southern Living Home" – that may mean one of their floor plans was used to build it) that was on the market for 57 days and originally listed for $282,600 and it sold for that amount.

Fourteen of the 45 properties sold were listed at or below $100,000. Average days on market was 166 (ranged from 17 to 393). Average ratio of list-to-sales price was 86.88% (ranged from 40.13% to 110.22%).

Twenty-eight of the 45 properties sold were listed above $100,001 and below $200,000. Average days on the market was 151 (ranged from 12 to 544). Average ratio of list-to-sales price was 98.03% (ranged from 83.81% to 109.32%).

The remaining three listings were listed for above $200,001 and below $300,000. Average days on the market was 77 (ranged from 12 to 161). Average ratio of list-to-sales price was 98.94% (ranged from 96.81% to 100.00%).

In contrast, for the same period a year ago there were 81 new listings posted. The lowest list price was $10,500 for an as-is/where-is bank-owned mobile home that sold for $8,250 and was on the market for 32 days. The highest list price was $349,300 for a 2,898 square foot four-bedroom three-bath three-year-old patio home in a nice subdivision that hasn’t moved much – in fact this home is still on the market and the price remains the same as it was a year ago. Make an offer – they might take less. Of these 81 new listings, 16 were new construction, one was a condo and three were duplexes. Of the condos/duplexes only one sold. The rest were rented, expired or were withdrawn from the market.

Sixty-one properties sold (closed) between March 16-31, 2008.

Thirteen of them were listed at or below $100,000. Average days on market was 89 (ranged from 19 to 253). Average list-to-sales ratio was 94.7% (ranged from 50% to 111.43%).

Forty-four of them listed between $100,001 and $200,000. Average days on market was 179 (ranged from 29 to 726). Average list-to-sales ratio was 99.01% (ranged from 80.04% to 106.05%).

Three listed between $200,001 and $300,000. Average days on market was 128 (ranged from 35 to 188). Average list-to-sales ratio was 99.04% (ranged from 98.26% to 100.44%).

The remaining listing was priced at $349,000 and sold for $313,000 after being on the market for 599 days.

I’ve been reading reports (and I know you have too) that indicate the economy is beginning to swing back. I hope so. I hope it’s the beginning of the recovery – and not a dead-cat bounce.

(Based on information from the Sumter Board of Realtors®/MLS, March 2009)

• May 14 - Billy Scott & The Prophets
• June 11 - North Tower
• July 9 - The Fantastic Shakers
• August 13 - Second Nature
• September 10 - Still Cruzin
• October 8 - The Tempests