We have several clients trying to move here from out of state that have businesses or jobs and cannot come here more than a few times per year to look for property. Many of you probably have similar situations. Every so often, our clients will call or e-mail and ask us to go out and look at this or that piece of land, or maybe a uncleared lake lot.
One thing that is great about this is that usually our client has the MLS number and some very detailed info on the perspective properties, so some of our work has been done for us. We love it when a client is so pro-active, and willing to do some of the searching for properties themselves. Not really because it saves us work, but because we have found that it educates them on the area, and they become much more involved in the process. Of course this can create additional work for us, because while we are coming up with potential properties for them, they are also doing the same. But in our experience, having a pro-active client who is really into the process can be a great thing. Sometimes they get to know the area's developments better than we do!
After some initial investigation at the courthouse, we usually hop in the car, and take a ride out to take pictures and inspect the properties, and then e-mail them with additional information and pictures.
Sometimes land and lots for sale around here are completely uncleared, and it's pretty much like walking in a forest. We've been in quite a few places where our 4WD was needed. One of our clients went out to look at a property last year and got stuck in their vehicle, and had to be towed a little bit to get out! We all joked about that for a while.
Down here in the deep South, it's quite common for Sarah and I to come back to the office and ask "Could you check me for ticks?" during the spring and summer months. We bet that's something that many less rural Realtors have never dealt with! Probably not very high on the top 10 list of the questions Realtors ask each other right? :)
As with most Realtors, we also work with many people who just ask us to find them a property, and then let them know what we find so we can take them to showings. Not pro-active at all really, but still enjoyable and that type of less involved client is getting much more rare these days.
There are so many tools available now with the huge amount of current information available online, that we are probably going to see more and more clients moving into the pro-active category. Fine with us. We'll work with them pro-active or not. Ticks or no ticks :)
Take a drive out of Walhalla, SC up Highway 11 for about 15-20 minutes, and you will find one of Upstate South Carolina's relatively unknown areas of pristine beauty - Lake Jocassee and Jocassee Ridge. The first time we saw these places, we just stood there in awe of the natural beauty. We live near Lake Jocassee and continue to be amazed at the this area in the mountains. Our camera's have snapped many shots that's for sure!
Here are some Lake Jocassee facts (pronounced "joe-kas-ee")
83,400 acres of land were purchased from private land owners and the Singer Corporation in 1963. In 1967, Duke Power Company began the Keowee Toxaway Project, which culminated in the construction of Lake Jocassee and Lake Keowee using several rivers including the Whitewater, Thompson, and Toxaway Rivers. Lake Jocassee is approximately 7565 pristine and beautiful acres with about 75 miles of shoreline. Completed in 1973, the dam on Lake Jocassee is 385 feet high, and impounds four rivers. Lake Jocassee's is known to be 325 feet deep or more, with an average depth of about 157 feet..
Surrounded by mountains, Lake Jocassee is one of the most scenic lakes in South Carolina. The area is of such beauty that it is worthy of being captured in paintings and on film. The water is usually crystal clear, and the shoreline includes beautiful rock cliffs, sandy beaches, and forests galore. The shoreline of Lake Jocassee has had very little development and remains quite natural. Plans are to keep it that way for the future. Wildlife is abundant, and includes bears, eagles, hawks, beavers, and lots of other animals. In addition, the waters of Jocassee are full of life and many fish, including Bluegill, Brown Trout, Largemouth Bass, Catfish, Rainbow Trout, and Smallmouth Bass. Lake Jocassee is one the most popular lakes in Upstate South Carolina. Many people love it especially for fishing.
The main way to access Lake Jocassee is through Devils Fork State Park. This park was developed and is managed by the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. Lake Jocassee is located in both Oconee County and Pickens County.
For more information and pictures of Lake Jocassee visit our website at:
One of the great attractions here in the Upstate South Carolina area is a large and beautiful lake called Lake Keowee. People come from all over the country visiting the area, and we meet tourists probably at least once a week that are considering living here after visiting the area sometimes only once. The area's lakes are usually one of the key reasons.
Lake Keowee was constructed by Duke Power Company for the purpose of generating hydroelectric power. The word Keowee, means "Place of the Mulberries," Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto visited the area when he traveled through in 1540.
Lake Keowee is considered by many as one of the most beautiful and clearest lakes in South Carolina. The mountain views from various sections of the lake are simply breathtaking. It's 18,500 acres of water and 300-mile shoreline make this large lake and the surrounding areas popular for fishing, swimming, tubing, water skiing, boating, camping, day trips, and picnics. It can be quite warm in the summer months, but still remains cool enough to be refreshing for swimming and water sports. This lake is known to be about 297 feet deep, with an average depth of about 52 feet..
Lake Keowee is located about 90 minutes from Atlanta, 45 minutes from Greenville, SC , and around 2 hours from Charlotte. Only 15 or so minutes away is the town of Clemson - home of Clemson University and the Clemson Tigers. This lake is mostly in Oconee County in and near cities such as Seneca, Salem, Clemson, and West Union, but it also reaches into Pickens County.
For more information and pics of Lake Keowee and the Upstate South Carolina area, visit our website at:
Located at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Walhalla, South Carolina and Oconee County have many wonderful things to experience. Natural waterfalls, orchards, botanical gardens, forests, parks, and so much more. The four season climate is mild, and is suitable for taking part in most outdoor adventures throughout the year.
The Upstate region where Walhalla is located is an area that truly does have something for everyone. Popular outdoor activities include white water rafting, canoeing, boating, water skiing, tubing, fishing, lake swimming, cycling, hiking, golf, horseback riding, swimming at local shoals, and atv riding.
History reveals that Walhalla was started as a settlement of immigrants who came over from Germany, Hamburg, and Bavaria along with some Irish, English, and Scots. Walhalla is a small Southern town, with tons of charm and some great festivals and events such as Octoberfest.
Numerous large lakes and beautiful rivers are all nearby for your enjoyment. Lake Keowee is a centrally located lake that boasts 18,500 acres, and 300 miles of scenic shoreline, and is considered by many as one of the most beautiful and clearest lakes in South Carolina. The area is filled with scenic mountain trails, winding country roads, and breathtaking views that deserve to be captured in paintings and on film.
We live and work in Upstate South Carolina on a day-to-day basis helping people with their real estate needs. Meeting new friends each day is a wonderful part of our daily life. We find that people relocate to this area from Florida, the Midwest, California, New York, Atlanta, and many parts of the country after being here for only a short time on vacation. They simply fall in love with this place! Many retire here or own second homes in the foothills of the mountains or on the lakes. Allow us to meet with you, and give you a short tour of the area to show you some of it's wonderful attractions. We're sure that you will fall in love with this area as we and many others have.
Upstate South Carolina is still a relatively unknown jewel!
The area we are in here in Upstate South Carolina (Oconee County, Walhalla, Seneca, West Union, Anderson, Salem, Westminster) is doing alright as far as home market values go. Better than alright as compared to many places in the country and even in this state we guess. March prices here in 08 compared to March of 07 show that we are up a bit over 6% on the median price of homes, condos, and villas sold and also up over 1.3% from last year to this year currently.
The Upstate area here in SC is becoming more and more popular, and we are seeing quite a few travelers coming in this spring to check out what the county has to offer as far as retirement and second homes go.
The negative though, that is effecting so many Realtors in this area, is that the number of homes sold is down over 21% as compared to March last year, and over 19% YTD compared to last year. We will see what the April data shows, but I have a feeling the numbers will be a little better regarding number of homes sold as compared to last year, and hopefully the values will continue to rise or be at least stable.
I know many other Realtors are dealing with a much worse local market situation than we are and we feel your pain, as we recently returned from an area in the midwest in Illinois that seemed to have foreclosures in every neighborhood, and unfinished developments and spec houses just sitting. We have seen more foreclosures showing up lately around here, but nothing in comparison to what we saw in Illinois.
There's a light at the end of the tunnel though, and and we still have hope (and pray) for a much better national and local market this summer!
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We work hard to provide unmatched service for all our clients. We are knowledgable and experienced. Each and every one of our past clients recommend us as their Realtors® of choice. Find out why!
We are Bill and Sarah, a husband and wife Realtor® team who relocated to South Carolina from the Chicago, Illinois suburbs. I (Bill) am a native of Jonesboro, Arkansas and Sarah hails from South Elgin, Illinois. As a balanced pair of professionals, we can work twice as hard in meeting all your real estate needs. Two of us can cover much more ground and accomplish much more work than one Realtor®. Please allow us to put that team effort to work for you. We will give our best effort to help take the stress out of the whole process for you. How do we do that? Simply by being very well informed, courteous, and just plain fun to work with!
We moved to the Upstate area in an effort to escape the rapid overgrowth, traffic, and busyness of the Chicago suburbs. After deciding to investigate potential areas for relocation, all it took was one trip and we knew that this would be our new home. We are avid lovers of the outdoors, and Upstate South Carolina has so much to do! The perfect four season climate, lakes, and mountains of this "Golden Corner" of South Carolina took our collective breath away, and we moved to the area within six months of our first visit. Living here has only made us want to share this better life with everyone we know and meet.
As your "Better Lifestyle" Team we have over ten years of hands on experience in rehabbing properties and real estate investment. We are committed to excellence, providing good old fashioned friendliness, and true customer support for each and every one who chooses to work with us for their real estate needs.
Sarah and I personally have invested in properties to flip and rent out ourselves. We've done the hands on work, and been involved in the process from start to end. Consequently we are very familiar with rental properties, fixer uppers, and the whole concept of investing in real estate for profit.
We believe Real Estate investment is still one of the best, if not the best way to work toward improving current cash flow and future financial growth. For the investor, we strive to help them find properties that have potential for being an asset. Properties that bring potential income or are already in a position that brings immediate income.
As Realtors® working through a brokerage that is one the oldest and most respected real estate companies in the area, (Powell Real Estate) we are positioned with advice and connections that you may not find anywhere else in Upstate South Carolina. Give us a call. You will see that we can be a great connection for anyone who invests in real estate. Whether you are considering one property per year or 50, we are the special connection that will scour the area, and work diligently to help you find properties that meet your criteria. 
Bill and I are a couple and a team. A balanced pair of professionals, that can work twice as hard in meeting all your real estate investment needs. Two of us can cover much more ground and accomplish much more work than one Realtor®. Please allow us to put that team effort to work for you. We promise to be well informed, courteous, and just plain fun to work with!
If we don't know the answers to your questions, then we will use our resources and connections to find out the answers and get back to you right away. Connections, Communication, Timing, Being Well Informed...these are vital parts of real estate investment. Let us put them all together working to meet your real estate investment needs.
"We had a great time with you Bill and Sarah. You guys kept working until we found just the house we were searching for (West Union, South Carolina.) When people we know get serious about moving here, we will send them straight to you guys because we know you will treat them right!"
Bill and Charlene Cameron (Moved from Florida to Upstate South Carolina, to escape the hurricanes and high cost of living.)
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