Franne Schwarb,CSP, Broker Assoc., DRS, FIS

In my part of the country, Charleston, South Carolina, we are in the midst of the spring selling season. Sales are up from last spring but that's another blog. As a Realtor that's been listing and selling homes for almost 20 years I have some suggestions to people thinking of listing, putting their home on the market or real estate agents counseling would be sellers.

While the agent is opening the lockbox what will the buyer be doing? Looking around at the front door. Make sure the cobwebs are down, the door is clean and the light bulbs in the fixtures work. If you can set out some pots with some seasonal color do.

Clean trumps everything else. If the house is clean no matter how worn the sofa or what type of decorating you can overcome it. Still have a vinyl kitchen floor? Sure the buyer may want to change that but make sure that vinyl is glow in the dark cleaned it on my hands and knees clean. Bathrooms? They have to be sparkling clean and if there are towels out they should be clean and folded. Don't forget to add a clean shower curtain.

Clear the clutter. Buyers will overlook boxes but counters covered with "things" can be a distraction. I don't tell my sellers to put away all their personal belongings but I do suggest they limit the number. Closets look larger if as much as possible the floors are clear. Hangers should all be the same and point in the same direction. Okay laugh if you like but trust me it makes a big visual difference.

Yard...should be cut and flower beds trimmed. If you can afford new plants and shrubs great but if not make sure everything is cut back and shaped as much as possible.

The smell of the house matters too. If it's a gorgeous day open a window. Bake some already cut cookies or stick an all ready to bake bread in the oven. Nothings says home better than freshly baked aromas.

Happy spring and happy selling.

Yes, I live about 12 minutes from the beach. Yes, summer brings months of consecutive bad hair days. Yes, you can usually play golf here on Christmas. Yes, our homes do have heat. BUT, though our winters are short and it doesn't stay cold for very long we have to be ready for winter.

One day a few years ago as I left for the office I noticed water rolling down my street. When I came home many hours later I saw the same stream of water and followed it to it's origin, a house 5 doors up from mine. I knew they were out of town so I called the neighbor I thought was watching it. No, she had been replaced by a friend that lived two blocks away but yes she would call that women. As it turns out a pipe had burst from a combination of below 32 degree temperatures a few days in a row and poor insulation because...yes we live in a warm area and no our homes don't have the best insulation.

Moral of this story is though you live in metro Charleston, South Carolina:

1. Make sure you leave your heat on in the winter.
2. Open cabinet doors under bathroom sinks if the temperature is going to drop significantly.
3. Open shower curtains too.
4. Have a neighbor check your home everyday.
5. Don't take the warm weather for granted.

Love it here. Ya'll come ya hear.

Fall is here and the cool breeze is finally at the beach in Charleston, South Carolina. It's pumpkin time. Need one? Go to Boone Hall off Highway 41 in Mount Pleasant and enjoy the pumpkin patch and the Halloween events. Fun for all ages.

A cool amd welcome breeze has hit the housing market too. Standard and Poor's Case-Shiller index reported during the first week of September that home prices were up in 15 of the top metropolitan areas. There was a nationwide gain of 4.2 percent over the same time last year. Interest rates are at all time low and though home ownership has had some recent snags it's still part of the American Dream. Rents can go up but monthly loan payments stay the same and mortgage insurance is still a tax deduction.

It's opportunity time if you are ready to buy a home.

I love where I live. Yes, I live in metro Charleston, South Carolina just 12 minutes from the Atlantic Ocean but I love it here for other reasons too. We have a sense of humor, a sense of joy and a sense of who we are and where we came from. The Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park under the Arthur Ravenel bridge is a tribute to our service people and the lives lost but also to our future. To the children that play there now and will in years to come. To the people that fish from the pier and to all the residents and tourists that will enjoy the scenic views.The play ground offers this great climbing piece that mimics the bridge it sits under. When you come to visit don't miss this park. Swing on one of the porch type swings and enjoy the breeze.