Thomas Cunningham Coastal Carolina Real Estate Connection

Good Day to All,

I seem to come back to this question more and more often these days! In my interactions with both fellow Realtors and potential Buyers, I find myself asking the Question:

Are you/they, "people Motivated"?

Please allow me to explain a little more of what I'm getting at. When both meeting and/or talking with potential clients, nine times out of ten I'm going to hear about a previous experience with another Realtor and it typically is not a Positive interaction. Story after Story, people consistently share with me experiences that put them on the Defensive or have made them highly suspicious of interacting with another Realtor. Why do you think this is? Why does there have to be so many " Used Car Salesmen" type Realtors out there leaving a negative mentality for the world to see?

While listening to all these stories, I keep asking myself the same Question: Were these fellow Realtors "People Motivated"? Well, I'm sure that anyone with Common Sense can answer that question: NO, they weren't and probably never will be. These type of so-called " Realtors" are obviously motivated by one thing and one thing Only; MONEY....!!

These " Money Motivated" Realtors are strictly focused in dealing with a client based on how much Money they can get out of the Transaction and not so much what's right for the Client!

You know which ones I'm talking about: The Agent that happens to show a Client only Listings within their own Company, maybe even a few of their own Listings; Not so much what the Client was interested in !! Or maybe they show only Listings that, just so happen to have a "Buyers Agent Bonus"!! I think you are getting my point!

What would you think it means to be "People Motivated"??

My thought is, that as a Professional, your main focus is on the well-being of your Client! Humm, "well-Being" what does that mean exactly? A dictionary definition states it as :

–noun

a good or satisfactory condition of existence; a state characterized by health, happiness, and prosperity

Now, as Realtors, we are more familiar with the term "Fiduciary Responsibility" in the relationships between us and our Clients.

noun. pl. fi·du·ci·ar·ies

One, such as an agent of a principal or a company director, that stands in a special relation of trust, confidence, or responsibility in certain obligations to others.

I like showing these definitions because this where most people are going to search for explanations on the terms and words that we use on a daily basis and it should help us to understand where our Clients point-of-views sometimes come from.

Now, my belief is that by focusing on my Clients "Wants & Needs" and using both my experience and knowledge, I will be able to help them find and purchase the right property for the right price in the current Market. Properly paying attention and "truly" listening to my Clients is what will fully insure that they get both what they want and need in a Property. My commission (pay) off of the Transaction should be thought of as simply a "By-Product" of doing the right thing for my Clients. Being true to them and their needs is what I believe makes me a "People Motivated" Realtor and not "Money Motivated" !!

I don't set Goals for myself based on how many Transactions I plan to close this Month or Year. I set them based on how many people I plan to help when making a Real Estate Transaction. "Educate & Advise" should be our motto as Realtors. We're supposed to be here to help people with one of the largest financial decisions they will ever make. Should they make that decision with just any Realtor they stumble across??

Please feel free to chime in on this topic. I would love to get as much feedback on this as possible. Share your experience as well as your advice!

Mongolian Grill, A great place to eat in North Myrtle Beach, SC

Today I had the pleasure of meeting Jeremy Blanton, a local Community Builder for ActiveRain, at the Mongolian Grill, in North Myrtle Beach SC. It was was a great meetup and I hope the beginnings of a lasting friendship!

Located at 4036 Hwy 17 South in North Myrtle Beach, SC on the left hand side of the fairly new Super Bi-Lo Shopping Center between 41st and 39th Avenues South.

If you have not had the pleasure of dining here yet, than you are truly missing out! One of the areas best places to dine, Mongolian Grill offers a vast selection of food choices. From a Fresh Salad bar to a Sushi buffet fit for an Emperor, Mongolian Grill will tempt your taste-buds and fill your stomach!

The focal point of this restaurant is in it's namesake, the Mongolian Grill set in the back left corner of the establishment. After you have made your way through the line of Fresh Ingredients, picking and choosing just exactly what you want; You bring your collection to the Grill Chef and he will ask if you want it Spicy or not so Spicy, then the fun begins. A loud searing noise and a puff of steam rising, let you know the Cooking has begun. The Chef moves your food around and around, back and forth over this large, round flat-top grill with only these two very large "chop stick" looking sticks. In a matter of seconds, not minutes your food is fully cooked, placed on a plate and handed to you to make your way back to your seat.

I shot a small Video with the new iPhone3Gs to help you get an idea of what this place is all about, I hope yo enjoy it:

Just received an email from one of my preferred-Lenders here at the Beach (Michael Ulman). Apparently, there are new changes at the Fannie-Mae level that require you have a HO6 Insurance in place before the loan can close!!

Normally you would have this type of Insurance in place as this type of Policy covers "walls-in" whereas your HOA Insurance coverage focuses on " walls-out" The big change that has happened is you will now be required to have a specific amount of coverage needed

Fannie-Mae states that you must have at least 20% of your Appraised Value in the " Dwelling/Building"portion of your coverage. Mike was nice enough to inculde a "HO-6 Insurance Cheat Sheet " I'm going to include in this post to help anyone who may be considering buying a Condo in the very near furture!

Michael W. Ulman
Senior Mortgage Banker
Direct: (843) 457-2867
Fax: 1 (866) 695-2432
Email: mulman@gofirsthome.com
Required Content Insurance (HO‐6 Policy) for your Condo Explained

You are required to secure "Content" (HO‐6 Policy) Coverage for your new condo.
Why do I need to have this additional coverage?
The Home Owners Association that runs your Condo Complex has secured Insurance Coverage for each
building and common areas of the complex.
The HOA's Insurance that is in place covers the "Walls Out" of your unit.
The Content (HO‐6 Policy) insurance you are required to obtain will help cover your unit from the "Walls In".
How much coverage is required?
You will need to have a minimum of 20% of the Appraised Value in the "Building / Dwelling Property"
coverage portion of your policy.
You can have as much or as little coverage in the other portions of your HO‐6 Policy that you want.
What are the different Coverage's included within the Content Insurance Policy?
1. Building / Dwelling Coverage - This coverage insures your real property, including building additions
and alterations, installations, or additions that are part of your unit and are your insurance
responsibility according to the governing rules of the condo association.
(20% coverage of the Appraised Value of the property required.)
2. Personal Property Coverage - This coverage insures personal property in your home like clothes and
furniture. It also insures personal property you take with you while you are away from home.
3. Loss of Use Coverage - This coverage may pay for certain losses when your home is damaged and
rendered uninhabitable because of an insured loss.
It provides for:
Additional Living Expenses - Covers the actual loss incurred for increased expenses beyond
what you normally spend for food, shelter, and related items for the shortest time required to
repair or replace your home, or for your household to settle elsewhere, up to 24 months.
Fair Rental Value - Covers the actual loss sustained for rental income from that portion of
your home rented to others or intended for rental, for the shortest time required to repair or
replace the part of the home rented or intended for rental, up to 12 months.
>> Once you have secured your policy please let us know the contact information for the company you will be
using as soon as possible, so we can get any documentation needed to finish up your Final Loan Approval.<<
If you should have any specific questions regarding your Content (HO‐6 Policy) Insurance Policy please give
our office a call.

Tilghman Estates, a premiere Oceanside community in North Myrtle Beach, SC.

I have been keeping a watch on this community over the past several months and one thing is for certain, this is absolutely the BEST location to find your Dream Home next to the Atlantic Ocean. The Tilghman Estate section of North Myrtle Beach, SC offers some of the best "Location based" homes throughout the whole Grand Strand! Situated between 18th Avenue N and about 4th Avenue N stretching along North Oceans Blvd. sits an area of North Myrtle Beach that is Strictly Single Family Homes. No Condos or Multi-family complexs allowed, which owes to the consistent stable Market Values held throughout this very desirable area.


View Larger Map
>
Here, Let's take a look at some Statistics. Below you will see, that over the past three years, there has been diverse Price Points!

Based on this information, you can see that Price Points have ranged from $2,250,000 to as low as $238,000. So, let just see exactly what your money is buying you in those two particular Price Points.

And now on the Low end:

So, what do you think?? You really need to take the time and come visit North Myrtle Beach, SC to see for yourself how this unique Oceanside Community compares to all others. If you have ever given some thought to either Relocating or acquiring that Vacation/Investment Beach Home here along the white Sandy Beaches of the Coastal Carolinas, you owe it to yourself to start looking now before the Market starts to turn upwards; because once that happens, it will already have been too late and you will haved "Missed the Boat!"

Just to keep you updated, there are currently 33 Active Listings for sale in the Tilghman Estates section of North Myrtle Beach, SC.

Out of those 33; the lowest priced house is 808 Jordan Rd at $239,900

The lowest priced Direct Oceanfront home is 1500 N Ocean Blvd at 1.4 Million

The two Lowest priced 2nd Row Beach Homes are 805 N Ocean Blvd at $799,500 and 1203 N Ocean Blvd. at $899,000