Jeremy Blanton ActiveRain Corp.

Time to decorate for Christmas, I love being able to wear shorts to do it! Another advantage of living in Myrtle Beach, SC. Yesterday, my wife and I decided that it was time for a day off! Now, as a real estate agent, you technically never have a day off, but I was going to do my best to not focus on work, but instead spend time on household things and spending time with my family.

Since we have been so busy with work and church since returning from our Thanksgiving trip to Atlanta we decided that we would focus our efforts on getting our outside decorations up. When I awoke in the morning, I checked the weather to see what the temperatures were supposed to be in Myrtle Beach. It said sunny with temperatures in the mid to upper 60's!

I sometimes forget how wonderful it is to live in Myrtle Beach, SC. As a real estate agent, I spend a lot of time working with buyers who are ready to move out of the cold weather of the north. In fact, that is the reason that my family originally moved south. My father was in an automobile accident and his Doctors said that a warmer climate would be better for his conditions. So, we packed up and headed to Myrtle Beach.

Yesterday, I was able to wear shorts as I am able to almost every year at this time of year while installing the outside decorations. I remember growing up in Pennsylvania and when we would go to put up the decorations we would sometimes need full winter gear and even need to clean off the snow just to put up the Christmas lights! One thing for sure, I certainly do not miss shoveling the snow!

The warm temperatures made the installation of the outside decorations go rather quickly and smoothly. We were able to install everything without a hitch. Luckily all the lights still worked! After we finished last night, Katherine brought Isabelle outside to see what she thought of the lights. As you can see from the picture, she was thoroughly engaged in the pretty bright lights.

Once we finished our townhome, I shot a few outside pictures for you all to see. I know it isn't much, but it is about all we can do when living in a townhome with HOA regulations. If you are tired of dealing with the freezing cold temperatures of the North, maybe it is time to consider a move to Myrtle Beach? Feel free to contact me and I can share even more wonderful advantages to living in a sub tropical climate!

Jeremy Blanton- Myrtle Beach Real Estate Agent

Copyright © 2008 Jeremy Blanton...Time to decorate for Christmas, I love being able to wear shorts to do it! Another advantage of living in Myrtle Beach, SC

The "Golden Mile" one of the finest sections of real estate in Myrtle Beach, SC. When I say Golden Mile, I am not referring to a Tom Hanks movie from a few years back. That my friends was The Green Mile which while it was an awesome movie, it has nothing to do with Myrtle Beach Real Estate.

So what is The Golden Mile you may ask? Well, it is a section of Single Family Oceanfront Homes in located in the heart of Myrtle Beach, SC. It stretches about a mile long and hence how it got it's Golden Mile nickname. There are no hotels, just beautiful homes and scenic views of the beach.

Besides the awesome views, you can also find some great non-crowded areas of the beach. Even during the busiest times of the year the beach seems to always be less crowded than if you were visiting the beach near one of the large hotels. This also means you can normally find some really great shells along the Golden Mile.

I went down to the Golden Mile last week and since it was so vacant I saw it was a perfect time to snap a few beach photos. Don't take my word though about the great views, see for yourself from my trip.

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Remember, if you know anyone looking to buy or sell real estate, contact me for assistance. Through my advanced real estate network, I can help anyone, anywhere in the world with their real estate needs! Our motto is "Your Satisfaction is Our Reputation!" We work hard to help our clients buy & sell real estate in Myrtle Beach and around the world.

Contact Jeremy Blanton, ABR, Relocation Specialist, REALTOR®, with Coldwell Banker Chicora Real Estate in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina at 843-449-4404 to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Conway, Murrells Inlet, and the rest of the Grand Strand area in Myrtle Beach, SC.

If you're thinking about buying a home in Myrtle Beach there are plenty of great deals in today's market and now is one of the best times to buy while interest rates remain low.

To keep up to date on the current state of the Myrtle Beach Home Market & other information about Myrtle Beach, subscribe to my blog via email here or visit online at www.myrtlebeachhomesblog.com.

Contact Jeremy or start your home search here - www.dennisgblanton.com. If email is your communication preference, email me at jeremyblanton@chicora.net.

For info on Myrtle Beach homes for sale, click here and then select the box that says Click here to search properties for sale along the Grand Strand.

Copyright © 2008 Jeremy Blanton...Who Wouldn't Want to Live on the Golden Mile?~ Life in Myrtle Beach, SC

Over the past 7 years of selling real estate, I have experienced all types of situations and questions from

clients. Unfortunately, because of the Fair Housing Act there are certain questions that as a Real Estate Agent, I am not allowed to answer. Here are just of the few questions I have been asked in the past. These are questions you should never ask your REALTOR®:

• Are there a bunch of kids in the neighborhood? I don't want a bunch of children living around me! One of the classes covered under the Fair Housing Act is age. If the age of your neighbors is an issue to you, I always suggest driving through the neighborhood and look for clues to make your own conclusion. Look for basketball hoops, trampolines, swingsets and children on bicycles.
• Are there a bunch of (enter a particular race) living h ere? Another protected class under the Fair Housing Act is race. As a REALTOR® we cannot discriminate against race. Surprisingly though, we are asked this question probably more than any other question.
• Is this home located in a ghetto? This is the actual question that sparked me to write this post. First, I do not know what you would consider a ghetto. Secondly, even if I knew what was considered a ghetto, I would not be able to disclose that information. If someone who asked this was referring to the safety of a neighborhood, I cannot discuss that either. I would instead refer the client to the local police department who can share about the safety of the neighborhood.
• Are there a bunch of (enter any religion) living here? Just like race and age, we cannot discriminate against religion either.
• It seems there are some disabled people living next door, will that affect my property? Disabled people are also part of a protected class. I cannot comment, positive or negative about disabled people either.

While there are many other wild and crazy questions I receive daily, these are just 5 of the more regular questions I am asked that I cannot answer. So, while you may want answers to questions like these, use some of the suggestions I mentioned to find your answers instead of your real estate agent.

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Remember, if you know anyone looking to buy or sell real estate, contact me for assistance. Through my advanced real estate network, I can help anyone, anywhere in the world with their real estate needs! Our motto is "Your Satisfaction is Our Reputation!" We work hard to help our clients buy & sell real estate in Myrtle Beach and around the world.

Contact Jeremy Blanton, ABR, Relocation Specialist, REALTOR®, with Coldwell Banker Chicora Real Estate in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina at 843-449-4404 to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Conway, Murrells Inlet, and the rest of the Grand Strand area in Myrtle Beach, SC.

If you're thinking about buying a home in Myrtle Beach there are plenty of great deals in today's market and now is one of the best times to buy while interest rates remain low.

To keep up to date on the current state of the Myrtle Beach Home Market & other information about Myrtle Beach, subscribe to my blog via email here or visit online at www.myrtlebeachhomesblog.com.

Contact Jeremy or start your home search here - www.dennisgblanton.com. If email is your communication preference, email me at jeremyblanton@chicora.net.

For info on Myrtle Beach homes for sale, click here and then select the box that says Click here to search properties for sale along the Grand Strand.

Copyright © 2008 Jeremy Blanton...5 Things You Should NEVER Ask Your REALTOR®!

I find it hard to believe that yesterday Isabelle turned 6 months old. It feels like it was yesterday when I found out I was going to be a father. Over the past 6 months it is amazing how much things have changed. Hours can be spent playing with her & not even realize the time has passed by. I never imagined finding so much joy & love from such a small package.

Hours can be spent playing with her and enjoying her presence. Her bright blue eyes are enough to bring joy into anyones heart. She has reached the point in life where when she sees someone she loves, she will grin from ear to ear with the most adorable smile.

One of her latest favorite things to do is play with our puppy Hannah. We will place Isabelle in her jumper seat and she will just laugh as hard as she can at her puppy who becomes very excited by Isabelle's laughter.

Isabelle's smile & giggles warm my heart instantly and bring a smile to my face daily. As I sat this morning reflecting on my first 6 months of being a Daddy, I began to realize a lot of similarities between being a new parent & real estate. Here are a few of these:

• They both want to run before they even know how to crawl. Isabelle loves standing up and gets herself so frustrated at times when her favorite toys are just out of reach. She wishes she could just run over to them & pick them up. Both buyers & sellers are many times the same way. Sellers want their home sold yesterday while buyers want to see property immediately without taking time to take the proper preliminary steps of finding a Buyer's Agent to represent them & getting a pre-approval to know how much they can actually afford.

• Cleaning up their messes. As a daddy of a newborn, you definitely get to clean up your share of dirty diapers every day. Unfortunately as a real estate agent, you end up doing the same thing a lot of the time. Sellers do not realize the small items in their homes that need to be adressed in order to sell it quicker. Buyers on the other hand may come in to buy a home with terrible credit and need you to explain how to fix this, or buy a home in need of major repairs that you need to negotiate to have done. Just like being a parent, I spend a lot of time cleaning up the messes, and making things clean and fresh.
  

• Giving correction when needed. In just the past few days Isabelle has started to learn how to sing with a lovely ear piercing high pitch squeal. While she loves doing this, it is painful on the ears, and cannot be done in some places (restaurants, library, church). So we have been having to teach her correction of when it is not allowed. When dealing with a seller, one of the big areas we have to give correction is in price. Unfortunately, most sellers are still hoping for the price their home was worth in 2005. Buyers on the other hand, are still wanting to use mortgage programs that are no long available or believe they can buy a home with no money, no job, and no credit.

• Need our help even though they think they can do it on their own! Isabelle is starting to hold her bottle on her own and doesn't always want assistance. But, whether she realizes it or not, she still needs it. Who else will pick up the bottle when it falls on the floor? Both buyers & sellers try to purchase & sell real estate daily without the assistance of a REALTOR®. With the current changes in real estate, you must have an agent to represent you. One main reason is to make sure the buyer is able to obtain the financing to purchase. While the real estate market has undergone some big changes over the past few years, the mortgage industry has seen even more drastic changes. Having the professional on your side is imperative to the transaction going a smooth as possible.
  

• Achieving something THEY want makes them happy & content. When Isabelle is wanting something and is then given that thing she becomes instantly content & happy. An example of this is food. When she is hungry she can become very fussy and cranky. The minute she is given food, she instantly changes her whole demeanor and becomes her happy giggly self again. Both buyers & sellers have the same type of need. Whether they are buying or selling the home, they can become cranky if things do not go as planned, or take longer than they want. But, the minute the transaction completes, they are the happiest people on the planet and are so appreciative of your help.

Now that I have managed to conquer the first 6 months of parenting it is now time to move onto the next 6 months. These times will be filled with learning crawling, walking, and talking. While these 6 months are exciting for parenting, I hope they also are just as exciting for real estate!

Remember, if you know anyone looking to buy or sell real estate, contact me for assistance. Through my advanced real estate network, I can help anyone, anywhere in the world with their real estate needs! Our motto is "Your Satisfaction is Our Reputation!" We work hard to help our clients buy & sell real estate in Myrtle Beach and around the world.

Contact Jeremy Blanton, ABR, Relocation Specialist, REALTOR®, with Coldwell Banker Chicora Real Estate in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina at 843-449-4404 to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Conway, Murrells Inlet, and the rest of the Grand Strand area in Myrtle Beach, SC.

If you're thinking about buying a home in Myrtle Beach there are plenty of great deals in today's market and now is one of the best times to buy while interest rates remain low.

To keep up to date on the current state of the Myrtle Beach Home Market & other information about Myrtle Beach, subscribe to my blog via email here or visit online at www.myrtlebeachhomesblog.com.

Contact Jeremy or start your home search here - www.dennisgblanton.com. If email is your communication preference, email me at jeremyblanton@chicora.net.

For info on Myrtle Beach homes for sale, click here and then select the box that says Click here to search properties for sale along the Grand Strand.

Copyright © 2008 Jeremy Blanton...My first 6 months of being a Parent & how it relates to Real Estate- A Parity

Living in Myrtle Beach, SC we are lucky not to have to deal with a lot of the cold wintry weather that other parts of the country experience for many months each winter. For example, on Friday, I posted an update on twitter saying, "Its 5pm in the Middle of November & the temperatures is 70 outside!" At the same time, parts of the northeast were preparing for snow!

While living in Myrtle Beach we normally enjoy nice warm temperatures, there are times where we get sudden drops in the temperature, like this morning.

I just checked the temperature and it is saying 42 degrees on weather.com. This is very chilly for here! Anyways, on to the point of this post.

I was working from my home office this morning and no matter what I tried I could not warm up. I looked at the windows and they appeared to be closed properly, but there just seemed to be this continual cold draft on my feet. Then a large truck drove by the front of the house and it seemed to be rather loud. So, I jumped up to inspect my windows a little closer.

Upon a more thorough inpection, I realized that one of my windows that looked to be closed properly was not locked tight, and therefore was not sealing the way it was intended to. This allowed for a continual draft to come in. A simple fix of turning the lock and draft is now gone!

So, as the temperatures continue to drop and we head into winter, now is the perfect time to check your windows to make sure they are closed properly and locked to help keep the cold air out of your home. This simple step can save you major money on energy bills!

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Remember, if you know anyone looking to buy or sell real estate, contact me for assistance. Through my advanced real estate network, I can help anyone, anywhere in the world with their real estate needs! Our motto is "Your Satisfaction is Our Reputation!" We work hard to help our clients buy & sell real estate in Myrtle Beach and around the world.

Contact Jeremy Blanton, ABR, Relocation Specialist, REALTOR®, with Coldwell Banker Chicora Real Estate in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina at 843-449-4404 to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Conway, Murrells Inlet, and the rest of the Grand Strand area in Myrtle Beach, SC.

If you're thinking about buying a home in Myrtle Beach there are plenty of great deals in today's market and now is one of the best times to buy while interest rates remain low.

To keep up to date on the current state of the Myrtle Beach Home Market & other information about Myrtle Beach, subscribe to my blog via email here or visit online at www.myrtlebeachhomesblog.com.

Contact Jeremy or start your home search here - www.dennisgblanton.com. If email is your communication preference, email me at jeremyblanton@chicora.net.

For info on Myrtle Beach homes for sale, click here and then select the box that says Click here to search properties for sale along the Grand Strand.

Copyright © 2008 Jeremy Blanton...As Temperatures Continue to Drop, a Simple Tip to Save Money from Your Myrtle Beach Real Estate Expert