things to do around Lexington South Carolina

Italian Festival and Bocce Tournament Saturday, Nov 7 10:00a at Finlay Park, Columbia, SC. Bocce tournament; Italian auto and motorcycle show; Italian music, songs and tarantella; culture and heritage; visual and performing arts; authentic foods and beverages (Italian wine and beer labels included); desserts homemade for take-home; meals; puppet show; children and adult ital and American games; ital merchandise and souvenirs; outside vendor sales (contact director); and evening street dance with live music Great Fun at Finlay Park.

Autumn Splendor Show Friday, Nov 6 10:00a to 9:00pat Village Artists, Columbia, SC. The Autumn Splendor show will feature fall themed art works through Nov 15 at Village Artists gallery.More than 250 pieces of art are being offered for sale by 28 local artists who work in watercolor, acrylic, oil and other specialized media. The paintings and other media start at $20 and range up to $8,000. Browsing is encouraged. Artists frequently paint in the windows of the gallery and art classes are offered throughout the year.

SC Reptile and exotic animal show Saturday, Nov 7 10:00a at Jamil Shrine Temple, Columbia, SC. The South Carolina Reptile & Exotic Animal Show is a reptile event featuring vendors offering reptile pets, supplies, feeders, cages, and merchandise. Participate in free raffles held for enthusiasts and kid’s activities including puppet shows.

Annual Fall Bulb Sale Saturday, Nov 7 9:00a at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, Columbia, SC at Bog Garden Plaza in the Botanical Garden. Get your garden in the spotlight with these highly acclaimed bulbs.

Swing Dancing and Lessons Friday, Nov 6 7:00p to Saturday, Nov 7 12:00a at Big Apple, Columbia, SC Learn swing dance with Columbia dance favorites Richard Durlach and Breedlove who will take dancers back to the era of the Big Apple Dance Club. It was at the Big Apple club where the Big Apple dance craze began, becoming one of the most popular dances of the 20th century.

Columbia Signature Chef Auction Sunday, Nov 8 5:30p at Embassy Suites Columbia - Greystone, Columbia, SC The 10th annual Signature Chefs Auction is an annual, black-tie event which pays tribute to the culinary excellence of leading local chefs, restaurant owners and caterers in the Midlands.This evening of entertainment combines a reception, gourmet sampling and silent auction with the excitement of a live auction.

Veterans Day Parade Wednesday, Nov 11 10:00a at Main Street, Columbia, SC Southeast's largest Veterans Day Parade--a spectacular procession of marching high school bands, military equipment and marching installations from around the state is a special tribute to veterans. 11,000 attendees expected.

Lexington South Carolina Real Estate Market Report October 2009 area 11 of Lexington County zip code 29072

59 homes Left Active
12 Active Contingent
19 Active Contingent on Inspection
92 Pending Contracts 108 Closed Contracts

Average days on the market for Lexington South Carolina Real Estate was 100 days to contract which remains well below the national average and up from the September 2009 Market report by 2 days.

The Lexington South Carolina Real Estate Market remains strong. For more information on Lexington SC homes for sale and things to do in Lexington SC please contact me.

Thinking About Buying Your First Lexington SC Home?

Thinking about purchasing a home of your own? Keep these critical considerations in mind when looking for your Lexington South Carolina home for sale. : Tip 5 0f 5

Where the money for the transaction will come from?

Typically homebuyers will need some money for a down payment and closing costs. However, with today's broad range of loan options, having a lot of money saved for a down payment is not always necessary - if you can prove that you are a good financial risk to a lender. If your credit isn't stellar but you have managed to save 10-20% for a down payment, you will still appear to be a very good financial risk to a lender.

things to do around Lexington South Carolina

Willie Nelson In Concert Tuesday, Nov 3 7:30p at Koger Center for the Arts, Columbia, SC If you have never seen Willie in concert this is the time. As a songwriter and a performer, Willie Nelson played a vital role in post-rock & roll country music. Although he didn't become a star until the mid-'70s, Nelson spent the '60s writing songs that became hits for stars like Ray Price ("Night Life"), Patsy Cline ("Crazy"), Faron Young ("Hello Walls"), and Billy Walker ("Funny How Time Slips Away") as well as releasing a series of records on Liberty and RCA that earned him a small, but devoted, cult following. During the early '70s, Willie aligned himself with Waylon Jennings and the burgeoning outlaw country movement that made him into a star in 1975.Now and forever.

Dinosaurs : Mesozoic Monsters Friday, Oct 30 10:00a to 5:00p at South Carolina State Museum, Columbia, SC. Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Allosaurus and other prehistoric monsters come roaring to life in this hands-on learning adventure. Featuring 12 robotic dinosaurs and a full-size T-rex skull, this exhibit explores how these awesome creatures lived and died. Activities include digging for “fossils,” “design a dino” and more.

Autum Splendor show Friday, Oct 30 10:00a to 9:00p at Village Artists, Columbia, SC. The Autumn Splendor show will feature fall themed art works through Nov 15 at Village Artists gallery.

Gore and Folklore tour Friday, Oct 30 7:00p to 8:30pm at SC Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum, Columbia, SC . Come to the Sixth Annual Gore and Folklore Halloween tours for an evening of ghosts, legends and frights! Ghoulish guides will lead participants on a spooky journey with costumed interpretations of unusual and hair-raising tales associated with both the Civil War and World War I. Guests will hear ghostly stories of strange and unusual events, visit a haunted trench and meet many memorable specters along the way.

Spinners Resort Haunted Trail Friday, Oct 30 7:00p to Saturday, Oct 31 12:00a at Spinner's Resort Haunted Trail, Batesburg-Leesville, SC.A terror too big to hold indoors....Do you Dare?... Come walk (or run) the wooded trail with Director James Chapman, and cast from Lander College and LHS. Spinner's Sand Bar open for all performances; includes great food, full bar, coffee, hot chocolate and more. Outdoor footwear is advised. Attraction not recommended for children under 10. Spinners in Lexington.

Lake Murray Community Halloween Carnival Saturday, Oct 31 4:00p to 8:00p at Lake Murray Community Center, Lexington, SC Halloween Carnival- everyone is invited. pony ride, hay ride, chicken stew dinner & corn-dogs with french fries, sweet shop, country store, Bingo & games. Costume contest at 7pm. 1003 St Peter's Rd., Lexington, SC, 29072 (803) 356-4055

Trick Or Treat on Devine Street Downtown Columbia SC Saturday, Oct 31 12:00p to 3:00pat Devine Street, Columbia, SC . Bring your kids for tricking treating with local Devine Street merchants and bring the family for a ghoulish good time.

Thinking About Buying Your First Lexington SC Home?

Thinking about purchasing a home of your own? Keep these critical considerations in mind when looking for your Lexington South Carolina home for sale. : Tip 4 0f 5

Your credit and home affordability.

Is now the right time financially for you to buy a home? Would you rate your financial picture as healthy? Is your credit good? While you can always find a lender to lend you money, solid lenders are more skeptical if your credit history is not good. Generally, a couple of blemishes on a credit report will make you a good credit risk and could qualify you for the lowest interest rates. If you have more than a couple of blemishes on your report, lenders like Quicken Loans may still provide you with a loan, but you may just have to pay a higher interest rate and fees.

Some say that you should refrain from borrowing as much as you qualify for because it is wiser not to stretch your financial boundaries. The other school of thought says you should stretch to buy as much home as you can afford, because with regular pay raises and increased earning potential, the big payment today will seem like less of a payment tomorrow. This is a decision only you can make. Are you in a position where you expect to make more money soon? Would you rather be conservative and fairly certain that you can make your payment without stretching financially? Make sure that whatever you do, it's within your comfort zone.

To determine how much home you can afford, talk to a lender or go online and use a "home affordability" calculator. Good calculators will give you a range of what you may qualify for. Then call a lender. While some may say that the "28/36" rule applies, in today's home mortgage market, lenders are making loans customized to a particular person's situation. The "28/36" rule means that your monthly housing costs can't exceed 28 percent of your income and your total debt load can't exceed 36 percent of your total monthly income. Depending on your assets, credit history, job potential and other factors, lenders can push the ratios up to 40-60% or higher. While I'm not advocating you purchase a home utilizing the higher ratios, its important for you to know your options.