Jackie Kyles ABR, CNE, RLI

The news this week is that foreclosures increased a full 81 percent last year. In all, more than 2.3 million Americans - representing more than 860,000 properties - grappled with foreclosure proceedings in 2008.

Nearly 79,000 of those properties were repossessed by lenders in December, up 17 percent from the month before - and a 61 percent increase from 2007. S.C. foreclosure rates have lagged behind other states. S.C. stood at 30th in the nation, with a foreclosure rate of 0.76 percent.

The news represents a glimmer of hope for first-time buyers, who for the first time in years can afford to purchase based on low prices and interest rates, with the median sales price last month being $145,000, and investors, who are starting to buy homes that they can now cash flow monthly, or at a minimum get very close to cash flowing.

There are 88 properties listed as foreclosures on the Piedmont Multiple Listing Service in York County right now. But, foreclosures are not the only good deals out there! I have seen builders selling their properties for less than their asking price which has been unheard of in our area. Of course this depends on the builder, how many homes they have on the books and if those homes have been sitting there for a while.

Now is an AWESOME time to buy a home, with interest rates at an all time low and the recession playing it's part on the housing prices why would you want to wait to purchase a home? Of course you need a seasoned Realtor that knows what is happening in the market...someone that knows how to negiotiate without pushing that seller over the edge. Yes, you can push so far that you end up losing the greatest deal ever. I have gotten some really great deals for a number of clients recently and the hard part for a buyer is being patient.

If you are looking to buy a home give me a call and I will be happy to use my expertise to get you a great deal!

The news this week is that foreclosures increased a full 81 percent last year. In all, more than 2.3 million Americans - representing more than 860,000 properties - grappled with foreclosure proceedings in 2008.

Nearly 79,000 of those properties were repossessed by lenders in December, up 17 percent from the month before - and a 61 percent increase from 2007. S.C. foreclosure rates have lagged behind other states. S.C. stood at 30th in the nation, with a foreclosure rate of 0.76 percent.

The news represents a glimmer of hope for first-time buyers, who for the first time in years can afford to purchase based on low prices and interest rates, with the median sales price last month being $145,000, and investors, who are starting to buy homes that they can now cash flow monthly, or at a minimum get very close to cash flowing.

There are 88 properties listed as foreclosures on the Piedmont Multiple Listing Service in York County right now. But, foreclosures are not the only good deals out there! I have seen builders selling their properties for less than their asking price which has been unheard of in our area. Of course this depends on the builder, how many homes they have on the books and if those homes have been sitting there for a while.

Now is an AWESOME time to buy a home, with interest rates at an all time low and the recession playing it's part on the housing prices why would you want to wait to purchase a home? Of course you need a seasoned Realtor that knows what is happening in the market...someone that knows how to negiotiate without pushing that seller over the edge. Yes, you can push so far that you end up losing the greatest deal ever. I have gotten some really great deals for a number of clients recently and the hard part for a buyer is being patient.

If you are looking to buy a home give me a call and I will be happy to use my expertise to get you a great deal!

There is a great new group of people that have gotten together for the good of our pets in SC. These people are from different rescue groups and others are just people that rescue animals on their own. The group is located in York County, SC. We will be concentrating on York County and Chester County to start with. We are looking to help educate the public on how to be a responsible pet owners, along with the importance of spaying and neutering their pets and low cost programs. We will have our new website up and running within 2 weeks and hope that this will be something that people will be able to use as a resource when they are not sure which way to turn. We hope to stop the needless abuse that goes on far to much in this area. People just do not get that their pets need food, water and shelter everyday not just everyday they think about it. Please check back every few days and I will attach the link to the new website as soon as it is up and running!

I have finished my numbers for the single family home market in Rock Hill, SC for the month of December 2008. The month of December was slow which we always contribute to the holidays. Even though the holidays do tend to be slower I have to admit that I actually sold more homes this December than I did last December. I contribute most of my business to the fact that I put forth great effort to make sure that my clients are always happy with my services and I refuse to think doom and gloom! It is a AWESOME time to purchase or refinance a home! The interest rates are at an ALL time low which means if you are thinking of purchasing a larger home, you can actually get a lot of house for a great price! Your interest rate plays a big role in your monthly payment...now is not the time to bury your head in the sand because you think that real estate is not a good investment. Real estate will pick back up...will you miss the boat on the good deals? Remember you buy low and sell high!

For the month of December 2008 in Rock Hill there were 695 available homes. Only 50 homes sold in the month of December 2008! Congratulations to those of you that made a purchase and extra congratulations to my clients that closed in December because we know we negotiated a few KILLER deals!!!!

If you would like a more detailed breakdown of the prices or different areas of the homes that sold verse those that are available please either call or email me and I would be happy to give you those stats!!!