Before you make your final buying or selling decision, you should have the home inspected by a professional. An inspection can alert you to potential problems with a property and allow you to make an informed decision. Ask these questions to prospective home inspectors:
1. Will your inspection meet recognized standards? Ask whether the inspection and the inspection report will meet all state requirements and comply with a well-recognized standard of practice and code of ethics, such as the one adopted by the American Society of Home Inspectors or the National Association of Home Inspectors. Customers can view each group’s standards of practice and code of ethics online at www.ashi.org or www.nahi.org. ASHI’s Web site also provides a database of state regulations.
2. Do you belong to a professional home inspector association? There are many state and national associations for home inspectors, including the two groups mentioned in No. 1. Unfortunately, some groups confer questionable credentials or certifications in return for nothing more than a fee. Insist on members of reputable, nonprofit trade organizations; request to see a membership ID.
3. How experienced are you? Ask how long inspectors have been in the profession and how many inspections they’ve completed. They should provide customer referrals on request. New inspectors also may be highly qualified, but they should describe their training and let you know whether they plan to work with a more experienced partner.
4. How do you keep your expertise up to date? Inspectors’ commitment to continuing education is a good measure of their professionalism and service. Advanced knowledge is especially important in cases in which a home is older or includes unique elements requiring additional or updated training.
5. Do you focus on residential inspection? Make sure the inspector has training and experience in the unique discipline of home inspection, which is very different from inspecting commercial buildings or a construction site. If your customers are buying a unique property, such as a historic home, they may want to ask whether the inspector has experience with that type of property in particular.
6. Will you offer to do repairs or improvements? Some state laws and trade associations allow the inspector to provide repair work on problems uncovered during the inspection. However, other states and associations forbid it as a conflict of interest. Contact your local ASHI chapter to learn about the rules in your state.
7. How long will the inspection take? On average, an inspector working alone inspects a typical single-family house in two to three hours; anything significantly less may not be thorough. If your customers are purchasing an especially large property, they may want to ask whether additional inspectors will be brought in.
8. What’s the cost? Costs can vary dramatically, depending on your region, the size and age of the house, and the scope of services. The national average for single-family homes is about $320, but customers with large homes can expect to pay more. Customers should be wary of deals that seem too good to be true.
9. What type of inspection report do you provide? Ask to see samples to determine whether you will understand the inspector's reporting style. Also, most inspectors provide their full report within 24 hours of the inspection.
10. Will I be able to attend the inspection? The answer should be yes. A home inspection is a valuable educational opportunity for the buyer. An inspector's refusal to let the buyer attend should raise a red flag.
Source: Rob Paterkiewicz, executive director, American Society of Home Inspectors, Des Plaines, Ill., www.ashi.org
I am sure by now some of you have read the article in the Independent about Joe Taylor, the Secretary of Commerce from the South Carolina Department of Commerce having a meeting with county officials and Anderson SC REALTORS. I was there and it was quite informative. But why did we have this meeting?
In these rough economic times, it is imperative that we lay the groundwork for future growth in Anderson County. South Carolina was very lucky to get Boeing to locate here in SC. Read this article that talks about the possibility that Boeing will help SC recover from the recession earlier. The Engineering firm that is working on the new facility is located in Greenville. This is a great example of how the impact will be felt statewide.
Some people like to point to SC being a right to work state as being the reason for us landing Boeing. However, one big factor that many are not aware of was the land. Specifically the land Boeing was considering had already been zoned correctly. If it was going to take months to change the zoning, Boeing would have marked SC off their list.
The key to attracting new companies to Anderson County is having available sites and buildings suitable for large industrial applications ready now. Not ready in a couple of weeks or months but ready today! Anderson County has 29 sites and nine buildings that qualify for large uses according to the SC Commerce department. There may be more, but unless the owner and the county work to get the zoning and utilities in place, well sadly the property may not sell for many many years.
Anderson County is blessed with I-81 passing right through and giving us over 60 miles of interstate frontage. Plus since we are almost directly the halfway point between Charlotte and Atlanta it also gives us another advantage. But have you also considered that because of the multiple rail carriers and dual line service in some areas, that potential manufacturers will want to locate in Anderson County? With all of the potential land in Anderson county, it is hard to believe that there are not more sites available.
Anderson county is also blessed with a great quality of life with the lakes, mountains, and a wonderful downtown that is growing.Plus Anderson County already has an established manufacturing base with Bosch, Michelin, Hexcel, Milliken, Electrolux and many other great companies. If these manufacturing facilities can be successful in Anderson County, there is no doubt that any company looking for a location to excel should look at Anderson County South Carolina.
Secretary Taylor also talked about how potential commercial development is linked to our workforce and the excellent training opportunities available from Clemson, Anderson University, Erskine, Southern Wesleyan and according to Taylor, the one factor that manufacturing companies look at and are impressed: Tri County Tech!
But in addition to these factors making Anderson County SC a great location for future development is the low cost of energy in our area. Duke Energy provides some of lowest cost power in SC and the US.
Plus because of our low labor costs and great cost of living, many potential manufacturing companies are amazed at the bang for your buck you can get in Anderson County.
But for all the great stuff Anderson County has going for it, there still remain some work to be done. A good industrial site should have:
Now I know that many people think they can sit on land and eventually someone will make them an offer. Maybe if you are lucky but seriously unless it is listed, unless it is zoned correctly, has the utilities in place and unless your agent is taking the steps to make sure the SC Department of Commerce, Anderson County officials and everybody else knows about your land, you are fighting a losing battle. Unadvertised, secret or "pocket" listings will not sell large tracts of land for potential commercial development.
We all want to see Anderson County grow and feel secure about our future. We all want our friends, neighbors and children to be able to find a good paying job right here in Anderson County. But with out planning for the future, and getting the county officials to have the correct zoning and infrastructure to attract more development we are fighting a losing battle.
The fact that the Anderson County council is working to see what needs to be done to get more businesses to locate here is great. But they cannot do it alone. It will take everyone in Anderson County working together to ensure Anderson County continues to grow. The County Council had the wisdom to contact both the SC Department of Commerce and the local REALTORS to help in the quest to attract more businesses to Anderson County.
Some people hate to see politicians give new businesses some type of tax incentive to locate here. What they do not realize is the small tax break we give will be more than made up in revenue from other areas because of the company locating in Anderson County. Believe me, I have no love for politicians. But at least it appears the Anderson County Council is trying.
We need more jobs and it is great to see the SC Department of Commerce, the Anderson County Council and the REALTORS from Anderson County looking at ways to improve Anderson County.
I found this list of helpful tips and thought it might help anyone looking to sell a home in Upstate SC. You can make your home more appealing for yourself and potential buyers with these quick and easy tips:
1. Trim bushes so they don’t block windows or architectural details.
2. Mow your lawn, and turn on the sprinklers for 30 minutes before the showing to make the lawn sparkle.
3. Put a pot of bright flowers (or a small evergreen in winter) on your porch.
4. Install new doorknobs on your front door.
5. Repair any cracks in the driveway.
6. Edge the grass around walkways and trees.
7. Keep your garden tools and hoses out of sight.
8. Clear toys from the lawn.
9. Buy a new mailbox.
10. Upgrade your outside lighting.
11. Buy a new doormat for the outside of your front door.
12. Clean your windows, inside and outside.
13. Polish or replace your house numbers.
14. Place a seasonal wreath on your door.
Reprinted from REALTOR magazine (Realtor.org/realtormag) with permission of the National Association of REALTORS. Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
1.27 acres for sale in Anderson South Carolina. Hanna, Concord and McCants schools. Very nice residential lot. Lightly wooded with nice view and very nice homes around it. A great place to build your dream home. Asking $40000 but submit all offers!
The Brooks Center for the Performing Arts is Clemson University’s home for the performing arts. But some people may not be aware that they also are a great place to check out art! And they are having a FREE art exhibit right now!
The Brooks Center is having an exhibition called Caffeine South and it will showcase the art of several Upstate artists. The Brooks Center is in partnership with The Arts Center of Clemson for this exhibit. All kinds of interesting and different types of art is being shown such as paintings, mixed media sculptures, collages, and assemblages. The art has been created by local artists such as Allen Coleman, Lynn Greer, Eileen Powell, Alexia Timberlake, Deborah Pagano, Darlene Fuhst, and J.J. Ohlinger.
The FREE exhibition will be available to view in the Brooks Center Lobby during regular box office hours, 1-5 p.m., beginning Monday, Nov. 9, through Wednesday, Dec. 9. The exhibits can also be seen during Brooks Center performances. It sure is nice to see the residents of Upstate SC can enjoy fine art without having to drive several hours. I hope you remember to tell your friends and neighbors about the Brooks Center.
The Brooks Center, located in Clemson, provides quality education in fine arts, music, and personal development for all ages. The center offers numerous exhibitions of original art work, most created by artists living in the area and throughout South Carolina.
To find out more information, directions or to purchase tickets online
Please visit The Brooks Center for the Performing Arts Website
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