If you don’t know, the Tega Cay sign ordinance bans many types of directional signs in the city limits. Real estate signs are allowed on the seller’s property with limitations but directional signs like open houses or branded company signs pointing the way to homes for sale in a neighborhood are not allowed at any time. So why are some real estate companies or agents not following the ordinance or the city enforcing the sign ordinance?
The picture above was taken on Saturday September 27, 2008 is an example of a non-compliant real estate directional sign. The sign has been up every weekend at the corner of Beachwood Cove and Shoreline Parkway pointing traffic on Shoreline Parkway to a home for sale on Beachwood Cove. The sign is up as I write this post Sunday morning. By the way, this was not the only directional sign up this weekend.
So why am I writing this post? First of all this is a personal commentary from me and not solicited or approved commentary from Carmen or Century 21 First Choice. I am frustrated with the lack of compliance and cooperation from the city, real estate agents, and their brokerage firms. Here is a little background to my story.
At one point in the past Carmen called the city admin office and was told it was ok to put signs up on the weekends. Trying to perform her best for her clients, Carmen purchased and put out directional signs every weekend for marketing open houses and her listings in Tega Cay. Directional signs are a standard effective practice in the industry. She never thought it was not allowed because of what she was told and you can see several other directional signs in Tega Cay most weekends.
At some point a complaint must have been voiced and Pete with Century 21 First Choice asked Carmen and all his agents to comply with the sign ordinance. Carmen being good business citizen and resident is complying.
So why do we continue to see signs up every weekend from other companies? Are these agents or companies not being asked by the city to comply? Is there an unfair standard on who is allowed to put up directional signs or simply a lack of communication and ordinance knowledge?
I know it is very difficult for Carmen to explain to her Tega Cay clients why she does not put up directional signs while her clients see directional signs on other homes for sale in Tega Cay weekly. It’s very frustrating to current home sellers who want all of the possible sign marketing support they can get to help sell their home in these challenge times. It is estimated that home buyer transactions/traffic is down significantly this year to last in Tega Cay.
Carmen has voiced her opinion to some of the Tega Cay City council members about this matter. She has also proposed to the city council a city wide “sanctioned” open house weekend for all homes for sale in Tega Cay. Her plan included all brokerage firms and agents with homes for sale in Tega Cay to have a special weekend open house all at the same time. All she asked from the city was to allow temporary directional signs to be posted for this special weekend event. She would manage the event. Some members of the council did not think this special weekend event was necessary. I image they would think differently if they were trying to sell their home right now.
So what is your opinion of the sign ordinance? I would like to hear your comments.
Link to post from Homesfortmill.com
Carmen S Miller
Century 21 First ChoiceFort Mill, SC803.322.3479carmen.miller@century21.com
I see many inquiries coming into Carmen’s blog asking for the distance between Charlotte North Carolina and Fort Mill South Carolina. As you may have read in Carmen’s market research posts (Fort Mill SC Rank 6 Out Of Ten Fastest Growing Metros), the Fort Mill and Tega Cay area is part of the Charlotte NC MSA (metropolitan statistical area) for census and other analysis basis. I guess you could say Fort Mill and Tega Cay are close enough to be considered suburbs of Charlotte. So here are the distance and drive time facts related to the distance between Charlotte and Fort Mill.
Fort Mill is located south of Charlotte of interstate 77. The North Carolina and South Carolina northern border on interstate 77 is 7.8 miles or 15 minutes drive time from downtown Fort Mill. The western NC/SC border on Highway 160 is 6 miles or 8 minutes drive time to downtown Fort Mill. The eastern NC/SC border to highway 521 is 6.6 miles or 11 minutes drive time to downtown Fort Mill.
Tega Cay is located 6.2 miles or 11 minutes drive time from downtown Fort Mill. Downtown Charlotte to Tega Cay or Fort Mill is approx 18.9 miles or 23 minutes drive time. If you live in Tega Cay or Fort Mill and work in south Charlotte near Westinghouse and Interstate 77 the distance is 8 miles and 11 minutes Drive time.
Headed further south on Interstate 77 is Rock Hill South Carolina which is 6 miles and 8 minutes drive time from downtown Fort Mill. If you take business highway 21 it is approx 4 miles to Rock Hill from Fort Mill.
There is a real benefit living in a smaller town like Fort Mill or Tega Cay (especially on Lake Wylie)(read top-10-reasons-to-live-in-fort-mill-sc) but when you want the larger city amenities like; work, shopping, sports (Panthers, Bobcats, Checkers) , restaurants, and other fun (Carolwinds Amusement Park), its nice to have Charlotte nearby.
Link to posted from Homesfortmill.com
Carmen S Miller
Century 21 First ChoiceFort Mill, SC803.322.3479carmen.miller@century21.com
The South Carolina Realtors Association has published their home sales MLS data for the first half of the year. Below are homes sales including condos and villas for the Piedmont region which includes York, Lancaster, and Chester counties (includes Fort Mill, Tega Cay, Lake Wylie, Rock Hill).
First Quarter Home, Condo, and Villa Sales Comparisons
JAN-MAR 2007-JAN-MAR 2008
957 Homes..............701 Homes
A 26.75% decrease from last year
Median Price of Home, Condo, or Villa
$154,000................$145,000
A 5.83% decrease from last year.
Second Quarter Home, Condo, and Villa Sales Comparisons
APR-JUN 2007-APR-JUN 2008
1104 Homes..............872 Homes
A 21.01% decrease from last year
Median Price of Home, Condo, or Villa
$174,000................$158,000
A 9.20% decrease from last year
YTD Home, Condo, and Villa Sales Comparisons Thru July 15th 2008
YTD 2007----YTD 2008
2454 Homes.............1830 Homes
A 25.4% decrease from last year
Median Price of Home, Condo, or Villa
$159,000...............$158,000
A 0.6% decrease from last year
The average days on the market is almost the same as this time last year at 131 days.
Remember this MLS sales data includes three south Carolina counties which are York, Lancaster, and Chester. Fort Mill, Tega cay, Lake Wylie SC, and Rock Hill home sales are included in the sales data region.
For more information or to discuss the market analysis further please contact me.
This post is from Homesfortmill.com
Carmen S Miller
Century 21 First ChoiceFort Mill, SC803.322.3479carmen.miller@century21.com
The city wants to stop temporary home rentals shorter than 90 days. Tega Cay residents have complained to city officials about temporary home renters. Their complaint is about renters renting homes for or a week, weekend, and sometimes daily.
The Tega Cay city council discussed adding an amendment to the current zoning ordnance that would specifically prohibit renting a home for less than 90 days. The council was divided based on their discussion. Some of the council members claimed enforcement would be the challenge with the possible new amendment.
It's hard to believe that Tega Cay would be a weekend resort destination like Myrtle Beach. Maybe that is not a fair comparison. Tega Cay was in its beginning mostly a gated weekend resort community on Lake Wylie but hasn't that changed now? Has this issue become a bigger issue because of the housing and mortgage bubble? If this were the case wouldn't these want be home owners/tenants rent longer? So who are these short term renters and why are they renting just a few days? Are they vacationers or just transients? Maybe more will come to light when the council discusses this issue again in the future.
Link to post from Homesfortmill.com
Carmen S Miller
Century 21 First ChoiceFort Mill, SC803.322.3479carmen.miller@century21.com
We have had a good amount of rain recently in the York County, Fort Mill, Tega Cay area. Duke Energy is reporting Lake Wylie to be a half a foot higher than the targeted lake level. The US Drought Monitor run by the University of Nebraska has just changed our rating from severe to moderate. So do we need to continue the restriction of watering our lawns one day a week?
The Lake Wylie Pilot reported Rock Hill officials will relook at the water restrictions for lawn and plant watering at the end of the month. Fort Mill officials say they will hold the course with the current stage 3 restrictions.
I would image that Fort Mill, Tega Cay and other area communities will keep their restrictions in place until they are advised otherwise by the Catawba-Wateree Drought Management Advisory Group (CW-DMAG). A link to the CW-DMAG information http://www.duke-energy.com/lakes/cwdmag.asp.
See my June 2008 post about water restrictions for more info http://homesfortmill.com/tega-cay-news/lawns-turn-brown-even-with-tega-cay-sc-revised-water-restrictions-may-31st-2008/
Link to posted from Homesfortmill.com
Carmen S Miller
Century 21 First ChoiceFort Mill, SC803.322.3479carmen.miller@century21.com
Century 21®First Choice Realtor® in Tega Cay SC, Fort Mill SC, Lake Wylie SC, Rock Hill SC, South Charlotte NC. Awarded Top 100 Producing Century 21® Realtors in South Carolina and North Georgia.
I am a licensed Realtor® ABR in North and South Carolina. I am proud to be a Realtor® with Century 21 First Choice. I am also a professional decorator. I live in beautiful Tega Cay, SC. I work in the following areas but not limited to : Tega Cay, SC. - Fort Mill, SC. - Lake Wylie, SC. - Rock Hill, SC. - Charlotte, NC.
I am married and have three wonderful children. We moved to South Carolina from Katy, Texas when my husband changed jobs. I was born in South America and my family moved to the United States when I was ten. While we miss our families in Texas (and we miss the great Mexican food!), we are truly at home in South Carolina. We cherish its beauty, the charm and graciousness of the people, and we respect its wholesome environment to raise our children.
We love living here so much that helping a family find their perfect home in our area is not a job, it's an absolute pleasure!
Our family enjoys the boating on the lake. If I was to say I have a hobby it would be entertaining. I thoroughly enjoy entertaining friends and host as many "events" as we can throughout the year. Not having family close by has taught us to treasure our friendships and we are very fortunate to live in an area with so many great people.
HOW MY EXPERIECE CAN HELP ME SELL YOUR HOME
- Interior Designer- I have over six years of business ownership and hands on experience as an Interior Designer. I will personally, and at no additional cost to you, showcase your home and its special features to potential buyers. Not only will I give you general suggestions on how to get your home ready to sell, I know what it takes to give your house that "model home" feel and I can get it done!
- Human Resources- Before staying home to raise my children I worked as a Human Resource Specialist. Dealing with multiple personalities, managing training goals, and providing the "people" resources for different companies developed my listening and follow through skills that will now apply to working with my real estate clients.
- Volunteer Experience- During the last twelve years I have been involved in my children's schools and PTA Organizations. I have held Executive Board positions ranging from Fund Raising to Volunteer Management. My children have always been my number one priority and I am a firm believer in our parental involvement being a key factor of our children's success.
To me being a volunteer means devoting precious hours towards the greater good without expectation of financial return. I have always devoted my time to the things that I am passionate about, and the programs and opportunities that I love. I am passionate about real estate, and I love doing my job. My passion translates to the hours and effort I will give to marketing and selling your home.
- Home Buyer/Home Seller- Over the last ten years my family has moved four times. I am personally familiar with the worries and stress of selling a home. I understand the concerns of pricing, the worries of market issues, and the stress of showing a home. While every market is different every home will sale! My homes all sold within a few weeks of listing. I can use that experience to showcase your home to all its advantages.
Having been a home seller those many times also makes me an experienced home buyer. Not only can I offer you a comprehensive market analysis, provide you with a detailed marketing plan, and the support, experience and services of Century 21 First Choice, I can also give you an unbiased, professional opinion of what a buyer sees and thinks when they walk into your house. I can guarantee that when a buyer walks into a house I've listed and staged, they WILL BE IMPRESSED!
OTHER EXCELLENT QUALITIES
- Client Driven
- Quality Service
- Budget Minded
- Detail Oriented
- Versatile
- Enthusiastic
- ABR certified
- A Proven Track Record of Selling Homes!
Over the years I have bought and sold many properties and had the occasion to work with many different Realtors. Of all those real estate experiences, your service, dedication and professionalism have been exemplary. You are, by far, the best realty professional I have ever had the pleasure to work with. ... You have gone above and beyond and done everything possible to market our home in the best possible light. ... I would be happy to recommend you to anyone we know who would be seeking a Realtor in this area and will be more than happy to serve as a reference and recommendation for you in the future.
Sincerely,
Jill & Richard BossiTega Cay, SC.≈ ≈ ≈
To Whom it may concern,
I would state the experience I have had working with Carmen Miller from Century 21 Real Estate. Carmen listed my home in Tega Cay, SC in the Fall of 2007. First I would like to state that I interviewed several realtors to list my home. I was very impressed with Carmen's professional presentation of herself and the company she represented. She was very thorough on what she represented and what she would do to sell my home. She illustrated how current technology would assist in the sale of the home. I was updated frequently on showings of my house. After signing the listing contract, my home was staged, a virtual tour was developed and published on the internet immediately. Carmen's persistence, hard work, and professional advice helped me understand the steps we would take in the sale of the home. I would highly recommend Carmen Miller as a listing or buying agent. I also hired her as my buying agent which resulted in an immediate home purchase for myself.
Sincerely,
Steve KingTega Cay, SC.≈ ≈ ≈
After selling our home in less than six weeks when neighbors' homes sat for over a year, we were extremely pleased with our decision to use Carmen Miller of Century 21 as our Realtor. There are several reasons we selected Carmen over other agents in the area and would continue to use her in the future:
· To showcase our home, unlike any other agents, Carmen utilized her several years of interior design experience. Carmen was able to emphasize our homes' selling assets and identify areas in need of improvement in a courteous and professional manner. For example, she helped us reposition furniture and remove clutter to make certain rooms appear larger and more functional. Additionally, she made suggestions to enhance our landscaping during the drought to make first impressions lasting impressions.
· To target the more sophisticated, high priced buyers from out-of-state or country under time-constraints, Carmen insisted on hiring a professional to create a virtual tour for Internet marketing.
· To help identify a competitive price point for listing our home, Carmen prepared a comprehensive feature sheet highlighting the upgrades in our home. Then she even took the time to walk the competition and extensively researched the previously sold comparable homes in the area to create a market analysis. With a little short of a full price offer, she knew exactly how to price our home to sell it in a timely manner.
· To bring in buyers, Carmen along with Century 21s experience helped attract qualified buyers through local and national advertising plans in home publications, newspapers and Internet websites.
· To insure proper traffic for our open house, Carmen notified her extensive list of neighborhood contacts utilizing her friends-refer-friends approach to marketing along with her local advertising. Additionally, she provided proper signage making the home easy to find; she supplied snacks and drinks to make buyers feel welcome; and provided buyers with a plethora of information on the home, neighborhood and surrounding areas selling features.
· To make the showing process more comfortable for us, she used Centralized Showing. This company called us ahead of time to let us know when our home was being shown.
· To prepare for any offers, Carmen once again thought ahead with a specification book including frequently asked questions, home warranty information, annual utility budget sheet and more.
· To ensure an efficient closing, she was organized and able to identify what she needed from us and kept in close contact with the buyer's agent and closing agency.
• Most importantly to create a lifetime client, she sold our home for the right price in the right time.
We appreciated Carmen's Internet savvy and fresh approach to selling our home. She was always professional, organized and enthusiastic as I'm sure she'll be with the sale of your home or property. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact either one of us.
Best wishes,
Eve and Dennis McCaffreyTega Cay, SC.
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