Tonya D Graves

Are you thinking about buying a home in Columbia, SC ? Maybe it is your first home, or maybe you have bought homes in the past. Home loan qualifications are ever changing. Unless you are paying cash for your next home purchase you need to get pre-approved. Buying a home is a process and every process has steps. The first step every buyer should take in buying a home is getting pre-approved. Pre-approval means allowing a banker or mortgage broker to review your credit, employment history and assets. It is a simple process that only takes minutes. Reasons for a buyer to get pre-approved:

• To find out if they qualify to buy a home (this one is HUGE).
• To find out if they need to work on their credit.
• To find out the price range they can afford.
• To find out how much money they will need to put down.
• To learn about associated expenses involved in buying a home.
• Many sellers will not consider an offer without a written pre-appoval.

A buyer should never assume they can get a loan. Buyers should take time to find out if they can be pre-approved. If they can't get pre-approved today, the banker or mortgage broker can tell them what can be done to qualify later. This simple suggestion will save home buyers the pain of finding a dream home only to learn they cannot purchase it. Call or email the nice folks at Carolina Home Mortgage Group to get pre-approved today (803) 665-3765 .

When: March 14 (today) 9am - 8pm & March 15 11am- 6pm

What: Home & Garden Show

Where: SC State Fairgrounds

Admission is $6 per person; kids 12 and under FREE

The Columbia Carolina Classic Home & Garden Show is presented by The Home Builders Association of Greater Columbia and is the largest show if its kind in the Columbia SC area. More than 300 exhibitors will be on hand displaying and discussing things such as home improvement, gardening, and real estate. There will also be a number of educational seminars on topics such as home improvement, home buying, and green topics. Look for me and my co-workers at the EXIT Real Estate booth!

A non profit group, NACA, is bringing its Save The Dream program to Columbia, SC on March 13-15. This event held at the Carolina Coliseum is giving people who own Columbia SC real estate and are struggling a chance to reduce their mortgage payments. This program is for home owners who are in or near foreclosure. Loan counselors will work with individuals and their mortgage lenders to try and cut their rate to as low as 2 percent. To participate bring your mortgage statement along with pay stubs from the last 30 days. Preregistration is recommended. When: March 13-15, 209 Where: Carolina Coliseum What: Save The Dream Program

The 2009 homebuyer tax credit simplified:

• Must be 1st time home buyer (defined as someone who hasn't owned a house in 3 years).
• The credit is for 10% of sales price and not to exceed $8,000.
• Must close on the home between 1-1-2009 and 11-30-2009.
• The home must be your primary residence.
• The home must be a single family residence.
• You must meet income requirements (less than $75,000 for single and less than $150,000 for joint).
• The tax credit is applied to your tax liability.
• Any unused tax credit is refunded to you.
• Does not have to be repayed unless you sell the home before 3 years time.
• For more information on the tax credit click here.
• If you are interested in Columbia SC Real Estate I can help!

Blythewood is a city that is considered by most to be part of Northeast Columbia. It is a place where you see new suburbs poppping up, animal farms, and homes with lots of acreage. I used to live in Blythewood and it wasn't uncommon to see deer everyday in the yard and once I even saw a loose bull in the road. Blythewood is changing. The town of Blythewood has grown from one square mile to eight square miles in the last six years. This growth has spurred the town council to make plans. The town of Blythewood has a master plan. Part of the master plan is to create a town center with specialty shops, restaurants, and hotels. There will also be a corridor for retail offering upscale boutiques and fine dining. The master plan for downtown Blythewood will be great for residents looking for fun and activity. If you are considering Columbia SC Real Estate, it is well worth looking a little bit north to Blythewood SC.