About Beaufort's Habersham

Welcome to Habersham -- Habersham is a true original. Inspired by the coastal towns of 100 or so years go, the developers of Habersham have created a totally unique community along the banks of Habersham Creek, and the Broad River. Very few details were overlooked in the planning of this Lowcountry jewel. Streets and intersections were planned to wrap around majestic oak trees, and the community pool overlooks the magnificantly wide and aptly named Broad River. I have first-hand experience in Habersham. My family resided there several years ago. It is a wonderful place to call home. Habersham has been recognized as one of the nation's premier neighborhoods in recent years. Habersham is sprinkled with more than a dozen parks, many of which overlook Broad River, allowing all residents to enjoy the waterfront. Ride through Habersham on a given day, and you are likely to see a game of kick ball or tag underway in one of these parks. Sitting at the front of the neighborhood is a smartly planned lived/work area which allows residents to shop and dine without ever leaving Habersham. There are currently 56 homes and town homes on the market in Habersham, and two homes with pending contracts. Included among these available homes is 16 West Manor, a Ballenger listing which will take your breath away. For more information and virtual tour of Habersham, or the Beaufort, SC real estate market, visit www.explorebeaufortrealestate.com/habersham.asp or email me at Keith@ExploreBeaufortRealEstate.com.

Inventory level is certainly one reason it is clearly a buyers market. Buyers are enjoying their time to be picky, like it or not. After years of sellers having all the say, buyers are exercising their power to dictate exactly how long a property will remain on the market. It isn't simply a "market reaction", it is a buyer's reaction.

If you are a statistical guru, forgive my simplicity, but it seems blatantly clear to me that it is more about the buyer than the daily stock report. Buyers need homes, regardless of what CNN decides to say on Tuesday.

This quarter I have been extremely busy with buyers. I know what they are looking for as well as what the refuse to except.

They are financially capable, Internet savvy, and HGTV literate. They are asking different questions, and demanding answers, not tomorrow, not later, but right now.

If a seller and/or the listing agent isn't prepared to answer, the buyer simply will go next door.

Buyers are taking their time, doing their homework, and viewing just about all the homes in their desired price range.

Sparse landscaping is no longer an option, neither are homes with unusual odors.

New construction is no longer exempt from curb appeal nor will a buyer pay "ticket price".

The buyer is not the ENEMY. It is their time. Sellers need to carefully evaluate their approach, goal, and necessity to sell.

Agents who are still listing and/or showing homes that are not up to par for the competition might as well just go fishing.

It is imperative that sellers are well informed and educated about the competition. That doesn't mean there must be a lingering lecture of the gloom and doom. It does require listing agents to be at the top of their game, as they should be.

Expectations MUST be addressed. Sellers should be prepared to put their best foot forward each and every showing.

Their REALTOR must be knowledgeableand well versed in methods of showcasing the property. The Realtor must have the "A-TEAM" at the ready (Professional Stagers, Photographers, Contractors, Landscapers, whatever the required specialists may be!)

We are all fully aware the economy effects the market; however, sometimes we forget it isn't the market writing an offer....

Buyers are telling us exactly what they want. It is time for sellers and agents to listen.

If it has come time for you to prepare your home for sell, make sure that you interview Realtors who understand the challenges ahead.

I am proud of the effort put forth in my latest "under contract". I worked really hard to make absolutely certain this home was at the fore front of every Realtor's, purchaser's, and prospective purchaser's mind.

At the onset my sellers and I both knew it would take about 9-12 months, based on market data, to reach our goal. It has been exactly 8 months.

This couple found me through a Localism Post. They contacted me and asked me to list their home. There was no awkward first-time meeting, no doubt about my professionalism, and actually no question as to whether or not I had the listing. I didn't present them with my usual listing presentation or my portfolio of testimonials.

They asked for my advice and counsel, and followed every suggestion. It was, for lack of a better word, a partnership.

They trusted me, they believed in me, and they allowed me to do my job. This confidence all stemmed from a post I had written one early Sunday morning.

After all the paperwork was done, my sellers and I enjoyed a cup of coffee in their beautiful home as we have done so many times before. We talked about their upcoming purchase (which I referred to an agent from ACTIVE RAIN in Port Lucie, FL), and how much fun we have had during this entire process.

I am going to miss them. I am really going to miss them.

As I was leaving, I told them thank-you for allowing me the opportunity to represent them.

I made a joke about reasons why they may have chosen me. I asked them if it was the alphabet soup that follows my name, my ability to catch a fish on any given day, or maybe my extensive knowledge of sometimes pointless factoids.

Their response was awesome.

"Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.."

Thank you Active Rain.