About Greenwood County, SC

It seems to me that a social conscience real estate investor can real make a difference in a community. Back in the "good old days" the local bank was the cornerstone of the community. The bank was the custodian of local deposits that provided the cash needed to fulfill dreams and aspirations or starting a new business and buying a family home. When someone needed money to build or buy a four unit apartment building to provide solid afordable housing, the bank was eager to work with them for the financing.

Things have changed. Money is tight and when you find a financial institution that has loans available, the "hoops" and road blocks are becoming more frequent.

Private loans and investment can make that difference I mentioned. Especially private money that has seen disappointing returns in the stock and bond market. An investor with funds in an IRA or IRA rollover can provide loans secured by real estate through a mortgage note at a respectable rate of interest or even through an equity position with even higher possible return. One thing we know about real estate, it may have some volitility but will always be worth something. How many investments in large well known corporations have gone to zero over the last year?

Providing the necessary cash to the real estate investment community, homes in depressed neighborhoods can be brought back to life and sold or rented. Individuals coming close to forclosure may have a "white knight" invest in their home and then allow them to rent it back until they are back on their feet with an improved credit rating.

If the real estate investment community takes a look at the big picture, great things can happen.

Scott Grund is a real estate agent in Greenwood, SC specializing in investment real estate utilizing the tax advantages of Self Directed Retirement Accounts. Scott can be emailed at scott@ScottGrund.com or contacted by phone (864) 554-4190.

Back in "the good old days" when the Dow was below 1,000 (yes one thousand) and securities were simple (no derivatives, no hedge funds, the futures market only dealt in commodities like corn, etc) the long term investor could make intelligent decisions. Fundamentals were key. You looked at industry trends, PE values (price to earnings ratio), management strength and style then bought into a company fully expecting that over the long term you should average a return approaching 10%. In the 80s and early 90s that worked well.

The small investor and the retirement funds like IRAs & 401(k) accounts rushed into mutual funds. The easy way to participate in the inflation proof, equity building investing with management thrown in. The idea of placing retirement dollars into stocks and bonds still is a prudent move, but why not diversify some of the funds into real estate? Side by side over the long term, real estate has held its own with stocks without all the volatility. Yes, I know there has been quite a drop in some real estate markets, but in the majority of the country we have not seen large reductions in market prices.

When analyzing an investment you still need to look at fundamentals when it comes to real estate. It has become quite difficult to judge stocks on fundamentals because there are way to many variables that come into play these days. Just read the business headlines over the past year. How many companies that fundamentals research would have given a BUY signal fell on very hard times? Real estate investment is still fairly easy to analyze with location, cash flow projections, upkeep and maintenance projections, etc. Plus you can go and "touch" your investment and understand how the overall supply and demand principal will sooner or later bring that nice rate of return on your money.

So, if you have your retirement dollars stuck in the stock market, ask yourself "What has Wall Street done for me lately?" and consider moving some of the money into real estate through a self directed retirement account.

Scott Grund is a real estate agent in Greenwood, SC specializing in investment real estate utilizing the tax advantages of Self Directed Retirement Accounts. Scott can be emailed at scott@ScottGrund.com or contacted by phone (864) 554-4190.

How many times have we seen the bargain hunters camping out in front of a store that is having a huge sale? I was a stockbroker back in the early eighties when the stock market had a big sale. It was like kids in the candy store picking up blue chip companies for bargain basement prices. As far as I can see, the real estate market is having its sale but where are the lines?

Investers should be the first ones in but I think the tight lending environment coupled with too much uncertainty has kept many on the sidelines. How many times have you found a great deal and said, "If I only had some extra cash right now..." It is time to start thinking a bit out of the box and take advantage of the "buyer's" market.

Look at your retirement funds. Those IRA accounts, old 401(k) dollars from previous employers, and rollover accounts probably sitting in CDs or mutual funds needing some diversification AND a way to make up ground lossed with the stock market drop. Placing the funds into a true self directed IRA account can provide that cash to pick up those great deals in real estate. In addition, you have other advantages. Income and gains from that real estate will be tax deferred or tax FREE, depending on the type of IRA account you have. Now, get in line!

Scott Grund is a real estate agent in upstate South Carolina specializing in real estate investment with self directed retirement plans. scott@ScottGrund.com

The old saying "cash is king" is very popular when it comes to real estate transactions. During this period of economic uncertainty and banking difficulties, real estate sales are down because of the lack of cash in the market. The average days on the market for real estate listings is growing every month because, even though it is a buyer's market, financing is becoming increasingly difficult. Money is tight.

The real estate investor should be salivating at some of the "deals" out there. Frustrated sellers have lowered prices to bargain basement levels. The "blue light" is shining in the market with all the specials going on. Cash is needed to take advantage of the low prices and is also a great bargaining chip for even better deals during negotiations. Where is the cash!

A report put out by the government in the spring of 2008 reveals some very interesting statistics. At the end of the 2004 tax year:

• $3.3 TRILLION in IRAs
• Average IRA account $64,758
• Average account for people ages 60-70 was $112,913

Source: Matched file of income tax returns, Forms 5498 and 1099-R for Tax Year 2004 by the Individual Special Projects Section of IRS 2008.

If properly administered, this cash is available for real estate investment.

Scott Grund is a real estate agent in Greenwood, SC specializing in investment real estate utilizing the tax advantages of Self Directed Retirement Accounts. Scott can be emailed at scott@ScottGrund.com or contacted by phone (864) 554-4190.

Looking for something fun to do on the weekends?... The South Carolina Festival of Flowers is a perennial favorite!!.. Uptown Greenwood comes alive with a safari, showcase of topiary art and much more!! To get a full schedule of events for Uptown Greenwood, visit www.scfestivalofflowers.org or can call (864) 223-8411..this year's main festival weekend is June 26-28. Don't miss this beautiful festival..