You will never have to pay to be listed as a top neighbor. Period. That important detail clarified, let's discuss how we arrive at two "top neighbors" for a given region:
Localism is a bustling collection of hyper-local communities, and the top neighbors should reflect those members who are most active. When ranking users in a given region, several factors are considered. To get your foot in the proverbial door, you need to have posted at least one "Localism" article or photo for the region.
The very best way to quickly rise to #1 is to post high-quality local content. Keeping a steady strem of incoming posts and photos will massively tilt the scales in your favor.
What doesn't count toward the top neighbor ranking? ActiveRain points and community sponsorships. The top neighbor spots will always go to the most active members in a region. We want to create a level playing field that encourages the growth of communities — talent and dedication are required to win the day.
In today's market price is king when selling your home. A home should absolutely be in top notch condition to attract the most buyer candidates, but if the home is overpriced when compared to other homes in your area you have very little chance of getting your home sold in this today's market.
Today during our office sales meeting our Broker in Charge showed us a video put together by Russ May, a Real Estate Agent from Wilmington, NC. In this well thought out video, Russ demonstrates the importance of pricing a home in a manner that is not just competitive, but rather pricing the home so that it is compelling to the potential buyer.
Crowfield Plantation is a large community located in Goose Creek, SC. The neighborhood consists of 27 different subsections with homes ranging from the low $100K price point up to 1 million dollars. The following are the sales stats for Crowfield Plantation for 2010.
We've all heard the story as kids of the three little pigs and how the big bad wolf blew down the house of straw and then another of sticks. But, to the dismay of the big bad wolf, he could not blow down the house made of bricks. The sturdiness of the bonded bricks provided a safe home for the three little pigs.
As we get older we associate that story from our childhood to home safety and security. Most people consider the safeness of a brick home as top notch from protection from the elements of high winds, no matter if it is the big bad wolf or a big bad hurricane.
But ask your self a question. Are brick homes built within the last 30 to 40 years built the same way during the time that the Three Little Pigs were written, or even 50 years ago? Are most modern homes "solid brick?" The answer for most parts of the country is no they are not.
I'm sure you are saying to yourself, "Wait a minute, I have a brick home and it was built within the last 30 years!" Sure you have a brick home, but it is most likely not solid brick masonry. What you have is brick veneer!
So, how can you tell the difference?
Solid brick homes are old school homes. There is no wooden frame when it is initially built. The brick layers lay the mold and stack the bricks on top of the foundation working their way up. On the other hand, brick veneer homes use the same type of bricks but there is a wooden frame in place before the brick work begins. Then the brick layers lay the bricks around the frame.
The Carson Dunlap Consulting Engineers website states that with a solid brick house "the brick is holding up the house. With brick veneer the house is holding up the brick," and the brick acts as siding to the house. The consulting firm goes on to explain that:
Brick veneer became the norm when building codes began to require insulation in the exterior walls. One of the best insulators is air. Most good insulation does nothing but trap air; that's why most insulations are light and fluffy. Brick is not exactly light and fluffy. Therefore it's not really a very good insulator. A brick veneer house then, is really a wood frame house where the cavity between the studs in the wall can be insulated.
Which style makes for a better house is a judgment call on your part. Solid brick homes are certainly stronger, but are not well insulated. Brick veneer homes are still strong, although not as strong as solid brick, but are much better insulated. There are advantages to both, but most builders use the brick veneer technique to meet building code standards. Keep the advantages of both in mind when you decide to sell or buy your next house.
Crowfield Plantation is one of the largest and most sought after neighborhoods in the Charleston Metro Area. The neighborhood is located in Goose Creek, SC. Below are the market stats for Crowfield Plantation in 2010 as of November. The number of homes sold this year have fluctuated but average around 12 per month with an average of 116 Days on the Market (DOM).
Month
Year
Monthly Sales
Monthly Volume
Avg List $
Avg Sale $
Avg $/Sqft
Median Sold $
Avg DOM
Current Inventory
Months Inventory
January
2010
7
$1,607,800
$245,408
$229,685
$104
$185,000
165
109
15.57
February
2010
12
$2,514,950
$216,365
$209,579
$98
$188,000
134
111
9.25
March
2010
20
$4,103,617
$211,931
$205,180
$100
$177,700
116
111
5.55
April
2010
14
$2,738,383
$197,610
$195,598
$98
$176,000
126
124
8.85
May
2010
12
$2,389,400
$205,550
$199,116
$95
$192,000
138
116
9.66
June
2010
13
$2,398,500
$188,599
$184,500
$99
$195,000
59
121
9.30
July
2010
9
$1,615,850
$184,097
$179,538
$92
$162,500
52
115
12.77
August
2010
13
$3,069,365
$244,599
$236,105
$102
$240,090
118
111
8.53
September
2010
9
$1,804,770
$206,107
$200,530
$96
$185,000
195
102
11.33
October
2010
12
$2,267,444
$195,518
$188,953
$94
$162,500
90
106
8.83
Annual:
121
$24,510,079
$208,889
$202,562
98
$185,500
116
112
11.10
If you would like more information on another neighborhood in the Charleston Metro Area, send me and email with the name of the neighborhood and I would be happy to send you the information.
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
We've all heard the story as kids of the three little pigs and how the big bad wolf blew down the house of straw and then another of sticks. But, to the dismay of the big bad wolf, he could not blow down the house made of bricks. The sturdiness of the bonded bricks provided a safe home for the three little pigs. 
