Thank goodness the appraisal problem I had last week solved itself!

If you hadn't seen the last blog post, then you may not be aware that I had an appraisal issue. Appraisal issues are not fun. In fact, everything can be going along just swimmingly and the rug can get pulled out from under everyone's hard work.

In this particular case, I had sold a house to some really nice folks and we were going through the closing process. This was no inexpensive sale, as the house was in extremely good condition and priced accordingly. (Let's just say it was near the half-million mark.) So what was the problem?  The lenders appraiser thought it was worth below the half million mark, and like a hot p...

As a follow-up to my blog post about the importance of timing with regards to buying a home in Charleston, I thought it was only fair to also comment on the schedule with sellers.

Having had thousands of listing appointments in Charleston South Carolina, I've met with many sellers from all walks of life. It seems there are two categories. (Well, three categories actually.) There are the ones that are truly motivated, the ones that can take all the time in the world to sell, and the ones that say they can take all the time in the world to sell but really are motivated. I know this sounds confusing, so I'll explain.

Category number one is easy enough. The truly motivated home sellers in Chare...

"I love it when this happens!"... A mortgage lender sent me a really great referral one day. These were not first time buyers brand new to the idea of buying a home, they were seasoned veterans. They had been living on Daniel Island, renting a house, and by carefully watching the market for a few years, they decided the time was right to purchase real estate in Mount Pleasant SC.

We started the process very quickly. I call them one weekend, and by Tuesday of the next week we were already planning to meet. 

With today's savvy buyers, things are quite different than they used to be. I used to be the holder of all information. Buyers used to come to me looking for information on what was a...

I'm selling a home in the Mount Pleasant area and I am probably dealing with the most diligent sellers I've ever had the fortune of helping. Their closing is the perfect example of “no detail is too small”, especially when it comes to termite letters in Charleston South Carolina.

The homeowners are medical professionals that have relocated to Philadelphia. Their home is in the Old Village and I knew from day one that they would be completely ready, willing and able to take care of all obstacles since the moment I met them.

The house epitomizes what buyers look for in the Old Village. A large Victorian built in 1920 that sits on a large corner lot ,with a big wraparound porch. (It's a be...

There are so many things to consider when making this very important decision. I usually lump this decision into two different categories, the first is redecorating the home for yourself, and the second is redecorating to sell which can also be considered staging. I will briefly go over my thoughts on both using my experience in both the antiques market and high end furniture. 

If you are redecorating your home and going to continue to live there, think about the big picture as well as what your current tastes are. Trends will come and go so I tend to always use a neutral base and build from there. Next I use decor items and splashes of color to highlight the rooms features. I also stay ...

Charleston Foodies Unite!

A good friend noted when I announced I was moving to Charleston that it was going to be great living in a town with a five-star restaurant on every corner.  And the friend was from Asheville!  While that may be an exaggeration, certainly outstanding food abounds all across the Charleston region. 

One of my favorite tasks when meeting new clients or tourists in town is to share with them the many different restaurants and food styles in this city.  Italian, no problem -- do you want romantic, bustling, or just economical and quick.  Seafood, no problem -- do you want fried, broiled, locally fresh, or just something casual with a great view.  French, no problem -...

THE BEST WAY TO SELL YOUR HOME IS TO SELL IT FAST!

When your house isn’t in the best condition, it sits on the market for far too long and becomes stale. That’s when people begin to wonder what’s wrong with it...

You only have one defense against one stagnant showing after the next. You need to be absolutely certain your house is in the best condition possible. Marketing has everything to do with presentation. When you present a poor and flawed product, its negative aspects stand out and affect the entire experience.

When you put your home on the market, it needs to be immaculate. It needs to have all of the positive aspects that attract buyers. The market is full of people who spend ever...

If you're looking for homes for sale in Mt Pleasant SC, it's a great idea to really go through what's called a loan prequalification process. The reason that I say this is that the market is moving fairly quickly and knowing in advance all about the mortgage process and how much you qualify for will help you make the right decision.

There are many realtors that will not allow buyers in their car that haven't been pre-qualified. I personally find that strict "draw a line in the sand" mentality a little bit brash. Of course, I also feel that being prequalified is important, not for me, but for the client.

Let me explain… Early in my career I would take people out because I was excited to be a...

If you're searching for homes for sale in Charleston SC, ask yourself a simple question along the way… am I putting the cart before the horse?

Sure, moving can be stressful. With so many unknowns , it is not uncommon for people to jump the gun and do things in reverse. Find a home, then try to sell.

While this is a good way to avoid being homeless, there are some very good reasons to be careful not to put the cart before the horse. Not to buy and then sell.

Consider this:

• You think about wanting to move, and you decide to start looking.
• Your intention is to just get a feel for the market.
• You stumble across the perfect house.
• It is definitely the one, it has everything. Perfect price...

With the recent change in the Mount Pleasant SC real estate market, Labor Day takes on a completely new meaning. A few years ago the real estate market was tough. The sky was falling and nobody knew really what the future held. It's always easy to look back in time and really see what has happened, and with that being said I can safely say that the bottom of the real estate market in Charleston SC happened in the fourth quarter of 2011.

One of the biggest changes that I've seen since then has been the construction of new homes. It's wonderful to see contractors working on their projects, rather than the tumbleweeds rolling by like they were in 2009. It seems like every day in Mount Pleas...

Charleston SC Houses (or poultry farms)?

I sell homes for a living and have been doing so since 1995. Of course I have seen many trends occur along the way. Some very obvious, and many that happen slowly and gradually.

Sure, house styles in Charleston SC have changed over time, and the change from the 1960’s rancher, to the 1970’s retro feel, into the 1980 contemporaries and on up until present day are the easiest to see as you are driving through an area, but what about things that happen in people’s back yards?

Let me back up. I live in an older subdivision in West Ashley. I was looking for the covenants of the area for a friend the other day. After exhausting my search on the county we...

Mt Pleasant SC homes for sale

If you are looking for a Mt Pleasant SC homes for sale , there are many tools that this website offers  that will aid in your process. Nat Wallen has taken great strides to not only make the website clean and easy to use, you will notice that there are many tools that will make your search for Mt Pleasant SC homes for sale both streamlined and informative.

The first thing about this website that makes it different is that it offers a video tour of the area that Nat Wallen produced. This will help you get a lay of the land from a local’s perspective and provides information that will help you make your decision to find Mt Pleasant SC homes for sale more strate...

What makes Mt Pleasant SC homes for sale fly off the shelf?

If you are considering purchasing a property, the Mt Pleasant SC homes for sale offer a family friendly, mid-sized community located just north of downtown Charleston SC.  It is one of the newer communities that was largely developed after the building of the first Cooper River bridge in the mid 1950’s. Prior to this bridge being constructed, this area was only accessible via Ferry Boat from the city of Charleston.

Since the early development of the area, it has boomed in popularity and at one time there were many buyers looking for a property. It was the fastest growing town in the state and all Mt Pleasant SC homes for sale off...

Finding Homes for Sale in Charleston SC

If you are looking for homes for sale in Charleston SC, there are many offerings and the areas can differ greatly. It is an easy area to understand because it is separated by rivers and marshes. James Island is an area close to the city and enjoys easy access to the beach and the  local restaurants. Mount Pleasant has many homes for sale in Charleston SC that buyers consider because of the school system.

If you are looking for a home, residents are typically generous with their desire to share their experiences. It is a polite city. Simply engaging someone in a friendly conversation can result in a wealth of information about where to look. Of cours...

Charleston SC Houses

If you already call Charleston SC home then you know what this vibrant city has to offer. Coastal living in the low country offers a comfortable, breezy pace that makes people feel like Charleston SC houses are some of the best real estate offerings on the east coast.

Fortunately, Nat Wallen has lived here his entire life. This experience and intimate knowledge gives Nat the ability to provide unique insight for buyers which helps them make prudent, well-informed decisions about their upcoming purchase.

Nat Wallen likes to discuss the different things that make him proud to share his hometown with his clients. Many of these things are not apparent and can only be full...

A Look Back at the Homes For Sale In Charleston SC

There are many homes for sale in Charleston SC to choose from compared to the booming market of the early to mid 2000’s. Throughout late 2005 and well into the 2006 market, the media started to discuss a real estate bubble that most likely going to burst. This discussion in the media had not affected the homes for sale in Charleston SC yet, but early in 2007 the rate of sale started to slow down considerably.

1997 to 2006 was primarily a buyer’s market. When sellers decided to place their homes for sale in Charleston SC during this time, all sold within a few months. When sellers started placing their homes on the market in early 2007, th...

Foundation Types Found In Charleston SC Houses

Home inspections are an important part of the process when closing on Charleston SC houses. The low country atmosphere is very desirable (though some would disagree with that in mid July) but the elements here can also have an effect on houses in the area.

There are many types of Charleston SC houses to choose from and the foundation is always a good way to categorize them. The flood zones along the coast have an effect on how they are constructed, as a home’s flood zone determines the height at which a home’s ground floor can be above seal level.

Most of the lower priced houses in the new construction market are built on a slab foundation. Th...

Houses for Sale in Charleston South Carolina - Obtain Top Dollar

Houses in Charleston South Carolina that are well prepared sell faster and for more money. If you are considering placing yours on the market, there are many things to do prior to presenting it to buyers. The natural tendency is to base your decision of the asking price by how much you need in order to move to the next destination. This is not always the best way to make decisions, as a buyer will only pay what they will pay, however, great steps can be taken in advance to accomplish the highest and best result.

Moving is a great excuse to go through everything that builds up over time and minimize what you have into what yo...

Homes With Pools for sale in Charleston SC

Well, the weather is heating up and many people are now gearing up for a fun summertime. At this time of year it is very common to see homes with pools for sale in Charleston SC get snatched up. With this in mind, I have created a group of landing pages on my site that will help people dive right in (excuse the pun) to the search process.

This has proven to be a very effective way to niche advertise homes with pools for sale in Charleston SC. So how did I do it?

I took these steps:

• I looked for a segment of the market that people wanted. Keep in mind, this thought did not come to me in mid January. Of course, living in Charleston I certainl...

Finding houses for sale in Charleston South Carolina is not quite the needle in a haystack as the title suggests. But there is certainly a drop in the number of homes for sale for the past few years.

Many buyers coming into the market feel like they're going to spend a lot of time sifting through Charleston SC houses, and this is really not the case, especially if you're looking for homes for Mt Pleasant SC homes for sale.

Supply and demand is very real in Charleston (as I am sure it is in any market.) This time last year there were 30% more sellers trying to sell. Buyers had the luxury of taking their time to really look through what options they have. Sellers were feeling much more stress...