Keeping It REAL - by Bettsy Tyler

 First, the tid-bits:   Highest priced home sold in August - SC County - $4.2 mil  Brand New - 5 bedrooms and 6 baths, 4300 sf with an apartment over the garage. Location - 2 blocks to West Cliff.    Least expensive home sold for $446,000 . 2 bedroom and 1 bath, 765 sf home in Boulder Creek 217 homes sold in the county in August, 179 in July, 229 in June. That doesn't tell you much, but looking at this graph tells you a lot about what is happening in the market today.     I like charts. This one shows how fast the market is moving compared to this time one year and two years ago. The number of homes selling each month are very close to the number of homes available to buy. This is definitely not a normal market and not one I’ve ever seen in my 20+ years of watching the real estate market. Just to compare - here’s how the last 17 years has looked:     The two lines have never touched like they are doing today. As ...

  15 years can make for quite a change in real estate. Who would have thought prices would be where they are today? A steady climb over the last 10 years is quite remarkable!  

  Imagine the first place you lived as a young adult. Now imagine trying to fit your life today into that space. Not pretty, right? For most of us, our housing needs are cyclical. 1 A newly independent adult can find freedom and flexibility in even a tiny apartment. That same space, to a growing family, would feel stifling. For empty nesters, a large home with several unused bedrooms can become impractical to heat and clean. It’s no surprise that life transitions often trigger a home purchase. While your home-buying journey may not look like your neighbor’s or friend’s, broad trends can help you understand what to keep in mind as you house hunt. No one wants to regret their home purchase, and taking the time now to think about exactly what you need can save a lot of heartache later. The Newly Married or Partnered Couple The financial and legal commitment of marriage has provided a springboard to homeownership for centuries, though these days more couples are buying hom...