What is it that makes a good Real Estate Agent Great?    Experience?  Knowledge?  Personality?  Business Savvy?  Or, maybe it’s a mix of all these blended together? 

My Opinion, quite simply…. Relationships!

The relationships that you develop and establish with people throughout your career and life are what make you great. When you interact with people, day in and day out, you establish a Relationship; sometimes it’s seemly insignificant and others are quite crucial. Both with Consumers and Clients as well as fellow Realtors, Attorney’s ,Home Inspectors, Pest Inspectors, Builders and Contractors. Geez, it can be as simply as the Kid that bag’s your Groceries.

Do you believe that one Realtor is better than the other because He/She has more Sales/Transactions than the other ?  I don’t think so! Establishing a positive, open and lasting Relationship with other people should be the biggest reward, not having the Most Sales/Transactions in your Area.

Success is not measured by Money. It’s measured by the relationships we have in our Life. It is measure by the Positive impact we have on those people in our lives. Please don’t sit there and tell me that you wouldn’t get a better feeling & sense of satisfaction from help Someone get out of an emotional & painful Financial situation with their House/Property than making the Most Sales in your Office/Area/Association ?  

The reason Realtors have acquired such a Negative persona with the General Public is because we (as Realtors) have allow this to happen! When your sole purpose in this business is to gain & gather as much Money as you can from every transaction and then quickly move on the Next deal, YOU are the one helping establish this Negative persona. GREED is not Good!

Yeah, Yeah I know…… “We have to make a Living”….. “We have to make money in order to support ourselves and our families”…… “This is a Business you know!” Blah Blah Blah..!! This is the Old way of thinking and it simply will NOT work anymore!

 

Connect….Engage…Relationships…. These are the new Dogmas of the business world!! A Real Estate Transaction can be business, but it also involves people!! Yes, Money is conveyed for Services rendered, but what about the people involved who helped make everything happen? Has society established that acquiring Money for a Service provided is the Norm for saying ‘Thank You’? What happened to personal Appreciation? Time and time again, I hear and see that phrase: “There's no better compliment than a referral!” and I would have to agree. If you had a positive relationship/interaction with someone, wouldn’t you want to share that with other people?

Two of the Biggest compliments I could ever hope to receive from people and Clients is both Referrals and True Feedback! The referral is a ‘pat on the back’ and a wonderful ‘Thank You’ gesture. But, True Feedback is the Gold in every relationship! When people dig deep and share with you how they feel or how they’re experience was when working with you or maybe how you could do things a little better; this is the Gravy people!! This is the essence of success! Because if you take this Gift given to you and you use it, you learn from it and you apply it,  this is what makes a good Realtor Great

 

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Thomas Cunningham Buyers' Choice Realty (843) 814-1078 homesbythomas@gmail.com http://homesbythomas.net Listed by: Thomas Cunningham

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Since the majority of Buyers & Investor of Real Estate along the Beaches of The Grand Strand are from out of State, I consistently get asked about how Taxes will apply to the Potential Property consumers are considering to Buy. The information below is from Horry County's Website  and you can find the exact information for the Assessor's webpage .  I thought I would write a simple Blog Post and get this information out there for more eyes to see and to also have a reference point on my Website for people to read/view at thier lesuire.

 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Could you explain the tax millage for Horry County that appears on my property tax bill?

include file="assessor/MillageExp.asp" -->Property Tax Bill Information. -->

• Why do we pay property tax? Property tax is collected by local governments to provide for the many services most of us take for granted. Schools, police and fire protection and public libraries are possible because of revenue from the property tax. We are all asked to pay our fair share of the cost of these services by paying tax in proportion to the value of our property.

• How is property taxed? South Carolina's Constitution requires that property be taxed in accordance with the properties value. From the time your property is added to the tax rolls, the tax assessment does not change unless physical changes have been made or a reassessment program is implemented or an assessable transfer of interest occurs. The most recent reassessment was implemented for the 2005 tax year. The next countywide reassessment is scheduled to be implemented for the 2010 tax year. In determining the County's annual budget, County Council sets the tax levy each year. The rate is reflected in "mills" or "millage rate", and one mill is one thousandth of one dollar (.001). The County Assessor appraises real property, the Auditor maintains the property tax rolls and calculates individual property taxes, and the County Treasurer collects the property taxes. All property is appraised at its fair market value and is multiplied by the appropriate assessment ratio for the type of property. All real property is assessed at a four percent (owner occupied primary residence) four or six percent (farm) or a six percent (all other) rate. Therefore, property taxes are determined by multiplying the fair market value, times the assessment ratio, times the millage rate. For example, the tax on your legal, full-time residence in Horry County is determined this way:

  This example includes a home located in the unincorporated area of Horry County. (Qualified legal residence)

  $125,000		Fair Market Value of home
  x      4%		Assessment Ratio (4% if qualified legal resident)
  5,000		Assessed Value
  x   .2093		Countywide Millage Rate (County millage - 47.3, School-139.3, Fire-16.3, Waste Mgmt-6.4)
  $1046.50		TAXES
  -596.50		Tax credit - (5,000 @ .1193) School operations
  $450.00		TAXES DUE

  This example includes a commercial property located in the unincorporated area of Horry County.

  $125,000		Fair Market Value of home
  x      6%		Assessment Ratio
  7,500		Assessed Value
  x   .2093		Countywide Millage Rate (County millage - 47.3, School-139.3, Fire-16.3, Waste Mgmt-6.4)
  $1,569.75		TAXES DUE

***Although a taxpayer receives just one property tax bill, there are other agencies that utilize that one tax bill to collect their own taxes. These agencies are itemized out on your bill, which include the School District, municipalities, special tax districts, etc. Any increase by any of these agencies will result in an increase to the overall tax bill.
• How do I get the best tax rate on my home? If you own a home, you want to be sure to obtain the 4% assessment rate if you live in the home and claim it as your legal residence. Otherwise, your tax rate will be 6%. To obtain the lower rate, you will need to complete an application with the county assessor. This should be done as soon as you move into your home. Once you have filed the application, you will not need to complete another one, unless there is a deed name change, or use of the property changes.
  Legal Residence Application
• What is Reassessment? South Carolina State Law requires that each County within the State conduct a countywide reassessment every five years. A one year extension is allowed by County ordinance. During a Countywide reassessment all real property within the County is reappraised at its current market value as of its reassessment date. New Legislation requires that in the year in which a reassessment is implemented each parcel of real property, be adjusted for improvements and losses, and does not increase more than fifteen percent every five years unless an assessable transfer of interest occurs. Horry County is currently scheduled to implement its next reassessment in tax year 2010. Only real property values are affected by reassessment. Values of personal property such as cars, boats and motorcycles are kept current through annual updates by the Department of Revenue.

• What if I have other tax questions about my tax notice or other tax matters, who should I call?
  • Personal Property
    (Cars, watercraft, aircraft, etc.)
    Horry County Auditor's Office
    (843) 915-5050

  • Real Property
    (Land, buildings, etc.)
    Horry County Assessor's Office
    (843) 915-5040

  • Tax Payments
    (Billing addresses, tax payments, etc.)
    Horry County Treasurer's Office
    (843) 915-5470

• What is the current millage rate?

  2009 Horry County Tax Levies
  Debt Service:	5.3
  General Fund:	36.7
  HGT:	1.9
  Higher Education Commission	0.7
  SR Citizen Fund:	0.4
  County Recreation	2.3
  Total levy for county purposes:	47.3
  Board of Education Debt Services Fund	20.0
  School Operation Fund	119.3
  Total levy for school purposes:	139.3
  Total county and school purposes:	186.6

  Municipalities Tax Levies
  Atlantic Beach	94.5
  Aynor	72.2
  Briarcliffe	55.6
  Conway	86.6
  Loris	105.0
  Myrtle Beach Tax Credit	64.4 -1.50
  North Myrtle Beach	32.2
  Surfside	44.0

  Special Levies/Watersheds/Fire Districts/Waste Management
  Arcadian Shores	35.0
  Mt. Gilead	7.4
  Socastee Community Recreation	2.0
  Buck Creek	3.8
  Cartwheel	3.9
  Crab Tree	3.6
  Gapway Swamp	3.8
  Simpson Creek	3.4
  Todd Swamp	3.5
  County Fire Districts	16.3
  Murrells Inlet - Garden City Fire Districts	10.0
  Waste Management	6.4

  » 2005 Horry County Tax Levies -->
  » Millage Explanations 
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  » Millage Chart 
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  » 2008 South Carolina Counties Millage  *NEW
  [adobe pdf format]

Living and working as a Realtor in the Myrtle Beach / Grand Strand areas has provided me with extensive knowledge & experience in dealing with all types of Investment Properties in a Vacation Destination. As you can probably guess, most of these properties are Condo’s (Condominiums) which tend to be strong Investments based on their individual Rental Income.

Investment Properties by nature are designed to induce an Income Flow by renting out to the General Public. Being that a majority of our properties are “Beach Focused” odds are that your focus will be with either Oceanfront Condos or at least Oceanfront Buildings. Now with that being said, these types of Properties WILL be heavily Rented during the Summer Seasons and even a good bit during the Fall Seasons as well. Planning is crucial when you absolutely need to see the Unit (Condo) of interest.

Typically, Condos throughout the Myrtle Beach / Grand Strand Areas are Booked on either a Daily or Weekly basis. Beginning in March, Rental Season kicks off due to Spring Breaker and Golfers coming into our Area  to enjoy the Mild weather before Summer hits. After that, Rental Activity slowly begins to increase throughout the Month of May. A spike usually begins around Mid-June as most Schools are now fully dismissed for Summer Vacation and Families have Booked their Vacation Plans months, if not possibly a year in advance.
The Myrtle Beach / Grand Strand Areas comes into it’s “Hard-Core” Rental Season starting July 4th. This is when the entire Grand Strand stretching from as far North as Cherry Grove Beach in North Myrtle Beach and traveling South, down the  60+ Miles of gorgeous Beaches  along the  Atlantic Coastline to the South End where you find Surfside Beach, Garden City and Murrells Inlet are flooded with Vacationers enjoying all the sights, Attractions and activities The Grand Strand has to offer.

Mid-June and well though September are considered Heavy Vacation Season throughout the Myrtle Beach / Grand Strand Areas. During this time period, condos will be fully rented on a regular and revolving basis making the ability to show these Investment properties close to impossible. South Carolina State Law states that no Properties can be shown by Realtors while Renters are in place. Any Agent that is caught trying to sneak Clients into to see these Properties while Tenants are using them can be fined as well as lose their Real Estate License. 

If you are in the Market to Buy any Investment Property and are planning to come visit the Area to research & possibly view these types of Properties, Please give serious consideration to pairing yourself with a local, Honest and Experienced Real Estate Agent who will know the Ends and Outs of Rental Properties throughout our Area and knows the best times to schedule Viewings of these properties. Taking the time to match yourself with a good Realtor can make all the difference in the World. It will save you both Time, Money and Aggravation as well as open the opportunity for you to actually enjoy your planned stay here at the Beach instead of driving all over the place figuring out which properties might best fit your needs. 

Good Day,

    My name is Thomas Cunningham and I am a Licensed Real Estate Agent in South Carolina; Specifically in the Myrtle Beach area. My coverage area consist of close to an Eighty (80) Mile stretch of Beach that runs from the North Carolina/South Carolina State Line all the way down to Pawleys Island along the Atlantic Ocean.

    Everyone has become accustomed to Foreclosure since these types of Properties continue to flood our Markets. I'm sure if you have searched for a Property for sale throughout the Myrtle Beach Areas, you have come across plenty of Foreclosures. But, you may have also stumbled across more and more Short Sales as well.

    Let's cover the basics first. What exactly is a Short Sale?   A Short Sale is when a property is being marketed For Sale for Less than what the Owner owes on their Mortgage. In most cases the Owner/Seller is in a state of Financial Distress. They are either already behind on their Mortgage payments or they anticipate that they soon will be.

    For the first time in US History, a massive number of Real Estate Properties are now worth Less than their Mortgages Balances and people are paying higher Mortgage payments than they can afford. In most cases, they are normal people who simply got caught in the Financial Meltdown of our Country either because they may have Refinanced their home to take advantage of seemly lower rates or were misadvised that they could refinance their Home, pull money out and use it somewhere else in their life. Other people gambled on the Market with it's preceived notions that our Countries Real Estate Market was going to continue to rise and rise with no end in sight. These people took advantage of the Uber relaxed Lending Practices and set out to amass their own Real Estate Empire.

    Opinions can vary on the reasons why our Real Estate Market is in it's current state. The most important thing is that you fully understand what a Short Sale really is and what to expect when buying this type of Property.  Wikipedia's definition states that the Lender decides that the Property be Marketed and Sold as a Short Sale. But, this incorrect!! Sadly, the Lenders don't really care whether you attempt to sale your home or not, they simply want their Money and that's about the extent of their consideration! You the Owner of the Property have to make the decision to Sell your property, not the Lender.

    Now, the big question that is always the First, whether it be from the Seller or a potential Buyer : How much is the Property worth?  This is a tough question to answer as there can be Multiple factors that play into the Valuation of any type of Property. The most basic way to Value a property is a Comparative Valuation using almost identical property types (i.e. 3Br/2Ba, 2200SqFt Home with a 2 Car garage) that are both For Sale and have recently Sold within a close proximity to the Subject Property (Owner/Seller's Property)

    In the Myrtle Beach Area, most Short Sale Listings are aggressively priced and Marketed and can be a Great opportunity for someone to Buy a wonderful Property for a Low Price. But, you must take in consideration, that all Short Sale properties that are Listed for Sale at that particular Price are all Contingent on a Third Party Approval. I know, you're asking, what Hell does that mean exactly? Well, it simply means that no matter what Price the Seller & Realtor have Listed the property for, the Actual Sale Price of the property will be determined by the Primary Lender.  

   Make no mistake, it does not matter if you are offering a Full Price, Cash Offer on a Short Sale property, you will still have to wait ( and you will Wait!! ) for the Lender's approval on your Offer. There are too many details to list in this Blog to help you understand why the Banks/Lenders can take so long in their response to your Offer. I will tell you this, the Larger the Bank/Lender, the more time you will have to wait on average. The Sad fact is that all the Banks/Lenders deal with their Short Sales almost completely differently than other Banks/Lenders. So far, there is ABSOLUTLEY no Standard Process for Banks/Lenders to facilitate any and all Short Sales. This is what is making the things Extremely difficult for both Realtors and the Owners to actually Sale their Properties!!!

   I can see that this Blog is going to have to become a Series. There is no way I can fit all that Needs to be said in this one Blog. I will continue to write on this topic of Short Sales and hopefully it will give Consumer a better understanding of both What they are and How to deal with them when you are ready to Buy a property.

    Please feel free to ask me any questions you may have. I can be found almost anywhere in the Social Web: Facebook , Twitter , My Website ( a work in progress right now) Email or simply comment on this Blog.

 

Thomas Cunningham