What Do Changing Conditions Mean for You?

There are many great Savannah, GA area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call us at (912) 658-7255 or (912)272-3463 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

The end of the year is right around the corner, so we thought we would take this time to recap what we saw in Savannah real estate this year, as well as make our predictions for 2015.

Overall, 2014 was a fantastic year for real estate in our area. Sales rose in all but one price point, with the $250,000-$500,000 price range leading the way with a 10% increase in sales! The only price point that saw a loss in sales was the $0-$100,000 range, which saw a drop in sales of 7.4% in 2014.

As far as interest rates are concerned, we've been hovering just under 4% all year long, which is fantastically low. According to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Mortgage Banker Association, and the National Association of Realtors, interest rates are predicted to rise to anywhere from 4.7% to 5.4% by the fourth quarter of next year. That increase in rates may seem small, but it will make a significant difference in your mortgage payments and your ability to qualify for a loan.

Another topic worth discussing is distressed property sales. Back in 2011, 35% of sales in our market were distressed properties. As of September of 2014, we're down to 10%! It's great that the number of distressed properties is falling, as they adversely affect varying price points. We expect that percentage to drop even lower next year.

Foot traffic rose substantially in 2014, when compared to the same time period in 2013. We're expecting yet another increase in 2015, which is a great indicator of how active the market is going to be. Let's just say we're excited for what the new year is going to bring us!

If you have any questions about market conditions, or would like real estate advice of any kind, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to help you solve your real estate problems!

We hope you have a safe and happy Christmas and New Year! We look forward to talking to you soon!

Savannah Georgia Real Estate

There are many great Savannah, GA area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call us at (912) 658-7255 or (912)272-3463 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

How to Stay Warm When the Weather Turns Cold

Fall is here and winter is coming. 

So is colder weather, and if you aren't prepared, you could wind up paying a ton of money to keep warm this winter. 

You should definitely get a maintenance check on your heater, as well as replace high wattage light bulbs with energy efficient ones. 

For more tips on how to save money and stay warm this winter, visit our website!

How to Recognize a Good Offer

There are many great Savannah, GA area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call us at (912) 658-7255 or (912)272-3463 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

How to Recognize a Good Offer

When you are selling your home, you want a buyer who will offer you a good price for your home. 

However, there are some relatively unknown pitfalls you should be aware of with buyers. 

For one, you need to make sure that the buyer is pre-qualified before they submit an offer. 

4 Easy Steps to Find Yourself the Perfect Home

Looking to buy or sell a home in Savannah, Georgia? Click here to perform a full home search, or if you’re thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today’s market. You may also call us at (912) 658-7255 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions. 

This is an exciting time of year for us in Savannah as the weather warms up and our buyers and sellers enter the market. Today's topic will actually be more focused on our buyer's side. We have a lot of questions coming in, especially from first time home buyers. We're going to briefly list some things that first time buyers can do to prepare to buy a home.

1. Contact a Lender: You need to have an idea of what kind of home you will be able to buy so that we can narrow your search options and find you the best available home. We can refer you to a lender to start your home search. Your lender will let you know what you qualify for and how you can prepare to buy a home.
• Lenders can also give you an idea about what your monthly payments would be and what price point you would then fall under so you don't waste time looking at properties that you cannot afford.
2. Make a Wish List: After talking to a lender, sit down and make wish list of what you would like to see in your next home. Highlight on that list the things that are 'must-haves' such as a good school district or a large backyard. The more you can narrow down what you want in a home, the easier it is for us to find what you want. Keep in mind that some of these 'must-haves' can be added on to your property after a purchase, like a fence or a shed, for example.
3. Get a Realtor: You want to make sure you're partnering with someone that you can trust and someone that will be looking out for your best interests. There is no cost associated with having a buyer's agent, because those costs are included in the seller's expenses. The buyers agent will be working in your favor, and will help to find you the right home at the right price.
4. Start Looking: After you have completed these steps, you can then begin to start looking for a suitable home. Your agent can search the MLS for the features that you want in your home and you can get signed up to be notified when a suitable property becomes available on the MLS. Always refer to your agent for any questions about homes you're looking to buy.

If you're looking to buy a home, please contact us and we would be glad to aid you in your home search. We have all the best systems in place to find you the best homes at the best available prices. We are here to serve all of your Savannah real estate needs.

Feel free to contact us by calling (912) 272-3463 or email us at ChristinainSavannah@gmail.com

Improving Real Estate Market in Savannah

Looking to buy or sell a home in Savannah, Georgia? Click here to perform a full home search, or if you’re thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today’s market. You may also call us at (912) 658-7255 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Today I'll be updating you on our real estate market here in Savannah in order to better serve you. To start, I'll just briefly touch on 2013, where we saw prices stabilize and interest rates remain low to push buyers forward into the market.

What 2014 has Brought Us...

• Market activity has nearly doubled since this time last year.
• Interest rates are still very low, which aids both buyers and sellers.
• Home prices will continue to rise, which sellers will like to see. But buyers will probably like this too, as they will know that the home they have purchased will appreciate in value.
• Low interest will keep buyers excited about purchasing, and this in turn will help sellers to close their properties faster as interest rates are expected to rise as we head into 2015.

New Office on Wilmington Island

I am also proud to announce that we will be opening a new office on Wilmington Island that will be affiliated with Keller Williams. We will be located on Johnny Mercer Boulevard in Mercer Plaza. Feel free to drop by and say hello sometime. We are very excited about our new location and would love to help you with real estate in that area.

As always, feel free to give me a call if you need any assistance finding real estate in Savannah, or if you have any other questions you would like addressed. You can reach me at 912-658-7255 or email me at TheMcIntoshTeam@gmail.com

What Are the Associated Costs After You Have Sold Your Home?

Click here to find out what your home is worth or to search all area homes for sale.

Welcome back. I wanted to thank you for watching our videos and submitting questions. We want to be your real estate resource and we appreciate your responses!

One question we were asked recently was about how much it costs to sell your home. Often we forget about the costs of selling. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Commission - If you use an agent you are responsible for paying their commission.
2. Moving - Are you going to hire a professional mover?
3. Home warranties - While these are negotiable, often times buyers ask sellers to provide a home warranty on the property.
4. Closing - This is negotiable too, but depending on how the offer is structured, a buyer may ask the seller to contribute or pay all of the closing costs.

If you have any questions about the above costs or just about anything real estate, give me a call at 912.658.7255

How Much Does it Cost to Sell Your Home?

When you sell your home you want as much money as possible. Sometimes we forget that to do this, there are some costs.

1. Repairs and upgrades - Buyers will always have a home inspection done. If an inspector finds something wrong or broken, the buyer may require repairs before buying.
2. Staging - This doesn't necessarily mean decorating. Staging is meant to showcase the best features of your home and sometimes that means renting a piece of furniture.
3. Vacancy insurance - If you move into your new home before you sell your current, you are required to purchase vacancy insurance which is different than just home owner's insurance.
4. Utilities - You want to keep the utilities on when showing your home.

These are all some costs that people forget about. If you have any questions about selling your home, please give me a call today!