The Hard Rock Theme Park is on track for its Spring 2008 opening and the groundswell of excitement is deafening. The roller coaster pieces have arrived and are ready for assembly! The preview center which opened this past April showcases this $400 million world-class attraction with over 40 rides, games and displays. This will be the biggest and most exciting grand opening that Myrtle Beach has experienced in a very long time. Hard Rock Park will have a tremendous economic impact on every aspect of life in Myrtle Beach - including real estate. If you own investment property in Myrtle Beach, you’ll be well positioned to help accommodate the estimated 30,000 visitors a day next summer! If you don’t, today’s buyer’s market is the perfect time to jump right in! Price & Company Realty can help!

Should I sell my home myself? Why should I pay a Realtor to sell my home? How complicated could it be?

Let’s start by acknowledging that yes, I’m a Realtor, and yes, I want to help you sell your home, and yes, I think you’ll be better off working with me than working alone.

Now that this is out of the way, the answers to the above questions may surprise you. If you haven’t bought or sold real estate in the last five years, you may not be aware of some newer mandatory seller disclosures, home repairs that you are liable for, mandatory CL-100 inspections, and other fees and contingencies that may delay or stop the successful sale of your home.

The success of homeowners selling their own property has steadily decreased over the last five years. In 2003, 14% of homeowners that listed their property themselves (”For Sale By Owner” or “FSBO”) were successful in selling their homes. In 2004 only 10% were successful, and the same was true for 2005. In 2006 the percentage dropped again to a mere 8%. Look at that again - only 8 out of 100 FSBO sellers sold their home last year!

What happened to the other 92%? The numbers show us that 70% finally used a Realtor after much time, frustration, agony, and expense, and the rest (over 20%) simply gave up on selling their home. Using a Realtor to sell your home can save time, prevent legal issues, and, yes, save you money.

If you are determined to do it yourself, here are the six most common mistakes FSBO’s make when selling their home:

• 1. Failure to properly price your property to sell in current market conditions.
• 2. Underestimating the time and effort needed to sell a house.
• 3. Not being prepared to deal with an onslaught of potential buyers who perceive FSBO’s as prime targets for “low balling” - in other words, they know you’re on your own, and try to take advantage of that.
• 4. Lack of knowledge about financing options for the buyer.
• 5. Lack of experience in handling the legal contracts, agreements and any disputes with buyers before or after the offer is presented. Not understanding the ramifications of your words (written or spoken) and actions.
• 6. Not contacting the necessary professionals early enough, including the closing attorney and inspectors (home and pest).

Selling a home has become more complicated. Seller disclosure requirements, rapidly changing market conditions and other factors have caught many FSBOs off guard, resulting in mis-priced homes and other errors that wind up costing the FSBO thousands of dollars beyond what they would have paid a Realtor to sell their home. The bottom line for any Realtor is to help sell your home in the shortest period of time and for the best price. Isn’t that what you want, too?

Another crucial factor in using a Realtor is safety. These days, do you really want to invite strangers into your home with your family? Many Realtors require picture ID and pre-qualify prospective buyers even before they enter your home. The Realtor takes all of the risk associated with showing your home and conducts the showing while you and your family are safely away. Don’t fall prey to predators that are looking for a chance to get in your front door.

Protect yourself when selling your home. It could be largest single investment you’ll ever make! Don’t take unnecessary risks. Find a good, qualified REALTOR® who will work hard for you!

If you were asked to name your favorite beach in the world, would Myrtle Beach make your list? Yahoo! Travel asked their subscribers to help create their top ten list, and the results won’t surprise anyone who has spent significant time here on the Grand Strand.

The top ten included the usual suspects like Miami, Cancun, Hawaii, Key West and Sydney, Australia, but Myrtle Beach outranked every one of these places to take the top spot this year!

Brad Dean of the Myrtle Beach area Chamber of Commerce said, “Any ranking by a reputable source is flattering, but given the level of exposure this grants us - to millions of Yahoo! users - plus the prominence given to this list in the Yahoo! Travel section, we’re thrilled.”

We couldn’t agree more.

South Carolina property owners have been begging for help, which arrived in Myrtle Beach on Monday in the form of Governor Sanford signing the Coastal Property Insurance Reform Act of 2007, which should ease insurance rates along the coast.

During the past 18 months, insurance rates along the coast have skyrocketed, with some reports of up to 1000% increases. In the past four months, the state has expanded the wind pool (the state-run insurer of last resort) twice, which has led to more insurance coverage being offered in areas where it was difficult to find.

Here’s what South Carolina homeowners can expect:

• Single-family homeowners are now eligible for tax credits of up to $1,000 and matching grants toward the cost of making their home more wind resistant.
• Homeowners who shell out more than 5% of their income for insurance premiums may receive tax credits of up to $1,250.
• The state sales tax would be reduced by 3% on building supplies used to make homes more wind resistant.
• Insurance companies must provide consumers with a list of all discounts available for making their property more wind resistant, and must offer such discounts.
• Insurance companies must give 90 days notice for cancellation in hurricane season and 60 days notice during the rest of the year.
• Insurance companies will receive incentives for covering property in the wind pool. This is critical in coastal areas like Myrtle Beach.

Experts believe that with this bill enacted, South Carolina has turned the corner and stopped the huge insurance increases.

In a buyer’s market, home buyers can take their sweet time choosing which home they like best. That’s why sellers need a competitive edge over other sellers in your area, by making your home look better than the rest.

There are six things you can do to make your home look more appealing to buyers… they won’t cost you a fortune and could make the difference in your home being sold versus your neighbor’s.

1. Paint the House/Fence. A new coat of paint can go a long way to making your home look newer. Bold colors reflect your personal taste, so make sure you choose neutral colors that will appeal to the most number of people.

2. Clean the Yard. Take the time to clean up the yard. Rake the dead leaves and grass. Put away any tools or equipment that may be lying around. If buyers see a mess in your yard, they’ll think twice about wanting to see the inside of the house!

3. Plant New Flowers and Trees. Another easy and inexpensive way to improve the look of your home is to plant some new flowers and/or trees. Adding some new color can make a big difference in brightening up your home’s appearance and make it look more cheery to prospective buyers.

4. Enhance Your Walkway. You can boost your home’s look by adding a brick- or stone-paved walkway to the front of your house. Dress it up even more by adding some solar-powered walkway lights. They’ll make your home more inviting by adding more ambiance.

5. Replace Your Front Door. You may think it wouldn’t make a difference, but changing the front door can change the entire look of your home. Replace that stale and plain-looking door with a nice wooden one with a decorative, beveled window.

6. Add Window Treatments. They say windows can be the soul of your house, so it’s important to dress up your home by dressing up your windows. Add some decorative shutters to keep your home from looking plain and boring. Adorn them even further by adding some plant boxes. You’ll be amazed at how much a simple thing can improve your home’s appeal.

7. Hire The Right Realtor. Not all real estate companies (and Realtors) are created equal. The right Realtor could mean a higher selling price, a shorter selling time and a minimum amount of hassles. Unfortunately, the world is filled with agents who are wrong for you: the housewife who sells an occasional house because she needs a bit of spending money; an insurance salesman who believes he can handle two careers at the same time; or a family relative who really needs your business. A good Realtor will know your local market well, supply you with information on past sales, current listings and will also provide you with a solid, proven marketing plan which should indicate how much your home should go for and, more importantly, why it should go for that price! If you are outside our service area, we would be happy to refer you to a Realtor with whom we are familiar, who shares our commitment to top-notch service.

Home buying season is here, and it’s time to grab the competitive edge over other home sellers by sprucing up the look of your home. Luckily, adding to your home’s curb appeal doesn’t have to set you back financially. Adding some color and a few adornments will go far in helping you sell your home faster. For more tips, contact a Price & Company agent today!