Give them credit for creativity.  The FBI says homeowners and prospective tenants should be aware of the newest Nigerian scheme. Here’s how it works.

1. Homeowners and Realtors distribute listings through various search sites, such as Realtor.com and Craigslist.

2. Evildoers copy the listings and pictures verbatim, and post them back onto Craigslist under available house rentals.

3. Unsuspecting tenants contact the poster for more information.

4. The scammer claims to have had to leave the country quickly for some made-up reason, and were unable to rent the home prior to leaving, so they’ll have to take care of this remotely.

5. The “homeowner” sends a rental application and directs the tenant to send the first and last month’s rent via Western Union. If they qualify, they will be sent keys.

6. Once the tenant sends money, the “homeowner” disappears.

This scam is currently being perpetrated in Charleston, Columbia and Hilton Head, so Myrtle Beach real estate can’t be far behind. Beware!

A local bank has announced a grant program for first-time homebuyers in Myrtle Beach.  The program will cover part of your downpayment and might not have to be repaid.

Here’s how it works.  Let’s say you want to purchase a $170,000 home.  You start with a standard FHA loan, which covers 96.5% of the purchase, or $164,050.  This would normally require you to have the difference of $5,950, plus your closing costs (let’s use round numbers – $3,000) in cash at closing.  Well, not everyone has nine thousand dollars sitting around, right?

That’s where the grant comes in.  It matches your contribution 5 to 1.  So, if you have $2,000 available, the grant can cover up to $10,000 of your downpayment, closing costs and lender fees.  Plus, you don’t make any payments on the grant money, and if you stay in the home for at least five years, you won’t have to pay it back – ever.

So… what hoops do you have to jump through?  Well, there are household income restrictions (about $75,000 a year or less).  You must be a true first-time homebuyer.  You do have to qualify for the FHA loan.  And, you must take a 90 minute homebuyer class. Not so bad, right?

Interested?  Call Price & Company Realty at 843.272.1266 today and let’s get started finding your perfect home! Or, start looking online 24/7 at CarolinaWaterfront.net/search

Everyone wants a good deal. But wanting it – and getting it – are often more art than science. From the selling side, we see buyers making the same mistakes over and over again. If you are considering buying Myrtle Beach real estate this summer, pay close attention to these five ways to sabotage your deal:

1 – The “Deal Of The Century” Sabotage: Imagine you are having a garage sale, and someone comes along and purchases some old piece of crap for a dollar.  You’re happy to get it off your hands, and they’re obviously happy enough to pay a dollar for it.  Now imagine that, prior to giving you the dollar, they say, “I am a collector of (your crap) and I will be able to resell this for about three hundred dollars.” Suddenly, you’re not feeling so good about the deal.  Home buyers — and their agent — should NEVER telegraph their enthusiasm to the seller or seller’s agent. Enthusiasm inhibits negotiation and concessions!

2 – The “Let’s Close Today” Sabotage: If you’ve ever told a pushy salesperson that you’re “Just Looking” when, in fact, you knew that you were going to buy something today, this is a no-brainer. Home buyers — and their agent — should NEVER indicate that there is a reason why the buyer must buy soon. The seller (and seller’s agent) will use this information against you.

3 – The “Better Deal Just Around The Corner” Sabotage: Home buying is one of the biggest financial transactions most people will ever face. Re-read that sentence. Everyone wants to make sure that they are making the right decision, but sometimes this leads to what I call “Paralysis of Analysis.”  Home buyers — and their agent — must have a very good understanding of the current market, and know that the home they are considering is the best option for them. Failure to do this invites disaster.

4 – The “Of Course I Can Afford It” Sabotage: In today’s market, buyers should always be pre-approved by a lender before viewing homes and making an offer. However, submitting a preapproval letter for $180,000 on a $180,000 home, with an offer of $150,000, is a clear signal to the seller to hold firm on price.

5 – The “Big Stick” Sabotage: President Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” But home buyers should hide the stick. People want to work with folks they like. Negotiate in good faith all day long, but beware that an argumentative, confrontational or unreasonable buyer will make the seller walk away from the deal.

Avoiding these five big mistakes and you’re well on your way to a great deal!

There’s a lot of political talk about patriotism these days, but the 56 men who dared to stand up to the British throne and sign our Declaration of Independence were true original patriots who were prepared to sacrifice everything for just the idea of a yet-to-be-established United States of America.  For their bravery, here’s what they got:

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.  They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.

Eleven were merchants.

Nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed.  The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she was dying.  Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

Since then, how many millions of men and women have served in the Armed Forces defending the freedoms for which our Founding Fathers sacrificed so much? How mnay hundreds of thousands are serving today, thousands of miles from home?

Take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday to remember -and thank – these patriots. It’s not much to ask for the price they paid – and pay – every day.  Feedom is never free, and patriotism in its true form is never wrong.