Choosing an Agent can be stressful

 "Summerville, SC is a fantastic place to live and I would not go anywhere else.  Jason was a great agent and helped us get our home under contract in just a few days."

Jason Gregg is a Realtor that specializes in Summerville, SC homes

     It's very difficult in our region to choose a Realty Company because there are just so many and so many agents. Also, within each company you will find both good agents and bad agents.  So, with all these choices how do you choose?  It starts with asking questions like how long have you been in the business, what percentage do your listings sell for, how and how often will you communicate with me, do you have references and how much will it cost me for you to be my Realtor?

     Agents have to go over agency laws with you at the beginning of your working relationship and explain them to you so you understand what type of relationship you're going to have. The sole purpose of this is so you understand what you're getting into and not get scammed.  Also, if any agent is hesitant and tries to talk you out of interviewing other agents I would take that as a red flag. I have no problem interviewing for the job to be your Realtor because of my experience, training and confidence in how I run my business.

    If you look at the chart below I believe it makes it easy to see why Keller Williams (KW) is the best choice as your real estate brokerage. I am a very successful agent and only want to be associated with the best brand which is why I chose KW. They excel at every level of real estate, residential and commercial, and have proven strategies from a tiny parcel of land up to luxury homes in the millions. They have strong brand recognition both nationally and globally and they provide top training and keep up to date with current technology.  You'll see below that our company not only is more productive but destroys the averages of the rest of the region.  In the chart you'll see the stats for CTAR (Charleston Trident Association of Realtors) and in the Red you'll see the KW stats.  I believe they speak for themselves. Please contact me if you don't understand this chart or have any questions about it. I'd be happy to go over it and also explain how I run my KW business. Also, if are considering real estate as a career we provide profit sharing with increase one's passive income.  Personally, I call it free money.  With large real estate teams (especially ones that advertise a lot) you often don't get the personal touch or you are just a number to them. They also promise a lot but often times have small writing that ends up not being a good deal. With brand new agents they don't have the experience to write the contracts or to properly negotiate on your behalf. With Jason you get a great company backing you, that personal touch, lower stress selling or buying (there is always some level of stress but I reduce that drastically with my proven strategies), a company with over 155,000 agents to network your home to (including globally) and my personal and relevant experience as a Realtor.

**Stay tuned for my next couple blog posts on mortgages and Nexton!

Need to buy or sell?

Choose Keller Williams Realty

Choose Jason Gregg

843.696.8627

Jason.Gregg@kw.com

2017 Home Renovations

My wife and I just updated our kitchen and we did the work ourselves. Instead of dropping thousands of dollars on new cabinets we consulted Sherwin Williams and learned now to repaint them at a fraction of the cost. We removed the doors, primed & painted (doors and frames) and installed new hinges and hardware and they look great. We even did a slight distressing of them for some character. We added shiplap boards bought from Lowes that came in a kit and installed them on our island.   Now, I am nowhere even close to being handy but I can paint, do hardware, and cut boards which is all we did but it looks amazing. So, this got me thinking - how can I help others sell their home but not lose money when it comes to renovating?  My next door neighbor put nearly $70K into a home renovation and also bought the house for a high dollar amount so now she is swimming in debt and her home will not sell because it's over priced due to the renovations.  You have to make sure your investment is going to be worth it.  Check out our before and after pics...

Here is a before pic of our kitchen:   

Here is our kitchen after (still need to put back splash up) which cost under $1k:

       I read an article at http://www.realtor.com/news/trends/best-and-worst-renovations-to-make-in-2017/?identityID=56c6204b698ab9a903015dbf&MID=2017_0113_WeeklyNL&RID=3739612622&cid=eml-2017-0113-WeeklyNL-blog_1_renovations-blogs_trends and found it to be very useful and relevant.  It provides research on the 2017 top home renovations, contractor costs and the ROI (Return on Investment) on a variety of projects. Strange enough the number one renovation is completely unseen but the ROI is over 100% which means you can get all your money back and then some.  The ROI on placing insulation in your attic is around 108%.   The next top renovation is changing out your front door for an attractive solid steel door. According to Realtor.com the average ROI is 64% on home upgrades and renovations. Of course we all know that buyers buy for the kitchens and bathrooms so  those are the big renovations that sell. So, take a look at their chart and see what you think you need to do to get the most out of your home.  It's also a good idea to understand that many upgrades do not increase value, though they may help sell your home faster. Things such as replacing the roof when it's needed or getting new HVAC does not increase the value...that is considered maintenance but if those things are not done you're going to have a difficult time selling.

     Of course, nothing is better than having an experienced and trained Realtor come in and view your home and give you ideas. Also, if you're unsure about your home and it's current condition you can hire a licensed home inspector to come and in give you an evaluation and they will also provide you with ideas on what needs done. The price of a local inspector runs from $250-500 (depending on size of your home).

If you'd like me to come in and give you ideas on selling your home I'd be happy to assist. I can also help you stage your home to get the most viewings, and money, on your home and work with a staging specialist if needed. Call me today (or tomorrow) for any real estate questions or to sell your home. I also love referrals... 

Jason Gregg, Realtor
843.696.8627
Jason.Gregg@kw.com
www.Palmettodreamhomes.com

It's 2017...What's your new start?

Can you believe it... 2016 is closed out and we are entering 2017.  To some you are sighing a huge sigh of relief that the year is over and some of you are mourning the end of '16.  I, for one, am in the middle of that spectrum. I had a great year with family, success in my real estate business and much more but struggled with some health issues. Let's just say I am a cancer survivor now but with one less ear.  Yup, you read that correctly. I am the official one-ear'd Realtor. The cancer was inside of my ear so unfortunately they had to remove 2/3 of my left ear leaving me deaf on that side. Sometimes, life just kind of sucks and we gotta make the best of it.

So, with that in mind I am going to give you "12 Characteristics of Tough Minded Optimists."

1. Optimists are seldom surprised by trouble

2. Optimists look for partial solutions

3. Optimists believe they have control over their future

4. Optimists allow for regular renewal

5. Optimists interrupt their negative train of thoughts

6. Optimists heighten their powers of appreciation

7. Optimists use their imaginations to rehears success

8. Optimists are cheerful even when they can't be happy

9. Optimists believe they have an almost unlimited capacity for stretching

10. Optimists build lots of love into their lives

11. Optimists like to swap good news

12. Optimists accept what they cannot change. 

What's your favorite? Mine is #8 and #12. Nobody says we have to be happy all the time but despite our circumstance we can be cheerful. We can use manners, be polite, give compliments, wish someone a good day and we don't have to drag others down that are around us. Number 12 is basically the serenity prayer which we've all seen and heard.

Summerville, SC drivers need some serenity prayers...

As we all enter into another phase, another year, another transition let's all celebrate that change and be a tough-minded optimist.

Happy New Years,

-Jason

Call me for your real estate needs...843.696.8627 or go to www.palmettodreamhomes.com