Happy 4th of July... a time to ponder and celebrate

Yesterday my family and I enjoyed a day out on a friend's boat and we watched the fireworks over Patriot's Point.  It was a great time being all together and just being on the water was so relaxing. Most people do New Years Resolutions and by January 4th they no longer exist in their world.  I refuse to make resolutions because I never keep them and then I get angry with myself - it's just a bad cycle.  I find it's better to evaluate things 1/2 way through the year and then set a plan to reach your goals. This year has been pretty rough with surgery, finances, recovery, etc...  I want the 2nd half of the year to be better and in order to make this happen I have to change my mindset. My new favorite quote comes from a class I'm taking called BOLD (Business Objective: A Life by Design). It's a great coaching and training class and my favorite BOLD Law is the following: "Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change."  I love this because it gives me the power to change my perspective.  I can be a victim or I can be a hero. I can view myself as poor or see myself as rich.  I can walk down the street with my head down or I can boldly walk upright and say Hi to everyone.  As part of my assignments I read the following poem and I'll leave it as such:

The Victor
by C.W. Longenecker

If you think you are beaten, you are.

If you think you are not, you don't.

If you like to win but you think you can't, 

It's almost a cincy you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you're lost.

For out in the world we find

Success begins with a fellow's will.

It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are.

You've got to think high to rise.

You've got to be sure of yourself before

You can ever win the prize

Life's battles don't always go

To the stronger or faster man.

But sooner or later, the man who wins

Is the man who thinks he can.

-Jason

need to sell a home or looking to buy a home....call me at 843.696.8627

I don't need an agent - I can sell on my own...

FSBO -  For Sale By Owner

The Summerville market is booming and homes are selling fast. Let me help you, your friends and family sell your home for top dollar and quickly. 

     I was naive enough to once think I could sell a home on my own - oh was I wrong.  Long before the days I turned Realtor I was relatively arrogant and stubborn (hard to believe) and thought how hard can it be.  Currently, I'm in a great class with Keller Williams (who I work with as a Realtor) and I am looking to take my business to the next level and honestly help people by giving them real estate service with value. I run across FSBO's a lot and I hear the same argument. No matter how much it pains me that they are going down the wrong road most people have to learn through the process of pain and pleasure.  90% of our decisions are based on avoiding pain and often times for home sellers they think they can can save money by not listing it with a listing agent (like myself and one that specializes in Summerville, SC real estate).  Below you'll find 7 reasons not to sell FSBO. Also, let me add that I just read today FSBO sellers get 0.85 cents on the dollar selling it on their own and significantly less exposure because buyer agents only want to deal with qualified, licensed agents to represent the other side of the transaction. The following information comes from my own research, experiences and this article (http://www.knot6.com/having-for-sale-by-owner-grief/).

Here are 7 reasons you should reconsider selling on your own...

1. MLS: Over 90% of people find their homes online and through agents. The best way people do this is through listing their home in the local MLS (multiple Listing Service). At Keller Williams we have two systems, the MLS and KWLS and once I put it on our KWLS your home goes to 350 real estate sites. You, as a FSBO are not allowed to put your home on our MLS which means that over 5,000 agents do not know your home is for sale.

2. Showing:  SAFETY is your number 1 concern.  As a Realtor I know every agent/buyer in and out of your house because we have digital lock-boxes that track them. If you list it on your own you have to be home for every showing and you never know who's coming into your room or your home or who's keeping track of your valuable items. Also, Realtors must go through background checks so there is an added safety feature. Lock-boxes keep the wrong people out of your home and the right type of buyers in your home and the ability to track them all. Call me to list your home and avoid the safety scares!

3.  As a Realtor I don't want to deal with the homeowner: A buyer's agent signs a buyer's agency agreement with a client and then the seller's brokerage pays that buyer's agent his/her commission. Working with a homeowner there is no true way to know if the buyer's agent will get paid so most agents will not show your home without it being represented by a broker (such as Keller Williams Realty).  This means that most buyers coming inside of your home are probably not properly qualified to buy or unrepresented which is grounds for a disaster or lawsuit. As a Realtor I will not accept an offer without pre-approval or proof of funds. Using an agent gets your more leverage and more exposure to buyers.

4.  Pricing: I just spoke to a gentleman doing a FSBO who has his home priced $170,000 too high. You heard me correctly!  Yes, I wish I were kidding but the comps show his house should sell around the $475-500K mark but he has it around $660K.  I do not set the price and you do not set the price - the market does! You need to hire someone, Jason Gregg, who knows the market and will price your home to sell. I just had a house go under contract in 4 days because it was priced right. I was upfront with the FSBO gentleman and told him he's way overpriced and I'd be happy to help him price it more appropriately but I have not heard back from him. Every homeowner thinks his/her home is worth more than it is. Guess what? Homes that are overpriced do NOT sell.  Please do not make this personal - it's business. You will find agents out there that will list at any price you want because they want business but you don't want them - you want honesty! The longer your home sits unsold the more costly it becomes!

5.  I fought the law and the law one: Real estate contracts can get you into trouble quickly and unless you have a knowledgeable agent that understands them you are likely to get into legal trouble. One word, one sentence, one paragraph can be extremely costly so either hire me or you better be very familiar with contracts. 

6. Do you want to make less money?   Typically buyer's instantly knock off 6% from their purchase price because they know they can. If you had a listing agent you would probably make more due to our negotiating skills and our understanding of the contracts.  Less than 7% of FSBO end up selling on their own and if they do they make less money. Hire me to get you more money and make this stress free.  What's your time worth? What's your stress level worth? Trust me -  I know what i'm doing and REAL estate is stressful. 

7. So many people: How ready are you to deal with, negotiate with, schedule, follow up with, etc regarding your home? Here are just some of the people you'll have to deal, negotiate, schedule and call: the buyer's, their lender (mortgage lender, underwriter, banker), home inspector, CL100 Inspector, appraiser, seller's attorney, buyer's attorney, and buyer's agent (if they have one).  

Let me take the stress out of all this for you. Give me a call today

-Jason Gregg, Realtor

Keller Williams Realty

Jason.Gregg@kw.com

843.696.8627

Lip Sync battle/fundraiser 2016 at Coastal Coffee

 Last week a lip sync contest was held at Coastal Coffee Roasters and I gotta tell you it was a blast. The purpose of this was to be a fundraiser for the organization 141 Impact.  It's a fantastic grass roots organization that battles poverty both locally and abroad.  You can click HERE for more information on 141 Impact and to get more involved.  It's a worthy cause and I love that they give you multiple ways to get involved and they don't just ask for money.   

Back to the lip sync in Summerville, First of all if you are not involved in our community and/or find yourself saying, "there's nothing to do" you need to crawl out of your hermit shell because there are so many great things to do when you Live in Summerville (hence www.LiveinSummerville.com) and you need to take advantage of it.  I'm going to allow pictures and video speak for themselves regarding the lip sync.  Just below here you'll see Summerville residents Jeff and Andrea Gregg who won the contest by raising the most money (based on their performance).

Jeff and Andrea Gregg live in Reminisce and have been residents of Summerville, SC for 6 years. Jeff and Andrea have twin girls and they come from the land of the Steelers and hopefully Stanley Cup Champions (Pittsburgh).  They also happen to be my brother and sister-in-law so I think they are pretty cool people.

The other video I'm posting here is of Roy Jacques. Roy is a professional lip sync'er.  OK...he's not but he is pretty good.  I apologize for the shaky camera work but I was laughing too hard to keep my hand still.  Roy is married with 4 kids and is the pastor of the Summerville campus of Seacoast Church.  

The Fish Camp

The Lowcountry Fish Camp is one of those places you could easily drive by on Central Avenue but trust me when I say if you knew what was inside you'd turn around. On their homepage they say the following: "Our crew uses fresh crab, shrimp, oysters, rice & grits from Summerville, South Carolina Low country Coastal Plains to prepare Low country delicious fare." MMMMMM - doesn't the sound enticing?

My family and I went there for dinner the other night and I think I'm in love.  As a seafood lover (I see food and love it) this place had it all and it's my new go to when I'm hankerin' for some seafood. Do we use the word "hankerin' here in the South?) After drueling over the appetizers we decided, upon our amazing waitress' recommendation, on the conch fritters.  We also love fried pickles so ordered them and they were also good.  They were sliced thin with a good coating on them to make them ever so tasty.  If they have the fritters on special when you are there get them. Next time I go though I'll be delighting in the camp rolls (this is a shrimp and grits roll with pepperjack).  For my meal I ended up getting a plate of seared scallops (perfectly cooked) and an upgrade of some fried shrimp (also very good).  My daughter loves calamari so she got just an order of that and said they were really good. What 16 year old goes out and orders calamari - mine does!  Someday when I go back (probably won't be too long) I want to try the fried duck legs.  Yes - they have fried duck legs. At first I thought this may be cruel but then I thought about the billions of chickens/year we kill so I did not feel as bad.

The only recommendation I have for this place is get some beer on tap.  When I'm eating great seafood I like great beer on tap (they do carry bottles and cans).  I give them place a 9/10.  It's pretty small inside with only a few tables but they have a very nice outdoor covered eating section also.

For more information or to view their menu go to http://lowcountryfishcamp.com/

This was my meal at the Lowcountry Fish Camp in Summerville, SC!

Outside of the Lowcountry Fish Camp in Summerville, SC

Looking to BUY, SELL or INVEST in Real Estate give me a call. 

Jason Gregg, Realtor

Keller Williams Realty

843.696.8627

Jason.Gregg@kw.com

Price is Right – Or is it? What ever buyer or seller should know

    I’ve done enough business now to know good from bad.  Maybe I should not use the word “bad” but that seems to best fit how some people do their jobs in real estate.  Of course this occurs in every career field.  Let me say this loud and clear – Make Sure You Hire a Good Realtor.  How do I know if he/she is a good Realtor?  Once you sign an “agency agreement” either to buy or sell your Realtor is your employee and do you want a bad employee in your business?  A bad employee costs you money and real estate is often times your biggest investment.  TiP: don’t fall prey to those agents/agencies that use gimmicks to get them to hire you. Ask yourself why do they need a gimmick to convince you?  TiP: make sure you read the fine print.  The majority of my headaches come from home inspectors, appraisers and agents that don’t understand the business or contracts.

As a listing agent (I also work with buyers) I represent my sellers and their best interest. When you sign a listing agreement with me I owe you fiduciary responsibilities (obedience, loyalty, disclosure, confidentiality, accounting and reasonable care). I purchase signs, I market your home in many, many ways, I negotiate for you, I help you understand the market and what comps are to be used, I consult with you on preparing their home for the market, I organize the closing and help you find an attorney, I create a net sheet so you have an idea how much you'll earn after closing, I am loyal to you and your best interests, etc.  There’s a lot to do and it takes a lot of time.  Most people have no idea what a good Realtor can and will do for them but it all starts with training and understanding contracts, knowledge of the local market, subdivisions, HOA, mortgages, etc. Any agent can list a home in the MLS and put a sign in your yard – what else are they willing to do? If you’d like a copy of my marketing strategy send me an email at Jason.Gregg@kw.com and you can see firsthand my 25 step marketing plan and it works. 

A buyer’s agent responsibility is to represent their buyers and get them the best deal.  But, I’m finding there are many buyer’s agents that do not understand our local buy/sell agreement (the contract).  TiP: Make sure your agent can clearly explain the contract to you because if they can’t then how can they negotiate in your best interest?  In the last 2 weeks I have had 2 buyer agents send me a repair report based on the home inspection.  TiP: if you want a perfect (no such thing so get as close as possible) home then buy new construction.  It is not the sellers job to repair every nook and cranny of a 15-year-old home and if you ask of it you are going to get a negative response. Each and every one of us has emotions and when a buyer sends a list of 15-20 items that they want upgraded, repaired, replaced, etc the sellers are most likely going to get angry and frustrated.  The buyer’s agent has not done a good job of explaining the contract and helping them understand the process.  Home inspectors seem to have one thing in mind – nitpick.  A home inspection should not include light bulbs, concrete donuts around sewer pipes, items that work just fine but a new construction code was implemented last month, etc.  Recently, I received a request of 18 items that included these things. I politely pointed out that based on the contract their buyers signed we are not required to fix such things (TiP: make sure your agent can tell you the difference between repairs and due diligence) and only 3 of the 18 were relevant.  Let’s just say this other agent was not pleased at our conversation but I was representing my client's interests. This is the same agent that missed a deadline for the buyers and then asked us for more repairs. Real Estate is all about knowledge and understanding, representing your clients, meeting deadlines and doing tasks in a timely fashion.  TiP: if you are a buyer pick out the 2-4 items that matter most to you and request those repairs.  Don’t lose a contract based on emotion.    

Appraisers have hard jobs.  Using a Realtor that understands the market is a valuable tool and you should listen to them. I’m pretty sure that 99% of sellers feel their home is worth more than it is and a good agent is going to gently communicate why it’s not based on comps and explaining home valuation process. Please do not get angry with us for doing our job?  We will be handling all the stressful tasks and responsibilities of selling your home (that’s why you are paying us) so you don’t have to worry about it.  Let's take a home valued at $200K and this is based on solid comps but you refuse to listen- you’re going to have issues.  TiP: an overpriced home does not sell.  An overpriced home will sit on the market too long, receive low offers and you'll lose money (because you'll be paying a mortgage, bills, insurance, etc on that home while you could be at your new home if you just priced it right at the beginning). Or, let’s say your agent does list your home at $225K and it does sell.  Then the buyer’s lender sends an appraiser out and values your home at $200K. You basically have 2 options: cancel the contract or sell at the appraised price. Here's where my frustration lies.  I can have a home listed for sale and if I do 5 appraisals I’ll get 5 different valuations of that home.  This is why your Realtor really needs to know the market and price it right at the beginning. Recently I had clients that listed their home too high and I kept saying to them "it's too high."  Finally, they changed the price to my recommendation and 5 days later we went under contract.  Homes sell based on location, price and condition.  I just had my home appraised 11 months ago and then again this week for a home equity loan.  In less than a year my home appraised at a $12K differential.  Somehow my home lost value in under a year and we added new floors, new HVAC, painted every room, and our local market is increasing in value yet somehow my home lost value. It makes no sense and arguing the appraisal is time well wasted because most times the realtor loses.

If you’ve ever bought or sold a home, you may understand there are many things that can go wrong and it can be very stressful. As your local Realtor I want to educate you and make sure you get what you deserve and pay for. Most people think they know how to buy and sell a home but there is much more to it than you realize.  That’s why I rarely recommend someone selling for sale by owner (FSBO) – there are so many things that can go wrong.  TiP: if you’re trying to sell your home on your own please don’t use the Zestimate (Zillow.com) to come up with a price. Call me, I'd be happy to help you price it. 

Well, I hope you found this useful.  I love what I do and what I do is get to help others get the best deal possible on a home (buying or selling). I’d be happy to help you in any phase of your real estate needs. Just give me a call or shoot me an email.  Don’t forget June 10^th is our big sweet tea world record day here in Summerville, SC.  You can also see a local calendar of events here on this site anytime.

Jason Gregg, Realtor
Keller Williams Realty

Jason.Gregg@kw.com

843.696.8627

www.Palmettodreamhomes.com

Rain Barrel in Summerville, SC

I honestly never thought I'd be posting about rain barrels - but I am. What prompted this you ask? Well, I saw that Summerville, SC is having a deal/partnership with a rain barrel company and I plan on ordering one of them. This year my wife and I decided to build a garden in our back yard. Since we both have the opposite of green thumbs (I'm not sure what color that makes our thumbs) we sought the help and expertise of my in-laws.  My father-in-law helped me build it (actually - he built and I assisted (that's code for watched).  My mother-in-law helped with it by staining, purchasing and helping us choose what to plant.  Last week we had our first edible veggies (cukes) and now we have some squash as well.

As you know when it rains here in Summerville, it rains.  I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA and when it rained there it would rain all day and we'd get an inch of rain over 12 hours.  Here, it'll rain for 6 minutes and we'll have 3 inches.  It's my amateur understanding that rainwater is much better for the garden and lawn that city water which is where the rain barrel comes into play.  I remember last year (maybe the year before) Summerville had a similar program but I figured I did not need one but now I want one. Here are some benefits of a rain barrel:

• It saves on your water bill
• Don't drink it - use it for watering indoor and outdoor plants.  40% of your water usage comes from watering yards, washing cars, watering plants and other outdoor chores. 
• It can reduce flooding in your yard and stop the grass from dying from those low areas (if that's where the downspout dumps it out).
• It also reduces the amount of sediment and other pollutants that would be washed away with the runoff into nearby Summerville storm drains and local streams.

DID YOU KNOW:  1 inch of rain on a 1000 sq ft roof yields 623 gallons of water. Calculate the yield of your roof by multiplying the square footage of your roof by 623 and divide by 1000.

You have till May 29th to order your rain barrel in Summerville.  Go to http://www.rainwatersolutions.com/products/acsec-ivy

Want information on real estate in Summerville, SC?

Go to www.Liveinsummerville.com 

For homes in other parts of Charleston go to www.Palmettodreamhomes.com

Jason Gregg

Keller Williams Realty

843.696.8627

Jason.Gregg@kw.com

Ringin' That Bell...

Tomorrow commemorates 30 days.  Of what, you ask!  Let me start at the beginning.  Around June of 2015 I noticed a lump in my left ear and figured nothing of it. After all, what is a lump after having a double lung transplant, multiple additional surgeries, near death experiences and so on, so on and so on.  I always seem to have health related things showing up so what is a lump?  Around October I went to see an ENT doc b/c it was getting worse and after a few attempts at fixing it with lotions and medications she did a biopsy of it.  Now keep in mind I am an avid sunscreen wearer and I always include my ears.  Post transplant people are way more prone to skin cancer than the normal Joe.  The biopsy results were Squamos Cell and I was immediately referred to the MUSC Head and Neck department (I bet you did not even know they had that).  Dr. Neskey would become my frenemy as he discussed the seriousness of it and treatment of it. Within a week or two I was in the OR where they "scraped" the inside of my ear pretty darn down to nothing and then took a 6 inch section of my upper leg as a skin graft.  Honest to God this was some of the worst pain I ever felt - that skin graft was brutal and being immune-suppressed, due to the transplant, it took extra long to heal.  Eventually I was back up walking and working (almost full time) and trying to get my ugly ear to heal.  What's worse - an ugly ear or no ear?  Fast forward a couple months and I felt like that ear was not only not healing but getting worse.  I was 100% sure it was just extra, extra slow to heal but I figured better be safe than sorry so back I went to see my frenemy ( I really liked him but got tired of hearing the bad news).  After one of those concerning looks (hopefully you have no idea what I mean) he said, "That's concerning - I'm going to do a biopsy."  Again, ear biopsies are not all that fun but I survived and awaited the results.  Results = Squamos Cell again.  This disturbing news came in the form of a phone call and Dr. Neskey saying this is way more aggressive and we have to be more aggressive in the treatment.  A week later I was in the OR for a 12 hour surgery. Because my middle name is "Murphy's Law" I was not waking up properly and ended up staying intubated and in the ICU for 5 days. When I finally decided to wake up I literally had no idea where I was or why I was there.  Let me tell you it's very strange to wake up 5 days later and have no clue what is going on.  Also, let me add that whatever I was given provided me some serious hallucinations. Why would anyone want to do that intentionally?  After another day in the ICU I was moved to a regular room - I'll spare you the details on having all my tubes and lines pulled out.  Yikes!  Remember my middle name?  Murphy struck again in that I had no voice or ability to swallow properly so down went the NG tube (a not so lovely tube going through my nose to my stomach where they fed me and put my medications down).  I also could not talk due to vocal cord paralysis, probably from the 5 days of a tube down my throat. Three more days and I was able to swallow a little better which allowed me to go home to start another long recovery and that brings me to the title of the - Ringin' the Bell. 

Tomorrow I complete my 30 day regimen of Radiation on my ear and facial area.  I'm ready for tomorrow to be here.  Every day for the past 6 weeks (M-F) I drive to MUSC and lay on a table with a Jason/Halloween type mask secured to a table so I am immobile while radiation waves infiltrate my cancer area, AKA my face. The first few treatments were tough because I am claustrophobic and having my head tied to a table really caused me anxiety. But, I got used to it (as used to radiation as one can) and will finish it out tomorrow.  I'm told at the end of my treatment I get to ring a bell on my way out as a sign of completion and success.  The bell must be symbolic of a new start, hopefully a cancer-free new start.  That 12 hour surgery turned out to be quite the journey, one that was very unexpected and unwelcome.  I tend to have a lot of those but thank God I'm stubborn. One of my docs once said my stubbornness was a blessed curse.  It drives him crazy but keeps me alive. I'll take stubbornness all day long as long as it keeps me around my family and friends.

I want to extend a huge thank you to Dr. Neskey, TK, Ben and Ashley, and Dr. Sharma for being so great to work with, your professionalism, honesty, work ethic, knowledge to treat this, and aggressiveness to make sure there is the best opportunity for healing and this does not return.  As grateful as I am to this group of people words cannot describe how grateful I am to my wife.  She has watched, sat, slept, worked, eaten, etc by my side for so many surgeries and hospitalizations I lost count.  I can say with 100% certainty I would not here today were it not for her and her continued commitment to me.  Somewhere in my unconscious mind I know when I finally wake up from whatever sedation I'm under she'll be there next to me and for that I am eternally grateful. 
Tomorrow, I move forward again with hesitant hope that I remain cancer free and await the side effects of radiation to go away (fatigue, very red face, loss of facial hair (miss my beard) and loss of taste) and try and get used to my new life of only having one ear and loss of hearing since they took my entire ear canal out. 

Tomorrow - I ring that bell (in more ways than one)

This is an exact replica of the mask I wore.

The plaque says, "Ring, Bell, Ring/Loud and Clear/My treatment is over/And I'm outta here