Charter One Realty Blog - December, 2022

Planning To Sell Your House? It’s Critical To Hire a Pro.

Planning To Sell Your House? It’s Critical To Hire a Pro.

With higher mortgage rates and moderating buyer demand, conditions in the housing market are different today. And if you’re thinking of selling your house, it’s important to understand how the market has changed and what that means for you. The best way to make sure you’re in the know is to work with a trusted housing market expert.

Here are five reasons working with a professional can ensure you’ll get the most out of your sale.

1. A Real Estate Advisor Is an Expert on Market Trends

Leslie Rouda Smith, 2022 President of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), explains:

"During challenging and changing market conditions, one thing that's calming and constant is the…

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What’s Going on in the Housing Market

Confused About What’s Going on in the Housing Market? Lean on a Professional.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home, you probably want to know what’s really happening with home prices, mortgage rates, housing supply, and more. That’s not an easy task considering how sensationalized headlines are today. Jay Thompson, Real Estate Industry Consultant, explains:

“Housing market headlines are everywhere. Many are quite sensational, ending with exclamation points or predicting impending doom for the industry. Clickbait, the sensationalizing of headlines and content, has been an issue since the dawn of the internet, and housing news is not immune to it.”

Unfortunately, when information in the media isn’t clear, it can generate a lot…

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Financial Fundamentals for First-Time Homebuyers

Financial Fundamentals for First-Time Homebuyers

Are you prepping to buy your first home? If so, one of the steps you should take early on is making sure you’re financially ready for your purchase. Here are just a few of the financial fundamentals you’ll need to focus on as you set out to buy a home.

Build Your Credit

Your credit is one element that helps determine which home loan you’ll qualify for. It also impacts your mortgage interest rate. While there are many factors that go into your mortgage application, a higher credit score could lead to a lower monthly payment in the long run.

So how do you make sure your credit is in the best shape possible when it’s time to buy? A recent article from NerdWallet lists a few tips you can use…

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What To Expect From the Housing Market in 2023

What To Expect From the Housing Market in 2023

The 2022 housing market has been defined by two key things: inflation and rapidly rising mortgage rates. And in many ways, it's put the market into a reset position.

As the Federal Reserve (the Fed) made moves this year to try to lower inflation, mortgage rates more than doubled – something that’s never happened before in a calendar year. This had a cascading impact on buyer activity, the balance between supply and demand, and ultimately home prices. And as all those things changed, some buyers and sellers put their plans on hold and decided to wait until the market felt a bit more predictable.

But what does that mean for next year? What everyone really wants is more stability in the market in…

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Meet the Agent: Jennifer Johnson

For Charter One Realty agent Jennifer Johnson, real estate isn’t merely a line of work — it’s a calling. This top-performing agent has been representing buyers and sellers in the Lowcountry since 2017, and she's established quite a track record. 

Jennifer tells Charter One Realty about her affinity for real estate and her deep connection to the Lowcountry and shares some advice for buyers.

Charter One Realty: When did you know that you wanted to pursue a career in real estate?

Jennifer Johnson: I knew I wanted to pursue a career in real estate when I was a first-time homebuyer. I realized that I can help homebuyers locate or sell real estate and deliver an exceptional experience just like my first agent did. She made it look easy. Now I know it's…

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Charter One Realty Welcomes Stephanie Kollstedt

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC, December 2022 – (CharterOneRealty.com) Charter One Realty, the Lowcountry's #1 Ranked Real Estate Brokerage, is proud to welcome Stephanie Kollstedt to its team of talented and dedicated agents. Stephanie joins the company as an agent, partnering with Alison Melton and Sabeth Biangone of The Melton Group and will work out of one of the firm's Bluffton locations at the front gate of Berkeley Hall.

Stephanie relocated to the Lowcountry in 2021 from Cincinnati, Ohio, along with her husband, Jon, and her sons, Ayden and Hunter. Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Cincinnati and an Associate's Degree in Real Estate from Hondros College. She began her career in real estate as a Sales and Marketing…

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Charter One Realty Welcomes Bland Kiser and David Jetton to Their 11 Park Lane Office

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC, December 2022 – (CharterOneRealty.com) Charter One Realty, the Lowcountry's #1 Ranked Real Estate Brokerage, is proud to welcome Bland Kiser and David Jetton to its team of talented and dedicated agents. Kiser and Jetton have partnered to form the Kiser Jetton Group and will work out of one of the firm's Hilton Head Island locations, 11 Park Lane. 

Bland Kiser has been a Hilton Head Island & Bluffton, SC resident since 1976. Bland has an extensive, proven track record of luxury real estate sales experience and achievements in South Carolina (plus Colorado and the U.S. Virgin Islands) during his nearly 25-year career. Bland is proud to serve all his clients with the highest professionalism and enthusiasm. Whether it is an…

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Planning to Retire? It Could Be Time To Make a Move.

Planning to Retire? It Could Be Time To Make a Move.

If you’re thinking about retirement or have already retired this year, you may be planning your next steps. One of your goals could be selling your house and finding a home that more closely fits your needs.

Fortunately, you may be in a better position to make a move than you realize. Here are a few things to think about when making that decision.

Consider How Long You’ve Been in Your Home

From 1985 to 2008, the average length of time homeowners typically stayed in their homes was only six years. But according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), that number is rising today, meaning many homeowners are living in their houses even longer (see graph below):

When you…

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You May Have More Negotiation Power When You Buy a Home Today

You May Have More Negotiation Power When You Buy a Home Today

Did the frequency and intensity of bidding wars over the past two years make you put your home search on hold? If so, you should know the hyper competitive market has cooled this year as buyer demand has moderated and housing supply has grown. Those two factors combined mean you may see less competition from other buyers.

And with less competition comes more opportunity. Here are two trends that may be the news you need to reenter the market.

1. The Return of Contingencies

Over the last two years, more buyers were willing to skip important steps in the homebuying process, like the appraisal or the inspection, in hopes of gaining an advantage in a bidding war.  But now, things…

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Ready To Sell? Today’s Housing Supply Gives You Two Opportunities.

Ready To Sell? Today’s Housing Supply Gives You Two Opportunities.

At first glance, the increase in housing supply compared to last year may not sound like good news for prospective sellers, but it actually gives you two key opportunities in today’s housing market.

An article from Calculated Risk helps put the inventory gains the market has seen in 2022 into perspective by comparing it to recent years (see graph below). It shows supply has surpassed 2021 levels by 58%. But the further back you look, the more you’ll understand the bigger picture. And if you go all the way back to 2019, the last normal year in real estate, we’re roughly 35% below the housing supply we had at that time.

Opportunity #1: Take Advantage of More Options for…

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