Senator Introduces Cuss Money Bill

February 3, 2009 by 1 Comment

Senator Could Flush or Crush State with Cuss Money
We all know the terms Maybank’s Money, Lottery Money and Poker Money. Now we have Robert Ford’s “Cuss Money”. If Senator Ford has his way, South Carolina may be the richest state in the union. The flip side is that everyone will be completely broke.
Senator Robert Ford (D-Charleston) filed a bill that would make it illegal to use profanity in the Palmetto State. The bill calls for anyone that swears, orally or in writing, to spend up to five years in jail or pay a fine of $5,000. FIVE GRAND! Wow…

I’m all for creativity and don’t usually criticize anyone’s ideas, but this one is unrealistic and down right not good.

Which words are exactly considered profane is still unclear in Ford’s bill, but it does have a list of qualifications for profanity including words or actions that are lewd, vulgar, or indecent in nature.
Many of you will be quick to cite an American’s First Amendment right to freedom of speech. While freedom of speech is a right, it is not absolute. The First Amendment doesn’t give us the right to say anything we want, anytime we want. Remember the Social Studies teacher that taught us that we can’t yell “FIRE” in a full movie theater? Well… there ya go.

I’m all for a more perfect South Carolina, but this may be the most naive attempt at it that I can think of. Maybe it’s a publicity stunt. Who knows….

Perhaps Senator Ford is trying to put 1000 Sandlappers in every single South Carolina jail cell, or perhaps he’s trying to fix the state’s economy by charging $5,000 per cuss word. Whatever he’s doing, the bill is ridOnculous and I hope it doesn’t require much time in committee or on the floor.

P.S. I know this isn’t breaking news or anything, as the bill was all over the internet a few days ago. It just made me shake my head so many times that I thought it deserved a mention.

P.S.S. Senator Ford is pondering a run for Governor in 2010.
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Columbia’s Real Estate Hotsheet

February 2, 2009 by Leave a Comment

>>>Columbia’s Newest Hotsheet; Jan 22 – Feb 1, 2009

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Business as Usual Thanks to Friends

January 29, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Offers, Contracts and Closings Happening Daily
Thanks to all of my awesome friends 2009 has started off with a bang. Amy, Caroline and I have been busy this week with all sorts of things going on.

Just today, we closed on 5970 Hampton Leas Lane. It was sort of a long contract period but at least it was a smooth and clean closing. Everyone seems very happy.

We also put 6443 Briarwood under contract and are supposed to close on the Landrum listing on Friday. Both of these are in Forest Acres. Hopefully these deals will be as smooth as Hampton Leas was. We’ll see! Needless to say, we’ve stayed very busy in spite of the negative news climate we endure every single day.

Thank you for all of your business and referrals. It makes all the difference. Because of our friends, TeamFranklin is probably the best real estate network in South Carolina. Keep it coming.

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Mayor Bob or Mayor Steve?

January 27, 2009 by 1 Comment

Lines Being Drawn in Columbia Asphalt

Columbia may have one humdinger of a fight coming up in the near future. Word is local attorney Steve Benjamin is running to unseat Columbia Mayor Bob Coble. I’ve heard privately that Steve is definitely running, but hesitated to blog about it until I read Monday’s post by FitsNews.com.

“Mayor Bob,” as we all know him, already holds the record for service as mayor as he’s in the middle of his fifth term. If Steve runs, it will be Mayor Bob’s toughest challenge to date.

Politically, Steve Benjamin made his name when he was the Democratic nominee for Attorney General. Henry McMaster went on to beat Benjamin in the general election.

As I’ve written before, many times a loss can be a win. Benjamin’s loss was a great example of this. Since the election, he has become one of the best P.R. machines that I can think of as local boards, businesses and commissions can’t seem to get enough of him. Steve Benjamin is everywhere.
Historically, Mayor Bob has enjoyed the support of Columbia’s African-American community. Anyone would be bold to claim that he hasn’t earned it. Having Steve in the race changes the dynamics dramatically and makes for unchartered territory for the current mayor.

This race will be fun (but difficult) to watch. If the match up comes to fruition, it will be a battle of local heavyweights and an event that will test friendships throughout Columbia.
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The State; “The Big Winner Was…”

January 26, 2009 by 1 Comment

The State Finally Localizes Columbia Market
Today’s “YOUR HOME” section of The State Newspaper reflected what I’ve been saying for almost a year and a half. It reads, “The big winner was the downtown-Forest Acres area, which saw the smallest decline in home sales, and the biggest jump in home prices… Homes there were selling quicker…than any of the other major Columbia-area markets.” Finally, they said it.

We all know the market is down in the midlands, as it is across the country. However, real estate is very local. The outskirts of Columbia shouldn’t be lumped in the same conversation as the downtown market. Although it wasn’t pleasant to see a negative story in the newspaper, it was nice to finally see The State decipher the different areas of the midland market. Each area is very different.

Some people think that when I post about real estate, that I’m spinning a positive picture just because I’m a Realtor. Sure I want to report good news, but I’m writing about what’s actually happening out there. This weekend alone, I put a Forest Acres home under contract, made and offer one in King’s Grant and received one in Lake Katherine.

If you have a house that’s ready to move in and priced correctly, it should procure offers. I’ve seen it time and time again. I have buyers that are ready and able to purchase the right home, it it will just come to market.

Good for The State for localizing their latest article.

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Columbia’s Real Estate For Sale

January 23, 2009 by Leave a Comment

>>Columbia’s Newest Listings; Jan. 13 – 22, 2009

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Wii Rooms Popular with Buyers

January 21, 2009 by 1 Comment

Ample Wii Space in Big Demand For ’09 Buyers

The last closing I enjoyed had one thing in common with the last two houses I’ve introduced to my clients. All three of the buyers were picking where the “Wii Room” was going to be.

I also know ALL too well about playrooms, bonus rooms and FROGS. Many times, none of these can suffice for the demands of a serious Wii family.

You would think that the playroom/FROG would be perfect for Wiis. Many times it is. The hiccup in this theory comes into play because many times, the Wii users are mom and dad. Apparently, an exercising mom doesn’t fit well with a squawkin’ yute, hollerin’ for more “Dora The Explorer.”

Since there is so much body movement involved with it, the ideal Wii Room should be on the first floor. The room has to be large enough for any furniture to be spread out or easily movable. Further, hardwood floors are not the perfect surface… especially if you have the Wii “Fit.” Hardcore Wii users need a rug or a big foam mat.

I don’t own a Wii, but it’s been fun to notice these needs/desires as buyers stroll through a house. It was also fun to watch one of our best friends almost rip up a strip of carpet with her pointy toed shoes while perfoming her perfect topspin forehand.

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Biparitianship In The Air…We’ll See

January 20, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Love Him or Loathe Him, Today is a Good Day
Weeks before the election was underway, I emailed Columbia attorney and former Democratic Party chair Dick Harpootlian….”Who’s running Obama’s campaign?”. He wrote back, “Obama’s not a campaign, he’s a movement.” Looks like Dick was right.

Tuesday’s events are catching some flack regarding how much it’s all going to cost. Some folks think that in this time of war and financial strife, that it’s not good to put on such a “show.” I’m not agreeing or disagreeing either way, but it did remind me of a story that stuck with me from when I was on a field trip in D.C. (many years ago).

As the story goes: during the ‘Civil War’, construction costs for a new U.S. Capitol dome and other improvements drew critical remarks. However, President Abraham Lincoln stressed the importance of continuing the work. To paraphrase Lincoln…”America is a nation of symbols. If people see the Capitol going on, it is a sign that we intend the union will go on.”

Who knows if tomorrow’s events are the best way to do things, and who knows if Obama will serve to be a great president. Fact is, we need to support it. It’s happening.

I have a lot of friends who made the trip to D.C. for the event. I hope when they get back, they’ll be happy they did.

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Creative Site Makes Iconic Art Personal

January 19, 2009 by 1 Comment

“Paste” Makes Artist’s Creation Available to Everyone

As I was on Facebook, I clicked on fellow Realtor Dan Hamilton’s (R-Greenville) profile page. In pretty cool fashion, he changed his profile picture to reflect his likeness as it would look if artist Shepard Fairey had created it.

Fairey is the guy who created the iconic poster of President Elect Obama in red, white and blue.
Whether you’re a Republican or Democrat, Paste Magazine has created this cool tool to submit your own picture to emulate Fairey’s art.
Go to http://www.obamicon.me/ if you are interested in creating some cool or funny likenesses. There’s some pretty creative stuff on there. Have fun!
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Even Simple Things Are a Big Deal

January 16, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Even Lightbulbs at Tennis Center are Complicated
If you know me, you may have noticed that I’ve started playing tennis a lot lately. I’ve actually become quite addicted, as I try to play anytime someone will meet me on the court.

As I was paying my $2.00 today at the Columbia Tennis Center, I made the comment…”This place pretty much has a monopoly on downtown night tennis with these lights.” He answered back, “Yeah, I wish we could replace some bulbs.”

He proceeded to tell me that it costs Columbia residents about $400.00 to replace a light bulb. I looked at him and said, “What???” Apparently it’s just not as easy as throwing a ladder up and screwing in a new bulb. He said that the City of Columbia has to do it, and there has to be a certain number of lights that have burned out before they’ll engage a crew to replace the bulbs.
I guess I can’t argue with budget experts, but it seems very odd that it’s such an undertaking to replace a dang light bulb. If it takes this much red tape to get a light bulb in a socket, no wonder Columbia is rather slow with mid to large projects. Jeeesh.

P.S. – I heard that two of the four guys that replace the bulbs are terrified of heights. I’ll bet that doesn’t help with the hourly rate on the bill.
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