House On Adger Rd. Is Taking Shape

About a week ago Amanda posted on Facebook we have a home in Heathwood that will be coming to market soon. While I don’t have the actual address handy, you may have noticed the property on Adger Road with a roll-off dumpster in the front yard.

The pic above is a raw image of what’s to come. The structure has been taken down to the studs, the interior has been completely redesigned, and a new garage and FROG has been added to the back of the right side. As you can see, a lot of work has been done and there’s still a ways to go. That said, this is going to be one nice updated Heathwood home.

The new floor plan is pretty clever. A newly designed owner’s suite takes up the depth of the entire left side, and the cavernous eat-in kitchen will be in the center of the home which will overlook a large family area and patio. When finished, the home will sport five bedrooms and over 4,000 sqaure feet.

As I understand it a new driveway will be poured leading into the new garage, complete with launching pad in the front of the house.

It won’t be long before it’s time to pick paint colors, granite, fixtures and other finishes. With that in mind, if you or anyone you know would like to know more about this soon to be finished home on Adger call or email fjones@cbunited.com or amandaqpayne@live.com . We have a copy of the floor plan ready to hit your inbox.

If you’d like to do a drive-by; From Shandon Methodist on Devine, take Adger Rd. to where Adger forks with Berkeley. Veer down the hill on Adger and the home is three or four houses down on the left.

As many of you know, the address speaks for itself.  This stretch of Adger is among the grand manors of popular Heathwood, which is one of downtown Columbia’s most popular neighborhoods, respectively. As a point of reference, surrounding streets are Heatherwood, Tanglewood, and Tomaka.

Stay tuned on this one!

FJ

Owner’s Suite, Waterfront, Satchel Ford!

Yesterday we put a goodie on the market. 351 Laurel Springs Road has a lot of good things, and a little bit of everything.

I’ll write another blog post after the syndicated websites pick up the listing, and include more photos. In the meantime, readers of this blog will have a little heads up of what’s inside. Here’s a quick list: Hardwoods, smooth ceilings, tankless water heater, granite slab kitchen, three living spaces (den, family room, etc), four bedrooms, a new owner’s suite with large bath/closet, finished basement/office/playroom, wet bar, two space carport, circular drive, huge backyard, screened porch and large elevated patio/deck overlooking a Forest Lake pond, and Satchel Ford/Crayton/A.C. Flora school zone. Boom. How bout all that!?

Call or email fjones@cbunited.com or amandaqpayne@live.com if you’d like to more info, or to set up a showing.

Thank you!

Franklin

Linwood Home Taking Shape: Heathwood

Not too long ago we put 3821 Linwood Rd. on the market. Since the house is going through a complete makeover and ‘taken down to the studs,’ the only picture we’ve put on the websites is a copy of the floor plan. While riding through Heathwood today I thought it might be a good idea to snap a picture. While it’s not move in ready quite yet, the house has certainly turned the corner, so I’m putting it out there.

3821 Linwood Rd. is a short, quiet street in the middle of Heathwood. As you can tell from the street sign pic above, the property is at the end of Palmer Dr. where the two streets meet.

The finishing touches aren’t in yet, but here are the basic goodies most readers care about; HUGE kitchen complete with large centered island. Four bedrooms. Large family room in the heart of the home. Brand new owner’s suite in the back. Man room/basement. Freshly poured concrete back patio. In all, the house is cool and the floor plan is cleverly laid out.

Call 803-758-1669 or email fjones@cbunited.com or amandaqpayne@live.com to set up a showing. As most of you know, there aren’t many four bedroom, move in ready homes in Columbia’s 29205, 29206 marketplace. Once the bling materials (granite, lighting, etc) of the interior is installed, I don’t expect it will last too long.

I’ll post newer pictures as progress is made.

Thank you!

Franklin

Low Rates Matter, But Tap The Brakes

As a general rule I seldom proclaim statements such as, “It’s a great time to buy a home!”, or “There’s never been a better time to buy!” Sure, when Facebook and blogging were the new shiny objects of the world I may have done it a few times. After a few weeks/months, however, I pulled back. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll market and advertise listings and the Team all day long, but I never want to be “salesman(y)” to clients and/or potential clients, and therefore usually lay off such statements.

That said, the chart above is pretty cool and is a great snapshot of today’s opportunity. It’s a good illustration of the buying power, due to current  interest rates, that purchasers have in today’s real estate market. It shows unprecedented purchasing power.

As I speak with clients, the conversation usually leads to something like, “The buyer that could afford a $200,000 home last year can afford a $250,000 home today.” Obviously, if I’m speaking with a seller we talk about how this expands the potential buyer pool should the potential seller decide to put their home on the market. According to the chart above, I need to expand on my price-spread illustration.. A LOT.

Now, back to the more important picture and what I’m really getting at. If my buyers can afford a $2,500 monthly payment (using the scale above), it does NOT mean I’d coach them to purchase the $710,000 price level the arrow above is pointing to. When representing buyers, one thought is always in the back of my head; “If something bad happens (job loss, sickness, divorce, etc), can I get them out of this house?” If the answer is, “No,” I tap the brakes and let them know it.

To sum up, don’t go load up on a monster house simply because you can afford the payment. Payments notwithstanding, price points are important,too, and the top level of the price points are different in every market. In short, $2,500/month may be able to buy a $710,000 house anywhere in the country, but the $710,000 house in Washington, D.C. or Boca Raton, FL is quite different than a $710,000 in our Columbia, S.C.’s market.

Whether your comfort level is $10,000 or $10bazillion, call or email fjones@cbunited.com or amandaqpayne@live.com. Amanda and I are proud to disclose/discuss our knowledge of the balance between the power of today’s interest rates as they relate to Columbia, S.C.’s price points.

Thanks to lender friend Nathan Ballentine for posting the chart on Facebook. While I don’t agree with everything in the link, the bar graph is a great snapshot of the power of interest rates.

FJ

Sharp Home @York Dr., Only $184,900.

Monday we put an all brick, super charming, bungalow style home on the market.  1904 York Drive is on a corner lot, has just under 1,500 square feet, and only minutes to anything downtown in downtown Columbia or Forest Acres. Winner!

Some features include glossy/shining hardwoods, smooth ceilings, moldings, designer colors, and even more than you’d expect from an updated classic downtown Columbia bungalow.

Location notwithstanding, the star of this show is probably the kitchen.  It’s posh.  Cabinets, appliances, hardware, and fixtures are all updated.  You can see from the pics attached the back splash, with black accents, is top shelf.  What you won’t be able to see in the pics are the awesome blue flecks shimmering from the granite slab.

The manicured, level, private backyard is complete with large patio that serves as a perfect venue for BBQ’s and just hanging out.

1904 York Drive is incredibly convenient to anything downtown.  If you or anyone you know would like to view this downtown home, please call or email fjones@cbunited.com or amandaqpayne@live.com to set up a showing.

The listing is so fresh it hasn’t been picked up by the Zillow’s and Realtor.com’s of the real estate world, so the links above will take you directly to the CMLS website.  That said, you’ll see this is a sharp, move-in ready home offered at $184,900.  Remember, for larger pics, click on the photo itself instead of the arrows.

Thank you!

FJ

Premier Home Hits Market @Columbia, SC

5.000 Feet, Top-Tier Materials, 3-Car Garage, Semi-Private Pond

Every now and then we come across a home that simply has too many features to mention. 17 Ashworth just may be one of those properties. Sales puff and descriptive fluff aside, this house is big, slick, clever, and replete with top shelf everything.

I can’t do it justice behind this keyboard, but 17 Ashworth features a hotel-style foyer, wide-plank pine floors, and a semi-open plan that somehow still features formal areas.

The professional-grade chef’s kitchen is full of commercial-level awesomeness, which spills into the formal wet bar and spacious breakfast area. Steps further is the “morning room.”  Nice!!

The owner’s suite is as well thought out as any in the Midlands. The grand master has a spacious bath area with dual closets (hers complete with vanity), and a private den that’s symmetrically-aligned with the aforementioned “morning room,” both of which overlook a semi-private pond. I’m telling you… it’s good.

I’m not sure I can think of a finer home to entertain. I’ve been to a few parties here and the “flow” is right on. All of the doorways are gracious, and each area flows into the other without friction or congestion.

The outdoor areas are just as fine. The three-car garage is primed for auto enthusiasts, and the grilling patio is one step off the kitchen. The back fully-covered patio is the dot in 17 Ashworth’s exclamation point, as it overlooks the semi-private pond and spray fountian. In short, there’s nothing here not to love.

If you or anyone you know might be interested in downtown Columbia, SC, at it’s best, call or email fjones@cbunited.com or amandaqpayne@live.com. 17 Ashworth is close to everything downtown, Forest Acres, Trenholm Plaza, and is a pleaure to show.

Remember, for larger images, click directly on the photo instead of the arrows on the MLS link.

Thank you!

FJ

Snapshot of Inventory Under Contract

When folks ask me, “How’s the market?”, I give a conscious effort not to answer with a good ole’, “GREAT!”, or “Couldn’t be better!”  If you know me, you know full well that being salesman(y) is something I try to avoid.

Could I spin a huge spool of good news and awesomeness within a few sentences? Absolutely, but it’s just not me. After all, Amanda and I have a lot of active listings and a lot of work ahead of us to get them sold.

This all said, the blog gives me the opportunity to project a snapshot of what’s going on. The pics above are some examples of our listings “Under Contract” that you may otherwise not know about. A couple of interesting dynamics about the homes above: 1) They reflect different price levels ($249,000, $289,000, $389,000, $699,000) and 2) All four represent very different neighborhoods within downtown Columbia.

Circle Drive (Forest Acres), Somerton (King’s Grant), Blossom Street (Shandon), and Lincoln Street(Elmwood Park) are all at different stages of their respective due diligence periods. Appraisals and inspections have been ordered on a couple, while the other two haven’t navigated very far through the process. Even so, they’re Pending Contract, and that’s a good thing.

In sum, inventory is moving and I thought you might like a quick read of what’s going on in a few downtown Columbia, SC neighborhoods.

Thank you!  FJ