Blog
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What the NAR Settlement Means for South Carolina Home Buyers
And why it is not the scary mess the headlines made it sound like If you have been following real estate news lately, you have probably seen headlines about the NAR settlement, buyer agent commissions, new paperwork, lawsuits, and about twelve different versions of “real estate will never be the same.” Super helpful, right? Not…
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The Evolution of Buyer Agency: From Past to Present Standards
Update: This article was originally published before the 2024 NAR settlement practice changes. For the most current explanation of South Carolina buyer agreements and buyer agent compensation, please read my updated guide here. The Evolution of Buyer Agency: From Past to Present Standards Imagine a time when real estate transactions lacked the structure and safeguards…
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The Truth About Mortgages!
The Honest Truth About Mortgages (and Why Your Rent Payment Doesn’t Guarantee Approval) If you’ve been renting for a while, you’ve probably watched rent prices climb with an increasing sense of dread. With every payment, you might feel like you’re getting nothing back for it. That’s not wrong. It’s why more renters are thinking seriously…
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Is a Bidding War Your Next Battle? Tips to Cope and Possibly Avoid Them.
In the current real estate landscape, you might be thinking that the surge in interest rates would quell the constant bidding wars. However, contrary to these hopes, bidding wars are far from extinct. They’re so prevalent that they might even seem like the new normal. Are we doomed to compete endlessly for our dream homes?…
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The Sweet Rewards of Hard Work: What It Actually Feels Like to Hand Over Keys
A look at the Columbia Metropolitan Area and what it feels like to hand over keys to someone’s new home. There’s a specific moment at every closing that I still don’t take for granted: handing over the keys. It sounds simple. It’s not. By the time we get there, you’ve made a major financial decision,…
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DIY vs. Professional Organizers: Making the Right Choice for Home Organization
When you’re getting ready to list, decluttering and organizing isn’t optional — it’s the work that determines whether buyers walk through your front door and see a home they want, or a space they have to mentally clear before they can picture themselves there. The question most sellers ask: should they tackle it themselves or…
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Selling Your House in Columbia, SC: What You Actually Need to Do
So you’ve decided to sell. The first mindset shift that actually helps: stop thinking of it as your home and start thinking of it as a house. Not because the memories don’t matter — they do — but because buyers aren’t buying your history. They’re picturing theirs. The faster you can see it through their…
Savannah Hill, REALTOR® | SC License #134931 (Office #19968) — Jeff Cook Real Estate | LPT Realty