Sago Plantation Discovery Package

Discover The Good Life

Do you ever wonder what’s left to discover?  We understand! That is why we’re offering you the rare opportunity to explore a lifestyle of the privileged few ~ at a price that many can afford.  Whether you need a break from the pressures of the office, or just want to give your family a taste of the sweet life, Sago Plantation is your destination. Make the Discovery.

 Sago Plantation
Discovery Package
Visit & Understand 

Sago Plantation at Legends is sure to become one of the most preferred communities in the Myrtle Beach area. Set within the beautiful, pristine woodlands of the Carolina’s, it’s just a short drive from the sandy beaches of the Grand Strand’s Atlantic Ocean. Featuring easy access to world-class beaches, golf, shopping, educational and cultural facilities and so much more, Sago Plantation offers everything one could wish for in a coastal lifestyle filled with recreation, and convenience.

Community to feature: Master planned gated community, Clean Natural Gas, Awesome Home Owners Amenity Center, Rolled curb and gutters, beautiful streetscapes w/ Palm Trees, Architecture Review Board, Golf Membership to Legends Courses included w/ purchase, No building time frame and everything you would expect from a Coastal Lifestyle.

 Call or e-mail today arrange your Discovery pacakage
800-503-9901 or jason@jasontellis.com

applicable taxes apply, subject to availability, developer reserves the right to cancel at anytime

South Carolina Homestead Exemption

Are you qualified for a Homestead Exemption and have you applied?

Many South Carolina residents don’t know about the Homestead Exemption program and therefor are paying higher property taxes than they should be.

How you qualify
1. Hold complete fee simple title or life estate to your PRIMARY RESIDENCE

2. As of December 31, of the preceding tax year you were a legal resident of South Carolina for one (1) year

3. As of December 31, of the preceding tax year of the exemption you were 
> at leas 65 years of age or
> declared totally and permanently disabled by a state or federal agency having the authority to make such a declaration or
> legally blind as certified by a licensed ophthalmologist

The Surviving Spouse of a qualified or potentially qualified Homestead recipient may also receive the benefit.

Where do I apply?
You may apply for the Homestead Exemption at your County Auditor’s office.  If you are unable to go to the Auditor’s office, an agent can make an application for you.

What documnets are needed?
1. If you are applying due to age, bring your birth certificate, Medicaid card, Medicare card, or driver’s license.

2. If you are applying due to disability, you will need present documentation from the state or federal agency certifying the disability.

3. If you are applying due to blindness, you will need to present documentation from a licensed ophthalmologist.

Do I need to re-apply annually? 
No, only in the case of the death of the eligible owner or if you move to a new home will re-application be necessary.

However the following change may affect your eligibility and must be reported to the County Auditor’s office immediately; change in disability, change of ownership, rental of your home, remarriage of the surviving spouse.

What is the benefit?
The program exempts the first $50,000.00 (fifty thousand dollars) of the value of your home from all property taxes. In turn saving you hundreds of dollars on your real estate tax bill.

In Horry County whom do I contact?
Shelby Anderson, Coordinator Homestead Exemption Program – Horry County Auditor’s office – (843) 915-5051

Sunbelt Homes – Model Lease Back – Sago Plantation

Sunbelt Homes of Myrtle Beach has started construction on their Model home at Sago Plantation.  Sitting on an awesome lake lot this open floor plan will have all the bells and whistles.  Boasting panoramic views from the back side of this home this Model Lease Back will feature 3 bedroom 2.5 baths with a two car garage, screen porch, large breakfast nook and walk up attic great for storage.

This is a great opportunity for people that are going to move to the Beach in a few years.  You get to buy the home today at today’s price and Sunbelt Homes, the builder, will lease it back from you and use it as a model.  This is also a great option for people looking to execute a 1031 Tax Deferred Exchange.

The Facts
Brookhaven
3 bedroom 2.5 bath 2 car garage
Screen Porch, Walk up Attic, Granite, Fireplace, Moldings
2300 Heated Sq. Feet
3275 Under Roof
$490,000

Sago Plantation at Legends is Myrtle Beach’s newest Natural Gas community.  Sago is a gated master planned community featuring: Beautiful streetscapes w/ palm trees, rolling landscape beds, sidewalks, street lights, and all utilities are underground including clean natural gas.  Centrally located to the airport, schools, post office, hospitals, restaurants, shopping and all Myrtle Beach has to offer Sago Plantation will be Myrtle Beach’s most preferred community.

Features
Owners Amenity area w/ large workout room, pool, hot tub, kiddy pool, social area, tennis courts, synthetic putting green, BBQ area, playground and much more.

Golf Membership to Legends Courses with lot purchase

Protected by Architectural Review Board

Brick, Stucco, or Hardie Board construction

No Building Time Frame – Buy Now, Build Later

Myrtle Beach Real Estate, Myrtle Beach Homesites, Sago Plantation, Legends Real Estate, Buy Myrtle Beach Real Estate, Model Lease Back, Model Homes

A bit of good news – Myrtle Beach Real Estate

Pending Home Sales Up Sharply 
Pending home sales activity surged as buyers took advantage of low home prices and affordable interest rates, according to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. 

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in August, jumped 7.4 percent to 93.4 from an upwardly revised reading of 87.0 in July, and is 8.8 percent higher than August 2007 when it stood at 85.8. The index is at the highest level since June 2007 when it stood at 101.4.

Housing Inventory Tightens in September 
The number of homes for sale in the 28 markets tracked by online real estate company ZipRealty fell 1.6 percent in September. 

Overall, the September inventory is down 7 percent from a year ago in the Zip Realty-tracked metro markets. Zip’s accounting includes only homes listed in multiple-listing services and many foreclosed homes aren’t included in those databases.

Barclays Capital estimates there are 811,000 bank-owned homes in the U.S., up from 129,000 two years ago, and predicts that the total will rise 60 percent before peaking late next year.

In an unusual coordinated move, the Federal Reserve and other major central banks from around the world slashed interest rates Wednesday to keep an escalating financial crisis from becoming a global economic meltdown.

The Fed cut its key rate from 2 percent to 1.5 percent. In Europe, which also has been hard hit by the financial crisis, the Bank of England reduced its rate by half a point to 4.5 percent, and the European Central Bank sliced its rate by half a point to 3.75 percent.

The central banks of China, Canada, Sweden, and Switzerland also cut rates. The Bank of Japan said it strongly supported the actions.

“The recent intensification of the financial crisis has augmented the downside risks to growth,” the Fed said in explaining the coordinated action, the latest in a series of bold moves intended to spur lending and revive the global economy.

The Fed’s action will reduce borrowing costs almost immediately for U.S. bank customers whose home equity and other floating-rate loans are tied to the prime interest rate. Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and other banks cut their prime rate by half a point to 4.5 percent after the Fed announcement.

White House spokesman Tony Fratto welcomed the cooperation among the Fed and other countries’ central banks to battle the crisis. “It’s important and helpful that central banks are working in a coordinated way to deal with stress in the financial system,” Fratto said.

Mortgage Applications Rise
Mortgage applications increased slightly last week, rising 2.2 percent on an adjusted basis from 455.4 to 454.4, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly survey.

On an unadjusted basis, the index increased 2.2 percent, but was down 28.6 percent compared to the same week a year ago.

Most of the increase was in home purchases. That index rose 3.2 percent, while the index of refinances increased only 0.9 percent.

Mortgage rates were down slightly:

30-year fixed-rate mortgages decreased to 5.99 percent from 6.07 percent.

15-year fixed-rate mortgages decreased to 5.71 percent from 5.82 percent.

1-year ARMs remained unchanged at 6.60 percent.

Sources – NAR, Associated Press, Mortgage Bankers Association, Wall Street Journal

Myrtle Beach Real Estate, Sago Plantation, Legends Real Estate, Buy Myrtle Beach Real Estate

Real Estate is LOCAL – Myrtle Beach Real Estate

My mother always told “don’t believe everything you hear or read”.  I am very thankful for this early life lesson — I would encourage you to do the same — The media is driving this country to a level of fear that has never been seen before — They have done this by nationalizing everything — To take a broad brush and paint everything the same color does not paint an accurate picture – 

What we currently have is a ‘crisis in consumer confidence” and the more fear that is injected into the market by the media the lower the confidence levels become.  Below are some facts that you will not hear on the nightly news or your local newspaper.

1st and foremost REAL ESTATE IS LOCAL – To hear that prices have depreciated by 25% to 30% is not an accurate picture.  What the media has done is taken the statistics on Foreclosure’s, short sales, and every distressed sale and lump it in with the whole market.  What about the people who don’t have to sell or don’t plan to sell.  Back out this distressed property sales and the decline is much more in line with a “typical” down cycle.

2nd – Mortgage Money is available and Banks are lending money – Are they giving it out as freely as before “of course not” however interest rates are at awesome levels – I sent three e-mails to the Lenders that I refer business to and here are the going rates on the following information – Borrower with 680 credit score, 90% financing on a primary residence or second home:

Trippet Boineau- BB&T – 6.375% No points No origation fee
Will Thornhill – BoA – 6.125% No points No origination – 5.75% w/ 1 point
Amber Long – Horry County State Bank –  5.875% No points No origination

If you are in a position to put 20% down the rates get even lower… 

3rd – The real estate market is coming into its 4th year of a the down cycle. These cycles run for 4 to 5 years and the real estate market has never been in the favor of the buyer as much as it is today! These cycles come and go. Real Estate is a long term investment. TAKE A LONG TERM VIEW!

4th – Inventories are dropping and just today Bank of America has been approved to work with over 400,000 home owners from Countrywide Mortgage that are in jeopardy of losing their homes. This will keep additional and unwanted homes off of the market.  Remember the basic economic principle of Supply and Demand — Supply is in the Buyers favor — Don’t wait till this is over before you decide to buy.

5th – A study by Baylor University shows that 60% of your wealth comes from home ownership… And that 8 out of 10 economic consultants think that real estate will be more valuable in 5 years.  You grow your wealth by purchasing in down cycles

Many markets have have set their low price points… Some of your higher demand markets will be making the turn sooner than later…  Once the election is over and the Media has something else to focus on you will see a change in the markets…  Please just remember to get the correct facts – Don’t believe everything you hear and read from the Media… They are just reading from a teleprompter about something they have zero knowledge on.

What factors drive 2nd Home Ownership? Myrtle Beach Real Estate

Article courtesy of the National Association of Realtors®

While the potentail investment returns from owning residential real estate are one of the motivations for buying and owning a second-home, there are additional factors that vary with the intended use of the home. For vacation-home owners, lifestyle considerations such as proximity to recreation areas or to a favorite vacation spot are often the most important motivations. With the oldest baby boomers just now reaching 60 years of age and the youngest boomers in their early 40’s, the lifestyle preferences of boomers will figure prominently into the future demand for vacation homes. In contrast,ownership of investment properties hinges on the financial gains owners expect from rental income or from appreciation in the value of their property. Thus,mortgage rates, the strength of the local economy and access to rental markets,whether in a downtown location or near major employers, are more important factors for investment property owners than vacation home owners. Also, investment property owners,more so than vacation-home owners, choose properties near their primary residence.

CHARACTERISTICS OF SECOND-HOME OWNERS
■ The typical vacation-home owner is 59 years old,while the median age of investment property owners is 55.
■ Vacation-home owners reported a median income of $120,600 in 2005. The median income of investment property owners was $98,600.
■ Over three-quarters of second-home owners are married.
■ For nearly half of all second-home owners,their primary residence is in the suburbs.

VACATION-HOME OWNERS
■ While three-quarters of vacation-home owners purchased their home to use for vacations, one-third of owners reported that it was a good investment opportunity as well.
■ The typical vacation home is located 220 miles from the owner’s primary residence.
■ Nearly half of vacation homes are in resort or recreation areas.
■ Vacation-home owners spend a median of 39 nights in their home each year.

INVESTMENT PROPERTY OWNERS
■ Nearly two-thirds of investment property owners purchased their property for the purpose of generating rental income. Half also viewed their property as a way to diversify their investments.
■ Thirty-five percent of investment properties are located in a suburb,while over one-quarter are in a central city or urban area.
■ Half of investment properties are detached single-family homes.

ACQUIRING A SECOND HOME
■ Sixteen percent of vacation-home owners and 13 percent of investment property buyers who purchased their property since 2003 first learned it was for sale on the Internet.

BUYING AND SELLING A SECOND HOME
■ Thirty-five percent of investment property owners plan to buy one or more investment properties in the next two years.

ARTICLE COURTESY OF THE NATIOANL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS.