Joint Base Charleston Real Estate

Selling Your Home in today’s Joint Base Charleston Market

In today’s ever changing and somewhat confusing housing market, most Charleston Military families rely on a professional real estate agent when it’s time to sell their home.

According to the National Association of Realtors’ Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, the number one thing a seller wants from their real estate agent is “help pricing the home”. So let the battle of wits begin…….

Who’s telling the Truth?
As the seller, you want to sell your home for the highest price possible…And a professional real estate agent wants to sell your home for the highest price possible…. Unfortunately, what you think your home is worth may not be in line with current Joint Base Charleston market conditions. When an agent attempts to tell you that your home may be ‘overpriced’, you may be skeptical….Is the agent telling you the truth or just trying to low ball the price to make a quick commission?

Adding to the confusion is chances are you have met at least one agent who readily agreed with your price and promised you a ‘quick sale’…. Sound familiar? Is this agent telling the truth or just trying to get the listing?

Remember……. A professional real estate agent will tell you everything you need to know. Ask questions – LOTS of them, and expect answers! An experienced real estate agent should be able to defend their recommendations and provide you with market comparisons. An experienced real estate agent will be patient, honest, and open – and not simply tell you what you want to hear.

Bottom Line
If you are considering selling your Joint Base Charleston home in the next year, sit down with a local real estate professional today. Let them explain what is taking place with prices in Charleston. If an agent tells you the price you were hoping for is not available in the current market – listen! Ask them to explain their thinking and, if they can do that in a simple and effective way, consider yourself lucky……You have just found a professional!

Short Sale FAQs

If you are facing foreclosure and can no longer afford your home, you may qualify for a Short Sale—even if you don’t think you can (or haven’t been able to) sell your home.

What is a Short Sale?

A Short Sale, also known as a pre-foreclosure sale, is when you sell your home for less than the balance remaining on your mortgage. If your mortgage company agrees to a short sale, you can sell your home and pay off all (or a portion of) your mortgage balance with the proceeds.

A short sale is an alternative to foreclosure and may be an option if:

• You are facing a long-term hardship
• You are behind on your mortgage payments
• You owe more on your home than it’s worth
• You have not been able to sell your home at a price that covers what you still owe on your mortgage
• You can no longer afford your home and are ready or need to leave

What are the benefits of a Short Sale?

• Eliminate your mortgage debt
• Avoid the negative impact of a foreclosure
• Start repairing your credit sooner than if you went through a foreclosure
• May be able to get a Fannie Mae mortgage to purchase a home sooner (in as little as 2 years) than if you went through foreclosure (at least 7 years)

What is the process for a Short Sale?

If you qualify for this option, the process is similar to a normal real estate sales transaction. You will work with a Military Homes Charleston real estate agent to market and sell your home. However, your mortgage company will also be working with you and your real estate agent every step of the way to:

• set the sale price (based on current market value),
• collect financial information and negotiate with other lien holders (i.e., your second mortgage company) if applicable,
• review acceptable offers,
• agree to the terms of the sale once a buyer is in place, and
• work with the buyer’s real estate agent and mortgage lender to finalize the sale.

A Short Sale may take up to 120 days, but this could be shorter or longer depending upon your specific situation. Contact your Military Homes Charleston real estate agent for more information regarding the short sale timeline.

What Are My Next steps?

Your mortgage company wants to help you avoid foreclosure and, in most cases, will be willing to work with you. The biggest mistake you can make is to wait any longer to take action. Contact a Military Homes Charleston agent today to determine if you are eligible for a Short Sale. Our Loss Mitigation Specialist is also available for questions/concerns anytime, Call or text Jodie Ford (843) 819-4398 or email.

Military Homes Charleston We specialize in helping military families enjoy a smooth PCS in and out of Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. Buying and selling your home is one of the biggest events of your life. As your trusted Charleston Real Estate Professional, we are 100% committed to helping you the best way we can when you buy or sell your home. We have a passion for helping people, and we love what we do – call 843-410-8014 or email today!

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Help us spread the word about Military Homes Charleston and WIN!

Military Homes Charleston
We specialize in helping military families enjoy a smooth PCS in and out of Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. Buying and selling your home is one of the biggest events of your life. As your trusted Charleston Real Estate Professional, we are 100% committed to helping you the best way we can when you buy or sell your home. We have a passion for helping people, and we love what we do – call 843-410-8014 or email today!

Joint Base Charleston – Avoiding Rental Scams

As we all know, internet fraud is everywhere now and the rental industry is no exception. So before you begin your search for your next Joint Base Charleston rental home, please be aware that there are dishonest people out there, posing as property managers and/or owners, just to make a quick buck. Such scams are common on sites like Craigslist, Zillow, and Hotpads – but basically any popular rental site is a potential target. Military Homes Charleston wants to help you identify these scams so you can avoid becoming a victim.

For Joint Base Charleston Renters:

The SCAM
How it works…..the person will pose as the owner of a Charleston property and will try to get your personal information and/or money. They will take your money and/or use your personal information to commit identity theft. This scam is almost always via email, but sometimes happens in person. They sometimes will place false ads for Charleston homes at extremely low rent prices. Sometimes the home is for Rent with an actual Real Estate agent, who is unaware their listing has been ‘cloned’, and other times the home is not even available at all and the home owner is not aware until ‘renters’ begin showing up at their door expecting to move in.

Red Flags:

• Very cheap rent for the type of property and size of the house
• The “landlord” refuses to talk to you on the phone
• You are unable to see the inside of the home
• They ask for an application or deposit before showing you the property
• The property appears on a different site for more money with different contact information
• Emails that are filled with spelling and grammatical errors are usually a sign of fraud
• The “name” they give you does not match the “name” in the email address

Here is an actual email received from someone posing as the home owner of a property – this person is NOT the owner…but simply someone attempting to scam unsuspecting people. This was sent as a reply based on a simple “May we find out more on this home” inquiry:

Thanks for your contacting me in regarding of my home for rent, My name is Sarah E Parker , I own the home you are interested in. The home is still available for rent, but I will only be interested in renting it out to a very caring and God fearing person that will take very good care of the house, Am now in Harrison Arkansas on a private assignment, You can go ahead and view the surrounding of the house and neighborhood area, so i hope you will promise me to take very good care of my home, also i will be coming once in 3 months for visiting to see how you are taking care of the home, and if any thing need to be repair in the home, and fix it back! You can rent the home for 3 years or more, Also let me know your experience, see below for more details about the home.

Interested leaser/renter should kindly write me back with these requested information for proper record and documentation such as :

First Name, Last Name, Spouse Full Names, Kids Full Names, Relatives or Friends Full Name, Mobile/Cell Number, Telephone Number, Present House Address Present Work place name and Address, Present work Tel. Number, Numbers of Cars, Pet type, proposed date of Move in, months budget to deposit before move in:

Looking forward to hear from you with all this details so that i can have it in my file in case of issuing the receipt in your name and contacting you. Await your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get the documents and the keys to you, please we are giving you all this based on trust and again i want you to stick to your words, am putting everything into Gods hand. God bless

Tips to Avoid the SCAM:

• Remember what your mama told you?? “If it sounds too good to be true…..” Well – KEEP THIS IN MIND! Odds are that you are not going to find a fabulous 5 Bedroom/3 Bath, close to Joint Base Charleston, for $900/Month… If you have done your research, you will immediately suspect deals that are too good to be true.
• Know who you are dealing with and ask for ID
• Check the internet for the name of the property manager, or check public records to find out who owns the property
• Don’t send any money to someone you have not verified. Do not send any money via Western Union or any other similar service.
• Always deal locally and in person
• Research online for that property’s address and see if you find multiple listings with different information.
• Do not rent a property until you have seen it! Remember - under no circumstances should you be required to pay before you have seen the property.

Remember – the majority of listings on the internet are legitimate, but you need to keep your eyes open. Trust your instincts and don’t ignore the Red Flags! If the situation feels wrong to you, then walk away – or at the very least – KEEP ASKING QUESTIONS until you feel comfortable. A legitimate Joint Base Charleston Property Management team should have no trouble in addressing any questions or concerns you may have.

Military Homes Charleston
We specialize in helping military families enjoy a smooth PCS in and out of Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. Buying and selling your home is one of the biggest events of your life. As your trusted Charleston Real Estate Professional, we are 100% committed to helping you the best way we can when you buy or sell your home. We have a passion for helping people, and we love what we do – call 843-410-8014 or email today!

5 First-Time Homebuyer Mistakes

Ready to buy a home near Joint Base Charleston, SC? Shopping for a home is exciting, exhausting and a little bit scary. In the end, your aim is to end up with a home you love at a price you can afford.  Unfortunately, many military home buyers make mistakes that are preventable.  Arm yourself with these tips to get the most out of your purchase and avoid making 10 of the most costly mistakes that could jeopardize your dream of homeownership.

1.    Skipping the Pre-Approval Process

If you end up looking at homes that are outside your price range, you'll end up lusting after something you can't afford, which can put you in the dangerous position of trying to stretch beyond your means financially or cause you to feel unsatisfied with what you actually can afford. You may even learn that you can't afford the type or size of home that you desire and that you need to work on reducing your monthly expenses and/or increasing your income before you even start looking.

The first step to buying a new home is to contact a mortgage expert. Your lender can help you determine how much home you can qualify for, as well as how much home you can actually afford. Keep in mind that these two ideas are often very different. The amount of money a bank will allow you to borrow may not be the amount of money you are comfortable spending on a home.

REMEMBER: YOU determine how much YOU can afford.

Most homeowners will not even allow their home to be shown to potential buyers without a pre-approval letter from a lender. This is the first and most important step in the home-buying process.

2.   Lacking Vision

Even if you can't afford to replace the hideous wallpaper in the bathroom now, it might be worth it to live with the ugliness for a while in exchange for getting into a home you can afford. If the home otherwise meets your needs in terms of the big things that are difficult to change, such as location and size, don't let physical imperfections turn you away. Besides, doing home upgrades yourself, even when you have to hire a contractor, is often cheaper than paying the increased home value to a seller who has already done the work for you.

3.    Neglecting to Inspect
It is tempting to think that you're a homeowner the moment you go under contract, but not so fast - before you close on the sale, you need to know what kind of shape the house is in. You don't want to get stuck with a money pit or with the headache of performing a lot of unexpected repairs. Keeping your feelings in check until you have a full picture of the house's physical condition and the soundness of your potential investment will help you avoid making a serious mistake. Your REALTOR® can help you find a reputable, licensed, home inspector and guide you through the home inspection process.

4.    Not Choosing to Use an Agent or WORSE - Using the Seller's Agent
Once you're seriously shopping for a home, don't walk into an open house without having a licensed REALTOR® in your corner. Agents are held to the rule that they must act in the best interest of THEIR client. You can see how that will not work in your best interest if you start dealing with the SELLER’S agent before contacting one of your own. REMEMBER: The seller’s agent is working in the best interest of the seller - not you. GET YOUR OWN AGENT.

5.    Not Thinking About the Future
It's impossible to perfectly predict the future of your chosen Joint Base Charleston neighborhood, but paying attention to the information that is available to you now can help you avoid unpleasant surprises down the road.

Some questions you should ask about your prospective property include:

·         What kind of development plans are in the works for your neighborhood in the future?

·         Is your street likely to become a major street or a popular rush-hour shortcut?

·         Will a highway be built in your backyard in five years?

·         What are the zoning laws in your area?

·         If there is a lot of undeveloped land? What is likely to get built there?

·         Have home values in the neighborhood been declining?

Your licensed REALTOR ® can help you find the answers to these questions. If you're happy with the answers, then you’re ready to buy!

For more information please visit:

Jodie Ford - Military Homes Charleston, SC Real Estate For Sale
I specialize in helping military families enjoy a smooth PCS in and out of Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina. I have a passion for helping people, and I love what I do. Call me (843) 819-4398 and let me make this the easiest PCS yet!

Torri Jacobsen - Military Homes Charleston, SC Real Estate For Sale
Buying or selling a home doesn’t have to be hard, but choosing the right Realtor DOES make a difference. I specialize in making first-time home buying a great experience for military families moving to the Charleston, SC area. Call (843-819-4398) or email today, and let’s make this your best move yet! You’ll feel right at home with me.

Joint Base Charleston:

Know the Ins and Outs of the VA Loan

What is a VA loan?

VA guaranteed loans are made by private lenders, such as banks, savings & loans, or mortgage companies to eligible veterans for the purchase of a home, which must be for their own personal occupancy. The guaranty means the lender is protected against loss if you or a later owner fails to repay the loan. The guaranty replaces the protection the lender normally receives by requiring a down payment allowing you to obtain favorable financing terms. NO DOWN PAYMENT IS REQUIRED ON VA LOANS.

Who is Eligible?

Veterans who served on active duty and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, and have at least 90 days of service during war time are eligible. Veterans with service only during peacetime periods and active duty military personnel must have more than 180 days' active service. Veterans of enlisted service which began after September 7, 1980, or officers with service beginning after October 16, 1981, must in most cases have served at least 2 years.

Reservists and National Guard members who were activated on or after August 2, 1990, served at least 90 days and were discharged honorably are eligible. VA regional office personnel may assist with eligibility questions.

Members of the Selected Reserve, including National Guard, who are not otherwise eligible and who have completed 6 years of service and have been honorably discharged or have completed 6 years of service and are still serving may be eligible. Contact the local VA office to find out what is needed to establish eligibility. Reservists will pay a slightly higher funding fee than regular veterans.

How Can I Use My VA Loan?

• To buy a home, including townhouse or condominium unit in a VA-approved project.
• To build a home.
• To simultaneously purchase and improve a home.
• To improve a home by installing energy-related features such as solar or heating/cooling systems, water heaters, insulation, weather-stripping/ caulking, storm windows/doors or other energy efficient improvements approved by the lender and VA. These features may be added with the purchase of an existing dwelling or by refinancing a home owned and occupied by the veteran. A loan can be increased up to $3,000 based on documented costs or up to $6,000 if the increase in the mortgage payment is offset by the expected reduction in utility costs. A refinancing loan may not exceed 90 percent of the appraised value plus the costs of the improvements. Check with a lender or VA for details.
• To refinance an existing home loan up to 90 percent of the VA-established reasonable value or to refinance an existing VA loan to reduce the interest rate.
• To buy a manufactured home and/or lot.

How Can I Get a VA Loan?

The application process for VA financing is no different from any other type of loan. In fact, the VA application form is the same as that used for HUD/FHA and conventional loans. The mortgage lender verifies the applicant's income and assets, and obtains a credit report to see that other obligations are being paid on time. If all is well and the appraised value of the property is enough to cover the loan needed, the lender, in most instances, can then close the loan under VA's automatic procedure. Only about 10 percent of VA loan applications have to be submitted to a VA office for approval before closing.

REQUIREMENTS FOR LOAN APPROVAL

To obtain a VA loan, the law requires that:

1.     The applicant must be an eligible veteran who has available entitlement.

2.     The loan must be for an eligible purpose.

3.     The veteran must occupy or intend to occupy the property as a home within a reasonable period of time after closing the loan.

4.     The veteran must be a satisfactory credit risk.

5.     The income of the veteran and spouse, if any, must be shown to be stable and sufficient to meet the mortgage payments, cover the costs of owning a home, take care of other obligations and expenses, and have enough left over for family support.

6.     An experienced mortgage lender will be able to discuss specific income and other qualifying requirements.

For more information on VA Loans and benefits for military members wanting to purchase a home please visit:

Jodie Ford - Military Homes Charleston, Joint Base Charleston Real Estate I specialize in helping military families enjoy a smooth PCS in and out of Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. I have a passion for helping people, and I love what I do. Call me (843) 819-4398 and let me make this the easiest PCS yet! Torri Jacobsen, Military Homes Charleston – Joint Base Charleston Real Estate Buying or selling a home doesn’t have to be hard, but choosing the right Realtor DOES make a difference. I specialize in making first-time home buying a great experience for military families moving to the Charleston, SC area. Call (843-819-4398) or email today, and let’s make this your best move yet! You’ll feel right at home with me.