Hello REALTORS®, There is some positive news for Realtors coming from Washington this week. Early on Tuesday morning, the US Senate passed its version of the President’s “Big Beautiful Bill” and NAR reports that the bill includes the top five Realtor legislative priorities that support homeownership and strengthen the real estate economy. What does the… Read more »
Read MoreHello REALTORS®, “Budget” is not just a state or federal government word—it dominates local government agendas each year about this time. This week, I thought I would give you an overview of why budgets are difficult, and what we can expect in the years to come. But first, what about this year’s budgets? For the… Read more »
Read MoreMonthly Indicators U.S. existing-home sales dipped 0.5% month-over-month and 2.0% year-over-year to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.00 million units, according to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). Sales increased in the Midwest, decreased in the West and Northeast, and were unchanged in the South. Year-over-year, sales were down in every region except the… Read more »
Read MoreHello REALTORS®, The SC General Assembly wrapped up the main part of their work at the end of May by completing our state government’s annual budget. Governor also completed his portion of the budget process by vetoing just $10,000 and as well as a few “directions” to state agencies on how to spend money that… Read more »
Read MoreHello REALTORS®, Like all the local governments in the Upstate, Oconee County’s local governments have been wrestling with balancing their budgets. That has kept elected officials busy and created some political drama (as if there isn’t enough of that already). This week, I am providing a review of what has been happening in Oconee County… Read more »
Read MoreThe National Association of REALTORS® Board of Directors approved a 2026 budget with no dues increase and passed a Professional Standards Recommendation to clarify language in NAR Code of Ethics Standard of Practice 10-5, which prohibits harassment of any person or persons protected under Article 10 of the Code. A day earlier, the Executive Committee… Read more »
Read MoreHello REALTORS®, As local governments spend the surge of COVID money, balancing their budgets is getting more difficult. Budgets have dominated our local government agendas—except in Anderson County. In the last year, Anderson County government has been especially busy with development-related ordinances, considering 16 ordinances and adopting 11 of them. The riparian buffer ordinance (8.)… Read more »
Read MoreHello REALTORS®, Most cities in South Carolina require a business license to conduct business in their city. Nearly all of them impose a business license tax as well. The tax is not insignificant. In fact, most cities receive a substantial portion of their revenue, sometimes as high as 30%, from business license taxes. Some counties… Read more »
Read MoreHello REALTORS®, The SC General Assembly wrapped up the main part of their work last week and adjourned. They’ll come back in a couple of weeks to deal with vetoes by the Governor and to adopt the final version of the budget, among other things. About the SC Legislative Session 2025 was the first half… Read more »
Read MoreMonthly Indicators U.S. existing-home sales decreased 5.9% month-over-month and 2.4% year-over-year to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.02 million units, according to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), as affordability challenges and economic uncertainty weigh on market activity. Sales were down month-over-month in all four regions, with the West experiencing the largest decline, at… Read more »
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