Hello REALTORS®, Local governments in the Western Upstate are ramping up their agendas, but I would like to focus this week’s report on the state level.  The South Carolina General Assembly convened for the 125th session on January 10. Your REALTORS® Association, led by SC REALTORS®, has adopted a legislative agenda for the first half of the two-year session.  These are the key advocacy priorities SCR will pursue on behalf of REALTORS®: Short-term rental legislation: SCR will advocate for a statewide short-term rental registration and tax submittal framework so that short-term rental owners have a single point of compliance with...

Monthly Indicators 2022 was a turbulent year for the US housing market, as inflation, soaring interest rates, and elevated sales prices combined to cause a slowdown nationwide. Affordability challenges continue to limit market activity, with pending home sales and existing-home sales down month-over-month and falling 37.8% and 35.4% year-over-year, respectively, according to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). Higher mortgage rates are also impacting prospective sellers, many of whom have locked in historically low rates and have chosen to wait until market conditions improve before selling their home. New Listings were down 14.5 percent to 355. Pending Sales decreased 24.5...

Hello REALTORS®, It’s a new year and I am trying out a new report—weekly if there is news to share—less often when things are slow.  I don’t expect it to be slow for the next four to five months.  I will highlight three to five issues each week, hopefully one each from the three counties in the Western Upstate: Oconee, Pickens, and Anderson.  And from time-to-time I may share news from a neighboring county too. So here we go. Final Plats and Litigation in Anderson County In early December, the Anderson County Council Planning and Public Works Committee, which is...