Hello REALTORS®, The federal government shut down at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, October 1. Shutdowns have happened 14 times since 1980, but most of the shutdowns were in the 1980s, and most of them only lasted a few days. However, the last shutdown, in 2018, lasted 34 days. When the Federal government shuts down, Realtors and… Read more »
Read MoreAfter careful review, Western Upstate MLS will not be making any system changes to comply with NAR’s DMEL policy. We’ll continue using tools already available in our system that meet the same goals without creating extra confusion, while at the same time remaining compliant with the policy. We want you to clearly understand why this… Read more »
Read MoreHello REALTORS®, Pending Ordinance Doctrine. Moratoriums. Zoning. Development Standards. Why is government so complex and difficult to understand. And why am I even writing about something most people have not heard of? Moratorium On September 2, Anderson County Council declared a 90-day moratorium on accepting applications for permits for new residential development. Attached is the… Read more »
Read MoreHello REALTORS®, Political commentators often use the term “August Break” when talking about Washington, DC. NAR’s Chief Advocacy Officer, Shannan McGahn says there is no such thing. As I was reviewing NAR’s blizzard of reports to Government Affairs Directors, I got a new appreciation of that point of view. Below are several reports on what… Read more »
Read MoreHousing Supply Overview U.S. sales of new single-family homes declined 0.6% month-over-month and 8.2% year-over-year to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 652,000 units, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The median sales price of a new home fell 5.9% from a year earlier to $403,800. Meanwhile, housing inventory increased 7.3% year-over-year to 499,000 units,… Read more »
Read MoreHello REALTORS®, From time-to-time, I report on government budgets and taxes, especially during the government budget season. One of my reports in June highlighted the 23% increase in property tax revenues in Pickens County’s 2026 budget. Some members asked me if I thought that was a tax increase. If your taxes increase—and most will—then it’s… Read more »
Read MoreHello REALTORS®, Election Day in 2025 is November 4, and filing has closed for 39 city and town council seats and 5 mayors, so we know who is running in 14 of our cities and towns. Plus, 3 vacant seats on 3 councils will be on the ballot for special elections. In this Watchdog Report,… Read more »
Read MoreHello REALTORS®, Signs and sign ordinances can be beneficial to Realtors, but they also come with responsibility. Over the last several years, your REALTORS® Association successfully lobbied across the Western Upstate for protection of signs that communicate that real property is for sale while local sign ordinances were updated. A decade ago, the U.S. Supreme… Read more »
Read MoreHello REALTORS®, Last week, the SC Association of REALTORS® (SCR) reported that the EPA is in South Carolina again looking for violations of the federal Lead Paint Rule. Enforcement of the Lead Paint Rule in South Carolina is led by the EPA’s Atlanta office. However, the SC Department of Environmental Services also has enforcement responsibility… Read more »
Read MoreHousing Supply Overview U.S. new-home sales increased 0.6% month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 627,000 units, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Despite the monthly gain, sales were down 6.6% from the same period last year. The median sales price for new homes fell 4.9% from the previous month to $401,800 and was… Read more »
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