Hello REALTORS®, The South Carolina General Assembly returned last week for the second half of their regular two-year legislative session. Several Realtor legislative initiatives are pending. Below is a report on some of those initiatives as well as the status of several bills that affect Realtors that are being monitored by your state advocacy team…. Read more »
Read MoreHouse Supply Overview U.S. pending home sales climbed to their highest level in nearly three years, rising 3.3% month-over-month, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast a 1.0% increase in contract signings. On a year-over-year basis, pending home sales advanced 2.6%, with both monthly and annual gains recorded across… Read more »
Read MoreHello REALTORS®, It’s a new year. Our cities, most of which held elections in November, have sworn in new officeholders and elected new leaders. I follow these changes each year, and I thought you might want to read a summary of the changes. Realtor Achievements Four Realtors recently took office: In addition, Realtor Allie Winter,… Read more »
Read MoreHello REALTORS®, It’s the New Year, and an important deadline looms for some property owners who may be eligible for relief from property taxes: January 31. Assessable Transfer of Interest The 25% assessable transfer of interest (ATI) exemption allows a taxpayer to reduce the property tax value of certain newly acquired property by as much… Read more »
Read MoreHello REALTORS®, Your Association of REALTORS® made a major commitment to government affairs over the last several years. NAR, SCR, and your Western Upstate Association of REALTORS® each devote considerable resources to help protect the interests of Realtors and property owners and help provide a level playing field for real estate activities. We did score… Read more »
Read MoreHousing Supply Overview Nationally, pending home sales rose 1.9% month-over-month, driven by gains in the Northeast, Midwest, and South, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast a 0.5% increase for the month. Year-over-year, pending sales were down 0.4%, with the Midwest and South reporting increases, while the Northeast and… Read more »
Read MoreHello REALTORS®, ‘Tis the Season…for business licenses at least. 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… Read more »
Read MoreHello REALTORS®, Now that the municipal elections are completed, our focus, and the focus of our local governments, returns to the evergreen subject of growth management. Annexation A recent wrinkle has been the tug of war between cities and counties over annexation. The City of Anderson, like many cities in the Western Upstate, has approved… Read more »
Read MoreHousing Supply Overview Although mortgage rates have edged down, U.S. pending home sales were unchanged from the previous month, with contract activity remaining 0.9% lower than a year ago, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Contract signings increased both month-over-month and year-over-year in the Northeast and South, while the Midwest and West posted declines…. Read more »
Read MoreHello REALTORS®, I am about to finish my third year as your Director of Government Affairs. I have been reflecting on some of the trends and challenges your association’s government affairs team has faced, and I keep returning to one theme: housing. More precisely, the disconnect between our local governments’ housing and economic development policies…. Read more »
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