Hello 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®, Happy New Year! In my last report, I took stock of what we accomplished in 2023. For my first Watchdog Report of the new year, I will preview what we expect in the governmental arena. Elections It’s obvious, but I think that elections will be the biggest story of 2024. The Presidential elections… Read more »
Read MoreHello REALTORS®, In early November, I reported on our government affairs accomplishments during the last year. You can read that report by clicking here. (use attachment or link to the blog post from November 2) One thing you can be certain of, government never takes a break. And with the number of jurisdictions where we… Read more »
Read MoreMonthly Indicators Low inventory, elevated sales prices, and decades-high interest rates continue to weigh on the housing market, causing sales of existing homes to fall to their slowest pace since August 2010. According to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), U.S. existing-home sales declined 4.1% month-over-month and 14.6% year-over-year as of last measure, as prospective… Read more »
Read MoreWhy RPAC? + Thank You Major Donors Hillary Clinton once said it takes a village to raise a child. It also takes a village for Realtors to support the three key elements of the Realtor Party Agenda: I want to recognize and thank the village that supported RPAC in 2023: RPAC Hall of Fame ($25,000+… Read more »
Read MoreRunoff Elections + RPAC While the general election for many cities in the Western Upstate was last week, some of them aren’t decided yet. Several of the elections had multiple candidates and, in a few cases, the highest vote getter didn’t reach the threshold to win required by law. Those races will be decided in… Read more »
Read MoreWhat’s New in MLS-Touch Version 4.0 MLS-Touch is the industry’s leading mobile app used by real estate professionals across the U.S. Packed with tools that keep you connected to listing, tax, and client data while you’re on-the-go, it’s available to you as a member benefit! Whether you’re new to MLS-Touch or already using it, be… Read more »
Read MoreMonthly Indicators U.S. sales of existing homes recently fell to a 13-year low, dropping 2.0% month-over-month and 15.4% year-over-year as of last measure, according to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), as surging interest rates and elevated sales prices continue to make homeownership unaffordable for many prospective buyers. Purchase activity is down significantly compared to… Read more »
Read MoreMunicipal elections were held this week. Four Western Upstate Association of REALTORS® members were on the ballot yesterday. This is how they fared: Below are the results of all the elections in the Western Upstate. Races in Anderson County Pendleton City Council Pelzer Town Council Two At-Large Seats: West Pelzer Town Council Two At-Large Seats:… Read more »
Read MoreHello REALTORS®, The local government scene has been quieter than normal, but that is because most of our cities are planning for elections on November 7. Every city in the Western Upstate except two—Anderson and Clemson—will hold elections in less than two weeks. Later this week we will send you a Voter Guide in a… Read more »
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