Fed Rate Cut!!!

Fed cuts again but changes outlook for future.

What does it mean to you?

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates today for the seventh straight time since September of last year. Many experts believe that the Fed is done cutting interest rates and will begin a new watch-and-wait policy. This new policy is due - in part - to the fact that the first Stimulus act rebate checks are hitting millions of mailboxes this week. The Fed hopes this money gives a boost in the arm to the economy.If you’ve been taking a watch-and-wait approach with your own finances, now is the time to review your options.

Consider this: the Federal Reserve Board meets 11 times this year to review the health of the US economy and make adjustments if needed. Don’t you think you owe it to yourself to take just a few minutes and do the same with your own financial & real estate goals?I want to ensure that you’re taking advantage of this unique market and not letting it pass you by. Here are just a few things to consider:

Today’s tougher housing market means there are some great buys to be had if you’re looking to purchase. This is an especially friendly market for first-time home buyers. You really don’t want to play the waiting game if you are holding an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM). That’s because there is nowhere for the rates to go but up from here, if we are truly at the end of the Fed’s cutting cycle. While the Fed takes a quick break from cutting to plan its next move, take advantage of the opportunity to do the same for yourself.

Article Courtesy of:

Dominick Pagni
Autumn Mortgage
418 River StreetGreenville, SC 29601
864-248-4867

Asheville Named America’s Happiest City

In Eric Weiner’s book, The Geography of Bliss, Asheville is named as America’s happiest city. As a happy resident of the Asheville area, I know what makes this area so special to my family and me. The beauty of the mountains, the vibrant art and music scene and a strong sense of community are just a few of the reasons Asheville receives so much national attention as one of the best places to live. Check out some other accolades that Asheville has received:

2007

• America’s Happiest City The Geography of Bliss (Eric Weiner), 2007
  • Featured on ABC’s 20/20
• Best Southern Town Outside magazine’s August edition 2007
• #8 of Top U.S. Cities to live in Frommer’s Cities Ranked & Rated 2nd Edition, May 2007
• #23 of 200 Large Metros Best Places for Business & Careers Forbes, April 2007
• #1 of the top 100 places to live in 2007 Relocate-America, April 2007
• #2 of Top 10 easy spring weekend getaways MSNBC, April 2007
• #3 of the Top 10 up-and-coming travel destinations VirtualTourist Spring 2007

2006

• #24 of 200 Large Metros Best Places for Business & Careers Forbes, May 2006
• #7 of 50 Smart Places to Live Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, May 2006
• #2 of America’s Top 25 Small Town Arts Destinations AmericanStyle, Summer 2006
• Designated Preserve America Community by First Lady Laura Bush October 2006
• #1 of 10 America’s Best Eco-Neighborhoods Natural Home, December 2006

2005

• One of the Five Best Places to Retire Consumer Reports Money Adviser September 2005
• #8 of 10 Best Places to Live MSN/Sperling’s Best Places July 2005
• #19 of Top 25 Most Secure U.S. Places to Live Farmers Insurance Group June 2005
• #31 of 168 Small Metros Best Places For Business & Careers Forbes May 2005
• #31 of 394 Regions, Entrprenerial/Innovation Index Small Business Administration April 2005
• #8 of America’s Top 25 Small Town Arts Destinations AmericanStyle Summer 2005
• #11 of 50 Best Places To Live Men’s Journal April 2005

2004

• One of Ten Great Adventure Towns National Geographic ADVENTURE Magazine September 2004
• One of “Five Cities That Are Special” USA TODAY July 2004
• #10 of America’s Top 25 Arts Destinations AmericanStyle Summer 2004
• Best Place to Live, Number 8 of 331 Metros Cities Ranked and Rated, March 2004

2003

• Top Ten Towns for a Second-Home Investment MSN Money October 2003
• Best College Towns (#4 Warren Wilson College) Outside Magazine September 2003
• Best Places To Retire MSN July 30, 2003
• Top 15 Dream Towns (Best Places to Reinvent Your Life) AARP Magazine May/June 2003
• #18 of America’s Top 25 Arts Destinations AmericanStyle Summer 2003
• Top Family Getaways Parents Magazine April 2003
• Top Safe & Cheap Getaways (One of Five) USA TODAY April 4, 2003

2002

• Mountain Biking: Where To Ride (1 of 4 Cities) National Geographic ADVENTURE Magazine Dec 2002/Jan 2003
• America’s Happiest City for Women Self Magazine October 2002
• Top 15 Most Popular Cities to Live Harris Poll September 2002
• Grade A- for Twenty-Five Years of Economic Strength POLICOM Study of U.S. Metros July 2002
• One of America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations National Trust for Historic Preservation July 2002
• #13 of America’s Top 25 Arts Destinations AmericanStyle Summer 2002
• One of America’s 5 Best Biking Towns Bike Magazine June 2002
• Ranked 14 of 200 Metros for One-Year High-Tech Output Growth Forbes-Milken Institute Best Places May 2002
• Ranked 3rd in Top 10 Great Literary Trips in the Nation Book Magazine May/June 2002
• The 20 Best Places to Retire in the World Barron’s March 2002
• One Urban Haven in the World The Wallpaper Magazine Annual Round-up Jan/Feb 2002
• #29 of Top Fifty Hottest Cities for Manufacturing Expansions & Relocations Expansion Management Magazine January 2002

2001

• America’s Best 100 Retirement Towns Where to Retire Special Issue 2001
• Reader’s Choice Awards (Mountain Destination & Weekend Getaway) Southern Living November 2001
• Best Five Places to Retire MSN HomeAdvisor 2001
• America’s Top 50 Places (Biltmore Estate) National Geographic Traveler October 2001
• Ten Great Towns For Retired Singles Where to Retire Summer 2001
• America’s Best Places to Live and Work 2001 (One of Ten Top Small Cities) Employment Review 2001
• Number 8 of America’s Top 25 Arts Destinations AmericanStyle Summer 2001
• Top 10 Whitewater Towns Whitewater Paddling 2001
• The Ten Best U.S. Cities For Mountain Bikers Mountainbike.com
• Best Top Places For Wired Companies Who Want To Run a Business From Paradise Industry Standard February 2001
• 33rd of 294 Metros For Relative High-tech Output Growth 1999-2000 Forbes-Milken Best Places Ranking 2001
• One of Top Thirty Metros For Small Business Vitality Demographics Daily 2001

Hi Justin,We bought property at KF North about a yr ago & are trying to decide next steps, I.e., build now or wait & look at other options such as buy an existing home closer to our planned move date (1st half 2009). We probably will build on the existing lot but it’s not a done deal. Do you have any strong views that you might be willing to share re builders, “signature” or otherwise? We talked with Allorra last yr but that’s about it. Also, any feel whether the climate for contracting in 2009 - i.e. building cost & how busy the good builders are right now.  Your website is off the charts great & I visit it often. If you get a chance to comment on my questions, that would be great. In any case, hope our paths cross soon - Chicago is less than enticing right now. Thanks and regards.  Tom

Hi Tom, Thanks for your questions which I’ll post to my blog (www.carolinablog.org) hoping that my answers will assist others as well.  There are many good quality builders available to use.  I’m attaching a sheet of builders that have been recommended to me by various clients.  I’m sure the Signature builders are just fine. You may want to consult with some that aren’t on “the list”.  I toured an Allora home last week and the owners were really singing their praises.  In addition to the attached info I’ve also heard good things about Community Concepts.  I think 2009 will be a good year to build as the backlog should be through by then and the builders will be hungry.  At the present time many of them are still in the middle of projects.  As far as building material cost, as long as oil stays where it is there isn’t much hope of seeing many building materials drop in price.  I have heard that lumber costs have dropped recently.  I appreciate your kind comments regarding our website. We invest in it daily.  Please look me up your next time down and contact me anytime if I can be of assistance.  Justin

Justin Ranks #1 Again

Western Upstate MLS - The results are in. For the second consecutive year Justin Winter is the #1 selling REALTOR® out of over 1800 licensees in the Western Upstate MLS.  Justin has once again sold more resale property at The Cliffs® and The Reserve® than all other independent agents combined!  Clearly, Justin is the REALTOR® of choice for more Cliffs and Reserve buyers and sellers than all other REALTORS®! Call Justin now if you’re interested in buying or selling Cliffs or Reserve resale property.

The Art of Grainger McCoy

Grainger McCoy, whose talent for ornithological sculpture in wood rivals that of his antecedent, John James Audubon in paint, is a graduate of Clemson University.  His painstaking attention to detail, and sensitive portrayal of birds and of their complicated machinery of feather and of magical movement is captured in wood, then transformed into metal through the lost-wax process. “My vision is to make these materials fly as they have never flown before”, he says. 

His work proves the accomplishment of that aspiration. A resident of Pawley’s Island, SC, one of his sculptures depicts a flock of Carolina Parakeets, caught in time, and transformed through the magic of his art into a memorable preservation of the acrobatic grace these birds must once have displayed.  See his work on display at Clemson University, or on the internet, at www.graingermccoy.com.  Be sure to go to “Gallery” and “Parakeets”, to see McCoy’s  inspiring rendition of Conuropsis carolinensis  in magnificent flight.

The Green Bird of Eastatoee

For most of those of us who live in the vicinity of the Eastatoee River Valley, the place-name is merely another quaint reminder of the Cherokee people who once inhabited the lands where developments such as The Reserve at Lake Keowee® and the The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards®, The Cliffs at Keowee Springs® and The Cliffs at Keowee Falls® are now established.

But for the Cherokee, and for early European settlers to this area, the name “Eastatoee” represented more than just the place itself.  The Cherokee word means “Place of the Green Bird”, and refers to the enchanting and now tragically extinct Conuropsis carolinensis – the Carolina Parakeet.  This fascinating and magnificent creature once filled the air of these mountains with “the richness of their plumage, their beautiful mode of flight, and even their screams, [which afforded] welcome intimation that our darkest forests and most sequestered swamps [were] not destitute of charms”, as John James Audubon (1785-1851) observed.

The only endemic parrot of North America (once common from the Ohio Valley to the Gulf of Mexico), this gregarious and intelligent bird was remarkably social, living in vast flocks of hundreds, principally in deciduous forests and along forest edges.  Up to 12” in length, with a wingspan of 20”, the gloriously emerald green parrots (with yellow and red heads) possessed a powerful beak, and fed upon the seeds and fruit of grasses, cypress, maple, elm, etc. They nested (in monogamous pairings) in the cavities of trees, and  lived about 30 years.  As settlers advanced from the eastern seaboard into the heartland, a rapid cultivation of North America took place. The forest habitat of the birds began to disappear, and their preferred wild foods were replaced by orchard trees and fields of grain.  The birds quickly adjusted to a new diet, and came to represent a threat to the tenuous livelihood of local settlers.

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Calendar of Events, January 2008

1/1-6 Paul O. Zelinsky: Angels to Ogres This Greenville County Museum of Art exhibit showcases the Caldecott Award-winning illustrator whose work ranges from Renaissance-style paintings to carefully engineered images in pop-up books. www.greenvillemuseum.org

1/5 Forest Trails Walk This guided tour takes visitors through different types of forest environments in an exploration of natural history. 1 pm. Baker Exhibit Center Lobby. www.ncarboretum.org

1/10 R Kelly - Double Up Tour The platinum selling R&B artist performs with special guests Keyshia Cole and J. Holiday. 7:30 pm. www.bilocenter.com

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Cliffs/Reserve is best

“Justin,   We have always been very active with water sports,golf tennis, etc. I had open heart surgery 2 years ago so we would prefer to be on water but close to excellent medical facilities. we have two children with kids 4,8,12 that live in Fla. We live in Sea Pines at Hilton Head. We also have a King air 350 that will need an airport.  Please contact me.”  A/C

 A/C,  Thank you for contacting me. I’m presently away from my office but wanted to get back to you so that you know I’ve received your message.The communities on the north end of Lake Keowee will offer you the lifestyle you’re looking for. We are 20 minutes from town and the local hospital, 45 minutes from excellent cardiac care in Greenville. My friend (55 yrs) had a heart attack a few months ago in our clubhouse and he received excellent care from the local EMS & hospital to the Greenville hospital system. Here is an email stating same from his wife:

“Hello there! You have been on my list of folks to call. Thanks so muchfor your concern & for stopping by. Hubby came home on the 4th after the angioplasty on the 2nd (85% blockage in a major artery. We are very fortunate he did not have serious heart damage.)&is doing well.   Outstanding care at Greenville & Pickens (his first stop). Could not have asked for more from beginning to end. Feel free to share that prospective with your clients!

Re:  local airport 

The Pickens County airport will handle business jets and has a 5,000 ft runway, so your King Air will not have a problem. The airport is 25 minutes from our development. You have 4 developments on the north end of the lake to choose from, three of them are The Cliffs® which means your membership (150k) will give you full privileges at all three. The other that is worth looking at is The Reserve at Lake Keowee®. I have property listed in all the developments and can show you the big picture.   Custom built waterfront homes in The Cliffs® and The Reserve start in the 1.750m range and move north depending on quality of location & water view, quality & size of home, slope of lot, etc. Click on this link to get a very good idea of what’s available:

http://www.justinwinter.com/php/browse.php?act=sa

The first step is to make a trip to this area and let me give you an overview of the developments, towns, landscape, etc.  If you’d like to send me additional info on what you’re looking for (size, price range, style of home, etc), then I’ll be pleased to send you info on some specific listings.  Otherwise, please let me know when I can pick you up at Pickens County Airport!

Happy New Year,

Justin

Question Re: Area Information

“I was looking at your listings for lakefront homes for the 1st time today. We live in FL and have our home for sale. I don’t know anything about your area but was wondering about the schools and if any of the golf communties are more child friendly than others. We checked out Reynolds Plantation in GA and found it had no good public schools and was mostly retired people. Any advice?”  – S. L.

Thanks for contacting me. How did you get directed to my website?

I have resided at The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards® community for the past four years. I have a 16 yr old son and a 14 yr old daughter who have been attending the public school system in Pickens County, with great success. We relocated from Canada and my wife is a teacher so we researched the school system extensively. Pickens County schools consistently rank in the top 5 counties in South Carolina. We have great teachers, a strong curriculum, and several new facilities about to be constructed. Regardless of the age of your children we heartily recommend Pickens County public schools.

The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards® is certainly a child friendly development. There are a handful of families living in the development out of approximately 80 full time families. The drive to school (Pickens) would be 20 minutes on any given day. There is bus service to and from the community, although most families drive their children to school.

The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards® is a great place to live because of the lake and all the recreation opportunities.

The first step is to make a trip to our region and let me show you the big picture. Once you’ve seen all this area has to offer, I’m sure it will make your short list of potential places to live.

Please contact me if I can assist you further.

Kind regards,

Justin

Upstate avoids housing rollercoaster

Despite national crisis, Upstate real estate market remains stable. 

Greenville county housing market through September had 2807 housing starts in 2007 versus 3294 in 2006 for the same period.  Average days on market were the same at 84. Percentage of expired listings were even at 16. 

The average sale price for homes is up 4.2% over last year.

Greenville Journal   Gary Hyndman 11/30/2007

Rich Stephens