Sue says...

Get Your Finances in Order: To-Do List 1. Develop a household budget. Instead of creating a budget of what you’d like to spend, use receipts to create a budget that reflects your actual spending habits over the last several months. This approach will factor in unexpected expenses, such as car repairs, as well as predictable costs such as rent, utility bills, and groceries. 2. Reduce your debt. Lenders generally look for a total debt load of no more than 36 percent of income. This figure includes your mortgage, which typically ranges between 25 and 28 percent of your net household income. So you need to get monthly payments on the rest of your installment debt — car loans, student loans, and revolving balances on credit cards — down to between 8 and 10 percent of your net monthly income. 3. Look for ways to save. You probably know how much you spend on rent and utilities, but little expenses add up, too. Try writing down everything you spend for one month. You’ll probably sp...

Quick Ways to Make Some Shade, But Don’t Forget: Trees Are Best If you prefer a drier cool, as opposed to the misters we mentioned yesterday, read on to find some quick ways to make some shade. Plus, get some tips on getting shade with some quick-growing trees. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2013 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® Sue Lucas Broker Associate Re/Max Southern Shores 843-997-4595 www.suelucas.com   sl1586@sccoast.net Facebook

What I Learned About Portable Generators One Dark and Stormy Night A sudden and long-lasting power outage makes a portable generator a must. But finding one when you need it isn’t easy. Here’s one home owner’s odyssey. Read Sue Lucas Broker Associate Re/Max Southern Shores 843-997-4595 www.suelucas.com   sl1586@sccoast.net Facebook Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2013 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

It’s important to understand what legal responsibilities your real estate salesperson has to you and to other parties in the transaction. Ask what type of agency relationship your agent has with you: Seller's representative (also known as a listing agent or seller's agent) A seller's agent is hired by and represents the seller. All fiduciary duties are owed to the seller. The agency relationship usually is created by a listing contract. Buyer's representative (also known as a buyer’s agent) A buyer’s agent is hired by prospective buyers to represent them in a real estate transaction. The buyer's rep works in the buyer's best interest throughout the transaction and owes fiduciary duties to the buyer. The buyer can pay the licensee directly through a negotiated fee, or the buyer's rep may be paid by the seller or through a commission split with the seller’s agent. Subagent A subagent owes the same fiduciary duties to the agent's custome...

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Create a Home Emergency Preparedness Kit Preparing and keeping a fully stocked home emergency preparedness kit could be the key to your family’s safety if disaster strikes. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2013 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF...

Conway is one of the oldest towns in South Carolina. Conway serves as the government seat for Horry County.  When visiting Conway one will enjoy the beautiful old time charm of the south with tree-lined streets running through the picturesque historic district of Conway.  Be sure to take a stroll along the Riverwalk . For information about properties in the Conway area: Sue Lucas Broker Associate Re/Max Southern Shores 843-997-4595 www.suelucas.com   sl1586@sccoast.net Facebook

Understanding Capital Gains in Real Estate When you sell a stock, you owe taxes on your gain — the difference between what you paid for the stock and what you sold it for. The same holds true when selling a home (or a second home), but there are some special considerations. How to Calculate Gain In real estate, capital gains are based not on what you paid for the home, but on its adjusted cost basis. To calculate, follow these steps: 1. Purchase price: _______________________ The purchase price of the home is the sale price, not the amount of money you actually contributed at closing. 2. Total adjustments: _ ______________________ To calculate this, add the following: Cost of the purchase — including transfer fees, attorney fees, and inspections, but not points you paid on your mortgage. Cost of sale — including inspections, attorney fees, real estate commission, and money you spent to fix up your home just prior to sale. Cost of improvement...

Tips For Sellers Preparing For A Home Inspection  Move any smaller furniture that is blocking areas that the home inspector will need to get to (ex: outlets, electrical panels)  Clean out utility areas (ex: remove clothes from the washer/dryer)  Make sure all your bulbs are working, sounds silly but important (ex: attic, garage) Remove your pets to allow the inspectors to work thru the house without any distractions or potential issue THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP: LEAVE   Tips For Sellers During The Home Inspection If you decide to stay during the home inspection try your best not to try and "explain" things in the house, something you may think is a big deal might not be and visa versa Do not try and cover up anything, the home inspectors are thorough and they will find whatever you may have tried to hide and than they will search more to make sure they didn't miss anything Do not negotiate on anything during the home inspection, again something that may ...