Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hi. A few weeks ago I talked to an agent on the phone who told me that I'd find nothing in the low $100s except fixer-uppers unless I chose one of the less desirable areas around Greenville. I've found numerous listings that look really nice for one person, but often pictures look better than the real deal.
For example, on the MLS there is a listing for a home in the Pleasant Green subdivision in Inman for $117K that is new. There are similar homes in Greer and Taylors. A listing in Easley at Habersham for $119K also looks perfect for me. So am I being naive? When I get there will these houses be falling apart or overlooking a dump?
If this home (broken link) is the one in Habersham you are considering, I can't imagine that it would be anywhere near falling apart. Quite frankly I am surprised to hear this from a real estate agent unless this person was not interested in selling in that price range (also surprising). I wouldn't worry about what you heard because there are lots of very nice homes in your price range.
Skyliner, this morning I found that I asked a similar question on another thread. Sorry.
However, that's a nice house. I wonder why I didn't see it listed. I guess I need to drive to Greenville and look at all the areas for myself.
The home I mentioned is also in Easley, but now I'm learning that I should stay East of Greenville. The real estate broker I called actually told me that Simpsonville is where I should be looking everytime I mentioned places like Easley or Inman. He said to stay South of Greenville because that's the fastest growing area. I don't need to be in a busy area - just the opposite. I want peace & quiet.
By the way, I also saw a brand new home in Boiling Springs listed on the Lennar site for $115,000 if purchased by the end of Sept. Lennar is a well known name here (think they merged with U.S. Homes) and there is a 1,700 s.f. house available in a new development. That's more than twice the size of my apartment!
I know that because I need to find a job, I should probably rent first, but I've been paying close to $10,000 a year in rent for a dumpy apartment in Florida for a long time and I'd rather put the money into a home of my own.
If you want to be near Greenville then I would look at places in Easley, Powdersville, Taylors, Greer, and Travelers Rest. Boiling Springs is nearly an hour away via I-85. This agent seems to be quite closed minded because there are lots of great neighborhoods in Easley and it is a decent town with lots of retail and restaurant options already available, but fortunately is not growing at the pace that Simpsonville is. You ought to also check out Hickory Run in Easley. Poinsett builds nice quality homes from my experience. There are several options closer to Greenville as well. Just ask us for information if you see something you like.
Many times if you're from out of state you have a hard time to even get the realtors to call you back, at least that was my experience a few months ago when I was looking in Bluffton/Savannah area.
I think once you make a trip and hook up with a realtor you will have more luck. I can see the realtors side of things...they want to make sure you're serious before they spend a lot of effort on nothing
Many times if you're from out of state you have a hard time to even get the realtors to call you back, at least that was my experience a few months ago when I was looking in Bluffton/Savannah area.
I think once you make a trip and hook up with a realtor you will have more luck. I can see the realtors side of things...they want to make sure you're serious before they spend a lot of effort on nothing
Good Luck
I've worked in sales for many years, so I am one of those very considerate buyers who empathizes with other people working on commission. I learned the hard way that it's not uncommon for shoppers to spend hours looking at furniture with no intention of buying anything. Once a woman said to me "I have a fully furnished condo. I'm just killing time." Of course I still showed her our selection, since that can be just an excuse...that is, until I learned she was only on vacation and didn't even live here! I took a couple out on a test drive when I sold cars and they asked me to get their car appraised. During the test drive he mentioned they were planning to trade it in in 2 or 3 years, but were starting to shop early. I was new in the business and learned to ask the right questions, but I suppose that's why so many agents become selective and begin qualifying everyone, which is important if you want to manage your time. In FL we have a lot of retirees & people on vacation who shop on rainy days when they can't golf or go to the beach. I also discovered that there are many lonely or bored people who need someone to talk to and will visit any salesperson who is willing to listen.
Still, until they became a major pain in the behind, I always showed each prospective client the same courtesy and I always returned my calls. Maybe that's why I don't make a lot of money!
Edit: Oops - I want to add...Thanks for these helpful comments! I feel much better now. I was beginning to think there was nowhere in the United Stated I could ever buy a "real" house. I once bought a mobile home and I actually enjoyed the peace & quiet of having my own place. However, after a short time it became a very high maintenance project and, because I rented the lot, it depreciated more than 50% by the time I sold it. Unless you buy the land, a mobile home is a very bad investment.
Last edited by justNancy; 09-19-2007 at 02:14 PM..
I work at Home Depot in Mississippi and a customer came in to purchase a fridge. She informed all of us that she was a realtor in the area and gave us her card in case we were interested. I told her that I was interested in South Carolina and she said that she would contact the realtors in the areas that I was interested in and get them to contact me. Two days later I received a call.
Justnancy--did you find a place? I live in a very nice, quiet subdivision just about halfway between S-burg and Greenville. It's new. We have sidewalks and streetlights, and our superintendent is TERRIFIC. It's also well-kept here, unlike some other subdivisions I've seen that are under construction; among other things, this company actually brings in a water truck once a week to keep down the dust.
Anyway, I paid 148K for a house that appraised at 150k, and it has quite a few upgrades: fully finished garage (including the floor, for heaven's sake), sprinkler system, upgraded master bath, stainless steel appliances, upgraded cabinetry, finished bonus room, and fireplace, all on a corner lot. Let me know if you want to contact me, if you still need a place and want to know the name of the specific development and who to contact. Oh, by the way, my house is one of the cheap ones, so I feel pretty secure that I won't be priced out of the market in a couple of years.
Skyliner, this morning I found that I asked a similar question on another thread. Sorry.
However, that's a nice house. I wonder why I didn't see it listed. I guess I need to drive to Greenville and look at all the areas for myself.
The home I mentioned is also in Easley, but now I'm learning that I should stay East of Greenville. The real estate broker I called actually told me that Simpsonville is where I should be looking everytime I mentioned places like Easley or Inman. He said to stay South of Greenville because that's the fastest growing area. I don't need to be in a busy area - just the opposite. I want peace & quiet.
By the way, I also saw a brand new home in Boiling Springs listed on the Lennar site for $115,000 if purchased by the end of Sept. Lennar is a well known name here (think they merged with U.S. Homes) and there is a 1,700 s.f. house available in a new development. That's more than twice the size of my apartment!
I know that because I need to find a job, I should probably rent first, but I've been paying close to $10,000 a year in rent for a dumpy apartment in Florida for a long time and I'd rather put the money into a home of my own.
Ahh realtors...16 years ago they were pushing the Eastside for out of towners, now it's Simpsonville. First as you said you need to find a job then find where you want to live in relationship to where the job is. Rent until you do but don't rush it. Look around and decide where you want to live. At the moment, yes, you can find something for under $150,000 and in a nice area. Take a look at journalhome.com and greenvilleonline.com as well as homes.com.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Very nice home!
