How can this be? In both examples, the properties have what’s known as an “easement,” otherwise known as a “right-of-way.” This easement grants other designated people the right to specific types of access. Easements can be granted to another person, such as a neighbor, or to an entity, such as an electric and gas utility.

A property easement is generally written and recorded with the local assessor’s office. The documented easement will show up when a title search is conducted and it stays there indefinitely, unless both parties agree to remove it.

Without getting too deep into legal details, here are the types of easements worth knowing about.

1. Right-of-Way Through Your Property

As a homeowner, you would probably assume that you’re purchasing the land around your home, front yard, back yard and driveway. But that’s not always the case. Often, when you review the preliminary title report, you may discover that someone actually has a right-of-way through your property.

This is common in the case of a long driveway or a home that may be set back from the street. It could have been that in order for a neighboring home to have been built, that property’s owner negotiated with a previous owner to gain a right-of-way through the front of the parcel or driveway for the home you are buying.

In this scenario, you own the land, but the owner of the neighboring property has been granted right to pass through your property. In some instances, the previous owner might have been compensated for granting this access. The important thing to know is that easement carries over when a new owner assumes the property.

2. Right-of-Way Grant

If you’re the homeowner who needs access to a neighboring property, or you discover that the driveway or walkway to your home is actually not 100 percent yours, there’s usually nothing you need to do. It’s just important to be aware of these conditions, and that this is not entirely your land.

Depending on the size of the easement and the type of land it covers, there may be some issues regarding maintenance. For example, it may be your responsibility to keep up the land: Mowing the lawn, shoveling the pathway or maintaining a fence. If there’s a maintenance ambiguity, check with the current seller to understand how she and the other owner worked this out in the past. Many times an easement like this, known as a “Right-of-Way Grant,” has been on title through the course of three or four owners, making the original intentions or understandings not explicit. Understanding how the easement has worked in most recent practice is your best course of action.

3. Other Types of Easements

Anyone who lives in a condominium or some type of planned development likely spends many hours working on property they don’t own outright but have access to. Most likely, the condo or planned development’s homeowners association (HOA) actually owns those areas, but each resident or owner has a right to pass through, which is one obvious type of easement.

But some easements aren’t so obvious and take buyers and homeowners by surprise. A classic example is one in which a utility company, such as an electric and power company or a telephone company, has an easement through your land for the purpose of maintaining the utility.

There was a situation near San Jose, CA, in which the electric and gas utility had an easement through someone’s backyard. It had been on title for many years, but the existing owners didn’t know about it. One day, the electric company showed up with digging machines and materials and made a mess of the yard digging to fix a faulty line. Though the owners were shocked, there was nothing they could do.

Situations like these show why it pays to be cautious if an easement shows up in a property title search. Ask the title company, attorney or your real estate agent to retain all documents pertaining to the original easement in order to review the details. That way, you will know the exact location of the easement, its size and scope and how it’s to be utilized.

Often, there’s not a problem with easements, but it’s still important to check. Any potential red flags might wind up affecting the value of your home.

In the case of the house in San Jose, for instance, what if the utility company had done permanent damage? What would be the homeowner’s recourse, if any? It’s best to vet these things before closing, rather than facing a serious real estate dilemma down the road.

To read the original article, please click here.

What You Should Know About Easements and Rights-of-Way is a post from: The Mather Company - Columbia South Carolina Real Estate Be sure to visit The Mather Company - Columbia South Carolina Real Estate for all your real estate needs!

Well, the polls are open again and voting has begun for the 2012 year. And we would greatly appreciate your votes! This is an annual thing our local newspaper, The State, does. If we win, then we get featured in the newspaper. So it’s great exposure for the company.

The way it works is you’ll have to go to the website listed below. There you’ll see a list of 92 categories. In order to submit a vote, you must complete at least 30 of the categories. To make it easier for you, we are providing a list of suggestions (it’s about 38 total). Of course, you are more than welcome (and encouraged) to fill this out with your own choices. But we would greatly appreciate you putting The Mather Company as your favorite Real Estate company. Also, our company has been blessed this last year and has grown a lot since the last time voting took place. So at this time we have 7 wonderful agents, all deserving of the title “Agent of the Year”. So be sure to vote for your favorite Mather Co. agent too!

Alright, so here is the link to go vote: http://www.thestate.com/bestof/

And here is our list of suggestions:

The State Best Of
1 – Columbia Museum of Art (Art Gallery)
2 – EdVenture (Children’s Entertainment)
6 – Town Theater (Stage Theater)
9 – Miyos (Chinese Food)
10 – No Name Deli (Deli/Sandwich Shop)
11 – Chickfila (Fast Food)
12 – Divine Foods (Greek Food)
13 – Carrabas (Italian)
14 – Hibachi Express (Japanese Food)
15 – Casa Linda (Mexican Food)
16 – Bone Fish Grill (Seafood)
18 – Bojangles (Biscuits)
19 – Pawleys Front Porch (Burgers)
21 – Sonic (Hotdogs)
22 – Docs Bar BQ (BarBQ)
23 – DiPratos (Brunch)
24 – Zaxbys (Chicken)
25 – Cupcake (Dessert)
26 – Marble Slab (Ice Cream)
27 – Tony O’s (Pizza)
28 – California Dreaming (Salad)
29 – Bone Fish Grill (Steak)
30 – Taco Sushi (Sushi)
31 – Carolina Wings (Wings)
33 – The Sewing Center (Art Supply/Craft Store)
54 – Play it Again Sports (Sporting Good Store)
55 – Nuttall Tire (Tire Store)
63 – Chucks Auto (Auto Repair)
66 – Constan Car Wash (Car Wash)
68 – Gilbert Studio of Dance Arts (Dance Studio)
70 – Ben Jett (Dentist)
71 – Bens Dry Cleaner (Dry Cleaner)
77 – Lexington Hospital (Place to have a baby)
80 – The Mather Company (Real Estate Company)
81 – Your Favorite Mather Co. Agent (Real Estate Agent)
82 – 1st Choice Exterminating (Pest Control)
83 – Photos by JeeJee (Photographer) – JeeJee is the photographer we use to take pictures of all of our listings. She does a great job! We and she would really appreciate you voting for her!
85 – Kay Plumbing (Plumber)

Thank you all so much for taking the time to do this for us! We really appreciate it!

Vote for The Mather Company for Real Estate Company of the Year! is a post from: The Mather Company - Columbia South Carolina Real Estate Be sure to visit The Mather Company - Columbia South Carolina Real Estate for all your real estate needs!

(Map)

Listing Price: $249,900 $239,900
Square Footage: 1,620
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 1.5

Super cute home with Melrose Heights charm. The home is 1,620 square feet and features a renovated kitchen with granite countertops, white cabinets, and stainless steel appliances. The house also has 3 good size bedrooms and updated bathrooms with neutral tile colors. The hardwood floors, fireplace, and sunporch add tons of charm and value to this home. In the back of the house there a great large den/media room that makes for a fun entertainment space. From the den you have French doors that lead out to a relaxing deck and a fenced in backyard. The Location is great for shopping, USC, Fort Jackson, and Downtown Columbia! This home is move in ready and is waiting for you.

For more information, including a video and pictures, click here.

Price Reduced at Cute Melrose Heights Listing! is a post from: The Mather Company - Columbia South Carolina Real Estate Be sure to visit The Mather Company - Columbia South Carolina Real Estate for all your real estate needs!

(Map)

Listing Price: $775,000 $699,900
Lot: 1.06 Acres
Point Lot with 451 Feet of Shoreline
Square Footage: 1,975
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2

Location? Fantastic! About as close to downtown Columbia as you can get on Lake Murray. Seconds from the Dam. Lot Size? Huge! 1.06 Acres! A very rare find this close to town. Need Water Frontage? A point lot with 451 feet of shoreline almost unheard of. Do you need more? How about almost a 360 degree view that will take your breath away. You will instantly feel your stress melting away. The house is clean and could be a great weekender, or just build your dream home. The home already has a dock and a boat ramp, so what are you waiting for!?

For more information, including a video and more pictures, click here.

Listing Reduced on Lake Murray! Incredible Lot at Great Price! is a post from: The Mather Company - Columbia South Carolina Real Estate Be sure to visit The Mather Company - Columbia South Carolina Real Estate for all your real estate needs!

With home prices down 34% nationally since 2006 and mortgage rates at historic lows, homes have never been more affordable — but it won’t stay this way for much longer.

Stuart Hoffman, chief economist for PNC Financial Services, said he expects home prices to flatten out by the third quarter and start climbing by next year.

A number of factors will help bolster the housing market, he said, including a decline in the number of foreclosures and continued job growth. In addition, homebuyers will have better access to mortgages as they get their finances in order and improve their credit scores.

“This is a strong indicator that we will start seeing home price indexes, like the S&P/Case-Shiller, start to report home price increases this summer,” he said.

Prospective homebuyers who’ve been sitting on the fence shouldn’t worry if they aren’t quite ready to make the leap. Analysts are predicting that the initial price gains will be modest, at least, in most markets.

To read the original article, please click here.

Buying a Home Won’t Get Much Cheaper is a post from: The Mather Company - Columbia South Carolina Real Estate Be sure to visit The Mather Company - Columbia South Carolina Real Estate for all your real estate needs!

1. Boxes and permanent markers. Boxes are a lot easier to stack and organize than bags, and you can label them with bold markers for quick identification. Find boxes for free at the supermarket, or buy some at your self-storage facility. Sometimes it’s better to buy new to ensure you get sturdy construction and uniform sizing, which facilitates safer stacking and space-efficiency.

2. Packing tape. A good roll of duct tape can be a lifesaver in almost any situation. For the more aesthetically sensitive mover, clear 2-inch wide packaging tape is the perfect tool to seal your boxes. Remember, you never realize how much tape you need until you run out. Keep a couple rolls handy as back-up.

3. Wrappings. When it comes to protecting your belongings, you can never be too safe. Save newspapers as you start to plan the move, so you don’t have to go scrounging for them at the last minute. Bubble wrap is ideal for smaller precious items, while moving pads and packing blankets should be sandwiched between and wrapped around furniture and other large pieces.

4. Dolly or flat-bed cart. There’s a good chance your storage facility will have one of these on-site to use for free during move-in and move-out, but call in advance to make sure. You don’t want to have to inefficiently drag or carry heavy boxes across the parking lot, one at a time. These come in handy for DIY home moving as well, especially when you need to haul something from the farthest end of the house to the truck outside.

5. Sturdy storage lock. We’ve seen Houston storage facilities (and others nationwide) with some amazing modern security features. Despite this, a good self-storage lock should be a top investment to ensure the safety and security of your belongings. Avoid standard padlocks or combination padlocks, which are not designed to withstand a legitimate break-in attempt. Instead, choose a closed-shackle padlock or disc lock. Your facility manager can recommend the best type for their doors.

To read the original article, please click here.

Top 5 Necessary Moving and Storage Supplies is a post from: The Mather Company - Columbia South Carolina Real Estate Be sure to visit The Mather Company - Columbia South Carolina Real Estate for all your real estate needs!

Our agent Stephen McCardle will be hosting an open house at 2709 Parkwood Avenue, Columbia, SC 29204. For more information please call Stephen at (803) 261-9707 or email at StephenMcCardle@TheMatherCompany.com

2709 Parkwood Avenue
Columbia, SC 29204

Listing Price: $105,000
Square Footage: 911
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 1

A charming, cozy bungalow featuring hardwood floors throughout, lots of natural light from the many windows, 2 bedrooms, 1 full bathroom, and an updated bright kitchen. Enjoy quiet summer evenings on the front porch or in the large, private fenced backyard. This home offers an IN-TOWN location with convenient access to shopping, entertainment, downtown, Ft. Jackson, & USC. AFFORDABLY PRICED for a quick sale!

For a virtual tour, pictures, and more information please click here.

Open House at 2709 Parkwood Ave. this Sunday, May 20th! Cute Bungalow Forest Acres Home at Great Price!!! is a post from: The Mather Company - Columbia South Carolina Real Estate Be sure to visit The Mather Company - Columbia South Carolina Real Estate for all your real estate needs!

On the outside, they all have the appearance of single-family homes. But upon closer investigation, it’s pretty clear these interesting structures were originally designed for different purposes, and were home to other sorts of tenants — like school kids, congregants and even missiles!

Don’t believe us? Step inside!

Missile Silo Home

127 Standish Rd, Saranac NY (below)
For sale: $750,000

Want the ultimate conversation piece? How about living in a home on the Saranac real estate market that was once secure enough to hold a missile (above). Although there is a small, “decoy” home above ground, the main living areas lie 35 feet underground in a nuclear- and earthquake-proof space. Once the missile command center, the area has been transformed into a comfortable space with 4 bedrooms, kitchen, and living room. The home also includes an 180-foot deep silo space that once held the U.S. military’s Atlas missile.

Former Firehouse

117 Broad St, San Francisco CA
Recently sold: $875,000

Like the painted lady row houses in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, here’s a home that is a different kind of painted lady. Built in 1896, this San Francisco home (above) was formerly a neighborhood fire station, painted with a bright red door and trim. Clues to its past still remain inside the 2-bedroom, 4,000-square-foot-home today — including a fireman’s pole. The home sold for $875,000 in December 2010.

Schoolhouse Rock

1381 Knopp School Road, Fredericksburg, TX
For sale: $2.3 million

This stunning property in Fredericksburg, TX (above) gives little hint to its historic past as a schoolhouse and teacher’s residence. The 4,870-square-foot limestone home has been generously expanded and features an open floor plan with high ceilings and enormous glass sliding doors that lead to patios and the rectilinear pool.

Guest Caboose

1756 Defoor Ave NW, Atlanta GA
For sale: $395,000

A classic bungalow in Atlanta is attractive enough on its own, but it comes with the added bonus of an unusual guest house that is a cozy as, well, a caboose! Painted and completely renovated, the caboose guest house has a kitchenette, small living area and nook-sized bedroom.

Modern Wares

1121 Delano St, Houston TX
The steel, concrete and pipes of a warehouse (above) were transformed into chic accents for this modern home on the Houston real estate market. Built as a warehouse in the 1960s, the home has been customized into a 4,704-square-foot living space with high ceilings and large windows.

Barn-livin’

10 Albert Ave, Barrington RI

No need to make room for farm animals in this barn. The Barrington, RI home (above) was once a Civil War-era barn and much of that character was retained in the renovation. Built in 1865, the barn was converted to a “sunlight” 3-bedroom home in 1996.

Former Storefront

2116 N Leavitt St, Chicago IL
For sale: $895,000

This storefront Chicago property (above) was home to several different kinds of shops over the years, but it has settled into its latest incarnation as a single-family home. The attractive conversion can’t hide its past, though, which is nice given its dramatic 20-foot-ceilings, “restaurant-grade” kitchen and roof-top terrace.

Forest Ranger Station

22707 Covey Ln, Rathdrum ID
For sale: $359,000

Not only is this cabin nearly 100 years old, it was also once a forest ranger station serving the Sawtooth Wilderness, declared by the U.S. government to have “the clearest air in the continental United States.” The converted 3-bedroom home sits on a third of an acre and includes beach access to the Twin Lakes.

Unique Church

2007 NW 61st St, Seattle WA
Pending sale: $789,000

When it was first constructed in 1907, this church served as a religious gathering place for decades – that is, until a couple of artists bought it and decided to transform the Seattle property into a home that showcases their art and whimsical collections. The details include a tricycle wall, a giant swing in the former sanctuary and a baptismal font-turned-bathroom. (See more about the Ballard Big House).

Factory Flair

26 Stillman St Apt 2-1, Boston MA
For sale: $649,000

Many East Coasters have taken advantage of the brick and stone warehouses left over from an industrial age long gone, turning them into luxury condos and apartments. This condo for sale in Boston is located in a former furniture factory and warehouse. The 2-bedroom, 1.5-bath condo has 12-foot high ceilings, recessed lighting and an updated kitchen with gas range and granite countertops.

To read the original article, please click here.

Church, Schoolhouse and Silo: The Past Lives of Homes is a post from: The Mather Company - Columbia South Carolina Real Estate Be sure to visit The Mather Company - Columbia South Carolina Real Estate for all your real estate needs!

Or do you?

Too often, getting a signed contract and putting your money into escrow is simply the beginning of what can become yet another round of negotiations. Here are five things every home buyer and seller should know about last-minute credits.

1. Buyers frequently ask for credits based on property inspections.

Usually, your real estate contract provides for a property inspection. As part of your inspections contingency, you may have a general property inspection performed. Depending upon the property and the issues, you might also have a specific type of inspection for the sewer line, pool or roof. Also, depending on which part of the country you live in, it may be important to have a termite or mold inspection.

These inspections can bring to light issues that the buyer couldn’t possibly have known about before writing an offer and signing the contract. Once inspected, the buyer may still be interested in pursuing the sale. But given the needed repairs that have come to light, the buyer will probably want to re-negotiate the price by asking for credits or cash off the purchase price, usually up to 3 percent, per most lenders. To come up with a reasonable figure, the buyer or seller will often get two to three bids and use the average of them combined.

2. Sellers may try to avoid giving credits by having work done before escrow closes.

Other times, you and the seller might agree to have the work done prior to the close of escrow. Or the seller may require that the credit be given directly to a contractor for the purpose of performing the specific, required work and nothing else.

These agreements help protect the seller because many times, a buyer asks for credits just to help offset the closing costs — and never intends to do the repair work. It also protects the seller in the event that initial estimates for needed work turn out to have been overstated.

For example, a property inspection performed on a San Jose, CA condo during escrow uncovered that water was leaking from the condo’s master bathroom into the unit below. Two different estimates calculated that the needed repairs would involve ripping out and replacing bathroom tiles at a cost between $8,000 and $10,000. The sellers gave the buyers an $8,000 credit. After moving in, the buyers had the leak permanently fixed — with a $200 caulking job.

3. Buyers who ask for credits just to get the price down may be taking a chance.

Many times, the buyer may concede to the seller on purchase price after a long road of negotiation. The buyer might do this knowing that they can come back to the seller during the property inspection contingency and ask for an additional concession. The buyer may even feel empowered now that they’re in contract, had their loan approved, completed a series of inspections and are just weeks away from closing. The seller isn’t going to go back to the drawing board over a few more dollars, right?

Maybe. If it’s a strong buyer’s market, there’s a good chance you can pull it off. If it’s more of a neutral or a seller’s market, the seller may feel they actually have you by the strings. They’re assuming that you’re the one who, having invested all this time and money on inspections and an appraisal, isn’t going to walk away over a few dollars.

Bottom line: Using property inspection just to get the price down comes with risks. And then there’s that karma thing: Doing this to a seller may come back to bite you when you’re the one trying to sell.

4. Sellers should consider having a property inspection before listing.

The goal is to avoid any further negotiations once you’re in contract, because they’re not going to be in your favor.

If you know the roof is near the end of its life or the furnace breaks from time to time, let it be known up front via your disclosure statements or even verbally communicated through your real estate agent.

Depending on local custom and the market, you might even go as far as having your own property inspection done before listing the home. This way, you can iron out or repair any outstanding items or, at the minimum, make the inspection report available to buyers. When the buyers are making their offer, they can come up with a final price knowing what they’re getting. For more on this topic, read “Get a Property Inspection Before You List.”

If you have an inspection report or are otherwise assured your property is in great shape, you could even ask for an “as-is” clause in the contract. Though it’s not necessarily enforceable, it will send a strong message to the buyers that you aren’t open to more negotiation; that the property has been inspected; and that you’ve done all you can to make its condition known to the buyer.

5. Buyers nearly always ask for credits, so sellers should give themselves some cushion.

You should also leave some additional room for negotiation when you’re in escrow. Always assume the buyer will ask for minor repair work; they nearly always do. If you leave some cushion for yourself, you’ll feel better about the deal and you’ll have protected yourself against the inevitable. Conversely, the last thing you want is to be blindsided by a buyer asking for a few thousand dollars credit — just when you think the deal is finally done.

To read the original article, please click here.

5 Things Homebuyers and Sellers Should Know About Credits is a post from: The Mather Company - Columbia South Carolina Real Estate Be sure to visit The Mather Company - Columbia South Carolina Real Estate for all your real estate needs!

Here are some great tips from home stagers and curb appeal experts on how to best showcase your home’s first impression.

Walk to the curb

The first order of business: Walk to the curb or street and look at your home from the road.

This will probably be the buyers’ or the buyer agent’s first, real-live impression of your house. Take the time to review the way your front yard looks. Does the front door look fresh and inviting? Is the landing or porch neat and tidy? These are the details that can make a huge difference for that ever-important first impression.

And if you sense something’s off, clip home improvement ideas from books, magazines or professionals who can really help you maximize the appeal of your home and get it ready for the market!

One professional, Michelle Molinari, has the perfect way to consistently spruce up exteriors of listings. She adds flowering white flowers to yards in Louisiana because they “always look great on photos,” she said.

Molinari also recommends a layer of mulch to finish out garden spaces and — a fun little tip — she suggests coordinating the mulch color with the roof color. The match will make the entire front appear more complimentary to the eye.

In lieu of green grass in the U.S. Southwest, xeriscaping is used because of the way this water-conserving method makes use of natural landscape items like rocks and desert-friendly plants.

The money shot: Your front door

One big item: Don’t forget the front door!

A brightly painted front door and decorative house numbers lend to this home’s curb appeal.

Some home stagers recommend using the same exterior color for the front door, but I prefer to a color to complement exterior house colors. For instance, a Tudor-style house with cream walls and grey trim would be great with a hydrangea blue on the door. A gray wall Colonial with white trim would look stunning with a black door. Most of the paint manufacturers have suggested exterior combinations (walls, trim and doors) to help sellers determine which color works well with the exterior paint colors and style of their house. (See: How to Choose Exterior Paint Colors).

In addition to the front door, potted plants and tables and chairs are great additions for a front porch. For the smaller landing, Karen Eubank of Eubank Staging in Dallas, Texas suggests a pot of rosemary by the front door. What a great way to have potential buyers enter your home after taking a nice whiff of rosemary at the door, signaling their welcome.

Numbers add a punch

Last, but not least, don’t neglect the house numbers or lighting. House numbers are best seen with dark numbers on a light background and are very important when selling! Ensure there is enough light to read them comfortably from the road. And if the front of the house is hard to see from the road, place another set of numbers closer to the road so buyers don’t miss the house!

Hopefully all of these tips will help your home make a great first impression!

To read the original article, please click here.

Make Sure Your House is Appealing from the Curb! is a post from: The Mather Company - Columbia South Carolina Real Estate Be sure to visit The Mather Company - Columbia South Carolina Real Estate for all your real estate needs!