Seneca & Oconee County schedule of Christmas Parades & Celebrations

During this special holiday season I'll be posting info on when & where you can celebrate the holiday season at parades and so much more. Click here for the Seneca & Oconee County Calendar of events

Black Friday Real Estate Sale!

Very interesting....5 ways that real estate is on sale this BLACK FRIDAY: CLICK HERE

Lake Keowee Fishing Report

FYI Today: Click on Lake Keowee Fishing Report.

Oconee County Food Banks & Homeless Resources

It is with anticipation of the holidays coming up that I make this post. All year long we should help those less fortunate than us. Please click the link here: Oconee County Food Banks, Soup Kitchens & Shelters and find out how you can help make a difference in someone's life!

Fall on Lake Keowee.....Breathtaking!

The air is crisp, the interest rates are at all time lows and there are so many properties to choose from at exceptional prices. Please visit our web site where you'll find Easy MLS Searches set up for you to search foreclosures, short sales lakefront property, etc. with the click of just a few buttons. There is also a wealth of information on this site about area golf, clubs, subdivisions and so much more. We are here at your service....*ANCHOR YOUR DREAMS WITH US!*

Area info site

Don't judge a site by it's name....this site gives so much info about our entire beautiful area. Visit often, it's updated daily: Area Info plus!

Lake Keowee Real Estate

Many of you have been waiting for the market to become "soft" enough in order for you to realize your DREAM of owning the "Perfect WF Lake Keowee" Home. Well....there's no time like the present! Interest rates are at record lows & many sellers are extremely motivated.

Something else you may want to consider is to take a Boat Tour on Lake Keowee or any of the other area lakes. This will help you see the lake from the water prospective which is the biggest reason you are considering buying Lakefront Property to begin with. Click on: http://customboattours.com for rates and availability.

seller paying closing costs

Seller paid closing costs...?


I get this question a lot..."How much can the seller pay towards the buyer's closing costs?"

Don't assume 3% of the purchase price is the rule. There are basically 4 mortgages now for residential home purchases and each has its own rule. The maximum amount that a seller may pay towards the buyer's closing costs, pre-paid items and reserves is as follows:
1. Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac (Conventional):
> 90% financing = 3% of the sales price.
>75% & < 90% financing CLTV = 6% of the sales price.
<75% CLTV = 9% of the sales price.
2. FHA = 6% of the sales price.
3. VA = 4% of the sales price.
4. USDA Rural Housing = 6% of the sales price.

I hope this information is beneficial to you. Call or email me anytime.

Andrew Evans: Hanover Mortgage
Cell: (864) 313-0602
Email: aevans@hanovermtg.com

History of Lake Keowee in South Carolina

Storms, Boating, Lake Keowee

WOW!!!! We sure had some storms in our area late yesterday! We were on the lake during the whole thing and lightening was all around us in the distance. We even thought we saw a TORNADO! We arrived home safely just before dark without one drop of rain falling on us :-/

We were very lucky and it just doesn't pay to take chances. Make sure you either have a weather radio or an "app" on your cell phone to keep up with the weather radar patterns. This way you'll know where the storm is and where its headed! Also, Make sure you have a light weight jacket with you on your boat at all times. I sure was chilly on the FAST ride home!

The Cliff's: Lake Keowee Real Estate

Please visit the link I am providing here to introduce you to all of what The Cliff's Communities have to offer!
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MEMORIAL DAY 2010

On this special day please remember our fallen soldiers and all of the brave Americans who are currently serving our country as well as all of those who have served us in the past. We are ALL very lucky to be Americans and should thank GOD and our veterans every day for allowing us to live in "The Land of the Free & The Home of the Brave!"

SHORT SALES, A SIGN OF THE TIMES....

A short sale is offered when a seller/ homeowner has fallen behind in their payments and it's a last ditch effort to avoid foreclosure. In short sales you are actually dealing with the homeowner during the negotiation and the mortgage company comes in after the seller has decided which offer (Highest & Best with his agent's help) to sign. It's a common misconception that properties offered in short sales are "bank owned". This is NOT the case at all. After the seller signs (accepts) one of the offers, it is then under contract with a contingency that reads as follows:" Contingent upon bank's approval of short sale". Earnest Money is deposited and so on just like a contract with a "Home Inspection" contingency for example. The Short Sale asking price is determined by the listing agent based on current market values (sold properties) while taking the amount owed on the property into consideration. Usually multiple offers come in and at all different amounts (some will come in 50% less or even lower). Sometimes as many as 5-8 offers will come in on one property, so having a knowledgeable Buyer Agent is extremely important if you are a serious buyer. This is a complicated process and I've been involved in several of these as a Realtor. I can provide you with very valuable advice. One last thing, short sale offers that come in with a solid approval letter from a reputable bank & CASH offers with proof of funds move to the top of the group of offers along with offers with fewer contingencies. The acceptance by the seller/ homeowner has been known to take as little as a few days or as long as 6 wks depending on how high or low the offers come in. The person who is doing the negotiating with the bank is experienced enough to know when there's not a chance at all of getting bank approval of the short sale and will keep the "accepting bids" time frame open a little longer @ the bank's urging. I also wanted to mention that in "short sale" situations it is very common for the homeowner/ seller to sell the Boat Dock separately ( most of the time to someone other than the purchaser of the home) because it is personal property (like a kitchen table) and usually the seller is in dire financial shape and needs extra money. This goes for Hot Tubs and other appliances that are not built-in (sometimes even the built-in appliances). After the homeowner signs and accepts the offer of his/ her choice it is presented to the bank. At this point it is very important to know that the bank's approval could possibly take as long as 6 months to get or approval can come quickly. Anyway you look at it, PATIENCE is so important because this is your chance to get the deal of a lifetime. Please call me with any further questions & I look forward to helping you find your perfect lake home! Thanks!