“Bike There” directions coming to Google Maps

Check out this article from the Christian Science Monitor – what fantastic news!  Imagine all the fun ways you could use this new Google tool.  For example, if you were looking to buy a new house, you could use Google Maps, click the new Real Estate overlay search, then click the Bike Lanes overlay to see which homes were closest to the bike lanes!

Google is adding bike paths to its online mapping tool, and expects to make biking directions available “soon.”

By Andrew Heining | 10.14.09

From the “Segways not included” department.

Is Google Maps getting bicycle directions? Buried in a post about new datasets on the Lat/Long blog last week was a little tidbit that’s raising eyebrows with the pedal power set.

Google’s Andrew Lookingbill writes:

The best part about this new dataset is that we’ve been able to add a lot of new, detailed information to Google Maps – information that helps people better explore and get around the real world. For example, college students will be pleased to see maps of many campuses; and cyclists will now find many more trails and paths to explore. Soon we even plan on providing you with biking directions to take advantage of this new data. Of course, in the true Google spirit of “launch and iterate,” we plan to work with more data sources to add new features in the map.

The push for a Google Maps “bike there” feature has many supporters – 50,000 on one site alone. When Google Maps first launched, it just included driving directions. Walking directions launched in June of last year, and public transportation integration has been trickling out for major cities along the way.

Those who can’t wait for the official Google Maps “bike there” tool can use a number of third-party sites that piggyback on Google’s offering. One, Bike Route Toaster, lets users map out their routes (provided they know where they want to go) and upload them to certain Garmin GPS units (including the Nüviphone we reviewed last month).

A look back at Google Maps shows a history of innovation – and controversy. There’s Google Street view, which imposes street-level pictures on places. It was praised, then protested, used for artistic inspiration, and even targeted by legislation for privacy and terrorism concerns.

Bicycles hold a special place in the hearts of Innovation bloggers. Recently we’ve told you about a Cannondale commuter that looks like someone’s cut off the rear triangle, an innovative bike sharing concept that generates energy and gives it back to the grid, and the arrival of electric bikes at Best Buy. And of course, for that Google-Mapped bike commute, there’s our round-up of gadgets for the bike commuter.

 

Colonial Lake Fall Festival Sunday, November 8

Everyone in Charleston, come on out Sunday, November 8th from 12-5 to enjoy our beautiful Colonial Lake Park and a fun family day of activities, games, music and getting to know your neighborhood residents and businesses.  The Real Estate Studio is hosting this event in honor of the Charleston Parks Conservancy and their Park Angels to support our local community.  Raffles will be held for some great items and proceeds will benefit the Conservancy.

Here is a link to the Facebook Event.

Ashley Avenue will be closed to traffic from Broad St to Beaufain St so feel free to ride bikes and walk!

 

Home Prices Falling Further in 2010 – But not in Charleston?

I saw this article on CNN Money today entitled “Homes About to Get Much Cheaper” with drastic falls in prices predicted for the majority of 381 Metro Areas.  My heart sank for home sellers.  I know so many people who absolutely need to sell their homes and if prices were slated to fall much further, buyers would wait on the sidelines and most sellers would be forced into short sale or even foreclosure.

And then I investigated further.  According to Fiserv, it looks like the Charleston Metro Area is one of only 33 expected to actually post gains in home prices in 2010.

Charleston Metro Area Home Prices

Imagine that!!!  I have been saying I thought this winter might be the bottom in Charleston – perhaps my prediction is true?  I do worry about the rising number of foreclosures everywhere affecting the market – it’s nearly impossible to tell how many are still out there unreported – but those Fiserv predictions give me a glimmer of hope that we are on our way to good ole boring Normal.

P.S.  Currently there are 18 pre-foreclosures downtown, 7 of which are condos.  Two of the homes on the list however, have recently been sold.  There are 4 properties coming up for auction and 3 that are bank-owned.

 

Update on the Handy Man Specials in Wagener Terrace and North Central

In August, when I last wrote a post about the resurrection of Handy Man Specials in Wagener Terrace and North Central – there were a list of homes on the market.  Since then, all the ones in Wagener Terrace have either been taken off the market (118 Grove St which had a sagging second floor), gone under contract, or been sold.  I’d say that market is hot, eh?  So here are the ones currently available under $250,000.  Pickins’ are slim in Wagener Terrace but a bunch are still available in North Central.

North Central

2921242 - Details: 32 ATHENS CT, CHARLESTON, SC – $42,000
2640112 - Details: 38 GROVE ST, CHARLESTON, SC – $45,000
2919974 - Details: 11 OSWEGO ST, CHARLESTON, SC – $65,000 (Under contract 10/16)
2911961 - Details: 16 DEWEY ST, CHARLESTON, SC – $99,900
2916553 - Details: 9 LAUREL AVE, CHARLESTON, SC – $124,900
2902234 - Details: 28 MAPLE ST, CHARLESTON, SC – $135,500
2914810 - Details: 13 LAUREL AVE, CHARLESTON, SC – $139,000
2908487 - Details: 791 RUTLEDGE AVE, CHARLESTON, SC – $179,900
2926938 - Details: 69 CYPRESS ST, CHARLESTON, SC – $184,500
2917492 - Details: 858 RUTLEDGE AVE, CHARLESTON, SC – $197,500
2919613 - Details: 77 CYPRESS ST, CHARLESTON, SC – $200,000 (Great house with tons of potential)

Wagener Terrace

2817037 - Details: 1 KYLE PL, CHARLESTON, SC – $183,900 (Overpriced)

2925679 - Details: 3 ST MARGARET ST, CHARLESTON, SC – $150,000 (Auction on 10/24)
2908613 - Details: 5 NINTH AVE, CHARLESTON, SC – $242,000 (Overpriced)
2919471 - Details: 1012 ASHLEY AVE, CHARLESTON, SC – $246,708

 

The Charleston City Market gets a new look in 2010

Those of us who live here look at the City Market with a smidge of disdain and wishful thinking.  15 years ago, it was the only place to go for nightlife so we all did.  Today – it has become much more of a tourist hub than anything with stores selling Charleston T-shirts, seashells, and open air stalls hocking fake Kate Spade purses.  Now yes, there are some great artisans, some wonderful restaurants and a multitude of things to see – but really, it could be much, much more.  We envision a market like they have in Seattle or San Francisco, with fresh local foods for sale, flowers galore, and high-quality wares.  Isn’t that the level of quality that Charlestonians deserve?

Fortunately, our wishes seem to be coming true, slowly but surely.  The Market will undergo renovation beginning January 2010 and then there’s no stopping them!  I can’t wait to see what emerges….

Check out the full article over at the Charleston Regional Business Journal…

And here’s another link to an article (with sketches!) at the City Paper

 

Thanks to my Colleague – a Professional (and personal) Inspiration

Every industry has its slackers, its liars, its greedy people, its non-committals.  People whose actions and words do harm to everyone around them.  I should know.  No matter where I have worked, in three different industries, those kinds of people are there.  But in my latest profession of real estate, I have had a difficult time processing the negative perception of real estate agents that is perpetuated by the less-than-stellar few.  (I think this profession is ranked just above lawyers??)  I love this job and I can’t stand to see it ruined as I try to rise above the muck.

But every once in a while, someone comes along who rejuvenates your faith in what’s possible, in what you’ve chosen as your life path.  Someone who illuminates the generosity, intelligence and integrity of human nature.

That person for me this week is Eric Peth.  He is a colleague of mine (lucky me!) and he has shown me something different in real estate.  I already knew him to be brilliant, passionate and hard-working – someone who serves as a professional inspiration to me.  This act was just the icing on the top.  It doesn’t matter WHAT he did – it matters THAT he did it, and that he did it with consideration, selflessness and a pure spirit.  He kind of blew me away.

So I want to give a public shout out to Eric and let everyone know that if you are buying or selling a home on James Island or in West Ashley, I’d ask you to seriously consider him.  Not only is he extremely knowledgeable about real estate and a consummate professional, but he is also just a really good person.

I’ll personally guarantee him.

 

Just a thought about Banks’ new role in real estate.

I’ve been thinking that banks have a new role in this real estate market that is creating a vicious cycle. Many homes are being foreclosed upon because the owners can no longer afford the payments (for a variety of reasons). They go to public auction, the banks ask too much for them there so no one bids on them, they go back to the bank, then the bank puts them on the market 4-8 weeks later for a low, low price because obviously they want to get rid of them – FAST. The homes receive multiple offers within a couple weeks, and the home sells for a low low price – lower than anything else in the neighborhood. This in turn, counts as a comparable home, and brings the value of all the other homes down, which in turn, makes it more difficult for owners to sell their homes. And so those that cannot afford their homes any more, cannot sell them, and thus are forced into foreclosure. And thus the cycle begins again.

Even if a person can still afford to pay their mortgage, but needs to sell for any other reason (moving??), they may have to sell it for less than they owe, which creates a short sale scenario, which again drives comparable values down….AND, banks will rarely even consider a short sale, unless you’ve stopped paying your mortgage.  (WHA??)

Now I agree that home values were overinflated for a few years, but is there a possibility that homes will be undervalued in years to come because of the scenario I just outlined? For example, one of the homes that sold recently that was owned by the bank, 13 Wentworth, just sold for $20,000 LESS than it sold for in 1999. 1999!!! Is there a new price/value disconnect? Are banks creating their own problem?

 

Jazz is reviving in Charleston

For years I have complained that there just wasn’t a good jazz club in Charleston. How could a lively city such as this be bereft? Well, times-they-are-a-changin’ and the Charleston Jazz scene is picking up its tempo.

A little more than one year ago, Charleston jazz musicians got together to form Jazz Artists of Charleston, a group with a vision of cultivating an inspiring environment for jazz artists, and developing the vibrant jazz culture in this town. Since then the occasion to listen to some awe-inspiring music has become more and more frequent and jazz appears to be making its comeback. It’s appropriate that it should, because to me Jazz Music and Charleston express the same spirit of innovation, of creativity and a deep and broad vitality for life. Charleston and Jazz go hand in hand.

So here is a list of recent happenings around town – all of which are moving that jazz culture right on up into the spotlight.

The opening of Alluette’s Jazz Cafe

Latin Jazz Night at the Charleston Music Hall

Moja Arts Festival Jazz under the Stars at the Cistern

Eye Level Art hosts Michael Bellar and the AS-IS ensemble.

Places to be seduced by Jazz on a regular basis include Mistral, Mercato, and Charleston Grill. Go check out my favorite multi-talented bass player, Kevin Hamilton.

 

Charleston covered by the Denver Post

Here’s a great article about Charleston from The Denver Post.  I think the author did a great job of capturing the magic of Charleston in this brief review, don’t you?

“Charleston, S.C., remains one of the most charming cities in America, despite its complex, even corrosive past. Haunted by history, with roots running as deep as the live oaks and crepe myrtles lining its storied streets, the 339-year-old town at the juncture of the Charles and Ashley rivers is a place to lose oneself. The architecture and gardens are beautiful, the people friendly, and the food is outright fabulous: she-crab soup, shrimp and cheese grits, plus New South cuisine that has drawn national raves. William Porter”

Read the full article

 

The Importance of Good Photography in Selling Your Home

I will venture to boldly say that second to price and location, good photography is the most important part of selling your home, or at least getting buyers to look at it. It’s not how much newspaper advertising your agent does, or how many websites your house shows up on – technology has made it easy for it to be everywhere, all the time. Out there.

It’s the photography, pure and simple.

But why? Because according the National Association of Realtors – 84% of people initiate their real estate search online. (Are there any of you out there that don’t?). What do we like to see when we look online? Photos. Lots of them. In glorious color and from multiple angles. Videos too (and not the ‘Virtual Tour’ kind). If the photos don’t look good, the house doesn’t look good and the likelihood of a potential buyer coming to see it has just been significantly reduced. I’ve even been in circumstances where I KNOW a place is great, but I am reluctant to send it a buyer client of mine because the photos are so bad.

So here is my list of the five most important things to implement when photographing a home. You would think these things are obvious – but too many times I have seen photos that don’t represent the home well. It takes time to get a great shot – I usually take about 100+ so I can narrow it down to the best – but it is well worth the effort in the end.

1. Good lighting – determine what the best time of day to take photos in your house is. Natural light is the best, but must always be enhanced by the mood lighting. NEVER turn on a large overhead light. Obviously most people don’t have $15,000 of professional lighting equipment to lug around to every home or can’t afford to pay a professional home photographer $2000 a shoot – but it isn’t necessary. Ask your agent to experiment with the blinds open or closed, and various combinations of lighting.
2. A Tripod – a tripod can help counteract difficult lighting scenarios because it allows the agent to change the shutter speed (to allow more light in) without the blur encountered if the camera is hand-held.
3. Wide angle lenses – 18mm is the minimum that should be used. This kind of lens is not to trick the buyer into thinking the home is larger than it really is, it is to be able to capture the entire room in one fell swoop. I can’t tell you how many times I have had to contort in a corner, or just hold up the camera, click and hope for the best because I was in a small or strangely shaped room.
4. Clutter Free – I know you love your stuff but it can ruin a photograph. I once spent 2 hours in a 1BR apartment clearing out (then putting back) all the extraneous personal details just to set up for the photo shoot. Framed photos, coats on a coat rack, utensils and appliances on the kitchen counter, remote controls, extra plants, too many books – you name it – they should go. You want to convey a sense of space, simplicity and cleanliness. Ask your agent to help you since they’ll probably have significant experience in what a ’staged’ home should look like.
5. Good photo-editing abilities – if all else fails, an agent should know how to fix a photo to remedy problems. It’s not that hard – iPhoto comes with a great built-in editor that allows me to change highlight and shadows, exposures, tints, definition etc…and most of the time, it can turn a so-so photo into a great one.

So here are a few examples of photography I have done. Some were done for my clients, some were done for other agents. It’s not perfect, but I don’t think it’s too bad. Click the photo and it will take you to a Picasa slideshow. Let me know what you think. What could I do better? Is there anything I left out that you would like to see?

A Turnkey Charleston Pied-a-Terre – $289,000

48 Bull St

362 Schweers Lane