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If you're like many Americans, your home will be the most expensive thing you own. It will be a key part of your estate as you plan for the long term. So you need to think strategically from the outset.

To start with, if you want to know how much of a mortgage lenders think you can handle, get preapproved for a mortgage before you start shopping for a home.

What is preapproval? That's when you work with a mortgage lender to determine how large of a loan that lender is comfortable giving you. To begin, you'll provide a lender with copies of your last two paycheck stubs, last two months of bank account statements, last two years of tax returns and last two years of W-2 forms.

Lenders wil...

OPEN HOUSE! Join us this Saturday, September 16, 2023 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm for an open house at 131 River Country Drive, Conway. This beautiful 3 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom home is located in River Country, a small, quiet neighborhood situated on Bear Bluff Road, just off Highway 90 and close to Highway 22 and International Drive. Make sure you stop by to see this beautiful home! Adrianne will be hosting and giving away gift certificates to Stella’s Homemade Ice cream and Cakes.

Tax notices are issued in the fall and should be arriving in your mailbox in the coming months. Taxes are due in January. If you haven’t already, there’s still time to update your home as a primary residence so you can qualify for the lower tax rate of 4%. Also, in the event you are 65 or older, totally disabled or totally blind, you qualify for an additional tax reduction via the Homestead Exemption. 

To apply for primary residence, you’ll need to update your driver’s license and vehicle registration to match your South Carolina address. You’ll also need to provide a copy of your most recently filed tax returns. Please don’t wait to make this update! Typically, your property taxes fo...

The stats below are compiled from a variety of sources. Surprisingly, NC and SC differ significantly with South Carolina having a significantly lower tax burden. Since it’s the middle of Hurricane Season, I also wanted to share storm numbers. Again, South Carolina wins! We have cheaper gasoline too! That said, I love my northern neighbors. Please don’t hesitate to ask if there’s any way The Anderson Team can you help you learn more about the area

NORTH CAROLINA’S TAX BURDEN 

Real estate tax rate: 2.82% (19th in U.S.) 

Vehicle property tax rate: 0.45% (32nd in U.S.) 

Income tax rate: 2.87% (36th in U.S.) 

Sales and excise tax rate: 4.36% (27th in U.S.) 

Number of Direct hits by...

Opportunity awaits just outside downtown Conway! This 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom home is in a no HOA, well-established neighborhood. With stunning live oak trees this property offers a fenced in yard and a lovely covered back patio. From the front porch, you enter the home into a spacious living room that is the heart of the home. To the right are three bedrooms, and to the left is a dining area that leads to the galley style kitchen. The gas range and washer and dryer are 2020 and the HVAC was installed in 2019.

Check out the 3D Matterport Tour and schedule your appointment today!

OPEN HOUSE! Join us this Saturday, September 9, 2023 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm for an open house at 310 73rd Avenue North, unit 3B, in Myrtle Beach. This spacious 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo is just a short walk to the beach in the exclusive Palm Ridge II community. Make sure you stop by to see this beautiful condo! Luke will be hosting and giving away Stella’s Homemade Ice Cream and Cakes gift cards for attendees.

Click to view details for 310 73rd Ave N, Myrtle Beach

How do you approach a conversation with your parents about estate planning? For sure, you don't want to nag or become a nuisance, creating suspicions about your motives. By being open and honest about your concerns, you can allay their fears that this is only about interest in their money. Talk about the opportunities they wish they had as children that they'd want their kids and grandkids to have — the stories or lessons they wan t their heirs to hear and advice about finances they want to pass down.

Your parents understand their estate, so during your chat, ask them whether they have a list of names and contact information for doctors, attorneys, financial planners and accountants, ins...

When you apply for a home loan, your lender will review your credit reports, check your credit score and pore over your finances to make sure you can afford your monthly mortgage payment. Along the way, your lender will look for certain financial missteps that might make him or her nervous about approving your application.

Late payments: Ever pay your credit card bill late? Maybe you skipped a car payment one month. The bad news? Those late payments will show up in your credit reports, which are maintained by the national credit bureaus of Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. And when you apply for a mortgage, your lender will have access to these reports to review.

Late payments remain on...

Refrigerators are often breeding grounds for unintended science experiments and forgotten food. But it doesn't have to be that way. Getting into a routine with better refrigerator organization can help you stay on top of the food you have, reduce your grocery bills and even facilitate healthier eating. Here are a few tips to get you started.

Invest in Organizers

The best way to keep something from getting lost in the back of your fridge is to invest in organizing containers. A Lazy Susan can help you access items often pushed to the back. Soda organizers can optimize space, giving you even more room.

Use Your Vacuum to Help Clean Drawers

The mess left behind by produce in your refrige...

Book lovers understand the need for sufficient storage space for their favorite books. You want a place to celebrate the knowledge within and access what you need when you need it. But books take up a lot of space and are more likely to accumulate than dissipate. The best way to store and display books depends on several factors, including the size of your collection, the available space and personal preferences. Here are some ways you can store and display your books.

Use bookshelves

Bookshelves are an excellent way to store and display books. You can choose from various materials, such as wood, metal or glass, and sizes that will fit your collection. Depending on your space, you can u...

It will be on Saturday, August 19, 2023 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm for an open house at 145 Dots Court in Conway. This beautiful 4 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom home sits on an acre with NO HOA. You'll love the many upgrades the home is outfitted with. Located just a couple of miles from Highway 22, you have an easy drive to area beaches and are just 7 miles from Downtown Conway! Luke will be hosting.

Click here to know more!

Your lender is required to send you a loan estimate after you complete your mortgage loan application. This three-page form is important: It lists the important financial details of your mortgage loan.

The loan estimate will list your loan's interest rate and monthly payment. It will also estimate how much you'll pay in closing costs, the fees charged by your lender and other third-party providers to originate your loan.

The loan estimate will also list any penalties you might face for paying off your loan too early and provide an estimate for how much you might have to pay in homeowners' insurance and property tax payments.

Why does the loan estimate matter?

Once you receive your loa...

It will be held this Saturday, August 19, 2023 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm for an open house at 5810 Crestwood Drive in Myrtle Beach. Creekfront estate with direct Intracoastal Waterway access available in Socastee. Make sure you stop in and see this gorgeous home! Adrianne will be hosting.

Click here for more info!

Are you thinking about remodeling your bathroom? Whether you plan to do it yourself or hire someone to complete the work for you, it can be wise to educate yourself about the most common mistakes so you can make an effort to avoid potential long-term headaches.

Here are some of the most expensive mistakes people commonly make as well as how you can take measures to avoid them:

Opting for DIY when a contractor is a better choice

When remodeling your bathroom, the odds of running into unexpected issues are considerably high. Unless you're doing something for purely cosmetic reasons, it's worth speaking to a professional before you tear down any walls or make changes to the plumbing. Whil...

Whether you like to take long weekend trips to nearby locations or go on longer international adventures, travel is a high priority for many people. But while you're away, your empty home can attract unwelcome attention. Here are a few ways you can protect your home while you travel:

Make it look like someone is home

One of the most effective ways to deter burglars is to make it appear like someone is home. Leave on a light or two or set up timers for lights, or use a smart home system to control lights, TVs and appliances.

Ask someone to check on your home

Friends and neighbors are a useful resource for protecting your home while you're away. They can collect your mail, water your pl...

Kitchen appliances make your space function, but what happens if you need to replace them? How do you choose the best appliances for your kitchen? Here is a closer look at the major appliance purchases you might make and how to choose what you place in your kitchen.

Stove and oven

There are many options for stoves and ovens in your kitchen. Some designs split them as a wall oven or a cooktop, or you can get a combination range. If your home has natural gas, you can consider that option, though there is a push to eliminate natural gas appliances in the future. Electricity gives you the option of a standard or convection oven, like a large air fryer. You can have an electric cooktop or in...

Upon entering the main level of the home, you will see additional living space that can easily be an office, play room or gathering area. There is a half bath, laundry room and storage closet tucked away for convenience and ease. the kitchen flows into the family room that also has a dining area and gas fireplace. Outfitted with a spacious pantry, stainless steel appliances and granite countertops, this is an entertainer's delight. The family room leads to a large screened porch allowing you to enjoy summer evenings longer. The primary suite is ideally located on the first floor with tray ceilings and a spacious ensuite bathroom with double vanities, standing shower, linen closet, water c...

New Single Family Listings: 939 homes were added for sale in our area which is a drop of almost 25% from last month and almost 30% fewer new listings than last July. Of those single family homes added to the market for sale, 398 of them are new construction.

Closed sales for all property types took a sharp dive from 1,652 closings in June to 1,133 in July.  

We have less inventory to sell in July than we did in June but we have 30% more inventory than last July so overall, we’re headed in the right direction to have a balanced market. 

Average sales price went down for the second month in a row and the average price is almost $10,000 less in July than it was in May of this year.

Pendi...

This home features two bedrooms and two bathrooms in the main home and also has an unfinished apartment or mother-in-law suite with another full bathroom! This home is a perfect blend of country charm while also being updated with granite countertops, crown molding and beautiful flooring throughout the home. Equipped with a 50 year metal roof that was installed in 2020 and a water heater that was replaced in 2021, this home has been lovingly improved with new windows and doors. Even the studs used to build the home are cedar providing a natural resistance to pests. The kitchen is a chefs dream outfitted with stainless steel appliances including two ovens and a large eat in dining area. Pl...

What features are most important when purchasing a soaking tub? Having an outdoor tub in your garden or a large bathtub inside your home can do wonders for your well-being. But there are many different types of soaking tubs, so you'll want to choose what works best in your home. Here are some options to consider:

Freestanding tub

A popular trend in bathroom design now is a freestanding tub separate from a walk-in shower. This gives you flexibility and freedom to choose the design and placement that work for your bathroom. It also allows you to have a deeper tub so as to maximize soaking comfort.

Japanese-style soaking tub

Japanese soaking tubs are also often freestanding but tend to b...