Posts by : Adrianne Anderson

The Anderson Team has officially welcomed a new agent to our team, everyone meet Lauren Wood!

When it was time to expand our two person operation, we knew that we wanted to bring on an absolute rockstar. We asked Lauren to tell you a little more about herself, here is what she had to say:

With over 40 years of experience calling South Carolina home, I possess a deep understanding of the area and a unique ability to navigate its evolving landscape with ease. I'm passionate about sports, particularly college football (let’s go WVU) and enjoy spending time outdoors with my family and dog Chanel.

As a valued member of The Anderson Team at Beach & Forest Realty with 20+ years in the real es...

December is almost always the month with the least amount of listing activity with around a 30% drop in new listings going on the market. This makes sense because most folks avoid having strangers in their home while presents are under the Christmas tree and they don’t want to coordinate showings and appointments during the holidays. On the sellers side, December 2024 is in line with other Decembers and matches what happens every year. 

For the buyer’s side, small drops in the Federal Funds rate meant more people than normal were still home shopping. If you monitor properties going under contract, there’s typically around a 20% drop in activity in December. Last month, that number was on...

As we finish 2024, you may be gearing up to make a change in the New Year. If your goals are real estate focused or even real estate adjacent, we’d love to learn more and see how we can help. If you’re thinking about buying or selling (and especially if you’re trying to do both at the same time), please schedule a free, no-hassle consultation. We want to provide guidance and advice so you can make the best decision possible. If you’re debating becoming a landlord or selling your investment property, we can help weigh your options so you can make your move next year. We love helping first time home buyers, retirees, investors, transplants, natives and specialize in difficult situations. We...

October is my favorite month of the year! The weather is almost perfect with temperatures cooling off a little but the ocean is still warm. Traditionally for the Anderson Team, it’s a busy real estate month. Let’s take a closer look at the market activity during the month of October for the Coastal Carolinas Association of Realtors. 

Months supply remains steady at 4.7. This stat incorporates supply and demand by dividing how many properties sold last month into the current inventory of homes. Since May of 2024, months supply has hovered between 4.7 and 4.8. This indicates there’s a steady demand and also a steady supply of homes. A perfectly balanced market has 6 months of inventory whi...

This is a continuation of our analysis on the impact of a presidential election on the real estate market. This update includes October 2024 data and historical numbers from the Coastal Carolinas Multiple Listing Service going back to 2004.

Last month, we did a deep dive into the impact of the presidential election cycle on the real estate market and learned a few surprising stats:

Buyers are 10.58% more active and sellers are 7.60% more active during an election year versus a non-election year in the month of September. 

Updating the numbers with October data, this trend continues for sellers with election years being 6.11% more active. That means in an election year compared to a non...

One of the first things you will need to know is whether you can afford to move into your desired neighborhood. If you are using a real estate agent, have them research the property taxes, school taxes, home values, insurance and utility costs for the house you are serious about. You will also need to factor in monthly mortgage payments. Armed with this initial information, you can then decide if you want to make an offer on the property. Keep in mind that there can also be unexpected expenses that may crop up, such as having to install a new water heater or  replace a leaky roof. Make sure your budget can withstand such contingencies.

Once you have decided that you can meet your financi...

Owning a home is not the right choice for everyone. Do you like a maintenance-free lifestyle and enjoy the freedom of moving around the country? Then renting might be the smarter choice. But owning a home comes with financial benefits, especially for those who plan to stay in their home for seven or more years.

First, owning allows you to build equity. Equity is the difference between what your home is worth and what you owe on your mortgage. If your home is worth $300,000 and you owe $200,000 on your mortgage, you have $100,000 in equity. The more equity you have, the bigger your profit when you sell. You can also borrow against your equity with a home equity loan or line of credit. Thi...

What was once considered to be a decorating faux pas is now right on point. Gone are the days when the homeowner had to limit their choice to only one metal for everything. Using only polished nickel or chrome is not the only game in town. Mixing metals in the bathroom creates depth, interest and personality. While creativity should never be stifled, there are some rules to follow to make the room appear balanced and stylish.

Choose a dominant metal — You may want to start with polished chrome for its consistency in finish. While warmer metals such as brass may have many variations in finishes, classic chrome will be the same no matter where you shop.

Add in other metals — Generally spe...

Just to give a bit of background, the English Regency period refers to when George IV, the prince regent, served in the place of his father, George III, between 1810 and 1820. During this period, George IV was responsible for one of the most recognizable buildings in England — the Royal Pavilion. With its Moorish domes and minarets, the building's architecture was inspired by the global influences of the ever-expanding British empire. The pavilion's interior boasted chinoiserie and elaborate wallpaper, chintz, bamboo furniture, intricately carved wood and metal pieces, and bold colors. These easily recognizable features of the Regency interior were quickly adapted by the upper classes of ...

Hidden rooms and passageways are the stuff of mystery and fantasy novels. Now they are also a functional, fun and stylish way to solve space-saving issues in your home. The benefits of installing a Murphy door are many. These benefits include maximizing space, enjoying its aesthetic appearance and allowing greater room versatility. A Murphy door blends seamlessly into its surroundings to conceal a hidden room or an entryway. The door can be integrated with many rooms in your home, including the living room, den or home office, exercise room, walk-in closet, or pantry.

The choices are endless, as the doors can be single- or double-panel French-style doors, which can be customized to compl...

While sleek, contemporary kitchens continue to be the most popular style among homeowners, there is a Mediterranean kitchen style for those yearning for a more classic vibe inspired by the sun-soaked Amalfi Coast. The key elements of this style are earthy colors, natural materials, rustic dark wood cabinetry, ornate details and wrought iron accents. It combines the best of the Old World with the best of modern conveniences.

State-of-the-art appliances and LED lights also have a home in this traditional kitchen. These modern touches bring the kitchen's technology up to the minute without compromising on the charming aesthetic and character.

The Mediterranean-style kitchen has a casual, a...

Few numbers are as important to mortgage lenders as your FICO credit score. This score measures how well you’ve paid your bills and managed your credit. The higher your FICO score, the more likely it is that lenders will approve you for a new mortgage or refinance.

FICO scores range from 300 to 850. FICO says that scores of 740 or higher are considered particularly good, while scores of 800 or higher are excellent. If your scores are in this range, you’ll qualify for a mortgage or refinance at the lowest interest rate.

But what is the minimum FICO credit score you’d need to qualify for a refinance? That varies by lender, but most require that your FICO score be at least 640.

Why your s...

The overall trend in décor is toward the use of sustainable and natural materials. This is also the case for interior lighting. Until now, natural materials such as wood, glass, bamboo, fabric, seagrass, leather and even paper have been popular choices in lighting design. You can expect to see even more use of twine, rope, burlap and wooden beads. Beaded chandeliers, pendants formed of rope and natural stone, and fixtures shaped like trees accented with leaves are some other expressions of this natural trend in lighting.

What are some of the key trends in lighting? Here is a sample of what may inspire your next lighting choices:

Back to nature – Interior designers and homeowners are kee...

I love data and running numbers. This has served me well being able to help my clients make important decisions. Lately I find myself in a lot of conversations about the impact of the upcoming presidential election on the market. Are buyers and sellers waiting to see what happens before making a move? Are people in a hurry to buy or sell before we have a new president next year? To figure that out, I ran historical data. 

First, I pulled the following totals for every month since January 2004: new pending sales and new listings. This would give us the amount of new listings (sellers) and new “under contracts” (buyers). This activity should show motivation in any given month. Then, since ...

Once summer ends and kids are back in school, our market looks like an upside down check mark starting in August. September, we typically see a little less inventory, then a lot of activity in October and then November and December begin a traditionally slower season during the holidays. Looking at just the month of September but going back the last 4 years, months supply of properties for sale has steadily increased from a low of only 1.5 months in September 2021, 2.7 months in September 2022, 3.5 months in September 2023 and last month we had 4.6. A balanced market is 6 months of supply and this steady increase is one of the bigger changes in our market since COVID. This balance has mea...

The saying "One person's treasure is another person's trash" is no truer than in the case of selling, donating or removing household furnishings that no longer serve you. What you are likely to find out is that your beloved Aunt Ann's Hummel collection or your father's prized recliner has little to no value in today's market. Interior design trends are constantly evolving and so are consumer preferences for style and color.

Once you have gathered everything you want to get rid of, there are a few things to do before selling or discarding. If you are selling, make sure to clean and repair anything you are considering putting up for sale. Make the effort to dust and polish glass and wood i...

Barbiecore appeals to a maximalist, more-is-more style with hot pink and fun at the center of its aesthetic. At its heart, Barbiecore décor is open to interpretation, from entire rooms festooned in shades of bubblegum pink to more subtle pops of powder pink on accent pieces. It is also accessible in luxury plastic and plush. There are many ways to incorporate pink into your home to express your individuality and sense of style.

Here are a few whimsical ways you can decorate in Barbiecore style:

• In the pink–The pink color palette has a broad enough range to satisfy any Barbie fan. From bold and brash to soft and romantic, pink walls set the backdrop for all the other decorative element...

Selecting the perfect flooring for your bathroom is not just about enhancing aesthetics — it's also about choosing a surface that can withstand the humid and wet environment typically found in a bathroom. Whether renovating or building from scratch, the right bathroom flooring can make a significant difference. Here are some tips to help you make the best choice:

Consider durability and water resistance

• Porcelain and ceramic tile: These are popular choices due to their durability and water resistance. Available in a variety of colors, styles and textures, they can mimic more-expensive materials such as natural stone or hardwood while providing better moisture resistance.
• Vinyl floori...

While window seats are not something new, they are right on trend with today's design obsession with bringing the natural world into our own living rooms. In addition to being visually beautiful, window seats are a wonderful way to provide extra seating with the added benefit of extra concealed storage.

To get started, walk through your home and decide which underused window would benefit the most from a window seat. Next ask yourself what your vision is for the seat. Do you need a place to relax, more seating, a spot for reading or just a window that allows you to enjoy the sunshine? Do you have a bay window in the living room but no furniture that fits in the space? A window seat could...

No other type of heating appliance is as romantic or as relaxing as a fireplace. Depending on the type you select, fireplaces provide a heating solution, a decorative element or an efficient heating source. From wood-burning fireplaces to gas, electric or pellet, there is a fireplace that is waiting to welcome you home

Wood-burning fireplaces are often chosen by fireplace purists who need to have the crackling sound, the aroma and the visual appeal of a real fire. Some even enjoy the experience of splitting wood or having free wood available to them. There are several different options to choose from: open hearth, wood-burning fireplace, wood-burning stove and indoor enclosed wood-burnin...