Hilton Head Real Estate - Jacque Johnson

Hilton Head Island Named #1 Best Beach Town

admin — Thu, 09 May 2013 18:05:53 +0000

Kudos to Hilton Head for adding another top honor to its long list of accolades. Parents magazine ranked the island No. 1 in its first-ever Top 10 List of Best Beach Towns in its June 2013 issue. We all know that Hilton Head is tops for its pristine ocean views, 12-miles of gorgeous safe beaches and shoreline, its multitude of inland amusements and fun, family-friendly activities, festivals, arts and sports. Now so do Parents magazine’s 2.2 million subscribers. What a great endorsement!

Read: Shelter Cove Harbour’s Music on the Harbour Concert Series

From its oceanfront fun to inland hot spots, Hilton Head has it all. Sea turtles, dolphins, award-winning low country cuisine, free and low cost festivals and concerts under the stars, one-of-a-kind mom-and-pop shops, bicycle rides and walks along the 54-miles of public pathways and nature trail; and, of course, oodles of tennis and golf. You never know what you might discover both on the coast and inland.

Read: Hilton Head Island’s Harbour Town

Parents also noted that Hilton Head Island provides lots of opportunities to have fun with the kids without breaking the bank. Check out the children’s museum, The Sandbox, the Coastal Discovery Museum, and play along the no stress, affordable coast – there are golf resorts, spas and plenty of excellent food and spirits to keep you happy and coming back for more.

Hilton Head Island is a wonderful place to visit…and is truly an amazing place to live. Contact me, Jacque Johnson at 843-816-2483 or email me and let me use my Hilton Head real estate experience as a South Carolina licensed real estate Broker to help you make Hilton Head your home.

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Shelter Cove Harbour’s Music on the Harbour Concert Series

admin — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 17:21:23 +0000

The Music on the Harbour Concert Series presents free outdoor concerts every Thursday night from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. through May 23 at Shelter Cove Harbour on Hilton Head Island. Local bands featured this year are Target the Band, Patwa, The Headliners and Jazz Corner Quintet featuring Bob Marsteller and Gina Rene. Each band will play twice during the concert series. Bring your family and friends and head over to the King Neptune statue for a family-friendly night of music. King Neptune’s trident doubles as the world’s largest figurative sundial.

Read: Hilton Head Island – A Fantastic Place To Live Or Vacation

Shelter Cove Harbour lures not only Hilton Head tourists to its broad range of restaurant fare, but locals can’t get enough of the gourmet to seafood to Italian and Mexican menus. The existing Shelter Cove Mall is currently undergoing redevelopment into a unique upscale walking village. Beautiful sunsets bring the marshes and boats into spectacular view as the concerts wind down for the night. Grab one of the drink specials after dinner and the concerts and stay awhile with friends to chat along the waterfront or come early and spend the day shopping the art galleries and many shops.

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45th RBC Heritage Classic Golf Tournament

admin — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 14:21:35 +0000

The 45th RBC Heritage runs April 15 through April 21 at Hilton Head’s Harbour Town Golf Links at The Sea Pines Resort. It’s been held at Harbour Links since the tournament opened in 1969. PGA pros consistently rank the course their #2 choice to play, while Golf Digest and Golf Weekly rank the course as one of the top 20 to play in the United States. The Sea Pines Resort covers 5,000 acres on Hilton Head’s southernmost tip, offering everything you could want from one of the best week’s in golf—great accommodations, food, recreation and sports amenities that will keep you coming back year after year. Over 100,000 people attend the RBC Heritage every year and over 1,200 volunteers help out during the week.

Distinguished names like Carl Pettersson, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Tom Watson and Payne Stewart are a few of the legends of golf that come to mind when you think of the RBC Heritage golf classic. A multitude of past champions have already been enshrined in the World Golf Hall of Fame. Nicklaus helped designed the Harbour Town Golf Links course with Pete Dye back in the late sixties. Back then the tournament was held in November, but has since moved to the week after the Masters. Golf enthusiasts and armchair putters worldwide tune in or attend the exciting tournament whose purse this year is worth a staggering $5.8 million—a far cry from the original $100,000 purse—and brings in an economy-booming $81 million-plus for the area.

Visit the RBC Heritage website for more information.

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Patio Appeal

admin — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 15:06:38 +0000

Patios are appealing because they can create a sense of peace, open space, freedom, and they can seem to extend the square footage of livable space on those good weather days that Hilton Head Island experiences almost year-round. A patio is what many people enjoy on a sunny warm afternoon. It just feels good to sit outside and sip some iced tea or lemonade and that’s the picture you would want to capture when listing your home for sale.

So, what if you have a backyard but no patio; is it worth investing in one? The answer depends on your financial situation but there’s no doubt that having a patio or a deck – a space outdoors to relax – is a plus. Here are a few tips for creating that patio space.

If you have a small backyard, you don’t necessarily want to take up the entire space with a concrete patio. Basically, you want to have the patio proportionally sized to your yard.

Your patio should be located close to an entryway to the home, typically the kitchen. This is so that if there is grilling or eating outside, people can easily access the kitchen as opposed to walking through some other room in the house first

Patios should be located in areas where there is some level of privacy. A patio is most appealing when you can sit back, relax and enjoy a good meal, book, or conversation without feeling like you’re being watched.

Whether or not to add a covering to the space depends on many things such as if the covering is well built and maintained and if it’s aesthetically pleasing, not blocking views, etc. In the case where it’s crafted and maintained well, the patio and its covering can increase the appeal of your home.

Buyers often consider a well-built and maintained patio a plus and having one may create a higher selling price for your home as well as a faster sale.

Hilton Head Island is a wonderful place to visit…and is truly an amazing place to live. The Island has miles of pristine beaches, beautiful marshland for kayaking, and miles of bike paths. And, with over 20 golf courses and over 300 tennis courts, it’s no wonder Hilton Head Island is also known as a great golf and tennis destination. Contact me, Jacque Johnson at 843-816-2483 or email me and let me use my Hilton Head real estate experience as a South Carolina licensed real estate Broker to help you make Hilton Head your home.

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Photo source: hgtv.com

Tax Tips For Home Owners

admin — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 18:55:51 +0000

It’s that time of year when people begin to gather their W2s, 1099s, child care receipts and bank statements to prepare their tax filings for April 15. But before you sit down with your accountant, it’s important for you to know that merely owning a home could mean you qualify for tax breaks. In most cases, you need to itemize your taxes in order to take advantage of these deductions. Yes, it makes the tax-filing process seem impenetrable, but the benefits may outweigh the complications.

Here are a few of the tax breaks you’ll want to investigate:

Mortgage interest paid at settlement

Take a look at your closing statement; one item that’s generally listed there is home mortgage interest. On a mortgage of up to $1 million, you can deduct the interest that you pay at settlement if you itemize your deductions on Schedule A (Form 1040). This amount should be included in the mortgage interest statement provided by your lender.

Points

Did you pay points in order to obtain your home mortgage? These fees are included on the income tax deductions list and can be deducted as long as they are associated with the purchase of a home. If you refinanced your home, these points are still deductible, but it must be done over the life of the mortgage.

Property taxes

As long as they are based on the assessed value of the real property, you can deduct your state and local property taxes. However, if your money is being held in escrow for the purpose of paying property taxes, you cannot claim this deduction until the money is actually taken out of escrow and paid. If you do this, check your Form 1098 for the amount you may deduct. Be aware that if you receive a partial refund of your property tax, the amount of the deduction you can claim will be reduced.

Read: South Carolina Homeowners May Be Eligible for Insurance Credit

Selling costs

If you sold a home in the past year, you may be able to reduce your income tax by the amount of your selling costs. These costs can include things such as repairs, title insurance, advertising expenses and broker’s fees. The IRS only allows the deduction of repair costs associated with selling if the repairs were made within 90 days of the sale. It’s also crucial that the repairs were made with the intent of improving your home’s marketability. Selling costs are deducted from your gain on the sale.

Home office

If you use a portion of your home exclusively for the purpose of an office for your small business, you may be able to claim a deduction on your taxes for costs related to insurance, repairs and depreciation. You may only claim this deduction if the space within your home is used exclusively and regularly as either your principal place of business or a place where you meet and deal with customers or patients. You may also be able to take advantage of this deduction if a portion of your home routinely is used for storing items (product samples, inventory, etc.) used in your business.

In tax year 2010 (the most recent year for which figures are available) nearly 3.4 million taxpayers claimed the home office deduction.

Mortgage insurance premiums

You may be able to deduct the premiums paid for private mortgage insurance for your principal residence and for a non-rental second home.

The deduction begins to phase out once your adjusted gross income reaches $100,000 ($50,000 for married filing separately). In general, you can deduct the premiums paid for the current tax year only. A qualified tax adviser can provide information about rules for mortgage insurance provided by the Federal Housing Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs and Rural Housing Service.

Home improvement loan interest

If you’ve taken out a loan to make improvements on your home, you may be able to deduct the interest on this loan. Qualifying loans are those taken out to add “capital improvements” to your home, meaning the improvement must increase your home’s value, adapt it to new uses or extend its life. New carpeting or painting are not considered capital improvements, while adding a garage, installing a water heater or building a deck are all examples of capital improvements.

Construction loan interest

If you take out a construction loan to build a home, you may qualify to deduct the interest. The IRS only allows a deduction for mortgage interest if the loan relates to a “qualified” home, which means it must either be your principal residence or a vacation home that you will use for personal purposes. You can only use this deduction for the first 24 months of the loan, even if the actual construction takes longer. Tax codes can be confusing. You may want to consult the IRS website for information concerning deductions and credits. Additionally, consider meeting with a professional to ensure you’re not missing any deductions for which you’re eligible.

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Original post FoxBusiness

Top Five Mistakes Home Sellers Make

admin — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 13:45:45 +0000

It can be a tough market for selling a home, but those conditions can get even worse if sellers aren’t careful. While a seller doesn’t control the real estate market, his actions can significantly contribute to how long and how much their home is sold for.

Underestimating Cleaning Up: It may seem obvious, but real estate agents everywhere are nodding their heads in agreement as they read this. Inviting potential buyers in to see an unkempt home is like going on a job interview without freshening up after you cleaned your garage. How can the employer notice your fantastic talents and skills if they’re hidden underneath a sloppy exterior? How you show your home tells the buyer what type of care you, the seller, has put into the home?

If you can’t take the time to wipe the grime off the refrigerator doors, tidy up the kids’ rooms, take out the messy diapers, put away the food, and take the dogs out of the house for a while, then you’ll likely find buyers will quickly move on to the next home on their list.

Lingering During Showings: Yes, we all want to know how the open house or showing went, but hanging around during either of those events is not a good idea. Sellers who tend to linger during showings often make the buyers uncomfortable. Buyers like to have time to explore the home at their own pace and without feeling any pressure. Sometimes buyers want to sit on the porch or out in the backyard as they discuss the home’s possibilities. And if buyers are willing to sit for a bit and talk about the home, that’s a great sign. However, the chances of their doing that with the seller present is unlikely. Many times buyers will say, “Let’s skip the home if the sellers are there.”

If you’re selling your home, do yourself a favor and hit the road. Take a walk or head to the coffee shop. As soon as the showing is over, you can get all the details from your agent. That’s why you’re paying your agent! Let him do his job. Just make sure that your agent has all the home’s selling points and any additional features that make this home standout.

For Sale By Owner (FSBO) Trap: Some people are convinced that they can do it on their own. Maybe they can sell their own home, but it likely won’t happen without some headaches. Trained specialists are called “experts” for a reason. An expert real estate agent knows the market, has connections, guides you through the process, negotiates on your behalf, and will make the process of selling your home simpler.

One potential land mine that FSBOs face is the flood of people popping in to see their home. It sounds great that there’s so much traffic, but the problem is that many times the people who pop into FSBO properties aren’t actually qualified for a mortgage or may not be serious buyers. Instead they’re just looking and satisfying their curiosity at your expense. Agents know to ask the right questions to make certain the lookers are truly potential home buyers.

Not interviewing agents: If you have kids, chances are you interviewed the nanny or babysitter. Take the time to seek out top real estate agents in your area. Setting up interviews with them is equally important. Choosing the wrong agent for the job will be a headache and slow the process down. There must be a connection, an understanding, and good communication between the seller and the agent. There are many things that go on during the sale of a home. Communicating with the agent should be one of the easier tasks.

Pricing a home incorrectly: This could be the worst mistake sellers make. Yet, this is where so much help can be found. Real estate agents see homes every single day. They know the neighborhoods and the comps. They are there to help you understand what homes have sold for in the recent past and what they’ll likely sell for during the current market conditions. Get a market evaluation from your agent and understand what is a fair price for your home in today’s market.

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Shelter Cove Mall Redevelopment

admin — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 12:56:41 +0000

The existing Shelter Cove Mall is being redeveloped into a unique upscale walking village that will consist of 290,000 square feet of retail space, with Kroger and Belk serving as anchor tenants. The outdoor shopping center will include a 5-acre park and will be surrounded by 220 luxury waterfront apartments.

Click here to visit the Shelter Cove Town Centre website and have a look at renderings of Shelter Cove Town Centre and learn more about the plans and vision for this site

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Real Estate Provisions in “Fiscal Cliff” Bill

admin — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 19:01:33 +0000

On Jan. 1 both the Senate and House passed H.R. 8 legislation to avert the “fiscal cliff.” The bill was signed into law by President Barack Obama on Jan. 2. Below is a summary of real estate related provisions in the bill:

Real Estate Tax Extenders

•Mortgage Cancellation Relief is extended for one year to Jan. 1, 2014
•Deduction for Mortgage Insurance Premiums for filers making below $110,000 is extended through 2013 and made retroactive to cover 2012
•15-year straight-line cost recovery for qualified leasehold improvements on commercial properties is extended through 2013 and made retroactive to cover 2012
10 percent tax credit (up to $500) for homeowners for energy improvements to existing homes is extended through 2013 and made retroactive to cover 2012

Permanent Repeal of Pease Limitations for 99% of Taxpayers

Under the agreement so called “Pease Limitations” that reduce the value of itemized deductions are permanently repealed for most taxpayers but will be reinstituted for high income filers. These limitations will only apply to individuals earning more than $250,000 and joint filers earning above $300,000. These thresholds have been increased and are indexed for inflation and will rise over time. Under the formula, the amount of adjusted gross income above the threshold is multiplied by three percent. That amount is then used to reduce
the total value of the filer’s itemized deductions. The total amount of reduction cannot exceed 80 percent of the filer’s itemized deductions.

These limits were first enacted in 1990 (named for the Ohio Congressman Don Pease who came up with the idea) and continued throughout the Clinton years. They were gradually phased out as a result of the 2001 tax cuts and were completely eliminated in 2010-2012. Had we gone over the fiscal cliff, Pease limitations would have been reinstituted on all filers starting at $174,450 of adjusted
gross income.

Capital Gains

Capital Gains rate stays at 15 percent for those in the top rate of $400,000 (individual) and $450,000 (joint) return. After that, any gains above those amounts will be taxed at 20 percent. The $250,000/$500,000 exclusion for sale of principal residence remains in place.

Estate Tax

The first $5 million dollars in individual estates and $10 million for family estates are now exempted from the estate tax. After that the rate will be 40 percent, up from 35 percent. The exemption amounts are indexed for inflation.

To find out specific market conditions in the Hilton Head area or your neighborhood, please send me a request to become part of my Insiders Club for local market data, or visit my website.

Stay in tune with what’s going on locally by contacting Jacque Johnson at Charter One Realty. No matter what the national or local economy is doing, Hilton Head Island is a wonderful place to visit…and is truly an amazing place to live. The Island has miles of pristine beaches, beautiful marshland for kayaking, and miles of bike paths. And, with over 20 golf courses and over 300 tennis courts, it’s no wonder Hilton Head Island is also known as a great golf and tennis destination. Contact me, Jacque Johnson at 843-816-2483 or email me and let me use my Hilton Head real estate experience as a South Carolina licensed real estate Broker to help you make Hilton Head your home.

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Hilton Head Island’s Harbour Town

admin — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 13:16:19 +0000

Welcome to Hilton Head Island! Nestled on the southernmost tip of Hilton Head Island, within the gates of the prestigious Sea Pines Resort lies Harbour Town. Here, you’ll find the island’s best in dining, shopping, art, and entertainment. Cafés, boutiques, and live music make Harbour Town the place to go for family fun.

Get in some retail therapy at the Harbour Town Shops. From local crafts to haute couture, more than 40 resort shops in and around Harbour Town await your exploration. Here you’ll find shops sporting everything from specialty gifts to resort wear. Try strolling through the Stobart Gallery to peruse and purchase art created right here in the Lowcountry. Find that one of a kind gift for that special someone, or snag a souvenir or two to commemorate your trip.

The Harbour Town Lighthouse is perhaps the most easily recognized landmark on the island. Nearly 100 feet in height, this tower is well known for the red and white stripes which adorn it. It serves as the centerpiece for the Sea Pines Resort, with a light which flashes every 2.5 seconds to guide mariners as they navigate the Calibogue Sound and Inland Waterway. It is a must-see part of any trip to Hilton Head Island.

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Best Wishes for a Happy, Healthy, & Prosperous New Year!

admin — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 19:45:00 +0000

Best Wishes for a Happy, Healthy, & Prosperous New Year!

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs

Hilton Head Island is a wonderful place to visit…and is truly an amazing place to live. Is 2013 the year you will find your dream home on Hilton Head Island and take advantage of the wonderful lifestyle opportunities you’ll find here? Contact me, Jacque Johnson at 843-816-2483 or email me and let me use my Hilton Head real estate experience as a South Carolina licensed real estate Broker to help you make Hilton Head your home.

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