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Ann Marie is your real estate expert! With a career spanning over 30 years Ann Marie knows what it takes to deliver results! Check out her videos below for some valuable information on buying and selling a home!

How Augusta Is Addressing Homelessness

Here’s how Augusta is coming together to address its homelessness issue.

I pride myself on bringing you timely information on our local real estate market. That’s why today I want to talk about not only the housing market but homelessness in Augusta, Georgia.

Our housing prices have been increasing at a steady pace. At this point, we’ve caught up with other areas in Georgia you might expect to have crazy high prices. While this is great news for homeowners, it also leaves a lot of people unable to afford a home. Rising prices also don’t help homeless people who live in Augusta. Fortunately, our community is coming together to address our homeless population’s needs in an incredible way.

In the last census, there were 470 recorded homeless people in Augusta. Some were able to find refuge in shelters, but many were not. While our numbers are small compared to Atlanta, there is still a need for solutions. That’s why I have always supported Turn Back the Block, a local program designed to provide consistent, affordable housing for people who would normally never be able to own a home.

Augusta is coming together to address this issue in an incredible way.

I love this program because it tries to address homelessness through the housing market. There is a severe lack of quality, affordable housing in Augusta, and addressing that issue is near and dear to my heart. If you are looking to invest, this could be a way to do it while making a positive impact in your local community.

If you have any questions about this program or anything else, please call or email me. I am always willing to help.

What’s Been Happening In Our Market?

Here’s what’s been happening in the Augusta market over the summer.

Today I’ll update you on what’s happening in the Augusta real estate market. So much happened over the summer. We had a 17% increase in our sales price. It’s up to $270,587. Last month, we had almost 1,200 houses come on the market. A little more than that went pending, and about 890 houses closed. Inventory is still being outpaced by activity.

The list-to-sales price ratio for homes in Augusta is 100.01%. Expectations for pricing are outpacing reality. In the coming months, we’re going to have some disappointed sellers who can’t sell for 100% of the asking price.

We’re seeing more inventory coming on the market, and as we get further into fall, we’ll see activity slow down. If you’re considering selling, this is still prime time to do it. If you’re looking to buy a home, this is a good opportunity because rates are still very low. If you have any specific questions, feel free to reach out to me via phone or email. I can go in-depth with you individually on each neighborhood.

Why Rose Anne Moore Was Satisfied With Our Service

Hear the testimony of a recent client about her experiences working with us.

When you’re in the market to buy a home, one of the most critical aspects of the process is choosing an experienced Realtor to work with and guide you through the deal. I pride myself on my ability to serve my clients and get them what they need, but don’t just take it from me—today I’ll share a quick testimonial from Rose Anne Moore, a recent and very satisfied client who chose my team to help with her home purchase.

Here’s what Rose Anne had to say:

“Ann Marie was definitely on my side the whole way, and I knew she would be—that’s why I picked her. She has your interests at heart, and that’s what you need in a Realtor. You need somebody who’s not going to stop until she gets what you need finished.

She’s very professional, makes you feel at ease, and did everything I needed her to do.

“She helped me sell my house, walked me through the closing, and then she found me another house that is perfect for me…. We closed simultaneously, and that just made everything more comfortable…. I just felt like I could depend on her and that she was there for me when I needed her.

“When I make up my mind, I make up my mind, and that’s the way I was when I decided to work with Ann Marie. She’s very professional, makes you feel at ease, and did everything I needed her to do.”

If you’re looking to buy or sell a home or otherwise have any real estate needs, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I would love to help you reach your real estate goals and leave you as satisfied with your service as Rose Anne was.

What Do My Clients Have to Say?

Here’s what a couple of my past clients have to say about working with me.

Today I’m sharing a quick message from a couple of great clients of mine, Wesley and Ransom. Every single client is important to us, and we were thrilled that Wesley and Ransom had such a positive experience working with us. Here’s what they had to say:

“We’ve worked with Ann Marie for over a decade and she has been a part of almost every house that we’ve either purchased or sold. Having Ann Marie as the person to represent us, we believe that was the perfect match for us. Ann Marie is always on call. If there’s any point in time you have a question, you can text and expect to get an answer back pretty quickly. She makes you feel like you’re her only client. Like you’re the No. 1 client.”

“I don’t think we ever felt pressured to take an offer or to feel like we were not in the driver’s seat. That’s a very important factor for me. To not feel like I had a real estate agent that was just in it for the sale, because that’s not Ann Marie. She’s in it for the relationship. That’s really important to us.”

If you have any questions about real estate or want to know how we can help you reach your goals, don’t hesitate to reach out via phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Why Work With Ann Marie McManus?

Here’s a little bit about me and how I can help you sell.

Today I just want to share a bit about why you should choose me to help you sell your home. If you want to get top dollar in the shortest amount of time, have someone truly listen to your distinct circumstances, and get a plan tailored specifically to you, then you’ll want to list with me. Often, when moving, many other life circumstances come with it, and I know how to bring my services to you. Selling is not a one-size-fits-all situation. 

I have the community contacts and will immediately pick up the phone and start connecting on your behalf. For me, it’s all about the personal connection and finding what best suits each client. I’m never going to pressure someone into doing anything that’s not in their best interest. I believe people trust me and know that I won’t simply sell their house at any price, but rather get the best deal I can for them.

If you have any questions or would like to speak to me about selling your property, reach out via phone or email. I would love to help you.

Click here to listen to more testimonials.

How Rising Lumber Costs Are Impacting New Construction

Here’s how the rising cost of lumber has affected new home construction.

Things have been changing in the new home construction market, and these changes are mainly tied to the rising cost of lumber. In fact, lumber costs have risen by 180% since last spring. In previous blogs, I’ve spoken in depth about our low home inventory levels and high buyer demand. Builders are doing their best to continue construction, but the high costs of lumber are making the process more expensive. On average, the cost to build a new home has increased by $25,000.

It’s been important for both buyers and builders in the new construction market to accurately calculate their costs and stay flexible. Buyers must watch out for price increases they’re unprepared for, and construction delays are always possible due to pricey lumber costs and shipments.

We’re continuing to work with buyers and builders to ensure everyone knows what’s happening with new home construction and why. If you’re looking for more information about a particular neighborhood, or you’d like to know how these changes may affect your situation, feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Advice for Listing Your Summerville Home

Here’s a quick tip for pricing and preparing your Summerville home to sell.

Today I want to talk to you about pricing and selling homes in the older areas of Augusta, specifically in Summerville. The market is moving very quickly overall, and we’re seeing jumps in the average sale price. In Summerville, we’ve also seen a 20% decline in inventory. There is only about a one-month supply of homes out there.

Your home has to be ready for buyers when you list it for sale.

Even with such a low supply, there are still certain tips you’ll need to follow to successfully sell your Summerville home for top dollar. Remember that it’s a price war and a beauty contest, even in a market with low inventory. 

It’s so important to have your home ready when it comes on the market. Things are moving so swiftly that I’m seeing buyers ask what’s wrong with homes simply because they have been on the market for 30 days. There are a lot of things that could cause a home to sit without selling, but most of the time the property simply isn’t prepared and/or priced properly. When this occurs, people are going to think something is wrong with a home when there really isn’t. Summerville is a fantastic area to live in and this situation should rarely happen. 

If you have any questions or need more advice on how to position your home to sell for top dollar, don’t hesitate to reach out via phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

What’s Happening in the Luxury Market?

Here’s why luxury homeowners should be excited about recent market trends.

A few weeks ago, I told you about the double-digit price increases we were seeing in the real estate market overall. However, what applies to the market at our median price of $250,000 doesn’t always apply in the upper-end market. The luxury market in Augusta refers to homes priced at $750,000 and up. Right now, we have just a 14-month inventory in this section of the market. It might sound like a high number, but you also need to know that we had 23 months of inventory just a year ago. We always have a good bit of inventory in this market, and Augusta is known for its beautiful luxury homes.

If you’ve been thinking about buying a luxury home, this is a great time while inventory is low (relatively speaking). It’s also an advantageous time to sell a luxury home. In this market, people are better able to time their moves in the luxury market, so this is the time when you may consider making a move while inventory is down and sales are up. Applying supply and demand theory, this is a very advantageous market for sellers and an excellent time to sell.

If you have any questions about selling a home or the Augusta market in general, don’t hesitate to reach out via phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you.

Is Your Home Covered in the Event of a Fire?

A recent house fire reminded me of the value of good insurance.

Recently, I experienced a house fire, which caused my family and I to rediscover just how important it is to have up-to-date insurance that covers such an unfortunate event. When our neighbor saw the fire from her second-story window, she promptly called her dad, who came outside. They called 911 and attempted to combat the flames with a garden hose until the fire department arrived a short while later.  By the time we were awake and out of the house, eight fire trucks were on the scene with 28 firefighters. They did a fantastic job of containing it, such that we only have very minimal smoke damage. I’m glad to say our family is doing very well, all things considered.
Review your homeowners insurance policy and your current value.
The morning after the fire, we called a friend in the fire restoration business, who told us that we worked with a great insurance company. Now, we understand that the restoration process is going to be somewhat of an ordeal, given the inconvenience of construction. That said, it’s such a good feeling to know that we’ve kept up with our coverage and that we didn’t scrimp on the policy. That’s why I’m encouraging you to look at your homeowners insurance policy and your current value. Touch base with your insurance agent if you haven’t spoken with them in awhile, as they’ll likely have kept up with these things and can help you figure out whether your coverage is adequate. If you have any questions about homeowners insurance or anything else to do with real estate, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

What’s Our Augusta Market Up to?

Here’s what you should know about our market as we get 2021 underway.

We’re finally into the new year, so you may be asking yourself, “How is the real estate market primed for 2021?” First of all, when interest rates are as low as they are right now (they’re one percentage point lower than they were at this same time last year), it bodes well for the real estate market and overall economy—2.38% is simply an unbelievable mark. 

Typically, low inventory is desirable for homeowners since it drives prices up, but our inventory shortage is quickly becoming downright problematic; the market can’t move forward if there just aren’t any houses for sale, and many would-be buyers are backing off a little bit. Some have been priced out of the market, others without a pressing need to buy don’t feel compelled to grind it out in a bidding war, and others still are taking a more “wait-and-see” approach. 

That said, our Augusta market is shielded from a lot of the national economic trends because we have so many people moving here all the time. All in all, now is an excellent time to sell your house, especially if you’re thinking about downsizing and want to maximize your equity amid an upturn in prices. It is important to note that national economists have flagged a few things that could pose legit problems for our market moving forward, such as the negative effect rising prices might have on the affordability index. (Thankfully, Augusta’s affordability index rating remains exceptional). 

“Now is an excellent time to sell your house, especially if you’re thinking about downsizing and want to maximize your equity amid an upturn in prices.”

While no one has a crystal ball, we all know that the economy rises and falls; we’re in a peak now, so it’s a great time to ride the tide and sell your home for top dollar. If you have any questions on the market or are thinking about buying or selling property soon, don’t hesitate to reach out to us by phone or email. We’re always here to help, and we’d love to hear from you!