Welcome to the Good Life Blog

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!

Lending Guidelines Are Tightening

As banks nationwide adopt more stringent guidelines, there’s no reason to panic. There is, however, cause to be more careful.

One of our local mortgage bankers confirmed that there’s going to be an increase in the required credit score to qualify for a mortgage—632 will jump to 680. Some banks have even moved their requirement to 700. There’s never been a more critical time to guard your credit and resolve any issues. If you don’t know where you stand, take the time to check; are you noticing any erroneous things in your credit history?

Speaking of credit cautiousness, I want to discuss mortgage forbearance. Under the CARES Act, mortgage companies are allowing you to forego payments for a certain period, but you must be in close contact with your servicer and understand exactly what their guidelines are. To hear my full message, watch this short video above.

What the Numbers Say About Our Augusta Market

According to the latest numbers, our Augusta market is still strong despite everything that’s been happening.

With everything we’re hearing in the news and emotions running high, we need to look at the facts to know what’s happening in the Augusta real estate market.

Today I have a couple of key March statistics straight from the MLS to share with you. Compared to March 2019, prices rose 11.4% and pending sales soared by 22%. To find out what these numbers mean, watch this short video.

People are Still Moving to Augusta Despite the Pandemic, but Inventory Remains Low

Given the times we’re going through, I’m as committed as ever to giving you timely information about what’s happening in the Augusta real estate market right now.

Despite the dismay that the pandemic and resulting stay-at-home ordinances have caused, real estate is still going strong. Today I’ll share a little bit about what’s been happening in the Augusta market lately. For one, our cyber moves are still on track!

Travel restrictions have caused delays until May 11, but we have workarounds for that. Medical residents are buying homes to take advantage of the low monthly payments they can lock in compared to rent. To learn more about what’s happening in our market, watch this short video.

A Reflection on the Lockdown and Its Effect on Real Estate

As we continue to navigate these uncertain times, I want you to know that we’re still here to help. Whether you need to buy, sell, or just put a plan in place for the future, we’ve got you covered.

Even though we won’t have the golf tournament this spring, I decided to lighten things up for you with a little tournament “quarantine couture” as my friend Natalie would say. As we continue to navigate the coronavirus pandemic and its effect on our daily lives, I want you to know that real estate is still operating. We’ve been deemed an essential service, and we’re still working incredibly hard to help buyers and sellers complete their transactions or put a plan in place to do so in the future. I recently spoke with a client who was one of the first female colonels in the U.S., and we’re putting a plan in place to help her achieve her goals safely and wisely.

An Update On Our Market During the Pandemic

Given the times we’re going through, I’m as committed as ever to giving you timely information about what’s happening in the Augusta real estate market right now.

Despite the dismay that the pandemic and resulting stay-at-home ordinances have caused, real estate is still going strong. Today I’ll share a little bit about what’s been happening in the Augusta market lately. For one, our cyber moves are still on track! Travel restrictions have caused delays until May 11, but we have work-arounds for that. Medical residents are buying homes to take advantage of the low monthly payments they can lock in compared to rent.

Showing Our Appreciation for Medical Pros

As you know, we’re a big medical town, so in mid-March every year, medical residencies are announced with a celebration called Match Day. Unfortunately, due to the virus, the festivities of Match Day had to be canceled. Medical professionals need our support more than ever right now, and we wanted to share our appreciation and excitement for all the medical professionals who were recently matched with residencies here in Augusta. It’s always an honor to help outgoing residents prepare their homes for the market and get the incoming residents situated in amazing properties.

If you have any questions for us during this time or want to know more about how we support our wonderful medical professionals, reach out to us. We’d love to hear from you. 

How the Coronavirus Is Changing the Way We Do Business

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I want to make sure that you’re continually updated on the coronavirus and how we’re adapting to serve our clients’ needs. We had a couple of sales this past week, we’re continuing to show properties both in-person and virtually, and setting up virtual meetings. We’re following all of the CDC guidelines while still helping people maximize their real estate investments. Whatever I can do to help you and ease your concerns during this time, I’ll be more than happy to do it as I continue to provide helpful, knowledgeable real estate information. 

A Quick Update on the Market

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We’re heading into the spring months of 2020, but before we look at Q1 of 2020, let’s address how things finished up last year. When comparing December 2019 to December 2018, the average sales price increased by 6.8%, making our new average $210,772. 

Here’s how things look year over year for the month of December: 

Aiken: 

  • 192 new listings 
  • 212 closed sales 
  • 207 pending sales, up 27.5% 
  • Average sales price: $202,288, up 1.2% 

Augusta: 

  • 537 new listings 
  • 643 pending sales, up 32.9% 
  • 636 closed sales
  • Average sales price: $204,957, up 1.2% 

Here’s how Augusta’s market performed overall in 2019: 

  • 10,510 new listings
  • 9,087 pending sales, up 10.7% from 2018 
  • 8,744 closed sales 
  • Average sales price: $203,329, up 2.4% from 2018 

In our market, we saw homes sell for 97.4% of the asking price in December 2019, up from 96.8% in 2018. 

If you’d like to know how I can get your home sold for 99% of the asking price—2% more than the average, call or email me and we can meet to strategize. I’d love to help you!

My Advice on Waiting to Sell Until After The Masters






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I’ve got a helpful tip for all of the Augusta homeowners out there. Traditionally, we tend to think that we should wait until after The Masters to put a home on the market. However, the opposite has been proven. Inventory is actually much lower before the event than after, and you can stand out and capture more buyers’ eyes by listing now. You can always postpone your closing date until after the tournament, but you can also have the advantage of having it on the market when there’s not as much competition.