All Forum Posts by: Troy Gandee

@Jeffrey Donis Listsource does provide data, but it's old and stale. SC updated some older privacy laws and put a few new regulations in place to protect consumer privacy. It's still ongoing as they continue to update a lot of telecommunication laws and regulations. A lot of the info the list providers sell is old and not very accurate any more. There are a few providers who claim they've found ways around some of the privacy obstructions, but I still doubt they're very accurate.

@Max Matsuk Assigning is legla in SC, but the real estate commission is not a huge fan of it, so they have not provided a state approved contract. You'll want to discuss it with an attorney. They can draft one that will be legally approved. Otherwise, you'll want to reach out to some wholesalers in the markets your interested in and ask nicely for a copy of theirs.

@Account Closed A delinquent tax sale doesn't mean the property is vacant. It just means the old owner didn't pay the bill. It doesn't really have anything to do with occupancy. It was likely a rental property, but the owner didn't pay their tax bill. If the tenants have a current lease, you won't be able to evict them until the lease ens, unless they violate lease terms. They're probably month to month, so you can evict given 30 days notice. It's possible that the old owner is living there. In that case, you'll have to have the Sheriff's Dept help remove them.

@Shacora Sligh Just tell everyone you know that you're an agent now and you're ready to help them. They'll eventually think of you. That's most cost effective way. It's called "sphere of influence" marketing. Otherwise, you'll need to pay for leads, which can be rocky. If you go with a big company, offer to join a team and cold call for the team lead. You'll have to pay the team lead most of the commission, but it's a consistent way to get going and build your own relationships.

@Shacora Sligh 1) Pick your niche and stick to it. It takes a while to really build a reputation in any particular niche, so don't give up on your area of expertise. 2) Make sure everyone you know (sphere of influence) is aware that you're an agent. 3) Don't pick your company based on flashy pitches or pseudo promises. Find a BIC or team leader you personally like. Most of what these big box companies tell you are half truths. 4) Focus on relationships over sales production and you'll actually build a career and not buy yourself a 9-5 expense monster. 5) Keep your overhead low. Don't let prospecting companies or lead services bait you. They rarely pay off and then cost about the same as a mortgage. 

@Ricky Priester They're still around, but much fewer than there used to be. There are some on the MLS, but they usually end up selling over the list price, so the fall short of the 1% rule. There are still quite a few 1% rule wholesale deals/off market opportunities, but they typically require quite a bit of work. You just have to plug in to communities to meet market movers that can supply them.

@Turgut Oz it usually breaks down to about 2.5-3x higher for the 6% rate. It’s a huge difference. We assess pretty much all property as owner occupant (4%) or “commercial” (6%), with the exception of agricultural property. A single family rental is taxes the same as a warehouse because anything other than a primary residence is considered “commercial” or non-owner occupied.

@Michael Wu If she's also on the title and deed, I believe you can do it. You should call the assessor's office and ask them. They're not out to get us. They're just doing their jobs. I would call there and ask. I believe there's also a credit of up to 50k of the value if the occupant is above 65 years of age. 

@Turgut Oz Our 6% rate is actually pretty average on a national scale. The 4% is similar to a homestead credit, which is extremely low nationally. I think people usually just get sticker shock when they compare the 2. What's frustrating is that the 6% is pretty standard for the rest of the country, but our infrastructure and education is less than average. The 4% tax rates barely go towards education or infrastructure. The state/counties try to make up the difference with the 6% properties.

@Katie Courtney We only have our company listings online, but we can set you up an MLS search and keep our eyes out for off-market stuff. You have to identify a replacement, but you can re-identify as many times as you like as long as you've purchased a replacement within those 180 days. You're not locked into what you identify the whole time. You just have to show your custodian that you're actively searching.