In this article, top rated real estate agent, Dan Hamilton of Hamilton & Co, takes a break from offering Greenville real estate advice to share his personal experience playing pickleball, where to find the best courts in Greenville and how to get started! Thank you to Hamilton & Co for sponsoring this article.

Pickleball has taken Greenville by storm! Though this popular sport has been around for over 50 years, it really began to gain traction during the pandemic, offering a safe, low-impact social sport for people of all ages. Now, there are courts in almost every town across the Upstate, and you’ll see dozens of avid players out on any given afternoon. I myself have become a huge fan of the sport and enjoy taking my sons out to play.

If you are interested in playing pickleball yourself or want to get your family involved, keep reading! In this article, I’m sharing a few of the many places in Greenville, South Carolina to find pickleball courts, plus a couple coming to the Upstate very soon. I also share a bit of my experience getting into the sport and how you can get started too!

Find a Place to Play Pickleball

You may find yourself wondering where to even go to play Pickleball. Greenville is full of courts ready for you!

Timmons Park

Perhaps the most well-known pickleball courts in the Upstate reside in Timmons Park. The park, located on 121 Oxford Street in Greenville, has 8 hard courts surrounded by a tall fence. These are not modified tennis courts but regulation-size courts and free to play. There are also restrooms and water access for players.

Timmons is a great place to start if you’re new! After my initial pickleball lesson (more on that later), I attended open play here with a friend and loved my experience.

There are always people to play with any time of day, and the environment is open and relaxed. Be warned though, you’ll spend time waiting for a court, especially after work hours. Timmons gets busy!

Southside Park

Another great place to play pickleball is Southside Park. Southside Park is located in Simpsonville on 417 Baldwin Road. The park has 12 hard pickleball courts and are free to play when not reserved for an event or tournament.

Crowds are quite a bit lighter than at Timmons, so much so that you’ll want to bring a friend or two to make sure you can put together a game. This is a great option if you already have friends to play with and don’t want to wait for courts!

Northside Park

Northside Park in Greenville (101 West Darby Road) offers 6 brand new pickleball courts to residents of Travelers Rest and beyond.

As weather got hotter this summer – and Timmons got more and more crowded – I shifted to playing my matches here earlier in the morning before work. The facilities are amazing and the competition is stiff for those looking to up their game!

Similar to Southside Park, you won’t find quite the crowds here that you would at Timmons, so be sure to come with a group.

The Pavilion

Cooler temperatures are on their way, but if you’re still looking to beat the heat, you can play pickleball in one of a few indoor courts in town! My favorite is the Pavilion. Their three courts are open 7 days a week, but unlike open play at the outdoor courts, these courts need to be reserved. As a result, you’ll typically need to bring your friends with you to play!

There are only a few indoor courts available in town right now, and I hope more will be built soon!

New Courts Coming Soon

Greenville is working quickly to accommodate the massive demand for new pickleball courts with a number of exciting projects. Here are just a couple of the businesses coming to the Upstate in the next few years that put a major focus on pickleball:.

PKL Park

Unity Park is getting an upgrade with “PKL Park!” Set to be completed next summer, the park’s new facilities will have 8 professional-grade pickleball courts. But that’s not all! The complex will also include four small restaurants, a full bar, a stage for live music, a 20-foot television wall, and a huge green space for outdoor activities.

Facilities like this will make pickleball a great day-long social activity for the whole family!

The Pickle Yard

Downtown Greenville isn’t the only area investing in new pickleball facilities. Much like PKL Park, Mauldin’s “The Pickle Yard” will feature pickleball courts, 3-4 food concepts, a beer garden, a stage for live entertainment, and outdoor seating.

The sport and social facility is part of a larger entertainment initiative called “Maverick Yards.” The impressive development also includes over 40 new townhomes for rent and is being considered by many to be Mauldin’s new city center.

This facility is anticipated to open next year!

How to Get Started

One of my favorite things about pickleball is how simple it is to get started. Pickleball enthusiasts are friendly and extremely inviting to beginners. I’ve seen new players show up to the court with nothing and been given everything they need right on the court (though I don’t suggest doing this!).

Before you arrive to open play for the first time, I suggest purchasing a good pair of shoes (plain running shoes are fine to begin with), a paddle, and a set of pickleball balls (they look like wiffle balls). That’s it!

I think it’s fairly easy to get up to speed quickly and have competitive matches, but the rules of the game are a little different than you might think. What I did – and what I suggest to others – is started out by taking a two hour lesson, just to learn the basics of the game and how to keep score.

Upstate Pickleball, led in part by my friend John Moore, is a great place to invest in an introductory lesson! From there, you can continue to hone your skills with clinics or jump into open play at Timmons or another court around town.

Contact Hamilton & Co

The Upstate’s amazing communities are full of family-friendly activities. As Greenville’s top-rated real estate team, it’s our job to understand how each community compares and offer our clients up-to-date information that will lead to informed real estate decisions.

Give me a call at 864-527-7685. I’d love to answer your real estate questions and set you up with the tools you need to call Greenville home. – Dan

Learn more about Kidding Around Greenville partner, Dan Hamilton!

With mortgage rates staying high, housing inventory staying low, and home prices steadily rising, many families find themselves stuck in their homes and unable to move.

Whether you’re looking to get out of renting, being forced to move with a job, or are just looking for a change of scenery, you’re probably feeling overwhelmed by today’s real estate market in Greenville, South Carolina. Dan Hamilton, Hamilton & Co, is here to outline 5 ways you can work around today’s tricky real estate market factors. As a real estate agent for over 20 years, Dan has utilized each of these strategies with his clients. Keep reading, some of the solutions may surprise you! Thank you to Hamilton & Co for sponsoring this article.

2023 Housing Market: A Snapshot

Before I jump into some creative solutions, I want to offer a quick overview of the real estate market as I see it in South Carolina right now, focusing on three metrics: housing inventory, listing price, and interest rates.

Inventory

Inventory, or the number of active listings on the market, is stable month to month but still very low. While we have recovered from the pandemic’s all-time low inventory with an almost 50% jump year-over-year in Greenville, inventory remains tight considering buyer demand and the larger picture.

House Price

The median sales price for homes in Greenville year-to-date is $305,000, which is a 1.8% increase from this time last year. To put that in perspective, home values in Greenville jumped 18.1% between 2021 and 2022. This year’s increase in home value is much more in line with typical year-over-year appreciation. I expect to continue seeing reasonable increases in home prices this fall, but no major jumps like we’ve experienced in the last couple years.

Interest Rates

Lastly – and probably the most present on people’s minds – are interest rates! Though I know this is an unpopular opinion, “high” interest rates are likely here to stay. While inflation stays high and a stalemate between buyers and sellers exists, I don’t expect the Federal Reserve to drop interest rates; in fact, they will raise them again this fall. As I’m writing, 30-year fixed rates are sitting around 7.14%, and they may have changed by the time you’re reading this!

To summarize, house prices and interest rates will stay roughly the same throughout the remainder of the year (with slight increases), and I don’t expect a big change in inventory.

Making It Work For You

Feeling overwhelmed? I get that. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to work around some of these big market factors. Let’s get into a couple that may work for you.

Solution #1: Buy Now, Sell Later (Cash Offers)

One of the biggest challenges facing homeowners today isn’t selling – it’s finding a home once you’ve sold! And with most homeowners holding onto a home with a 3-4% interest rate, there really isn’t a lot of motivation to get moving.

But what if you could buy your next house before you sell your current home, taking the uncertainty out of the equation? My real estate team Hamilton & Company has a variety of solutions that allow our clients to “buy now and sell later.”

One option allows me to offer you cash upfront for your home – no strings attached – and let you walk away without hosting a single showing or going to the trouble of listing your house. Unlike the cash offers of many of my competitors, this is a “full-appraisal offer,” meaning I pay you what your home is worth and nothing less. That’s hard to beat!

Another option…our investor can buy your house from you now at a small discount, fix it up, resell it, and then pay you again when they close – you get a portion of the profits!

I offer a number of full-appraisal cash offer solutions through my team at Hamilton & Company. The best way to find out if you qualify for one of these offers is to give me a call and talk me through your specific situation. You can schedule a call here or shoot me an email at [email protected].

Solution #2: Sell Your Home for More (by investing in high ROI improvements)

If you’ve considered a move recently, chances are you have also considered updating your home to improve its desirability. But since you won’t be around to enjoy those home improvements, you’re really only interested in the renovation’s ROI, or return on investment. That means you should be strategic with your renovations, only investing in improvements that are sure to raise that sale price! The home improvements with the best ROI typically are those that add functional space and square footage to your home.

If you aren’t moving this year but will soon, consider investing in a long-term improvement like finishing your home’s basement or attic or converting a half bath into a full bath. Families looking for quicker improvements should consider bathroom and/or kitchen remodels (with an emphasis on function over aesthetics), a fresh coat of paint, or a project that improves outdoor quality of life like a patio.

If you’d like to learn more about maximizing your renovation budget, check out my article on the best home renovations to consider before listing your home. I also offer my clients a customized renovation evaluation as part of my free home consultation.

Solution #3: Buy a Home and Keep the Seller’s Interest Rate!

The best way to avoid high interest rates? Ignore them altogether! Qualified buyers can do exactly that with something called an Assumable Mortgage.

An assumable mortgage allows you – the buyer – to purchase a home and “assume” the interest rate of the seller. That means you could actually purchase a home at an interest rate as low as 2-3% if you found it on the market! As amazing as this deal sounds, not all homes (or buyers) qualify for an assumable mortgage. Conventional mortgage holders, for example, cannot qualify, but VA, FHA, and USDA loans can!

The best way to figure out if this is a legitimate option for you is to set up a call with me where we can talk through your options.

Solution #4: Tap Into Your Current Home’s Equity

If you’re one of those families I mentioned earlier who’s current home has a low interest rate, you don’t necessarily have to sell it in order to buy a new one!

Rather than selling your current home to pay for your next home’s down payment, consider tapping into your home’s equity with a home equity loan. A home equity loan uses your current home as collateral and the amount is determined by your personal equity in the home. Once you’ve moved out of your current home, you can rent it and offset the cost of the initial, lower mortgage.

This solution doesn’t change the fact your new mortgage is set at that higher rate, but it does allow you to reap the benefits of expanding your real estate portfolio and creates a lower average interest rate.

Solution #5: ARM, Creative Financing

I’ve already explained a way to obtain a lower than average mortgage rate using something called an assumable mortgage. But there are many more forms of “creative financing” out there that help buyers get houses every day. Let’s take a minute to break down a couple more…

• Adjustable Rate Mortgages: Adjustable Rate Mortgages, or “ARMs,” introduce a set period of time where your interest rate doesn’t change. For example, if you did a five-year ARM, your rate would be fixed for five years and either increase or decrease to match the average rate at the end of that period. This is a great option in a market like ours, because rates are likely to be lower in coming years.
• Seller-Financed Temporary Buydown: A temporary buydown is when a party involved with the real estate transaction pays a large sum up-front to “buy down” the buyer’s interest rate for a set number of years. In this case, that party would be the seller. This allows the buyer to either ease into that larger monthly payment or refinance at the end of the buy down period when rates will hopefully be lower. A Seller-Financed Temporary Buydown can be negotiated into your contract by your real estate agent, and can last for as little as one year or up to 5 years depending on your negotiation.

The Bottom Line

As an agent with over 20 years of real estate experience, I’ve seen a lot of different housing markets. While I wouldn’t characterize today’s market as a “bad” or “impossible” one, I definitely think it comes with its challenges.

In this article, I’ve shared just a few of the unique solutions I’ve used to help real clients sell and buy homes this year in Greenville. But most of these are highly specific solutions to unique problems.

The best way to figure out one of these options (or another one I couldn’t cover here!) might work for you is to set up a short call with me. I’ll learn about your unique situation and put together a customized solution that fits your needs, timeline, and budget. If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, set up a time to talk with me using my calendar linked here. I promise, this call is quick, free, and zero obligation.

Let’s help you realize your real estate goals this year – high interest rates or not!

Contact Hamilton & Co

If you’re looking to buy or sell and you think one of these outside-of-the-box solutions may be a good fit for you, give me a call at 864-527-7685. I’d be happy to break down these options and more, helping you find an answer to your tricky real estate questions.

Learn more about Kidding Around Greenville partner, Dan Hamilton!

Did you know purchasing new construction can look a bit different than buying an older home? In this article, Dan Hamilton, Hamilton & Co. Real Estate Founder, debunks 7 common myths about new construction, explaining how a new construction transaction works and why it might be a good choice for your family. Thank you to Hamilton & Co for sponsoring this article!

House hunting can be an overwhelming process, and an especially difficult one when home prices are high and inventory is low like it has been the last couple of years. In light of today’s market standards, many of our clients at Hamilton & Company – especially our first time home buyer clients – are turning to new construction as an alternative to previously owned homes.

Myth #1: New construction is more expensive than previously-owned homes.

While there is typically less room to negotiate on the price of a new construction home up-front, they are definitely NOT more expensive across the board. Let’s look beyond the price tag for a moment…

New construction homes mean NEW. New roof, new plumbing, new flooring, new heating and air conditioning…new everything!

When you purchase a new construction home, you don’t have to worry about the HVAC breaking a year in or having to replace the roof. Renovations and cosmetic upgrades don’t have to be factored into the purchase price of the home because everything is new and, if you are building your home from scratch, everything is hand-selected by you!

In the rare case something does break or need to be replaced, new construction homes have home warranties that cover the cost of most repairs. These warranties will vary depending on the community you are purchasing in, so if you are home shopping, be sure to ask your real estate agent about the home warranty options before going under contract.

Finally, new homes are outfitted with some of the best energy efficient technology on the market, including energy-star appliances, insulating techniques, airtight, multi pane windows and more. Built up to the latest construction standards, new construction homes will heat and cool more efficiently, saving you money each month on energy bills.

While it’s impossible to say definitively that one type of home is more or less expensive than another, it is a safe bet to assume new construction homes involve less up-front cost for repairs, are more energy efficient, and can be a more affordable option across the board.

Myth #2: New Construction is more difficult to finance than pre-existing homes.

Contrary to popular belief, new construction can actually be easier to finance than pre-existing homes.

Like any home purchase, a new construction purchase will involve you meeting with a lender and obtaining a loan (unless you plan to pay cash, of course). You can bring your own lender into the new construction deal, but many communities already partner with lenders that you can work with. These lenders are familiar with the builders, the home construction, and the company as a whole, making the financing process move more smoothly.

Plus, there are typically incentives involved when you work with a community’s lender rather than an outside lending source. This can make it easier for you to secure financing and get a better deal on your mortgage.

Here in Greenville, we’ve seen a huge increase in new construction incentives as the market has leveled out, with some communities offering up to $40K in incentives!

So, while the financing process may look a little different with new construction homes than with pre-existing ones, it is not always more difficult. It can often be simpler!

Myth #3: New construction takes FOREVER to finish!

It’s true…new construction timelines often fluctuate depending on available labor, supplies, and other factors, many of which are outside the control of the builder. On our team, we’ve personally seen many of our clients deal with delayed move-in due to their homes not being ready.

However, we’d still say these delays are the exception to the rule rather than the norm. According to the 2021 U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction, home construction takes about 7 months on average, and this lines up with what we see here in Greenville.

But you don’t have to wait that long if you don’t want to. The nice thing about new construction is that you can often jump into the process at whichever point suits you as the buyer.

Many home builders start building a home long before they have a buyer. Construction on speculative homes, or spec homes, may already be underway or nearly completed by the time you start your transaction.

While many buyers purchase nothing more than a piece of land and build their dream home from the ground up, you can really purchase a home at any stage of development. If you are looking to move in the next month or two, for example, you could purchase a home that is nearly complete, add your personal design touch, and be ready to move in on your timeline.

Whether you’re purchasing a plot of land or a nearly completed home, planning in advance is key.

• Know how long your builder expects the construction process to take.
• Determine if the timeline aligns with your needs.
• Ask about material inventory and other factors that may shift the completion date of your home.

Your real estate agent can also be a huge help here. When we represent clients in a new build transaction, we negotiate on their behalf every step of the way. We can help get your questions answered and get you moved in on time!

MYTH #4: New construction is made of poorer quality than pre-owned homes.

With today’s building codes and construction standards, building construction principles are about the same regardless of the new build. Whether you’re purchasing a pre-fab townhome or building a custom home, a minimal standard of quality is required. Not only is there a minimum standard for new builds, but that standard has become more demanding, not less, over time. New homes are:

• more energy efficient.
• more earthquake and wind resistant.
• less expensive to repair than older counterparts.

While old homes often have charming details that are associated with luxury, they are also full of code violations that just wouldn’t be allowed in home construction today.

If you’ve purchased an older home, you know this to be true! Home inspection reports on older homes often come back riddled with warnings. As real estate agents, we have to walk our clients through these reports, helping them understand what is worth noting and what is merely due to age.

No such issues with new construction! With new builds, everything inside and out meets and often succeeds modern standards and codes. Any issues you may find in a report would be addressed quickly by the builder prior to move-in.

The quality of your home’s finishes may depend on your budget, and more expensive custom homes will surely have more luxury details than spec homes. However, when it comes to home construction, standards are high for new construction regardless of budget.

MYTH #5: You can’t perform a home inspection on new construction.

Speaking of home inspections, there is a huge misconception out there that you cannot perform a home inspection on new construction.

Quite the opposite! Performing a home inspection is a critical part of the home buying process for new builds. In fact, multiple home inspections will be performed throughout the building process in addition to a final inspection you as the buyer may order.

Local municipalities thoroughly inspect new construction as they are the ones who will provide a certificate of authenticity. This certification is required before you can move into your new home.

Your builder will also perform a final inspection prior to signing off. In addition to these inspections, you can hire a third party to ensure the home was built according to the local building code. You don’t have to wait until the end of the building process either! You can hire an inspection at any point in the building process. Your real estate agent can help you hire an inspector and will review your report with you.

So not only are you allowed to order a home inspection on a new build, but new construction is often subjected to multiple inspections, far more than pre-owned homes.

MYTH #6: You don’t need a real estate agent to purchase new construction.

Builders typically do not require you to have a real estate agent when entering a new construction deal, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have one, ESPECIALLY if you are a first time homebuyer.

As with any real estate transaction, you want a knowledgeable professional on your side and negotiating on your behalf. Your realtor will make sure you get the best possible price, contract terms, add-ons, warranties, target completion dates, and more. With new builds, your realtor isn’t just there for the actual transaction, they are with you through the entire building process.

Most new construction communities have a real estate agent on duty to assist you with anything you need. While these agents are knowledgeable and more than capable of helping you, their ultimate loyalty lies with the building company that hires them. Bringing your own agent to the real estate transaction ensures you have representation looking out for only your interests.

Builders are typically more than happy to work with your real estate agent as long as you include them early in the process.

When it comes to commission, the cost is often part of the builder’s budget, so you don’t have to worry about that either!

Entering any real estate transaction without professional representation is a bad idea, but it is especially damaging with new construction. Since the transaction period for new construction is so much longer than with pre-existing homes, it is vitally important that you are represented the whole way through.

MYTH #7: New homes lose value faster than established homes.

Buying a house is NOT the same as buying a car!

A car loses value as soon as it’s driven off the lot, but the same can’t be said for real estate. Real estate is an example of an appreciating asset, or an asset that increases in value over time.

Both established homes and new construction are appreciating assets and increase in value after their purchase. In fact, new construction often increases in value more quickly than established homes due to one important factor:

Home values in a new community increase as more homes are added to that community. As the neighborhood develops (and businesses open up around the neighborhood), home prices increase quickly in value. If you have shopped for a new home before, you’ll notice the final home in the community is often much more expensive than the first. This is to account for the dramatic increase in value!

Real estate does not lose value except in very rare economic situations; it appreciates over time. And new construction often appreciates more dramatically in the short run than established homes.

Bottom Line

Hopefully this article has helped you debunk a few misconceptions about new construction in Greenville, SC.

If your family is considering a move in the next couple of years, a new build may be a great option! New construction is energy efficient, affordable, and customizable to your family’s needs.

The best way to decide what type of house fits your needs best is to talk with a trusted real estate agent. At Hamilton & Company, we sit down with each of our clients to discuss their wants and needs in a home, their design style, location preferences, budget and more. All of these factors will help us understand what homes to tour with you.

Contact Hamilton & Co

Are you interested in learning more about new construction homes in Greenville? Contact Hamilton & Company! We have relationships with dozens of builders and communities across the Upstate and would be happy to help you navigate the purchase of a new build.

Learn more about Kidding Around Greenville partner, Dan Hamilton!