Michael Johnson, REALTOR - Goose Creek SC

elow are a few of my favorite quotes by people from all walks of life:

"Even if you"re on the right track, you"ll get run over if you just sit there."

*Will Rogers*

"Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt."

*Abraham Lincoln*

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."

*Thomas Edison*

Appreciation is defined as the increase in value of an asset. Housing appreciation varies depending on your location. For most people, their largest investment is their home and they expect it to increase in value over time. Historically this is the case. As you can see from the graph below, housing in Goose Creek has been tremendous over the last 18 years. Recently the appreciation rate has slowed to a standstill. Goose Creek benefits from being a suburb of Charleston SC, one of the most desirable locations to live in America.

This means that these numbers will most likely turn back to the green in the foreseeable future. Until then homeowners should consider hanging on to their home until the market turns around (and it will) or if you must sell you will need to adjust you expectations. Utilize a Comparable Market Analysis (CMA) to understand what the market is saying about your home value.

For a free CMA, contact Michael Johnson at 843-817-5299 or visit my website at www.providingthelight.com

(Graph source: Nieghborhood Scout)

Goose Creek, SC Appreciation Rates (city-wide)

Since 1990	171.56%	9.40%	8	7
Last 10 Years	113.06%	11.30%	9	8
Last 5 Years	45.48%	9.09%	8	7
Last 2 Years	3.78%	1.89%	1	4
Last 12 Months	-0.21%	-0.21%	1	4
Latest Quarter	-0.19%	-0.76%	2	6
			* 10 is highest

Recently I made a decision to buy a new phone and my activerain family helped me decide between a blackberry and and IPhone. I now have another decision to make as I am ready to buy a new laptop computer. My decision now is between the Macbook (by Apple) or a PC.

I cut my teeth learning computers on a PC and am really comfortable with the Windows Operating System. I have a few friends that have a Mac and all of them swear by them. The appeal of the Mac for me is the lack of viruses and spy-ware that a Mac user has to put up with. The drawback for me is that there are several things that I cannot do on the Mac such as print to my company network printers. I am also a gamer and the Mac is lacking tremendously in that department as well.

I need your help activerain. What do you use and why? Mac users, present your case as to why the Mac is a better computer for the on the go tech savy Realtor!

Funny picture compliments of www.eyje.com/pictures/funny/Mac_vs_PC_PIC

I bought an IPhone about two weeks ago and overall I have loved it. I converted from a Razor and so it has been a big step for me. I love having the Internet and email at my finger tips. And, the functionality of the phone is great as well. Below is a list of the good and not so good things about the IPhone that may help you when making a decision to buy:

Good

• Touch Screen - I love this feature tremendously. The phone is very intuitive in this manner.
• Safari browser - this Internet browser from Apple is superb. The graphics are excellent. The tilt screen feature also allows for different viewing angles of the internet.
  
• Wi-Fi- the new Iphones come equipped with the ability to connect to Wi-Fi if it is not a secure network. Wi-Fi gives you a great amount of speed to browse the net. In addition the phone can also connect to 3G (slightly slower than Wi-Fi) and as a last resort there is the Edge network, which is mind numbingly slow but is better than nothing.
• Tons of Free Apps - Once you have established an ITunes account, you are able to download both free and for sale applications to your phone. As an example, I went to church last Sunday but forgot my Bible. I picked up a Wi-Fi connection and downloaded a free Bible application to my phone. The app allowed me to look up any book and scripture in the Bible with ease.
  
• Acts as an IPod - no need to carry your phone or an IPod/MP3 player. The IPhone plays your music and comes with a set of head phones.
  
• GPS - The IPhone comes with a built in GPS system. It can locate where you are and also give you directions to where you need to go. The downside is that this will only work if you have an internet connection. So if you are out if the middle of nowhere you might have problems with the GPS.

Not So Good

• Battery Life - because there are so many things you can do with the phone, the battery can drain rather quickly compared to most other phones. But, you can adjust the settings so that the phone goes into sleep mode every 1 minute which will increase you battery life. Also, when the time comes to replace the battery, you will have to send it in to Apple to have it replaced.
• Camera - I used the camera at a party my daughter went to and it is sub-par at best. Any sort of movement of whatever or whoever is being photographed causes a blur in the picture.
• Touch Screen Keypad - this takes some getting use to. When I first starting using the phone my fingers would miss type most of the words. The keys are a little small but I have since gotten use to it. But, I still have to be very conscious when typing so as not to have a typo.

The U.S. Department of State has recently come out with new passport requirements that will take effect on June 1, 2009. It is known as the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). Currently a US citizens traveling by air from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda must present a U.S. passport when entering the U.S. and any U.S. citizen traveling back from these areas via land or sea ports-of-entry is only required to have a government issued photo id (drivers license) and a proof of citizenship (birth certificate) at a minimum.

This air travel rule will remain, but the new rules (effective 6/1/2009) state that a U.S. citizen traveling over land or via sea ports-of-entry from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda "must present a valid U.S. passport book, U.S. passport card, or other travel document approved by the Department of Homeland Security." This new rule will not depend upon age! Every U.S. citizen from day 1 on this earth will need to have the documents in order to re-enter the U.S.

The new Passport Card can be used for entering the U.S. from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry. The card is wallet sized and is less expensive than the Passport Book. Note: The Passport Card cannot be used for international air travel.

The State Department has said they are doing this to "standardize secure travel documents which was passed into law in 2004. It will also help U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers to more quickly and reliably ID and process travelers.

For more information contact the state department at 1-877-487-2778 or visit their website at www.travel.state.gov