Club Chaos Agents - All Things Hollish, Wacked, and Jacked

The YMCA in Columbia, SC

 We all know that the new year is a time for resolutions. One of the most popular has always been to get in better shape and drop a few pounds. Well, if that's one of your resolutions, then you should try out the YMCA in Columbia, SC.

 The YMCA is located in the popular Lake Carolina community off of Hardscrabble Road in Northeast Columbia, SC. The gym boasts an indoor pool, tennis courts, an aerobics room, a yoga room, a spin room, a full indoor basketball court with walking and running track above, locker rooms, and of course a full workout room with weights and tons of cardio equipment like treadmills and ellipticals. It's a great place to spend some time focusing on fitness and staying in shape.

 The friendly staff is always happy to lend a helping hand and there are a wide variety of conveniently scheduled classes to choose from. There's even a Master's Swimteam that meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays. First class is at 5 AM and the second starts at 6 AM, and I must say that I am partial to the coach as my wife Jamie is the instructor.

 I myself lift weights and workout every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday morning in an effort to keep myself going for as long as I can. So if you feel like it's a good time to get in shape and start a new workout routine, then maybe the YMCA in Lake Carolina is the right place for you. So first chance you get, stop by and take a tour to see what you think.

 A quick explanation- These pictures were taken at the lake in Lake Carolina. Lake Carolina is a beautiful community in Northeast Columbia, SC. Lake Carolina has many options to choose from in styles of homes as well as price range and lots of amenities. It's one of Columbia's most sought after destinations to call home.

Columbia, SC Real Estate

  Looking for a home in a great community with tons of amenities, then maybe Lake Carolina in Columbia, SC is just the place you've been looking for. Lake Carolina is located off of Hardscrabble Road, just off of Clemson Road next to Blythewood.

 This stunning community boasts lush green areas, a lake, playgrounds, green areas, a YMCA, walking trails, well manicured walkways and sidewalks, a pool, and even a dog park. Lake Carolina has it all and yet it's still close to I-77 and all that Northeast Columbia has to offer. Only minutes from shopping and dinning in the Village at Sandhill and about 20 minutes from Fort Jackson.

 Lake Carolina in Columbia, SC even has an elementary school within the community. The community offers a large variety of homes for sale as well as a large variety neighborhoods within the community itself. Anything from the Peninsula which is a gated community on the lake to Woodliegh Park which is a smaller vinyl sided community near the YMCA and the dog park.

 Not only are there some wonderful resales available, but there are quite a few new homes being built in all price ranges as well. Everything from costumeconstruction by Berry and Ziegler Builders to tract built homes by Essex Homes and Great Southern Homes. There are even condos in Harborside which is a Charleston style community located just inside the main entrance near the lake and the pool.

  Just in case all the normal amenities are not enough to convince you that Lake Carolina in Columbia, SC is a great place to live, then check out the town center. Located partially in Harborside and across the street near the entrance, the town center itself has a little bit of everything as well. There are restaurants, shops, stores, and even a dentistry office.

  Homes here can run from the low 100's up to a 1.5 million dollar mansion currently available on the lake in the Peninsula. So whether you are looking for a lot to build your dream home, looking to move up, move down, find your first home, or just make a move to Northeast Columbia I suggest you take a look at Lake Carolina. You may find just what you are looking for in a home. You can even buy a building in the town center and live in the loft above it. It could be a true live, work, and play atmosphere.

 www.jlboney.com

 There's a lot of buyers and sellers these days that do their research online. It's hard to say that I blame them, in fact, I think they should do just that. No matter what you intend to do research on, there is an abundance of information right at your fingertips and all you need is an Internet connection and the ability to type in Google. From there it's simply a matter of making a search and sifting through the results to find the best tips, advice, and information to aid you in the process of achieving your goal.

 These days with so many Realtors out there writing their own blogs and maintaining websites, real estate is no different. It can be an invaluable source to aid buyers in finding the right property and sellers with what to expect out of the process. All you have to do is search and read away and you will find tons of information on any and all facets of the real estate industry.

 Yes all the information you can possibly want. But how do you know what information is reliable and what information is a simple act of blowing smoke? How do you know that when an article is written about how the market works in California that it will work the same way in Columbia? How do you know that the advice is little more than just a theory and that it actually works out here in the real world?

 Well, the best way to know all of this is to consult a professional. While having the ability to research a topic is a great thing, it doesn't exactly replace the experience of a professional that really knows what works and what just made good reading material. It can't replace the ability to negotiate and the knowledge of contracts. It doesn't replace the knowledge of how to dodge landmines like appraisal values, loan approvals, and home inspections just to name a few. It can't replace a strong working relationship with other professionals who can make a transaction run smoothly and work out the bumps in the road that inevitably arise.

 Education in a phenomenal thing, and I would never stamp out anyones efforts to learn. However, reading up on how to do something and actually doing it are two different things. The Internet is by far the most powerful research and educational tool in existence, but it can't do the work for you. Who can though, your Realtor? And they can be quite an impressive educational tool themselves. So keep using the Internet and keep learning, but learn to use it as resource to improve a relationship with professionals rather than in an effort to replace them.

 www.jlboney.com

 In years past there have been changes made to the industry that have affected us all across the board. There is a new breed of Realtor in the mix and those of us who have managed to embrace change have managed to thrive in a changing market. Those of us who have held firm to the past are closer and closer to becoming a part of history along with that past they cling to so tightly.

 Your parents' Realtor put a home on the MLS and a sign in the yard. From there they would wait, knowing that buyers would have to come to them as they were the only people who knew what was for sale and how much they cost. They would wait for another Realtor to notice that home was for sale and bring them a contract. Then the home would be sold while they were just waiting.

 I on the other hand understand that waiting will get you nowhere. I do not have the luxury of a monopoly on the MLS as most of them are now available for the public to view. Buyers are rarely going to walk through the door of a real estate office and ask for help. Therefore, today Realtors like myself have to market a property, be creative, and get out there and find a buyer for our listings. Advertise to both buyers and other Realtors and reach the ultimate goal of another sold listing.

 Your parents' Realtor would throw an ad in the newspaper, knowing that people would read it. These days more people read their news online without ever going out and buying a newspaper. In fact with each passing day it seems that less and less people have any interest at all in the newspaper and thus it has become a colossal waste of time and money as far as advertising dallors are concerned.

 I on the other hand realize that all those people who left the newspaper, went to the Internet. In fact, more people than ever start online with their search for anything these days, and a new home is no different. Over 80% of home buyers start right there at home on their computer when they decide to research the market and see what's available for them. I understand how to reach them, if you need proof, you're reading this aren't you? There's your proof.

 Your parents' Realtor knew that people would remain loyal. By loyal I mean that people had no place else to go, so they would go back to the same place over and over again. They had to make no special effort to keep good customer relations, they could again sit back and wait.

 I on the other hand know that competition has completely reshaped the face of real estate as we know it. You no longer have to settle for going back to the same place time and time again. Your options are nearly limitless and you now have the ability to pick and choose exactly who you want to work with in any transaction. I want you to work with me, that's why I act like it when you do.

 Your parent's Realtor would never write a blog. Most of them would see it as a waste of time that's not worth their effort. They would do more important things like harass for sell by owners and pass out their business cards at the local feed and seed.

 I obviously write a blog and I understand the benefits of it. It allows me to reach a wide audience and inform people on a variety of topics. It also allows me to boost my search engine optimization and beef up my web presence as well as my website.

 Your parents' Realtor likely thought you need to be a hardcore salesman. Yes they were taught to constantly ask for the sale and go after business. They were taught to bull their way through a situation and be extremely persistent.

 I on the other hand know that marketing is the best way to get us where we need to be. I am much more into marketing than I am selling. Let's face it, if you prepare your home for sale, price it right, then market it right, then it will sell when the right person comes along. I see it as my job to protect my clients and get the right person into that home at the right time.

 No, I am not your parents' Realtor, but in the end, you are not your parents.

www.jlboney.com