Last year we did a feature on an adorable flower and gift shop in the Fort Mill area, known as "Crossings on Main." Unfortunately, when we redesigned our website we lost that article, but we've been able to find our notes and reconstruct the featured article and we'd like to share it with you. 

1. Can you tell me who owns Fort Mill Flowers & Gifts and a little background about the owner(s) and how they came to the decision to build a flower and gift shop?

I am the owner, Cathie Smith, but it hasn't always been that way.  My mother in law, Gail Lavender, and I opened "Crossings" 25 years ago. My husband's family has been in Fort Mill since he was in elementary school and I loved the town so setting up a business here in the historic downtown seemed natural. 

Things started to fall into place when Jerry Lavender, Gail’s husband, owned this adorable building on the bottom of Main Street that became open.  I was a stay at home mom at the time and was looking for something to do, so we decided to open a little store and sell antiques. That was the beginning of great things! We needed accessories and gifts which led to going to The Atlanta Gift Market (which is overwhelming especially for first-timers!) We painted the walls, brought in antiques for displays and even bought a monogram machine.  After a few years, I decided to stay home full time with my two girls and Gail kept the business going for 20 years!  When Gail retired I decided to keep the store open with the promise of help from my husband, Chip Smith.

2. Where did the name, Fort Mill Flowers & Gifts come from?

The name comes from our proximity to the railroad track, which runs through the center of town.  Some days we get 5-6 trains going by, blowing their horns so loud you have to cover your ears!  One day we saw the Barnum and Bailey circus train go by on their last performance tour. 

3. Has Fort Mill been open and welcoming to your new business?

The growth of the business was steady for the first 20 years.  Some years were better than others and I credit Gail with great perseverance for staying open during the recession.  Businesses have had a hard time staying open on Main Street but finally, we are seeing some real growth and that is exciting.  The restaurants and bars have brought life back to our town.  It is now a destination spot.  I think people want what we have to offer and more is on the way!  We could not stay in business if customers didn't choose to come here for dining and shopping and for that I am so grateful. 

4. Do you plan on expanding either in your current building or to other future stores?

I am constantly changing our inventory and displays.  There is always something new and fresh to see.  The thing I love to hear from our customers is that they find inspiration and happiness inside our doors.  That is my goal, to create beauty and offer items that bring customers joy to give or receive.  I don't have any plans to open another store because this one takes all my time, but you never know!  I couldn't run this place alone, I have a wonderful store manager, Keith Suttles, and 2 very loyal employees who treat Crossings as their own.  My husband, Chip handles the accounting and advertising.

Thank you so much to Cathie for the time she took in answering our questions. I hope you will take the time to visit their shop and tell them that the Linda Hall Team sent you. It is definitely a Fort Mill Treasure!!

The Linda Hall Team would like to share 7 Local Tega Cay - Fort Mill area Upcoming Halloween Related Events. So grab your calendars and start making your plans and if you know of an event in the area that we neglected, please contact us so we can add it to the list. 

Haunted Ball – Annual Halloween Celebration

Date: October 18, 2019, from 7 PM to 10 PM

Location: Dance Center USA, 855 Gold Hill Road, Fort Mill, SC

Description: Great evening in an elegant Halloween atmosphere.
Enjoy the open wine bar, canape buffet, social dancing, and exciting entertainment by Dance Center USA professionals.

The party will start with a Fun Group Dance Class at 7 PM.
Dance Class 7-8 PM: $15
Party Admission 8-10 PM: $15
Entire Experience of Dance Class & Party 7-10 PM: $25

Attire: Theme Costume / Smart Casual

Tega Cay Fall Festival Featuring the Big Bamboo Band

Date: October 26^th, 2019, from 11 AM to 5 PM

Location: Philip T. Glennon Community Center, 15083 Molokai Drive, Tega Cay, SC

Description: The Fall Festival, traditionally held at the end of October, offers a little bit of something for everyone. The event features arts & crafts, businesses and food/beverage vendors. The day is filled with local entertainment hitting the stage along with the very popular kid zones. The day would not be complete without the Children's Halloween Costume Contest and the Hula Hoop Contest for all ages. 

Macaroni Kid Fort Mill - Tega Cay - Rock Hill Trunk or Treat & Family Fun Fest

Date: October 26, 2019, from 5 PM to 7 PM

Location: Fort Mill at Baxter Branch YMCA, 857 Promenade Walk, Fort Mill, SC 29708

Description: Come enjoy this FREE family-friendly "Trunk or Treating", pumpkin painting, bounce houses and more! 

Three's A Crowd Halloween Improv Show

Date: October 26, 2019, from 8 PM to 9:47 PM

Location: Fort Mill Community Playhouse, 220 Main Street, Fort Mill, SC 29715

Description: The group consists of a three-person team called Three’s a Crowd which includes Paul Marks, Tim Counts, and Mel Ratliff and all together they make ‘Three’s a Crowd’ very successful. Come see why this has been a sold-out show for the past 2 years! 

Philadelphia UMC – Trunk R Treat

Date: October 27, 2019, starting at 5 PM to 6:30 PM

Location: Philadelphia UMC – 1691 Highway 160 W, Fort Mill, SC

Description: The Children’s and Family Ministries of Philadelphia Church will host a Trunk R Treat event for the church and community on Sunday, October 27th from 5:00-6:30 pm. Children are invited to come to the church in their Halloween costume and take candy from the differently decorated trunks. Hot dogs and drinks are free. 

Halloween Kids’ Trick or Treat!

Date: October 31, 2019, from 8 AM to 4 PM

Location: 982 N. Anderson Road, Rock Hill, SC

Description: Bring the kids by your Rock Hill Southern States on Halloween to trick or treat up and down our aisles for festive candy goodies! 

Historic Tega Cay Halloween

Date: October 31, 2019, from 6 PM

Location: Runde Park, 5110 Windward Drive, Tega Cay, SC

Description: Details will be provided closer to the event.

Let's dive even deeper than this. Let's begin by looking at a year over year comparison of specific real estate data that will help us understand what our local markets are doing compared to the rest of the country. 

AUGUST New Listings:

We start by looking at the NEW LISTINGS that came on the market in August and we begin with 2017, where we see there were 469 NEW LISTINGS that came on the market. In August of 2018, we find an increase of +10.9 percent with 520 NEW LISTINGS. The following year in August of 2019, we decreased by -1.3 percent with 513 NEW LISTINGS. 

AUGUST Homes for Sale:

We again, start by looking at August of 2017, where we see there were 993 HOMES FOR SALE. In August of 2018, we find an increase of +3.0 percent with 1,023 HOMES FOR SALE. The following year in August of 2019, we decreased by -12.4 percent with only 896 HOMES FOR SALE. 

AUGUST Pending Sales:

Let's view August of 2017, where we see there were 368 PENDING SALES. In August of 2018, we increased by +11.7 percent with 411 PENDING SALES. The following year in August of 2019, we increased by +13.9 percent with 468 PENDING SALES. 

AUGUST Median Days on Market:

Let's view August of 2017, where we see there were 14 MEDIAN DAYS ON MARKET. In August of 2018, we stayed the same with 14 MEDIAN DAYS ON MARKET. The following year in August of  2019, we increased by +35.7 percent to 19 MEDIAN DAYS ON MARKET. 

AUGUST Months Supply of Homes for Sale:

In August of 2017, the MONTHS SUPPLY OF HOMES FOR SALE was 3.0. In August of 2018, we slightly decreased by -3.3 percent to 2.9 MONTHS SUPPLY OF HOMES FOR SALE. The following year in August of 2019, we decreased by -17.2 percent to 2.4 MONTHS SUPPLY OF HOMES FOR SALE. 

So there is your comprehensive LOCAL look at the real estate market. If you are thinking about purchasing a home, please reach out to the Linda Hall Team. We'd love to assist you!!

#1. The Fort Mill School District Has 17 School Sites With 3 More Coming Soon!

There are nine Elementary Schools, five Middle Schools, and three High Schools. Two more Elementary Schools will be opening in the Fall of 2020 and one more Middle School is scheduled to open the Fall of 2021!

#2. The Fort Mill School District Students Lead The Way When It Comes To Testing Performance!

The Fort Mill School district outperforms not only at the State level but also nationally. For ACT’S FMSD students score 21.1 where at the State level it is 18.3, and Nationally it is 20.9. Wow! The SAT’s are similar where FMSD students score 1143, and at the State level it is 1064, and Nationally it is 1049! The AP Exams scores are 85 percent for FMSD students, and the State level is 58 percent, and Nationally, it is 57 percent! Are you impressed yet? We are!!

#3. The Fort Mill School District’s Graduation Rate is above the State AND National Rates!

More good news!! The Fort Mill School District Students graduation rates from 2016 were 94 percent, and in 2017 it was 94.1 percent, and in 2018 it was 94.4 percent! While the National and State level for graduation hovers in the 80 plus percent range. That’s quite a difference!

#4. Many Fort Mill School District Students Continue Their Education After Graduation!

87.2 percent of FMSD students continue forward to either a 2-year, 4-year or technical school post-graduation.

#5. The 2018 senior classes of Fort Mill and Nation Ford high schools earned a total of $31 million in scholarships!

This news is a fantastic statement that the students are high achievers. 31 Million in scholarships were handed out in 2018!!

So now you know five facts about the Fort Mill School District that you may not have known about previously and you know why this district is growing by leaps and bounds. The Linda Hall Team has personally helped many of their clients buy homes within the boundaries of this fantastic school district for a good reason! If you’d like to look at homes in the Fort Mill School District, please let us know!

National Dog Day is the perfect excuse for the Linda Hall Team to share their love of dogs with YOU!! Not only do we love our dogs, but we participate in helping save dogs' lives as well. Sabine Hammerman is heavily involved in rescue.  She volunteers for the Humane Society of York County and works with other local and northern rescues to save dogs from the various County Animal Shelters in our area. If you need a furry friend to make your new home complete, please ask her!

Linda Hall can't imagine her life without her furry companions and is specifically drawn to the goldens. Right now she and her husband are raising Molly and they are both very much in love with her. 

Sabine Hammermann and her husband, Rene Lurion, have 3 dogs!! They have Hudson, Natasha, and Lucky. Their hands AND hearts are full!

Caroline McCarthy has an adorable dog who goes by the name of Lucy. Small, but mighty!

Sarah Cole has rescued several dogs and right now has an Australian Sheppard mix, Matilda, and a Bernese Mountain Dog, Charlie (and a cat, Riley.) 

Let's dive even deeper than this. Let's begin by looking at a year over year comparison of specific real estate data that will help us understand what our local markets are doing compared to the rest of the country. 

JULY New Listings:

We start by looking at the NEW LISTINGS that came on the market in July and we begin with 2017, where we see there were 465 NEW LISTINGS that came on the market. In July of 2018, we find an increase of +9.5 percent with 509 NEW LISTINGS. The following year in July of 2019, we decreased by -0.4 percent with 507 NEW LISTINGS. 

JULY Homes for Sale:

We again, start by looking at July of 2017, where we see there were 992 HOMES FOR SALE. In July of 2018, we find an increase of +1.7 percent with 1,009 HOMES FOR SALE. The following year in July of 2019, we decreased by -8.6 percent with only 922 HOMES FOR SALE. 

JULY Pending Sales:

Let's view July of 2017, where we see there were 356 PENDING SALES. In July of 2018, we increased by +18.3 percent with 421 PENDING SALES. The following year in July of 2019, we increased by +11.4 percent with 469 PENDING SALES. 

JULY Median Days on Market:

Let's view July of 2017, where we see there were 14 MEDIAN DAYS ON MARKET. In July of 2018, we decreased by -7.1 percent with 13 MEDIAN DAYS ON MARKET. The following year in July of 2019, we increased by +46.2 percent to 19 MEDIAN DAYS ON MARKET. 

JULY Months Supply of Homes for Sale:

In July of 2017, the MONTHS SUPPLY OF HOMES FOR SALE was 3.0. In July of 2018, we slightly decreased by -3.3 percent to 2.9 MONTHS SUPPLY OF HOMES FOR SALE. The following year in July of 2019, we decreased by -17.2 percent to 2.4 MONTHS SUPPLY OF HOMES FOR SALE. 

So there is your comprehensive LOCAL look at the real estate market. If you are thinking about purchasing a home, please reach out to the Linda Hall Team. We'd love to assist you!!

Investment properties used to be homes and multi-family properties used for full-time rentals. Over the past decade, we’ve seen a new crop of investment properties emerge, the short term rentals. But what’s involved in owning a vacation rental? Is it worth the work?

A short term rental is a great investment for a number of reasons. In addition to creating annual income for the investor, the property could also appreciate in value during the time of ownership. Although the short term rental is still a rental property, it often pencils out to much higher income than a traditional long term lease does.

Vacation Rentals might seem like a great deal of work, and they can be. The first choice a vacation rental owner will need to make is whether they would like to self-manage or hire a property management company. Many short term rentals are managed by a professional property manager that specializes in the short term market. These managers have people on call to help with arrival, departure, cleaning, repairs and rent collections. While they do charge for their services, a professionally managed vacation rental can provide a nice income stream by building positive reviews.

Of course, there are downsides to owning this kind of investment. It’s important to choose the right location to ensure a steady stream of renters. Additionally, one must budget for unexpected repairs or damage. With the deposit being made with a credit card, it can be difficult to collect for damage done to the home.

The Internet has been instrumental in the new vacation economy as peer-to-peer platforms like Airbnb, VRBO and HomeAway offer visitors the ability to interact directly with the owner. By reducing the advertising costs, investor-owners, can negotiate directly with potential renters and screen them to prevent possible problems. It is definitely a subject worth exploring. 

Home sellers and listing agents across the country spend a great deal of time and energy trying to determine what home buyers want. They pour over magazines and read blogs to learn what is the #1 feature they can add or enhance to ensure home buyers find their home irresistible.

The National Association of Home Builders’ released a 2019 home trend and buyer preferences report which cited a surprising and very practical answer – laundry rooms. In the report, 91% of those surveyed stated that having a separate laundry room was essential in their new home.

The association surveyed over 4000 home buyers and asked about features which ranged from outdoor kitchens to master suites and spa-style baths. While these features were well received, the overwhelming response to what was most important in the home design is the laundry room.

Laundry rooms have become so popular, that home builders are finding ways to increase their size and utility in home developments. Homebuyers stated that homes with laundry chutes which lead to the room were their idea of the perfect home. These home buyers were willing to forgo trendier amenities like wine cellars, dog runs, and outdoor fireplaces in order to hide piles of dirty laundry.

Homebuyers can be finicky and mysterious to home sellers and their agents. What this trend demonstrates is that staying with home features which provide convenience and ease of use is more important to home buyers than fancy features and expensive upgrades.

Hunting for a new home online a is a great place to start your search but keep in mind that you don’t see everything. Real estate agents are great at highlighting the features of a house listing online but to make the most of your time, keep these three things in mind:

Identify your Housing Needs

Preferences are important when house searching. A house may not have everything you want but it will have most of the things. Be realistic about pricing and keep in mind the must-have items that will definitely be needed because this will help narrow your search.

Stay up to Date

When you start your search, make sure you go to sites with up-to-date listings directly from the multiple listing service. Realtors post their most current homes for sale through this. Many sites fail to remove listings that are already off the market, and this can lead to you trying to sort through them and find the recent ones.

Pictures can be Deceiving

Photographers capture listings at their best. They use different strategies and tools to boost the appeal of the home like creative editing and expensive camera equipment known for its effects. What they don’t show is unappealing parts, like an undone bathroom or small closet.

Go See The Listing After

After you have chosen a house that’s appealing to you, schedule a showing with your real estate agent. This is the opportunity to see every part of the house in person and see if it’s a good fit. 

Searching online is a great way to learn more about the house you’re looking for. Even if you’re still unsure about moving, house hunting online gives potential sellers the basic information

A lot of money goes into buying a new house so it is understandable if a seller feels hesitant investing even more money to fix up their current house prior to selling. However, sellers may not realize that some of the issues they live with every day and consider minor, such as the hallway light switch or the kitchen sink that has plumbing issues, may actually be considered major to home buyers. These issues may even prevent buyers from making an offer on a home or making a lower offer. It’s crucial to keep your house presentable and in good shape before you list it on the market. That being said, read on to find out what repairs you might want to consider before you list on your house on the market.

Roof Problems

A roof is one of the most important components of a home, protecting all that is underneath. Additionally, roofs are major expenses to replace. Therefore, it is imperative to keep the roof well maintained and free of damage and leaks. Issues like water and sun damage, clogged gutters, and rotting will lead to bigger issues if not fixed timely. Tending to these items immediately will help prevent further damage and help present the home well.

Poor Maintenance

Minor issues such as damaged flooring, paint chipping, and old carpeting can be easily fixed to give your home a renovation. Your goal is to make your home appealing so start by replacing anything that is heavily worn and adding a fresh coat of paint. And these minor upgrades can be inexpensive because you’ll most likely see a return on investment.

Plumbing

Plumbing problems can result in minor or major issues and it is very important to take care of these issues right away as they can lead to further problems. Bigger problems such as water damage can lead to mold and easy fixes to leaky faucets can be replaced inexpensively.

Wiring

Electrical problems can cause a wide variety of problems. Smaller fixes such as faulty switches, missing wire nuts, or damaged junction boxes can be fixed with a good electrician. Replacing a circuit breaker might be needed if they don’t match the amperage of your home. Some repairs are obvious to see and others aren’t so it’s a good idea to run a pre-inspection of your house before listing. After, review it with your realtor because they can advise on which ones are the first priority.