Simpsonville City Council will vote at the August City council meeting weather or not the November 4th ballor should include the right to sell alcohol on Sundays. There will be public hearings for business owners and residents to voice their opinion. Several other cities are looking to add alcohol sales to their area, so Simpsonville doesn't want to lose business to surrounding area. Right now Greenville City is the only city that allows alcohol sales on Sunday. There are several areas that are under commercial development and the approval of alcohol sales could help attract major restaurant chains. The public hearing will be on August 12th at 6:30pm before the council votes for the first of two possible readings on the issue. The Referendum items mus be approved for the ballot 60 days ... 08/02/2008

It's official.  I have become the BIC for Keller Williams Realty Greenville Central! *TRUMPET FANFARE*  The crowds part, doves fly through the air, people laud my name, and a beam of sunlight settles down upon my golden swivel chair. Well... perhaps not.  Three days ago I was given the honor of being made broker-in-charge, and I instantly felt the weight of the responsibility.  This is a humbling position.  Consider the fact that I am now responsible (legally) for the actions of 96 agents.  If one of them makes an error, I'm the one who's on the line.  I have to make sure that agents comply with the law, the NAR code of ethics, and our own office policy. As BIC for the office, I'm re-dedicating myself to serving the agents, and helping them to succeed in their dreams and goals.  Our off... 07/31/2008

Did you know that the cities of Simpsonville ranked among the top in the state in growing populations, according to the U.S. Census 2007 estimates. Simpsonivlle is ranked number one in Greenville County for growth and is number 12 in the state. Growth for Simpsonville was up 4.7% in one year from July 2006-July 2007. Adding close to 700 people in one year! In 8 years Simpsonville added 3,000 plus residents that is a 14% growth rate. The Simpsonville City Administrator Russell Hawes says that the growth rate is actually higher since what I have mentioned above are census figures and they usually do lag behind the city's actual totals. So why is it growing? Well that is because we are right outside Greenville. We have easy access to I-385 to get to Greenville and to I-85 to travel to Atla... 07/29/2008

Just another reason that the Upstate is a great place to be. Easley South Carolina held the Big League World Series. Players from around the globe traveled here to play. It started last week with a Fun Fest which featured a home-run derby and a free concert. People traveled from Louisiana, Michigan, California, Puerto Rico, Canada, Germany and the Mariana Islands. Games are on going right now and finish up August 2nd. So if you and your family want to catch a baseball game what a great place to check one out. http://www.bigleagueworldseries.org/       07/29/2008

On July 25th the world lost a wonderful soul. While this isn't a man that I personally met nor did I know. I am sure most of you by know have heard of "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch. But how many of you have taken the hour and sixteen minutes to listen to this truly amazing talk. While he was a computer science teacher, this talk will cross all boundaries not matter your profession. I have now listened to this 10 times and it moves me every time I hear it. So here is how I use this in my day to day life in the real estate world: - Decide if you are a Tigger or an Eeyore. Everyday in this market there is more bad news. Interest rates are going up, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are in trouble, you have to tell people their house isn't worth what they owe. That can be the perfect time for... 07/26/2008

Real estate investors seeking property in Simpsonville, SC are encouraged to give us a call! Whether you are seeking a quality Realtor to work with, an investment partner, foreclosures, multi-family units or if you'd just like to chat and learn more about Simpsonville, Van West Enterprises, LLC will be happy to help you! Whether you are looking to flip a property or buy and hold, we'd love to speak with you about your objectives. Speak with Van West Enterprises, LLC for all of your real estate investment property needs in Simpsonville, SC! Call or email us today! 07/26/2008

My wife and I took our four boys out tonight to our favorite local coffee shop, Barefoot Annie's. What a great way to hang out with my wife and sons and enjoy some local ambiance and free entertainment! They had an acoustic guitar player on their small stage, singing some great tunes. We enjoyed peach cobbler and cherry cobbler pie with vanilla ice cream and some coffee. My kids had ice water and cinnamon buns. Barefoot Annie's is on Main St., in downtown Simpsonville. I highly recommend it if you get a chance to visit. Thanks to my Keller William's colleague, Michael Carter, and his wife, Annie, for making such a pleasant contribution to our local community with their wonderful coffee shop! 07/25/2008

Relocating to a new city can often be incredibly stressful for you and your family. It certainly was stressful for me and my family when we moved from Irvine, CA to Greenville, SC. If you are in the process of relocating to Simpsonville, SC, I can help reduce the stress involved in your move to our beautiful part of the country. I make it my #1 goal to listen to my client's needs. I work diligently to help you find the perfect house for you and your family, while paying attention to related variables such as price points, neighborhoods, subdivision amenities, property taxes, rates of appreciation, deed restrictions, location and proximity to shopping, schools and freeways. I'm a strong advocate for and negotiator for my clients. Your family can rely on me to serve your needs and represe... 07/25/2008

I love keeping up with all that is going on in the area and making sure it is available for you guys. So without further ado: If you are looking for something to do and love music. Well if you haven't gone yet, here is the perfect time to check out the Handlebar! July 24 Teddy Geigerw/ Hilary McRae & Scott Harris Project Pop-film star returns show starts at 8:30p  and is only $16/person July 25 Frontiers: Journey Tribute Jeremey Hunsicker: a Steve Perry clone show starts at 9p and you will only shell out $14/ person July 26 SC Music Awards Niche Magazine celebrates 1st year show starts at 8p cost: $13 July 28 MONDAY MOVIE MANIA (Trivia and Grillin', too!) 6:30pm. What more could you ask for on a Monday evening after work. Movie and Trivia! July 29 Hawthorne Heights & Armor For Sleep Pow... 07/24/2008

We have all seen them as we are surfing the world wide web, click here for your free credit report. Then you do and you have to enter a credit card number to get the "free" report. Then if you don't cancel the credit monitoring service, then you are charge $14.99 a month. So that free report just cost you $164.89 for a year if you cancel after a year. The second year you are looking at $179.88....that could add up if you over look the fee on your statements. Well did you know that consumers are entitled by law to a free credit report once a year from each of the major credit reporting bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. You can get this report for www.annualcreditreport.com I don't work for any of these companies. I am not selling credit reports, just want you guys to know that y... 07/24/2008

I have a passion for photography. I love it!!! So the other day I went over to the Cotton Mills in Simpsonville to take some photos for fun. As I was there I was thinking how cool it would be to know the stories of what  went on there. Can you imagine what the brick has seen while sitting there? For those of you who aren't familiar with the area and the Mills revitalization here is the story. We have a lot of empty mills in South Carolina that were once textile mills. At one point, that was the industry of the area. Those mills haves since shut down, but what to do with the buildings? Well they are taking the wonderful brick buildings with exposed beams, large windows, wood flooring and turning them into lofts. They are beautiful and during the restoration, they are trying to keep as mu... 07/23/2008

New Urbanism is just starting in the Greenville area, but I know that this is going on all over the country. The return to the layout of small towns and villages of America or traditional neighborhoods. So basically cookie cutters are out and villages return. They are even getting schools closer to the neighborhood so kids can walk to school, shopping, local markets, coffee shops and everything right at your finger tips. So we are returning to the time of neighbors knowing one another. Smaller lots. Walking the kids to school, grabbing last minute items for dinner that night at the corner market. So in the Greenville area, we now have Hollingsworth Park, Griffin Park and Acadia that are taking shape to be new urbanized...i guess that would be the correct use of the word. So I ask out th... 07/23/2008

Kids are about to head back to school, but you need a few things to do with them before hand. Well here are a few things to consider in the month of August. July 24-27 The South Carolina Yippy Yi Yea Horse Show in Pendleton www.clemson.edu/garrison August 1,8, 15, & 22 Creek Ranger Hikes for Families in Paris Mountain State Park www.southcarolinaparks.com August 1,8,15,22 & 29 Main Street Jazz at the Hyatt Regency www.mainstreetevents.com August 6, 13, 20 & 27 Reedy River Nighttime Concert Series at the Peace Center's DowBrands Amphitheater www.greatergreenville.com August 7, 14, 21 & 28 Downtown Alive at the Hyatt Regency www.mainstreetevents.com August 7, 14, 21 & 28 Downtown Sounds at the Anderson County Courthouse Plaza www.mainstreetevents.com August 7, 14, 21 & 28 Larkin's on the ... 07/23/2008

On the local news the other day there was a story talking about using water for gas. Before I talk about what this is, I just have to say the new story was funny because it was talking about a local police department using it to test it out. They show a normal looking Ford Explorer, but the funniest part of all is that they actually say, "it looks like a normal SUV, but it is an undercover vehicle." Well not any more it isn't! See story. Ok so back to the story at hand. The is a devise that you can purchase that you put water in and while your car runs, it infuses Hydrogen and Oxygen. It is suppose to give you better gas mileage. It doesn't replace your gas, but just enhances your gas. The town got 6 to 8 miles more per gallon. There is also a system that you can use vegetable oil to in... 07/18/2008

You always here about the bad news on from the media, so I thought I would spread some of the good around! Did you know that Greenville County had one of the lowest rates of unemployment in the state. Figures were released in May and show that the unemployment dropped from 5.2% to 4.9% There are only 2 other counties with lower unemployment then that in South Carolina and those are Beaufort and Lexington, but it is only 4.3% and not really that much lower then ours. We are actually lower then the national unemployment rate which is 5.0%. By the way that also went down from 5.5% to the 5.0% reported in May. So way to go Greenville County. That just goes to show that the powers that be work really hard to make sure that Greenville County has all that it can offer! 07/18/2008

You never stop to think that people visit your town as a tourist, but they do! So what do they do when they visit or what would be considered the "taste of Greenville"?  Greenville County Museum of Art Kilgore-Lewis House A great historic built in 1838 and is know for it's gardens. Check it out. Stax's Original Restaurant MMMMM..can't say much more about it but that! Westin Poinsett Hotel This is a really nice hotel with alot of character so check it out when you are here. Plus it is in the middle of downtown and close to everything! These are just a few fun things to see and do while you are here. I hope you find many more! 07/18/2008

No I am not talking about home that can become a zoo. I mean have you been to the Greenville Zoo lately? They have great membership packages and with that membership, you get free admission or a discount to over 130 other great zoo's across the country. The family membership is only $49.00 and includes mom and dad and children under 18 plus 6 guest tickets per year! With that you get free admission to special events in the zoo. The Zoo is 10 acres and it typically takes an hour to an hour and a half to go through. Plus there are 2 playgrounds adjacent to the zoo so you can pack a picnic and make a day of it. So this summer when the kids are telling you they are board and you need something to do for a few hours...check out the zoo. 07/15/2008

Totally out of the box, but I only wanted to post this to encourage those who are a little afraid of new things. I read a story about the world's oldest blogger and she was 108. She only started blogging a year ago at the ripe age of 107. She talked about her life basically told her story. It was said that it kept her mind fresh and that she loved it. She did have someone post the blog for her or "blob" as she called it. She passed away this weekend, but she did get her story out to the world. So see you can learn something new at any age. So learn from her and get to blogging no matter how afraid you are of it! Her Blog: www.allaboutolive.com.au You Tube Videos: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Olive+riley&search_type=&aq=f   07/14/2008

Did you know that Hootie & the Blowfish are starting a Homegrown Concert Series? The reason is to improve the life of the local area and those in need. Greenville County schools will reap the benefits of the series! They are asking concert goers to bring school supplies to donate to Greenville County schools. So on July 31st, get your $34 out go to the Bi-Lo Center, see Hootie & the Blowfish and help local children and will be given to schools who need it the most. Way to go to a local celbrity. Thanks for remembering where you came from! Purchase Tickets Here  (Sorry if it is an advertisement, but it is for a great cause!) 07/07/2008

Greenville has done it again....attract people to our area. This weekend the Honda Wing Ding Event is goint on. July 3 through 6th. There are reported to be some 10,000 Gold Wings coming to the Greenville area. The Caolina First Center will have vendors, food and fun. It is fun to see all the bikes on the road being a rider myself. Who knows maybe we will have a Harley bike week before long. It is great to see more people enjoying the Greenville Area. So welcome Wing Dingers; I hope you enjoy the Greenville area and come back time and time again!   07/05/2008