Financing
Closing Attorneys
Home Inspections
Home Warranties
Schools
Utility Providers
Termite Inspections
Local Government
Tax CalculatorsThe quality of service Pratt & Co. offers comes from our local, experienced, and passionate agents. We know the Lowcountry by heart, and we've dedicated the past 59 years to ensure every measure is taken to find our clients the property that best meets their needs and desires.
Financing
It's not often buyers have a suitcase full of cash at purchase time. Researching and securing the mortgage best suited to your needs, and the property type you are purchasing is your first step in buying Real Estate. You’ll want to ask a mortgage professional for help in selecting what best suits your needs. With multiple experienced lenders in the area, you'll have plenty of financing options to pick from. Here are some mortgage professionals we’ve worked with in the past. Contact a few and get your mortgage pre-qualification started today!
Closing Attorneys
In South Carolina, attorneys are tasked with closing Real Estate transactions. Not only will your Closing Attorney prepare the paperwork you sign at closing (such as the Deed, Closing or HUD Statement, Mortgage, and Disclosures), they also perform a title search on the property you are purchasing. Your Closing Attorney will handle most aspects of your closing, once you have gone under contract with a Seller on a property. Buyer’s should expect to pay certain fees associated with the closing, which will be disclosed by both your Lender and your Closing Attorney. There are many qualified Closing Attorneys in the Tri County area, however here are a few experienced attorneys that we’ve worked with here at Pratt & Co.
Home Inspections
Your home is your single largest investment, and you want to ensure you’re getting what you expect when you purchase. Using a professional, qualified Home Inspector is of tremendous importance and value in determining what repairs, if any, are needed to your new home. Pratt & Co., Inc. has worked with a number of different Home Inspectors, and we’d like to share a few for your convenience.
Home Warranties
Home Warranties can be a great way to give you a little extra reassurance when purchasing your new home. There are many types of Home Warranties covering systems, appliances and other large items in your home. Many times, it is negotiated in the Purchase Agreement as to which party (the Buyer or the Seller) will pay for, and order a Home Warranty.
Schools
When looking for your new home, we at Pratt & Co. understand that the schools you select for your children are the highest priority in your home search. The Tri-County area has four School Districts, each unique in their own ways. Here are the websites and contact information for each of the School Districts, which we hope you will find to be helpful in your research.
Utility Providers
Determining your new utility costs and learning who your new providers are can be time-consuming. We’d like to take some of the frustration out of your overall Buying process, so we’ve provided a full listing of the area’s utility providers here.
Termite Inspections
(CL 100)
In addition to protecting your home from termites and the severe damage they can cause, most loan programs will require that your new home pass a Termite Inspection (also referred to as a CL-100 report). Termite Inspectors are licensed to perform an assessment of not only active, but inactive termite activity, and damages at a home. They also assess the moisture levels in crawl space areas of homes to help eliminate the possibility of damage. It is typically negotiated in the Purchase Agreement as to which party (the Buyer or the Seller) will pay for, and order the Termite Letter.
Local Government
Need more information on your Town, City or County? You can get in touch with local municipalities to get more details about what's in your area.
█ = Berkeley
█ = Charleston
█ = Dorchester
Due Diligence & Inspection Periods
Following are some items that you may wish to inspect or investigate further as part of your due diligence with your real estate purchase. This is not a complete or exhaustive list, but just some items of note accumulated through experience with other clients.
- Home Inspection
- Square footage of house
- Lot size or acreage
- CL-100 / Termite Bond
- Survey
- Home Owner’s Insurance
- Flood Zone / Insurance determination
- Neighborhood Covenants and Restrictions, By-laws, HOA
- HOA fees, capital contribution and/or transfer fees
- Golf Course, Club or other third party operations & amenities
- Schools
- Crime/Sex Offender Registry
- Utility costs
- Surrounding area – airports, planes or train noise, towers, utilities, vacant land, zoning, roads, planning
Additionally, for Condominiums and Townhomes
- Is the property part of a Horizontal Property Regime (Regime)
- Review HPR Master Deed
- Regime / POA – Rules, Regulations or Bylaws
- What does monthly regime fee include?
- Is there a separate HOA fee in addition to the regime fee?
- Are there any outstanding, announced, or proposed assessments?
- Is there any proposed or outstanding litigation?
- Home Owner’s Insurance – HOA policy?