West Columbia NEW Home Community: Parrish Plantation

NEW Homes, GREAT deals in Parrish Plantation
West Columbia, SC

Ready for a NEW home at a GREAT price in 2011?  Call Mel Coker, your Greater Columbia new home relocation specialist.  Call Mel at (803) 318-2007.



4 BR; over 4000 square feet; priced at $254,900

 This new home, built by D.R. Horton, is the Murray III-F model with 4200 square feet.  The home features a spacious kitchen with maple cabinets, 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths and a bonus room makes up the entire third floor.  All of this on a nice sized lot for only $254,900.  This home has been reduced over $41,000 for a quick sale.

Parrish Plantation is located in the West Columbia area between off U.S. Highway 1 and between Interstates 26 and 20.   It's conveniently located to Columbia Metropolitan Airport, downtown Columbia, Lexington Medical Center and even Fort Jackson is an easy drive by Interstates 26 and 77.   Parrish Plantation has a nice community pool overlooking a pond and a low annual HOA fee.

SPECIAL:  Call Mel Coker for FREE buyer representation and Buy a NEW home with Mel Coker as your buyer's agent, close by March 31, 2011 and receive a $500 Lowe's Gift Card at closing.

To buy this home or any other NEW home in the Greater Columbia area, call Mel Coker now.

Mel Coker
Columbia, SC Realtor
RE/MAX Metro Associates
(803) 388-8011
email  |  Internet

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from Columbia, SC!

In the Christmas spirit today, I've written HTML for a new webpage: Christmas in Columbia, SC.  Check it out when you have a chance.
 

Christmas in Columbia, SC webpage

I hope you and your family have a safe and Merry Christmas.

Kelly, Barbara & Mel Coker

Mel Coker
RE/MAX Metro Associates

Call Mel Coker to BUY your home in 2011:  (803) 388-8011

High Electric Bills? Part 2 of 3

High Electric Bills This Winter?
3 Simple Steps to Lower Utility Bills

#1 - Insulate Interior Outside Wall electrical outlets and light switches
Read Part 1 in my series to see my motiviation for Step 1
I bought Duck outlet and switch plate foam covers from Amazon.   For maximum safety, turn off power at the breaker box.   Put the foam insulation pad behind the plate on all outside wall outlet boxes and switch plates.   One online resource mentioned also putting these foam covers outside on exterior electrical outlet boxes.   This is an EASY and INEXPENSIVE way to save on the cost of energy.

Duck Brand 1285359 Socket Sealers Variety Pack, 18 Outlet Sealers and 6 Switch Plates, White

I added socket sealers to all exterior walls

#2 - Replace those old fashioned incandescent light bulbs with CFLs
These bulbs have come down significantly in cost; last longer and use less wattage for comparable light.  So, you save money in several ways.   I recommend buying quality CFLs with the Energy Star rating.  For a 60 watt incandescent bulb, you can replace this with a 13 watt compact fluorescent light (CFL).   Do 20 of these in a home (I changed 52 in my home), and you've gone from 1200 watts to 260 watts.  They also burn much cooler (saving money in summertime cooling costs).
View Mel Coker's CFL web page

GE 13-Watt Energy SmartTM - 8 Pack - 60 watt replacement

I changed out 52 bulbs!

#3 - Change Your Heating/Cooling HVAC filters regularly
This is another important and easy step.  I change my two HVAC filters quarterly with premium electrostatic air filters from NordicPure.  Clean filters protect your inside living environment and your HVAC equipment.   They also allow your system to not run as much or long thereby SAVING ENERGY!
View Mel Coker's Clean Air web page
buy quality NordicPure HVAC 12 MERV electrostatic air filters directly from the manufacturer

Change HVAC filters regularly!

Of course, even bigger savings can accrue from cutting back on those appliances that really eat up electricity:  home heating/cooling heat pumps; water heaters; and dryers.

Mel Coker
RE/MAX Metro Associates

High Electric Bills? Part 1 of 3

High Electric Bills This Winter?  Analyze Your Electric/Gas Bills!
Recently on a very cold night, I was working in my walkout basement and went to plug in a laptop on an interior outside wall electrical outlet. I was amazed at the amount of cold air coming in through the receptacle.  I have lived in the home for 8 years and never noticed this previously. This particular night, the outside temperature was about 20 degrees. On the other side of this exterior wall is an unheated outside storage room.

I decided to take action! First, I decided to analyze my utility bills over the past 4 years.  A summary of my electric bill analysis follows (I am on Mid Carolina Co-op).   Over 3 years (2008-2010):

• My annual usage has increased only 1.62% per year.  From 2007-2009 annual usage remained fairly constant (actually slight decreases for 2 years).  There was a spike up in 2010 (11.75% increase) due to a malfunctioning HVAC system for about 2 months.
• The bad news:  cost per kilowatt hour has increased 6.52% per year over the past 3 years.   This compares to an annual increase in the Consumer Price Index of only 1.65% over the same period.
• My electric bill cost has increased 7.88% per year
• In 2007, my cost per KWH was 8.48 cents; in 2010 the cost was 10.21 cents.  The cost from 2009 to 2010 remained about constant, but watch out for coming increases (nuclear plant under construction).
• Good news about electric rates in South Carolina... we are below the national average!  For 2009, the national electric rate (cents per kilowatthour) was 11.58 cents; for my bills the average was 10.21 cents - that's 11.83% lower than the national average!

Want a wake-up call?  Analyze your electric/gas bills on a spreadsheet.  Get your monthly bill cost, divide by the monthly KWH and you will have your average cost per KWH (in cents).  You may be able to get these through your utility company website or making a call to customer service.  Knowing these costs precisely will  enable you to want to take action for future energy savings.

What can you do?  Watch out for my PART TWO coming in the next day or so - I'll have THREE SIMPLE STEPS FOR HOME ENERGY SAVINGS AND BETTER HOME COMFORT.     You will be able to perform these 3 steps to cut your energy usage and save money. 



How We Use Energy in Our Homes (2007)



Really Cool! Part THREE:    Watch my NEW Kill AWatt Electricity Usage Monitor in use.


Mel Coker
Columbia, SC Realtor

Real Estate Today RADIO!

Real Estate Today on the Radio and Mel Coker's Websites

Another benefit for visiting Mel Coker's BLOG or website(s)!   As a member of the National Association of Realtors, I have access to the new REAL ESTATE TODAY radio program on my website.

Welcome to the radio show about all-things real estate with award-winning broadcaster Gil Gross. We deliver everything you need to know about your home, from buying and selling to improving its value... even the current state of the market.  Listen, Join, and Share in the American Dream!






Mel Coker
Realtor, ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES
RE/MAX Metro Associates
(803) 223-6214

6 Facts YOU MUST Know When Dealing With ANY Problem

Stuff I like...   Business advice from Bob Parsons!
I've got "Bob Parsons 16 Rules for Success in Business and Life in General" posted in my office.  I also have all of my websites hosted with his company, GoDaddy.  Bob has been quite a success in his business life - he is the Founder, CEO and sole owner of GoDaddy.  He also served in Vietnam and won a Purple Heart.

Read Bob's Profile at GoDaddy.com  |  Read "An Interview with Bob Parsons" (excerpted from: 50 Interviews: Entrepreneurs Thriving in Uncertain Times)

From time to time, I'll post some of his interesting videos.  Here is episode #38:  6 Facts YOU MUST Know When Dealing With ANY Problem .
Watch it and learn... it's COOL!



Mel Coker
RE/MAX Metro Associates
All offices are independently owned & operated
Columbia SC Real Estate
(803) 223-6214