Update - Chapin Girl's Basketball

An update on Chapin High School Girl's Basketball

My daughter, Kelly, is enjoying a great season in high school girl's basketball. Yesterday, THE STATE newspaper ran a front page article on the team in the Sports section. This picture of some of the Chapin seniors was from The State newspaper on January 13, 2009.

After a victory last night over A.C. Flora, the team is now 14-2. Check out the boxscore from the newspaper (January 14, 2009):

The players: Kelly, Ashlee, Kelli, Layla, Amy, Alexa, Savannah, Becca, Bonnie, Kasey, Hannah, Jordan, Natalie, Lindsey

Click here for the link to the article in THE STATE newspaper.

Chapin Girl's Basketball Team: 2008 - 2009

2009 Real Estate off to a Great Start!

Mel's first 2009 home sale!

Congratulations to Steve & Rebecca Sansonetti for purchasing a home in Lexington's Wellesley subdivision. This beautiful new home was built by Shumaker Homes. The Sansonettis's got a great deal on this beautiful new home and are going to get a LOW mortgage rate (4.5% or lower). NOW really is a great time to buy a home! I even temporarily named the waterfall in the community "Sansonetti Falls."

The most exciting "deal" in this new home is that the home is a Green Certified home. The home is built for energy efficiency and comfort. The community too is a great deal... great location, great schools and great amenities. Want to know more about this community and prices? Call Mel Coker.

I had "blogged" about this wonderful community back in August 2008. Click here to read my blog.

Shumaker Homes - Wellesley

Wellesley Subdivision

Environments for Living Certified Green Program

When you're ready to buy a home in Wellesley or ANY OTHER home community in Lexington, Irmo, Columbia, Chapin, Blythewood or at Lake Murray, be sure to contact Mel Coker at RE/MA Metro Associates.

Call (803) 318-2007

Mel's Columbia SC real estate website

Search Columbia (SC) MLS

New Lake Murray listing

For Sale on Lake Murray
I've got a brand new listing for sale on Lake Murray! My clients have had the interior completely repainted. The home is beautiful inside. With a mostly brick exterior (some stucco on the front), the home is virtually maintenance free on the outside. On 149 feet of Lake Murray water frontage, there is a nice dock and boat lift. From the deck, the westerly view offers beautiful sunsets.

This beautiful home is approximately 3300 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 3 1/2 bathrooms. The master bedroom is downstairs and there is a second master bedroom upstairs. Both bedrooms upstairs on the back side feature balconies overlooking Lake Murray. Hardwoods are downstairs except in the master bedroom. The kitchen is very spacious with lots of cabinets. There is another room... A bonus room (oftentimes called a FROG in this market). This room works great for a media room, exercise room or game room. In fact, the pool table in the room stays with the home as a bonus.

This home is located at 49 Bay Court in Plantation Pointes Subdivision in Newberry County. The home is priced to sell at $512,500.

For complete details and more pictures, visit my virtual tour websites:
Mel's Lake Murray home listing webpage
Mel's RealBird listing page

New Year's Resolutions for your Home

New Year's Resolutions For Your Home???

Recently, I did my 2009 New Year's blog. Of course, most personal New Year's resolutions revolve around issues like losing weight, better fitness, better financial management and so forth. I decided it was a good time to create a website for New Year's resolutions for your home! Implement some or all and you will have a happier, safer and more valuable home.

View my web page for all 9 tips with more detail, including important safety tips and reminders and coupons.

Webpage New Year's Resolutions for your Home

1. Home Safety
2. Pratice Home Fire Safety
3. Check for Radon if Necessary
4. Check Water Quality
5. Change Light Bulbs
6. Improve Energy Efficiency
7. Update / Renovate / Redecorate
8. Change HVAC filters
9. Improve the Outside

Read the web page and you will learn: the leading cause of deaths in a home, when and how to check water quality, easy ways to save energy, the value of landscaping to your home's value, how to get a Lowe's discount coupon and much more.

CLICK HERE to view Mel's New Year's Resolutions for Your Home webpage

Coming soon... a report on Columbia real estate in 2008.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year - 2009! Get out your new calendars, remember to write 2009 for all dates AND be sure to make some new year's resolutions! Enjoy your black-eyed peas, hog jowls, hoppin' john and ham and collard greens on New Year's Day.

Click Here for Top New Year's Resolutions & Solutions from Amazon (Voted #1 by customers is "Lose Weight").

I've compiled Mel Coker's TOP 10 NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS based on my extensive research (not necessarily my personal resolutions):

1. Lose weight
2. Get in better physical shape
3. Spend more quality time with family and friends
4. Reduce or eliminate debt
5. Set a budget and/or reduce expenses
6. Quit smoking
7. Learn something new / develop a new talent or skill
8. Drink less alcohol / quit drinking
9. Find a better job (or, in these times, find a job)
10. Get better organized

Tips for making (and completing) effective New Year's Resolutions: set only 1-3 realistic goals; write down your goals; take baby steps (break goals into tasks with deadlines); go public (tell others about your goals); track your progress; reward yourself; if you slip up, recommit!

Great links:

Hoppin' John

Blackeyed Peas and Collard Greens

USA.gov New Year's Resolutions and and helpful links

Wikipedia New Year's Day

Fun Facts and Figures from the Goals Guy

101 Resolutions

Tips for Making New Year's Resolutions: MyGoals.com * eHow.com * For Kids & Teenagers

Please keep reading my blog in 2009... I'll have interesting blogs on Columbia real estate, Columbia stuff, cool vacations, prize give-aways and much more.

Click here for a FREE subscription to immediate blog updates thru my FeedBurner.

Mel Coker

MelCoker.com MelCoker.info

How to Buy Your First Columbia Home

Ready to Buy Your First Home in Columbia, South Carolina? Your first step should be to contact Mel Coker.

Mel is a life-long Columbia area resident and really enjoys working with first time homebuyers and relocation clients. NOW is a great time to buy a home with moderating prices, excellent inventory of homes and mortgage interest rates at record low levels. Mortgage rates have recently been below 5% for a 30-year fixed rate!

In addition to lower mortgage interest rates (and lower house payments), federal tax legislation has been enacted that allows for up to a $7500 tax credit for first time homebuyers. This credit expires June 30, 2009.

Click here for Mel's previous blog about the first-time homebuyer tax credit.

First-time Homebuyer Tax Credit website

If you are paying rent now (in other words, buying an investment property for your landlord), you should make a New Year's resolution to buy your OWN home prior to June 30, 2009. Financially successful people BUY their homes (rather than pay rent).

Contact Mel Coker when you are ready to buy your home in Columbia, SC.

Click Here for Mel's First-time Homebuyer's Guide

Mel's Columbia Real Estate and Relocation Guide

Merry Christmas from the Coker family

Merry Christmas from the Coker family in Columbia, South Carolina! We have had a very nice holiday season and the past 4 days have been spent in Myrtle Beach with our daughter Kelly's basketball tournament in North Myrtle Beach.

I personally feel blessed to have been raised by a family that allowed me to know the real meaning of Christmas - the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

The other celebrations of the Christmas season are also special... time with family and friends, church celebrations, Christmas trees, Santa Claus and gift giving.

Speaking of Christmas season gift giving, I have chosen a special Columbia area charity for my personal special Christmas giving gift this year. I have sent a $100 donation to the Oliver Gospel Mission in Columbia.

Oliver Gospel Mission seeks to rescue broken men from those things that hold them in bondage and to rebuild them so that they can live fulfilled (Christ-centered), functioning (responsible), and fruitful (influential) lives. This vision is a reality through our two distinct ministries – the first being our ministry to the Community Homeless of Columbia, South Carolina and the second being our Christian Life Development addiction recovery program.

Click here for the Oliver Gospel Mission website

I encourage you to read about the Oliver Gospel Mission and make a Christmas season gift donation or to pick another worthwhile charity to make a donation in this Christmas season. I especially like the Oliver Gospel Mission's purpose in transforming broken men's lives through the gospel message of Christ.

Merry Christmas!

http://www.melcoker.com/

Fort Jackson / Fort Jackson PCS

I've created a new Fort Jackson PCS (relocation) website and my first Issuu ebook guide. Check out the Fort Jackson webpage at:
Fort Jackson PCS/Relocation

My Fort Jackson eGuide was created using Issuu.com . It's new technology that I find very interesting. Try it for your own personal or business use. It's free!

Get your own - Open publication

Mel Coker
www.MelCoker.com
www.MelCoker.info