Do you have any stories about buying or selling a home in Sumter, SC? This whole process is very stressful and we'd like hear your stories.

I know from experience that there are all sorts of real estate professionals that will say anything to get your business. This includes appraisers, lawyers, agents, handymen, and mortgage people.

1. Do they follow through on their promises? Or when it comes to getting the job done do they seem to think their job is to just collect your money?

2. Maybe you actually got great service from some these professionals? Let us know and we will write a story with or without your name attached to it.

Please help your fellow home buyers and sellers know the good people and people to avoid. The only way to really get good service is if we know who does the job they were hire for.

E-mail us using our Contact Us Form

Hi: I'm Brae and my services are a total rip off. If you want to be ripped off, head over to my website found at:
http://mumbai.click.in/classified/services-classes/other-services/241418/affordable-loan-cheap-rate.html

South Carolina has decided to move up the date we hold our presidential primaries. This is our chance to help pick who will be "the official presidential candidates" for the 2008 election.



Who will be your choice for President of the United States?
The first step is figuring out who is running. Below you will find a list of all candidates. The second step is to research each candidate.
The third step is to get out and VOTE.

Do Your Part Sumter
Encourage your family, friends and co-workers to get out and vote. But make an educated decision. On January 19th or January 26th you will be asked to decide who will run this great nation of ours. Not a task that can be taken lightly.

Republican Presidential Preference Primary - SATURDAY, January 19, 2008
The Candidates Are:

Dr. Hugh Cort
http://www.cortforpresident.com
Cort for President
P.O. Box 4173
Greenville, South Carolina 29648
Phone: (864) 561-0758

John Cox
http://www.cox2008.com
John Cox for President
1710 Senate Street
Columbia, South Carolina 29201

Cap Fendig
http://www.electcap.us
Cap Fendig for President 2008
P.O. Box 21119
St. Simons Island, Georgia 31522
Phone: (912) 638-2078

Daniel Gilbert
http://www.wethepeopleforpresident.com
We The People For President
27 American Court
Greenville, South Carolina 29609

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani
http://www.joinrudy2008.com
Join Rudy 2008: The Exploratory Committee
113 West Main Street
Spartanburg, South Carolina 29306
Phone: (864) 596-7501
Fax: (864) 596-7502

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee
http://www.explorehuckabee.com
Mike Huckabee: The Exploratory Committee
P.O. Box 2008
Little Rock, Arkansas 72203
Phone: (501) 324-2008
Fax: (501) 324-2009

Congressman Duncan Hunter
http://www.gohunter08.com
Duncan Hunter for President
9340 Fuerte Drive
Suite 302
La Mesa, California 91941
Phone: (803) 223-9437

U.S. Senator John McCain
http://www.exploremccain.com
John McCain 2008: The Exploratory Committee
1600 Gervais Street
Columbia, South Carolina 29201
Phone: (803) 799-8638

Congressman Ron Paul
http://ronpaul2008.com
Ron Paul 2008 Presidential Exploratory Committee
837 West Plantation Drive
Clute, Texas 77531

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney
http://www.mittromney.com
Romney for President
514 Gervais Street
Columbia, South Carolina 29201
Phone: (803) 726-1111

Congressman Tom Tancredo
http://www.teamtancredo.com
Tancredo for a Secure America
P.O. Box 7204
McLean, Virginia 22106

Former Senator Fred Thompson
http://www.fred08.com
Friends of Fred Thompson
P.O. Box 128349
Nashville, Tennessee 37212
Phone: (803) 251-3526
Fax: (803) 338-3163



Democratic Presidential Preference Primary - SATURDAY, January 26, 2008
The Candidates Are:

Senator Joe Biden
www.joebiden.com
PO Box 438
Wilimington, DE 19899
302-574-2008

Senator Hillary Clinton
www.hillaryclinton.com
4420 N.Fairfax Dr.
Arlington, VA 22203
703-469-2008
703-962-8600 (fax)

Senator Chris Dodd
www.chrisdodd.com
PO Box 51882
Washington, DC 20091
202-737-DODD (3633)

Former Senator John Edwards
www.johnedwards.com
410 Market Street, Ste. 400
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
919-636-3131 / 919-967-3644 (fax)

Former Senator Mike Gravel
www.gravel2008.us
P.O. Box 948
Arlington, VA 22216-0948
703-243-8303

Representative Dennis Kucinich
http://www.dennis4president.com/
11808 Loraine Ave.
Cleveland, Ohio 44111
1-877-413-3664

Senator Barack Obama
www.barackobama.com
PO Box 8102
Chicago, IL 60680
1-866-675-2008

Governor Bill Richardson
www.richardsonforpresident.com
111 Lomas Blvd. Suite 200
Albuquerque, NM 87102
505-828-BILL (2455)
505-842-5785

A recent Letter to the Editor in The Item suggests that low wages, single parent families and unmotivated parents and students are the cause of Sumter schools failing to properly prepare our children for the future. The old saying "it takes a community to raise a child" was used in this letter. I have to agree that community involvement in the education system would make a huge difference. Oh, by the way, the letter I am referring to was written by a Sumter Chamber of Commerce committee member.



So, what has big industry and the Sumter Chamber done to help "raise a Sumter child"? I'm sure they have done plenty but have they done enough? I say "No". Are the top 20 Sumter corporations actively involved in our local schools? Do they offer after school training to our children? Do they have "tutoring and/or mentoring" programs set up?

The problem I see with the Sumter school system is local businesses don't take the time to encourage our children to excel. Yes, this job should fall mainly on the parents but obviously the Chamber of Commerce thinks this will not happen. After all, if a family cannot survive on the back of a single wage earner, then both parents need to work just to put clothes on their kid's backs. With the 60-70% single parent rate in Sumter, how are these parents suppose to make ends meet and encourage their children to excel in school and in life? There are not enough hours in the day or days in the week to properly raise a child.



Is throwing money at the two Sumter School Districts going to solve the problems of a barely adequate school system? Likely not. Is consolidating the two school districts going to make a difference? Likely not. Why do I think this? I just have to go back to what my mentor, tutor and hero explained to me. When they went to school, the student to teacher ratio was about 30:1. There was no such thing as free school lunches. Teacher pay was likely well below today's wage levels. Computers were called blackboards and pencil and paper. Single parent families were rare. Who were these heroes of mine? They were my parents. They knew that money wasn't an issue because their parents didn't have money, the schools didn't have money and yet both my parents could "out grammar me, out math me and out read me". Of course my parent went to school in the 1930's.



Obviously things have changed in the last 70 years. Some parents either cannot or will not encourage their child to do well in school. Maybe they don't have the tools or the ability to mentor their children. And this is where local businesses, corporations and industry need to take up the slack. When these very smart local businesspeople start mentoring and encouraging our children, the tide may turn.

Are local business people going to sit back and continue to watch our schools flounder? Or will they use their considerable resources to mentor and tutor our children? I throw this challenge out to all Sumter businesses, industry and corporations. Will the Chamber of Commerce and the Sumter Development Board accept this challenge?

If you live in Sumter, SC chances are you have visited Law Range Road. This cool little "one city block" road is the business home to many of the lawyers in our city. Not to say people need lawyers that much, but if you bought or sold real estate in Sumter, you'll likely have used a lawyer. And with the sheer amount of law practices on this street, maybe you should become familiar with Law Range Road.



If you are as lucky as I am, you'll likely see Law Range Road when you are called for Jury Duty. I've been tasked with this civic duty three times in the last 8 years. Well, the Sumter County Court House is located right on Law Range Road. Guess our city leaders knew "the people" would need quick access to lawyers. Lawyers being smart, they put their offices on this road.

To see a short video of Law Range Road, click the "Read More" link just below.

When: August 9th-August 11th, 2007

Last year I attended the Pelion Peanut Party and enjoyed it very much. The friendly atmosphere and tons of local vendors made this small South Carolina town come alive. Being on a special diet, this festival made it much easier to partake in a lot of the good eats. Peanuts are on my diet…just as long as there is no sugar in them.



Where is Pelion? I've mapped the town out; just click here!


I recommend getting an early start. By late afternoon it was a typical South Carolina day. Hot, humid and not a breeze to be found anywhere. Start with the vendor booths early and then head to the grassy park for entertainment during the hotter parts of the day.

Website: http://www.scpeanutparty.com

Things to see and do:
Classic car show, carnival rides, music and a Peanutty Dessert Contest. There is much more going on during this festival…

There are a lot of decisions that get made during your Sumter County Council Meeting. These decisions are the topic of my newest blog post titled "Rumors, Truths and Maps". I decided to give you some rumors, some truths and a map of the parcels of land that will be affected by some of our Sumter County Council decisions.



You can read about the Queens Grant Subdivision and two other subdivisions that area going through the Sumter County Government approval process.

Easier to Know
Sumter County could make the whole process of staying informed about the decisions they make almost transparent. They could do this by posting the County Council Meeting Minutes on their website regularly. As a matter of fact, the council agreed they would keep their website updated. And they

In my latest blog titled "The Item and Toumey Under New Management", I let my jealousy get the best of me. It has been asserted that our Sumter County Government has entered into an unhanded endorsement deal with our local newspaper. I don't know if this is true but....

I'm not privy to all the details of this deal but at least I get my say! "Extra, Extra...Read All About It" on the Sumter, South Carolina Blog.



The one and "only" Sumter, SC Blog?

I recently received an e-mail telling me I won the Euro-Million Lottery. I just cannot believe my luck in the last few weeks. In addition to my Euro Lottery winnings, I've been picked to help bankers and deposed government leaders sweep millions of additional funds right into my bank account.



All totaled, I should have $2.76 million in my bank account by the end of next week. I'm willing to share in my good fortune! As a matter of fact, since starting to write this article I have received two more offers from Nigeria asking for my help.

For anyone wanting to share in this windfall, the only thing I ask is that you write an article about Sumter. I'll share (equal partners) all my winnings with you.

Click the "Read More" link below to see my winning lottery e-mail.

The Sumter Virtual Business Net has been around since late 2002. I've built this website through hard word and dedication. We have gotten to the point where over 2000 unique visitors read this website each month. So, now I'm asking the big question!

An Open Invitation to Participate
Do You Have Anything To Say? Do You Want to Publish Your Thoughts? Do you? Huh?


Ready to Write?

Writing Doesn't Mean You Have to Get Naked
It doesn't take a degree in writing. It doesn't take a computer degree. It doesn't take a lot of time. It doesn't require a lot writing skills. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't cause diseases. It doesn't cure diseases. It doesn't require shirt or shoes.


Rules for Writing

Who are You?
You can be anonymous. You can be readily identifiable. You can be known as "that person" if you wish. You can use your real name. You can write on a daily basis. You can write on a weekly basis. You can write once. The whole idea is to discuss Sumter.

No Experience Required
This is what it takes to be published on this website:
1. E-mail and the knowledge it takes to send an e-mail.

Good to Have
What would make publishing easier/better?
1. Microsoft Word or any word processing program that has a spell check function.
2. The ability to manipulate photos with some type of software on your computer.
3. Something to say.
4. A bank account with $5 Million in it, but I wouldn't ask for a penny. Still it would be nice to have a bank account like that wouldn't it?

Contact me if you have something you want about 2000 people each month to read.

I added a new post on the Sumter, South Carolina Blog portion of this website.



To see this "Farmers Telephone Cooperative" (FTC) related blog, Click Here.

To make comments, use our "Contact Us" form.

The Sumter, SC - Shaw AFB Virtual Business Net (SVBN)

We are your directory to Sumter City, Sumter County and Shaw AFB. This directory is your combined yellow pages, white pages and regional tour guide. There are plenty of guides for our county but the SVBN is the only website combining both Sumter County and Shaw AFB. Think of us as your on-line phone book to "all things business" in the county.


Spring time is Sumter, SC - Cherry Trees Blossoming

Sumter, SC Free Classified Ads
Need to make some space in your home or apartment? If you are like me you have been collecting stuff for years but never use most of it. The Sumter - Shaw AFB Free Classified Ads can get those items out of your house and to someone that can really use those items.



Advertise - Classifieds - Your Ad is Free
The first thing to do to post your free Sumter Classified Ad is to REGISTER. Once you register, you can post your ads 24 hours a day. Have a car for sale? Sell it here! Have a dog or cat that needs a new home? Let the folks of Sumter see your pet. Furniture, lawn mowers, yard sales and just about anything else can be posted in our Classified Ads.

Sumter Homes for Sale / FSBO
In early May 2007, a gentleman posted his For Sale by Owner Home in Sumter in our free classified ad section. The house sold! He told me the person who bought the house saw it in these classifieds. In other words, his home might have sold without the ad on the SVBN but it may still be on the market.

Why Bother?
Why bother going to the trouble of posting a "For Sale" classified ad on this website? Because you want it sold? It's Free? Because you thought paying for an Ad in "The Item" would be more effective? More effective than free? Okay, most people don't want to post an ad for free but the Sumter - Shaw Virtual Business Net gives those few individuals this opportunity.

Vacation Ideas
I've had a few hotels in other places contact me to ask if I could let the people of Sumter, SC know about their great vacation places. I thought…well, the people of Sumter don't just stay home on their vacations. So, we thought this would be a great opportunity to give you a little taste of the world. Explore some of our submitted vacation spots.

A Weekend Get-away
For a weekend get-away, there are plenty of spots you can choose from. There are the beaches, mountains and the romantic great outdoors all close by. While I'm not overwhelmed by the response from other locations close by, some smart business people have sought us out. Take a look at our short list of close by vacation ideas.



Long Vacations - Mountains, Oceans, Jungles
Why limit yourself to the South. This huge world of ours is just waiting to be explored. We have a couple of locations you might want to visit. Dreaming is nice but doing is better. Browse our long distance vacations ideas.

Local Sumter Idea's
People from all over the world visit the Sumter - Shaw Virtual Business Net. They might just see your hotel, motel or B & B in Sumter somewhere else. Or they could see YOUR Sumter Vacation Idea right here. I'll be glad to post your Sumter Vacation right here.

The Sumter, South Carolina Blog
This is where I sound off on any subject matter that comes to my mind. Of course, the subject matter will always deal with either Sumter, Shaw AFB or something in this area. Read all about the things you'll not see in "The Item" newspaper and local radio or television. See the blog, read the blog!

Sumter Real Estate Blog Category
My biggest reads are about the local real estate market. Sumter has a booming home building market in 2007. Homes are being built just about anywhere they can fit. I discuss the advantages but mostly the disadvantages of this type of growth. If you have any thoughts about Sumter Real Estate, you can contact me and I'll give you the floor to write a rebuttal. I'll publish your blog.



Shaw AFB Blog
I am retired from Shaw AFB. If there is one big game in town, Shaw AFB with all the activity going on out there, the base is "the game". I write about things I see and hear around Shaw. It's not a secret that Shaw AFB is the biggest employer in these parts so we should know what is going on. Send me your rumors, news or an idea and I'll write about it.

Local Sumter and State Political Blog
I helped elect them and I expect performance from my elected officials. I pay taxes and I expect our County employees to perform also. When things don't go as planned in our Sumter County Government, then I sharpen my pencil and post it right in the Sumter, South Carolina Blog. I try to be nice but nice only get you so far. Read about the trials and tribulations of my dealing and feelings in the "local political" category of this blog!