Charleston Real Estate Market Blog

While many home buyers choose to live in Mount Pleasant for the endless entertainment options, public parks, nightlife, and proximity to the beaches, some people prefer to simply live near these attractions but want to create a rural lifestyle. For these buyers who want fewer neighbors and more open spaces, Awendaw is a fantastic area to consider.

Located 20 minutes north of Mt. Pleasant Towne Centre, Awendaw is a small town with few planned communities and massive tracts of protected wildlife areas nearby such as the Francis Marion National Forest, Avian Conservation Center, Bonneau Ferry Wildlife Management Area, and Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. Most residents drive 10 to 15 minutes for grocery stores, trips to Walmart, or restaurants

Shem Creek is one of the most photographed and visited spots in Mount Pleasant, SC – and for good reason. It’s hard to beat catching a drink or local seafood dinner with friends while watching the sun set over the marsh. Few areas of Mt. Pleasant are as picturesque or as laid back as Shem Creek.

History of Shem Creek

The Eastern Sioux Sewee Indians originally lived along the creek, and today’s name comes from the Native American word shemee. British settlers began establishing this area in the 1670s. Over the next two decades, Captain Florence O'Sullivan owned the land due to a land grant and changed the name of the creek to Sullivan’s Creek. (On a side note, this is also how Sullivan’s Island got its name.) Next, ownership changed to Captain

Homeowners often get emotionally and financially overwhelmed when they take on home improvement projects. Replacing flooring, cabinets, and kitchen appliances can cost thousands of dollars, and some sellers never recoup all of the money they spent when it comes time to sell their house. Whether you’re considering selling your home or simply want to get a good return on your investment, here are 7 inexpensive home projects that will add value to your home. And based on our 14 plus years in real estate, these suggestions should pay for themselves several times over!

Painting your front door, trim, and porch railings

Estimated cost: $50 should cover 2 cans of paint and brushes.

First impressions count – whether it’s potential buyers or guests.

As mortgage interest rates go up, home buyers start shopping around with lenders hoping to get a better rate. As they look online, they might gravitate towards the rate that’s half a point lower than all the others. If you come across a rate from a bank you’ve never heard of that seems too good to be true, it probably is!

Right now, we’re seeing a lot of bait and switch tactics online and a lot of non-refundable application fees. Some banks make their money not by the loans themselves but by the fees they charge. They offer a 4% rate and make you fill out the application in order to collect hundreds of dollars in application fees. Then, they tell you that you don’t qualify for that 4% rate, but you can still get the number that’s more on par with

In our hot sellers’ market, homeowners assume that a listing will sell quickly regardless of the condition or price or location. This overconfidence can turn into disappointment when a month or two passes with no offers to purchase. Although we’re seeing one of the strongest selling markets in the history of our MLS, it’s important for sellers and their agents to recognize when it’s time to make changes before a listing becomes so stagnant and stigmatized that buyers question what’s wrong with the property. Buyers know that the best listings sell the fastest in a hot market, so you don’t want to wait too late to act. These are the most common reasons that homes don’t sell.

Bad Listing Photos

We’ve dedicated an entire blog to talk about why

Many of the sellers we work with have a very tight budget for selling their home. They’re usually not willing to put much money into getting their home ready to list, especially before the listing even hits the market. When sellers ask, “What do I need to do to my home before we list it?” these are the least expensive (and most important) tasks they need to accomplish!

1: Cleaning: The Number One Free Commodity that Every Seller Should Use

If you’re looking for the best return on your investment, you can either clean your home (for free) or hire a good professional cleaner (for about $150) to do it for you. In the past year, we’ve seen a huge increase in sellers happy to pay a professional to clean because they know the maid will do a more

Many buyers assume they should use the builder's agent when they purchase a new construction home. They often believe they will save money or make the process easier by working directly with the agent on site. However, it's important for buyers to understand that using the builder's representative puts them in a situation where there are competing loyalties and interests. Being represented by the builder's agent during your purchase makes as much sense as a court trial where both parties use the same attorney to represent them.

Does it Save Money to Use the Builder's Agent?

It's free to have your own buyer's agent represent you during a new construction purchase. Especially buyers coming from out of state think they have to pay their buyer's

Many sellers don’t realize when they install solar panels the repercussions of trying to sell a home with existing solar. If owners pay for them outright, it’s usually not a problem. In these cases, the owners probably won’t be able to recoup all of the expenses when they go to sell the home because most buyers would rather put that money into kitchen or bathroom upgrades. From a real estate stand point, solar panels should be viewed not as an investment but as a way to save money on utility bills and lighten your carbon foot print.

The problem with solar panels here in our Charleston SC real estate market comes from the fact that most owners finance the panels instead of paying for them outright. Most buyers are not going to want to continue

Here you'll see year to date MLS statistics for the tri-county Charleston area:

• During the month of October, there were 1,258 homes that closed which brings the year to date sales number to 14,872. This is a 10 year record for the MLS. Analysts had predicted 2017 would be the #2 best year in the history of the MLS, but current stats show that it might end up being #1!
• Closed homes are up 14% over 2015.
• Buyers are seeing more listings to choose from compared to the last two years, which is great considering the inventory shortage that we’ve experienced. New listings have increased 6% over last year and 11% over 2015.
• The median sales price is up 5% over last year to currently $253,995. The average sales price is up 5% to currently $343,961.

We’ve recently been asked about the new Long Savannah project which is currently being developed in West Ashley, so we thought we’d share the latest news on its status. Long Savannah is expected to be the largest housing development in Charleston County, and Charleston City Council has already voted to approve the plan. There are about 3,300 acres making up the master plan which pieces together several parcels of land. A 1,628 acre County Park and a 203 acre City Park are included in this proposal. The Glenn McConnell Parkway extension will be a connection point for part of the Long Savannah Development, and the newly paved Proximity Drive off Bees Ferry Road will also be an access point.

Approximately 4,500 homes will be built in mixed-use