Charleston Real Estate Market Blog

For many home buyers, public schools are not a factor in finding a neighborhood or home. These buyers assume if they don’t have kids, the quality of schools won’t make a difference in their home purchase. However, every buyer should consider resale and overall value when purchasing. For most people, a home is the single largest investment they make in a lifetime, so it’s important to choose a property that will increase in value as much as possible. Here are 3 reasons why you should take into account the public schools for an area – regardless of whether you have school aged children.

Obvious Demand from Parents and Teachers

Homes that have more buyers viewing their listing go under contract faster (and usually for more money). Selling a home is

As real estate prices increase around the country, home buyers are having to make tough decisions regarding their needs and wants. As Realtors, we hear some of the same questions over and over when buyers discuss two different lifestyles. We’ve included below pros and cons of each lifestyle to help home buyers whittle down what is most important to them for their next purchase.

Upscale Home or Upscale Location?

When relocating to Charleston or any other city, it’s hard for buyers to know which are the best areas to live. The most sought after areas are always the most expensive due to the high demand for real estate. In Charleston, areas like Downtown, Mt. Pleasant, and James Island give the best possible proximity to historic sites, the

When home buyers find their perfect match and make an offer, it can be devastating to find out that the offer was rejected. Many buyers right now are underestimating their market and don’t understand how strong of a sellers’ market we’re seeing in most cities around the country. Especially when buyers are coming from a slower paced market, it can take missing out on a home or two before they realize they’re going to have to pay close to full price to get the home they really want. As buyers’ agents, it can be tough on everyone involved when our clients have to learn the hard way.

If you’re a buyer actively searching in a sellers’ market, we’ve got all the info you need to make your offer count! If you’ve found your perfect home to purchase, don’t

For the past few years, we’ve watched Charleston’s real estate market thrive with strong median price increases and diminishing DOM (Days On Market). However, in the past month, our market has kicked up a noticeable notch in regards to buyer activity. Many people are calling this the strongest real estate market Charleston has ever seen.

There are currently more than 3,600 homes under contract. So far this year, there have been 3,174 properties closed. Each of the past 2 weeks has had 400+ homes go under contract, and one of these was the 2nd busiest week in MLS history.

For buyers, this translates to a very fast paced market. For example, there was a new listing on James Island this past week that had 26 showings in 1 day (the most showings

From March 28 to April 3, the South Carolina Aquarium will host the world famous Weeki Wachee Mermaids from Weeki Wachee Springs, Florida. This group of three underwater entertainers will perform a choreographed musical routine for guests watching the Great Ocean Tank. Three shows are scheduled daily during these dates with additional performances at member events.

The Great Ocean Tank is perhaps the most impressive feature at the aquarium – even without live mermaids swimming in it! With 385,000 gallons of water, it is the deepest aquarium tank on our North American continent. It provides an incredible viewing from its two story setup with a large variety of animals including sharks, eels, and the 220 pound loggerhead sea turtle named Caretta.

College of Charleston students, parents, and the occasional staff often ask us for recommendations on investment properties. Regardless of who’s purchasing the home, they all seem to have the same 3 criteria:

• It must be within walking or biking distance to campus.
• The home must be in a safe area.
• The property needs to hold its value (whether it’s going to be sold in 4 years or held until retirement, it needs to be a good investment).

The Downtown Charleston real estate market is notoriously fast moving, and the best listings priced under $500K tend to go under contract the same day that they’re listed. Because Downtown homes are so unique, it also completely depends on what’s currently on the market. Unlike other go-to communities

This past week Realtor.com named Charleston among its 10 Trendiest U.S. Cities That You Can Still Afford. To determine this ranking, Realtor compared 500 cities using these factors:

• Cultural outlets such as independent movie theaters, art galleries, and live music venues
• Foodie scenes like farmers’ markets, food trucks, craft brewing companies, and farm to table diners that use local produce and meats when possible
• Increases in population demographics for ages 25 to 34
• Even cliché stereotype establishments like bike stores and yoga studios

Realtor used its own home buyer stats to show where next generation home buyers were relocating, and finally they used a housing affordability index to come up with their top cities. In addition

As home insurance rates continue to rise, owners are looking for discounts and competitive premiums now more than ever. In an effort to save money, some home owners opt to reduce the amount of coverage which can be risky. For example, if you purchase a home for $300,000 and know that about $100,000 of the price is land value, we’d recommend coverage of $200,000. However, the buyer can compare rates and pay usually a hundred or two dollars less each year by covering only $150,000. If the buyer doesn’t have an extra $50K in his/her account to part with at any given time in the case of an emergency, this can be a huge mistake.

We’ve included below 5 legitimate ways to save money on your insurance policy that don’t involve gambling with your home. And

It’s tempting to get inspired by a home renovation show and try to save money by doing house renovation projects yourself. However, some tasks absolutely require a professional.

Refinishing a Wood Floor

Home improvement shows love to show before and after footage of worn, wooden floors in an old house followed by the gleaming, smooth planks after refinishing. However, if a floor isn’t properly sanded and timed just right during the staining process, the result is a patch work of staining that requires an entirely new refinishing. Many homeowners with painting experience assume they can tackle a floor refinish project, but they don’t take into account that paint jobs can simply be painted over again if there’s a mistake. When it comes to staining

James Island has one of the strongest housing markets in tri-county Charleston because it sees a steady demand from home buyers each year. For people who want to live close to Downtown Charleston and the beach, James Island gives the closest proximity. Last year alone, there were 16,070 showings among its homes for sale, and its median sales price rose 8.2%. As residents and James Island real estate agents, we’ve included below both the pros and cons of living on the island.

Why Home Buyers Want to Live on James Island

Closest Suburb to Downtown Charleston
Located just across the harbor from Downtown, James Island as a whole is the closest you'll find to all the shopping, sites, and restaurants on the peninsula. Its location makes it ideal for