Real Estate on James Island, SC
James Island is one of the most popular areas to live in Charleston, SC. Its close proximity to downtown Charleston and to the beach makes it one of the most desirable locations in the area. Downtown Charleston and Folly Beach are both within a five to ten minute drive from most places on James Island.
This high demand from home buyers combined with a relatively low supply of houses drive up James Island real estate prices. Some of the other cities in the Charleston area have an almost excessive supply of housing, which can hurt the local real estate economy. However, the city of James Island has restricted building permits partly in an effort to preserve land and wildlife, and partly to keep the James Island real estate market in balance.
Although James Island has plenty of restaurants and shops, it is largely a residential area. So, home buyers will find a range of neighborhoods to choose from. Many of the homes on James Island are brick, ranch-style houses. However, there is also a good selection of new homes in many communities throughout James Island. So, whether you’re looking for newer or older homes, James Island is a good place to start your real estate search.
James Island is an ideal real estate market for investors for two reasons. First, James Island fetches some of the highest appreciation rates for non-beachfront real estate in Charleston. This is mostly because of James Island’s great location. Even in slower real estate markets like the one we’re experiencing now, James Island is still getting a lot of attention from home buyers. With prices as great as they are right now, home buyers want to take advantage of living in such a good area. A year ago, many buyers were willing to make a 45-minute commute from other Charleston areas in order to get more house for their money. Now that house prices in general have come down, buyers are able to get the homes they really want (with good locations) and don’t want to mess with such a commute everyday. In response, some of the other Charleston areas that are further out, like Goose Creek for example, are not seeing nearly the activity that James Island is.
James Island is also great for investors because it has one of the best rental markets in Charleston. Students from College of Charleston and the Medical University of South Carolina make up the majority of renters. This group also wants a good location to their schools in downtown Charleston.
So, historically James Island has a more stable real estate market than some of the other Charleston areas. Its good location and seemingly endless demand from buyers make James Island an excellent real estate market. And, the great selection of homes makes James Island a top choice for home buyers.
On our website, you can search for James Island houses, James Island townhouses, and James Island condos.