meeting_streetTravel and Leisure Magazine just came out with their best cities in the United States and Canada, and guess who came in at #4?  You guessed it, Charleston, SC.  The number one, two, and three spots were: New York, San Francisco, and Quebec City.

The magazine (with a circulation of a million) conducts a reader’s survey to get the results, and this year, Charleston got bumped up two spots from number 6 to number 4.  Our sister city, Savannah, came in close at #7.

Still considering a move to Charleston?  Please see our Charleston, SC MLS search page to view the best online home search website in Charleston.

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New Home Sales UpU.S. Commerce Department officials said Monday that new home sales jumped 11 percent last month.  That’s better than analysts expected, and this marks the highest increase in 9 years for new homes.  Expectations for last month were to have 360,000 sales, but luckily expectations were surpassed with 384,000.

The federal first-time homebuyer’s $8,000 tax credit and low interest rates have really helped to boost the somewhat struggling real estate market.  Locally here in Charleston, June is typically one of the busiest months for the year, so any increase across the country is welcomed with open arms.  This may help an otherwise potentially difficult winter.  To see an increase like this across the country shows signs of growth and encouragement.  David…

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carolinaoneA long-term leader in the Charleston Real Estate market in residential sales, Carolina One is now on top for commercial sales as well.  Closing 41 units since the beginning of 2008, Carolina One has now doubled its nearest competitor.

The broker of our commercial division has said that Carolina One has led Charleston, Dorchester, and Berkeley counties in the residential market since 1992, and has added commercial value over time, to get to where we are today.  Carolina one is now leader in the market with a 25.1% market share, for those companies that sell residential and commercial real estate.

Since becoming an independent company apart from Prudential in May of 2008, Carolina One now has the flexibility to boost its competitive commercial efforts.

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For all of you buyers out there that are out of state, this blog is for you.  It seems the two most popular places to live outside of historic downtown Charleston are Mt. Pleasant and James Island.  Basically, the two areas are similar in distance to downtown and the beaches, with each having similarities and each having their own differences.

One of the big questions I get as a Realtor is: Which is better, Mt. Pleasant or James Island?  Well, that answer is easy…There is no right answer.  It all depends on your lifestyle, standard of living, interests, extracurricular activities, school interests…the list goes on.  It all depends on what you strive to get from each community.  What I’d like to do is break down each area from a local’s perspective, which…

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beware_of_short_salesJust a quick reminder to all of you buyers out there trying to get a steal on the next short sale deal in Charleston.  A lot of the time, there are wonderful deals (read in: steals) that can be made when purchasing real estate via short sales in Charleston.  Most of the buyers I’ve encountered fully understand that a short sale is basically a seller that is behind on mortgage payments.  They can be 2 months behind, or 7 or more months behind in their monthly mortgage payments.  A short sale is when a seller is trying to get the bank to accept a loss on the property, or for the bank to accept a contract for an amount that is less than what the seller owes on the note.  The seller basically owes more than the property is worth, or is in financial trouble and…

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Memorial Waterfront Park, in Mount Pleasant, SC has just opened to the public on Friday.  Directly under the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, this site is sure to draw a lot of attention from the locals and visitors alike.  Ten years in the making and at a cost of $14 million, the park boasts 9 acres total of a grassy lawn area, a sweetgrass cultural arts pavillion, a war memorial, a kayak launch dock, and a pier plaza with snack and tackle shop.  The pier itself is 1,250 feet long (the areas longest), making a great location to fish from- or to enjoy the wonderful views of the waterways.

The hours of the park are from 6am to 11pm, and admission to the park is free.

 

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We wanted to remind all of our readers of the capabilities that our Charleston, SC MLS search has.  When searching for a home online in Charleston and the surrounding areas from your own computer- we’d like to give you the best virtual experience possible.  The way we accomplish this is by our implementation of the features and functionality of Google StreetView and Microsoft’s Bird’s Eye View.  We’d like to explain a little of both of these, below.

First, Google StreetView.  One of the unique characteristics this application has is the ability to get a 360 degree view of the surrounding street outside of the house.  It is an eye-level view from the street, and you can virtually “walk” down the street and take a look at the surrounding area.  With the…

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Let’s take a look at the “solds” for the different areas around Charleston for May.  These are all single-family homes sold from May 1st through May 31st, 2009.  I’ve taken this data directly from the Charleston MLS, so here they are:

5/1/09-5/31/09
Summerville (and rural):  133
West Ashley (and rural):  66
Goose Creek:  60
Mt. Pleasant:  57
North Charleston:  44
James Island:  34
Hanahan:  17
Downtown Charleston:  14
Johns Island:  14
Kiawah & Seabrook:  8
Isle of Palms:  6
Daniel Island:  5
Edisto Beach:  3
Folly Beach:  2
Sullivans Island:  0


Summerville and Goose Creek basically topped out all of the areas around Charleston.  Those 3 areas have some really great homes for the dollar, and your money will go far since it is a little farther from downtown and the…

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isle_of_palmsIt’s that time of year again to start heading out to the beaches.  We have some of the nicest beaches around, in Charleston, SC, and with the weather getting warmer and warmer, a dip in the ocean might be the perfect solution.  Whether you’re a younger couple looking to meet friends at the beach, an older couple looking to find a nice quiet spot alone to read, or if you’re bringing the kids to play in the sand and ocean- every beach here in Charleston has something for you.

We mainly have 3 beaches that are closest to Charleston.  Isle of Palms, Sullivans Island, and Folly Beach.  I’d like to tell you a little bit about each of them, and give you my synopsis on the kind of people that are attracted to each beach.

Isle of Palms is one of my favorites.  It has…

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Well, we’re halfway through May here in Charleston, SC and there’s still plenty to do.  Look around and you'll see abundant signs of home improvement projects underway - from room repairs to gardening. If you're considering some changes to your home, you'll want to consider not only your own comfort, but also the ultimate return on your investment dollar. I'm always happy to advise you on getting the most out of your home, so please give me a call.

Meanwhile, the calendar begins to give us the flavor of the warm months ahead.

Here are a few things to do in May:

    * April 18th - May 15th - Charleston Free Movies in the Park take place every Friday evening in Marion Square at dusk (except May 1st), so bring your blankets and chairs. Food from numerous…

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