Posts by : Alan Donald

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For years now, virtual home tours have helped real estate buyers far and wide find the perfect home. From long-distance military personnel being relocated, to investors expanding their portfolio, to homeowners looking for a vacation getaway, this technology makes finding a house that’s a bit out of driving distance much easier. And for real estate agents, virtual tours have been a useful way to help buyers with their home search and to assist sellers in creatively marketing their listings.

Because of the pandemic, virtual home showing options recently experienced a huge spike in popularity. One survey found that nearly 33% of recent home tour requests were...

Charleston Leads the Nation with 4 of TripAdvisor's TOP 25 Fine-Dining Restaurants in 2021

TripAdvisor's 2021 Travelers' Choice "Best of the Best" Restaurant awards, which are based on traveler reviews and ratings, are out ... and Charleston leads the nation in the "Fine Dining" category, one of eight restaurant categories!  Four local restaurants made its list of the Top 25 "Fine-Dining" establishments in the U.S in 2021.  Halls Chophouse ranked 3rd, Circa 1886 9th, Peninsula Grill 14th and 82 Queen 25th.  New York City had three restaurants make the list, while New Orleans, Yountville (CA) and Santa Fe (NM) each had two.

Among the seven other restaurant categories, Halls also rank...

Summer is speeding by and area schools resume mid-month. Fortunately, there are plenty of activities, events and entertainment on offer throughout August in the Lowcountry, with many listed below.  Annual events taking place include the remaining days of the 2021 Festival of Houses & Gardens which wraps up on the 17th, National Night Out - when community members have the opportunity to meet local law enforcement - on the 3rd, and South Carolina's Sales Tax Free Weekend from the 6th through the 8th.  If you're looking for fun themes to celebrate, it's National Watermelon Day on the 3rd, National S'mores Day on the 10th, National Mosquito Day on the 20th and Toasted Marshmallow Day on the...

Check out our HOT NEW LISTING in Summerville!

Mortgage rates are staying VERY LOW, despite some inflationary trends...

Home Owners: Have you refinanced recently? If your rate is at least 1% above these rates, I would strongly suggest you look into refinancing you mortgage loan. Try our affiliate company KELLER MORTGAGE, with ZERO LENDER FEES, COMPETITIVE rates and $1,000 cashback at closing: https://preapproval.kellermortgage.com/#/disclaimer?KWUID=220700&campaign_id=15

Home Buyers: Our real estate market is starting to turn around, right now you have 36% MORE OPTIONS to choose from than you had back in May. Take advantage of these rates now! https://preapproval.kellermortgage.com/#/disclaimer?KWUID=220700&campaign_id=15

Home Sell...

Our residential ACTIVE inventory in the Charleston, SC MLS has increased by more than 25% since its low point in May.

It appears that our "sizzling hot" market momentum has indeed TURNED AROUND!

Will home prices start falling? Unlikely - for a while! We have such low inventory that if demand keeps steady, it will take about 3 times the current inventory for prices to start to drop.

However, the rate of price increases will start decelerating (we're downshifting from fourth gear into third gear!). Buyers will have a little more leverage and a few more choices moving forward.

Were you waiting for the "top of the market" to sell your home?

This is it!

Call/text 843-900-0155 or DM m...

If you’re searching for drama, don’t limit yourself to Netflix. Instead, tune in to the real estate market, where the competition among buyers has never been fiercer. And with homes selling for record highs,1 the appraisal process—historically a standard part of a home purchase—is receiving more attention than ever. That’s because some sellers are finding out the hard way that a strong offer can fizzle quickly when an appraisal comes in below the contract price. Traditionally, the sale of a home is contingent on a satisfactory valuation. But in a rapidly appreciating market, it can be difficult for appraisals to keep pace with rising prices.

Thus, many sellers in today’s market favor...

Two Local Athletes Make the US Olympics Team!

The 2020 Summer Olympics, which were delayed by a year due to COVID-19 and begin on July 21st in Tokyo, will be welcoming two of our own Charleston natives, Raven Saunders and Khris Middleton. Raven Saunders threw 65 feet 5 inches for a personal best and record breaker in the women's shot put final at the US Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon last week to qualify for the second time to join Team USA. According to Team USA, Raven's throw ranks 5th all-time among US athletes and is the 3rd best shot put in the world so far in 2021. Her Hulk mask and green hair, exuberance following her achievement, and shout-out to Charleston ...

Welcome to the Dog Days of Summer (7/3 to 8/11), the hottest and steamiest part of summer and named for when Sirius, the Dog Star, typically rises at the same time as the Sun. July is also recognized as National Ice Cream Month, National Park and Recreation Month, National Picnic Month and National Watermelon Month. Of course, the big holiday this month is Independence Day on the 4th, with celebrations planned across the Lowcountry and the return of fireworks displays for most (not all) local municipalities. Plus, the 65th Annual Beaufort Water Festival runs for 10 days starting on the 16th and the 17th Annual Sweetgrass Festival will be held on the 24th in Mount Pleasant. The 2020 Summ...

Should I Move or Refinance?

The level of equity homeowners have is at an all-time high. According to the U.S. Census, over 38% of owner-occupied homes are owned free and clear, meaning they don’t have a mortgage. Those with a mortgage are seeing their equity skyrocket too. Every time real estate values increase, homeowners get a dollar-for-dollar gain in their home equity.

According to the first-quarter 2021 U.S. Home Equity Report from ATTOM Data Solutions:

“17.8 million residential properties in the United States were considered equity-rich, meaning that the combined estimated amount of loans secured by those properties was 50 percent or less of their estimated market value.

The c...

One of the most challenging aspects of home ownership is selling an existing property while buying a replacement. It can be a very stressful and sometimes impossible task due to financial constraints and undesirable contingencies.

In a “normal” market, purchasing the new home with a “Contingency on Sale” of the old home is an acceptable alternative, and “back to back” closings are more feasible.
However, in an under-supplied “Hot Market” many buyers are competing for a few properties and sellers will not look favorably on such contingencies. Buyers that include a contingency on sale will likely lose out, unless they are willing to pay a large premium and waive the appraisal contingency, ...

Records Broken at the Port of Charleston

Not only has the Port of Charleston just experienced two record-breaking months in terms of cargo volume handled, but last Friday it welcomed Marco Polo, the record-breaking container ship. Record cargo volumes were achieved in April across many categories and business segments, including containers, vehicles, loaded imports and exports. This was due to continued economic recovery, strong business and population growth across the Southeast, strong manufacturing and automotive sectors in the state and nearby, and improved port capacity due to over $2 billion in recent investment in enhancements, expansions and harbor deepening. Last Friday, the...

Welcome to June, the month of graduations, the start of summer vacation (and the Atlantic hurricane season) and the return of summer camps! Holidays this month include National Trails Day (5th), Flag Day (14th), Juneteenth (19th) and Fathers Day (20th). The Summer Solstice - the longest day of the year - is also on the 20th!  You can now enjoy fresh local produce from a farmers market almost every day of the week. Plus, with the reopening of several cultural venues, the Charleston area has a few noteworthy festivals to look forward to this month, including the 1st Annual Park Circle Pride event (1st - 6th), the return of Spoleto Festival USA and Piccolo Spoleto Festival (both through th...

Immaculate, 5-bedroom, 3-bathroom home in Wescott Plantation!

Call 843-900-0155.

9205 S Moreto Circle
Summerville, SC

MLS# 21012116 - Residential

Relax and entertain in this spacious 5-br., 3-ba. home in Wescott Plantation! Dorchester II schools! Grand two-story foyer, curved archways, formal dining and living rooms. Laminate hardwood floors throughout the first floor. A wide hallway leads to an open-concept floor plan, with an eat-in kitchen and family room with gas log fireplace. The kitchen has granite counters, S/S appliances, tile backsplash and new dishwasher. Sliding glass doors open to a screened porch and covered patio that provide great space to relax and en...

Last week we had an amazing week in terms of residential real estate activity!

We desperately need more HOMES TO SELL!!

Thinking of moving? Call us on 843-900-0155 to discuss a CUSTOMIZED PLAN to achieve YOUR GOALS!

Man Finds Prehistoric Shark Tooth on Summerville Construction Site

Summerville’s increasing growth and development has “unearthed” a rather interesting surprise - a fossilized 6.45-inch prehistoric megalodon shark tooth - and there are likely many more to be found!  Matthew Basak, a lifelong fossil enthusiast and employee of Palmetto Fossil Excursions (based in Charleston), reported that he was digging around a Summerville construction site when he uncovered the giant tooth just below the soil.  Although Basak’s fossil find is nearly larger than his hand, it is not the largest megalodon tooth to be found.  The largest megalodon tooth found to date measured in at nearly 6.5 inches, and ...

Hello and welcome to the beautiful month of May, which is Military Appreciation Month!  Time to head outside and enjoy the mild spring weather before the heat of summer sets in!  This month is brimming with all sorts of events that are perfect for soaking in the sun and enjoying time with friends and family, including the Lowcountry Strawberry Festival and the Spoleto Festival.  The folk tradition of May Day and the Kentucky Derby ring in the month on the first.  If you need a reason to sit back and sip on some lemonade with friends, May 2nd also happens to be National Lemonade Day and World Laughter Day!  Celebrate Cinco de Mayo and African World Heritage Day on May 5th, and be sure to s...

The Charleston, SC residential real estate market is behaving like most markets in the U.S. - supply is very low and demand is very high, which causes extreme buyer competition and rising home prices.

However, real estate is "hyper-local" and there are some differences between different areas of town.

The following table illustrates the "Months of Inventory" (also called "Months of Supply") index for the different MLS areas in our metro area (click image to view full size).

[We define a "neutral" or "balanced market one with 6 months of inventory. In such a market the same number of homes come on the market as the number that go under contract, so supply and demand are balanced. By c...

April is here and we are so excited to bring you this month’s spring calendar!  This month is packed with plenty of fun and refreshing indoor and outdoor events, as well as virtual events for those who want to stay in and keep cozy on the couch!  For those who are ready to get out and enjoy this spring weather, check out the area farmers markets sprouting up again, downtown's Festival of Houses and Gardens (through July), Mount Pleasant's Blessing of the Fleet (25th), among many other lively events.  April Fool’s Day may be on the 1st, but it’s no joke that it’s also National Burrito Day!  Celebrate the religious holidays of Passover (through the 4th), Easter Sunday (4th), and Ramadan (...