Food for Thought: "Everything You Wanted to Know About Probate But Never Dared to Ask"

This week we had the privilege of sponsoring a "lunch and learn" hosted by the Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce on the ins and outs of probate.

Our guest speaker, Judge Irvin Condon, CPA, Esq. was very entertaining and informative. 

As Certified Probate Experts (CPE), our main goal is to help Personal Representatives by providing "connections" to professionals and service providers who may be able to help them with their probate duties.  Click the picture below to view some of the service providers we can connect them with.  Read more here.

If the estate wants to sell any real estate (in any state...

May 2022 Events

We're thrilled to report that after such an “event-ful” April, the festivals continue into May! There’s the 39th Annual North Charleston Arts Fest (4th-8th), 51st Annual Charleston Greek Festival (6th-8th), McClellanville’s 44th Annual Lowcountry Shrimp Festival and Blessing of the Fleet (7th), Mead-ival Festival (21st), 11th Annual Charleston Food Truck Festival (21st-22nd), Spoleto Festival USA and Piccolo Spoleto Festival (both 27th - June 12th). There’s also a great array of events for everyone and many local farmers markets to check out. Plus, it’s Asian American Month and we have some holidays to celebrate, including May Day (1st), Eid al-Fitr (1st-2nd), Cinco de ...

Charleston in the News - May 2022

Boeing’s SC DreamLearners STEM-Education Program Hits Major Milestone!

Last month, the education program known as South Carolina DreamLearners and spearheaded by Boeing, reached the milestone of having 1 million participants. The STEM-based program, which began in 2012, exposes students to advanced manufacturing and aerodynamics. They learn to build drones and about robotics, programming and how to build planes. Geared primarily to meet the state’s Force and Motion standards for 5th-graders, students of all ages and across the state (via a virtual learning component) are able to participate. Speakers and site tours also inform students about Boeing’s op...

Check out 1501 Menhaden Ln. in Mount Pleasant!

NEW LISTING! 4-br. 4.5-ba. home in Stratton by the Sound.

Details & Pics: https://bit.ly/1501Menhaden

Showings and Info: 843-900-0155

1501 Menhaden Lane
Mount Pleasant, SC

MLS# 22010584 - Residential

Quality, semi-custom, coastal craftsman elevated home on a pond lot with water views of Copahee Sound! As you step onto the inviting full front porch, a pair of Charleston gas lanterns and daybed swings welcome you. You'll be tempted to linger there to take in the views and ocean breeze while sipping a glass of sweet tea. Once you enter through the glass front double entry doors into the foyer, cast your eyes across the grea...

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has tracked multi-generational homes since 2012.

In its 2020 Profile of Buyers and Sellers, NAR reported that demand for multi-generational homes increased to a high of 15% during the Covid pandemic. 

According to NAR, "Pre-pandemic there was an even split between buyers who purchased a multi-generational home for aging parents and for adult children boomeranging back or never leaving. Now the top reason to purchase a multi-generational home is for aging parents to move into the home...there are some data from consumers to support the fact that this living situation is a permanent change. While the concern of COVID-19, loneliness, or ch...

Growing Interest in Charleston Area Industrial Properties

There is growing demand for the acquisition and leasing of industrial facilities in the Lowcountry, given their potential to help address supply chain issues faced regionally and across the U.S. and world. Their proximity to what is now the 8th largest US maritime port and to fast-growing population centers in the Southeast are contributing factors. Record sales prices are being achieved on existing distribution centers, with purchases being made by large out-of-state and international real estate investment firms. The most recent such purchase topped $109 million for a 1 million-square-foot distribution center in Summerville. A...

This may be the most “event-full” month we’ve ever come across in the Charleston area! There are at least 17 - Yes, 17! - festivals, three major sporting events and a myriad of events and activities catering to all interests, not to mention the return of most of our seasonal farmers markets. The festivals on our radar include: 75th Annual Festival of Houses & Gardens (through the 9th), Flowertown Festival (1st - 3rd), Artcelium Fest (3rd), (8th - 9th), Lowcountry Strawberry Festival (8th - 16th*), Founders Day Festival (9th), Lowcountry Cajun Festival (9th), Gospel Fest 2022 (17th), Charleston Cocktail Week (18th - 24th), Sundown Festival (20th), Charleston Jazz Festival (21st - 24th),...

Glen McConnell Pkwy Widening Project Starts

Charleston County has announced that the widening project which will take the four-lane road to six lanes from Magwood Drive to Bees Ferry Road started in March. In addition to road widening, the project calls for a 10-foot-wide multi-use pedestrian and bicycle path, additional bus stops and upgrades to existing intersections. All work requiring lane closures will be done at night. This project will improve morning and evening commute times for West Ashley residents. Read more details about this project. 

MSC Expands Operations in Mount Pleasant

Switzerland-based Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), a global transportation and logistics co...

Our local paper, The Post & Courier, reports that average dwelling rental in Charleston is $400 above the national average, with the median rental rate for a one-bedroom apartment now standing at $1,446 and $1,690 for a two-bedroom (the national average rental

for a two-bedroom apartment is $1,294). Rental rates were just starting to rise at this time last year after the widespread availability of COVID vaccines allowed renters who had returned home to live with family members to begin to move back into their own apartments.

Mount Pleasant has the most expensive rental rates in South Carolina, with a median rental of $1,868 for a one-bedroom unit and $2,146 for a two-bedroom dwellin...

Aging parents? Hard to see them often enough?

This brand new home may be the solution! It has a perfect design for a multi-generational family:

The main house has 3 bedrooms, plus an independent in-law suite (with a separate entrance and a kitchenette).

In addition, there is a fully independent carriage house with its own 2-car garage!

Check out the video tour:

1456 Tannanger Trail
Awendaw, SC

MLS# 22006865 - Residential

Imagine this brand new custom-built, coastal modern luxury home on a wooded, 2.5-acre lot in a small, gated, horse-loving community...as your multi-generational family complex, winter retreat, or permanent home with an income-earning unit.In the words o...

Keep Healthy & Have Fun!!

Enter to win two FREE TICKETS to the 45th Annual Cooper River Bridge Run.

No purchase necessary. One entry per person.

DRAW: Saturday,March 26th @ 1pm EST (FB Live)

Want to improve your odds?

Send us a referral of anyone thinking of buying or selling real estate and you will receive 5 extra tickets per referral!

To enter, please send your name, email address and phone number to: info@alandonald.com

Let us know if you have any referrals!

Hedge Against Inflation With These 3 Real Estate Investment Types

The annual inflation rate in the United States is currently around 7.5%—the highest it has been since 1982.1 It doesn’t matter if you’re a cashier, a lawyer, a plumber, or a retiree; if you spend U.S. dollars, inflation impacts you.

Economists expect the effects of inflation, like a higher cost of goods, to continue.2 Luckily, an investment in real estate can ease some of the financial strain. 

Here’s what you need to know about inflation, how it impacts you, and how an investment in real estate can help.

WHAT IS INFLATION AND HOW DOES IT IMPACT ME?

Inflation is a decline in the value of money. When the rate of inf...

Let's keep the numbers in perspective!

Yes, home prices have risen very fast in the last two years...
Yes, mortgage interest rates have increased noticeably...

However, look at this HOME AFFORDABILITY chart. Buying a home today is still VERY AFFORDABLE compared to years past...

• New addition to your family? Need more space?
• Rent going up with no end in sight?
• New job with better pay?

Start your home buying process now!
Use your tax refund for a down payment.

Call/text us at 843-900-0155 to get started.

The Alan Donald Team at Keller Williams Realty
Professional Service | Local Expertise | Advanced Technology
BuyHomesInCharleston.com

I read this article in the Post & Courier and found it interesting...

SC ranked No. 2 in 2021 for in-bound moves, study says

BY WARREN L. WISE  wwise@postandcourier.com 

Only 13 states saw the percentage of people moving in last year higher than those moving out.

South Carolina was in the former group.

A new study shows the Palmetto State ranked No. 2 in the nation last year for in-bound moves.

The state saw nearly 42 percent more people moving in than moving out, ranking second to Arkansas with almost 44 percent more relocating to the land of Little Rock and the Ozarks, according to a study of 90,000 moves last year by hireahelper.com.

Mount Pleasant and Myrtle Beach picked up the...

Charleston, SC Metro Area 
Residential Real Estate Market Trends

Until 2019, Charleston's Median Home Sales Price trendline was below the 4.3% annual compound rate trendline.

The rapid appreciation in 2020 and 2021 made the actual line cross and we are now above the trendline, just like in 2005.

Unless supply catches up with demand, a reversal of these trends is unlikely in the short to medium term.

The gap between demand and supply is still growing. At the current rate of demand we would need about 6,000 active listings in the MLS to "balance" the market.

We have 1,000!

Are we in a real estate bubble?

These trend lines show that this time around home appreciation is much mo...

March 2022 Events 

( Copyright © 2022 The Alan Donald Team)

It’s March - Women’s History Month and Irish American Heritage Month - and spring is in the Charleston air! Mardi Gras wraps up on the 1st and don't forget about March Madness and Daylight Savings Time (begins on the 13th when clocks spring forward). We have two very long-standing annual events taking place in Charleston this month: the 75th Annual Festival of Houses & Gardens hosted by the Historic Charleston Foundation (3/16-4/9) and the Garden Club of Charleston’s 86th Annual House & Garden Tour (3/24-3/26). Two other popular events this month are the Charleston Wine + Food Festival (3/2-6) and the Charleston Bluegrass F...

317 Fish Creek
Summerville, SC

MLS# 22004575 - Residential

View Listing Details

Shows like a model home!

Immaculate, move-in ready, FULLY-FURNISHED, 3-bd./2-ba., 1-story + FROG 'Donegal' floor plan home in award-winning, resort-style 55+ community. Spacious open plan living and dining area, gourmet kitchen with large island, cozy sitting area plus sunroom. Great curb appeal, covered front porch and foyer with wainscoting and crown molding. Kitchen with quartz counters, gas cooktop, S/S appliances, painted cabinetry and a large pantry closet. Laminate flooring throughout for easy care. Master suite with upgraded en suite and spacious walk-in closet. Finished FROG with ...

The Pendulum is Always Moving
By Bruce Nemovitz, Bruce Allen Consultants

The real estate market is always moving in one direction or another.

In real time, the market heavily favors the seller. This is because the inventory of homes is at an all-time low, giving anyone selling your property a distinct advantage over the would-be purchaser.

That is great news for you, the homeowner. However, a caveat: The real estate market is always changing, and when it moves in one direction or another it usually is quick and decisive. My 35+ years in the real estate business as a Realtor has taught me many lessons. History does repeat itself and that feeling that prosperity and appreciation of ...

map by Google

I read this article on The Post & Courier and thought it would be great to repost here:

"by Autumn Phillips | Executive Editor | aphillips@postandcourier.com

As much as Charleston is growing, the surrounding areas are growing just as fast.

And while most people who talk about that growth focus on the backed-up traffic, the overflowing schools and the strained infrastructure, there’s also a lot of love and exploration in all of it.

Take Goose Creek, just 15 miles from Charleston, is one of the fastest growing cities in South Carolina and now the state’s eighth-largest. It’s becoming a top destination for younger residents looking for an affordable place to live.

It’s ...

Banner Year for SC Economic Development Led by Local Expansion Project

Google's $500 million planned expansion of its data center near Moncks Corner was the single largest capital investment announcement for the state in 2021... a banner year for South Carolina with a record $5.7 billion in economic development planned across the state. This was not all for Berkeley County, as the state's 8th largest investment announced last year is for a $118 million expansion of the Volvo Cars plant for its electric-vehicle plans. The largest project announced in terms of job creation for 2021 is by Canadian digital services provider Telus International, who is opening a new call center in North C...