Note: I found this article on Realtor Mag and thought it was interesting to copy/paste here (with some minor edits). 

Alan

What’s on Home Shoppers’ Wish Lists

Wish To Sell Your Daniel Island Home? You Better Price it Perfectly!

For many years now, Daniel Island has been one of the "darling" sub-markets in the Charleston, SC area. As a planned "affluent" and predictable community, Daniel Island has enjoyed strong appreciation (parallel to, and sometimes ahead of Mount Pleasant's).

However, prices have risen to the point where demand is starting to pull back, and right now Daniel Island is poised to become an "oversupplied" or "Buyer's Market" once again (see graph). In the graph, each point represents a 12-month average, so the curve represents the trend.

In the first quarter of 2017, there were 59 sales closed on Daniel Island, and the current inv...

Don't Miss Out! Listings like this one don't become available very often.

This Mount Pleasant luxury townhome provides ample living space with no yard work to worry about! Lots of closet storage, 4th bedroom downstairs, double Lowcountry front porches.

Main floor with 9' ceilings, hardwood floors, plantation shutters and crown molding. Gourmet kitchen with 42'' wood cabinets and granite countertops, breakfast bar with three pendant lights, stainless steel appliances, pantry and a large eat-in area with a fireplace.

Large master bedroom on main floor has double closets, master bathroom with tiled floors, double vanities, separate garden tub and shower. Upstairs there are two large bed...

The Oaks Marsh View is a new community being developed by John Wieland Homes and you simply cannot beat the location!  Sitting along the marsh, just off of Ben Sawyer Blvd in Mt Pleasant, you are just minutes away from lounging on the beaches of Sullivans Island or eating fish tacos at Poe's Tavern.  

There are a total of 53 home sites in the community (14+ sites have already sold) and currently 4 spec homes being built (available for quick move-in).  There are 2 marsh sites available as well, although these will not last long!  There are six floor plans to choose from in the neighborhood; Dillion, Dawson, Foster, Chesapeake, Carter and the Faulkner (which is John Wieland's model home ...

Spring weather is here and the azaleas are in bloom! The Volvo WTA Open Tennis Tournament is here in Charleston the first week in April. The Tennis Channel is having full coverage all week and they are making a big deal out of this. It’s come to be a very respected tournament and the start of the clay season.

The Cooper River Bridge Run is also April 1 and the Summerville Flowertown Festival is also on this first weekend. What a great month to be in Charleston, SC. The Mount Pleasant Blessing of the Fleet also happens in April. 

Here is a partial calendar of events in the Charleston area for April, 2017:

1: 40th Cooper River Bridge Run

1: Harlem Globetrotters, N Chas Coliseum

1: Nitt...

Charleston, SC is getting abundant positive publicity, both domestically and internationally. Top Chef just finished airing the season that was filmed here. The Tennis Channel is making a huge deal out of their first ever full week coverage of the WTA Volvo Car Open tournament here next week on Daniel Island, they are calling it the premier clay tournament in America (Volvo is the main sponsor and they are also busy building their new manufacturing plant built in Ridgeville, in the outskirts of the Charleston, SC Metro Area.

Charleston, SC residential real estate had its 2nd busiest year ever in 2016 and it looks like 2017 is setting up to be even better. Buying activity has been the str...

What You Need to Know About Flood Insurance.

Here are four great reasons to consider buying a home today instead of waiting.

1. Prices Will Continue to Rise

CoreLogic’s latest Home Price Index reports that home prices have appreciated by 6.9% over the last 12 months. The same report predicts that prices will continue to increase at a rate of 4.8% over the next year.

The bottom in home prices has come and gone. Home values will continue to appreciate for years. Waiting no longer makes sense.

2. Mortgage Interest Rates Are Projected to Increase

Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey shows that interest rates for a 30-year mortgage have remained around 4% over the last couple months. The Mortgage Bankers Association, Fanni...

Over the next five years, home prices are expected to appreciate 3.22% per year on average and to grow by 17.3% cumulatively, according to Pulsenomics’ most recent Home Price Expectation Survey.

So, what does this mean for homeowners and their equity position?

As an example, let’s assume a young couple purchased and closed on a $250,000 home in January. If we look at only the projected increase in the price of that home, how much equity will they earn over the next 5 years?'

Since the experts predict that home prices will increase by 4.4% this year alone, the young homeowners will have gained $11,000 in equity in just one year.

Over a five-year period, their equity will increase b...

While 2016 was our second busiest year ever for Charleston Real Estate, 2017 has really started off with a bang.

January was the busiest January in history for Charleston real estate. Inventory is low and demand is very high, which could lead to prices going up even more. Currently, mean prices are still below the trend line going back to 1991, but that may change soon if inventory stays this low.

Fortunately, supply is likely to increase slightly, since many new construction builders are actively working all over the metro area. There are quite a few new neighborhoods under construction - including Ashton Woods' Stratton-by-the-Sound in Mount Pleasant and Pulte Homes' The Arbors in St....

March is here but it felt like spring all through February. The azaleas and camellias are already in bloom, as temperatures were in the 70’s most of last month. March features the Wine and Food Festival, the Charleston Fashion Week and the beginning of the Flowertown Festival in Summerville. The 70th Festival of House and Gardens begins on the 16th and runs until April 22. And don’t forget the Cooper River Bridge Run on April 1st.

Here’s your March calendar of events:

1-5: 12th Annual Charleston Wine and Food Festival

3: Artwalk, 10 downtown art galleries

3: Ron White, N Chas PAC

3: Los Lonely Boys, Music Hall

4: IOP Beach Festival

8: Anne Selleck, Kiawah Turtle Point

10: Rick...

When speaking with potential first time home buyers, the biggest obstacle is typically coming up with the down payment.  Tax time and allocating the tax refund to the down payment is an ideal way to help first time buyers into a home.  Here is a handy grid to show what they can afford, in relation to rent. These figures do include the taxes, insurance, and PMI. 

Thank you to Jim Duffy with Atlantic Bay Mortgage for sharing!  To learn more about mortgage process contact Jim, 843-735-0865.

Thinking of buying a home in 2017?  Call Meghan Bowes, our team buyer specialist, to get the process started today!  843-900-0155.

The real estate market here is sizzling hot - January 2017 was the busiest January we’ve ever experienced, and 2016 was the 2nd busiest year ever, second only to 2005 by just a few hundred home sales. We sold over 17,000 houses and that was up over 10% over 2015. The graph shows a 3-month average for closed sales since 2004. 

The median sales price was at an all time high of $245,000, but this was only a modest 4.3% gain over 2015.

Many factors are pointing to 2017 being even a better year: We continue to receive good news from every angle. Volvo is going to open their new plant here this year in Ridgeville (Goose Creek/Summerville area). You can still buy a home on that side of town ...

Fannie Mae’s article, “What Consumers (Don’t) Know About Mortgage Qualification Criteria,” revealed that “only 5 to 16 percent of respondents know the correct ranges for key mortgage qualification criteria.”

Myth #1: “I Need a 20% Down Payment

Fannie Mae’s survey revealed that consumers overestimate the down payment funds needed to qualify for a home loan. According to the report, 76% of Americans either don’t know (40%) or are misinformed (36%) about the minimum down payment required.

Many believe that they need at least 20% down to buy their dream home, but many programs actually let buyers put down as little as 3%.  Above are the results of a Digital Risk survey of Millennials w...

February is here and we might have a handful of cold days, but so far the weather has been fantastic. Only 3 days failed to reach 50 degrees in January. Right now, we look to have none of those in the first 10 days.

February brings us the South Eastern Wildlife Expo on the weekend of 17-19. Amazingly, Dave Chappelle is in town for 4 shows in 2 nights at the Music Hall.

Boxcar Betty’s chicken sandwich was voted best Fried Chicken by Foursquare and Charleston was rated 19th best city for ultimate livability by US News and World Review.

Here is your February calendar of events:

1: America’s Got Talent, Charleston Convention Center

1-2: Dave Chappelle, Charleston Music Hall

2-5: Go...