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...

February has arrived and we have so much going on this month in the Charleston area and in general!  It’s Black History Month, Chinese New Years is being celebrated on the 1st and it will be the Year of the Tiger, Groundhog Day follows on the 2nd, Valentine's Day is on the 14th, the Southeastern Wildlife Exhibition (SEWE) runs from the 17th to the 21st, Presidents’ Day is observed on the 21st this year, the Charleston Comedy Festival returns this year from the 23rd to the 26th, and Mardi Gras continues through the month culminating on March 1st. We have oyster roasts, including the 38th Annual Lowcountry Oyster Festival at Boone Hall in Mount Pleasant on the 6th, and a full mix of indoo...

Immaculate 5-br. 3-ba. Home On Double Pond Lot in Oakfield on Johns Island

Better than new!

This immaculate 5-br., 3.5-ba. home was built by Pulte Homes built on a DOUBLE POND LOT.

With a fully-fenced backyard on a tranquil pond and a finished 2-car garage, this home stands out!

As you enter, the formal dining room, with tray ceiling and crown molding, and the central great room with a gas fireplace welcome family and friends.

The gourmet eat-in kitchen overlooks the great room and boasts a breakfast bar, granite counters, subway-tile backsplash, S/S appliances, white painted cabinetry, a table area and a walk-in pantry.

A bright sunroom adjoins the great room and leads to a sc...

Homeowners are Sitting on Record Equity, So Here’s How to Cash Out When Mortgage Rates are Rising

During the last year, home prices rose, making many Americans house rich.

By the end of the third quarter, borrowers had a record $9.4 trillion in tappable home equity collectively, or an average of $178,000 per borrower, says Black Knight.

When tapping those dollars, it’s best to consider your whole financial picture, including current debt amount and associated interest rates, how much you’re looking to borrow, available HELOC vs. cash-out rate offerings, and the timeline for paying off the additional debt.

But with 24% of all first-lien mortgages with an interest rate below 3%, cash-ou...

Achieving the Dream of Homeownership

Homeownership has long been considered the American Dream, and it’s one every American should feel confident and powerful pursuing. But owning a home is also a deeply personal dream. Our home provides us with safety and security, and it’s a place where we can grow and flourish.

We remember the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Many of us will remember his passion and determination for the causes he championed, including his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963. As we reflect on his message today, it may inspire your own dream of homeownership. And if so, know you’re not alone. With a trusted real estate advisor at your side, you can begin y...

January 2022 Events 

( Copyright © 2022 The Alan Donald Team)

Welcome in your 2022 new year with one or any number of exciting events happening this month! There are polar plunges, Charleston Restaurant Week (begins the 13th), Charleston Winter Wine Festival (29th), live concerts and much more this month. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated on the 17th and there will be several events commemorating him. Plus, you can create your own fun celebrating any of the month’s unique and wacky national holidays such as National Bird Day (5th), Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day (11th), Appreciate a Dragon Day (16th), Winnie the Pooh Day (18th), Penguin Awareness Day (20th), and Global B...