Posts by : Alan Donald

Interest in Charleston SC Real Estate Grows Nationally

Charleston, SC was in the news recently as the "Best Tourism Destination in the World" (Conde Nast Travel Magazine, 2012) and many other accolades. Summerville (part of the Charleston MSA) was also chosen as "The Best Place to Retire in the U.S." by CNN Money. In addition, Charleston area's employment is the fastest growing in South Carolina (Boeing just built a new plant here) and the economic outlook for this coastal city is looking very encouraging.

It is no surprise that our real estate is receiving increasing attention nationally. The following graph from Google Trends shows the search activity for the term "homes in charleston...

National builder LENNAR HOMES announced the launch of their latest new home community SPENCER CREEK WOODS off of Ladson Road in Ladson, SC. This new community will feature 3 and 4 bedroom homes (one and two stories) priced from $129,990. 

What a fantastic opportunity for first-time home buyers and renters who can qualify for a loan at record-low interest rates and pay much less than rent to own a home!

To arrange a private appointment to go see this new community, or to receive additional information about Spencer Creek Woods by mail, please call us on 843-900-0155. 

Residential Construction at CARNES CROSSROADS Starting Up!

Carnes Crossroads (the 2,300-acre mixed-use community located at the intersection of Hwy 17A and Hwy 176 in Goose Creek that was developed by The Daniel Island Company) has been "on ice" for the last three years, but is now "thawing". The developer announced today that residential construction is starting to get underway, showing  clear signs that the real estate market in Charleston is on the upswing.

The first three builders that will start building in Carnes Crossroads are: David Weekley Homes, Sabal Homes and Eastwood Homes. The starting price for these homes will be around $230,000. There is a lot going on, and we look forw...

Buying a Condo in Mount Pleasant, SC With an FHA Loan?

Are you planning on purchasing a condo in Mount Pleasant using an FHA loan to finance it?

Make sure that the condo project is on the "HUD-Approved List" before you get too excited. If it is not (or if the approval has expired), your loan will not get approved!

Click here to view the "official" list of HUD-approved condo projects in Mount Pleasant, SC!

Another important question to ask is if the Condominium association is currently under litigation or not. Most banks will not lend money to purchase condominiums where the HOA is involved in litigation!

Call us on 843-900-0155 - we can help you "navigate" the condo market and buy a ...

Is Now A Good Time To Buy a Home In Charleston, SC?

The "overall" answer is YES. The "affordability index" (i.e. the relationship between home prices and interest rates) is at a very high level.

Most of the Charleston area (excepting Mount Pleasant and some segments of Daniel Island, areas in which the real estate market has turned around and prices are firming up) are still oversupplied - more than 6 months' inventory - and therefore prices are still soft (buyer's market).

Bear in mind that in our opinion the most important factor to consider right now (if you plan to borrow money) are interest rates. A 1% hike in interest rates will decrease your buying power by about 10%. And at this ...

Calling all EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTS!

Are you a thorough, detail-oriented professional who may be interested in a career with a growing business? Have you worked as a paralegal or loan underwriter? Are you comfortable with systems, procedures and checklists? Are you computer-savvy and good with people?

We are growing and need to hire a 1/2 time Executive Assistant (potentially going to full-time next year) to help grow our business to the next level. 

Interested?

Check out the job profile and please follow the instructions to apply. 

CHARLESTON, SC - WORLD CHAMP!

Last year, Conde Nast Travel Magazine chose Charleston, South Carolina, as the top tourist town in the U.S. This year, we did it again!

But even BETTER! The magazine's readers voted for the second consecutive year, "Top City in the United States" in the Conde Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards - in addition, this year Charleston beat serious contenders like Cape Town, South Africa and Florence, Italy as the BEST TOURISM CITY in the WORLD!!

Do you want to buy a piece of paradise? We can help you, call 843-900-0155 to talk to one of our Charleston, SC real estate specialists!

I received this great testimonial on my personal Facebook page from a seller client - completely unsolicited! 

Want to sell? Call us 843-900-0155.

REAL ESTATE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

The Alan Donald Real Estate Team is looking to hire a half-time executive assistant to grow business to the next level.  

Primary Functions include:

1. Build, implement and manage all systems for sellers, buyers, lead generation, database management, information management and back office support
2. Oversee all contracts from signing through closing, including coordination of inspectors, trade service people, insurance providers, attorneys and lenders
3. Be the first point of contact in handling customer inquiries or complaints (real estate license is a plus but not essential)

2. Maintain financial systems, including maintaining the books, paying  bills, ass...

SELLING YOUR HOME

Yesterday we heard that the lawsuit between the former and new owners/developers of Carolina Park, the planned community next to Wando High School in Mount Pleasant was settled.

This paves the way for the builders who have lots to start marketing their products without the "legal cloud" that would otherwise be there in reference to the master community lawsuit. 

Ryland Homes will be the first builder offering new homes in Carolina Park. Next in line will be David Weekley Homes. It is rumored that John Wieland Homes may also buy some of the semi-custom lots and start offering homes in Carolina Park.

New home construction has been very active in Mount Pleasant. With five years of almost ...

Here is an update on Ryland Home's Carolina Park neighborhood in Northern Mount Pleasant, SC.

As far as we know, Ryland is starting pre-sales this month. The floor plans they will be offering are:

• The Savannah (2,072 sq. ft. 3/2.5/2) from $309,000
• The Thompson (2,158 sq. ft. 3/2.5/2) from $322,000
• The Edisto (2,228 sq. ft., 3/2.5/2) from $324,000
• The Beaufort (2,365 sq. ft. 3/2.5/2) from $329,000
• The Coosaw (2,749 sq. ft. 3/2.5/2) from $349,000
• The Wando (2,964 sq. ft. 4/3.5/2) from $359,000

In order to CHOOSE THE BEST LOT we suggest you SET UP AN APPOINTMENT early!

Call us TODAY to set up your appointment! Or SEND US YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION to mail you a printed information...

Need More Space?

Ryland Homes has purchased 58 lots in the long-awaited community of Carolina Park, located North of popular Park West in Mount Pleasant, SC. The company recently broke ground ion two model homes with the view of starting pre-sales of new homes shortly after. These two model homes are two-story homes:

• The 3,206 sw. ft. Coosaw floor plan (4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, detached 2-car garage) priced from $360,000; and
• The 2,446 sq. ft. Thompson floor plan (3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, bonus room, detached two-car garage) priced from $322,000.

These two model homes are scheduled to open by the end of September.  Ryland will have a total of six floor plans available at Carolina Park...

This is a quote from a posting I read in a LinkedIn discussion forum (published with the author's permission):

"I was relocated to Mount Pleasant, SC which is a bridge over the Cooper River away from Charleston, better known as Heaven & most beautiful city on Earth. Mt. P has the best school system in the state, has and is growing in leaps and bounds since I moved there in 1993. Unfortunately, due to the economy, I lost my job. At the time there were no recruiting agencies & did everything I could to stay, but a friend called me with a position back on Long Island, NY. I moved my family back to NY and my wife literally cried all the way back. Charleston has everything you could want,...

OYSTER POINT, a new marshfront residential development proposed by DR Horton, received initial approval from the Planning Department of the Town of Mount Pleasant. Now the project goes to the Town Council Planning Committee and then to the Full Town Council for a vote.

The 200-acre parcel off of Rifle Range Rd. and Six Mile Rd. will contain 593 residential units and could begin by the end of 2012.  To receive early-bird information about the proposed homes, prices and floor plans, please fill out this form.

The project will use a first-of-its-kind Conservation Landscape District Zoning that allows homes to be built closely together so long as developers preserve 25 percent of the proper...

MOUNT PLEASANT, SC REAL ESTATE INVENTORY KEEPS SHRINKING!

The following chart from Trulia.com shows the number of available listings for sale in Mount Pleasant, SC.

As demand shores up and inventory keeps going down, the residential real estate market will keep turning around and prices are starting to firm up in the lower price points.

However, there are a few larger new construction projects that are starting up soon: Carolina Park (John Wieland, Ryland Homes, David Weekly Homes) Tupelo Bay (Ryland Homes) Oyster Pointe (DR Horton) If you wish to receive detailed information about these new projects, please fill out this form.

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