Posts filed under Charleston Real Estate



Charleston's Real Estate Market Steams Ahead!

Mon, Aug 1st 2016 12:58 pm by Alan Donald Charleston Real Estate

Graph No. 1 - Median Sales Price

The price gap between Mount Pleasant and the rest of the Charleston Area continues to widen (see Graph No. 1 - click to magnify).

However, the "supply and demand" Months of Inventory curves have once again intersected (see Graph No. 2 - click to magnify). In the past, this "crossing" has been a precursor to a market shift. While inventory is still low, if history repeats itself and absorption in Mount Pleasant goes up past 6 months' inventory, we may experience a market correction in Mount Pleasant, normally ollowed by a market correction in the rest of the Charleston Area 12-18 months' after.

Last Week's Activity

Analysis of residential properties going under c...




Supply & Demand – The Charleston, SC Real Estate Market – July 2016

Fri, Jul 15th 2016 10:12 am by Alan Donald Charleston Real Estate

Supply & Demand – The Charleston, SC Real Estate Market – July 2016

The following table shows the Active (homes currently for sale on MLS - supply) and Pending (homes currently under contract on MLS – demand) for the Charleston SC Area. (click on the table to view a larger version).

Supply and Demand Charleston SC Real EstateInteresting take-away points from this table:

1. Lines 2 and 3 show that there are a lot of overpriced listings on the market. Watch for many price reductions at the end of the summer.

2. Lines 4 and 5 show that buyers are focused on the low prices offered by short sales and foreclosures. However, the amount of distressed sales is so low that they are becoming almost irrelevant.

3. Line 6 shows that the p...




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Is This Summer The Ideal Time To Sell Your Charleston Home?

Tue, Jun 7th 2016 10:47 pm by Alan Donald Charleston Real Estate

Is This Summer The Ideal Time To Sell Your Charleston Home?

This is an opinion article about Charleston real estate and the value of your Charleston home.

If you’ve been following the news, you would have heard that the Federal Reserve is likely to raise interest rates when they meet on June 15th.  It’s been all over the news in these past few weeks. Here are a few of these articles: NY Times   Reuters   Forbes.

This may make it more expensive for people to own a home by raising their mortgage payments. A 1% rate hike decreases buying power by more than 10%, and also reduces the potential pool of buyers for your home, therefore decreasing demand and potentially lowering the market pric...



Charleston Real Estate Market Update - June 2016 Edition

Tue, May 31st 2016 1:45 pm by Alan Donald Charleston Real Estate

Charleston Real Estate Market Update - June 2016 Edition

(click graphs to enlarge)

This year's real estate market continues to outperform 2015.

Last year was the first time we ever experienced over 400 properties going under contract in one week, and it happened only 4 times in the whole year. This has already happened 8 times this year and we are only halfway through!

Median Sales Price Charleston SC
June 2016

Median sales price is up by 5.3% year-to-date over the same period last year, but look at the graph (click to enlarge) to see what they've done in the last 10 years! Median sales price is now up to $237,000 for the whole MLS area.

If we look closer there are 9 specific MLS areas where median sales price is ...



Charleston SC Real Estate Future Prices Forecast

Thu, May 19th 2016 5:15 pm by Alan Donald Charleston Real Estate

Future Home Price Prediction May 2016

Future Price Prediction
Active inventory continues to hold steady at around 5k units. However, under contract units is up to a very high level of over 4k units. The median list price of the active inventory continues to rise. Short sales and foreclosures now make up less than 3% of all active inventory. 
The future prices chart ((click on the table to view larger version) continues to look excellent. This chart shows future price predictions by MLS area based on recent sales vs. pending properties, assuming pending properties sell for 95% of list price.

It shows that in every area (except for North Charleston and Daniel Island) prices are supposed to rise in the next 2 months.

...


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Charleston Real Estate Market Update - May 2016 Edition

Sat, Apr 30th 2016 3:00 pm by Alan Donald Charleston Real Estate

Charleston Real Estate Market Update - May 2016 Edition

Months of Inventory for Single Family Homes May 2016Our real estate market here is the busiest it’s ever been, busier than 2005-6. Through March we are up 7.3% in transactions over the same period from 2015. And median sales price is up to $235k, which is up about 5% over the same period from 2015. (Click the graphs to view larger images)

Prices are up, so short sales and foreclosures are almost non-existent and we are deeply in a "sellers' market" in most MLS areas.

New construction is abundant in many areas. Buyers can still find new homes in the area with upgrades like granite counters and hardwood floors for under $110 per square foot.

Mortgage rates are still very low. The 15...



Charleston Real Estate Market Update - April 2016 Edition

Mon, Apr 4th 2016 4:21 pm by Alan Donald Charleston Real Estate

Charleston Real Estate Market Update - April 2016 Edition

Median Home Price Charleston SC

Our real estate market is booming. Activity is extremely high and inventory is low.

Prices are going up, but at a very reasonable pace. Buying activity in January and February was up by 10% over 2015 and prices were up 6.6% year-over-year. Median sales price is above $232,000.

It will be interesting to see if buying activity can exceed the 2005-2006 records.

2015 was the 3rd busiest year ever for us. And 2016 will likely top 2015 (so far 3,500 homes have changed hands in the first three months of the year), but we don’t know if we’ll break the record numbers set in 2005-6.

We would describe the Charleston real estate market ...



Charleston Real Estate Market Update - March 2016 Edition

Sat, Feb 27th 2016 5:07 pm by Alan Donald Charleston Real Estate

Charleston Real Estate Market Update - March 2016 Edition

All the great events, restaurants and accolades have put Charleston on the national and international radar, so many people and businesses are moving here. Our real estate market continues to outperform many others and it is on a sustainable growth path, as demand is being generated by employment creation and baby boomers retiring, not by speculation. 

Last year was our 3rd busiest year ever, and our median sales price was the highest ever. We sold over 15,000 homes with a median sales price of $235,000. So far in 2016, each week has been slightly better than the same week from last year. So, this year looks like it may end up be...



Charleston SC Real Estate Market Update - February 2016

Tue, Feb 2nd 2016 2:00 pm by Alan Donald Charleston Real Estate

Charleston SC Real Estate Market Update - February 2016

The real estate market in Charleston continues to rage on.  Buying activity was at unprecedented levels through the November through January months, where we normally see a bit of a slowdown.  Click on the image to see full-size graph. 

Charleston SC Real Estate Closed Sales

2016 will surely set many records. The end of the year numbers for 2015 are in and we had a great year indeed! 

  • 15,490 homes and condos were sold for a 13.9% rise over 2014 and the 3rd busiest year ever.  
  • Seven MLS areas were up over 20%.
  • Median sales price rose to an all-time high of $235,000, 5.9% above 2014's.
  • Eight MLS areas had median prices that increased more than 10% above 2014. 
...


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Trulia Ranks Charleston As The No. 2 ‘Hot Real Estate Markets To Watch’ in 2016

Tue, Jan 19th 2016 10:04 am by Alan Donald Charleston Real Estate

Trulia Ranks Charleston As The No. 2 ‘Hot Real Estate Markets To Watch’ in 2016

Charleston SC Real Estate“The Charleston, S.C., real estate market is hot (and we’re not talking about the summertime temps!) — no doubt in part due to its ranking as the sixth-highest for job growth in the U.S.,” list compiler and Trulia chief economist Ralph McLaughlin said in his review.

Job creation in Charleston and the promise of warmer climate for retirees are driving demand in our area.

Thinking of retiring in Charleston, SC? Get a FREE relocation package mailed to you.

“There are lots of reasons why so many people love the Lowcountry. Charleston is a serious foodie destination, with 11 restaurants earning nominations for ...




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Charleston SC Real Estate Market Analysis: January 2016 Update

Mon, Jan 4th 2016 5:30 pm by Alan Donald Charleston Real Estate

Charleston SC Real Estate Market Analysis: January 2016 Update

New Home Construction Charleston scOf course, with all these great events and great restaurants you might expect that Charleston real estate is booming. And it is!!

  • This was the 3rd best year in Charleston history, with more than 16,000 units sold and at a median sales price of around $235,000.
  • New home construction is ramping up in many areas to meet the increased demand. We are in a sellers market in most MLS areas, as we have only 3-4 months of inventory in most areas.
  • Demand was strong for December where we had seen a seasonal drop off in the past.
  • Short sales and foreclosures are essentially gone now and make up an extremely small percentage of our ...



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Weekly Analysis of Residential Properties That Went Under Contract in the Charleston, SC MLS area

Mon, Dec 28th 2015 5:56 pm by Alan Donald Charleston Real Estate

Under Contract in the Charleston, SC MLS area

SoldHere is the weekly analysis of residential properties that went under contract in the Charleston, SC MLS area over the past week (12/15/15).

While buying activity is certainly about the slowest it’s been all year, it remains incredible for the time of year.

This was the 3rd busiest buying year in Charleston real estate history, and it appears we’re in for a fantastic 2016.

201 residential properties went under contract this past week. Incredible for this time of year.

  • 164 single family detached homes under contract past wk. Median LIST price $243k,$118/sq.ft. 14 under $100k. 5 over $1M. 9% of those were BANK OWNED, FORECLOSURES or SHORT...


Charleston SC Real Estate Market Analysis: Foreclosures No Longer Relevant!

Tue, Dec 1st 2015 5:01 pm by Alan Donald Charleston Real Estate

Charleston SC Real Estate Market Analysis:
Foreclosures No Longer Relevant!

Months of Inventory for Charleston SC December 2015Our real estate market continues to set records each week for buying activity for this time of the year. We always have a seasonal slow down starting some time in October and usually lasting through February. While we have slowed down from the incredible pace that we experienced this Summer, we are still far ahead of past years for this time of year.

We are up 14% in terms of number of transactions over 2014 YTD, and will likely surpass 15,000 residential units sold by the end of 2015.That will be our 3rd busiest year ever!

Low mortgage rates continue to encourage buyers to move forward.

Median sales price is ...



CTAR Reports Steady Real Estate Sales in the Charleston, SC Area

Wed, Nov 11th 2015 8:38 am by Alan Donald Charleston Real Estate

CTAR Reports
Steady Real Estate Sales in the Charleston, SC Area

Home Chart

CHARLESTON, SC—(November 10, 2015) 1,248 homes sold in October in the region at a median price of $225,000 according to preliminary data released today by the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors® (CTAR). In October 2014, 1,226 homes sold in the region at a median price of $215,000.

Year-to-date data shows that sales volume is 14% ahead of where it was in 2014, and median price has increased by 5% in the region.

Thus far in 2015, 13,701 homes have sold at a median price of $227,000. Through October 2014, 11,946 homes had sold at a median price of $216,000.

There are 5,950 homes listed as “active” for sale in the ...




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Real Estate Market Update - November 2015 Edition

Sun, Nov 1st 2015 1:09 pm by Alan Donald Charleston Real Estate

Charleston, SC Real Estate Market Update
November 2015 Edition

Charleston SC BatteryWith all that this city has to offer, you might imagine that the real estate market is doing well. And you would be right.

We’re setting records for this time of the year, this will be the 3rd busiest year ever for Charleston real estate and our median home sales price (12-month rolling average) is now $225,000.

Charleston Median Home Price Nov 2015While this is the highest it’s ever been, it’s still below where it should be, according to the multi-year trend line. We expect the median sales price to rise to over $250,000 next year, as our market will not remain undervalued forever.

 Supply & Demand for Charelston Oct 2015

Conde Naste Travel Magazine readers just voted Charleston as the #1 small...




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Charleston Real Estate Market Analysis: Hot, But More Room for Growth!

Tue, Oct 13th 2015 9:24 am by Alan Donald Charleston Real Estate

Charleston Real Estate Market Analysis:
Hot, But More Room for Growth!


The year-to-date (YTD) numbers have abundant positive news for the Charleston, SC area. Overall, we are up 15.4% (YTD) in number of transactions and we're on track to sell just over 15,000 homes this year, which will make 2015 the 3rd best year ever in terms of number of sales.
Our median home price is up a modest 5.2% to $232,500.
Supply & Demand CHS Mkt Oct 2015
Many in our industry are glad to see home prices rising at a reasonable and sustainable pace. And we're still undervalued according to the trend line back to 1991. The chart below plots the trend line vs. the actual numbers. As you can appreciate, our current values are still below ...



Charleston SC Real Estate Market Update - October 2015 Edition

Wed, Sep 30th 2015 10:00 am by Alan Donald Charleston Real Estate

The U.S. Market shows strong trends - NAR reports the strongest year after the recession. The attached graph shows monthly sales for the country:
US Home Sales October 2015
In Charleston, our real estate market continues to be very strong in terms of buying activity. 
Year to date we are up by 15.8% in terms of number of transactions and up by 4.4% on median sales price over 2014. We may sell over 15,000 homes this year and the median sales price will go up to over $230,000.
Demand is still exceeding supply, as shown in the Months of Inventory Graph below (6 months denotes a "neutral" market), so prices are climbing. 
Months of Inventory Charleston SC Real Estate Oct 1 2015
Each week we are setting records for the number of properties that go under contract com...



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Real Estate Market Update for Charleston, SC - August 2015

Tue, Aug 4th 2015 9:15 am by Alan Donald Charleston Real Estate

Real Estate Market Update for Charleston, SC - August 2015

Of course, with all the international kudos, awards and positive press, people around the world have found us and many are moving here.  So, our real estate market is one of the best in the US.

Through the first half of 2015 we are up by 17.5% in number of transactions over the same time period from 2014. We will easily sell over 14,000 homes this year and it will be the 3rd most active year ever.

Meanwhile, prices are rising, albeit at a lower, sustainable rate. Our median sales price is up 3.3% over the same period from 2014.

Our median home sales price is over $230,000 - the highest ever for Charleston. However, prices pe...




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Mid-Year Real Estate Market Update for Charleston, SC July 2015

Wed, Jul 15th 2015 3:30 pm by Alan Donald Charleston Real Estate

Mid-Year Real Estate Market Update for Charleston, SC July 2015

Our real estate market is very hot! Demand is high and supply is still tight, making this a "Seller's" market for most areas within the Charleston Metro.  

Year-to-date transactions are up 17.5% from 6,432 to 7,560 residential units.  We will most likely sell over 14,000 homes in 2015, which will make it the busiest year since 2006, and the 3rd best year ever in Charleston!
Our Median Sales Price is up 3.3% from $223,000 to $230,000, the highest median sales price ever achieved in Charleston! (the median sales price back in 2007 was $210,000).  See chart.
Median Price Charleston SC
Some significant changes in "market momentum" for the differe...



Charleston SC Real Estate Market Update: Record Breaking Buying Activity!

Fri, May 1st 2015 2:00 pm by Alan Donald Charleston Real Estate

Charleston SC Real Estate Market Update: Record Breaking Buying Activity!

Pending Residential Real Estate Sales for May 2015

The Charleston real estate market just set a record for the 4 busiest weeks of buying activity in our history!  We’ve only had a handful of weeks ever where over 350 residential properties went under contract, and we had never had over 400 in one week.  Well, the last four weeks saw 439, 397, 421, and 399 residential properties go under contract.  Wow!! 

Inventory is fairly low, and it can be quite difficult to find a home that fits a buyer’s needs.  We are implementing creative strategies to source homes that we can offer to our buyer clients BEFORE they hit the market.  Many frustrated buyers are opting for ne...




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