Summerville, SC Near Charleston Community Among Moss Draped Oaks

Just outside of Charleston, SC in the historic Town of Summerville is a new neighborhood called The Ponds.

Tucked away among moss draped oaks just a few minutes away from I-26 on about 2,000 acres of beautiful property will be almost 2,000 homes and custom homesites. The neighborhood which is convenient to employers such as Boeing, has homes that start in the low $200's for over 2,000 square feet and there are larger homes available. Well-known homebuilders such as David Weekley, DR Horton, Sabal Homes, and Harbor Homes are constructing homes in addition to a number of others. There is the potential for an over 55 community in addition to a townhome section.

The neighborhood is in a gorgeous natural setting that includes 1100 acres of land that has been forever preserved in a Conservation Eastment. The conserved property gives residents access to about 20 miles of trails for quiet enjoyment.

Children who live in The Ponds will go to Dorchester II Schools and every family has the benefit of a YMCA within the neighborhood. Membership is only $40/month per family and every family enjoys it for free for the first thirty days!

I would love to introduce you to this great community! Give me a call at 843-442-2219 or e-mail me at cflowers@woodsflowers.com for your private tour! Visit my website http://www.charlestonschomefinder.com to search all Charleston SC area homes.

Foreclosures in the Charleston, SC Area

It is a beautiful Fall morning in Mount Pleasant, SC. The air is crisp, clean, and it is going to be a beautiful day!

There are still some incredible real estate deals in the Charleston, SC area including Mount Pleasant, Isle of Palms, Summerville, James Island, and North Charleston. I have recently found a financing program that has no mortgage insurance and in some instances, no required downpayment.

To see today's list of great foreclosure deals, see:



If you have questions on these homes, other homes in the Charleston area, or just have questions about living in this wonderful place that we call the Lowcountry, give me a call at 843-442-2219, e-mail me at cflowers@woodsflowers.com, or visit my website at



Let a former mayor and Charleston expert go to work for you!

Charleston and South Carolina...The right choice for Boeing!

Why was Charleston and South Carolina the right choice at the right time for Boeing?

http://www.thestate.com/2010/10/27/1531190/boeing-chief-explains-lure-of.html#storylink=Morning%20Newsletter

Mount Pleasant Hospital to take patients by Nov. 1 | The Post and Courier, Charleston SC - News, Sports, Entertainment

Mount Pleasant Hospital to take patients by Nov. 1 | The Post and Courier, Charleston SC - News, Sports, Entertainment A second hospital for the Town of Mount Pleasant gives everyone choices in their health care providers. They will be having a great community celebration with the Blue Dogs and the Beach Boys in a couple of weeks. You have to make a reservation to attend! If you have want additional information, give me a call at 843-442-2219.

If you want to search all available homes in the Charleston area, visit http://www.freecharlestonhomesearch.com .

FHA Rules to Change for Home Buyers...Even in Charleston!

As if home buyers haven't faced enough changes and challenges over the last two years, Federal Housing Association lending rules will soon change for borrowers. Effective October 4, 2010, FHA Mortgage Insurance programs will change in a number of ways. Monthly insurance premiums will go up but upfront costs will be reduced to from 2.25% of the loan to 1% of the loan. If you aren't scratching your head over these changes, you are missing a good opportunity to do so! What does that mean for you if you have a ratified contract on a home or considering a purchase? It may mean that if you plan to be in your home for less than three years, you should hold off until after the changes since the increase in the monthly fees will be less out of your pocket than the current upfront costs. If you plan to be in your home for a longer term, you should perhaps pull the trigger and lock your loan prior to the October 4th date which means that your lender must register your loan with the FHA prior to that date. One more wrinkle to consider...After October, FHA will be limiting financing for borrowers with credit scores below 580.Some really fantastic news...Inventories are healthy, rates are near historic lows, and prices are similar to those experience in 2003 so it is a wonderful time to buy. It is also a good time to sell since you will make up whatever you may lose on the sale of your home when you purchase your new one. A great time to buy your first home, to move up, or to downsize. One great example...I listed a home on August 27th in Park West in Mount Pleasant, SC, I had a ratified contract in less than 24 hours, and we will close on September 23rd. This was not a short sale or foreclosure...it was a well-maintained home that was priced to sell. The Charleston, SC area, including Mount Pleasant, Sullivans Island, Isle of Palms, Daniel Island, and Summerville, has some incredible opportunities for investors who are looking for positive cash flow as well as for buyers looking for a special place for them and their family. I represent buyers and sellers who are looking for an agent who will diligently represent their best interests, who understands the Charleston market, and who has handled difficult transactions, including short sales and foreclosures. I would love to have the opportunity to represent you and hope that you will call on me at 843-442-2219...even if you just have a question! You can visit me on my website and search all Charleston area homes at http://www.woodsflowers.com

Happy We Should Be At The Beach...or Seaside Farms!

As temperatures rise in the Charleston, SC area is it nice to be only minutes from the beaches and from restaurants to get a cool glass of iced tea! If you don't want to get into the car or to ride your bike to the beach, a short walk to the pool with your homemade iced tea sometimes will have to do.

1273 Wisteria Way in the Seaside Farms neighborhood of Mount Pleasant offers you that fantastic opportunity.

Walk to shopping (including the famous Piggly Wiggly, Target, and a coffee shop) and bike to the beach from this immaculate home with a fabulous floor plan that is just 20 minutes to downtown Charleston! The front porch invites you into the hardwood foyer flanked by a formal dining room and study with French Doors, a spacious great room and first floor owner suite with tray ceiling and luxurious en suite bath with jetted tub and separate shower. The dining room, great room, and master bedroom have gleaming wood floors, and the kitchen has tile floors. The kitchen features a newer stainless Bosch dishwasher(very quiet!), ample Corian counters, two large pantries and a breakfast bar open to the great… room - super for entertaining or relaxing with family and friends. Just off the kitchen breakfast nook are a spacious screen porch and deck overlooking the fully fenced and landscaped backyard. Upstairs are three large bedrooms with large closets and lots of natural light. A cozy loft area outside the bedrooms is perfect for a computer or reading nook. There is ample attic storage space with easy access, and the garage has built-in loft storage space. The home is under a transferable termite bond and had a booster treatment in 2007. There is no homeowner association transfer fee. Located on a low traffic street a short stroll to the neighborhood pool, park, lakes, walking trails and nearby shops and restaurants of Seaside Farms - an upscale, pedestrian friendly community of single family homes and condos. Welcome Home!

Mount Pleasant, South Carolina...An All America City in an All America Community!

The Town of Mount Pleasant has been named by the National Civic League an All America City in 2010, the first time to receive that designation. Check out the following link to get additional information.

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news%2Fnational_world&id=7507848

Mount Pleasant has also recently be named one of the "Top 100 Places to Live" by Money Magazine!

Mount Pleasant, known most often as the little sister of the City of Charleston, has grown up to be a fantastic gem in the crown of the Lowcountry in South Carolina. With her many golf courses, plentiful boat access and water views, popular restaurants, nice housing in nice neighborhoods, fantastic shopping, access to beautiful beaches of the Atlantic Ocean, good schools, low crime, rich history and culture, clean landscaped streets, and nationally ranked recreation department, Mount Pleasant has finally been given the recognition that she so richly deserves.

During my term as Mayor and during the terms of Mayors that preceded and succeeded me, the frame work was put together and tweaked by elected leaders and citizens alike to bring this wonderful city that we lovingly call a town to where she is today. If you have not visited and would like additional information or if you are considering a move, just let me know and I will send you a relocation package or even a restaurant recommendation.

New Rules for Renovations to pre-1978 Homes

This was kindly provided to me and I thought that it was important to pass on. I hope that you find it helpful!

New Rules for Renovations, Repairs and Painting to Pre-1978 Homes
By Rob Crawford, CAPS, CGP of Renaissance South Construction Co.

Beginning April 22, 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will begin enforcing a requirement that contractors have a special certification to perform work to pre-1978 homes – the year when lead-based paint was outlawed in the U.S. The fine for non-compliance is $32,500 per violation.
Although the contractor is subject to the fines, homeowners will almost certainly be impacted. In addition to toxic dust exposure, indefinite project interruption and higher finishing costs, additional stress is inevitable, especially should the fine put the contractor out of business.
Not all homes built before 1978 contain lead-based paint, so testing is required to determine its presence (or its presence can be assumed). Positive results of this test trigger a prescriptive set of guidelines that must be followed, as long as over six square feet of interior or 20 square feet of exterior surface are being disturbed. Simple washing and over-painting is excluded.
The basic tenets of these guidelines involve the containment, control and cleaning of dust released in work areas, since inhalation and ingestion are the two ways that lead can enter the body.
The new rules were primarily put into place for the protection of young children, pregnant women and workers. Central nervous system damage, permanent mental and behavioral problems in children and several types of birth complications are a few of the most common side effects of lead poisoning.
Certification requirements also trickle down to most trades and specialty contractors, whether working for a homeowner independently or as part of a general contracting team. Therefore, if there is a general contractor working in a lead area with their electrician and painter, all three firms would have to be certified with at least one certified renovator on site per firm.
Residential property managers are also required to be certified and child occupied facilities, such as a day care, are to receive the same treatment as a home.
As part of this process, homeowners will also be required to sign a form stating that they have received a copy of the EPA’s “Renovate Right” pamphlet from their contractor. An online version of this is available at the EPA’s website, www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovaterightbrochurebw.pdf. There is currently no online resource to find certified contractors, so it is recommended homeowners ask about the certification before meeting and be sure to get a copy of the certificate before signing any contracts.
Crawford, a licensed, bonded and insured general contractor and residential builder in South Carolina was voted “Remodeler of the Year” in 2006 by the Charleston Trident Home Builders Association. He is the founder and principal of Renaissance South Construction Company, a general contracting firm. Located in Charleston, S.C., the firm works primarily with clients in downtown Charleston, the Old Village of Mount Pleasant, and other upscale neighborhoods East of the Cooper. More information is available by calling 843-388-5550 or by visiting www.renaissancesouth.com.