What do you like and dislike about where you live?
If you live on James Island or Johns Island do you find yourself having to go to drive to another part of town for everyday things that you don’t have nearby?
where does the wife-to-be prefer? will you have kids going to schools?
quote:
What do you like and dislike about where you live?
Andy, everything is a matter of perspective. I’m less than 2 years away from retirement, bought a house & moved here to SC back in July from MD. I live in Manning, near Lake Marion but looked in the same areas you’re interested in buying. Back in MD, I was 20 minutes from Annapolis, nice area, good schools & services, but high cost of living, high taxes, densely populated & a lot of traffic. My wife & I didn’t want to move to an area with the same con’s as what we were leaving. When we were younger, that area of MD was fine & we raised 4 kids there. Now, we want quiet & solitude, while still being close enough to those things we enjoy, like fishing for me, and still have services available, such as health care & shopping. My one son lives on James Island, he’s single, a military vet & now attends the Citadel so that area suits him quite well. My wife & I didn’t feel it was for us.
You didn’t say how old you are, but I’m guessing in your 30’s. Your wants & needs are what you have to consider now, but they’ll likely change as you get older. My advice to you is what ever or where ever you buy, consider maintenance costs & possible resale value in addition to your other requirements.
I had a rather large house back in MD, but down sized considerably here in SC. It was tough keeping up with maintenance costs back there, particularly as I got older. My wife & I both worked, and we lived pay check to pay check, so consider your financial needs for now & don’t make the mistake of not planning for later, particularly if you have kids or plan on having them. Kids are expensive and can really change things as far as where you live & how you can afford to live there.
Back in March of last year my wife lost her job & it forced us to make a change. We had always talked
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The neighborhoods off of Whipple Road in Mount Pleasant might have something close to your range. The house will most likely need a ton of work though.
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Down here is where a signature goes but they can confuse and anger some people so I don’t have one.
Look in Parkwood Estates.
Marsha
22 Sea Hunt
I would keep the school district as a bit of a concern for resale value. That is a good price point in the area for new home owners like yourself… many of which may have children. So,if you think this is only a home for the next 5 years that may be something to consider.
It has been a while now, but I lived in West Ashley for aprx. 7 years. Plenty of shopping, so I never had to drive far in regards to that. I was up on 61…so the traffic tended to be a nightmare.
You mention the possibility of Johns Island for the newer homes compared to those of JI or Inside West Ashley. Have you considered some of the newer developments on the Outside of West Ashley? Still a straight shot downtown for your fiancé…but a bit more of a drive for you.
Scott Fulton
AgentOwned Realty
Scott.Fulton@AgentOwnedRealty.com
Key West 1720
In your price range you still may be able to find something in Mt. P. Last year, we sold our 1990s 3 br/2bth, 1300sq ft single home for $235,000. It was in the West Point subdivision off of rifle range road. That’s a really great location, close to the beach and to shopping.
I also sold a house at $250k in Mt Pleasant in Chadbury Village a few months ago. It needed about $5k worth of ‘appearance’ upgrades…but was totally livable. The homes in Mt Pleasant will pop up in that price range…you just need to be ready to jump on them.
Scott Fulton
AgentOwned Realty
Scott.Fulton@AgentOwnedRealty.com
Key West 1720
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Look around wappoo road. 1/2 acre lot with a big shop/garage, pretty decent house and some beautiful oaks getting ready to go back on the market for I think 250… maybe 275. My wife just showed several really nice homes back behind ihop that sound like what you are talking about and in budget.
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One thing to keep in mind about Johns Island is the fact that the county has until March 31st to come up with the additional $350m to add to the $450m that the state has allotted to finish 526. My wife and I are heavily considering out there but only if 526 is completed. Once it is made public that it will happen(I don’t feel they have any choice but to make it happen), I feel that property values are really going to shoot up out there quickly. They have already been on the rise as it is now. Another thing to consider is that once access to Johns Island is better, it is going to fill up quickly, especially with developments. It is going to lose a lot of it’s secluded, detached appeal. Your neighbors will be getting closer and closer as the people already out there with acreage give into the rapidly increasing property values and sell off to developers for a very nice chunk of $$$. Just look at north Mt P.
Also keep in mind that for the first while you will have to travel for some of your shopping. Eventually it will fill in but it will take some time.
It will also take time for the roads out there to be adjusted to handle the increased traffic flow. Just have to decide if you want to be involved in the growing pains or not.
Andy,my fiance and I just went through this. I have always been a James Island guy, and we wanted to stay on that side of town. Once we started looking at houses (same budget as you), we realized West Ashley was more our style. We ended up just outside of 526 (off Glenn McConnel, not far from the hospital) and couldn’t be happier. We were able to find a bit more house and yard without much fixing up for what we would have paid for a gutting job on James Island. Did I mention I can catch 40" reds out of my backyard???
Annoy a Liberal, Work Hard and Be Happy!
Andy, Long story short it can be done, just gotta work at it.
Ask every question you can dream up and then ask more, and you still
won’t have half the answers.
As you know I have no knowledge of the Chas. area , but know
the path you and Megan are starting. Just a few thoughts to ponder,
If you like the area you’re in “Parkwood” with no for sale homes
close by;; are there any land/lots avail??>> if no , how far is there
land avail to build? I am a strong supporter of build you own,
Start small and grow. Gail and I rented small home at first, located
a couple acres and built a larger “shell 5 bedroom 3 bath” than we needed. Much cheaper than buying a completed larger home.
- built shell, finished kitchen, bath, and bedroom, just enough
to satisfy mortgage lender. Did 80% of all work after reg job hrs.
including Sat/Sundays. - Oldest son got bedroom #2 finished. as could afford!!
- Den, dining, living, Kids bath, 2 car garage, as could afford and as time alloted .
- 2nd child got bedroom #3 finished.
- 3rd child “”"""""""""""#4"""""""""
Still one bedroom and additional bath unfinished…
All of this over aprox 8-9 yrs. Job/career/relocation required
selling. Needless to say made nice profit
Moved and purchased existing home ,fixer/upper, made it livable
while building present home , similar story only in much shorter time
frame , sold f/upper, again profit, and moved into present home.
No mortgage.
Getting ready to sell again, but this time going much ,
much smaller, only the two of us and dogs now!!!
What ever you choose to do, remember this , stay the #$ell away from any HOA that tries to govern how you live.
Good luck friend , I’m pulling for you both !!!
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When you see “Old Glory” waving in the breeze, know that it is the dying breaths of our fallen hero’s that makes it wave.
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Originally posted by DolphinDAndy,my fiance and I just went through this. I have always been a James Island guy, and we wanted to stay on that side of town. Once we started looking at houses (same budget as you), we realized West Ashley was more our style. We ended up just outside of 526 (off Glenn McConnel, not far from the hospital) and couldn’t be happier. We were able to find a bit more house and yard without much fixing up for what we would have paid for a gutting job on James Island. Did I mention I can catch 40" reds out of my backyard???
Annoy a Liberal, Work Hard and Be Happy!
Sounds like you’re in my neighborhood. You should tell me where those reds are.
I moved from Mt. P to Hanahan 2 years ago and love it…in a new house in an old neighborhood with no HOA so got that going for me.
One word of advice for you is to check out a Mortgage Credit Certificate and see if it would work (if you qualify and are OK with stipulations) for y’all. You must go through a certified lender (Ladyshrimpkilla…Heather Leman hooked me up) and pay $500 to SC Housing Authority and a few bucks to the lender for processing, but it gets you up to $2k year refund (not deduction) for mortgage interest paid. Anything above that you can then use as deduction, if it is enough.
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quote:I thought 526 extension got nixed again a few months ago? I wouldn't take that gamble. Hasn't that been on the books for 30-40 years?
Originally posted by bmarvilOne thing to keep in mind about Johns Island is the fact that the county has until March 31st to come up with the additional $350m to add to the $450m that the state has allotted to finish 526. My wife and I are heavily considering out there but only if 526 is completed. Once it is made public that it will happen(I don’t feel they have any choice but to make it happen), I feel that property values are really going to shoot up out there quickly. They have already been on the rise as it is now. Another thing to consider is that once access to Johns Island is better, it is going to fill up quickly, especially with developments. It is going to lose a lot of it’s secluded, detached appeal. Your neighbors will be getting closer and closer as the people already out there with acreage give into the rapidly increasing property values and sell off to developers for a very nice chunk of $$$. Just look at north Mt P.