Charleston SC Metro Real Estate: South Carolina: Goose Creek

Liberty Hall Plantation - Goose Creek SC

Marriam-Webster's dictionary defines a Plantation as "an agricultural estate usually worked by resident labor."  For those who are not from the Charleston SC Metro it may seem a bit odd that so many neighborhoods are called plantations.  Nearly every community that is called a plantation has a historical significance.  Today these plantations that were once known for their agriculture are now vibrant communities    

One of the newer neighborhoods that bears such a name is Liberty Hall Plantation in Goose Creek.  Historically, Liberty Hall was a rice plantation that was originally granted in 1683.  The 900 acrea parcel changed hands several times as an agricultural plantation until the Civil War.  In the early 20th century it was used as a hunting preserve.  Today, Liberty Hall Plantation is a Centex Homes neighborhood. 

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423 Mary Scott Dr. Goose Creek, SC 29445

3 Bedroom/2Bath/1472 Sqft.

$79,000

This is a great starter home or investment home. This home is decorated with beautiful hardwood floors. There is both a formal living room for entertaining guests, as well as a family room equipped with a fully functional wood burning fireplace. The home is highlighted by a large open kitchen with plenty of cabinets and counter top space. All major kitchen appliances convey with the property.

This home has a detached 1-Car Carport with a workshop. The workshop has a window AC unit. There is also a large above ground pool in the backyard that can either convey with the house or be taken away. Home is a possible Short Sale which will need 3rd party approval. Citi-Mortage has already contacted the owners and informed them that they are eligible for a short sale.

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Liberty Hall Plantation, Goose Creek SC

$175,000 $169,000 - PRICE REDUCTION

www.112Mon.info - 112 Monsarret Lane

Cadbury subsection of Crowfield Plantation in Goose Creek SC.

Exceptional one-story home with an open floor plan located in the highly desirable Crowfield Plantation. Seller is offering a 1 year home warranty through American Home Shield with an acceptable offer. Quality new carpet installed on 5/21/10. The home features a formal living room to entertain guests as well as a den/family room. There is an eat-in kitchen as well as a formal dining area. The kitchen is accentuated with ceramic tile, an island, and signature series stainless steel appliances purchased in 2009. The master bedroom is large and highlighted by a walk-in closet with a spacious master bathroom. The master bath features a stand alone shower and a garden tub. Unlike many homes in the area, this home has no wallpaper. All rooms have been tastefully painted. The house sits on a minimum maintenance lot that is surrounded by trees that provide comfortable shade on sunny afternoons.

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Wordless Wednesday - Crowfield Plantation - 11 Aug 2010

"The Road Less Traveled!

Photo taken on August 2, 2010 on one of the many trails in Crowfield Plantation in Goose Creek SC.

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Crowfield Plantation is a vibrant community located just outside of Charleston SC in the suburban town of Goose Creek. Crowfield is the largest neighborhood in Goose Creek SC, and it is one of the most sought after in the Charleston Metro area. It offers a large variety of homes in 27 different subsections, and diverse price brackets ranging from the low $100K's to nearly $900K.  For more information about Crowfield Plantation or for a list of homes for sale, contact Michael Johnson at Carolina One Real Estate.

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Top 10 Credit Don'ts When Buying a Home

Oh, the perplexing world of credit.  I must confess that there are times that the rules of what raises and lowers your credit score baffles me.  The one thing I am certain of is that you should guard your credit score with righteous fervor, at least until you win the lottery and can afford to buy everything with cash.  Your credit is part of your buying power.  This active guardianship is even more important once you are in the process of buying a home.  

Leading nationwide credit expert and President of Credit Resource Corporation, Linda Ferrari, developed the top 10 credit "don'ts" during the loan process, to help you get your arms around those things that can unknowingly wreak havoc on your loan transaction.

1. Don't do anything that will cause a red flag to be raised by the scoring system
2. Don't apply for new credit of any kind
3. Don't pay off collections or charge offs
4. Don't max out or over charge on your credit card accounts
5. Don't consolidate your debt onto 1 or 2 credit cards
6. Don't close credit card accounts
7. Don't pay late
8. Don't allow any accounts to run past due-even one day!
9. Don't dispute anything on your credit report
10. Don't lose contact with your mortgage and real estate professionals

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What is a Bedroom?

A few weeks ago some fellow agents and I were touring some of our newest office listings.  Somehow during that time the conversation came up about what qualifies as a bedroom.  I, in all my wisdom and knowledge, chimed in that it has to have a closet.  A few of the others protested and stated that a closet does not factor in when determining if a room is a bedroom.  I'm not sure where I learned the rule of a closet defining a bedroom (probably real estate school) but I felt confident I was correct.  We debated back and forth until one of them pulled out the big gun....he called a local appraiser that we all know.

From the Mouth of an Appraiser:

To my great surprise the appraiser stated that in the Charleston SC area a bedroom is not define by a closet.  Why?  To his understanding, during colonial times houses were taxed based on the number of bedrooms.  The bedrooms were at that time defined by a closet.  So, people got around taxation by building houses with bedrooms without closets, and instead used wardrobes and chifferobe.  He went on to say that if a bedroom was defined by the presence of a closet, that many of the historic houses in downtown Charleston and the surrounding area would not have any bedrooms.  Ultimately, the appraiser stated, a bedroom is defined not by a closet but by use. 

Not wanting to admit defeat, I got back to my office and starting researching the issue.  As a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, the one thing I learned was that if it is not in writing it is probably not a rule.  Surely something as important as how a bedroom is defined would be somewhere.  To my surprise our association, CTAR (Charleston Trident Association of Realtor) had nothing in writing defining what makes up a bedroom, and they told me to refer to the local appraisers.  I then began to look up local area building codes.  South Carolina uses the International Code Council.  Per the code the only thing that defines a bedroom is:

1. Minimum of 70 Square Feet, enclosed, with an entrance (door)
2. an aggregate glasing area of not less than 8 percent of the floor area (window).
3. Heated- maintain min temp of 68 degrees (F)

Is a FROG a Bedroom?  A FROG is a Finished Room Over a Garage.  We in the Charleston area live in the "lowcountry" so we don't have basements, we have FROGs.  Because most homes built in the last 50 years or so have bedrooms that were built with a closet, many people have only considered a FROG a bedroom if it had a closet.  By the definition given above, this is not the case.  If a FROG has the possible use of a bedroom, then it can be considered such. 

Final Analysis - There is no supporting documentation stating that a bedroom has to have a closet or that it is defined by a closet.  The "use" of the room is the primary question.  Obviously a room with a toilet or a room with a sink is not a bedroom, but if the room is enclosed, heated, and big enough to be a bedroom, then at this time, in the Charleston SC area, it can be defined as a bedroom.

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This past weekend I met with a husband and wife who were out of town buyers.  Before we met I scheduled a hand full of homes that they stated were of interest to them.  When scheduling the homes I was informed by CSS that one of the houses had dogs that would be in the kitchen.  I thought to myself, "the dogs will be either enclosed in the kitchen or in a kennel in the kitchen.  No big deal."  

After looking at several of the homes we had scheduled, we arrived at the home with the dogs.  As we approached the house I heard the dogs barking.  I looked back at the buyers and tried to reassure them by saying, "not to worry...they are probably in a kennel.  I'll just poke my head in the door to make sure."  This did nothing to calm the wife who was deathly afraid of dogs.  She bolted back to the car. 

I opened the door to see one large and one medium size dog in the kitchen as promised.  But, the only thing keeping them there was an infant fence propped against the wall.  It wasn't even in put snugly in place!  It probably would not have mattered as both dogs seem to tower over the fence, staring at me and seemingly daring me to step inside. I could almost hear the giggling with anticipation.

We quickly decided not to go in.  I called the listing agent and left a her a message stating that we did not go in because of the dogs.  She later called me back and left me a message.  She apologized and stated that her clients said the dogs were gentle.  They told her, "Our Dogs Won't Bite."  I think the most amazing thing is that she agreed with the sellers enough as not to demand that they either remove the dogs or put them in a kennel. 

Most animals in a home make buyers nervous, but the worst are dogs.  Here is something to consider when it comes to dogs: 

1. Good dogs will rarly bite their owner (depending on the breed and circumstance).
2. Good dogs will usually not bite someone else if the owners are with them and are introduce to the new person.
3. When you are not around and a stranger is on the dog's perceived property, the dog, no matter how good or well behaved, becomes unpredictable.  Why?  Thier instinct to protect takes over!

Lesson Learned - A great strategy for all listing agents is to try to get the dog out of the house for a showing or at least kenneled.  And, never let the seller convince you that a dog will not bite a stranger entering the house alone.  In addition, buyers agents should never take chances with their clients around strange animals.  It just isn't worth the risk.

When buying and selling real estate in South Carolina, and more specifically the metro Charleston area, there are a few environmental issues you should be aware of that may affect the sale or purchase.  These items should not be overlooked and if applicable you should consult a Realtor and/or an attorney.

1. Asbestos - Asbestos is a naturally occurring rock that is ground up and used for a variety of purposes.  It is a known carcinogen and has been subject to state and federal regulation since 1986.  Legislation to address the handling, removal and disposal of asbestos and curb the dangerous health effects of exposure has been enacted on both levels.  Asbestos is most commonly found in buildings as part of building insulation, floor tiles, and some older electrical insulation.  Asbestos has not been used recently in housing because of the known dangers and liability, but may be found in older buildings. 

2. Radon - Radon is an odorless gas that cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted.  It is formed by the breakdown of Uranium and is radioactive.  Radon is heavier than air, so it concentrates in the lowest levels of buildings.  It can also be found in water as a dissolved gas, but that is much less common than being found in the air.  Although there is no recognized safe level of radon exposure, radon gas levels exceeding 4 pico-curios/liter are a general cause for concern and many relocation companies will not allow a purchase of such a home.  The picture to the right shows the greatest areas of concern for radon in South Carolina, but the EPA suggests that all homes be tested.

3.  Undergound Storage Tanks (USTs) - this is most often found on residential properties with vast amounts of land such as farms and ranches where they were used to store heating oil, fertilizers or other chemicals.  The existence of an underground storage tank must be disclosed so that potential purchases are aware of it and can have an inspection prior to purchase.

4.  Wetlands - this is one of the biggest environmental issues in the "low-country" due to the many low lying areas.  Wetlands are important because they act as a filter for groundwater.  Wetlands also act as a sponge that absorb rainwater and reduce the probability of flooding after heavy rains.  Wetlands are delineated by the US Army Corps of Engineers based on how many days/year the ground has standing water and the type of vegetation growing on the land.  Before buying or selling real estate one should verify that the property is not hindered by the classification of wetlands.

5.  Synthetic Stucco - technically known as Exterior Insulation Finishing Systems (EIFS), synthetic stucco is a process and material that has caused controversy and concern over the years.  This is due to the possibility of water becoming trapped between the exterior and interior walls, causing rot and decay.  A licensed contractor or inspector should be used to determine if the exterior is traditional stucco or synthetic stucco.

Good blog and valid points by Patricia Kennedy!