Unlocking Coastal Living
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What Did August 2026 Home Sales Reveal About Buyers in Charleston, Berkeley & Dorchester Counties?
When we look at a month of real estate activity, it is tempting to ask one simple question: did prices go up or did they go down? After reviewing the residential homes that closed throughout August 2026, I do not think the Charleston-area market gives us such a simple answer. Prices moved up and down from one day to another, but much of that movement came from the types and locations of homes that happened to close that day. August did not appear to be a month when the market suddenly changed direction. Instead, it showed a market where buyers continued to purchase many of the same kinds of homes in many of the same places, while becoming increasingly dependent upon price, condition, location and overall value working together.
The first thing that became obvious when looking at August one day at a time was...
1
Why Choose One Real Estate Agent Over Another?
On Monday, our broker asked us to think about how we would answer someone who asked why they should choose us as their real estate agent. The answer needed to be about thirty seconds long, but there was one catch. We could not begin by saying "I." At first, that seemed like a simple restriction, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how difficult the question really was. Most real estate agents can say they communicate well, negotiate for their clients, know the market, answer their phones, work hard, and care about the people they represent. Those are all important qualities, but when everyone is saying essentially the same thing, they do not necessarily explain why a buyer or seller should choose one particular agent. It made me wonder if perhaps the answer to "Why me?" should not really be about me at all.
Recently, I worked with a family who had found a house they really liked and had gone unde...
26
Sometimes the Fix Is Smaller Than the Problem Feels
Owning a home means there will always be something that needs attention. Some repairs are large, expensive, and absolutely require a trained professional. Others are much smaller than they first appear. The difficult part is often figuring out which is which. Recently, Terry and I had one of those experiences at my daughter's house.
One room in her home was not cooling as well as the others. We discovered that a section of ductwork in the attic had lost much of its insulation. I asked about having that particular section repaired, but the answer I received was that the ductwork would need to be redone instead of simply rewrapping the damaged area. There may have been valid reasons for that recommendation, including warranty, liability, or workmanship concerns, but it was a much larger solution than the problem we were trying to solve.
So we started asking more questions....
25
What Is Happening in Tall Pines Right Now?
Tall Pines has always been one of those neighborhoods that is easy to overlook if you are only looking at numbers on a real estate website. It is established, convenient, and different from many of the newer communities being built around Summerville and Goose Creek. Right now, the neighborhood is showing some real estate activity, but the activity is also reminding us that buyers are being selective.
As of August 25, there are six active homes in Tall Pines and three homes currently under contract. The active homes range from the upper $200,000s into the mid-$300,000s. Some homes have reduced their asking prices, while others have attracted buyers in a relatively short period of time. One home that recently went under contract has also returned to the market. That does not automatically mean there was a problem with the house, because contracts fall apart for many different reasons. It simply reminds us...
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