Posts with tag 'Homeownership in Charleston'

There are a lot of decisions we make in our homes that seem much bigger than they really are. Choosing a paint color, adding wallpaper, hanging pictures, or buying that light fixture you've looked at for months can honestly feel overwhelming. We start asking ourselves questions like, What if I choose the wrong color? What if I get tired of it? What if it doesn't match everything else? Before long, it's easier to do nothing than risk making a mistake.

I think we've all been there.

Terry and I recently decided to add wallpaper to a couple of rooms in our home. Not floral wallpaper from the 1980s that many of us remember, but a textured wallpaper that added warmth without overwhelming the room. It was completely outside my c...

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Buyers are still buying — but they are choosing carefully.

I looked at MLS homes that went under contract from June 16–29, and the data tells a useful story for homeowners. The market is moving, but price positioning matters. Nearly half of the homes that went under contract had reduced their price before finding a buyer.

That does not mean sellers need to panic. It means sellers need clear information before they list, and current sellers need honest feedback while they wait.

I wrote this short breakdown to explain what buyers actually chose and what that may mean for homeowners thinking about selling.

Bonnie Wicks, licensed as Bonnie Jean Wicks Bertalot, is an Associate Broker with Carolina One Real Estate and team lead of Shoreline Key Team, serving Mount Pleasant, Charleston, Summerville, Han...

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Why Cats Choose Bathtubs, What It Means, and What Every Homeowner Should Know

For years, I believed a cat sitting in a bathtub was not a good thing. Then a friend shared a photo of her black cat sitting quietly in the tub while recommending a cleaning product that had removed pet stains and odors. Like many homeowners, my first thought was, "I hope the urine didn't ruin the bathtub." That simple question led me down an interesting path of veterinary research, chemistry, and home maintenance. What I found surprised me.

Many homeowners immediately think about cleaning the mess, but the bathtub itself may actually be one of the luckiest...

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Yesterday afternoon I spent a couple of hours with a family preparing their home for professional listing photographs. Most people probably imagine that a photo shoot is all about cameras, lighting, and making sure the house looks perfect. There is certainly some truth to that. Before the photographer ever takes the first picture, I walk through the house turning on lights, opening blinds, clearing countertops, hiding trash cans, putting toilet seat lids down, and making sure anything that doesn't belong in a photograph quietly disappears. In this home, that even included gathering up every dog toy before the photographer arrived.

Once everything is ready, the photographer begins working room by room. As she moves through the house, my job is simply to keep the homeowners one step ahead of the camera. If she is photographing the living room, we wait in the kitchen. When she moves into the kitchen, we step into a...

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Most homeowners know to compare contractor estimates before replacing a water heater, HVAC system, windows, or insulation.

Far fewer realize they should compare assistance programs first.

After researching homeowner assistance programs available throughout Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties, I was surprised by how many opportunities exist to help reduce the cost of home improvements. Some programs offer rebates after qualifying equipment is installed. Others provide low-interest financing. Some help pay for insulation, windows, HVAC systems, electrical upgrades, or plumbing repairs. There are even programs that assist homeowners with major repairs when health, safety, or income requirements are met.

The challenge isn't that these programs don't exist.

It's that most...

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