If you are looking for a listing agent in Mount Pleasant, Summerville, or elsewhere in the Charleston Lowcountry, it is natural to ask, 'What do you think my house will sell for?  That is an important question, but I believe there are others that deserve just as much attention. How has the agent prepared to advise you? Do they understand the homes you will compete with? Will they explain the costs and possible complications? And will they tell you the truth when the answer is different from what you hoped to hear? Choosing an agent should involve understanding how that person will help you make decisions throughout the sale.

I would begin by asking about the agent's continuing education. How many hours have they taken recently, and which classes have they chosen? More importantly, how does that education influence their advice? Completing classes is useful, but sellers also need someone who can apply what they have learned. Ask about situations involving...

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Sometimes the story behind a sold sign includes a few months of patience, a willingness to make changes, and an ongoing conversation about lightbulbs.

That was certainly true of my seller's condo at 1508 Basildon Road in The Battery at Park West. This one-bedroom home in Mount Pleasant had plenty to appreciate, but helping buyers see it meant paying attention to how it felt when they walked through the door.

Before we listed, he decluttered and had the condo cleaned. He also put in brighter lightbulbs for the listing photographs. Everything was ready for its introduction to buyers. Then, the next thing I knew, the dim lightbulbs were back in.

I had to smile. He knew what he liked living with, and I understood that. But the lighting that feels comfortable when you are relaxing at home can create a different impression for someone seeing it for the first time. I kept encouraging him to give buy...

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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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Every now and then someone asks me about Scanlonville. Usually it starts with a simple question. They were driving through Mount Pleasant, saw a home for sale, heard someone mention the neighborhood, or noticed that homes there seem very different from one another. Before long they ask, "What's the story with Scanlonville?"

That's actually one of my favorite conversations because Scanlonville isn't really a subdivision in the way most people think about subdivisions. When people hear the word neighborhood in Mount Pleasant, they often picture a planned community with matching homes, a neighborhood entrance, and a homeowners association. Scanlonville is something entirely different.

What many people don't realize is that Scanlonville is one of the most historically significant communities in Mount Pleasant. Its roots stretch back to the years following the Civil...

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