"Homemade" Meals For 21st Century Families

This concept interests me not only because I think it's a great idea, but because it is so keenly tuned to the modern family's needs and desires; it's so "of the moment."

Several stores around Charleston offer to do all of the planning and buying for you, set the ingredients out on their storefront kitchen counters and let you make nutritious, gourmet meals for your family – as many as 12 in an hour. Then you go home, and they clean up. Anytime in the next 45 days or so, you pop one of your meals out of the freezer into the oven, and you can bring your family together around a delicious dinner just like your mother used to make. That is, if your mother was a trained Cordon Bleu chef like those preparing the menus and recipes you follow at Sociale, Dream Dinners and the Original Take and Bake.

How cool is that? It's like equal parts Mayberry homemaker and New York City executive, which sounds like the right combination for so many of today's families!

In West Ashley: http://www.socialegourmet.com/
In Mount Pleasant: http://dreamdinners.com/main.php?static=index or http://www.theoriginaltakeandbake.com/

What Makes Lowcountry Real Estate So Complicated Reason #37

While the big picture is obviously important, you have to understand each component as well, so it's not enough just to see the forest, you have to recognize each tree –

"A recent analysis of the Charleston real estate market shows while the market is currently in a higher risk status, that does not mean certain segments are not performing well.

Appreciation and inventory of single-family homes in Goose Creek and Mount Pleasant, for example, show very different trends. The Goose Creek market has appreciated 12.3% since last year and has only 2.9 months worth of inventory, while Mount Pleasant has 10 months’ worth of inventory and an appreciation rate of 3% since last year.

Brad Rundbaken, a principal with Advantage Commercial Capital, a boutique financial services firm specializing in real estate and securities, said the tri-county has micro-markets that are both favorable and unfavorable at this time.

'You start looking at North Charleston and Goose Creek and some of other areas, and some places aren’t so bad,' Rundbaken said."

For the full Charleston Regional Business Journal article: http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/pub/13_11/briefs/9503-1.html

The Story of Spoleto & Its Little Sister

Not only does the Spoleto Festival offer world class art with Charleston as its incomparable stage, Piccolo Spoleto makes it accessible for everyone!
"Spoleto Festival USA was founded in 1977 by Gian Carlo Menotti, Christopher Keene and others involved in the Festival of Two Worlds as the American counterpart to that festival held annually in Spoleto, Italy. A Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, Menotti began the Italian festival in 1958 as a forum for young American artists in Europe. The festival quickly became a haven for a large group of artists, both traditional and experimental, who found the mix of dance, theater, opera, music, and the visual arts to be both exciting and stimulating.

When the organizers of the Festival of Two Worlds planned an American festival, they searched for an American city that would offer the charm of Spoleto, Italy, and also its wealth of theaters, churches, and other performance spaces. Charleston, South Carolina was the perfect counterpart. The city is small enough to be dominated by nonstop arts events during the 17-day festival, but also large and sophisticated enough to provide a knowledgeable audience and appropriate theaters. Furthermore,Charleston has an extensive history of involvement with the arts from housing America’s first theater and ballet companies to housing the oldest musical organization in the country."

For more information on Spoleto USA: http://www.spoletousa.org/

"Focusing primarily on artists of the Southeast region, Piccolo Spoleto is the perfect complement to the international scope of its parent festival and its 700 events in 17 days, transforms Charleston into an exhilarating celebration of performing, literary and visual arts. Piccolo Spoleto's traditional program offerings include visual arts exhibits, classical music, jazz, dance, theatre, poetry readings, children's activities, choral music, ethnic cultural presentations, crafts, and film."

For more information on Piccolo Spoleto: http://www.piccolospoleto.com/about/default.aspx

To Remember the Cost of Our Freedom

Somewhere between packing the cooler and heating up the grill, we should all take time to remember those who have fought for us and those who are fighting even now. We should pause to reflect with grief and gratitude on the debt of love we owe and to pass it on to our children, in faithful allegiance to the declaration of General Logan instituting the first Memorial Day:

"Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic."

These websites offer some moving tools to help your family remember and mark the day:
http://www.pbs.org/memorialdayconcert/concert/
http://www.usmemorialday.org/
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/

Wow. This is complicated, but worth reading and worth talking about. Should the SC legislature be encouraged to act in protection of SC investors?
"Where to start with this story? It has so many moving parts and players: more than $130 million in missing money for starters, and criminal investigations, civil lawsuits and hundreds of real estate deals hanging in the works. Then likely to follow from it all could come additional scrutiny on the burgeoning 1031 tax exchange industry.

The troubles came to light last week when The 1031 Tax Group LLC, a Richmond, VA-based privately held consolidated group of qualified intermediaries for deferred like-kind property exchanges, filed for chapter 11 reorganization in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. Edward H. Okun is owner and sole "member" of The 1031 Tax Group. Also filing for chapter 11 were 16 other firms rolled up as subsidiaries of The 1031 Tax Group, each designated as qualified intermediaries created to service real property exchanges. The intermediaries are spread out across the country including in San Jose, Boston, Denver, San Antonio, Tampa and New York."

So what exactly is a 1031?
"In a typical 1031 exchange, an exchanger sells its business or investment real estate and then has 45 days from the date of sale of the property to identify a like kind replacement property and it has 180 days from the date of the sale to close on the purchase of that replacement property without suffering any tax consequence. In order to preserve the tax deferral, the exchanger cannot take title to the proceeds of the first sale, but must instead deposit the proceeds with a 'qualified intermediary,' until such time that the exchanger is ready to close on the replacement property.

In The 1031 Tax Group's case there were more than 300 open exchange contracts representing an estimated liability of $151 million outstanding at the time of the bankruptcy filing. Deals ranged in size from tens of thousands of dollars to $10.5 million. That means there are more than 300 individuals or business entities now bumping up against a 180-day Internal Revenue Service-imposed window to conclude the second half of their real estate exchange, or face tax burdens and penalties.

According to court papers, lawyers have begun petitioning the IRS seeking relief and to avoid paying taxes on money that has disappeared. And according to The 1031 Tax Group's filings, it does not have that money to meet those property closing obligations. Where the money is, remains a mystery."

What should this case mean to you and me?
"Critics say the size and extent of the Okun case highlights the need for greater oversight to protect investors from what they see as a major flaw in the like-kind exchange system - a lack of federal oversight on this legal way to shield capital gains from the IRS, according to a report by the Florida Association of Realtors. Pat McCaffrey, a representative of another national 1031 exchange company, Investment Property Exchange Services Inc., told the Florida Association of Realtors that the bankruptcy is 'a black eye for the industry.'

'It's a non-regulated industry,' McCaffrey was quoted as saying. 'Anybody can hang up a shingle in their garage, and people will give them millions of dollars.' McCaffrey says he would 'welcome regulation,' but in the meantime recommends that investors don't just ask a company if it's bonded, but also 'read the bond and see what the bond will pay for.'

Currently, only one state, Nevada, regulates 1031 exchange intermediaries - but only minimally. '(1031 exchanges) are a niche industry,' Chris Lee, deputy secretary of state of Nevada told the Florida Realtors group. 'They've flown under the radar for a very, very long time. For the amount of money they handle, it's amazing that no one is regulating them.'

For the full story from the CoStar Group (the #1 Commercial Real Estate Information Company in the U.S.): http://www.costar.com/News/Article.aspx?id=EFD6CD08C5E48546B413B6131980B7BA&ref=100

Kiawah Island's Animal Planet Special

Kiawah is a lot more than just a traditional ocean and golf resort, and after this year's Animal Planet Spring Watch the rest of the country has gotten a glimpse of how much more.

"'The focus of the island is so often golf and tennis,' said Elizabeth King, director of outdoor programs for Kiawah Island Nature Program. 'The nature program is like a best-kept secret.'
The nature program has six year-round staff members and 22 seasonal staff members. The program educates the public about the natural aspects of the island and provides 45 different types of tours and excursions focused on nature.

'I don’t think there’s a place in California that has as many species as Kiawah,' said Joe Carolei, partner, executive producer and director for Painless Productions.

Not only is Kiawah a strong example of zoological diversity, it also is not embedded in wilderness and provides relatively easy transportation, Carolei said.

Kiawah Island had 'the best of everything' in comparison to other sites Painless and Animal Planet scouted, Carolei said."

For the full Charleston Regional Business Journal article: http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/pub/13_10/news/9392-1.html

For the Spring Watch site: http://animal.discovery.com/tv/spring-watch/spring-watch.html

How Much Life Is Left In Your Home?

How long can your garage door opener or refrigerator or medicine cabinet serve? It's amazing the things you can find a study to tell you!
By any reckoning, a home is expected to last many years and serve several successive generations. But what about the individual components that comprise the house? How many years of service can a home owner reasonably expect from a roof or a door, a window or a whirlpool tub?

A new NAHB study sponsored by Bank of America Home Equity takes some of the mystery out of the subject with the caveat that numerous factors, including use, maintenance, climate, advances in technology and simple consumer preferences can have a dramatic effect on product longevity.

For the full report: http://www.nahb.org/generic.aspx?genericContentID=72539&print=false

East Edisto Development

I thought I'd pass along a general call to the public from paper manufacturing company MeadWestvaco –

"MeadWestvaco has been a part of the Lowcountry for many years and we care about this community's future. We believe our planning process can contribute to the region's need for growth management, balancing economic vitality with the preservation of what's best about this place we call home.

Our goal is to create a conservation-driven master plan for East Edisto, the company's contiguous acreage along the eastern edge of the Edisto River located in a natural path of progress for both Charleston and Dorchester Counties.
With the land under single ownership, we have the opportunity to do something never been done before. On a rather large scale, we can engage the community in a plan that:

• Is conservation-driven


• Manages growth wisely


• Addresses traffic concerns


• Prevents sprawl by creating sustainable small towns and communities
  

We look forward to working with the entire community to be part of the solution in the growth challenges the Lowcountry faces and we encourage you to get involved. Submit your questions, suggestions and concerns here at EastEdisto.com, attend public meetings and let us hear from you!"

To visit their website: http://www.eastedisto.com/

More On the New North Charleston

If you haven't been to the new Shoppes at Centre Pointe or the Tanger Outlet, you've really missed something . . . and I'm not talking about a good bargain or a great steak at Fatz Cafe. This development is the epicenter for a commercial revitalization that is already sending out ripples –
Kim Henshaw, a commercial real estate leasing agent in the area, "'What's happening at and around Centre Pointe is analogous to the boom in Mount Pleasant around Towne Centre and the redevelopment of King Street in downtown Charleston.'

'I think basically what North Charleston has done in fostering this development is allowed for the creation of something that will serve the breadth of the community rather than specific user groups,' she said. 'And because you're catering to everybody, you're going to draw from North Charleston, Summerville, West Ashley and, yes, even Mount Pleasant and Charleston.'

"Bill Hantske, Centre Pointe Development LLC's project manager, describes what's happened on the land as the 'biggest and most successful commercial development project' he's ever been involved in.

'Our anchors, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and Tanger, are phenomenal, but you know when you get right down to it, what made this a success was what made it a compelling property in the first place: its general location,' he said."

For the full Charleston Regional Business Journal article: http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/pub/13_10/news/9366-1.html

Is It Easy Being Green?

Is it worth it? These people answer yes on both counts –
"The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is the nation’s foremost coalition of leaders from every sector of the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. Our more than 9,000 member organizations and our network of 75 regional chapters are united to advance our mission of transforming the building industry to sustainability.


The U.S. Green Building Council's core purpose is to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life."



For more from the U.S. Green Building Council's website: www.usgbc.org

What is a “Half-Back”???

You may have heard the term, “Be Back” but do you know what a half-back is??? This delightfully playful term typically refers to the Northern Snowbirds who once flew down South to Florida and upon suffering a hurricane or two, have decided to move…you guessed it, Half-way back…Large flocks are landing all along the SC Coast…Perhaps, this very phenomenon was the reason High-end home builder, Pulte Homes has chosen Carnes Crossroads to build a very large, upscale nest…Del Webb Charleston…within the greater 10,000 home master-planned Cane Bay community.

For more information on Del Webb Charleston: http://www.delwebb.com/Homefinder/Community.aspx?ID=100543

The I'On Group Sets Its Sights On North Charleston

More and more we're finding that there is no such thing as an undesirable location in the Lowcountry –

"Step inside Mixson, a new neighborhood from the I’On Group in the historic Park Circle neighborhood of North Charleston. Mixson draws inspiration from the homes and streets of some of Charleston’s oldest and most loved neighborhoods. In the style of downtown’s famous streets, Mixson’s homes sit along intimate, tree-lined roads interspersed with small parks and squares. Simple in design, these beautiful homes combine the elegant proportion, high ceilings and solid masonry construction of traditional homes, with all the modern advantages of a new home. Ready access to I-26 and I-526 put downtown Charleston, Mt. Pleasant and West Ashley within a 15-minute drive, making a commute to work, a trip to the beach or a dinner at one of Charleston’s famous restaurants, as simple as can be. Meet us at Mixson.

The I'On Group called upon some of the most creative minds to help plan, design and engineer Mixson. The plans call for a variety of places to call home from cozy, single-family homes and townhomes to live/work residences with living space above commercial space from the mid-100s."

For more from their website: http://www.mixsonavenue.com/

Barbados: South Carolina's Mother Colony

This place just gets cooler and cooler the more you know!

"When most of us were in elementary school, we learned about the English settlement at Jamestown and the Pilgrims' landing at Plymouth Rock. It seemed that all 13 American colonies were settled by people who sailed directly from the British Isles or continental Europe.

But one colony was different. Many of South Carolina's early settlers – and an even higher proportion of its leaders – came from the English colony of Barbados."

For the full SCIway News article: http://www.sciway.net/sn/43.html#6

Does Mount Pleasant Need A Main Street?

McAlister Development Company has a big idea: solving the sprawl predicament by reorienting 40 years of unplanned growth around a newly built center large enough to accomodate the town's 21st century dimensions –

"Mount Pleasant does not really have a center right now. This is, in part, due to the fact that this was a small village on the harbor historically and the Town's growth outside the old village did not start until after World War II. After World War II towns and cities in the United States stopped building Main Streets because it seemed like there were enough roads to accommodate more and more cars forever Of course, this turned out to be false. In 1960 there were just about 5,000 residents of Mount Pleasant and now there are over 60,000. No doubt this will be a Town of 100,000 residents in the future

It might be time to create a real center for the Town - a place with a real Main Street and public places to gather, perhaps a signature hotel, workplaces for knowledge based companies, shops, restaurants and so forth. Ideally such as place will be in a central location with good access. We think our place is well suited for a Main Street if the Town wants one. Our site is only a block from Highway 17 and I-526 and will connect to Rifle Range Road. And most importantly, a part of one of the Town's primary streets - Hungryneck Boulevard - will come through our site."

For more from the Central Mount Pleasant website: http://www.centralmountpleasant.com/design/

Charleston Stage Company Marks 30th Anniversary

"The play's the thing!" but if you prefer musicals, we've got those, too –

Charleston Stage, founded by Playwright Julian Wiles in 1978, is South Carolina's largest professional theatre company. At The Historic Dock Street Theatre, Charleston Stage has presented over 150 productions at the theatre and played to a collective audience of over one million strong. Charleston Stage employs 20 full-time staff members, guest artists, scores of actors, dancers, singers and musicians.

This season's performances include:
Gershwin at Folly
Disney's Beauty and the Beast
Fiddler on the Roof
Tick Tick Boom
The Santaland Diaries
Bad Dates
Frog and Toad
James and the Giant Peach

For tickets or more information: http://www.charlestonstage.com/

World Class Golf Without Leaving Town!

Better get your tickets soon before they're gone –

The legends of golf will compete in South Carolina's first Major championship next year -the 68th Senior PGA Championship on The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in Kiawah Island, South Carolina, May 22-27, 2007.

"The location and timing of this Championship allow for a most memorable spectator experience," says Roger Warren, President of The PGA of America and Kiawah Island Golf Resort. "Spectators have a unique opportunity to enjoy Major championship golf and beautiful ocean views from one place. When not watching golf, spectators may explore Kiawah Island and greater Charleston -- play golf at area courses, visit beaches, enjoy the Spoleto festival, tour historic homes and plantations, and enjoy fine dining."

When fans and the 156-player field arrive for the 2007 Senior PGA Championship at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, they find a new, 24,000-square-foot clubhouse next to the 18th green awaiting them.

For tickets or information on the tournament: http://www.pga.com/seniorpga/2007/index.html
For information on the new clubhouse: http://www.pga.com/seniorpga/2007/news/kiawah_clubhouse032907.html

Charleston Tea Plantation First Flush Celebration

Somehow it just seems right that Charleston would be home to the only active North American tea plantation, don't you think?

With a taste all its own, American Classic Tea's First Flush is a once-a-year Special Edition Tea available in very limited quantities. This year we are going to celebrate our First Flush with a Festival at the Plantation on May 12, 2007. Bring a blanket or chair and come celebrate with us for a full day of fun, food, live music, games, relaxation and friendship.

For Charleston Tea Plantation's website: http://www.bigelowtea.com/act/

For the Charleston Regional Business Journal story on the plantation: http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/pub/13_9/news/9253-1.html

Get Inspired!

I love Charleston, and I love this concept!

Robert Prioleau and the Blue Ion marketing firm think that Charleston is more than just a nice place; they think it's inspiring and that it's time to get the word out!

“For instance, I ride my bicycle a lot when I travel around downtown Charleston,” Priouleau offered as an illustration. “Now, most of the time, I don’t give any thought to what I’m doing as I make my way down our historic streets, but once in awhile, it simply hits you: ‘Look at how lucky I am to get to do this any day I please.’

“That’s inspiring to me, and when you think of how to market a location, whether it be as a tourist destination or a place to build a business, what better thing to say to people than, ‘Come to Charleston and you’ll be inspired too,’” he said.

Priouleau was just one of the creative minds about town who came together several months ago to try to find a way to create a distinctive Charleston brand that would capture all the things various entities promote about the region and distill it into a single message.

In a phrase, which isn’t owned by any particular community organization, the region’s new brand is "Charleston Inspired."

For the interactive "Charleston Inspired" website: http://www.getinspiredcharleston.com/#
For the Blue Ion marketing firm website: http://www.blueion.com/
For the full story from the Charleston Regional Business Journal: http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/pub/13_9/news/9327-1.html

Million Air, Charleston!

More on Charleston's "Jet Set" specifically the private Jet Set –

Million Air, the nation's premier provider of upscale aviation services, will be opening their $5 million Charleston location in the next couple of months. If Donald Trump decides to come down this summer, Million Air is probably where he will land, pick up a coffee from the Wild Bean Bar and be driven off in one of the Jaguars provided as crew vehicles. Charleston already has one operation offering similar services, Corporate Wings, whose hangars are essentially at capacity.

After considering the market Million Air expects to be completely full within 2 years. Describing their decision to build here, company president Ken Allison said, "Charleston offered everything we were looking for in terms of the amount of corporate traffic coming into the city, potential customers and demographics. On top of that, we really just love this city."

To see Million Air's really cool website: http://www.millionair.com
To see Corporate Wings' website: http://www.corporatewings.com/
To read the Charleston Regional Business Journal story from October 2006: http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/pub/12_22/news/7792-1.html

Charleston's Growing "Jet Set"

Along with so many other upscale demographic indicators, general aviation in the Charleston area is taking off . . . literally and figuratively –

Like a lot of things in Mount Pleasant, the town’s airport is experiencing growing pains and plans are in the works to nearly double the capacity of its terminal by the end of the year.

“The goal is to modernize the facility and make it look like an appropriate gateway to the Mount Pleasant area,” said David Jennings, chairman of the Charleston County Aviation Authority.
The $600,000 expansion is in the design phase and will be an addition to the existing terminal, plus a new airport layout plan, Jennings said.

Jennings also said he has noticed the growing popularity of general aviation in the Lowcountry.

“Our traffic is increasing both at Mount Pleasant and at Charleston Executive Airport,” Jennings said. “Five years ago, I would not have thought that.”

Charleston Executive Airport on Johns Island is in the permitting process for a $1.3 million terminal that would replace the existing facility currently serving between 400 and 700 aircraft monthly.

The two airports have growth in common, although they serve different markets, Jennings said.

“Charleston Executive is getting a significant amount of jet traffic, and we attribute that to tourism, especially the opening of The Sanctuary on Kiawah Island,” he said. “The Sanctuary has become a favorite gathering place for corporate executives.”

Read the full Charleston Regional Business Journal article here: http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/pub/13_9/news/9249-1.html

North Charleston's Park Circle Remains Hot Market

Have you looked at Park Circle lately? If not, you might want to look again –

"In 2000, 48 homes were sold in Park Circle. In 2006, that number skyrocketed to 112 . . .

The average sales price for a home in the tri-county area is $316,831, according to the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors' multiple listing service.

Meanwhile, the average cost of a house in Park Circle is $250,000. That kind of price is pleasing to young professionals, both single and married, and to older couples seeking smaller homes now that their children are grown and have left the nest. These are Park Circle's primary homebuyers . . ."

Read the full article here: http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/pub/13_8/news/9159-1.html

Average Sales Price of Residential Units 2000-2006

When people start talking about the "downturn" in the real estate market, it helps to look at the hard data –

Year....Number Sold.......Average Sales Price
2000......8,098.........................$194,765
2001......8,003.........................$194,926

2002......9,192.........................$220,864

2003.....11,496........................$230,064
2004.....13,705........................$259,176
2005.....15,458........................$278,461
2006.....15,206........................$291,056

reported from the Charleston Trident Association of Builders

Economists Foresee Steady Growth in Lowcountry!

The Charleston Regional Business Journal reports: "In spite of concerns on a national level that the U.S. might come dangerously close to a recession later this year, the economic outlook for the Charleston region looks good . . ."
Read the full article here: http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/pub/13_8/news/9156-1.html

An inset in the print version of the CRBJ quoted these encouraging 2006 statistics from the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce:

• "The region's total employment expanded by nearly 8,000 new jobs to reach 288,000 during 2006, a rate of nearly 3%."
• "The strong growth of the job market also signaled population gain. Total labor force and total employment grew at about the same rate, while unemployment remained steady."
• "Total retail sales topped $18 billion."
• "The region's real estate market numbers for 2006 totaled the second best year ever."