The Charms of Olde North Charleston

As anyone who reads this blog knows, I am very enthusiastic about the Charleston area! I truly believe that from our blessed vantage point the future looks as bright for us as the past – and Charleston has a pretty illustrious past! One area about which I am particularly excited is Olde North Charleston and the surrounding neighborhoods.

Situated by the river with an attractive, thriving "Main Street", the area is convenient to pretty much anywhere in the Lowcountry, and buyers and builders have already begun to recognize the amazing potential for growth in the area.

For more information and lots of pictures, please visit my newest website: http://www.parkcircleonline.com/.

New & Improved "TroyWatsonOnline.com"

File this under "If I do say so myself . . ." or perhaps "Not to toot my own horn . . ." But I love my new website! I wanted something warm, personal, engaging and helpful because that is my attitude toward my clients – and potential clients! I think we are all blessed to be here, and I want to help you make the most of it! I hope the new site conveys that message, and if you have any comments, I would love to hear them!

To visit: http://www.troywatsononline.com/

How to Buy the Right Lot

Here in Charleston one can find gorgeous lots aplenty, but choosing just the right one can be tricky, and it is important to keep in mind that there is more to the choice than simply framing one's favorite view! An article in Realtor Magazine highlights some of the key things to think about:

"Size.

The larger the lot the more it costs. Consider initial price, taxes, and even lawn care. From a purely investment point of view, architect and land planner Quincy Johnson says pick the smaller lot in a neighborhood of larger ones. All things equal, houses on small lots tend to appreciate more rapidly than small houses on larger lots in the same subdivision.

Orientation.

This can be a big deal for your energy bills. Facing the home in the correct way makes an enormous difference in heating and cooling costs.

Shape.

Sites come in many configurations – square, rectangular, irregular and pipe stem, or flag-shaped. Flag lots are increasingly popular near water or in a rural setting. But in a typical suburban location, they could mean sharing a driveway with one or more neighbors or the house could be sitting directly behind a neighbor’s house."

To read the full United Feature Syndicate article by Lew Sichelman: http://www.realtor.org/rmodaily.nsf/pages/News2007102204

The New Broad Street

I love that the tendency in Charleston is to bend – to grow, to change with the times, rather than stubbornly allowing an area to die before anyone will try thinking of it a little differently.

"Every once in awhile, it still happens, attorney R. Spencer Roddey said. Someone will drive into Charleston, park beside a meter and walk door-to-door until they find a lawyer to champion their cause.

'Now, that’s a vestige of how it used to be here, and it shows you how long images last,' said Roddey as he sat in a second floor office in a building that was built on Broad Street sometime between 1698 and 1708.

'Broad Street was all about the law and lawyers and the courthouse, but that was way before my time,' said the partner at Stoney, Gouldon and Roddey LLP. 'Today you’re as likely as not to pass a bank or an art gallery as a law firm while on the street, but it continues to thrive.'

Like many things in Charleston, there’s a before and after in the contemporary business life of Broad Street. And like almost like all the rest, what resides in between is Hurricane Hugo. After the hurricane destroyed the old county courthouse, a temporary court was established in North Charleston, on the grounds of the old Charleston Naval Base. For a time, Broad Street lost its core, and law firms, having no reason to be anchored to there, began to migrate.

But the neighborhood didn’t die. Instead, thanks largely to an influx of banks and other financial service providers that became its second cornerstone in the wake of Hugo, it’s enjoyed a tremendous and many-faceted rebirth."

For the full Charleston Regional Business Journal article: http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/pub/13_21/news/10553-1.html

What Are You Doing for Veterans Day?

I am absolutely thrilled about this event! I love that it's happening and that it's happening here makes it that much more exciting!

"The National Veterans Day Celebration is a love letter from a grateful nation - connecting those who served and continue to serve with those who care.

It will honor all five branches of the service - and all who have served during war or peacetime - the celebration will remind everyone that freedom requires vigilant defenders.

From November 8 - 11, 2007, the greater Charleston, SC region will invite the nation to gather here and honor the brave commitment of our nation's veterans, and our current enlisted men and women. Learn more about our plans for fellowship, reverence, civic pride and entertainment at this multi-day, multi-event celebration."

For the National Veterans Day website with information and schedules: http://www.nationalveteransdaycelebration.org/

What Can You Do Without a Permit?

Before you start that weekend project . . .

"The e-mail Tom Scholtens sent out was meant to settle the matter of which repair jobs will require permits in the city of Charleston. But amid the nods of agreement, there are still shrugs of frustration from contractors working in the city. With his department director’s OK, Scholtens—the city’s chief building and fire code official—decreed that permits will not be required on the listed items in repair or maintenance applications, as long as the work is not being done in the commercial or historic districts on the exteriors of the buildings.

Scholtens warned that the list could shrink or expand and that 'this attempt at simplifying our system does not give anyone the right to do a wholesale remodel on a property without a permit or to violate the licensing laws or the building codes of South Carolina.'"

For the full Charleston Regional Business Journal article: http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/pub/13_21/news/10550-1.html

For the city of Charleston building inspections website, with all sorts of forms and regulations spelled out: http://www.charlestoncity.info/dept/content.aspx?nid=249

Middleburg Plantation for Sale

If you've always dreamed of owning a piece of history, now's your chance! Well, if you've always dreamed of owning a piece of history, have at least a million dollars to spare and don't mind living in a fairly remote area of Berkeley County . . . This is definitely somebody's lifelong dream house, and I sure hope the right somebody ends up with it!

"If the median price of a Lowcountry home is $211,000, what is the price of Middleburg Plantation, a late 17th-century home surrounded by 326 pristine acres along the Cooper River? For now, it’s priceless.

John McAllister, a Columbia-based real estate consultant who is marketing the property, said the owners of Middleburg are accepting sealed bids to be opened at 11 a.m. Oct. 30. They can either accept a bid at that time, or they can opt to hold a live auction on the property one week later. 'We don’t know its true value,' McAllister said. 'That’s why we’re doing a sealed bid, convertible auction. There are several ways to assess value of a property and one is the comparable price method and there are not any comparables for a 1697 plantation house.'

The Berkeley County tax assessor’s office currently values the property at more than $1.1 million. McAllister said Middleburg is the oldest house south of Virginia and one of the few homes from its time that escaped burning during both the Revolutionary and Civil wars.

The property includes the ruins of a steam rice mill that had made it a center of commerce until the 1920s. The next buyer will also get a few unique amenities: a slave cemetery, the remains of a wine storage room in what is now an upstairs bathroom, and original glass window panes etched with names and dates from the past."

For the full Charleston Regional Business Journal article: http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/current/13_21/news/10547-1.html

For the auction listing with photos and video of the property: http://www.jltodd.com/oct3007/oct3007.htm

What's Your Favorite SC View?

What a place to live! If you need a mini-vacation right at your computer, browse through the South Carolina Photo Gallery on the SCIway website. While you're there be sure to notice how many of the state's gorgeous places are right here in the Lowcountry!

SC Photo Gallery: http://www.sciway.net/photos/all-sc-photos.html

The Modern Single House

It's interesting to read about a particular family's experience with eco-friendly building, instead of purely theoretical discussions or houses built to be sold rather than for specific people. I'm excited to see how all these things shape the Lowcountry over the next ten or twenty years!

"In the Holy City, before there was 'building green,' there was building smart. The Charleston single stands as a testament to the principles of sustainability, though its historic architects never threw around the term. Its durability, optimization of coastal breezes, and classic urban design drew homeowners Dustin and Peter Valinski to commission a thoroughly modern take on the single house with an eye toward family function, sheltering aesthetic, and environmental consideration."

For the full Charleston magazine article: http://charlestonmag.com/chashome.html

Oyster Season!

MMMM-mmmmm! I haven't enjoyed my first fresh, hot, salty, slippery roasted oyster yet this year, but this article had me rummaging around for my knife! Yum! Just one more reason to be glad you live in this gorgeous land of delights . . .

Thinking of how to explain the significance of the oyster roast here in the Lowcountry I couldn't do better than the monogrammed knives pictured here. We love them and take them pretty seriously!

"October has an "R" in it, and this means that oyster roast season is upon us. Bring out your best shucking knife and dive into SCIway's new South Carolina Oyster Guide, where you'll find delicious recipes, fun festivals, oyster shell recycling information, and a history of our state's once-great oyster industry."

For the full SCIway News article: http://www.sciway.net/sn/48.html#3

For the Charleston Shucker Co., makers of the engraved knife shown above: http://www.charlestonshuckerco.com/index.html

October Festivals

As the weather starts cooling down and the year turns its last corner, it just feels like time for a day trip or a festival or guided walking tour! I start scanning the paper for possibilities from the Preservation Society's perennial Fall Tour of Homes and Gardens to the Heritage Jubilee in Edgefield or the Moncks Corner Corn Maze. SCIway maintains a community calendar for the whole state, and in October opportunities abound! Enjoy!

http://www.sciway.net/calendar/october.html

Pickin' & Grinnin' in the Palmetto State

For a quick shot of very authentic bluegrass right here in the Lowcountry any time you need it, head to the Sewee Outpost for breakfast or lunch. Located 10 minutes north of Mount Pleasant they offer homemade biscuits, sausage, pimento cheese, crab dip, tasty sandwiches and of course pulled pork BBQ!

I'm not entirely sure why but they always have really good bluegrass piped into the store, so you can enjoy while you grab your bite and eat at their picnic tables, leaf through the paper, then browse their wares – an interesting mix selected for the crowd heading into the waterways or national forest for the week or weekend, everything from tackle and feed to Carhartt shorts to gourmet quiches in the freezer!

"Weekend nights at local pickin' parlors, impromptu acoustic jams featuring banjos and fiddles, and echoes of that "high lonesome sound" are deeply embedded in the heart of South Carolina music. Bluegrass, a type of American roots music, is alive and well in the Palmetto state, attracting people of all ages with its lively yet soulful resonance.

If you've got a hankering to hear some good music, or maybe to play some yourself, visit our newly compiled guide to SC bluegrass festivals, bands, venues, organizations, and more. It's here to guide you – feet tappin' and stompin' – to the nearest jam."

For the full SCIway News: http://www.sciway.net/sn/47.html#8

For the Sewee Outpost: http://www.seweeoutpost.com/

For Flatt City, the Charleston bluegrass band in the photo:
http://www.flattcity.com/

Surf's Up!

Dude, this story speaks for itself!

"Most of us hold our breath this time of year, hoping tropical weather stays out to sea. But a select few quietly keep their fingers crossed that the storms creep close enough to toss up some waves. And when the waves start rolling in, the surfers start paddling out, off to take advantage of the larger and more challenging surf.

That is why, this month, we thought we'd delve into the pastime of these courageous and fun-loving South Carolinians. Our SC Surfing Guide is full of information for surfers (and potential surfers!) all along our coast. Find out where to get surfing lessons, what the surf forecast is, and even check out the waves from live webcams! So grab your "stick" – it's hurricane season and surf's up!"

For the SCIway News: http://www.sciway.net/sn/47.html#6