Beach Houses in Charleston SC

by Lee Keadle

Looking for beach real estate in the Charleston, SC area? You'll find 6 beaches in Charleston to choose from, and each one has a different feel to it.

Folly Beach is one of the most popular for residents and tourists. This is partly because it's the most accessible beach to downtown Charleston. It's also the most affordable for vacation rentals and for buying real estate. Overall, Folly Beach has a laid back feel to it, and it's the most popular beach for students and surfers. You'll find plenty of restaurants, bars, and beach shops along Center Street, so there's no need to leave the island to go out. But, if you want to drive to downtown Charleston, you're only about 15 minutes away.

Isle of Palms also sees a big demand from home buyers. It's the main beach that Mt. Pleasant residents visit, and it also sees a good deal of tourism. So, if you're looking for vacation home that you can rent out for vacationers, either of these beaches would be good for getting this additional income. Part of the island belongs to Wild Dunes Resort (see below), so not all of the island is accessible to the residents. Isle of Palms is 15-20 minutes from downtown Charleston, so you can easily go downtown for entertainment. Mt. Pleasant is about a 5 minute drive, so there are a lot of things to do within a quick drive of the beach.

Wild Dunes Resort is a private beach resort located on the northern end of Isle of Palms. Wild Dunes has great amenities, including several golf courses. You'll find a few restaurants (like a grill and a deli), but for the most part, residents leave the resort and go to either Mt. Pleasant or downtown Charleston. If you're looking for high end beach real estate with a close proximity to downtown, Wild Dunes may be a good option for you.

Sullivan's Island is located just south of the Isle of Palms, so it also is conveniently located to Mt. Pleasant and downtown Charleston. It's the most historic beach in Charleston, and it's mostly made up of houses. You'll find only a few condo buildings on the island. There are some beautiful older homes - some date back to the early 1900s. You'll also see newer homes, and these can be found more on the beach side of the island. There are only a couple of restaurants at the entrance of the island, so most residents and visitors leave the island for entertainment. Although Sullivan's Island has public beach accesses (like Folly Beach and Isle of Palms), it has a nicer feel to it. It's also considerably more expensive than these two beaches.

Kiawah Island is one of the most exclusive beaches in Charleston. It has the best amenities of any of the beaches - world class tennis facilities and golf courses, pools, a spa, and upscale restaurants. There is one public access on the southern tip of Kiawah. It is part of the Charleston County Parks, and has paid admission. Besides these park-goers, access is restricted to property owners and vacationers who are renting homes on the island. Kiawah is located further out from downtown Charleston - it's about a 30 to 40 minute drive.

Seabrook Island is very similar to Kiawah in that it's a private beach resort, and it's located directly south of Kiawah. It also has great golf and tennis amenities, but it also has an equestrian center. This is one of only a few community equestrian facilities in all of Charleston. Kiawah and Seabrook have the priciest beach real estate in Charleston and have a high status associated with the areas. They are also the most natural of the beaches. They have very strict building guidelines in an effort to preserve the wildlife and natural beauty of the islands.

About the Author
Lee Keadle is a Realtor in Charleston South Carolina. He works in the Carolina One Real Estate Charleston SC office, and his team works largely with Summerville South Carolina homes!

The Real Housewives of Atlanta Reunion Show

We all eagerly anticipated the reunion show of the Real Housewives of Atlanta. It’s always interesting to find out what everyone was feeling and thinking after seeing themselves on television and hearing what the other housewives were saying behind their backs. And if you listened closely to the Real Housewives of Atlanta Reunions show you would have found out a lot of interesting tidbits.

Kim of the Real Housewives of Atlanta actually said that her album will be out in January. I hope she realizes that she will eventually have to sing live. Kim also hinted at a Season 2 of the Real Housewives of Atlanta and said that we might find out who Big poppa is. She also made a fool out of herself with that I have cancer, no wait I don’t have cancer story.

You also noticed on the Real Housewives of Atlanta Reunion show how Nene was very quick to point out that Big Poppa was married and that he was not going through a divorce. And she immediately squashed Kim’s I was real sick and lost a lot of weight story.

Sheree tried to come off as if she weren’t part of any of the drama on the Real Housewives of Atlanta. And it almost seemed like she was trying to distance herself from the others. I’m sorry but Sheree is so phony and I’m glad Nene didn’t tolerate it on the reunion show. She called her on it and I thought that was hilarious. What happened with Sheree is that she didn’t like the way she was portrayed on the Real Housewives of Atlanta. But they can only work with what they’re given Sheree, and your essence came out and it wasn’t so nice.

Tiny little Lisa is a spitfire. Who knew? She did not like what Kim was saying and she threatened to flip Kim over the couch. I didn’t see that one coming.

Sheree said she hoped to have her line out in the fall of 2009, which means that there’s a hitch somewhere. She also was quiet at this reunion show. Rumor has it that her excessive spending on the Real Housewives of Atlanta and her constant settlement talk has caused some trouble in her divorce proceedings.

A viewer from home asked if Nene was a former stripper. And she didn’t confirm or deny it but she was proud to point out that she currently strips for her husband Greg all the time. And why shouldn’t she? And if she was a stripper, so what?

Thank you Bravo TV for bringing your cameras to Atlanta, Georgia. The Real Housewives of Atlanta had many of us glued week after week. We’re hoping for a Season 2.

Finding Charleston Style Homes in Charleston, SC

By Lee Keadle

Few cities in the country have a style of house all their own. The Chicago bungalow and the Cape Cod are two styles that come to mind for having specific architecture associated with the area. In Charleston, SC, you'll find what's called the Charleston single. This is a single family house that is not very wide but is very long, and they're usually two to three stories. Residents started building these homes in the 1700s in downtown Charleston. Land was being sold at a premium, and these homes were designed to fit on smaller lots. The idea was to build up rather than out, so you'll see some historic homes in downtown Charleston with as many as five stories!

There are so many of these homes are available to home buyers in downtown Charleston. So, if you're looking to buy an authentic Charleston styled home and you're in a higher price range, this is the ideal area to start your home search. You can find beautifully restored Charleston singles, many of which can be linked back to Charleston's rich history. For example, lots of these homes are listed on various state and national registers of historic homes and some are featured in books about Charleston's history.

If you're looking for the Charleston look but want a newer home, you'll find so many options throughout the Charleston area. Because this style of home is in high demand from buyers, new neighborhoods built in the Charleston style have been popping up in areas from James Island to Summerville!

The most famous of these neighborhoods is I'on. This is a nationally known neighborhood located in Mt. Pleasant, and this is as close as it gets to downtown Charleston style homes. Many of these homes have the final Charleston touches, too, such as operable shutters, beautiful brickwork designs, and gas lighting at the entrance. The main downfall of I'on is that it's as expensive as the homes in downtown Charleston. But, if you're in this price range anyway (say, $700K plus), and you don't want to live downtown but still want the feel of it, I'on may be the neighborhood for you!

There are plenty of more affordable options for Charleston styled homes, so don't worry if your budget is in the $200-500K range. On James Island, you'll find the Charleston style neighborhoods Westfield Place, Eaglewood Retreat, Jamestowne Village, and Lakeside Village. On Johns Island you'll find Barberry Woods, the Villages in St. Johns Woods, and Rushland Plantation. In Mt. Pleasant there is Rivertowne on the Wando, Grassy Creek, Chadbury Village, The Village subsection of Park West, and Hamlin Plantation. West Ashley has Schieveling Plantation and McLaura Bluff, and Summerville has White Gables (which is the most affordable option on this list).

Whether you want an authentic Charleston style home in downtown Charleston or a newly built home in a convenient location, you'll find a lot of options to choose from!

About the Author
Buyers can search all Charleston real estate listings on our website, which includes Mount Pleasant SC real estate and Summerville SC real estate!