Charleston Homes and Real Estate – Plus some other great stuff

Moody says that Charleston’s real estate market is expected to perform very, very well in 2010.  That’s great news for homeowners and sellers in the area.  It is also great news for buyers because by buying now you can take advantage of another run-up in prices.  Read the full article:

If you haven’t seen Boeing’s new airplane in action, you should check it out.  It is going to be a huge improvement from what we have been flying on for a while.  Think about going from a 1982 Buick to a 2010 Lexus.  That is basically what it will be like considering most of the airlines have fleets that are 14-20 years old.  Think about it.  It will still have that “new plane” smell.

Best part of all of this is that is will be produced right here in South Carolina.  Nothing could be finer than to produce jetliners in N. Charleston.  Wow, what a huge, huge bump our economy here in the Lowcountry is going to get from this.

Gov. Mark Sanford was in attendance for Boeing's Ground Breaking

Boeing’s much anticipated move from Seattle to Charleston is happening.  Ground breaking for the company for the construction took place on Nov 20th, 2009.

The Charleston Regional Business Journal reports that “Washington-based critics of Boeing’s decision have suggested that, while Dreamliner parts are built here, the skill level of the region’s work force is not adequate to build full-scale airplanes.”

Don’t you just love how Washington keeps calling us Southerners dumb?

After the huge success that we have had with BMW, companies like Boeing see the huge benefit of using skilled, non-union, employees.  By using non-union workers, Boeing can save millions of dollars without the threat of walkouts.  Something they have had to deal with four times in the last twenty years.

For the real estate market here in Charleston, SC, Boeing’s move will mean many things.  One thing that might not be realized is that with the influx of workers coming to Charleston with Boeing, home prices in the area are sure to see a bump up in price.  Consider that we currently have around 11,000 homes in inventory.  Boeing is bringing 3,800 employees to the area. This will surely positively affect the housing market.

Keep abreast of the changes, house prices, and areas that will be affected by connecting with me on my contact page.  I am always glad to help.

Boeing workers build part of the airplane's fuselage

Everyone who knows anything is looking to Charleston, SC as Boeing announced it’s plan to bring 3,800 jobs to the Charleston, SC area.  Local economists predict that Boeing coming to Charleston will bring an additional 1.7 jobs for each job that Boeing creates in the area.  That is a total of approximately 6,400 + jobs to Charleston.

The Seattle times writes that Boeing’s move to Charleston will not help the economic slump that Washington State is experiencing currently.

Real estate in Charleston for the Boeing employees is expected to boom a bit with the influx of employees and their families.  Finding the right home which will offer a short commute, great schools, and a rich family environment may be important to some of Boeing’s employees moving to Charleston.

As a specialist in relocating professionals, I can help you find a great home for you and your family.  Contact me to find a home for your move with Boeing.  You can also use my search page to get a preview of homes in Charleston, however nothing can replace a personalized search that I can set up for you as you search for a home.

New Page about Mt. Pleasant, it’s history and demographics.  Check it out sometime.

Just posted a new article on the Isle of Palms.  While researching this article, I found some really interesting information on the history of the Island.  Check out the article when you can:

Isle of Palms Real Estate

I was on desk duty this morning and saw this screen saver on our receptionist’s computer. She recently got married…her brother’s little girl was the flower girl.

I think…and the funny part is that she was actually trying to snap her fingers with her gloves on when the camera caught her hand in a compromising signal!!

Do this with me.

1. Write out a check for $8,000.
2. Be sure to make it out to your name.
3. Stare at it.
4. Is there anything that you could do with $8,000 this year?
5. Tear check up.

The Federal government, in an attempt to jump-start the economy, is offering an $8,000 tax credit (not deduction) for first time home-buyers.  A tax credit is quite different from a tax deduction.  Tax credits are paid back to you whether you owe for 2009 or not.  Thus, even if your tax bill was $0, you will still get a check for $8,000.

If you have a refund coming of $2,000 and qualify for this credit, then you will get $10,000 back.

While I am not offering tax advice, if you have not been a party to a home or mortgage in the past few years and have been waiting for your opportunity to buy, this is it.

Some close friends of mine have been waiting since 2005 to purchase.  They have been renting a home and waiting for the prices, which ran up for several years in Charleston and all over the country, to come down.

Finally, they have found a short-sale that they love.  Have made an offer.  The seller accepted.  They will now own a home for over $100,000 less than it sold for 4.5 years ago and get a huge check back from the US Gov. this year.  Pretty strong.

Do you qualify for the tax credit?

Check out this great article on whether or not you qualify for the Fed. Tax Credit.

I would love to hear from you.  What do you want to know about Charleston real estate?

• Is this a good time to buy?
• Is this a good time to sell?
• Can I invest in real estate?
• I don’t want to be a landlord, but want some rental property.  How can I do this?
• I have heard that it is really hard to qualify for a mortgage now.  Is that true?

Do you have other questions?  I would love to answer them here for you.

- Becca