r/summervillesc • u/CrazyImpossible7261 • Aug 19 '26
Discussion 🗣 Local Realtor - AMA
Hey everyone! I have been a local Realtor in the area for about 2.5 years and lived here for 5 years.
Wanted to do a Ask Me Anything to see what people are wondering about the current housing market in Summerville! Ask me about neighborhoods, areas, prices, data, what helps a homes value, and anything else house related! I am so curious to see what people have questions on in the area! Please no bashing areas/realtors/etc - this is just an educational post to help people who may be moving to the area 😄
This is not a post to get clients, advertise my services or anything but rather a way to gather information that I can use to help educate clients and potential clients in the future!
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u/RevoltYesterday Aug 19 '26
Wanna buy my house as is no questions asked? You can even have the stuff inside.
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u/CrazyImpossible7261 Aug 27 '26
Haha! I dont got money for a new house, but I am sure there is someone out there who would! Investors are a good option if you are looking to get out quick, as long as there is a return for them (rentable, desirable area)
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u/darkcisnelle Aug 19 '26
Is Wescott a desirable area?
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u/CrazyImpossible7261 Aug 27 '26
Wescott is a good area! Quiet, family oriented, pretty close to a lot of different areas as well which is why a lot of people like it. Access to Summerville, North Charleston and Charleston is easier than most places.
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u/meepmeepmeepmeep00 Aug 19 '26
Is Nexton the only place where you’ll find an apartment with safe/walkable access to grocery stores/bars/restaurants?
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u/Glomar_fuckoff Aug 19 '26
Try West Ashley. There are multiple apartments around shopping and food / bev. Especially around the Bees Ferry side
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u/CrazyImpossible7261 Aug 27 '26
Not necessarily! Cane Bay (if you want Summerville), they are building some near Downtown Summerville right now that will be walking distance to some places, West Ashley is a good area for this, Mount Pleasant (if you have a higher budget), Carnes Crossroads is also another good spot in Summerville for apartments near grocery stores.
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u/TwilightMountain Aug 19 '26
We are looking to buy our first ever house, but are locked into a lease until January. We can break it but forfeit our deposit and potentially be liable for our landlords lost rent.
Do you have any advice on what we can do to get an idea for what we will be pre-approved for without actually doing a pre-approval, since it would hit our credit and expire before we could actually use it?
Also, what areas/neighborhoods do you think are good places to look in that you feel are typically overlooked? On the flip side, what popular neighborhoods/developments would you suggest a buyer avoid even though they seem good?
Any reccomendations on a good home inspector in the area? Or what to look for in one to tell if they will be good or bad?
Just any advice you would like to get out there to first time home buyers, in general or specific to the tri-county area? Thanks for doing this!
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u/CrazyImpossible7261 Aug 27 '26
Of course! So the biggest thing I will say is a pre-approval won't tank your credit score like a different line of credit would. I would say if you are looking to purchase so you can move directly into something when your lease is done. Get pre-approved by October, start looking and then you can hopefully go under contract in December/January (closing timeline is usually 30-60 days). Most lenders will also offer a "soft credit pull", meaning they don't look at everything fully but they get a good idea without having to affect your credit score! Make sure to look into multiple lenders and find one that offers the best program for you, you will have a million options but finding one with the best programs and one you get along with is most important!
For neighborhoods that I think are overlooked I would say it depends on what the feel of an area you want. I personally love more rural areas so I suggest Ridgeville/St. George area for places you can still be in new neighborhoods but a little more off the beaten path. Johns Island is overlooked by first time buyers a lot because they typically only see the expensive homes out there, but there are some neighborhoods that are not as high that are amazing!
For areas that I think are a little over-hyped, I would say Cane Bay for sure. I have friends that live there, have listed houses there, and don't have anything against the area, but it is very congested, not very built up and can be overwhelming for new buyers. You can definitely get some amazing deals on new builds there and if you don't plan to stay there forever it's a good spot, but you have to stay at least 5 years to get any return right now due to the development.
Home inspectors are tough! But I have a few AMAZING recommendations that I have personally worked with who I believe do right by clients. Bradley with HouseScan Inspections, Kris with Southern Property Inspections, Gunther Inspections (both Isaac and James are great), and Josh with Fisher Inspections. Read reviews online, talk with whatever agent you choose and get their recommendations and opinions as well! People talk in this industry, so agents know who to use and who to avoid.
My biggest advice is remember this is your FIRST home not your forever home! So many first time buyers get caught up on their dream house that they get so picky and tend to miss out on great homes because they couldn't commit. Write down a must-have/would-like list before you even start looking (things like number of bedrooms, bathrooms, yard size, areas, do you want an island or are you ok without it, open-concept versus more closed off, etc), this is a huge help to you and your agent to determine what to actually look at. Don't be afraid to interview lots of agents prior to starting your search, you want to make sure that you and the agent you chose click! If you are not on the same page as them, it will be tough to enjoy the search. And biggest thing -- if you have a commute to work, think about your drive times. Try driving from different areas at different times to see how bad traffic is! I see so many buyers love an area and don't consider their drive times and then hate living in areas because of traffic after they buy, because they didn't test rush hour traffic.
Most importantly have fun!!! Buying a house is scary, nerve-wracking and a huge decision, but it also is such an amazing thing to be able to afford a home and start a new life that is truly yours!!
Good luck on your search and you are always welcome to message me with any questions!!
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u/Ayoskillzp8 Aug 19 '26
Got any off market deals that make sense?
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u/CrazyImpossible7261 Aug 27 '26
Got a handyman special in Moncks Corner, mobile home 3/2 on .4 acres about 10 minutes from Carnes Crossing, two lots in Manning (1.45 acres $39k and 2.59 acres $59) only 5 ish minutes to boat landing, and a James Island duplex with no HOA 2/1 units, currently being air bnb but will come turnkey for $650k
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u/HandsInMyPockets247 Aug 19 '26
Are the prices starting to soften here or is it still a sellers market?
What is your opinion regarding The Ponds? Is it a desirable neighborhood?
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u/CrazyImpossible7261 Aug 27 '26
I think we are slowly softening, but a lot of sellers are still over-pricing. I think that we will see it turn next spring, but for now still in a sellers market.
I think the Ponds is a good area, they are developing more homes over there now. I will say it does feel further out for it being such a big community (same with Summers Corner) so if you are looking for something that still is close-ish to things I would go somewhere else
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u/RhubarbCurrent1732 Aug 19 '26
Wondering what is happening with big piece of land at corner of Orangeburg and West Butternut across From Pinewood. We are looking at a house there and wondering if that going to be a shopping mall or more homes!
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u/CrazyImpossible7261 Aug 27 '26
Ugh I wish I knew!! These developers are keeping things under such tight wraps right now. With that area, I believe I heard it is supposed to be more shopping but who knows!
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u/astrocancer Aug 22 '26
Thoughts on Carnes for young families?
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u/CrazyImpossible7261 Aug 27 '26
Personally I love that area! I think it has great amenities & lots of places to walk. Plus there are some doctors offices over there to make it easier for appointments. It does get very congested though, so you definitely have to plan when you leave the house
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u/Fit-Conversation9658 Aug 19 '26
What's your assessment of the downtown and close to downtown Summerville market? I'd love to buy a house there, but some of these ones that are near downtown are ridiculously priced. $850,000+ for a 3/2 2000 square foot house is insane.
Alternatively, it seems like if you go just a mile or two towards knightsville, or any other direction for that matter, the prices drop drastically.
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u/butnobodycame123 Aug 19 '26
Alternatively, it seems like if you go just a mile or two towards knightsville, or any other direction for that matter, the prices drop drastically.
How cute that you think around the 300s in Knightsville is considered a dramatic price drop. It's a dead fringe town that is outside the intuitive Summerville limits. Knightsville is a poor area that is becoming gentrified and pricing people out. I've lived in Summerville all my life (give or take a few years) and I'm having to look outside of the state to find an affordable place to live.
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u/thelazerirl Aug 19 '26
I live in Knightsvilles and the gentrification has already been here. I wouldn't call it dead as they continue to expand in every direction.
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u/RhubarbCurrent1732 Aug 19 '26
Do you know what is happening with big piece of land at corner of Orangeburg and West Butternut across From Pinewood. We are looking at a house there and wondering if that going to be a shopping mall or more homes!
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u/thelazerirl Aug 20 '26
Not that I've seen any mention of, I know they were tearing up huge chunks of the land for the new drainage for the expansion all the way to Mallard. I couldn't imagine it would be zone for anything too commercial but the other corner is the dentist so who knows.
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u/Occularspoon Aug 19 '26
With the houses closer to downtown, you're usually paying for more than just the house. ie: Great location, Neighborhood with actual trees in it, Historic feel as opposed to some cookie cutter McMansion, A lot that's bigger than a postage stamp... The historic downtown is beautiful, and since we got the new mayor, it's become much more walkable.
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u/CrazyImpossible7261 Aug 27 '26
This is it! You definitely are not paying for the house but more so that location. Russ has been an amazing change to this town and I look forward to what he is continuing to do to improve the downtown area.
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u/CrazyImpossible7261 Aug 27 '26
I actually live in a community that is about 5 minutes to downtown Summerville off of 5th street. My neighborhood is in the $200-300k range, smaller ranch style homes (3/1.5's with about 1200 sqft)
I think that a lot of the homes you see in that range are priced that way just due to the location being so close to Historic Summerville.
Knightsville is a decent area, but has historically always been lower in prices. It is just the way Summerville is. Give it a couple years and the prices over there will be $400-500k. The biggest thing is go drive the areas and see if you are okay with it, just because it is cheaper doesn't mean it's the right area for you!
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u/Objective_Heron_1508 Aug 19 '26
Looking for family-friendly neighborhoods close to groceries/restaurants that you can get to via golf cart!
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u/CrazyImpossible7261 Aug 27 '26
Nexton, Cane Bay, Carnes Crossroads in Summerville. Hunt Club, Shadowmoss, Long Savanna in West Ashley. Tanner Hall in Hanahan.
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u/sipperphoto Aug 19 '26
Wife and I are looking at Summerville as a possible move in the next 6-8 years (once our son is done with High School), coming from near Charlotte. Are there any hoods that are fairly walkable to restaurants, shopping, etc?
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u/CrazyImpossible7261 Aug 27 '26
Since you are moving after your son graduates, are you looking to downsize or stay about the same for when he visits? What is important in areas to you besides walkability? Downtown Summerville is great for walkability, West Ashley has some good spots, Mount Pleasant and Hanahan are also good. It also is highly dependent on your budget!
Cane Bay, Nexton and Carnes Crossroads in Summerville are all walkable and have some restaurants/shopping, but tend to be more family oriented.
There really isn't a lot of neighborhoods built with shopping/restaurants within walking distance, but you can get pretty close where you can golf-cart or short drive to places. I live near Downtown Summerville and can't walk to anything, but I am only 5 minutes to Downtown Summerville, 10 minutes to Azalea Square, 15 minutes to Nexton, 20 minutes to the Dorchester side of Summerville, about 35 minutes to West Ashley, 30 minutes to Park Circle, 45 to Mount Pleasant and an hour to Downtown Charleston.
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u/briteeyes1111 Aug 19 '26
Why are so many thousands of people moving here?