I find myself this morning sitting in the waiting room at a car dealer. Just the thought of visiting a car dealer brings a high level of dread. Images of sales guys standing in the parking lot smoking the boredom away, dirty service areas, dirty bathrooms and worn out service guys who are under orders to get sales up in the service department. I would normally ask my wife to take it in, but this is going to be a Baker Motors experience.

Having run companies, large marketing divisions and now Prestige Real Estate Group, I am always amazed when I experience a consumer business that truly has a passionate culture of putting the customer first. It is not easy. It takes leadership from the top with a serious commitment to serving the public. I want to take

For all those who are thinking about the possibility of coming to live here in Charleston.... you have to check out this Travel and Leisure article. "Forget the city of old, or even five years ago. A new wave of restaurateurs, designers, and hoteliers have put the jewel of the Lowcountry on the global stage...something bigger than food is reshaping Charleston. There’s an energy coursing through the city that reminds me of Nashville and San Francisco."   Click on READ FULL POST below then CLICK HERE to see the full Travel and Leisure article.

 THE WAY TO MAKE MONEY ON A HOME IS TO BUY IT RIGHT.

Of course, finding a good deal involves using a number of indicators of value, understanding seller motivation, the condition of the home, the realtors ability to negotiate and much more.

I always find it disappointing to get a call from a nice family asking us to list their home if they are in trouble before they even start. We know before we even walk the home that the seller is going to lose money. If you fell in love with a shinny new home and over paid for it, you are not going to be happy when you sell it. A number of factors go into determining if a home is a good deal. I plan to post a series of tips on how to buy a home right. 

One useful metric to study is "Months Of Inventory" for

Charleston has grown at a rapid rate in recent years. A recent study indicated Charleston is second in growth to Austin TX. In Charleston's market, lifestyle is the big driver of growth. Families looking to improve their life, live in a smaller city with all of the amenities of a big city, and enjoy lower real estate taxes are making the move. Of course, growing employers like Boeing, Bosch, Mercedes and many others bringing new hires in. 2017 was the busiest year ever for home sales. The growth rate of homes sold was up 3.4% over 2016 and median price was up 4.3%. Of course, this is not a huge increase which delights us as the growth rate is sustainable. We are not seeing the dynamics of the 2008-2009 period of speculation.

It is

No excuse now... its really easy to get to Charleston. There are 60 daily non-stop flights to Charleston from 17 airports around the US... Boston, Ft. Lauderdale, Baltimore, Houston, Nashville, Chicago, Washington National, Washington Dulles, Newark, La Guardia, JFK, Atlanta, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Miami, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Seattle. If you live within driving distance or can get a connecting flight to these 17 departure cities, you can land at the newly renovated Charleston airport... take a taxi or a Uber car and be in historic downtown Charleston in less than 30 minutes! Any of our agents would be delighted to coordinate a visit here for you, and of course show you some really wonderful homes. Click on READ FULL POST below then CLICK HERE to see

Another great evening last night in Charleston! Went to the Charleston Symphony Orchestra Holiday Pops concert at Gaillard Center... 60-piece orchestra, 120-chorus ... 2 hours of classic Christmas music...only a 15 minutes drive from Daniel Island. $5 parking. Love living on Daniel Island!!!

Songs included "For unto us a Child is born" from Handel's Messiah, "Carol of the Bells", 2 John Williams' pieces from Home Alone, "Twelve Days of Christmas", "Sleigh Ride", traditional English carols and an inspiring sing-along finale!

Great news for folks in or near Chicago. You can escape the brutal winters in the windy city. American Airlines now has two non stop flights a day between Chicago and Charleston International Airport. American has also added flights to Mrytle Beach. Check the American Airlines site for details. The schedules are seasonal in some cases. Hey a little tip too...if you are watching your travel expense there are 3 airports not too far from Charleston in addition to Charleston Airport. Sometimes we have found great fares making the approximate 90 minute drive from any of there airports worth the time. Those airports are Columbia Airport, Myrtle Beach International Airport and Savannah/Hilton Head International. However you get here you will find Charleston an

Travel and Leisure Magazine named Charleston as the best city in the US for the fifth consecutive year and they also named us the 2nd best city in the World.

Southern Living Magazine named Charleston the #1 Best City in the South.

Food and Wine Magazine ranked Charleston in their list of the Top 10 Most Exciting Food Cities in the World.

Of course, with all this going on, the real estate market continues to move forward nicely. Year to date, transactions are up 7.7% over the same period from 2016. 2017 will likely be the busiest year in Charleston history. We may sell over 18,000 properties. Median sales price is up a modest and sustainable 3.9%. Median sales price is at an all-time high of $253k. However, according to my analyst regression

Centuries ago, in Mediterranean fishing villages, Catholic residents would gather and have a local priest pray blessings on fishing boats for a safe and bountiful season. Now, widely adopted by Christian communities around the world, coastal towns practice "blessing the fleet" in hopes of the same safe, fruitful fishing and shrimping expeditions. 

Thirty years ago this spring, the town of Mount Pleasant began blessing the Charleston fleets. This annual event is host to local seafood purveyors, restaurants, music, crafts and a day of fun for the whole family. The 30th Annual Blessing of the Fleet & Seafood Festival will take place Sunday, April 30th at Mt. Pleasant Memorial Waterfront and will offer parking at locations around town with free shuttle

A new season is being ushered in as temperatures rise across the low country. Several great events are on the horizon, and as you make plans to visit, we hope you will include a few of these Charleston favorites in your itinerary.  

April

• Charleston RiverDogs Games: Various Dates Beginning April 6 - August 31 at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park
• Charleston Farmers Market: Every Saturday beginning April 8 - November 25 in Marion Square
• Folly Beach Sea and Sand Festival: April 8 at Folly Beach 
• 2nd Sunday on King: Every 2nd Sunday of the Month on King Street
• M. Dumas and Sons Centennial Celebration: April 20 at M. Dumas and Sons on King Street
• Low Country Strawberry Festival: April 20-23 at Boone Hall Plantation
• Sperry Charleston Race