Charleston National (Summerville, Oakland: for sale, real estate, house)

[smithrep]

Can I hear the pro's and con's of living at Charleston National? We have found a really nice house there but I have been hearing more about Park West and Rivertowne than anywhere else. We have been to both Park West and Rivertowne and both are very nice, it just seemed to me like once you got off of hwy 41, you still had to drive forever into the community to get to what might be your home, and they are still building deeper. Thanks.

[Charleston native]

I can only think of a few things...

Pros:
- Access to very good golf course
- Housing values are quite high
- Close proximity to Carolina Park (high density business area) and Mt. P's Towne Center (outdoor mall)

Cons:
- Location is the farthest northeastern point of the Chas urban area (considerable distance from downtown/airport/coliseum)
- Traffic on US 17 is the worst in the entire area near this neighborhood
- Higher property taxes

[smithrep]

thanks, those are definitely helpful. anything else would be greatly appreciated also, does it really take that much longer coming from Charleston National than it would from deep in the heart of Park West?

[USCJoe]

I agree that Charleston National has a nice golf course, although probably not as nice as Rivertowne Country club if local golfers can be believed. It is also quite convenient to shopping at the town center and the new Oakland Plantation and Carolina Park(both under development). I disagree that the traffic in the vicinity of Charleston National is the worst in the entire area, although it is somewhat busy during morning and afternoon rush hours, a small percentage of the day. I am a little confused about property taxes being higher in Charleston National or even Mt. Pleasant, Property taxes per dollar of assessed value in Mt. Pleasant are some of the lowest, if not the lowest in Charleston County.Property taxes on a home in Charleston National should not be any higher than in any other Mt. Pleasant neighborhood. The distance to downtown Charleston and the airport from Charleston National depends on time of day, but probably is not more than an additional 5-10 minutes than from most other neighborhoods in Mt. Pleasant.

[lorismith]

I live in Charleston National, the Estates section, and love it. I live on the golf course, have a nice size yard under oak trees, and am close to everything in Park West (grocery, schools, gym, & rec center). I have a friend in Dunes West and it takes her an additional 15 minutes to get home than me if we leave from the same destination!!! I hear real estate is going to really rise once the new hospital is built across the street!!!
I don't have problem feeling too far away from everything.
Good Luck!

[MayorCheryll]

Charleston National is a great place to live! Great gold course, easy access, shopping without accessing Highway 17N, access to Rifle Range Road which takes you to the beaches, nich amenities, nice people, and housing that is very $/sq ft friendly. In addition, there will soon be a new full service hospital within minutes. Good luck with your decision! You can't go wrong with any of your neighborhood choices in the Town!

[Charleston native]

Not surprisingly, just about everybody that has posted here who lives in Mt. P did not post any cons of living in Chas National. Gee, I wonder why? Is Mt. P truly the suburban utopia that has no problems? The answer is no, because no city lacks problems or deficiencies. However, it is obvious that many Mt. P residents tend to think their area is the sole community in the universe. While pride in one's community is commendable, it is unwise to be so blinded by your pride that you ignore true negatives against your community...because then, these problems only get worse.

The poster asked for pros and cons. How about post what needs to be improved in and around Chas National?

[USCJoe]

I don't think that the Mt. Pleasant posters to this forum are any more or less blinded by the negatives in their communities than those from Summerville, West Ashley, James Island or other Charleston area communities. Charleston National is a lovely community where residents take pride in maintaining their homes. It has swimming and tennis and the annual association fees are reasonable. It is a little further out from downtown Charleston than some other similar sized communities, but still only minutes from shopping and restaurants. The Elementary and High School associated with Charleston National received an "excellent" score and the Middle school a "good" score on the 2006 "State Report Card". The neighborhood has rather mature landscaping compared to some of the newer communities, although many of the homes have wood or vinyl exteriors rather than cement plank(more expensive) that is often preferred by many buyers. Charleston National is a good medium priced range community with no major negatives to my knowledge.

[biscman]

Please be specific, can I buy a house on a gold course and near the beaches for 625k range???

[DJShymansky]

Yes. There are a handful in Charleston National at least that are for sale on the course under $619k. If you'd like to move closer to the beach, that's certainly an option.