Multiple Questions on multiple topics... (Columbia, Sumter: for sale, real estate, rent)

[jacquelinelee826]

So my family and I are considering relocating to the Columbia area. I have a few questions, I will definitely visit multiple areas and rent for awhile before I commit to a new piece of real estate but I want some honest feedback from people who live in Columbia.

I would like to live in a suburb. I want relatively low crime, and a house in the $275,000-$325,000 range. I am not looking for a lot of land, preferably under an acre. Where is a neighborhood where you could buy a relatively large, newer house at this price? Is crime really that bad in Columbia? I also don't want to live in the middle of nowhere and would like to live in a place where new comers that aren't from south Carolina are generally welcome.

Thank you all so much!

[waccamatt]

Gosh, there are so many areas you can find a beautiful, large home for your price range. Crime is not that bad in Columbia; there are a few bad areas to avoid, but that is not hard to do. A lot of people like Lake Carolina in Northeast Columbia. They have homes of many price ranges. I had to chuckle about you saying you didn't want a lot of land - under an acre. I consider a 1/3 acre lot to be much more land than I need. Some other areas that might fit your bill are Blythewood and the Summit. Richland County is much more diverse than Lexington and the other counties int he metro and you will find many people from all over. Once you know where you will be working, we could make many recommendations.

[Brandon Hoffman]

You could live anywhere in Columbia in that price range and have something that fits your description. Irmo/Harbison, Chapin, Lexington, NE Columbia, W. Columbia all fit the bill. Some possible subdivisions are Governors Grant in Lexington, Belfair in Irmo, Lake Carolina in NE Columbia, Lake Frances in W.Columbia, and Timberlake in Chapin. Those are just some examples, you have probably 30+ subdivisions that you could choose from. I'd recommend a visit and tour of different areas then pick an area to focus on. Do you know where you'd be working yet?

[jacquelinelee826]

Originally Posted by Brandon Hoffman

You could live anywhere in Columbia in that price range and have something that fits your description. Irmo/Harbison, Chapin, Lexington, NE Columbia, W. Columbia all fit the bill. Some possible subdivisions are Governors Grant in Lexington, Belfair in Irmo, Lake Carolina in NE Columbia, Lake Frances in W.Columbia, and Timberlake in Chapin. Those are just some examples, you have probably 30+ subdivisions that you could choose from. I'd recommend a visit and tour of different areas then pick an area to focus on. Do you know where you'd be working yet?

I'm actually widowed and don't work. My children are grown and one who is finishing her degree up here in Massachusetts will be moving with me and living with me for awhile until we both get settled. I really want a sense of community where there's lots of community events and I don't have to worry about burglary. I want to be located where there is enough to do but not necessarily surrounded by city life. I want a nice close-knit community.

I found the website gardenerguides.com/ColumbiaInfo.htm can anyone from Columbia vouch for this site and tell me its accuracy?

[Nausikaa]

I think you would like the Lake Carolina community. Lots of new houses in that price range. Lots going on for all ages.

[JERSEYIAN]

I recommend LAKE CAROLINA as well. They have a website Lake Carolina - Homes for Sale in Columbia South Carolina lots of activities and a very close community. I am from NJ and will be moving there next month.

[Brandon Hoffman]

Garden Guides is one of the standard magazines in the area. Your choices are wide open at this point. I think either NE Columbia or the Irmo/Harbison area may be a better fit for you. There are plenty of nice communities in your range.

[Ceezer]

They're building new neighborhoods just North of Sandhills, aren't they? That might be an area you would want to consider because you'll have access to just about all the shopping you can imagine at Sandhills, plus a decent little selection of restaurants and a theater, without having to worry about traffic. Across from Sandhills is the Clemson land where they have walking trails and stuff, plus a farmers market (Tuesday evenings?). Clemson also runs the co-ops around here (at least here in Sumter) so they may have agricultural classes you could look into taking (if you enjoy gardening/landscaping).