Summerville or Columbia suburbs??? (Charleston, Irmo: real estate, homeowners insurance, low crime)

[slay6454]

I'm deciding weather to relocate to South Carolina. I'm torn between the Summerville area or the Suburbs around Columbia. Coming from southern California I have several concerns. Is anyone familiar with both of these areas?
#1 We are a bi-racial couple black/white with a blended family. Can we expect problems?
#2 We are very concerned about crime. We want to find a low crime area, as we are bombarded with gangs and meth labs here.
#3 What are the property taxes like?. Someone mentioned high homeowners insurance due coastal hurricanes?
#4 Hospital care. Are the hospitals good?
#5 I know the Charleston area has many sporting events but what about Columbia?
#6 How much snow do you get in a average winter around Columbia?
#7 Is flooding a issue in either area?
#8 Last but not least. My husband and I are self-employed. In California we have a Mortgage and Realty business. Are we going to have any trouble starting a business being outsiders?
Any information anyone can give me will be greatly appreciated! I feel like I've researched so much my eyes have gone crossed.

[SusannaK]

I grew up in Northern CA and have lived in Columbia for the past 7 years, so I'll mostly give you answers about what Columbia ("Cola" for short) is like.

#1 You probably won't have a problem in Cola. A friend with biracial daughters loved living here. I've noticed race relations are not as good on the coast, but I don't know about Summerville in particular.
#2 Cola has some crime, but nothing like SoCal. Look up statistics and stay out of bad neighborhoods and you shouldn't have a problem.
#3 Property taxes in SC are really low. Insurance costs are higher the closer you get to the coast, but inland it's no worse than anywhere else.
#4 Cola has several excellent hospitals, including the state's main trauma center.
#5 College sports are big here. Mostly football and basketball, the USC baseball team is also really good.
#6 Snow? What's that? I think I saw some in 2003.
#7 Flooding is only an issue in Cola suburbs if you live next to a lake or creek, (or in the case of our neighbor, if the storm drain backs up). Check property maps, don't live in a flood plain and you should be fine. Even the worst-case storm surge models don't have Summerville getting flooded by seawater in the event of a hurricane (I work with people who study this stuff), though you'd probably still get plenty wet as it is closer to the coast.
#8 I don't know anything about the real estate business, so I'll let someone else answer this.

Hope this was helpful. Good luck on your relocation!

[slay6454]

Thanks so much for the information. It was very helpful.

[slay6454]

Are there any Suburbs around Columbia that are particularly nice. My price range would be 150K-225K is this a reasonable expectation for the home prices?

[salatheel]

You can get a very nice house for that price range. There are many great suburbs around Columbia. Lexington,Irmo,Chapin,Lugoff,and Elgin are all very nice and safe. 175k gets you new contruction,1/2-1 acre lot, 1700-2000sq ft,3bedroom and 2-2/1 baths.