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My husband recently accepted a position with a company on Daniel Island so we are super excited to begin our house hunt in the Charleston area. Work required him to come down a few weeks ago and he had the opportunity to visit Summerville, Hanahan, Mount Pleasant and West Ashley, he liked them all. We will both be going down in a week to actually look at houses with our Realtor and dig a little deeper in the areas.
So it is time for us to pick the houses/areas we would like to visit and we could use your help!
So far our online research has Mount Pleasant at the top of our list for their schools and proximity to his office. But it (I’m sure you guys are surprised to hear this) is very expensive.
The second area that is standing out from an online perspective is Hanahan. The schools have good ratings and the housing prices are reasonable.
We both like the idea of Summerville but the commute…we are trying to avoid a long commute to Daniel Island.
1. Budget: $200,000 - $250,000 2. House/Condo/Townhome: Single Family Home, 3+ beds, 1500+ square feet would be nice 3. Employment Status: Husband will commute to Daniel Island, I am a stay at home mom 4. Children: A 2 year old and another little one due in March, public schools are a realistic option for us. 5. Suburban, Coastal or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of them together (or even Rural): We just want an area that is family friendly and safe. 6. Amenities preferred or must-haves: Would prefer to stay away from an HOA fee. 7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood: It would be ideal to have a neighborhood full of young families but as long as everyone is nice I don’t care if they are older or younger.
What is the deal with Mount Pleasant? Is it worth it to be there even if we have to buy a tiny little house? Are there areas of Mount Pleasant to avoid?
And what about Hanahan? The fact that it is not mentioned that often on this forum makes me nervous. Is it a scary place to live? Are the online school ratings not showing the whole picture?
Also, if you don’t mind, please take a look at my utilities estimates below and let me know if I should increase the numbers or am on the right track.
Power/Gas $250
Water $88
Sewer $50
Trash Pickup $40
Internet $75
I thank you all so much for any assistance you can offer and do apologize for the information overload!
In you price range I would look for a townhouse, not a single family home. I would look on Clements Ferry Road, by the time your kids are old enough, the high school will be built.
Electric/gas number sounds pretty good fora yearly average. Might be a tad bit less than that depending on the property you end up with.
Trash pickup is free (actually, it's a service that's covered by property taxes). This includes weekly trash, biweekly recycling, yard debris, construction debris, appliances, etc.
My combined water/sewer bill is around $60 for a 1800 sf 3 bath house. I think you're a bit on the high side with your estimate.
Internet seems about right. If you're planning to have CATV also, you can double that number.
$200 to $250K is not going to get you a sniff of either Mount Pleasant nor Daniel island unless a small condo. Chances are for that money you will not be able to within 15 miles of the coast. Your best bang for the buck will be in Summerville.
Most all housing construction in the greater Charleston area in last 20 years is going to be in an HOA. Some HOA's are less then $300 a year. Others are more expensive depending on the amenities. If you want pools, tennis, etc. then figure on starting at $600 per year.
Summerville is where our search originally started and it seems that is where it could eventually end up. There is one home available in MP in our price range but it is small.
John thank you for the info on the HOA's. I guess I have seen one too many House Hunter shows where the HOA was several hundred dollars a month and thought that would apply here.
Does anyone know where I could find HOA's listed? I used to see them on zillow but am not able to find them any longer.
Based on what you've mentioned I'd take a look at the following:
Baker Plantation (29406)
Berkeley Hills (29410 careful to check flood maps and coverage)
Colony North I and II (29420)
Grand Oaks, Drayton on the Ashley, and Shadowmoss(29414 a little bit of a commute to Dan Is)
Summerville is where our search originally started and it seems that is where it could eventually end up. There is one home available in MP in our price range but it is small.
John thank you for the info on the HOA's. I guess I have seen one too many House Hunter shows where the HOA was several hundred dollars a month and thought that would apply here.
Does anyone know where I could find HOA's listed? I used to see them on zillow but am not able to find them any longer.
Thank you everyone for your help!
Typically the MLS will refer to there being a HOA or not and they often show the monthly dues. Also the Covenants, Bylaws, etc. can vary from one to the other. Check if they have a web site and some will list their docs.
Do not base any decisions on what a realtor says about an association. They cannot know all there is to know about each HOA.
Also ask the HOA for a Estoppel Letter.
In the case of a resale in an HOA, the Estoppel letter is intended to protect the HOA, the seller and the buyer by establishing the amounts due (past dues and future dues to the effective date) and actions needed to be taken (outstanding violations or architectural issues) prior to a new homeowner taking over the property.
This will prevent the HOA from dragging up any past issues. It basically says you are becoming a member of the HOA with a clean slate.
Jonah, if you have time, would you mind telling me a bit about West Ashley? Family friendly? Elementary schools?
I don't have kids, so I can't comment on the schools. I will say, in general, they're probably not as good as Mt. Pleasant or Dorchester.
The attraction of West Ashley (inside 526) is the great access to downtown, and short drive to Folly Beach. It's largely older neighborhoods without HOAs. These tend to be a mix of older, long-time residents and younger families. There are some good and some not so good areas. Houses are available in your price range, but they'll typically need some (or a lot of) updating. Renovated houses are going to be at the top or above your budget.
Outside 526 is generally newer neighborhoods, many with HOAs. Someone else mentioned some of the better areas, but they're a long way from DI. The positive is that at least some of the drive will be a reverse commute.
Summerville is where our search originally started and it seems that is where it could eventually end up. There is one home available in MP in our price range but it is small.
John thank you for the info on the HOA's. I guess I have seen one too many House Hunter shows where the HOA was several hundred dollars a month and thought that would apply here.
Does anyone know where I could find HOA's listed? I used to see them on zillow but am not able to find them any longer.
Thank you everyone for your help!
That was us! The only house we looked at in Goose Creek (Crowfield) was the house we put an offer on and moved into. We have absolutely no regrets. My heart was set on Summerville but the location has worked well for us (my husband's commute) and I really like my kiddos' schools. There are things we'd like to tweak but overall we are very happy. I prefer a non-HOA neighborhood and I love the historic downtown Summerville, but the truth is that this house/area really does meet our needs.
I do recommend that you be very careful because of the recent flood. Many of the areas in Summerville that we looked at actually did have flooding. I wouldn't worry too much about future flooding but check for unseen damage. One of our favorite neighborhoods in Summerville was hit extremely hard.....
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