December and CHRISTMAS CALENDAR OF EVENTS and Market update

Merry Christmas! December and the holiday season is upon us and there are some great holiday events. The Sound of Charleston from Gospel to Gershwin will be at the Circular Congregational Church all month.  The Holiday Festival of Lights at the James Island County Park is always a favorite. There will be plays, music, parades, and tree lightings all month.  What a great time of the year in Charleston with temperatures in the mid 60’s. 

Here is your December calendar of events:

1-3: Holy City Messiah, CSO, Various Lowcountry Churches

2: Melissa Etheridge’s Holiday Trio, Chas Music Hall

2-4: 4th Annual Made in the South Weekend, Charlestowne Landing

3: N Charleston Christmas Parade and Festival

3: IOP Holiday Street Festival

3: 26th Annual Reindeer Run, starts at Southend Brewery

3: Holiday Swing w/ Chas Jazz Orchestra, Chas Music Hall

3,4,10: 33rd Annual Spirituals Concert, Drayton Hall

3: Pint of Hope, Hoppy Holiday Market, Freehouse Brewery

4: Charleston Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting

Dec 6: Christmas tree lighting from 5-7:30 in Summerville

8-21: 21st Annual Charleston Christmas Festival

9-11: Nutcracker by Charlotte Ballet, Gaillard

10: Folly Beach Christmas Parade

10: Holiday Parade of Boats

11: Mt Pleasant 21st Annual Christmas Light Parade and Tree Lighting

11: Christmas Parade at 2:00 in downtown Summerville (best to arrive early for parking and a location to sit)

14: Elf, Chas Music Hall

15: Skylark Vocal Ensemble Christmas, Grace Cathedral

15: CSO String Quartet, Historic Library Society

15: The Tenors, Gaillard

17: CSO Holiday Pops, Gaillard

17: Night Before Christmas by Charleston Chamber Music, Sottile Theater

20-21: Christmas in Wales, Circular Congregational Church

21: Christmas Carol Walking Tour with Tim Lowry at either 5:30 p.m. or 7:00 p.m.

21: Special Holiday Extravaganza, Gaillard

21: It’s a Wonderful Life, Chas Music Hall

28: Blue Dogs, Chas Music Hall

30,31: Shakey Graves, Chas Music Hall

31: 4th Annual Charleston Rose Ball, Johnson Hagood Stadium

31: 5th Annual Yorktown Countdown

31: Folly Beach Flip Flop Drop

Jan 1: Bill Murray Look-a-Like Polar Bear Plunge

The Charleston and surrounding area’s real estate market continues to do extremely well and reflects the wonderful state of the economy overall here.  Overall, we are up 10% year to date in the number of transactions and we may sell over 17k home this year.  It will either be the busiest or the second busiest year ever.  And median sales price is up almost 5% to $244k.  40% of the properties currently under contract are new construction.  And this new construction is spread out over the entire tri-county area from Summerville to Johns Island and from Mt Pleasant to rural West Ashley.  The Volvo plant has brought several new subdivisions to the Summerville area and a new interchange on I-26 is being added.  Boeing is continuing to expand and seems very pleased here.  Some people are just beginning to figure out that they call us Silicon Harbor because there are so many software and digital IT companies here.  Of course, new restaurants and breweries continue to open daily and the cruise ships continue to bring new tourists into town.