One with the Edisto

Did I become one with the river during our 2 day adventure down the small slice of heaven known as the Edisto River? I like to think so! The Edisto can brag about being one of the longest, free-flowing blackwater rivers in the country but don't be fooled - it's not really dirty water. At a length of 250 miles the Edisto is important for our ecosystem but also is one of, if not, my favorite places to paddle. It's known as blackwater because the water leaches tannin's from the decaying vegetation so it appears black but honestly it's a very clean river. We even drank it!

My friends and I decided to venture up to the small town of St. George where Carolina Heritage Outfitters (http://www.canoesc.com/) is headquartered (it's actually in Canadys, SC).  Now, you may not have heard of them but I'm sure you have heard about their trips.  CHO has been reviewed many times online (sources all over the country) and the owners, Scott and Anne, even said Oprah's photographers showed up one day to photograph the 23 miles kayak and tree-house trip. The owners were very accommodating, were well organized and seemed to know and understand the Edisto better than the river itself. They offer canoes with all the gear but my friends and I decided to take our own kayaks which they were more than happy to drive up to our drop-in spot.  For our trip all we took was our kayaks, food, and beverages (I'd recommend taking more water than you think to wash dishes and for coffee).  We actually boiled water out of the river for our morning coffee and we are still alive today to write this (we coined the term "Edisto Coffee").

Day 1: Scott drove us all up in a van to our arrival spot where we would embark upon our journey. Upon arriving at our destination, 23 miles up the river, we unloaded our gear and set off down-river, with the current, which made this trip easy and relaxing.  The only challenge (which really would only apply to new paddlers) would be all the fallen trees you must paddle around but it was easy.  Our group had two 12' kayaks and one 14' kayak and we had no issues at all.  It took us about 5 hours to go the first 13 miles but we took our time, stopped to eat lunch and stopped a few other times just to stretch and enjoy the sandy edges of the river. There are a ton of spots on the Edisto that resemble small beaches which was fun to get out and play around on. On our trip we spotted turtles (even a baby one), fish and a lot of birds (no gators). Upon our arrival to the large tree-house (there is also a small and medium size) we unloaded and relaxed. The tree-house comes fully furnished, including a grill, inside propane cook-top, plates/cups/silverware, pillows and futons.  There is no water or electricity but just a short walk away is an outhouse. For dinner we brought corn on the cob and shish-ka-bobs that we grilled and for dessert we made peach cobbler using a dutch oven we brought. It tasted great! After dinner we hung around the fire and enjoyed the starry night. The weather was perfect and cool enough for us to sleep comfortably but I think this trip in July/August would be very warm and make it more challenging. After a long day on the water and cooking/eating dinner we crashed about 11:00 and rose with the sun around 7:30.

Day 2: Upon arising we cooked a gourmet breakfast using the propane cook-top inside. Breakfast consisted of eggs, sausage, potatoes and peppers which we mixed all together for a delicious breakfast casserole.  We hung around for a bit drinking our "edisto coffee" as we now call it and started to clean up. We had to be out of the tree-house by 11:00.  We loaded up our gear and headed back out on the water around 10:30.  Paddling was easier this day due to our understanding of the river, how it bends around the outside curve and how to play the current so it takes us right into our next turn. Day 2 was only a 10 mile paddle back to the car.  Carolina Heritage provided us with a map which had mileage markers on it that told us how far we had gone each day and was quite helpful. We arrived to the car around 2:00, backed the cars right up to the river and unloaded very easily. After we got our kayaks tied down we headed home and made a stop at Boxcar Betty's in Summerville for a chicken sandwich.

Yes, I would absolutely do this again.  The cost was a bit steep for a night "roughing" it in a tree-house but it makes sense. We were right around $200/night for the large house. The owners own about 160 acres, built 3 great tree-stands in a forest, constructed an outhouse and provided us the essentials for a night in the woods. I give this trip a 5-star experience and hope to make it an annual tradition. Check out of some of our pics below

As always - I'm here to help you buy, sell or invest in Real Estate. If you, or someone you know, is looking to move please have them reach out to me. All my clients are like family!

-Jason

Check out the tiki torches - great touch at night

One of our beach stops on the Edisto

the large treehouse that we stayed in

Here is me (Jason) taking a selfie

one view from our treehouse

Loaded up for the trip

Our private bridge across the creek

What aren't you doing this weekend?

Azalea Park in Summerville, SC

Could there be any more activities this weekend in the Lowcountry? The answer is NO. We have 40k runners in the 3rd largest 10k run in the country going on. That's impressive that we can boast that many runners and the 3rd largest.  We have the Cajun Festival at James Island County Park. You can go to https://ccprc.com/137/Lowcountry-Cajun-Festival for more information and although I have never personally attended I hear it's pretty amazing. The last event is my favorite - Flowertown Festival. I am drawn to this out of default because I'm not a runner and I don't like spicy food.  Seriously, how many crawfish can one person eat at the Cajun festival?  They are just so much work for such a small payoff. It's like eating blue crabs - super tasty buy just too much work. Flowertown festival information can be found at https://summervilleymca.org/flowertown-festival/. If your middle name is arts and crafts, food, or people galore you need to check this festival out. Some of their bragging rights include the following:

• Over 200 jury-selected artists from throughout the country who display their work for sale

• Delicious foods from restaurants at The Taste

• Fun activities and rides for children at the Children’s Jubilee/Kids Fest

• Farmer’s Market (Saturday & Sunday ONLY)

• Free admission

• Free Parking

• Voted 2016 Top 20 Events by Southeast Tourism

If you're out and about stop by 206 W. Richardson and sign up for an opportunity to win a free Yeti Cooler. We hope to see you there.


Jason

Know anyone looking to buy, sell or invest....go to Palmettodreamhomes.com or call us at 843.696.8627

March 2017 Newsletter

March Newsletter

March is here but it felt like spring all through February.  The azalea’s are already in bloom with the camellias. Temps were in the 70’s all month. March features the Wine and Food Festival, Fashion Week, and the beginning of Flowertown Festival in Summerville.  Also, the 70th Festival of House and Gardens begins on the 16th and runs until April 22.  And don’t forget the Cooper River Bridge Run on April 1.  Here’s your March calendar of events:

1-5: 12th Annual Charleston Wine and Food Festival

3: Artwalk, 10 downtown art galleries

3: Ron White, N Chas PAC

3: Los Lonely Boys, Music Hall

4: IOP Beach Festival

8: Anne Selleck, Kiawah Turtle Point

10: Rickie Lee Jones, Gaillard

10: Nora Jones, N Chas PAC

11: Celtic Women 2017 Tour, Gaillard

11: 3rd Annual St Paddy’s Pawlooza, Wannamaker Park

11: 13th Annual St Paddy’s Day Party and Parade, Olde Village N Charleston

12: Amos Lee, N Chas PAC

12: Swan Lake Ballet, Kiawah

14-15: Cinderella Musical, N Chas PAC

14-18: Lexus Charleston Fashion Week

16: Charleston Antiques Show, Gaillard

17: Charleston St Patrick’s Day Parade

18-19: Pet Fest, Mt Pleasant Palmetto Islands County Park

19: Gospel Music Series, Circular Congregational Church

25: Kiawah Cup

25: Price is Right w/Jerry Springer, N Chas PAC

25: 3 Dog Night, Music Hall

31-2: YMCA Flowertown Festival, Summerville

While 2016 was our 2nd busiest year ever for Charleston Real Estate, 2017 has really started off with a bang.  January was the busiest January we ever had.  Inventory is on the low side and demand is very high.  This could lead to prices going up even more.  Currently, we are still below the trend line back to 1991, but that may change soon if the inventory stays this low.  Fortunately, they are building lots of new construction all over the area. No one wants to leave and lots of people want to move to our great economy and lifestyle. They are finishing construction on the new I-26 exit near Jedburg for the new Volvo plant.  Volvo has started taking applications. Employees at Boeing just voted down the union and President Trump made a planned visit the next day.  The remodeling of the airport is finished and it’s fantastic.  The have a Caviar and Bananas, Golden Bear Grill, Charleston Beer Works, Harvest and Grounds and others. Top Chef finally had its season in Charleston and it was a huge success.  The culinary life is thriving here.  At this rate, we may soon be BBQ capital of the US.  I’ve never seen so many BBQ places and they are all exceptional.

What is my home worth?

TGIF.  I know you are all excited it's Friday and despite our slight cool down here in the Palmetto State and in Summerville I'm sure many of you are out and about enjoying the sunshine. Today, I thought I'd discuss home values. Home values are the one thing I encounter as a Realtor that start arguments.  Husbands and wives disagree, agents and clients disagree and sellers/buyers disagree.  Because of the opportunity for all these disagreements it's imperative you have a good agent that knows how to properly price your home based on Market Value. Recently, I saw a FSBO (For Sale By Owner) home on the market and I realized it was priced $50K over the market and I realized this by checking the comps (comparisons or other nearby similar homes that sold recently). 

So, what truly creates the value of your home? There are 5 things in particular that establish a list price and believe me when I tell you we (Realtors) don't just guess on this.  It takes time and experience to do this properly and a solid understanding of the market. You should ask your agent, before hiring, "Have you ever sold a home around here?"  Market knowledge is crucial.

5 Things that establish Value:

1. Recent Sales - these are the comps I mentioned. If you price your home too high it probabbly will not appraise and you're back to market value.  Appraisers will go back 90 days for a comp and if there aren't any they'll go back 6 months. 

2. Location-  We've all heard Location, Location, Location.

3. Condition - Buyers will immediatly compare your home to the past 5 they've seen and guess what.  If  your home is not clean, up to date, has too much stuff, not staged and the 3 of the other homes were guess where they're going?  Last year I had one house that never sold and it still haunts me and I know it's because of condition. The owners were very nice but did not want to listen to me when I told them they have too much stuff and it needed all new flooring.  I honestly believe if they would have followed my advice it would have sold.

4. Competition - This goes with the condition. Think about it - if there are 4 homes for sale on your street we're going to have to price it differently than if you are the only home listed.

5. Timing - The market will dictate price and I do not dictate the market. I read the market, I understand it and I pass that information on to you but I do not establish market value. and neither do you.

Research shows you have 15 seconds to impress a buyer or they move on without a second thought. Think about that....15 seconds from the moment they walk on your property and in your house. This means you better make a great first impression. Next time I'll talk about how to make that great first impression.

As Always, I'd love your business or your referrals.

Jason Gregg, Realtor
843.696.8627
Jason.Gregg@kw.com

Nexton

If you have not taken a Sunday drive or stroll through Nexton you should. I call it "Nexton - the next generation" because at times it seems so forward thinking and next generation type of stuff.  Plus, it's beautiful out there.  There are some pretty cool things going on in Nexton and so let me tell you about a few of them. It's South Carolina's first  gigabit/gifafi community. Now, I'm no technical person but I do know that a gigabit is very, very fast.  I have Comcast and I'm assuming the speed I have compared to gigabit is similar to a tortoise and cougar.  Another great feature is you never really need to leave.  You can work, shop, exercise, eat and live all in the same spot. How convenient is that?   Nexton is currently working on becoming the third largest job center in Charleston which will include 6 million square feet of commercial space.  Half of the 4,500 acres is dedicated green space so after that crazy stressful day you can walk on over to the local Starbucks, grab a coffee and then walk on home. After that last sentence I'm thinking I should move to here. Currently, the Nexton fee that upkeep's the pools, parks, landscaping, etc for only $50.22/month.  At Nexton you have a variety of options for your home choice. They range from apartments, townhomes to lovely Southern charm type homes. Some residents can look out there windows and enjoy the summer concert series. I went last year and saw Honey Smoke there and had a great time. The new Nexton Elementary is right next door for the kiddos to walk or ride their bikes to school if they choose. For your choice in homes click HERE to see what they are offering but then call me to represent you as a buyer's agent. It cost you nothing but gives you an added sense of security and peace knowing I have your back. It's always a good idea to have a Realtor represent you with new construction and it cost you nothing. 

Time to check out Nexton in Summerville, SC

Call Jason at 843.696.8627 or go to LiveinSummerville.com for more information on us representing you in buying or selling your home. We also love referrals. 

-Jason Gregg, Realtor
843.696.86278
Jason.Gregg@kw.com

Choosing an Agent can be stressful

 "Summerville, SC is a fantastic place to live and I would not go anywhere else.  Jason was a great agent and helped us get our home under contract in just a few days."

Jason Gregg is a Realtor that specializes in Summerville, SC homes

     It's very difficult in our region to choose a Realty Company because there are just so many and so many agents. Also, within each company you will find both good agents and bad agents.  So, with all these choices how do you choose?  It starts with asking questions like how long have you been in the business, what percentage do your listings sell for, how and how often will you communicate with me, do you have references and how much will it cost me for you to be my Realtor?

     Agents have to go over agency laws with you at the beginning of your working relationship and explain them to you so you understand what type of relationship you're going to have. The sole purpose of this is so you understand what you're getting into and not get scammed.  Also, if any agent is hesitant and tries to talk you out of interviewing other agents I would take that as a red flag. I have no problem interviewing for the job to be your Realtor because of my experience, training and confidence in how I run my business.

    If you look at the chart below I believe it makes it easy to see why Keller Williams (KW) is the best choice as your real estate brokerage. I am a very successful agent and only want to be associated with the best brand which is why I chose KW. They excel at every level of real estate, residential and commercial, and have proven strategies from a tiny parcel of land up to luxury homes in the millions. They have strong brand recognition both nationally and globally and they provide top training and keep up to date with current technology.  You'll see below that our company not only is more productive but destroys the averages of the rest of the region.  In the chart you'll see the stats for CTAR (Charleston Trident Association of Realtors) and in the Red you'll see the KW stats.  I believe they speak for themselves. Please contact me if you don't understand this chart or have any questions about it. I'd be happy to go over it and also explain how I run my KW business. Also, if are considering real estate as a career we provide profit sharing with increase one's passive income.  Personally, I call it free money.  With large real estate teams (especially ones that advertise a lot) you often don't get the personal touch or you are just a number to them. They also promise a lot but often times have small writing that ends up not being a good deal. With brand new agents they don't have the experience to write the contracts or to properly negotiate on your behalf. With Jason you get a great company backing you, that personal touch, lower stress selling or buying (there is always some level of stress but I reduce that drastically with my proven strategies), a company with over 155,000 agents to network your home to (including globally) and my personal and relevant experience as a Realtor.

**Stay tuned for my next couple blog posts on mortgages and Nexton!

Need to buy or sell?

Choose Keller Williams Realty

Choose Jason Gregg

843.696.8627

Jason.Gregg@kw.com

2017 Home Renovations

My wife and I just updated our kitchen and we did the work ourselves. Instead of dropping thousands of dollars on new cabinets we consulted Sherwin Williams and learned now to repaint them at a fraction of the cost. We removed the doors, primed & painted (doors and frames) and installed new hinges and hardware and they look great. We even did a slight distressing of them for some character. We added shiplap boards bought from Lowes that came in a kit and installed them on our island.   Now, I am nowhere even close to being handy but I can paint, do hardware, and cut boards which is all we did but it looks amazing. So, this got me thinking - how can I help others sell their home but not lose money when it comes to renovating?  My next door neighbor put nearly $70K into a home renovation and also bought the house for a high dollar amount so now she is swimming in debt and her home will not sell because it's over priced due to the renovations.  You have to make sure your investment is going to be worth it.  Check out our before and after pics...

Here is a before pic of our kitchen:   

Here is our kitchen after (still need to put back splash up) which cost under $1k:

       I read an article at http://www.realtor.com/news/trends/best-and-worst-renovations-to-make-in-2017/?identityID=56c6204b698ab9a903015dbf&MID=2017_0113_WeeklyNL&RID=3739612622&cid=eml-2017-0113-WeeklyNL-blog_1_renovations-blogs_trends and found it to be very useful and relevant.  It provides research on the 2017 top home renovations, contractor costs and the ROI (Return on Investment) on a variety of projects. Strange enough the number one renovation is completely unseen but the ROI is over 100% which means you can get all your money back and then some.  The ROI on placing insulation in your attic is around 108%.   The next top renovation is changing out your front door for an attractive solid steel door. According to Realtor.com the average ROI is 64% on home upgrades and renovations. Of course we all know that buyers buy for the kitchens and bathrooms so  those are the big renovations that sell. So, take a look at their chart and see what you think you need to do to get the most out of your home.  It's also a good idea to understand that many upgrades do not increase value, though they may help sell your home faster. Things such as replacing the roof when it's needed or getting new HVAC does not increase the value...that is considered maintenance but if those things are not done you're going to have a difficult time selling.

     Of course, nothing is better than having an experienced and trained Realtor come in and view your home and give you ideas. Also, if you're unsure about your home and it's current condition you can hire a licensed home inspector to come and in give you an evaluation and they will also provide you with ideas on what needs done. The price of a local inspector runs from $250-500 (depending on size of your home).

If you'd like me to come in and give you ideas on selling your home I'd be happy to assist. I can also help you stage your home to get the most viewings, and money, on your home and work with a staging specialist if needed. Call me today (or tomorrow) for any real estate questions or to sell your home. I also love referrals... 

Jason Gregg, Realtor
843.696.8627
Jason.Gregg@kw.com
www.Palmettodreamhomes.com