Charleston CondominiumsThe Lowdown on Downtown Charleston
Charleston CondosCharleston Condominiums' Lowdown on Downtown:
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Charleston CondosCharleston: What's not to love?:
We love Charleston's nicknames; The Holy City, The Palmetto City and Chucktown. It seems that the numerous church steeples spotting the skyline is the reason we were dubbed The Holy City. Historically Charleston was one of the most religiously tolerant cities in the New World. In fact one of the only two remaining Huguenot churches in America is right downtown across from the famous Dock Street Theatre. But let's not forget that Charleston was known more for its tolerance and decadence than for its religious fervor. So much so that other than the Sabbath, gambling and prostitution were barely discouraged.

Thanks to the riches generated by rice and indigo, the SC Lowcountry in the 18th Century sported the wealthiest men in what would become the United States.Unfortunately this spawned slavery and in the 18th Century the majority of the population in the lowcountry was African American slaves.

We love Charleston's accents. It is distinct among various regional Southern dialects with its long mid vowels. Some attribute the this to the eary settlement by the French Huguenots and the Sephardic Jews. But realistically, many think it has been heavily influenced by the Gullah language of the African Americans. Wonderful Gullah storytelling is an experience one should not miss, with tales influenced by the Western African culture as well as hints of the Barbados and the lowcountry plantation culture.

And what's not to love about Charleston's architecture? All tucked away on that small peninsula, we find Georgian, Federal, Adamesque, Greek Revival, Italianate, and Victorian styles, unparalleled anywhere else in America. At the moment there are sixteen unique homes being offered on the peninsula that were built before 1750, ranging from $1,590,000 to $3,498,000.

Charleston CondosCharleston Condominiums' Impartial Reviews:
I am your search agent for Charleston condominiums. Therefore I work for you and have the wonderful option to be completely unbiased. How do I come up with these one to 5 Star Ratings? I take the following into consederation:

Location - Is it downtown, in the heart of Mt Pleasant, is it on one of our barrier islands? Is the location enhanced by the proximity to downtown Charleston for dining and cultural events? Is it strictly a resort location abd if so, are the amenities fabulous?

Building Quality - Attention to detail is extremely important to me. Does the building have "green" features? Are the kitchens state of the art and the appliances top of the line? Are they hurricane proof? Is there well executed molding detail and creative lighting?

Common Areas - I have seen some newer complexes that are pretty swanky inside, but dismal in the common areas. So are the common areas inviting and plentiful?

View - Is the condo situated with a view of our beautiful harbor, a grand river or the dynamic Atlantic Ocean? Or is it laid out to take advantage of the Charleston skyline with its fabulous church steeples? When the marketing offers water views, I make sure that there isn't a sliver of water view alongside a parking lot!

Good old gut feel - Does the condo as well as the area have ambiance? Do I feel great when I approach it and enter? Or am I stretching to find that warm and fuzzy feeling?

Age of Structure - Many condos, especially at the beach, were built over twenty yeas ago. I pay close attention to how well the unit has aged and how well renovated it is. Of course, I give a plus to the historic structures that have been converted to condos, so in some cases, old age is a positive!

Regime fees and Assessments - I pay close attention to the fees and try to understand everything they cover. In addition, I check out the assessment history and try to ascertain if there are any future assessments lurking on the horizon.

Sunday
Jul252010

Anson House in Foreclosure

I have written a couple of times abut the lovely Anson House development on the park in downtown Charleston. According to The Post and Courier this morning, the 32 unit complex had 18 condos for sale.

The quality of construction is stellar. Perhaps the developer was a little ambitious from the get-go and the current recession has not helped. But my prediction is that this will be a marvelous place to live when everything is sorted out and the proposed city renovation projects on the park are done. It will be Charleston's mini Central Park.

The Acquarium, Maritime Center, and another group of nice condos are within spittin' distance. The lowest priced is a 1BR at $695,000, down from the original asking price of $896,000. And the top priced unit with 2BR is now $1,495,000 down from $2,025,000.

The article says that there are 14 units owned at the present.

Stay tuned!