http://www.schomespecialists.com/

South Carolina Home Specialists Team at Carolina Elite Real Estate, 706 N. Cedar Street, Summerville, SC (2026)

09/25/2026

Greetings from the Lowcountry! We have officially reached our favorite countdown of the year: oyster season opens October 1, and roast season runs all the way through March.

If you are new to the area, here is what you are in for. Somebody backs a truck up to the yard with a few bushels of local clusters. A sheet of plywood goes across two sawhorses. The oysters get steamed under a wet burlap sack until they just barely pop, then get dumped in the middle of the table where everyone crowds around with a glove, a knife, and a bottle of hot sauce. There is a fire pit, string lights in the oaks, a pot of chili for the folks who do not do oysters, and neighbors you met an hour ago who feel like old friends by the end of the night.

The big public roasts fill up fast, and the backyard ones are where the real Lowcountry happens. Either way, this is one of the traditions that makes living here feel like belonging somewhere, and it is a big part of why so many of our clients tell us they could never move back.

So we have to ask: team oyster roast or team shrimp boil? And if you are hosting one this season, what is your secret? Drop it in the comments and share this with a friend who just moved to town.

Albert & Sharee Washington, Realtors
South Carolina Home Specialists Team at Carolina Elite Real Estate
(843) 633-3313

09/23/2026

Checking in with you for this week's community spotlight, and we are crossing the Stono River to Johns Island.

If you have never spent an afternoon out there, picture this: roadside farm stands selling tomatoes and boiled peanuts, long stretches of marsh, the centuries old Angel Oak spreading its limbs over a quiet park, and neighborhoods tucked under live oaks where you can still hear the crickets at night. It feels a world away from downtown, but it is only about twenty minutes to King Street and fifteen to the beaches at Kiawah and Folly.

That balance is exactly why Johns Island is growing so fast. The population has nearly doubled over the past decade. Home prices have followed, with a median around $660K, up roughly 7% from a year ago. And the island is getting new gathering spots too, including the Jubilee project on Maybank Highway, which is planned to bring a hotel, cottages, restaurants, shops, and green space to a 13 acre site.

What we love for our clients: you can still find larger lots, newer construction, and a slower pace without giving up access to the city. What to know going in: traffic on Maybank and River Road is real, so we always talk through commute patterns before anyone falls in love with a house.

Want a tour of Johns Island, or curious how it compares to Summerville or West Ashley for your family? Send us a message, no pressure.

Albert & Sharee Washington, Realtors
South Carolina Home Specialists Team at Carolina Elite Real Estate
(843) 633-3313

09/22/2026

Hope your week is going well! Today we want to talk about something that is quietly saving Lowcountry buyers real money: seller concessions.

For a few years there, buyers had to take what they could get. Now that Charleston is a balanced market and homes are taking a little longer to sell, sellers are far more willing to help. Here are the three most common ways that shows up.

Closing cost help. The seller agrees to cover part of your closing costs, which means less cash out of pocket on closing day. On a mid $400s home, that can easily be $8,000 to $12,000.

Repair credits. Instead of arguing over every inspection item, the seller gives you a credit at closing so you can hire your own contractor after you move in.

Rate buydowns. This is the big one. The seller pays a lender fee to lower your interest rate, either for the first year or two (often called a 2-1 buydown) or permanently. Depending on the loan, that can mean a few hundred dollars a month off your payment while you settle in.

The catch is that none of this happens automatically. It depends on how the offer is written, how the home has been sitting, and how the conversation with the listing agent goes. That is exactly where we earn our keep.

If you have been waiting for the market to give buyers a fair shot again, this is what that looks like. Send us a message and we will walk you through what is realistic for your budget, no pressure.

Albert & Sharee Washington, Realtors
South Carolina Home Specialists Team at Carolina Elite Real Estate
(843) 633-3313

09/21/2026

Happy Monday, everyone! Time for a quick Lowcountry market check, and the headline is a good one: Charleston has settled into a balanced market.

Here is what the numbers look like right now. The regional median home price is around $625K, up about 2.8% from a year ago. Inventory sits near 3.5 months of supply, which is neither a shortage nor a glut. Homes are going under contract in roughly 53 days, and sellers are netting close to 98% of their asking price.

So what does balanced actually mean for you?

If you are buying, you have a little breathing room again. You can take a second look at a house, ask for closing cost help or repairs, and in many cases negotiate a rate buydown with the seller. Those tools mostly disappeared during the frenzy years, and they are back.

If you are selling, a well priced, well prepared home still sells quickly and close to asking. The homes sitting are the ones priced to a headline instead of to their own neighborhood. Five miles can be the difference between multiple offers and a price cut, so we price street by street, not by regional average.

Nobody is panicking and nobody is overpaying, and honestly, that is exactly where a healthy market should be.

Curious where your street lands in all this? Send us a message and we will pull the numbers for your neighborhood, no pressure.

Albert & Sharee Washington, Realtors
South Carolina Home Specialists Team at Carolina Elite Real Estate
(843) 633-3313

09/20/2026

Well, hello. It is Sunday evening, and if you live anywhere near a tidal creek, you know exactly where everybody is right now.

There is a spot at the end of the dock where the whole family fits. Grandpa takes the corner because it has the best view. The kids dangle their feet and argue about who saw the first dolphin. Somebody brought sweet tea, somebody forgot the bug spray, and somebody is telling the same story they told last Sunday, and it is still funny.

Nobody is checking a phone. Nobody is in a hurry. The marsh turns gold, the water goes still, and for a few minutes the week ahead can wait.

We talk about square footage and comps and rates all week long, because that is our job. But this is the part that matters. This is what people are really buying when they move to the Lowcountry. Not a house. A place where their people gather.

If you are dreaming about your own spot at the end of the dock, or your own porch, or your own backyard under a live oak, we would be honored to help you find it.

Albert & Sharee Washington, Realtors
South Carolina Home Specialists Team at Carolina Elite Real Estate

09/18/2026

Happy Friday, everyone! Cooler evenings are finally on the way, and the Lowcountry fall calendar is officially loaded. Here is what we are circling:

MOJA Arts Festival, kicking off September 24. A celebration of Black arts, culture, and heritage with music, dance, film, and visual art at venues all over the city.

Mermaids & Mateys Festival, October 3 at Folly Beach. Local arts and crafts, food vendors, live music, and a costume contest that is always a good time.

Latin American Festival, October 4 at Wannamaker County Park in North Charleston. Live Latin and Caribbean music, folk arts, and traditional foods.

Charleston Fall W**e Festival, October 12 at the Charleston Harbor Cruise Terminal.

Charleston B**r Fest, October 24 at Riverfront Park in North Charleston.

Coastal Carolina Fair, opening October 29 and running through November 8. Rides, fair food, and a Lowcountry tradition.

One of the things we tell relocating families is that living here is not just about the house. It is about Saturday nights under the live oaks with live music and a plate of something good. Every one of these is within about 30 minutes of Summerville.

Which one is on your list this fall? Tell us in the comments, and tag a friend who needs to plan a weekend.

Albert & Sharee Washington, Realtors
South Carolina Home Specialists Team at Carolina Elite Real Estate

09/16/2026

We’re not picture perfect but we’re still worth the picture!!!!!

09/16/2026

Hey y'all, community spotlight time! This week we are heading across the Wando River to Daniel Island and the Clements Ferry Road corridor in Berkeley County.

Daniel Island has always had a reputation for being polished: a walkable downtown with restaurants and shops, miles of waterfront trails, top rated schools, and concerts and tennis at Credit One Stadium. What is new is how much is being built around it.

More than 2,200 homes are in the 2026 pipeline for the Daniel Island and Clements Ferry area. A few highlights:

Del Webb at Point Hope, a 55 and up active adult community that will eventually bring more than 750 homes, with land clearing already underway.

Berkshire at Point Hope, 192 townhomes built in smaller pods to keep a lower density, open space feel, with homes expected to wrap up this October.

New townhomes and condos coming to Nowell Creek Village and along Daniel Island Drive, which means more entry points into the island than there used to be.

Who is this a fit for? Empty nesters who want walkability and a lock and leave lifestyle, relocating professionals who want to be 20 minutes from downtown Charleston and the airport, and move up buyers who want new construction without a long commute.

Want a tour of Daniel Island or the Point Hope communities? Just say the word, we would love to show you around.

Albert & Sharee Washington, Realtors
South Carolina Home Specialists Team at Carolina Elite Real Estate

09/15/2026

Hey neighbors, if selling this fall is on your mind, here is some encouragement and a little homework.

The encouragement: Charleston was named one of NAR's top 10 housing hot spots for 2026, homes across the region are selling in about 53 days at nearly 98% of asking, and fall buyers tend to be the serious ones. They are relocating for a job, upsizing before the holidays, or finally ready after watching all summer. They are not browsing.

The homework, three things that separate the homes that sell from the homes that sit:

1. Price to the neighborhood, not the headline. Charleston is dozens of micro markets. What Mount Pleasant is doing has nothing to do with what your street in Summerville or Goose Creek is doing. The first two weeks on market are when you have the most eyes, so start where the buyers already are.

2. Win the first photo. Buyers scroll fast. Fresh mulch, a pressure washed driveway, a clean porch, mums on the steps, and a bright front door make people stop and click.

3. Fix the small stuff now. Leaky faucets, a sticky door, a cracked outlet cover, the HVAC filter. Every one of those shows up on an inspection report, and it is cheaper to handle them before a buyer uses them to negotiate.

Want a quick, honest walkthrough of what your home needs before it goes live? We are glad to stop by, no pressure.

Albert & Sharee Washington, Realtors
South Carolina Home Specialists Team at Carolina Elite Real Estate

09/14/2026

Good morning, Lowcountry! Let's talk about a headline that matters for anyone who owns, or wants to own, in Berkeley or Dorchester County.

Google is investing $9 billion in South Carolina through 2027. That money is going into expanding its existing data center campus in Berkeley County and finishing two brand new campuses in Dorchester County, one on 230 acres in Ridgeville and one in the Winding Woods Commerce Park in St. George. For scale, that is more than Boeing has invested in our state since 2009, and Google already employs more than 900 people at its SC sites.

Why does this matter for real estate? Big employers bring skilled jobs. Skilled jobs bring families who need homes, and they look in Summerville, Goose Creek, Moncks Corner, Ladson, and every community in between. It is one of the reasons NAR named Charleston a top 10 housing hot spot for 2026.

If you have been on the fence about buying, this is the kind of long term demand that makes owning here feel like a smart decision. If you already own, it is worth knowing what this growth is doing to values on your street.

Want us to run the numbers for your neighborhood? Send us a message, no pressure.

Albert & Sharee Washington, Realtors
South Carolina Home Specialists Team at Carolina Elite Real Estate

South Carolina Home Specialists Team at Carolina Elite Real Estate

09/25/2026

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