The Historic Charleston Foundation offers a tantalizing look at some of America's finest architecture, interiors and gardens with its 63rd annual FEstival of Houses and Gardens, from March 18 to April 17. This event is especially popular for the rare opportunity to tour Charleston's historic private homes, and the festival will feature dozens of locations in a variety of historic neighborhoods. Exquisite details in woodwork, iron, plaster, brick, and wall coverings dating from the 18th and 19 th centuries will offer fabulous backdrops to mansions brimming with crystal chandeliers, 12-foot ceilings, marble mantels, cypress paneling, and parquet floors. One of the most interesting ingterior styles is the "side-hall" house popular among wealthy Charlestonians in the 1840's and 50's, featuring massive arched doorways between ballrooms that can be opened to make the entire floor en suite. 

  The formal gardens have long been a major attraction for visitors to Charleston, and with the guidance of foundation docents, people can learn about the varieties of blooming species and their origins. People may be surprised to find out, for example, that our famed camellias, azaleas, and even our Confederate Jasmine come from Asia. Expert gardeners came to Charleston from  England and France during the city's historic heyday to plan formal gardens for the enjoyment of downtown residents, and that enjoyment is available for the price of a tour ticket today. 

 For anyone who thinks Charleston is too low in elevation for underground tunneling, think again. In the Fall of 1802, a man by the name of Withers concocted a plan to dig beneath Broad Street  to the old South Carolina Bank on the northwest corner of Church Street. The buildig, which still stands, had vaults on the first floor, and Withers' idea was to begin a tunnel in one of the grated street drains to the raised basement. He apparently would enter the drain each morning, pull the grate back over hime and dig, getting food and water from an accomplice who dropped them into the drain, and exit after dark each night. After nearly three months of work, Withers had burrowed under the street, but was discovered after his cohort in crime got to verbose while describing the caper in a local tavern.

 Another view from below ground on Broad Street can be seen from the provost dungeon of the Old Exchange. Built as a storage area for the Exchange in 1771, the vaulted brick cellar lies atop remains of gthe old city sea wall, and looking through the opening to BRoad Street, the layers of successive construciton can readily be seen as you stand a full five feet below the Broad Street pavement.

European settlers who first came to this area in the 16th century had the right idea – find an attractive coastal location with and a wealth of waterways and natural beauty, settle in, and enjoy it. So Beaufort still beckons today, offering historic charm amidst a spectacular landscape of pristine natural serenity.

Visiting Beaufort from Charleston is a pleasant hour and a half driving experience once you enter the ACE Basin area on U.S. Highway 17 south of the Edisto River. ACE stands for the Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto rivers that meander through 350,000 acres of protected land that includes a National Wildlife Refuge. This former expanse of rice plantations and timberland attracts increasing numbers of bald eagles, swans, geese, ducks, and deer, and a detour down Bennett’s Point Road to St. Helena Sound is one of the most enchanting drives in South Carolina.

Nearing Beaufort, man-made beauty provides worthy stops as well. The brick columns of Old Sheldon Church, just off Highway 17, are as compelling in ruins as any building is complete. Flanked by towering oaks in the hushed perfection of a shady glade, the colonial church has a fascinating history as described on an historical roadside marker, and is a perfect spot for a short stroll or picnic. Turning down U.S. Highway 21 to enter Beaufort across the mesmerizing vista of Whale Branch Creek, it’s worth making a quick detour on road S-7-42 to the old railroad village of Seabrook, whose classic siding and other historic buildings seem as though you’ve returned to another era.

The jewel of the journey is Beaufort itself, with its grand antebellum houses and churches, majestic moss-draped oak trees, and wonderful waterfront promenade and park along the sparkling Beaufort River. A sidewalk showcase of stately mansions is an easy stroll in a sight-packed historic district that also features museums and such elegant interiors as the 1790 John Mark Verdier House, where the Marquis de Lafayette fell in love with Beaufort nearly two centuries ago.

With so much more to enjoy at nearby St. Helena Island and its famous Penn Center, as well as the fabulous “mobile” lighthouse at Hunting Island State Park, it’s well worth a night’s stay in Beaufort. The lively café district along Bay Street features colonial taverns and chic restaurants, and the City Loft Hotel is a comfortable, upscale accommodation in the heart of the historic district on Carteret Street. Complete with espresso bar, morning pastries and a micro spa, this invigorating boutique hotel complements sensory Beaufort mornings with dolphins splashing along Waterfront Park and Carolina wrens whistling sweetly in Magnolia trees.

If you are planning on staying the night book your reservation

Charleston On Foot, aka Charleston Footprints, is now offering morning and afternoon tours of historic Charleston. Featuring a wonderful array of architecture, gardens, ironwork, historic landmarks, legends, and cultural heritage,the tour is hosted by seventh-generation Charlestonian Michael Trouche and begins at 10:30 am and 2:30 pm from 108 Meeting Street, at the Historic Charleston Foundation Gift Shop, lasting approximately two hours. Reservations are required, by contacting Michael at 843-478-4718 or e-mail at: tours@charlestonfootprints.com

  Michael personalizes each tour with events, characters, dialects and legends from his own Charleston experience, and even has a "test" question at the end for the inquisitive mind. One favorite is to guess why many Charleston "single" houses feature very noticeable odd exterior windows that do not match other windows across each floor.

   Aw shucks, everybody's gettin' steamed up over big batches of bursting bivalves again this month. It's the 27th annual Lowcountry Oyster Festival, Sunday January 31st at Boone Hall Plantation, hosted by the Greater Charleston Restaurant Association. If you haven't been to one of these, it's a merry mob of thousands who descend on the marshfront areas of Boone Hall, where hundreds of tables are set up, and the steamed oysters(65,000 pounds give or take a shell or two) keep comin' for hours.

  Gates open at 9am and it's $12 per person - children under 12 free - at the gate, but you can pre-purchase tickets from any Association member restaurant for $10 prior to the event. No pets or coolers, but you can buy beer and wine and bark or howl all you want as the savory slivers of salty oyster slide from the gaping shells. It's also advisable to bring gloves and oysters knives, which can also be purchased at the event, although a personal recommendation is a screwdriver(not the drink), becuase the best oyster-opening wedge is one that is flat, and strong.

 With so many blooms and colors permeating the Charleston landscape each year, the city's historic area is a veritable garden in itself. Yet although Charleston is famous for its azaleas, camellias, gardenias. oleanders, pittosporum, Confederate jasmine, lugustrum, four o'clocks, hydrangeas, and cherokee roses, all are non-native species, brought to this subtropical climate as experiements by botanists. Fortunately, we do have plenty of native flowering species as well, including redbud, bignonia, magnolia, dogwood and syringa.

 The peak blooming season is early March through May, and sweet fragrances fill the air along with the buzzing of  honey bees, who are so delirious with loads of nectar that you can actually pet them as they probe flower petals - and don't worry, they rarely sting unless you threaten a hive.  

One way streets are very much a fact of Charleston life, and were first instituted in 1949. Begun because larger and more numerous cars were cusing traffic concerns, the initial changes were made on a few east-west streets and other thoroughfares were added over the years.

  The new one-way configuration was frustrating to some long-time Charlestonians, most notably the elderly Poppenheim sisters, who, despite being Vassar graduates and very bright, were renowned for intentionally driving the wrong way down the newly-changed streets 

The fine Adam-style building at 77 Church Street is today a private residence, but as is the case of so many Charleston structures, originated as home to a grocery and liquor store. Ferdinand Danjou built the brick building in 1808 to house his burgeoning business in booze. Since then, it has seen service as an inn, and today is a private home. It features exquisite Flemish bonding, in which the courses of bricks are aligned in alternate "headers" and "stretchers" for maximum beauty and strength.

A long-standing New Year's Day tradition in Charleston is a meal with localy-grown collard greens, which is legendary as a symbol of potential wealth and good fortune.  Another January 1st favorite is Hoppin' John, which is an Anglicization of the French "pois pigeons", meaning pigeon peas, when mixed with rice makes this dish delish. Winter also signals oyster roast season across the coastal plain, with single and clusters of the tasty shellfish being steamed for a singularly-satisfying slurp from the half-shell. Most oysters eaten at outdoor roasts are actually steamed, prepared as simply as throwing a flat pan over an open fire and covering oysters with a wet croaker sack until they pop open.

Surprised?  As stated in the Post and Courier this past Sunday: Over the last 15 plus years, more people are moving to South Carolina from neighboring states, New York and foreign countries than from any other area in the United States.  North Carolina accounts for the most new comers during this time frame by contributing 393,935 people.  Followed by Goergia and then Florida.  In recent years, there have been many people who initially retired to Florida that have decided to leave Florida because of increasing insurance costs and property taxes.  Other states that are supplying over 80,000 to 85,000 and calling Charleston home include Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California in that order.  The Lowcountry is probably seeing more people from New York, New Jersey and Florida.  South Carolina cities close to North Carolina are probably seeing a good number of Tar Heel transplants.

There is also a big correlation between the folks that are visiting are from Atlanta, Charlotte, Greenville, Spartanburg, Asheville, Anderson, Raleigh, Durham, and into Tennessee and the ones buying.  People fall in love with Charleston and end up buying a vacation home and plan to retire here.

Tax assessments recently came out throughout the state of South Carolina.  Already there is talk of widespread appeals from property owners in the Charleston area. 

The greater Charleston area is made up of three counties Berekely, Charleston and Dorchester.  The tax rate for the same house is somewhat different based on which county the house sits in.  Charleston county has by far the highest tax rate.

So what is the process if Uncle Sam or one of his town officials taxed you too much based on today's housing market slump?  After all, prices have gone down significantly, Charleston not being an exception.

Most people should be able to handle the appeals process on their own.  You have 30 days after the tax notice arrives to file the appeal.  Don't wait until the actual bill arrives. At that point, it is too late and you know the government isn't going to help at that point.  Most counties require a licensed professional to prepare an analysis of the local market property values for the folks that sit on the tax board at the local level.

The property owner should be acvtively involved in working with the appraiser to make sure they are aware of everything around your home that might impact its value.  You will want to take into consideration zoning, neighborhood amenities, planned construction enhancements etc.

Additionally, learn the rules and deadlines for the local assessors office. Each county has ther own forms (it would be too easy for every county in SC to use the same forms) and we all know if there is a better way, it won't be found in the government offices at any level.  Check deadlines carefully becuase if you miss one, well, you are out of luck.

When you head for the final stage, the appeals hearing, be  armed with all the evidence you can to support your appeal using every comparable that you and your propfessional consultants have. Be ready  to present and make a clear and logical case for why your tax assessment should be lower.

Homeowner's Guide to Property Taxes In SC

Don't want to go it alone - The state of SC allows for a property owner to represented by an appraiser, attorney or accountant in any request for review or appeal of property assessments.

Use a representative in Charleston to help you with the process.

Charleston is a great city but like anywhere, there are things to consider before moving:

1/ Charleston is in the South and you will need to accept you will be living in the South.  Most folks, escpecially true southerns are friendly and hospitalble people, but they just don't take kindly to people constantly talking abouthow they did things up North.

2/ Don't look for a basement, just accept that your new home will not have one.

3/ Charleston sits in a Hurrincan path, so be prepared with a plan and good insurance.

4/ Palmetto bugs (like roaches) are annoying and a fact of life in the South but can be controlled.  Find a good bugman.

5/ Living on the water is great, and convenient, if you are a boater. Do be preared to pay a little extra for the priviledge.

6/ There is traffic and like any other city is inconvenient, but the view is usually better in the LowCountry. Unless you get behind a horse carriage giving a tour.  That can be frustrating.

7/ The Charleston area is not lacking for things to do.  Golf, boating, shrimping, crabbing, clamming, kayaking, tennis, beach walks, theatre, events, lowcountry boils, dining, sporting events, historical tours, gardens, city walks, shopping and much much more.

8/ Mount Pleasant is Charleston's northern neighbor and yes, you can walk across the bridge. In fact, it is encouraged.

9/ Charleston is a great walking town, so buy good shoes and be careful on the cobblestone.

10/ Charleston is close to Hilton Head, beaches, Columbia and has easy interstate access and great little airport.

11/ It is HOT in the summer. 

One of Charleston's most exquisite real estate listings is the Patrick O'Donnell house at 21 King Street, perhaps the city's finest example of the "side hall" construction style popular in Charleston's golden age prior to the Civil War. The side hall concept is a slight modification of the classic "single house", which faced sideways to the street with entry along a full-length porch, or piazza. The side hall motif created a separate entrance on the opposite sie of the house from the piazza, with a stairway that, unlike the single house, did not divide the house. This guaranteed an uninterrupted expanse of shaded exterior as well as contiguous interior chambers that could open into one another for a glorious ballroom spacial concept. No better scenario could ever exist for a formal reception or party, or for its outstanding visual and visceral effect.

As many HGTV shows as there are weekly, it is sometimes fascinating to me when I suggest to a seller that they should stage their home and I get a bewildered look.  Maybe the message from all those TV shows is lost between annoying commercials and the glitz of TV. So you ask..... Why do I need to stage my home? What is entailed in staging my home for sale?

Let's start with the WHY.  Clutter distracts the eye and buyers need as few distractions as possible when trying to envision themselves calling your house HOME. Hore a professional and let them help you set the stage for a better buying experience. It really isn't all that expensive compared to remodeling.

Now lets address the question of..... What is entailed?

• 1st Impressions = atmosphere.  Turn off the TV, freshair, flowers, pleasing scent, relaxing or soothing background music (low volume)
• Curb appeal...cut the grass, rake the yard, remove webs or dead bugs from entry, mulch, powerwash, toys out of the yard, etc.
• Kitchen counters - cleared, nothing unnecessary should be taking up counter space, wipe down appliances.  You want the kitchen to appear spacious, clean and bright.
• Paint..neutrail tones.  Inexpensive and effective.
• Strategically postion plants in areas of your house that look empty or cold.
• Furniture.....you may love your oversized chair but deep down you know it is too big for the room.  The goal is to reduce furniture to open up space and give the room the appearance of more square footage.
• Store the clutter.  Your child's latest painting may be special to you but it is clutter to someone else. Store it along with anything else that will distract a potential buyer.
• Update...Update..Update - Furniture, towels, anything that looks worn or out of date.

While the above may seem reasonable it is often overlooked.  Usually a realtor, a good realtor will notice these often overlooked issues and suggest a home stager or offer some help based on their experiences.  Please don't take this information as criticizing you, your sense of style or as insult to your decorating. Your realtor is being paid to sell your house and help you make the most money from the sale. 

Let them help. Afterall, staged homes usually sell faster and for more money that unstaged homes.

On July 1st, The FHFA authorized 125% loan to value ratios on loans written by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, in an effort to expand the Home Affordable Refinance Propgram (HARP) to homeowners who are current on their mortgage payments from the present loan to value ration of 105 to 125%.  These expanded refinance opportunities offer qualified borrowers whose mortgages are currently ownerd or guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddic Mac. People with qualifying loans will be allowed to refinance those loans according to the terms of the HARP established earlier this year.

This program is in part meant to encourage home owners to opt for mortgage terms amortized for less than 30 years to help them get back 'above water'.

FHFA