Charter One Realty Blog

2022 Year-End Market Report - Hilton Head Island and Bluffton

Coastal Lowcountry 2022 Year-End Real Estate Market Update

2022 began where 2021 left off:

Mortgage rates were near historic lows, buyer competition was fierce, and homes were selling at a breakneck pace, often with multiple bids and all-cash offers, due to pent-up demand and a shortage of housing supply, causing sales prices to soar to new heights. But all that changed a few months later as mortgage rates began to rise, adding hundreds of dollars to monthly mortgage payments and causing housing affordability to plummet to its lowest level in decades. As borrowing costs continued to increase, home sales and home prices began to slow, and after two years of record-breaking activity, the red-hot housing market was finally cooling.

Sales: Pending…

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Charter One Realty Welcomes Sharon Jones

BLUFFTON, SC, January 2023 – (CharterOneRealty.com) Charter One Realty, the Lowcountry's #1 Ranked Real Estate Brokerage, is proud to announce the addition of Sharon Jones to its team of talented and dedicated agents. Sharon will be assisting home buyers and sellers in Bluffton and surrounding areas with all their real estate needs. Sharon joins the company at their Berkeley Hall office and can be reached at 978-549-2717 or by email at SharonJones@CharterOneRealty.com.

“We are very excited to welcome Sharon to our team,” said Paige Rose, CMO at Charter One Realty. “Sharon comes to us with an esteemed background in residential real estate and will make a great addition to our firm."

Sharon has a long history of providing exceptional customer service…

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Charter One Realty Welcomes Margaret Crenshaw

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC, January 2023 – Charter One Realty (CharterOneRealty.com), the Lowcountry's #1 Ranked Real Estate Brokerage, is proud to welcome Margaret Crenshaw to its team of talented and dedicated agents. Crenshaw joins the Kiser Jetton Group and will work out of one of the firm's Hilton Head Island locations, 11 Park Lane. 

Margaret originally hails from Alabama but considers Hilton Head her native home as her family moved here in the early 70's. She attended Sea Pines Academy, where she graduated in 1985, then attended Auburn University, where she graduated with a BFA in Theatre in 1989. She worked as a Production Manager at the HH Playhouse and has performed there and with the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. However, Margaret has focused…

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Meet the Agent - Sharon Jones

Sharon Jones and her husband met in Charleston, SC, while she was attending the College of Charleston and her husband served in the Navy. Like so many, they fell in love with the Lowcountry and chose it as their primary vacation spot. After 17 years in Massachusetts, Sharon and her family decided to make the Lowcountry their permanent home and are loving every moment of it.

Charter One Realty sat down with Sharon to learn more about how she got her start and some of her favorite aspects of life in the Lowcountry.

CHARTER ONE REALTY: WHEN DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU WANTED TO PURSUE A CAREER IN REAL ESTATE?

Sharon Jones: Having moved over 12 times.  I was constantly watching the market wherever we were.  I decided to pursue a career when my first set of…

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Charter One Realty Welcomes Marge McDougal

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC, January 2023 – Charter One Realty (CharterOneRealty.com), the Lowcountry's #1 Ranked Real Estate Brokerage, is proud to welcome Marge McDougal to its team of talented and dedicated agents. Marge brings over 28 years of experience in sales, marketing, and real estate in the Coastal Lowcountry. Marge joins the company at their 11 Park Lane office located on Hilton Head Island, SC, and can be reached at 843.298.3068 or by email at Marge@MargeMcDougal.com.

Originally from Canton, Ohio, Marge has been an island resident since 1991. Avid competitive golfer, Marge enjoys the blended feeling of community and resort that Palmetto Hall offers as her home choice. When it comes to real estate, her philosophy is WIN/WIN: seeking solutions…

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Planning To Sell Your House? It’s Critical To Hire a Pro.

Planning To Sell Your House? It’s Critical To Hire a Pro.

With higher mortgage rates and moderating buyer demand, conditions in the housing market are different today. And if you’re thinking of selling your house, it’s important to understand how the market has changed and what that means for you. The best way to make sure you’re in the know is to work with a trusted housing market expert.

Here are five reasons working with a professional can ensure you’ll get the most out of your sale.

1. A Real Estate Advisor Is an Expert on Market Trends

Leslie Rouda Smith, 2022 President of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), explains:

"During challenging and changing market conditions, one thing that's calming and constant is the…

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What’s Going on in the Housing Market

Confused About What’s Going on in the Housing Market? Lean on a Professional.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home, you probably want to know what’s really happening with home prices, mortgage rates, housing supply, and more. That’s not an easy task considering how sensationalized headlines are today. Jay Thompson, Real Estate Industry Consultant, explains:

“Housing market headlines are everywhere. Many are quite sensational, ending with exclamation points or predicting impending doom for the industry. Clickbait, the sensationalizing of headlines and content, has been an issue since the dawn of the internet, and housing news is not immune to it.”

Unfortunately, when information in the media isn’t clear, it can generate a lot…

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Financial Fundamentals for First-Time Homebuyers

Financial Fundamentals for First-Time Homebuyers

Are you prepping to buy your first home? If so, one of the steps you should take early on is making sure you’re financially ready for your purchase. Here are just a few of the financial fundamentals you’ll need to focus on as you set out to buy a home.

Build Your Credit

Your credit is one element that helps determine which home loan you’ll qualify for. It also impacts your mortgage interest rate. While there are many factors that go into your mortgage application, a higher credit score could lead to a lower monthly payment in the long run.

So how do you make sure your credit is in the best shape possible when it’s time to buy? A recent article from NerdWallet lists a few tips you can use…

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What To Expect From the Housing Market in 2023

What To Expect From the Housing Market in 2023

The 2022 housing market has been defined by two key things: inflation and rapidly rising mortgage rates. And in many ways, it's put the market into a reset position.

As the Federal Reserve (the Fed) made moves this year to try to lower inflation, mortgage rates more than doubled – something that’s never happened before in a calendar year. This had a cascading impact on buyer activity, the balance between supply and demand, and ultimately home prices. And as all those things changed, some buyers and sellers put their plans on hold and decided to wait until the market felt a bit more predictable.

But what does that mean for next year? What everyone really wants is more stability in the market in…

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Meet the Agent: Jennifer Johnson

For Charter One Realty agent Jennifer Johnson, real estate isn’t merely a line of work — it’s a calling. This top-performing agent has been representing buyers and sellers in the Lowcountry since 2017, and she's established quite a track record. 

Jennifer tells Charter One Realty about her affinity for real estate and her deep connection to the Lowcountry and shares some advice for buyers.

Charter One Realty: When did you know that you wanted to pursue a career in real estate?

Jennifer Johnson: I knew I wanted to pursue a career in real estate when I was a first-time homebuyer. I realized that I can help homebuyers locate or sell real estate and deliver an exceptional experience just like my first agent did. She made it look easy. Now I know it's…

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