This morning I am being continually reminded of a rebirth that is occurring here in McClellanville under our feet.  Like most change in McClellanville it doesn’t happen in broad sweeping movements, but in gentle strokes.

The cries of my newborn child as my first comfort him as he has seen us do so many times before remind me why I made the move from a secure job in a distant land to return home for a different type of security more than 5 years ago.

A tweeting songbird and a thin layer of yellow dust on my car reminds me that spring is approaching and that we will soon break off the shackles of the cold winter’s night.

I walk into Archibald Rutledge Academy to find my 5-year-old’s classroom has moved across the hall to open up yet another classroom for remodeling as the school undertakes it’s evolution into the new Cape Romain Environmental Education Charter School.

I drive into work past a new rental home coming onto the market with much demand and a home under contract to be sold that will close next week.  Yes, the real estate market too is shaking off it’s shackles and it looks like it will be a good year for those both trying to sell their homes and those buying a new home to begin new phases in their life.

When I arrive at my new office to work on my new website, there is an email reminding me of a meeting for the Sewee Summit Jobs meeting to create a new Business Owner’s Association for the McClellanville / Awendaw region.

I realize, as I turn on my space heater to warm my fingers to type, that these signs of change have presented themselves to me all before 9am and all of this before winter has fully released it’s grasp on us.

Change is something that the people of McClellanville have grown to fear for decades and that fear has allowed the Town to preserve it’s way of life while the world around us collapsed to the pressures of change.  It is not a bad fear, more like the healthy respect that lion trainer might have for his partner.   We have whipped back the roaring lion without a sign of cowardliness and have earned it’s respect in the process.  The time for fear is passing though and we must put on a new face.  A face that welcomes good changes like I will welcome my son into my arms today when the last school bell rings.

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant;
If we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.
~Anne Bradstreet

$175,000 House for Sale Among Amazing Historic Homes

Looking for an affordable house in the Historic District?
Looking for a potential home to rent?
Looking for free food and something to do this weekend?

If you answered yes to at least one of these questions, than you won’t want to miss the open house at 540 Pinckney Street this Saturday between 10am and 3pm. This event is presented by MCVL Realty and will include grilled hotdogs, drinks, and snacks and allow you a first look at this great housing opportunity.

540 Pinckney Street (Listing Details) is offered at $175,000 and all offers will be presented to the sellers.  Pick up the phone and call that friend of yours that is always telling you that they want to move to McClellanville and tell them this is their chance.  See You There!

White Gables - $150,000

528 Pinckney Street, known as “White Gables”, is for sale. This isn’t news, it’s been on the market for over 4 years, but now it is banked-owned and listed by Beach and River Homes and has been reduced to the shockingly low asking price of $150,000.  ”4 years?”, many people ask.  Well yes, but it was introduced to the market at $688,000 when I had a competing home listed for $750K that had been completely remodeled and this home needs a lot of work.  Over the years the price just kept dropping along with the market and was listed at $258K most recently before the bank finally foreclosed and slashed the price by over $100K.   I’ve shown this house more than any other house in town and  have learned that historic fixer-uppers just aren’t for everybody.  It is going to take the right buyer even at this price to want to restore National Historic District landmark to it’s former glory.  I’d be sure to have at least $100k that you are ready and able to spend on repairs because you just don’t know what you’re going to find once you start opening it up.  That being said, $150K is a steal and this house is the buzz of McClellanville.  The new owners will surely be the envy of the town and should get used to hearing “We almost bought this home ourselves” on a regular basis.

Most people that buy a home do so for their own enjoyment, whether full-time or part-time, but today I wanted to have a discussion about the other side of the coin.  Using this home as an example, I want to show the various investment opportunities that one can explore when buying a home.   One of the advantages of being the only real estate agent in the area who also specializes in rental management is that I know these markets and the prices that homes can fetch.  I should probably disclose that all buyers should do their own research and due diligence and understand that I am using big round numbers for easy math and to make examples.   Contact me directly to come up with a detailed analysis of your needs and how a home can work for you.  

First of all, appraisals aside, they are not making any more road frontage along Pinckney Street in this most historic avenue of homes just down from the boat landing. A vacant 2/3 acre lot such as this would fetch at least $150,000 even in todays market. You get the bonus of a home and a garage on the ground level which can not be duplicated under existing building codes.

The cost to renovate will vary depending on the decisions how far you want to take things, but I think it is safe to say that you’ll want to spend at least $50,000 and probably more like $100,000.   Investors should be aware of the rule that does not allow you to spend more than half the value of the home ($75K in this case) on improvements every 5 years without bringing the entire home up to code, which in this case would include the very impractical feat of raising it 10 feet off the ground.   You can and should be able to get a variance for this particular home however because most would agree that it is better to restore old homes to protect the essence of McClellanville than to modify or demolish these treasures.

Now let’s look at what could be done with this home.  Well, sure, you could live in it, but that’s not very creative.  The home is zoned in the historic residential zone which only allows for single family residences, so short of moving your parents or children in with you, that’s not paying any extra bills.  So what now?

Flip It

House “flipping” got a bad name 5 years ago when you could turn on TLC or HGTV and every idiot who couldn’t swing a hammer was making $500K on their west coast rehab…fast forward to the present and for some reason California has one of the highest percentage of foreclosures and upside down home ownership, go figure.  The numbers look pretty good on this house though.  After purchase price, repairs, carrying costs, and real estate commission to sell you’d probably have $275-300K into the home and could hopefully ask $350-400K in return, but every month it’s sitting on the market your profit is counting down.   You’ve also put in a lot of hard work and are paying taxes on the profit, so if you’ve already got a nine-to-five it might not be for you.

Long-term Rental

Well you could also do all the repairs and rent it out long-term and probably fetch about $1200-$1500/month depending on the finishing touches, but that is the top of McClellanville’s rental market (waterfront could fetch more, but are more profitable as short-term rentals) and renters are scarce, but not impossible to find.  Your mortgage payments if you financed the purchase and your improvement and are paying taxes and insurance are going to be around $1750, so you’re losing money each month (good investors try to avoid doing this).  Combine this with house flipping approach and try to rent while you sell and you may be able to hold out for the perfect buyer, but you’re going to need a patient renter that doesn’t mind showings and a month-to-month lease.

Vacation Rental

Short-term or vacation rentals is also a possibility in this area although most people who want this amount of space want to spend the extra money for waterfront with a dock.  If you average $1000/week and figured a conservative 50% occupancy, you’re making about $2200/month but your expenses (including marketing, insurances, taxes, and incidentals) are going to shave that down to around $1500/month but you can count on that occupancy rate to improve each year as you build up return guests.

Rent a Portion

There is a provision in McClellanville ordinances that allow for a portion of a home to be rented as long as it is separate and distinct from the home and is under 800 square feet.  That means it’s own entrance and kitchen and doesn’t work very well in this home but in the historic district you’re talking about $750/month in rent and you can now live there with a mortgage payment down around $1000.

B&B

The final option that I’ve come up with is to manage the home as a bed and breakfast.  McClellanville has supported many different types in the past and truly is the perfect setting for this type of accommodation.  The law allows for only 1/3 of the home to be used for the purposes of the guest, which means that 2/3 or more must be split between the owner’s private living quarters or common area for guests.   In this home this basically allows for two of the very large rooms to be guests suites.  Each suite could rent for $100/night and I think that you could assume 40% occupancy for the first room and 20% for the second which would come out to $1825/month before taxes, marketing, and insurance whittled it down to around $1200, but remember you’ve got the benefit of still having most of the home to occupy as well. Running a B&B (scheduling renters, changing sheets, cooking, entertaining, etc) is certainly not for everyone, but when you figure that each year the return should grow, you could soon be enjoying a mortgage free home it’s not a bad option to have.

Investment property doesn’t have to be the bane of the neighborhood.  When properly cared for and managed rental properties of all types can contribute to the overall improvement of an area.  Short-term rentals stimulate the local economy without much negative impact (I hope) while long-term rentals allow for a greater diversity of the population such as starter families that may not be financial able to purchase a home but are still involved in local activities.  Even if this home slips through your fingers, don’t be afraid to give me a call and let me know what your dreams and aspirations are and I will see what I can find for you.

Update: I received a tremendous outpouring of responses to this article which really shows that the market is not as bad as you hear.  I showed the house to two prospective buyers and had many calls from latecomers alas the sellers have accepted a contract and the sale is pending.  This contract was actually submitted with 24 hours of the huge price drop although they did wait through the weekend for other offers.  The accepted offer was actually for $5,000 above the asking price.  The moral of this story is to get your financial ducks in a row because you don’t know when the next deal will come along.  You can’t truly be “in the market” for a home if you don’t have a pocket full of money or a pre-qualification letter from a bank.

Click Image for Event Flyer

Don’t let the word “Triathlon” scare you away, this is a laid back, non-competitve event consisting of a paddle, parade, and a picnic.  In fact, the event planners warn that “serious competitors will be fed to alligators”, so leave your A-game at home and just come out with the family to to enjoy a leisurely time on the water and walking down our oak lined avenues.

The event begins on Saturday, June 11th at 10am at the town boat landing with a kayak (donated by Nature Adventure Outfitters) paddle out to birthday island (first spit of land  between ICW and Five Fathom creek) and back, then the group parades from the boat landing to the restaurant’s where participants will enjoy a picnic on the porch at T.W. Graham’s or patio at Pinckney Street Kitchen.  The cost for the event is $33 and includes kayak rental and t-shirt!

Proceeds from this event go to support a really great cause called Begin with Books, which seeks to improve childhood literacy at an early age by providing area residents with 1 book each month from birth to 5 years old.  $33 covers one year of books for one child and can make a huge difference in the child’s development and attitude toward reading.  A donation of $165 will buy a complete library of 60 books for a child. You can also follow this cause and the event on facebook.

Registration is easy, but necessary to do so early to ensure that enough t-shirts are ordered and kayaks are provided.  If you will be attending, email elizabeth_livingston@charleston.k12.sc.us today with your t-shirt sizes and bring a check to the boat landing on the day of the event.

McClellanville, SC – October 10th, 2010 -  Daniel Bates is proud to present his new real estate company MCVL Realty.  MCVL Realty offers both real estate sales and property management services to the McClellanville and Awendaw markets.  Daniel has completed his broker training and left the company his grandfather started, W.P. Baldwin & Associates in McClellanville, to launch this exciting new company.

As broker/owner Daniel Bates will be managing the daily operations of the company while striving to serve those looking to buy, sell or rent homes and land in McClellanville and Awendaw.  A (near) life-long resident of McClellanville, Daniel Bates has made it his mission to work with clients that appreciate the unique beauty of this rural, coastal area.

Daniel’s popular websites MyMcClellanville.net, McClellanvilleRentals.com, and AwendawLiving.com will continue to operate as usual.  Daniel will also soon be rolling out McClellanvilleHomes.com and McClellanvilleLand.com focusing on all the local real estate markets and allowing MyMcClellanville.net to become a non-commercial, community blog focusing on news and events surrounding the area.  Finally, MCVL.net will serve as a company blog that will feature all of the latest news from the aforementioned websites  and serve to promote company real estate and rental listings better than any other real estate company in the area.  Together, Daniel feels that MCVL family of websites will provide his clients, customers, and fans with the opportunity to choose exactly what news they like to receive without missing a beat.

Daniel Bates would also like to welcome all Facebook users to follow all the latest McClellanville news at Facebook.com/McClellanville, the largest facebook page devoted to McClellanville.

Daniel Bates
Broker / Owner
MCVL Realty
http://MCVL.net
843-606-0622

I got a phone call Saturday morning telling me that I should go down to the dock of Palmer’s Point and take a look across the creek.  You can imagine my surprise when I saw a plane pulled up at Leland Marine next to the typical array of of yachts, house boats, shrimp boats, and barges.  McClellanville’s local librarian, Pat Gross shared a few more pictures of the plane actually cruising down the creek and taking off and the heart-touching story behind the pilot.

She said that pilot is a gentleman from Florida and accompanied only by his cocker spaniel.  He loves flying but has had bone cancer three times and is afraid that if it returns he won’t be able to pass the flight physical any more.  So he is just out enjoying life to the fullest.  He was taking a flight along the coast when he realized that the closest place for a pontoon plane to land was 60 miles inland on one of the lakes, so he took his 1949 Aeronca Sedan down on the Intracoastal Waterway and cruised into Jeremy Creek to the Marina.  She added that he loves McClellanville as much as we all do and plans to return again soon.  Well sir, from all of McClellanville, we hope to see you soon and wish you a healthy recovery and full remission.

514 Romain Road – $750,000

First up is a brand new listing just added this week.  It’s a gorgeous 4 bedroom, 4 bath waterfront home with over 150 feet of frontage on Jeremy Creek and a large deep-water dock.  It’s the prettiest lot in all of McClellanville with 4 massive live oaks on a spacious lot.  The nearly 2800 square feet feel much more spacious with a very open floor plan that will accommodate any number of needs.  I’ve been managing this house as a vacation rental for the last 3 years and would be happy to continue for new owner.

8 Mouzons Bluff – $69,500

Looking for an affordable lot to build you home in McClellanville?  This lot is build-ready and is the cheapest 1+ acre lot in McClellanville town limits.   Amazingly, it is also located in Mouzons Bluff community which entitles it to use of the future community dock on the Intracoastal Waterway and park on Otter Creek, just walking distance from this lot.  Now that’s value!

22 Mouzons Bluff – $100,000

This is the lowest priced waterfront lot in the McClellanville and Awendaw real estate market.  It’s 3/4 of an acre and has over 100 feet of frontage on Otter Creek.  You can watch wildlife and launch a kayak from your own back yard.  Just like 8 Mouzons Bluff, this lot will also have access to the future community dock on the Intracoastal Waterway.  So for just $30k more you’re upgrading to waterfront!

3 Romain Road – $395,000,

Waterfront lots are a commodity in McClellanville and this one is the lowest priced lot on deep-water in McClellanville.  It has a view of the Intracoastal Waterway, Cape Romain Wildlife Refuge and the Cape Romain lighthouse.  In addition to being on Jeremy Creek, this lot is also bounded on one side by Otter Creek.  If you’ve been waiting for affordable waterfront property with immediate access to prime fishing and boating grounds, this is your chance.

Please feel free to call me for a private tour of any or all of these beautiful properties – Daniel Bates -  843-606-0622

Disclosure: Agent is Related to Seller of 3 Romain, 22 Mouzons Bluff, and 514 Romain

Blagwhatsitnow? Blog Action Day!  That’s right it’s the 3rd annual celebration where bloggers all over the world unite to write about a single great cause in order to promote a conversation and in turn hopefully prove that one person can make a difference and bring about change.  The first blog action day was about the environment and I laid out my love of nature and urged for a recycling movement in McClellanville.  So this time I’ll get right down to it. The topic is “Climate Change” and I’m not going to argue whether this planet is getting warming…or colder or the sea levels are rising or that it’s all just a cyclical change, because I’m no scientist.  There is no denying, however, that since our time on the earth and specifically since we entered into a modern industrial age we have had a hugely significant impact on everything around us.

I certainly don’t have all the answers. If this is something that you feel passionate about or would like to learn more you may want to attend a meeting of McClellanville’s Kitchen Table Climate Study Group or at least have a word with group leader David Stoney.  I know that somehow people keep throwing religion and politics into the mix and causing major divides, but the truth is that the regardless of your core beliefs everyone needs to start thinking forward more than just five minutes into the future. Thinking about making sure that not only their grandchildren will have the same or better experience on this planet, but also our great, great, great grandchildren. McClellanville sits about 5-15 feet above sea level. The recent anniversary of Hurrican Hugo should remind us all what the powers of the sea is capable of. I can’t say with any certainty whether my house will be underwater in , but enough very smart scientist who have gone to school far more years than I have and studied this subject more years than I’ve been around feel that it is a very good possibility and that’s good enough for me to listen to what they have to say.  I’m going to leave the big questions up to the leaders of the countries and simply implore you as a citizen of the planet to consider these 5 simple changes in your daily life schedule to possibly change the path of human civilization.

1) Give your Car a Break

Walking is a great family activity that none of us do any enough anymore.  I have “bad knees” but I still very much enjoy the opportunities when I’m able to walk around “the loop” over on Mouzons Bluff with my wife and son.   We’re still the only house over here so there’s lot of nature and I love the little talks I get to have to with him and getting to catch up with my wife.  It’s also the perfect time of year RIGHT NOW while the chill in the air is waving goodbye to the mosquitoes (I sure hope so at least) but it’s not too cold to have to bundle up.

So this weekend walk to Pete & Claudia’s or Pinckney Street Kitchen h yeah, and if you live more than a walk away from the restaurant an electric golf cart isn’t a bad way to travel if you have one, but you do have to keep in mind that unless you’ve got a solar panel on your roof or a windmill in your yard than that power is probably being produced by a coal plant at least until the State decides to put those giant wind turbines off the coat…but that’s another story I’m not going to get into here.

2) Recycle

I really don’t understand how people can not recycle in this modern age.  Yes it’s a hassle in McClellanville because you have to take it to the dump yourself.  If you’re a senior you can talk to someone from Presbyterian Churches Men’s Group and see about having them pick it up a for you.  I know they provide this great service to a lot of the elderly around town.  I’ve been trying for years now to convince the town to add recycling pickup, but the council has not felt so moved to make an action yet.  Maybe if it were more than just me asking than they’d take more action (hint hint..HINT HINT).  But consider this when you think that it’s too much work.  Every weekend I not only round up the recycling from my house, but also from the two rental properties that I manage.   At our local recycling center, you can recycle  plastics #1 (soda and water bottles) and #2 (milk cartons),  steel (soup) and aluminum (soda’s) cans,  glass bottles,  cardboard,  newspapers, junk mail, magazines  and paperboard (cereal boxes).  Separating the recycling from our trash has cut our output in half.   I just found out that you can get free blue recycling bins at the Mount Pleasant DMV.  We have a bin under our sink next to the trashcan that we put all the cans and bottles in and a paper grocery bag next to it that we put our paper board into.  We dump it into full size trashcan when they get full.

3) Switch to Fluorescent Light Bulbs

I’m slowly going through the house and doing this.  These bulbs cost a little bit more but will lower your energy consumption as will unplugging unused electronics like TV’s and Computers.  While you’re at it why don’t you replace all your appliances with more energy efficient ones.  My friend over at Green Earth Equities is an eco-friendly house flipper that offers free classes and lots of great information on how you can make your house more environmentally friendly and get that money back when you go to sell.  Now us East Coasters don’t have the same hippy movement going on here, but in a place like McClellanville I can’t help but think that we’re going to be one the firsts to embrace such a movement.  I’ve already talked with several interested buyers who want to build green homes.

4) Compost

This is something that the Bates’ household has yet to do…in an organized fashion.  Being that we have miles of woods in all directions of our house, we actually partake in the ultra-chic, super-sophisticated “Chunk the  rotten food into the woods from my back porch” composting philosophy.  Say what you will but my squishy tomatoes and stale bread aren’t ending up in a landfill and are being quickly returned to Mother Earth.  The birds and squirrels are happy and who knows I might have some peach-apple-tomato hybrid sprouting up next year.  If you live in the Historic District, your neighbors probably won’t appreciate your rotting fruit in their yard so, like me, you need to get or make a compost bin and start turn those coffee grounds and eggshells into to gold.

5) Plant a Tree

Isn’t Mother Nature amazing?  You see how I was just talking about composting as a way to reduce waste and hear this beautiful byproduct will help fertilize your garden or plants.  My mom is the gardener in my family.  Maybe someday I’ll get organized enough to do that…but it’s doubtful.  So in the mean time we’re simply trying to grow grass (it’s hard than you’d think when you’re working with pure sand).  Seriously though.  McClellanville is a proud member of Tree City USA (7 years running) and we have our very own Tree Committee to watch over our prize Oaks and help people just like you that want to plant a tree.   So give them a call today if you need a little help with this one, but we need as many trees as possible to offset the growing human population.

What Other Bloggers Are Writing About

One last mention.  I know most of you have probably heard about Twitter on the news and written it off as a meaningless tool…and I would agree with you to a large point, but this is what is really cool about it.  Here is a LIVE feed of everyone in the WORLD talking about Blog Action Day and leaving links to the posts that they have written.   You have to admit that’s a pretty amazing.

Located in the southeastern region of the United States, South Carolina is home to rich mountain ranges, national parks and monuments. In South Carolina, The state was important in the manufacturing, processing and use of asbestos because of its natural deposits and large shipping industry. Many companies that used asbestos include the Charleston Navy Yard, Carolina Shipping Company and Detyen Shipyards, Inc.

Purchasing or moving into a new home is the investment of a lifetime. It will insure you and your family will have a safe and healthy home for a long foreseeable future. Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that was a prominent building application throughout the 20th century.

Potential McClellanville home buyers or those seeking to remodel a home built before 1980 should check for potential asbestos materials. This is not to say that you should be too worried because with the proper precautions, asbestos exposure can be easily prevented.

Even if asbestos shingles are on your home, if they are in good condition and left undisturbed, they are not a serious problem. The mere presence of asbestos in a home or a building is not hazardous. Damaged asbestos may release asbestos fibers and become a health hazard, leading to the development of asbestosis and mesothelioma. With a latency period that can last 20 to 50 years, this makes mesothelioma prognosis from physicians a difficult task.

The amount of asbestos-related incidents in the last few decades has lead to asbestos lawyer firms advocating victim rights around the U.S. The negligence involved with the asbestos scandal has been one of greed and dishonesty. Manufacturers of asbestos were aware of its toxic qualities, but repressed this information from the public.

If you suspected asbestos materials are in your home, most home inspectors and contractors advise to leave it un-disturbed as asbestos in good condition does not pose any health risks. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Council promotes the health and safety of the public and environment. These public organizations assist the disposal and removal of asbestos and other harmful materials. If asbestos removal is deemed necessary, it should be performed by licensed abatement contractor who is trained in handling hazardous materials.

Once the removal process is completed, green insulation alternatives should be given serious consideration. These alternatives include: cellulose, cotton fiber and lcynene. Tax breaks are being offered through The American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009. This package extends energy efficiency tax incentives first enacted in 2005 and even creates some new ones for those who remodel their homes using Eco-friendly materials. Insulation replacement can be vital to energy efficiency and is often overlooked by people looking to upgrade their homes.

With a lackluster economy, these kinds of figures have attracted those who were unaware of Eco-friendly construction. Not only will these asbestos alternatives reduce energy costs, they allow a lifestyle that promotes a clean, free of health damaging materials.

There are over a hundred homes, businesses, and churches predating 1935 in the historic district. The national historic registry has pictures and more information about many of them on their website .

New construction and home remodeling must be approved by an Architectural Review Board (ARB) to ensure that homes stay in keeping with the style of the rest of the Historic District. Zoning allows for new lots to be no smaller than 3/4 of an acre (1 acre for the rest of McClellanville), though many smaller lots were grandfathered in when the rule was created.

In the center of the Historic District on Pinckney Street is McClellanville’s quaint “downtown business district”, which consists of two restaurants, a handful of boutiques and artist studios, and our real estate office. Residents treat these local restaurants as social gathering places and catch up with friends and family dining on local seafood along side the weekend tourists.

Live oak lined streets are characteristic of the Historic District and the landmark Deerhead Oak stands above them all. Near the end of Pinckney Street lies the boat landing, Town Hall, Village Museum and playground. It is the site of the towns annual Shrimp Festival and many other public gatherings.

The Historic District is also home to the marina and the docks on Oak Street are where most of the shrimp boats dock and unload there fresh haul directly to the seafood markets.

There is obviously a lot going on in the Historic District, but above all is the community, which you can’t necessarily describe but you get a sense of it from the children riding bicycles and smiling faces and waves you get from passing pedestrians.

Click Here for Homes for Sale in Historic District

Click Here for Lots for Sale in Historic District