William Means Blog

Charleston Historic Homes For Sale

william means — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:00:34 +0000

Cobblestone Street

Adger’s Wharf is named after the 19th century shipping magnate James Adger. It is one of the few remaining cobblestone streets in Charleston. Adger’s South Wharf is where Adger’s ships formerly docked and today the granite foundation still remains, incorporated into Waterfront Park and projecting into the Cooper River.

Between 1834 and 1861 the buildings at 4-16 South Adger’s Wharf and 1-15 North Adger’s Wharf contained cotton warehouses and offices; from there Adger’s steamship lines provided weekly passenger transport to New York. During the 1940s the buildings were converted into residences and some offices. The buildings still showcase their original masonry warehouse openings which are now filled with Colonial Revival style windows and doors.

One of these homes, located at 8 South Adger’s Wharf, is currently on the market. Inside this charming residence there is an abundance of natural light, wood floors throughout and an open floor plan which flows well.

8 South Adgers Living Room

The kitchen has an exposed brick wall and French doors that lead into a private courtyard.

8 South Adgers Kitchen

Just steps away from Waterfront Park this is an ideal location for someone who wants to live in the heart of downtown and experience all the history and culture Charleston has to offer. For more information please contact Mary deS. Cutler at 843.343.4858 or marycutler@williammeans.com.

SCR Year End Market Report

william means — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:50:28 +0000

South Carolina Realtors released an excellent video summery of the 2011 housing market. This statewide housing report is very optimistic about the new year and suggests the falling supply of housing combined with the rise in demand are great indicators for 2012.

2011 market patterns show the following:

14.7% decline in new listings – the lowest level since 2005
Inventory levels are down 15.6% – the lowest active supply since 2007
Closed sales are only down 1.7% from 2010
Months of supply are down 16% to 11.9 months – indicates balance between supply and demand

Watch the video, The Skinny 2011, for the full report:

Christie’s International Real Estate Featured Property

william means — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:41:02 +0000

As the local affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate we have the opportunity to share luxurious properties from all over the world. Today’s featured home is located in New York, New York and is listed by our New York affiliate Brown Harris Stevens.

The Woolworth Mansion – Watch the Video Tour Now:

For additional information regarding the Woolworth Mansion visit christiesrealestate.com.

Charleston named in Fodor’s top places to visit in 2012

william means — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:38:46 +0000

Charleston has yet again been recognized as one of the world’s top places to visit, this time by international travel guide Fodor’s. Only two destinations in the U.S. made it to Fodor’s top 21, the other being Oahu, Hawaii. Cited primarily for our wonderful culinary scene, Charleston was ranked among some of the most renowned cities in the world including London, Budapest, and Paris.

McCrady’s and Husk head chef Sean Brock was quoted in Fodor’s recapitulating that Charleston has “incredible hospitality, incredible weather, incredible food with an incredible history to back it up.” Adding to a long list of accolades Charleston has received this year, Fodors’ ranking will no doubt help spread the word that the Holy City is not only a great place to visit but to reside in as well!

To view the full Post and Courier article discussing Fodor’s rankings, click here.

Helen Geer on CNBC

william means — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:31:06 +0000

Watch our owner, Helen Geer, on this morning’s episode of CNBC’s Squawk On the Street

Want more information on the properties she’s discussing? Visit our website, charlestonrealestate.com to view:

Medway Plantation

2 Water Street

58 South Battery

or contact Helen directly at (843) 577.6651, helengeer@williammeans.com.

Charleston Luxury Real Estate to be reviewed on CNBC

william means — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:59:40 +0000

Don’t miss our broker Helen Geer LIVE on CNBC’s Squawk on the Street tomorrow January 20th at 10:45am. She’ll be reviewing the Charleston Luxury Real Estate Market and featuring some of her incredible listings – 2 Water Street, 58 South Battery, and Medway Plantation.

Charleston Real Estate 2011 Year in Review

william means — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:08:46 +0000

Reviewing 2011
2011 was a year that again saw uncertainty in the economy and real estate. Many prognosticators, including William Means, believed that 2011 would be very much like 2010. Given all the economic uncertainty having a year of the status quo versus having the market go down was a welcome trend. In most areas the average sales price was down a small amount from 2010. The worst area for average sale price falling was downtown (inside of the crosstown) where the average sales price was down 20%. Nearly all other areas had a modest loss of less than 10% and Sullivan’s Island actually had a small gain. The most positive gains were in the number of sales. Every area was up in total sales except for South of Broad, down 13%. The biggest gain was seen in Sullivan’s Island after having a very down year in 2010 sales were up 65% in 2011. All areas also saw a decrease in inventory. This decrease was at a higher percentage than number of sales meaning that more people also took their homes off the market. Given the laws of supply and demand this should be positive factor in 2012.

2012 Outlook
We expect to see similar numbers in 2012. Given the rough housing market Charleston has remained viable. Although homes are achieving less in sales numbers the number of homes selling is increasing. We believe this trend will continue upward at a moderate pace. The average selling price will continue to be slightly lower or around the same with the number of homes sold increasing slightly in 2012.

Tri-County over $500,000

Downtown – Inside of Crosstown

Downtown – South of Broad

I’On Village

Sullivan’s Island

Mt. Pleasant – South of IOP Connector

William Means Real Estate

William Means enjoyed increased success through the hard work of our agents. In a climate that most real estate companies stayed the same or decreased sales, William Means increased sales by nearly 15%. Our agents used superior market knowledge and hard work to garner clients the best deals in buying and selling homes. This success will continue in 2012 as the William Means agents are already starting off the year with a few excellent sales. If you’d like more information on statistics in your neighborhood or buying/selling a home, contact us today.

realestate@williammeans.com, (843) 577-6651, (843) 375-4800

December Agent of the Month – Will Dammeyer

william means — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:11:48 +0000

Congratulations to our December Agent of the Month – Will Dammeyer! Will participated in six sales throughout the month of December. His sales were on James Island, Folly Beach, I’On, and South of Broad. If you’d like to learn more about Will, visit our agent bio page or contact him directly:

Will Dammeyer, (843) 670-6747 or will@williammeans.com

Spoleto tickets on sale now

william means — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:29:56 +0000

Spoleto Festival USA returns again this year and the tickets are already available for purchase. The biggest festival in Charleston and one of the biggest art festivals in the country will feature a wide array of theatre, music, dance, and visual art.

The festival runs from May 25th to June 10th and tickets can be purchased now online or by phone (843) 579-3100.

Visit Spoletousa.org to see a full list of performances.

The William Means Report – December 2011

william means — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:46:48 +0000

The large number of homes under contract during October and November lead to impressive December sales numbers. Last month’s statistics indicate an increase in the number of sales in almost all areas versus the previous month and the previous year. This should be a strong signal for a continued improvement in the real estate market for 2012. While the number of sales increased, the average sales prices in most areas stayed stagnant or dropped compared to the previous month and year. We are delighted to report that William Means Real Estate had a tremendous sales month!

Tri-County over $500,000
The Tri-County residences over $500,000 posted gains in every category versus November and December 2010. The greatest gain was seen in sales versus the previous month of 82 versus 50 – a gain of 64%.

Downtown – Inside of Crosstown
Downtown had lower numbers in terms of average list and sale price. However, the total number of sales was up 166% from the previous month. Sales of 32 homes was a vast improvement from 12 sales the previous month and 18 sales from December 2010.

Downtown – South of Broad

I’On Village
While I’On’s average sales price dropped 25% from the previous month and 7% from the previous year, the total sales were up 200% from the previous month. I’On had total sales of 9 homes in December, up from 3 in November and 4 from December of 2010.

Sullivan’s Island

Mt. Pleasant – South of IOP Connector
Mt. Pleasant posted gains across nearly every category. Mount Pleasant saw increases over November and December the previous year in average list price, average sale price, median sales price, total sales, and lower inventory.