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    Thursday
    21Jan2010

    Lights, Camera, Action!

    On January 24, Hollywood takes over the Lowcountry. If you live in the area, you’ve heard dozens of radio giveaways and ticket advertisements to attend the sea side premiere of the film Dear John. The Terrace Hippodrome Theater will host stars and supporters for the new movie based on the novel by best-selling author Nicholas Sparks and directed by Oscar nominated Lasse Hallström. Not only is the event an exciting happening for all local Notebook crazed girls, but proceeds will benefit South Carolina children and adults suffering from autism. The showing of the romantic drama is raising awareness and funds for the Charleston charity Carolina Autism.

    The motion picture first became involved with the charity during the early stages of production. While searching for an actor able to portray the role of Alan, a young autistic boy who meets the main character John, Hallström met Phil Blevins, Executive Director of Carolina Autism. Belvins assisted in the hunt by introducing him to boys from the organization. Several auditioned for the part, however after three call-backs Braeden Reed; a 6-year-old autistic boy from Daniel Island won the role. Reed has been receiving services from Carolina Autism for four years and serves as an example of the organization’s great work.

    Within the picture Reed performs alongside a cast of veterans. Mamma Mia leading lady and former Mean Girl, Amanda Seyfried stars as Savannah Lynn Curtis, the love interest of Channing Tatum’s character John Tyree. Filmed in Charleston, the movie tells a story about love, friendship, acceptance, forgiveness, and the idea that life is truly bittersweet.

    Reed’s rise to the big screen will be honored at the premiere event where cast, crew, and even novel author Sparks debut the motion picture. For those who want to experience the red carpet affair, you can purchase tickets to the Hippodrome Theater showing at $250 per person. Of course, you can also opt to join the herd of screaming teens to merely catch a glimpse of the rich and famous. Whether spending the evening among paparazzi or splurging on a chance to meet a celeb, the entire night is sure to be a great celebration in honor of the production and service provided by Carolina Autism.

    Helpful Links

    Dear John Premiere

    Carolina Autism

    South Carolina Autism Society

    Wednesday
    23Dec2009

    CYH Holiday Greetings - Together We Can Move the World

    One of the genuine delights of the holiday season is having the opportunity to say thank you for being a part of our lives and to wish you the very best for the New Year.

    May the spirit of this season fill your hearts with peace and happiness in 2010.

    From our CYH family to yours, we wish you a very Happy Holiday.


    Thursday
    10Dec2009

    My Life Sport & How to Surf

     

    After more than 40 years I still love to surf. Amazing! Besides surfing locally I now travel to surf every year. We have been to North Carolina, Florida, California, Hawaii, Caribbean, Bahamas’, Panama and my favorite place of all to surf is Costa Rica. We travel there at least once or twice a year for the past 10 years. The place is paradise to me and to all my traveling surfer buddies.  (Surfing Costa Rica next Blog)

    How to surf? You have to be able to swim well, not worry what’s in the water, get some wax and buy a nice used long board or funshape. If you can do that, you’re on your way to your Life Sport.

    1st: Learning to paddle and how to stand. 2nd: Sitting or lying on the board waiting for your wave. 3rd: Paddling for the wave. 4th: Riding the wave. That’s it. Now paddle back out and do it again.

    Learn to paddle on the beach. Lay the board skeg down in the sand. If you can, bury your skegs so you don’t break them off. Lay down on your belly facing the nose of the board. Chin up. Start the pretend paddling.  Paddle hard for the wave. Now stand up quickly. This is a very tricky part because everyone has a side they like to stand. One way is called a Regular Footer and the other is called a Goofy Footer. Regular Footers stand with their left foot forward, toes pointing to the ride rail side. Goofy Footers are the opposite of course. I’m a Regular footer. (All can be explained out later) Bend knee’s, arms out for balance, and your surfing. Except you’re in the sand on the beach. Practice…Practice….then get in the water.

    You have to learn to sit on the board. Sounds easy, and it is, but you will see it takes practice. And you have to get in the water, outside the break, to learn. Get your butt down in the water, hold on to the rails and balance. Easy…Right! Practice and be patient. Enjoy the moment because the next step is the hard part.

    Paddling for your 1st wave is hard. 1st you have to paddle hard to the inside while looking over your shoulder at the approaching wave. Once you feel the lift of the wave pushing you forward it’s time to stand up. This is the hardest part of surfing. Once you get to your feet, try to stay up on top of the board like you did on the beach. Don’t worry, very few people stay up long the 1st time they try.

    Riding a wave. All I can say is practice…practice…don’t give up. In fact, you will not want to stop. You know you can do it…and you will! It will change your life forever! I hope it does…It did me.

    I know it would be hard to want to surf in the winter but that is my favorite times to surf. Bigger, better swells and fewer crowds. For this time of year a full wetsuit with booties, hood and gloves are all necessary if you’re going to last in the water. If not, wait till summer when it’s easy to learn and you will enjoy it more.

    If you would like a private or group lesson I have one of the best hourly rates around. I have taught many people in my day, so let me know. Hope you are ready for the best time of your life! Pura Vida!

    Thursday
    26Nov2009

    Happy Thanksgiving from CYH


     

    “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
    –John F. Kennedy

    Tuesday
    17Nov2009

    Mount Pleasant, SC 29466 Single Family Properties – DOM vs. Price

    This Week

    The median list price in MOUNT PLEASANT, SC 29466 for this week is $415,000. The 536 properties have
    been on the market for an average of 274 days.

    Days-on-market has been trending up recently but the Market Action Index and inventory levels are basically flat and not providing strong indications for the market.

    For your a more detailed report please contact us and we will be happy to send you the full report.

     

     

    Wednesday
    04Nov2009

    What Green Jobs Look Like

    Brought to you from one of our favorite websites GOOD who in collaboration with individuals, businesses, and non-profits are helping to push the world fordward.

    Buildings are actually responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than cars. But simply weatherizing houses and businesses can reduce their environmental impact and lower energy bills—while creating new jobs in the process. Everyone wins.

     

    Check out Green For All and see how you can be a part of the solution.

    Tuesday
    13Oct2009

    Love this!

    Today I went looking for inspiration and found this gem. So many times being an entrepreneur can be a long, hard and lonely road but it can also be so satisfying as well.

    So for all you fellow entrepreneur's out there, this one is for you!

     

    Wednesday
    07Oct2009

    CYH Launches New Weekly Market Reports for the Charleston Tri-Country Area

    CYH is pleased to announce that we’re launching a new weekly blog series that shares with our readers our real-time real estate data Market Reports provided by the award winning team at Altos Research.

    We know you don't have time to wait. The housing market is changing day to day. You need to know what the market is doing based on real-time data. Unlike other sources that might take months to gather market data, our reports analyze current real estate activity.

    Altos Research monitors millions of properties on the market to provide the most comprehensive database of current real estate market data. So, while other data sources rely on months' old data, before letting you know the state of the market 'after the fact,' Our reports provide a clear window to what is happening in the market right now, even as we speak.

    So feel free to click on the charts and you’ll see how really different they are. You can change the length of time shown, and if you mouse over the charts you’ll see exact numbers from different dates.

    Go on, play with them, we know you want to!

     
    Wednesday
    07Oct2009

    Market Report for Mount Pleasant, SC 29466

    Supply and Demand

    The market has shown some evidence of slowing recently.  Both prices and inventory levels are relatively unchanged in recent weeks. 

    Price

    We continue to see prices in this zip code hovering around these current levels, with the median list price in MOUNT PLEASANT, SC 29466 at $449,000 this week.

    Before we see prices move significantly from here look for a persistent up-shift in the Market Action Index.

    The Market Action Index answers the question "How's the Market?" By measuring the current rate of sale versus the amount of the inventory.  Index above 30 implies Seller's Market conditions. Below 30, conditions favor the buyer. Currently we are in a Strong Buyer’s market.

    About the Charts

    Your probably saying to yourself "this chart looks different than ones I've gotten from other agents" - well they are different. You can click on them, too, to change the length of time shown, and mouse over the charts to see exact numbers from different dates. Go on, play with them, I know you want to!

     

    Monday
    28Sep2009

    Charleston, SC - A Mighty Micro!

     

    Our good friends at the Charleston Digital Corridor shared with us some great news today that Charleston, SC made it to #2 in the Mighty Micros category on the 2009 Next Cities™ list, which includes the 80 best cities for young professionals specifically “knowledge workers” in the United States and Canada. 

    Not too shabby.

     

     

    Demographic trends indicate that young knowledge workers are positioned to strongly influence site selection and relocation. According to a report from The Conference Board (“Managing the Mature Workforce”), by 2010, the number of people ages 35–44 in the nation’s work force will decline by 10 percent, the number of workers ages 45–54 will grow by 21 percent, and the number of 55–64 year-olds will grow by 52 percent. Additionally, nearly 64 million workers — 40 percent of the entire U.S. work force — will be poised for retirement.

    Unlike previous generations of knowledge workers, who chose where to live based on the availability of job opportunities, the next generation will decide where to work based on where they want to live. The next generation can, in the words of The Wall Street Journal, “pick a place to live, and then find a job.”

    Saturday
    26Sep2009

    Charleston Green Fair - Green is Good!

     

     Sunday, the second annual Charleston Green Fair will be open at Marion Square from noon to 6 p.m. Drink some Sweetwater beer, eat some food from local food haunts, including Taco Boy, Rosebank Farms and Alluette's Cafe, browse the art selection including some beautiful handmade pieces by Neal Van Dalen from LESESNE
    as well as more than 100 other vendors who will be there.

    For more information, please go visit Charleston Green Fair.

     

    Charleston Green Fair




    Wednesday
    26Aug2009

    Charleston Your Home - An Online Portrait

    Have you ever wondered how the web sees you? Well the people at MIT decided to come up with a way to create a visual representation of one's digital traces called a Data Portrait. Naturally I was intrigued so I decided to try it out.

    Watching the computational process was very cool but now that I have CYH’s Persona profile in front of me I’m really curious what it all means. Especially that big yellow box called ‘sports’. Hmmm…

    To get your own profile visit the Personas Project


     

     

    Tuesday
    18Aug2009

    Sullivan's Island - A little slice of Heaven

    Today I experienced a little slice of heaven at 1851 Ion Avenue located on Sullivan’s Island, one of Charleston South Carolina’s most lovely and historic beach towns.

    Sullivan’s Island, a small, laid-back beach community ten minutes from downtown Charleston, is by far my favorite local beach. Many a time I’ve set off with chair and umbrella in hand, a packed lunch of my favorite sandwich (mozzarella, tomato and fresh basil on a crusty baguette drizzled with a splash of balsamic vinaigrette), a side of fresh fruit, and a large cold bottle of water. Throw in a great book or magazine, and you have yourself the makings of one pretty amazing day. I’d spend the afternoon soaking up the sun, reading, dozing and walking the over three miles of pristine white beaches. It’s always been a cathartic experience for me with the hypnotic sound of the waves, the smell of the salt air, and the big blue sky with views of the lighthouse.

    Sullivan’s Island homes are diverse in size and style, from classic Victorian cottages to modern beach houses, and are also among the most expensive real estate in all of Charleston. But every time I visited the beach I would make it a habit of passing one home in particular - 1851 Ion Avenue. I had long admired this big beautiful family home, and thought that it must be overflowing with a lot of love and be just a wonderful place to live. I would find myself imagining what it must look like inside. Well, I finally got my chance to experience it first hand when I attended an Agent Open House there recently. And let me tell you the home even managed to exceed my expectations, which were great indeed! It is beautifully appointed, and the attention to detail is impeccable. Although the house is big in size, approximately 8,400 square feet of living space, the size doesn’t feel overwhelming in any way due to a very well thought-out floor plan. The house seems to have everything one can dream of or imagine; six bedrooms, six plus beautiful bathrooms, a home theatre, multiple fireplaces, and kitchen that is a chef’s delight.


    But the Pièce de résistance for me was the delightful use of the outdoor living space, so tastefully done with it’s expansive decks, outdoor fireplace, salt-water pool and truly stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean and lighthouse. Not to leave out any volleyball enthusiasts the home also comes equipped with its own sand volleyball court.


    As I toured the home I couldn’t help but wonder what my life would be like living there and then promptly went off to buy a lottery ticket because after all it only takes a dollar and a dream! 

     


    View Larger Map

    Monday
    17Aug2009

    The Social Media Revolution – Bigger Than You Think

    Those who ignore the effectiveness of social media specifically in regards to real estate usually fall into three categories:

    • the ones who don’t know much or anything about technology much less social media
    • the ones who are interested but don’t know how to use it effectively
    • and those who don’t believe in the value that a social media strategy can bring to any site or business

    For those of you who think Social Media is just a fad, take a look at this powerful statistic based presentation from Socialnomics.

    Enjoy!

    Thursday
    13Aug2009

    Closing Escrow the Movie Trailer (Magnolia Pictures)

    Believe it or not for those of us in Real Estate this is not too far off the mark. Simply priceless!

     

     

    Wednesday
    29Jul2009

    New Truth in Lending Regulations - What to Expect

    Big industry changes are coming tomorrow on July 30th when some of the provisions of the Mortgage Disclosure Improvement Act of 2008 (MDIA) go into effect and lenders, mortgage brokers, title agents, real estate agents, and real estate brokerages need be alert as to these new federal governmental regulations.

    Take a look at some changes that could affect your purchase or refinance:

    1. All mortgage lenders and brokers be required to provide Truth in Lending (TIL) disclosures to borrowers according to a defined schedule. This may alter the borrowers' closing date expectation.

    2. The 3/7/3 Rule requires a seven-business day waiting period once the initial disclosure is provided before closing a home loan (business days are everyday except Sundays and Holidays). This means that before a borrower can close on a transaction the borrower must receive the initial Good Faith Estimate (GFE) and initial TIL statement disclosing the final Annual Percentage Rate (APR) seven days prior to closing.

    3. Changes start the 3-day clock again. If there are any changes to the loan parameters that affect the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) on the TIL, the resulting APR must be compared to the latest TIL provided to the borrower. If there is an increase greater than .125% in the APR, then lender must provide a corrected TIL to the applicant. Fees considered to be finance charges that are used in the APR calculation include but are not limited to discount points, lender and broker fees, life of loan flood certification coverage, settlement agent or attorney fees. Borrowers must be provided three business days to review this amended TIL prior to loan closing.

    4. Fees cannot be collected until disclosures are received. The regulation prevents the collection of all fees from the borrower, except the expected cost of the credit report, until the borrower has received the initial TIL. This may delay appraisal orders or orders for other essential services.

    Here are three examples of the "3/7/3 Rule" of the MDIA:

    Example A

    1. August 1st the loan application is taken;
    2. August 2nd the initial TIL is sent in the mail;
    3. August 10th the closing can occur on this day or after this day if the initial TIL was received and the APR was within the .125 of the final TIL.

    Example B

    1. August 1st the loan application is taken;
    2. August 2nd the initial TIL is sent in the mail;
    3. August 4th the borrower's interest rate changes causing the APR to change more than .125 (1/8th) percent which triggers a re-disclosure of another TIL;
    4. August 5th the revised initial TIL is mailed to the borrower. The borrower can close on the transaction at the earliest on August 13th (add a day to account for Sunday).

    Example C

    1. August 1st the loan application is taken;
    2. August 2nd the initial TIL is sent in the mail;
    3. August 20th the borrower's interest rate increases causing the APR to change by more than .125 (1/8th) percent which triggers a re-disclosure of another TIL;
    4. August 20th a revised initial TIL is mailed to the borrower;
    5. August 23rd the borrower receives the revised initial TIL in the mail;
    6. August 26th (unless it falls on a Sunday then the 27th) the borrower can close on their residential real estate transaction and sign the mortgage documents on this day or later if the final TIL doesn't once again change by .125 otherwise you can start the entire process all over again.

    Final Note: While these changes may cause delays to the closing process, the new regulation strives to ensure borrowers have a clear understanding of the financial obligation they are about to assume.

     

     

    Thursday
    09Jul2009

    Shift Into Local Gear!

    If you are looking for ways to help rebuild and revitalize your community, and feel like that the time is ripe for residents of the Lowcountry to take a stand for local economic independence - then the 10% Shift can help you do just that.

    Welcome to 10Percentshift.org

    Here's how it works: If the 800,000 households in the Lowcountry shifted 10% of their existing purchases from non-local businesses to Local Independents (locally owned and independent businesses) we could see thousands of new jobs created and millions of dollars of new economic activity in the Lowcountry. And all this can begin to happen as soon as people start shifting. Here's a coupon for the month of July to get you started.

    To help launch the initiative join Lowcountry Local First and party with a purpose!

    Sample some yummy food from Taco Boy, Monza, the BBQ Joint and Street Food along with FireFly Vodka, Palmetto Beer and music with Part-Time Heroes! There will also be local business exhibitors and shifty videos.

    When: Friday, July 10th

    Where: 10 Storehouse Row - The Navy Yard at Noisette (directions)

    Time: 7-10 p.m.

    Admission: 10 CENTS

    Lowcountry Local First - 10% shift

    See you there!

    Sunday
    05Jul2009

    A Real Charleston Tea Party

    Did you know that June was National Iced Tea Month...neither did I? To think that I could have been celebrating all month, oh well better late than never!

    Called the “wine of the South”, here in South Carolina there are few (if any) restaurants that don’t serve sweet iced tea all year round; from the most casual neighborhood joint to the most upscale of restaurants.

    Although most of the tea that comes from the Camellia Sinensis plant (which produces black, green and white teas) hails from countries in Asia, Africa, and South America, just about 20 miles south of Charleston on beautiful Wadmalaw Island is the only tea garden in all of America at the Charleston Tea Plantation, now owned by Bigelow. The plantation receives over 30,000 visitors each year who enjoy experiencing this real, unique tea garden in all its 127-acre splendor.

    As the child of a very proper English lady, tea has always been part of my daily life, and there’s nothing quite as good on a hot summer day than a tall glass of tea, tinkling with ice and a nice big slice of lemon. All over the South, like nowhere else in this country, front porches with rocking chairs beckon you to come and sit for a while. So find yourself a nice porch, get a cold glass of sweet tea and enjoy.

    Here are just a few of my favorite recipes:

    Hibiscus Tea Punch

    4 cups boiling water
    8 Red Zinger or hibiscus tea bags
    1 1/2 cups sugar
    1 (25.4-ounce) bottle sparkling apple cider, chilled
    Garnish: lemon wedges
    Pour 4 cups boiling water over tea bags. Cover; steep 10 minutes. Discard tea bags. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Chill until ready to serve. Stir in sparkling cider, and serve over ice. Garnish, if desired.

    Mint Julep Iced Tea

    8 mint leaves
    1 lemon, sliced
    1 lime, sliced
    1 cup bourbon
    3 cups cold sweetened tea
    Cubed or crushed ice
    Combine first 3 ingredients in a 2-quart pitcher, pressing with spoon to crush mint. Stir in bourbon and tea. Add ice.

    Classic Southern Iced Tea

    For Simple Syrup:

    4 cups sugar (Don't worry - not all of that goes in the tea!)
    2 cups water

    For Tea:

    4 cups water
    8-10 regular-sized or 3 "family sized" bags orange pekoe tea
    Pinch of baking soda
    Additional water

    Pour 2 cups of water and 4 cups of sugar into a saucepan and stir together. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and stir until thickened. Turn off heat, and set aside.

    Strip tags from the tea bags, and tie strings to the handle of a wooden spoon, near the bowl. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Turn off the heat, and place the tea-tied wooden spoon in the pan with a pinch of baking soda (It smooths out the tea's tannins). Once it's suitably darkened, and still hot, pull out the spoon. (Refrain from squeezing the teabags, as that clouds the tea.)

    Stir 1 cup of the sugar syrup into the tea until it's thoroughly blended. Pour the mixture into a 1 gallon glass or metal pitcher, and fill to the top with water. Stir, and chill in the refrigerator. Pour the remaining sugar syrup into a glass jar, and cover.

    Once the tea has cooled, serve it in tall glasses 2/3 filled with ice, with sugar syrup on the side so that guests may sweeten according to their personal taste.

    Tuesday
    30Jun2009

    OpenOfficeSpace.com selects Charleston, SC as one of their featured cities

    Does your company have a desk, cubicle, office or suite that is generating dust as opposed to revenue? Have you recently downsized your workforce resulting in an abundance of unused office space?

    In today's economy, many companies are downsizing their workforce, resulting in a growing inventory of unused commercial space. At the same time, a large number of entrepreneurs and small businesses are looking to reduce their overhead by re-negotiating their existing commercial leases, or finding new space altogether.

    Openofficespace.com (www.openofficespace.com), based in New York City, has launched a new website to facilitate the interaction between companies burdened with carrying the cost of their unused office space and small businesses/entrepreneurs looking to streamline their expenses, and they have chosen Charleston, SC as one of their launch cities.

    A shared space is the perfect solution for a small business or entrepreneur looking to cut costs, while providing a revenue stream to a space holder when they can use it the most. This “win-win” relationship also helps landlords as it could prevent a tenant from having to give back a space altogether.

    Openofficespace.com was designed with ease of use as the number one priority. "We set out to create an extremely clean and user friendly experience that is unlike a typical real estate or classified website, says David Gise, founder of Openofficespace.com.”

    In just minutes, a space holder can post their property listing including: property descriptions, photos, videos, Google maps (with street view and points of interest), virtual tours, 2D/3D floor plans, the ability to save listings, and even property brochures.

    Small businesses and entrepreneurs looking for cost effective retail, office, commercial or service space can easily search property listings by country, state, neighborhood or price. If a user does not find a “space” meeting their criteria, they can create an email alert which will automatically notify them if a property is listed that does.

    In addition to having an ability to find and post available office space, visitors to the site can build a detailed company profile to promote their products and services to a captive audience of small businesses and entrepreneurs.

    "We are busy developing many other innovative features that will be rolled out over the next few months, says David Gise, founder of Openofficespace.com.”

    I have it on pretty good authority from Gise himself that many of those new features will involve Social Media including Facebook and Twitter connect integration, and social media bookmarks so I for one can’t wait.

    For the next 60 days openofficespace.com will allow any company to send a list of their properties along with its respective information, and it will be listed on the site for them at no charge.

    To learn more about Open Office Space you can visit the website at: www.openofficespace.com or visit the blog at: http://www.openofficespace.typepad.com

    Saturday
    20Jun2009

    World Refugee Day 2009 - Be the Change You Want to See

    © UNHCR/H.Caux

    Refugees around the world have gone through hardships that we can barely even imagine but they smile, they laugh, and they have an incredible spirit. It’s so inspiring. Today on World Refugee Day 2009 please take some time out to check out the live stream at UNHCR or join the cause at Microsoft’s Student Experience page on Facebook so that you can “be the change you want to see in this world.”