Gamecock Football 2011 Starts Saturday

Excitement is running high in Gamecock Nation with the opening of the South Carolina Gamecocks season this Saturday.  The Gamecocks open against East Carolina in Charlotte at Bank of America Stadium.  The game will be televised on FSN starting at 7:00 p.m.

The Gamecocks return many highly rated players, including Marcus Lattimore and Alshon Jeffrey.  Last year's #1 national high school recruit, Jadeveon Clowney, chose South Carolina and will be playing defense.

The Gamecocks had a very successful 2010 season by winning the SEC East and also beating #1 Alabama on national TV. 

This year, the Gamecocks are getting many pre-season accolades, including:

• The New York Post picking the Gamecocks to win the NCAA national champioship
• AP Preseason #12
• USA Today Preseason #12
• Sports Illustrated Preseason #7
• Numerous Player/Team Picks on 11th Annual Herbie Awards (ESPN)

The Gamecocks play in the toughest football conference, the SEC.  Four SEC schools are picked in the Top Ten of Lenn Robbins pre-season poll.

Gamecock Football Links of Interest:
New York Post - Gamecocks Picked to Win National Championship
The New York Post Top 25 (by Lenn Robbins)
ESPN Herbie Awards
Gamecock Football - GamcocksOnline.com
2011 Gamecock Football Schedule


Mel Coker
Columbia, SC Real Estate

      

Hurricanes in South Carolina?

Since I sell real estate in Columbia, SC, I get asked this question from time to time.  Yes, South Carolina does have hurricanes - but not too often.  And, as infrequently as it does happen along the coast of South Carolina, any hurricane making landfall in this state would be downgraded to a tropical storm before a possible path towards Columbia (more than 100 miles inland).

Hurricane Hugo Before South Carolina Landfall

The last major hurricane to make landfall in South Carolina was Hugo, a category 4 storm in 1989.  Just prior to hitting near Charleston, South Carolina on September 22, 1989, it reached winds of 140 mph, and rapidly weakened as it turned to the northeast. 

Acutally, South Carolina is relatively low on Southern coastal states for hurricane impact probability.  I analyzed a recent study of hurricane impacts for coastal states from Texas around to North Carolina.  For my analysis, I assigned one point for each hurricane impact and two points for each major hurricane impact.   Scores were as follows:
Florida: 181
Texas: 99
Louisiana: 91
North Carolina: 75
South Carolina: 41
Alabama: 34
Mississippi: 31
Georgia: 22

South Carolina is a GREAT place to live.  Ready to move to Greater Columbia, SC?  Call Mel Coker at (803) 388-8011.


Ratings of Hurricanes by Hurricane Severity Index


Links of interest:
StormPulse - a great place to track hurricanes 
South Carolina 2011 Hurricane Guide
Hurricane Severity Index - a relatively new rating system for hurricanes (Hugo tied for 2nd all-time)
National Weather Service Hurricane Center
MyFoxHurricane
IbisEye Hurricane Tracker
Hurricane Destruction YouTube Video

Col. Charles Murray - World War II Hero Dies in Columbia

Col. Charles P. Murray Jr., who received the Medal of Honor, three Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars and the French Legion of Honor for valor in World War II, passed away at his Columbia home  last Friday, August 12th.  He was 89.   Col. Murray will be buired at Arlington National Cemetery.

Col. Charles P. Murray

Along with Audie Murphy, with whom he served, Murray was one of the most decorated soldiers in the most decorated division in the U.S. Army.


Near Kayersberg, France in December 1944, his battalion was pinned down on a ridge under heavy fire by 200 well-entrenched Germans. Murray, using a variety of weapons, killed 20 enemy soldiers and captured 10 more, single-handedly driving the Germans from the position.  At the end of his assault, a German grenade riddled him with shrapnel, wounding him in eight places. He spent only four days in an aid station before "borrowing" a uniform and returning to his unit.   For his heoric service, Col. Murray was awarded the Medal of Honor.

CLICK HERE to read obituary



The Army colonel went on to serve in wars in Korea and Vietnam.  In 1970, he came to Columbia to serve at Fort Jackson and retired a quiet hero.

READ the Congressional Medal of Honor Citatation

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society Museum is located in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina on the hangar deck of the USS Yorktown at Patriots Point.   I have visited previously... please try to visit soon!
Click for More Information



Mel & Barbara Visiting USS Yorktown and Congressional Medal of Honor Society Museum



Buying or Selling in Columbia, SC?

When you are ready to BUY or SELL in Greater Columbia, contact Mel Coker.

Mel is a life-long Columbia area resident and currently lives  in the Chapin area.  Mel knows Columbia  real estate.  CLICK HERE to view Mel's Columbia, SC website.

RE/MAX is #1 in real estate sales in the USA and internationally.
Mel Coker strives to provide the BEST real estate service in the Greater Columbia area.
Mel is the ONLY professional Realtor in Greater Columbia that holds all of these important real estate designations: CRS, ABR, GRI, SRES, e-PRO.

Call Mel Coker (803) 388-8011
ColumbiaSouthCarolina Real Estate

 

First Time Homebuyer Mortgage Assistance

   
First Time Homebuyer in Columbia, SC?
The Great Foundations mortgage program may be just right for you! 

Great Foundations is a program available to first time homebuyers in the Greater Columbia area that matches your down payment funds when purchasing a home.  Homeowners Mortgage will match your funds at a 4:1 ratio - for example, you put down $1000 and it's matched with $4000 for a total of $5000.   Your have to act FAST as only a limited amount of matching funds are available and the funds will not last too long.  NOW is a great time to buy a home - call Mel Coker at RE/MAX and mention the Great Foundations program.

Program details: assistance can be used for down payment and/or closing costs; maximum match not to exceed $7500 for a total of $9375; income restrictions apply.

Ready to get started?  Contact:

Mel Coker, Columbia Realtor  (803) 318-2007   melcoker@remax.net

Mike Wetzel, Homeowners Mortgage Loan Officer  (803) 765-7282  mwetzel@homeownersmtg.com

CLICK HERE for Great Foundations Brochure