NEW LISTING - Irmo Address, Chapin Schools, Beautiful Home!

522 Boyd Branch Crossing in Irmo, SC
A Beautiful Address.


Ready for a NEW location?  Check out this beautiful home in popular The Preserve at Rolling Creek in Irmo, SC.  This home features 4 bedrooms and 2 1/2 bathrooms with 3070 heated square feet.  It's ALL BRICK for low maintenance.

Check all of the features at this virtual tour
(home details, price, aerial maps, pictures)

This home location offers great convenience to all of Greater Columbia, including: downtown, Irmo, Chapin, Lexington and Lake Murray.  The schools are among the very best in South Carolina:  Chapin area schools of Lexigton Richland District 5.

Ready to schedule a showing appointment?  Contact Mel Coker at RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants:
Cell (803) 318-2007
email:  melcoker@remax.net

Beautiful Home For Sale in The Preserve At Rolling Creek

Spacious Master Bedroom

Open Floor Plan & Many Other Great Features

Ready to BUY or SELL in Greater Columbia?  Contact Mel Coker.

RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants

CLICK HERE TO SEARCH GREAT COLUMBIA & LAKE MURRAY MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE

Call (803) 318-2007

Veterans Day 2016

Veterans Day is Friday, November 11th!

Veterans from across the state will gather in downtown Columbia on Veterans Day, for the City of Columbia’s annual Veterans Day Parade, one of the Southeast’s largest Veterans Day parades.

On Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, the parade begins at 11 a.m. at the intersection of Sumter and Laurel streets, and travels southbound on Sumter Street, ending at Pendleton Street near the State House.

This federal holiday was initially known as Armistice Day to commemorate the end of World War I on November 11, 1917. The holiday officially began in 1926 and in 1954 the holiday name was changed to Veterans Day.

History of Veterans Day website

Veterans Day is largely intended to thank living veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to United States national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served - not only those who died - have sacrificed and done their duty. PLEASE BE SURE TO THANK A VETERAN FOR THEIR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY!

CLICK HERE for the Veterans Day website from Mel Coker
 

Click Here for: Military in South Carolina

"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation."
– George Washington
General and Commander-in-Chief & First President of the United States of America

Thank you Veterans!

Mel Coker

Realtor - RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants

Search Lake Murray & Columbia MLS

Buying in Columbia, SC is Cheaper Than Renting!

Why Buying a Home in Columbia, SC. Is Cheaper Than Renting

GUEST ARTICLE: By Hannah Goodman of Trulia

Whether you are looking for an inexpensive place to retire, a quiet place to start a family, or your very first starter home, consider Columbia, South Carolina. This southeastern capital city gets more than 300 days of sunshine a year and offers a variety of activities and attractions for all ages. With an average listing price of just $137,500, there’s an affordable home in Columbia to be found for every budget. In fact, a recent study by Trulia showed that Columbia ranks in the top three metros where buying a home beats renting for retiree’s, just behind New Orleans, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  The report assumes a 30-year fixed rate mortgage with a 20 percent down payment and 25 percent tax bracket for households moving every seven years.

Where Buying a Home Beats Renting
U.S. Metro	Median Home Value, Mar 2016	Median Rent, Mar 2016	% Cheaper to Buy a Home Than Rent, Mar 2016
New Orleans, LA	$168,870	$1,450	-52.3%
Baton Rouge, LA	$159,362	$1,350	-51.3%
Columbia, SC	$121,115	$1,150	-51.1%
Detroit, MI	$61,363	$850	-50.6%
Fort Lauderdale, FL	$208,049	$1,750	-49.7%
Birmingham, AL	$124,897	$1,100	-49.1%
Philadelphia, PA	$134,208	$1,200	-49.1%
Miami, FL	$249,326	$1,975	-48.7%
Memphis, TN-MS-AR	$110,757	$1,095	-48.4%
West Palm Beach, FL	$228,703	$1,850	-48.1%
Note: Negative numbers mean that buying costs less than renting, while positive numbers means buying is more expensive than renting.

Not sure where to start on your house hunt?  Young people and students will be happy in Rosewood, with its close proximity to University of South Carolina, Midlands Tech and Fort Jackson.  The older generation will likely find the perfect home to fit their needs in Earlewood, a quiet residential area just a few short minutes from Downtown Columbia’s many amenities. 

Lake Murray - Another Popular Choice For Greater Columbia Living!

Move South for Warmer Weather! Columbia & Lake Murray, SC

To my Northeast friends... Tired of the snow and blizzards? Move to friendly and (relatively) warm Greater Columbia or Lake Murray (SC).
http://mel.bestlakemurrayhomes.com

Average temperatures and snowfall in Columbia, SC:
January   High:  56 degrees  Low: 34 degrees  
February  High:  60 degrees  Low: 37 degrees
March  High:  68 degrees  Low: 43 degrees
Average ANNUAL snowfall for Columbia, SC is only 1/2 inch!
Average ANNUAL hours of sunshine: 2825
What are your averages?   View this website to get your numbers

 Ready to move?  Contact Mel Coker at RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants.   Mel sells all over Greater Columbia, including Lake Murray, Chapin, Irmo and Lexington.


Mel Coker

Cell: (803) 318-2007
MLS Search and Register At My Website
email: melcoker@remax.net

Columbia, SC is the Place to Buy in 2016!

Columbia, SC is in the Bargain Belt!

TRULIA recently posted an article, "Housing in 2016", that identified COLUMBIA, SC as being in Markets to Watch in 2016.    This area was included in the

Trulia Reports:  Columbia, SC is in the Bargain Belt!

the "Bargain Belt" of affordable housing.   Columbia, SC was #7 in a national survey of markets that have strong potential for growth.

Key components of the analysis included: strong job growth, high affordability, high number of inbound searches and a large share of millennials.   For the full and informative article, CLICK HERE for 2016 Housing Predictions.

Columbia is a GREAT place to live.   We also have pleasant year-round weather, highly rated school districts, fun recreational opportunities and Lake Murray and a vibrant downtown area.

Ready to move or have questions?  Contact Mel Coker at (803) 318-2007.   I am a life-long Columbia area resident.

(Trulia information and graphic used with permission of Trulia).



Mel Coker
Realtor, ABR, CRS, GRI, e-PRO, MilRES
RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants - Chapin, SC
(803) 318-2007
Columbia & Lake Murray MLS search: http://mel.bestlakemurrayhomes.com
Lake Murray Blog:  www.LakeMurrayBlog.com

Chapin Area Garage Sale

There will be a GARAGE SALE this Saturday, June 27th (2015) in the Chapin area. 
The address:  271 Hilton Village Drive, Chapin, SC 
(The Village at Hilton subdivision).

Directions: Take U.S. Highway 76 from Irmo or Chapin to Wessinger Road; then turn left on Indian Fork; Village at Hilton subdivision on left; bear left on entrance circle.


The sale starts at 7:00 a.m.  Join us!

TO DO list for MAY at your home

Check out this article for a handy MAY Home Checklist of things to do:

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/46555627?

Beach Style Deck by Providence Interior Designers & Decorators Kate Jackson Design


Mel Coker
Realtor - RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants
Lake Murray - Columbia MLS Search
(803) 318-2007

Digging in your yard or at your property?

Digging At Your Property in South Carolina?

South Carolina 811 is a FREE service to contact to have underground utility services

marked prior to anyone doing large or small digging projects.  Safe digging is everyone’s responsibility. Notifying SC811 of your planned excavation can help prevent damages that can result in fines, utility service interruption and physical injury – even death.  And, it's the law.

Every digging project requires a call to 811.  Hitting an underground utility line while digging can harm the environment,cause serious personal injuries, disrupt service to an entire neighborhood and potentially incur fines and repair costs.

You can reach South Carolina 811 by dialing 811 within SC or calling our toll free number 888-721-7877 or visit the website:  www.sc811.com 

For a normal notice, the locate request must be entered into our system three full business days, not including the day the notice was submitted, before digging may begin.  SC811 does not physically mark the underground utility lines, but notifies the member facility operators and they are responsible for having the lines located. Facility Operators only mark the lines they install and maintain, which does not include privately owned lines.

Diggin'?  Always contact SC811.com first!
More information for Homeowners
Don't be THAT GUY!
WIN A PRIZE IN APRIL!  Dig A Hole ONLINE

Mel Coker
Realtor, ABR, CRS, GRI, ePRO
RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants
(803) 318-2007
Columbia / Lake Murray MLS Search

Columbia, SC Real Estate

JUST LOOKING?

QUESTIONS?

READY TO RELOCATE/BUY?

Mel Coker has the resources and professionalism to help you.  I sell Columbia, Lake Murray, Chapin, Irmo, Prosperity, Lexington, and West Columbia.   I am a life-long Columbia area  resident and have over 500 real estate closings.

Call (803) 318-2007

email: melcoker@remax.net

Click to SEARCH MLS   or   http://tinyurl.com/LakeMurrayMLS

Get my SUPER GOOD AND FREE RE/MAX MOBILE APP

1. CLICK - http://getmobile.remax.com/melcoker
2. DOWNLOAD APP
3. Enter "melcoker" when app asks for "agent key"

 Send Mel an EYEJOT video email

Mel Coker   www.melcoker.com

Realtor, CRS, ABR, GRI, SRES, e-PRO, MilRES
RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants
Chapin, SC

NEW Listing Near Lake Murray - All Brick Home in Chapin area

NEW LISTING...
12 Hilton Glen Court
Chapin, SC  29036

This all brick home is beautiful!  It's priced to SELL at $279,900.  Located in Village at Hilton subdivision, this home is only 3.7 miles to a free public boat launch ramp on Lake Murray.  Located in the Hilton area, this is between Irmo and Chapin - a great location!

For Sale in The Village at Hilton - near Lake Murray

Great Room with Fireplace

Summary Features:

• 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms
• app. 2500 square feet
• Great room with fireplace
• Master bedroom on main level
• Deck overlooks nice backyard that adjoins natural area
• Community pool, pond and walking pathways
• Excellent Chapin area schools (Lexington District 5)

For more information and pictures:
CLICK HERE for online tour


Call Mel Coker for a showing appointment on this home or any other home near or on Lake Murray.  Lake Murray is South Carolina's awesome lake!  Call (803) 318-2007.


Mel Coker

Lake Murray Realtor & Resident
RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants
(803) 318-2007
Lake Murray & Columbia Homes - MLS Search

Ready to Escape the Cold & Snow? Move to Columbia, SC.

Tired of long, cold, snowy winters?
Consider Columbia, South Carolina.
(Including Lake Murray, Lexington, Chapin, Irmo)

Greater Columbia is Friendly.  We have a reasonable cost of living.   Excellent values in home prices and reasonable home taxes.  And, we have nice weather and typically snow-free winters.  Ready?

Contact Mel Coker at (803) 318-2007.

RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants
Chapin, SC
CLICK HERE for Internet MLS Search
       

Lake Murray Sales Report - Covering 2006 - 2014

What's Happening At Lake Murray?

The Most Comprehensive Lake Murray Market Analysis Follows...

The Golden Year (The Standard)
The Year was 2006...

• The average closed price in 2006 was $558,387.  This was an all-time high and represented a 19.2% price increase over 2005.
• The all time high in annual sales was in 2005 with 162 closings (at that time) and 2006 saw a slight decrease to 141 closings.
• The average days on market (DOM) was "only" 125 days in 2006.
• There were 11 homes sold for $1 million or more
• The year 2007 began the downturn with slightly lower numbers for sales and average sales price

The Downturn (The Bad)
2008 - 2012

• 4 straight years of average closed price decreases (2007 - 2010)
• Average closed price during this period $488,604 (a 12.5% decrease) with the lowest point being in 2012 at $457,489 (an 18.1% decrease from 2006)
• Average annual closings decreased to 113 with a low of 88 in 2009
• Average DOM was up significantly to 208 days with a high in 2011 of 243
• During this period just 4 homes per year (on average) closed at $1 million or more

The (Partial) Recovery (The Not So Bad)
2013-2014

• Average closed price during this period up 5.98% over 2012
• Average price in 2014 was at $479,951 - still down 14.0% from 2006, however, this is up 4.9% over 2012
• Closings averaged 180 per year, up 59.3% over the previous 5 year period
• Average DOM down to 196 days - down 5.8%
• During this period, 7 homes per year closed at $1 million or more
• 183 closings in 2014, an all-time high

Home closings criteria for analysis:  Waterfront on Lake Murray; minimum 75 feet water frontage; single family home with minimum 1200 square feet; minimum price $150,000.  For DOM, 25% added to compensate for sold listings that had expired and/or withdrawn status and ultimately re-listed and sold.


More interesting data:
There are four Multiple Listing Service areas:  Irmo/Chapin, Lexington, Newberry County, Saluda County - the Lexington and Chapin areas accounted for 79% of all closings on the lake.
Prices in the Lexington / Chapin areas were 55.9% higher than the average for Newberry and Saluda counties combined.

Currently:

Lake Murray Living is GREAT!

• 151 homes for sale waterfront on Lake Murray
• Average asking price is $665,632 - notice this is significantly higher than the closed average for 2014
• In 2014, for the homes closed, the final average asking price was $514,839 (compare to the current overall asking price).   The average price reduction was 6.78%
• Conclusions: many homes are overpriced and buyers are drawn to the homes priced to sell; lower priced homes attract more buyers
• 20 homes for sale at $1 million or higher - enough to last almost 3 years at recent sales

To view or print my detailed Lake Murray market analysis, CLICK HERE FOR PDF REPORT.

The most important NEWS here is that NOW still is the time to BUY a home on or near Lake Murray.  To BUY or SELL on Lake Murray, Contact Mel Coker.  I know Lake Murray.  I SELL Lake Murray.  I live on Lake Murray.

Mel Coker

Mel Coker on Lake Murray

RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants
(803) 318-2007
email:  melcoker@remax.net

MLS Internet Search

Mel Coker on the Internet

Happy New Year - Columbia, SC Real Estate

Is this the year you move to Greater Columbia, including Chapin, Lexington, Irmo and Lake Murray?  Columbia is a GREAT place to call home.  Make your SMART move in 2015... move to Greater Columbia and contact MEL COKER for real estate professionalism.

SEARCH Columbia & Lake Murray MLS for homes

Contact Mel Coker
RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants
(803) 318-2007
email Mel Coker

Another South Carolina BEST!

Yes, Yahoo Travel ranked the SOUTH CAROLINA STATE FLAG AS BEST IN ALL OF THE 50 UNITED STATES!

South Carolina State Flag - Ranked Best Flag for a Great State!

Where does your state rank in the flag ranking?  CLICK HERE for the Yahoo Travel list.

Our state flag has existed in similar form since 1775.  The present design dates from 1861.  The flag is blue with a crescent moon and the state tree, the Palmetto.  Click here for more information on the South Carolina State Flag.

So, ready to move to South Carolina (preferably Lake Murray, Lexington, Irmo, Chapin, Columbia) to unfurl your South Carolina state flag in fine weather and around lots of friendly people?  Contact Mel Coker, a life-long Columbia area resident, to buy your new home.

Mel Coker
Realtor - RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants
(803) 318-2007
Search MLS for Columbia, Lake Murray, Irmo, Chapin, Lexington

Home Renovation Projects

Considering a HOME RENOVATION PROJECT?   You should view and utilize Houzz.com !

As a Realtor, I am a member and used Houzz.com to get ideas (and used the IdeaBook feature) to plan my new home gym.  This project began in October 2014 with an expected completion in early December 2014.  I turned a blah walkout basement storage room into a nice home gym.   No excuses now for not working out!

CLICK HERE to see my Houzz.com HOME GYM project


Mel Coker
Realtor - RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants
Selling Lake Murray, Columbia, Chapin, Lexington, Irmo
(803) 318-2007
Search Columbia & Lake Murray MLS

Mel Coker, RE/MAX Realtor Featured on Houzz

Checklist for South Carolina Relocation

South Carolina... A Great Place to Live.

The Checklist:  Print PDF version

Mel Coker
Realtor - Chapin, SC
MLS Search

Irmo Home For Sale

NEW Listing: 146 Stonemont Drive in Irmo

This is a really nice home near great Lexington District 5 schools and Lake Murray.  The home is in excellent condition with a number of updates and has 4 bedrooms and 2 1/2 bathrooms.  The home is priced right to sell at $205,000.

For complete information, CLICK to view my virtual tour.

 

For Sale in the Irmo area

To see this home OR any other home, contact:

Mel Coker
RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants
(803) 318-2007
SEARCH Irmo, Lake Murray and Columbia homes

Most Patriotic State? South Carolina.

Want to live in the MOST patriotic state?
MOVE NOW to SOUTH CAROLINA.

Yes, it's true.  The real estate website, Movoto, performed a study to find the most patriotic states and the least patriotic states.  Interesting stuff.   SOUTH CAROLINA came out #1 !!!  Of course, we knew that here in South Carolina.

We have the largest Army basic training installation in the USA at Fort Jackson, the Marine Corps Parris Island, Shaw Air Force Base and a number of other important military installations.  The Congressional Medal of Honor Museum is even located in South Carolina!  A high number of military retirees choose to live in South Carolina.   Friendly South Carolina is the America-loving winner!

TOP TEN MOST PATRIOTIC STATES: (notice that 6/10 states are in the South?)

1. SOUTH CAROLINA
   
2. Maine
3. North Carolina
4. Wyoming
5. Virginia
6. Florida
7. Georgia
8. Alaska
9. Alabama
10. Arizona

CLICK HERE TO SEARCH THE COLUMBIA / LAKE MURRAY MLS 
Read about the Military presence in South Carolina

Interesting, a while back, I read a study that also ranked South Carolina as one of the most friendly and well mannered states.  What are you waiting on?
CLICK HERE TO STUDY THIS IMPORTANT INFORMATION!

Least Patriotic States: (California absolutely worst) (no Southern states listed!)

1. California
2. Minnesota
3. Rhode Island
4. Vermont
5. Hawaii
6. Michigan
7. New Jersey
8. Kansas
9. Connecticut
10. Oregon

 Want to  move?  I can help.  Contact Mel Coker at (803) 318-2007.  
I am a life-long Columbia area resident.  I know Columbia real estate... and, Lake Murray, Lexington, Irmo, Chapin, West Columbia, Cayce and other surrounding areas.   If you are ready to escape one of the 10 least patriotic states, contact me and allow me to serve as your buyer's agent and I will provide a $500 Lowe's gift card at closing when you mention this article to me during our home hunting time.

Mel Coker is located at the "star"

Mel Coker
Realtor, CRS, ABR, GRI, SRES, MilRES
RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants
(803) 318-2007
MelCoker.com

REMAX 2.0 Personal Real Estate App

It's here now from Mel Coker - your Columbia and Lake Murray Realtor:
The updated RE/MAX real estate app.  It's FREE and it's state-of-the-art COOL!

3 Easy Steps:

1. CLICK - http://getmobile.remax.com/melcoker
2. DOWNLOAD APP
3. Enter "melcoker" when app asks for "agent key"

Get the RE/MAX Search App from Mel Coker

Ready to BUY or RELOCATE?  Contact Mel Coker.  Life-long Columbia area resident.

Mel Coker
RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants

(803) 318-2007
Columbia & Lake Murray MLS Search