While there are many things to love about Charleston, including the history of the city and the architecture, perhaps the best feature of the Charleston area are the five distinct beach islands that surround the city itself. Isle of Palms, Sullivans Island, Folly Beach, Kiawah Island and Seabrook Island are all literally surrounding the Charleston Peninsula.

The really nice thing about these barrier islands are the fact that each one has its own distinct feel and character.

Isle of Palms:

Located 12 miles from downtown Charleston, the Isle of Palms is surrounded by the Intracoastal Waterway, Atlantic Ocean, Breach Inlet, and Sullivan's Island. With miles of beautiful wide beaches, championship golf, tennis, parks, a marina and local restaurants and shops, there is something for everyone. The Isle of Palms' nearly 2,880 acres includes a thriving local business district surrounded by residences, miles of beach, and a community where you'll find beachfront live music at the Windjammer, bathing-suit clad kids eating ice cream, beach volleyball, and families kicking back to enjoy it all.

Sullivans Island:

Just north of the mouth of Charleston Harbor lies Sullivans Island. At just 3.3 miles, Sullivan's Island is one of Charleston's smaller islands but yet may arguably one of it's nicest. Nestled between the Charleston Harbor and the Isle of Palms, Sullivans Island is considered by most to be charming and beautiful. The beachfront lands are owned by the town and are protected. Sullivans Island is located just minutes away from downtown Charleston. With wide beaches and watersports, history and folklore, restaurants and shops, Sullivan's Island is a wonderful place to spend the day or week.

Folly Beach:

Otherwise known as "The Edge of America". Located just 15 miles from downtown Charleston, Folly Beach has an eclectic and laidback feel. With wide beaches, solid surfing, friendly neighborhoods and a sense of community with locally-onwed shops and restaurants, Folly Beach is a great place to have fun, relax and reconnect. Located between the Folly River and the Atlantic Ocean, and separated from Island by wide, undeveloped marshes, waterways and tidal creeks, Folly Beach is also home to loggerhead turtles, dolphins, bald eagles and sea birds. With beaches, boating, kayaks, paddle boards, surfing, fishing and swimming, Folly Beach is a really great destination for those who love the Salt Life.

Kiawah Island:

A short 21 mile drive away from Charleston's vibrant downtown, Kiawah Island is a barrier island that combines the beauty and serenity of untouched natural marsh land, rivers, tidal creeks and ten miles of pristine Atlantic Ocean beaches along with maritime forests, sand dunes, and marshes filled with nature, with luxurious housing and resort style living, including five championship golf courses. As South Carolina's crown jewel of golf, the magnificent Kiawah Island Golf Resort, provides the perfect setting to take in all facets of the islands beauty and recreation opportunities.

Seabrook Island:

Located just to the south of Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island is just 30 minutes away from downtown Charleston. As a private oceanfront community, Seabrook has natural splendor, marshes, beautiful beaches and deep water marina. The waterfront provides opportunities for swimming, horseback riding on the beach, kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing and boating.

Charleston Area Real Estate Search

Tonight - Daniel Island Community Speakers Series - April 15, 2015

Please join us tonight, Wednesday, April 15, 2015, when Daniel Island resident Ed Marinaro will talk about his successful careers in professional football and acting. Ed was a college football star at Cornell where he set over 16 NCAA records, led the nation in rushing in both 1970 and 1971, and was the 1971 recipient of the Maxwell Award and the UPI College Player of the Year. After college, Ed played professional football with the Minnesota Vikings, the New York Jets, and the Seattle Seahawks, and appeared in two Super Bowls. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 199. After leaving football, Ed had a distinguished acting career. He is best know for his role, from 1981 to 1986, as Officer Joe Coffey 1on the highly-acclaimed Hill Street Blues, a show that received 98 Emmy nominations. He also appeared on Laverne & Shirley and Sisters and in several movies.

For all of those that love the BRAVO Channel reality series, Southern Charm, based in Charleston, SC, here are some behind-the-scene shots from the recent "Fashion Show" episode:

Click here to view: Southern Charm "Fashion Show" Episode

SOLD! $20.25 million for this Kiawah Island property. $2,071 per square foot. 3 acres and 263 feet of oceanfront. This was a benchmark transaction for Kiawah Island and Charleston County.

For the full story on this transaction visit the Post and Courier article here: 181 Bally Bunion Drive, Kiawah Island, SC

Courtesy of the Charleston Regional Development Alliance:

The Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Center for Business Research and the College of Charleston – School of Business and Economics recently released their 2015 Economic Outlook Forecast, indicating positive impacts in every sector.

“With more than 25,000 new jobs forecast in the region in the next five years, both 2015 and 2016 are expected to see net gains of more than 5,000 jobs—the healthiest gain in several years.”

On the heels of a year packed with several economic development milestones for the region, 2015 looks to have even more economic growth potential. Here are five trends to keep your eye on:

1. More people moving to Charleston—South Carolina is now the second-most-popular destination for movers in the United States, according to United Van Lines’ annual Movers Study. One economist predicts this may be part of a larger trend of people seeking locations where “housing costs are relatively lower, climates are more temperate and job growth has been at or above national average.” With 90 miles of coastline, the Charleston metro certainly fits the bill, averaging 43 newcomers a day.

2. Welcoming more millennials—A lot of the people moving here are likely to be in their 20’s and 30’s. As noted by a New York Times piece, “Where Young College Graduates Are Choosing to Live,” millennials are now choosing cities other than the typical New York, San Francisco and Washington. Charleston has seen the full effect of this trend—our millennial population has grown 58% during the same time period used in the article’s report, 2000-2012. That’s higher than Nashville (48%), Denver (47%) and Austin (37%) and the top-ranking city, Houston (50%).

3. Jobs will continue to grow—The Charleston region ranked as one of the top ten places in the U.S. for job seekers last winter. The survey, by employment services firm ManpowerGroup, ranked each region by the net percentage of employers in each city that plan to hire. With companies like Boeing, Benefitfocus, Daimler, and PeopleMatter adding thousands of new jobs to the region, it’s no surprise Charleston made the list!

4. New heights for aviation—A recent study by the Charleston Metro Chamber detailed the economic impact of the Charleston Aviation Complex (which includes Boeing South Carolina, the Charleston County Aviation Authority (CCAA), the Charleston International Airport terminals, and the U.S. Air Force Joint Base Charleston). The results? The complex contributes more than $13.8 billion into the region’s economy, supports 50,000 local jobs, accounts for 40% of the Charleston area’s Gross Metropolitan Product. And Boeing’s latest additions to its operations continues to dramatically expand and diversify the region’s aerospace sector.

5. Digging deeper into our startup community—This month marks the third annual DIG SOUTH (the Southeast’s first and only interactive tech festival). The festival, which focuses on creativity, design and technology, aims to make 2015 even “bigger and better,” with more than 200 presenters from companies like Google, BoomTown, Blackbaud, Twitter, BuzzFeed, and Inc. The event will also draw venture capitalists to the region, representing more than $3 billion in managed funds.

Link to original article: 5 Economic Trends for Charleston

The weekend is nearly here and that means Saturday's Fort 2 Battery Race, an action-packed precursor to Race Week. Nearly 80 sailors have registered for the second annual dash from Fort Sumter to The Battery on peninsular Charleston. Check out the Post & Courier's coverage:

Click here to view the full Post and Courier article: Fort 2 Battery Race Event, April 11, 2015, Charleston, SC

Flood insurance rates continue to increase significantly as the federal government attempts to solve for the $24 billion shortfall in the National Flood Insurance program. While the near-term increases may be postponed by Congress, some owners near the coast have already experienced sharply higher rates. 

Since hurricane and flood insurance tends to be on everyone's mind in the Lowcountry, it is important that homeowners that have exposure should recognize the South Carolina Home Insurance Tax Credit and understand how it may benefit them.

The "excess insurance premium tax credit" has been available to South Carolina homeowners since 2007, but many owners are unaware that it exists and many accountants are not aware of it either. 

In 2008, only 511 South Carolina taxpayers claimed the credit. While this number increased to a little over 2,400 by 2012, there are many additional homeowners that could potentially benefit from the credit. 

The tax credit works this way: If the cost of insuring your primary residence exceeds 5 percent of your adjusted gross income, the state will pay you the difference, up to $1,250, as a tax credit.

For example, if your adjusted gross income is $50,000 and you paid $3,250 to insure your home, you could get a $750 tax credit (5 percent of $50,000 is $2,500, so the "excess insurance premium" amount would be $750).

This is not "refundable" tax credit, so if you don't owe state income tax you won't get a check. However, it is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in your state tax bill. If the credit is greater than the amount of tax owed, then it will bring your tax bill down to zero and the difference can be carried forward for up to five years.

And if you didn't know about the tax credit, but would have qualified, you could file amended returns to claim the credit for up to three years. The insurance costs that count toward the credit include homeowners insurance, any additional "wind and hail" insurance, and any flood insurance. Some homeowners might have three different policies, or maybe more. The income basis used in the calculation is your federal adjusted gross income, or AGI. 

So if you own a home and pay big insurance bills, make sure to check if you qualify for South Carolina's excess insurance premium credit before filing your state tax return.