S.C. Welcomes Boeing. Hey Y’all!

October 29, 2009 by Leave a Comment

I got the news from a lobbyist friend that something major was happening at the statehouse today. She typed that lawmakers and Boeing execs were in a room signing papers and that news media was crawling around the lobby. I decided not to tweet about the situation as to not ruin any one’s thunder. What a thunder it was!
Facebook and Twitter were clogged deep with updates from lawmakers about the Boeing deal. I don’t blame them as all 50 states are drueling for good news. S.C. got that coveted news today. At one point today, “Boeing” was the top subject on the Twitter feed.
Congratulations to Boeing, the General Assembly and all residents of South Carolina! Sandlappers everywhere should feel like winners today as Boeing announced that they are coming to South Carolina in large fashion.
This is a fantastic situation for our state as global brand has decided to call South Carolina home. It was also a Kumbaya moment for lawmakers as all of them are taking their piece of the credit pie. Fine with me. Today is a win, win, win situation for our state.
Boeing, welcome to South Carolina. You’ll love the weather, hospitality, beaches and most of all….work ethic. Thank you!
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She Thinks Her Daddy is a Marsupial

October 26, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Jenna, Finley and I decided to take to the local soccer fields Saturday morning. We always have a good time watching our friend’s kids show their skills and this week didn’t dissapoint.
This past Saturday was Finleys first chance to enjoy the weekly event. As you can see, she decided to keep the power nap going the whole time. It was a pretty cute sight.
I have to mention how much she and I love this little pouchy, sacky thing made by Eddie Bauer. She’s strapped in tight and the stretchy material makes it very comfy for both of us. This little product was a gift from Danny and Katie Owens and has proved to be a fail safe contraption for quietness. I’ve walked many blocks around Shandon as we try to give Jenna some time to sleep. This thing is like a tranquilizer…

Kudo’s to marsupials. They really have a great built-in travel system.
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Cute Brick Shandon Bungalow For Sale

October 21, 2009 by Leave a Comment

This all brick Shandon cutie has 2 nice bedrooms w/ almost 1,200 sq. ft.
3529 Heyward features hardwoods, picture molding, high-smooth ceilings, transoms and 2″ blinds. It features a remodeled bath and good looking eat-in kitchen w/ 2 charming arched nooks that I’m not sure I’ve seen before.
The home sits on a corner lot of the very popular Heyward St. Anyone would love the front porch for viewing all that Shandon has to offer.
Living in Shandon affords any owner the opportunity for long walks and/or bike rides through the coveted tree lined streets. This very cute home is move-in ready and 5 minutes from anything that downtown Columbia has to offer.

Call or email if you have any questions or would like to view 3529 Heyward St. Come see!

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Bravo Show is Good Late Night TV

October 19, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Buyers and sellers are constantly telling me about how they watch the real estate shows on HGTV. House Hunters and Design on a Dime are a couple that come to mind. For a while, shows like Flip This House were all the rage.
Every now and then I’ll step into a house and will immediately announce that, “This seller watches HGTV.” Hand painted faux finish walls are a great hint of this. Some of the results are great and some scream for a professionals touch.
Although I catch most of the HGTV programs, Bravo has the show that I enjoy most. “Million Dollar Listing” is the real estate show that I actually prefer. Maybe it’s because I’m a Realtor, and get a kick out of the different situations.
These guys are entertaining to watch and the producers actually capture some of the trials and tribulations that a Realtor endures. Of course, the dollar amounts are elevated and the drama can certainly be a little over the top. Obviously this is one of the reasons it’s fun to watch.
The way the show reflects the pressure of the industry isn’t too off base and the level of competition it projects makes it even better. Good for Bravo. Like all good TV shows, I wish Bravo would produce more episodes throughout the year.
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Columbia’s Newest Real Estate Listings

October 15, 2009 by 1 Comment

Columbia’s Newest Hotsheet; Sept 28-Oct. 14, 2009
This edition of The Hotsheet features 119 listings. About 20 of them include the new homes for sale in Rosewood Hills. Although these aren’t “new” listings, they’re probably included because they’ve been re-listed at a new price point which gives them a new MLS number.

Have fun clicking!

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Post & Courier Tweets It’s Now #1

October 13, 2009 by Leave a Comment

“The Post and Courier is now the largest circulation newspaper in South Carolina, 94,133 to The State’s 91,255.” – Tweet from The P&C
Companies spend years and millions of dollars branding themselves. For as long as any of us can remember The State Newspaper has been known as “South Carolina’s Largest Newspaper.”

The State’s largest competitor, Charleston’s Post and Courier, has long tagged itself “The South’s Oldest Daily Newspaper.” According to a recent Tweet, Charleston’s daily can now boast both titles.

No doubt there will be some sort of fight for the title of “South Carolina’s Largest Newspaper.” Think of the years worth of ink and millions of newspapers that have touted the “brag line.”

Actually, it’s gonna be the years of repetitive branding that will keep The State #1 in the minds of Sandlappers. The State’s website, Facebook and Twitter pages also still claiming it’s #1 status.

Ever since I learned that The State Newspaper was no longer selling in my hometown of Anderson or at the beach, I’ve wondered if they were going to hold on to their first place ranking. Guess not.
The State has certainly tried to adjust to compensate for the lagging publication numbers. Go Gamecocks, http://www.thestate.com/ , Jolie, and Carolina Bride are examples of this. Some are winners and some just aren’t.
We all realize that national newspaper circulation is in a downward spiral. Still, it has to hurt the folks at The State to know that The Post and Courier may have replaced it as South Carolina’s largest newspaper….and tweeted about it.
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Corner Shandon Bungalow For Sale

October 12, 2009 by Leave a Comment

This cute Shandon bungalow sits at the corner of Blossom and Maple Street. The home features 1,655 sq. ft. and has larger rooms that the average bungalow.

This is a well known home in Shandon as most everyone is familiar with the black iron fence that encloses the front yard. I think it would be awesome to put a few Adirondack chairs in this front yard to watch the walkers stroll by.

Only one block off of the best that Devine St. has to offer, many stores and restaurants are super accessible by foot.

The interior of this house is an empty canvas for a designers eye. This could very easily become one of Shandon’s cutest creme puffs!
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Chick-fil-A + 5 Points = Perfect Fit

October 8, 2009 by 6 Comments

Finally…Chick-fil-A Destined for 5 Points
After years of wishful thinking, plans finally seem to be in the works to bring the incredibly popular franchise to Columbia’s 5 points.

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it 1000 times that the spot currently occupied by Hardee’s would be PERFECT for a Chick-fil-A store. Our morning Starbucks crew has pined over it many times as we suck down our Americanos and Lattes. Tonight, WISTV.com reported that this fleeting thought may actually come to fruition as Hardee’s lease ends in 2010.

Hardee’s is a fine enough place to eat. Having said this, the Hardee’s on Harden St. has never really been a place that in town workers and/or USC students really adopted as a destination place to dine. Whatever the reason, this particular store just hasn’t created the right stigma that the location commands. In my years in Columbia, I’ve never once said or heard the words, “Hey…Let’s hit Hardee’s on Harden.” Chick-fil-A will change this.

Any readers of this post may ask, “If you believe in the success so much, why haven’t you opened the store yourself?” The answer is simply, $$$$. It takes a grand amount of money and an extreme commitment to acquire a Chick-fil-A franchise.

Kudos to the folks who are going to make this work. I know a lot of folks who will be frequent patrons. It’s been a winner waiting to happen for a long time…

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Political Nastiness > National Good??

October 6, 2009 by 1 Comment

We Can’t Be Nice To Each Other For Our Own Good
The very existence of the Olympic Games is a symbolic gesture in which all nations gather at one stage to compete in a peaceful manner. Within this worldwide effort exists a feeling of national pride that’s unique to each participating country. The comments I’ve witnessed since we learned that Chicago wouldn’t be the host city tells me that we may need a lesson in this.

Trolling through Facebook and Twitter during the selection process surprised me to say the least. The “Update” banter on the networking sites had me shaking my head with every comment. It just seemed a little odd to see so many people happy that Chicago lost out, simply because the President of the United States made an effort to recruit the games. It was as though we were pulling against ourselves.

I don’t know if I was more surprised or sad to watch political “HaHa’s!” as the dominant theme of the moment. Status update after update made fun of the contingent that traveled to Copenhagen on America’s behalf.

I suppose our politics are really that terrible. Anytime a Democrat or Republican says something or attends anything, they are immediately pummeled by the other side. Even given extreme severity it seems that we could get behind an effort to recruit the Olympic Games for Pete’s sake. Guess not.

As a side note, I’d hate to be the one or two cities that have to follow in Beijing’s footsteps as it was one of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen on TV.

Anyway, congratulations to Rio on being the host city in 2016. I’m sure it’ll be fun to watch!

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I-385 Travelers=8 Months of Detours

September 30, 2009 by 2 Comments

This is Going To Be a Major Pain in the Asphalt
Since my wife’s parents live in Clinton and I’m from Anderson, I was surprised that I didn’t know about the massive I-385 Rehab Project until I read of it on Fits. I don’t go to Anderson as much as I should, but this news is obviously gonna be a big deal in terms of familial interaction.
Weekend trips to Anderson aside, the real impact will be to interstate and intrastate commerce. Every company that runs a truck from Greenville to Columbia will have to adjust in large fashion. As South Carolina could use all of the commerce that it can attract, the timing of the project probably isn’t primo.

From FitsNews.com…Interstate 385 is a 42-mile stretch of road that runs from Clinton S.C. (where it intersects I-26) and downtown Greenville, S.C. It apparently needs to be resurfaced and have six bridges replaced, which we learned from a spiffy “I-385 Rehab Project” website created by the S.C. Department of Transportation.

The project will cost $45 million.

From The Greenville News..I-385 northbound will remain closed for the entire eight-month project, and traffic will be detoured up I-26 to Spartanburg, Perry said. Southbound lanes will remain open until work is finished on the northbound side. Then crossover lanes will be installed in the medians and southbound traffic will shift onto the newly finished northbound side, he said.
Locally we’ve had to endure some repaving in the last few months on some of Columbia’s major arteries. While the paving of Devine St. and Rosewood Dr. have certainly been an inconvenience, the finished project was worth the impermanent bumpy ride. The I-385 Project will produce the same result although it’s going to be a terrible inconvenience to endure. The project will improve about 15 miles of the 42 mile Hwy.

As we all aspire for a more perfect South Carolina, we’ll simply have to deal with the detours that the I-385 Project provides. As untimely as the project seems I’m sure the months of pain will produce a happy result for years to come.
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