subject: Relocating to Charleston, SC: A City with Good Economic Appeal [print this page] Relocating to Charleston, SC: A City with Good Economic Appeal
In the past few years, we've seen a wave of interest among
home buyers regarding job opportunities and overall economic conditions in
Charleston, SC. Buyers often know that
they want to relocate to Charleston, but they want to make sure that the city
has good job opportunities and room for economic growth in the future
especially if they're moving from one of the more economically depressed areas
of the country.
Many buyers know that Charleston is ranked as a top place to
retire and to visit. It's been named
everything from the "Friendliest City" to the "Best Shopping District." Travel magazines like Conde Naste and home
magazines like Southern Living consistently rank Charleston for its charm and
beauty.
But often the rankings that matter most to buyers relocating
(many of whom are tourist-turned-residents) are the ones that deal with jobs
and the economy. After all, there's no
sense in moving to a beautiful city if you can't afford to live there. But know that Charleston also ranks well for
the things that affect day to day living.
For example, Forbes has recently ranked Charleston as one of the Ten
Smartest Cities in the world. Using factors
such as livability, infrastructure, and the economy, the magazine also named
Seattle and Amsterdam among its results.
Charleston was recognized for preserving its history, while at the same
time promoting economic expansion.
Boeing's new assembly facility was among many indicators in determining
Charleston's economic potential in the coming years.
In the past two years, Charleston has also been ranked in
categories such as Top Cities for Technology Jobs, Most Livable Cities, and
Strongest Real Estate Markets. This
latter ranking also comes from Forbes magazine, which named Charleston number
nine in the country. Forbes looked at
cities with more than 500,000 people and compared expected time to recovery as
well as percentage lost in home prices.
With about eight years of experience in the real estate
business, I'm seeing strong signs of the market here picking up. My team is the busiest we've been even
busier than we were at the "height" of the real estate market in 2005 and
2006. Last year was the most successful
and most profitable that we've had to date.
Home prices are certainly down compared to five years ago, but the
number of sales is up based on MLS statistics throughout the Charleston area. The accumulating work load meanswell, more workbut
I'm glad to be living and working in Charleston, SC!
