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2009 Food Drive
We are pleased to announce that with the help of clients, friends, family and co-workers, we were able to collect 783 pounds of food to distribute to the Lowcountry Food Bank in our annual holiday food drive. This food will equal 612 meals for needy families in the Charleston, SC area.
If you are looking for a great cause, please give food or money to the Lowcountry Food Bank, you can reach them at 843-747-8146, on the web at Lowcountry Food Bank Website and the main contact is Amy Kosar...here is their mission statement:
Our mission is to feed the poor and hungry of the ten coastal counties of South Carolina by soliciting and distributing healthy food and grocery products to nonprofit agencies serving the poor, and to educate the public about the problems of and solutions to domestic hunger.
We will be working with the Lowcountry Food Bank throughout the year as their needs are year round not just during the holiday season. Thanks again for your help!
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Buying or Selling in Folly Beach or Charleston, South Carolina?
Call Randall Sandin at 843-209-9667 or email at rsandin@carolinaone.com. I specialize in the following areas of Charleston, SC: James Island, Folly Beach, West Ashley, Johns Island & Historic Downtown.
All I ask is for the opportunity to earn your business! I will be happy to discuss your situation in confidence and there is no obligation what-so-ever...I look forward to your call or email.
Search for Charleston, SC & Folly Beach, SC properties for FREE at CHARLESTON SC HOME SEARCH
747 Swanson Ave. featured in Post & Courier
747 Swanson Ave.
New Craftsman-style house on James Island matches high-end interior with vast decks, large lot
By Jim Parker Saturday, December 19, 2009
The builder of a new brick house off Fort Johnson Road is just six years removed from The Citadel.
Yet Grant Zinkon's work at 747 Swanson Ave. is notable for its appearance, which is in-line with experienced craftsmen.
The two-story home in the Eastwood neighborhood offers plenty of square footage on a half-acre lot.
Take something as basic as the front door. Rather than installing an entrance of attractive but less long-lasting wood, the builder chose solid mahogany, says Randall Sandin, broker with the Charleston Pier Partners group at Carolina One Real Estate. "It's custom-made," says Sandin, who is listing the house for $625,000.
The two-story, 2,900-square-foot-home is on a half-acre lot with a large fenced-in backyard. It is located in the existing Eastwood neighborhood on James Island.
"It's more of a Craftsman-style home - two-story brick, tapered columns, square edging," says Zinkon, who started Zinkon Development Co.
An unusual feature of the three-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath home is a room over the garage that's set up as a loft or play area. It is at the head of the first flight of stairs, giving the house a spilt-level feel. There's a walk-in closet and a bathroom, so the space could be used as a fourth bedroom, Sandin says.
A wide-open kitchen showcases pendant lighting, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances.
The second floor contains the sprawling master suite. The master bedroom has space for a sitting area and the luxurious bathroom shows off a jetted tub with fitted towel slots and separate glassed-in shower. The tub and shower surrounds are three-quarter-inch marble - Zinkon cut the pieces in the shower ceiling to fit them because they were so heavy. Two sizable guest bedrooms on the second level are served by a large bathroom.
Spotlighting the first floor is an open kitchen. The center island has a granite countertop and a base of lyptus wood, a Brazilian hardwood. Stainless appliances include a Bosch dishwasher, GE Profile refrigerator and a cooktop, oven and microwave. An eating area beside the kitchen leads to a wide wood deck in the back. The kitchen also connects to the formal dining room at the front of the house.
To the right of the foyer is a narrow storage area with a half-bath decked in bead board at the far end. There's also a cozy family room, a full bath and a side alcove that leads to a screened-in side porch for grilling.
The house has three bedrooms upstairs. This spacious bedroom has recessed lighting.
Steps lead down to a small mud room with built-in shelves for supplies. The door opens into the garage, which has one garage door but has space for two cars and also has a built-in closet.
Floors are Australian cypress, which Zinkon says he likes because it is "very knotty."
The front of the house has dormer windows, ample front porch and sizable yard.
Sandin says the home would be alluring to a "young family with one or two kids that likes the laid back James Island lifestyle." This is also an opportunity for new construction in Eastwood, an established community.
"The whole neighborhood is family friendly," he says. Kids ride bikes along the street paths, and parents tool around in golf carts.
"What's cool is the neighborhood has old dirt roads," Zinkon says. The new Sunrise Park and James Island Yacht Club are at the end of one of those roads, nudging Charleston Harbor.
Located above the garage, the bonus room can be a play area, den or even an extra bedroom.
"It's a little bit of country, large lots one-third to one acre, plenty of room," Sandin says.
The house is near the northeast tip of James Island. Proceed across the James Island Connector, taking the Harbor View Road exit. Turn right on Harbor View Road and travel to its end at Fort Johnson Road. Turn left on Fort Johnson Road and then make turn on Swanson Avenue, which is the first left. Look for 747 Swanson, which is on the left.
Reach Jim Parker at 937-5542 or jparker@postandcourier.com, photos by Leroy Burnell
Agent: Randall Sandin, rsandin@carolina.eom
Office: Carolina One Real Estate
Phone: (843) 209-9667
Philosophy: "My goal is to develop long-term relationships with my clients by giving the highest level of customer service, detailed market knowledge along with an honest and realistic analysis of market conditions. Open lines of communication are key so my clients are informed and understand their individual situations."
www.CharlestonPierPartners.com
Wild Dunes Resort - Major Price Reduction
OWNERS ARE READY TO SELL THIS WILD DUNES HOME
WE JUST REDUCED TO $599,000
If you have clients looking for turn-key investment property, a second home or a primary residence in Wild Dunes, please make sure you show them 20 Lake Village Lane. This single family home is being sold fully furnished and is an easy walk to the beach and the Grand Pavilion and Village Plaza at Wild Dunes. 
20 Lake Village Lane - Wild Dunes
3 BD, 2 BA, hardwood floors, fully furnished $599,000,
MLS# 2925875, VISUAL TOUR
Call Randall at 209-9667 for rental history info.
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Buying or Selling in Folly Beach or Charleston, South Carolina?
Call Randall Sandin at 843-209-9667 or email at rsandin@carolinaone.com. I specialize in the following areas of Charleston, SC: James Island, Folly Beach, West Ashley, Johns Island & Historic Downtown.
All I ask is for the opportunity to earn your business! I will be happy to discuss your situation in confidence and there is no obligation what-so-ever...I look forward to your call or email.
Search for Charleston, SC & Folly Beach, SC properties for FREE at CHARLESTON SC HOME SEARCH
Red Flags from the Home Inspection
As we all know, the home inspection is one of the most important parts of the real estate transaction. It is critical to have an experienced and qualified inspector who knows what he or she is doing. Here are a few "red-flag" items to make sure you look out for whne buying a home.
Poor water pressure. Aside from issues of comfort and convenience, low water flow may indicate plumbing problems, such as corroded pipes that will need to be replaced down the road. Tearing out old plumbing and replacing it with copper pipes can run $2,000 to $15,000 or more in a typical 1,500-square-foot home. A less costly alternative is cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) piping, which unlike rigid copper piping, is flexible and easier to install (approved for potable use in all U.S. model plumbing and mechanical codes, but may not be approved in local building codes).
Among tests you can do: Run water in a bathroom sink and check for weak flow. Flush the toilet while the water is running. Does the faucet flow drop off during the flush? In the bathroom located farthest from the water heater, turn on the hot water. Is there an unduly long delay before the water turns hot?
Ceiling stains. Something's leaking. If the stain appears beneath a bathroom, odds are the shower is leaking. It may merely need recaulking or regrouting, but it could also require ripping out tile and replacing the shower pan, a much more costly process (about $1,500). Most roof leaks result from neglected flashing that seals "valleys" in the roof or around a chimney or vents (cost to repair: $200 to $500). But roof leaks may also mean it's time to replace shingles -- at $100 to $350 per 100 square feet for asphalt shingles and $210 to $1,000 for wood shingles.
Troublesome doors. Are the doors hard to close? Do they swing open by themselves or fail to open fully? If you have one bad door, it may simply have been installed incorrectly. But more than one may indicate a serious structural issue, such as a foundation that has settled or framing that is deteriorating. Fixing this problem can require structural and geotechnical engineering reports and thousands of dollars in repairs.
Overloaded electrical outlets or lots of extension cords. Today's electrical demands may exceed the capacity of homes built as little as a decade ago, says Kuhn. You'll spend $75 to $250 to have an electrician add a 120-volt outlet to an existing circuit. Or, if the electrical system is very outdated, it may require a new electric panel. A new, 100-amp panel will cost $1,500 to $2,500.
Exterior features that slope toward the home. A porch, patio, driveway or grading that slopes toward the home all but guarantees water in the basement. And that may lead to structural decay, mold and insect infestation. In the basement, a musty smell may indicate previous flooding or ongoing moisture problems. Check the walls for stains, dark or light, which are tell-tale signs that water has penetrated the walls.
Solving the problem may be as simple and cheap as adding gutter extensions or regrading soil away from the home, or it could require thousands of dollars to excavate and build drains. Some homes may require exterior drains (one at the bottom of a sloped driveway, for example) as well as buried drains.
Odors. Cigarette smoke and pet odors can be hard to get rid of. And if a home smells too clean -- heavy with the scent of cleaning products (especially bleach) or plug-in deodorizers -- the seller may be trying to cover up an odor, such as mold or urine. If so, you need to inquire further, says Richardson, of the American Society of Home Inspectors.
Synthetic stucco siding. This must be installed precisely or else moisture will be trapped behind it, resulting in mold and decay. In the worst case, the siding will have to be replaced. For a medium-sized house (1,250 square feet of exterior surface area), replacing vinyl siding can cost $2,500 to $8,750, while wood or fiber cement siding can cost $5,600 to $10,000 or more. Especially in humid climates, you may want to pay for a special inspection. HouseMaster charges $600 and up, depending on how much of the material has been used and the size of the house.
Make sure you fully understand the issues with the home you are lookign to purchase and do not feel bad about asking for more inspection time or getting a second opinion. Remember, once you buy the home, all of the good and bad things come with it.
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Buying or Selling in Folly Beach or Charleston, South Carolina?
Call Randall Sandin at 843-209-9667 or email at rsandin@carolinaone.com. I specialize in the following areas of Charleston, SC: James Island, Folly Beach, West Ashley, Johns Island & Historic Downtown.
All I ask is for the opportunity to earn your business! I will be happy to discuss your situation in confidence and there is no obligation what-so-ever...I look forward to your call or email.
Search for Charleston, SC & Folly Beach, SC properties for FREE at CHARLESTON SC HOME SEARCH
Mornings at Folly Beach, South Carolina
Thinking of getting that beach home...finally?
Here is your view during your morning walks on the beach!
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Buying or Selling in Folly Beach or Charleston, South Carolina?
Call Randall Sandin at 843-209-9667 or email at rsandin@carolinaone.com. All I ask is for the opportunity to earn your business! I will be happy to discuss your situation in confidence and there is no obligation what-so-ever...I look forward to your call or email.
Search for Charleston, SC & Folly Beach, SC properties for FREE at CHARLESTON SC HOME SEARCH
SOLD on James Island, SC
Just sold 662 Clearview Drive, Charleston SC 29412
Here is what my client had to say:
"I think I can finally say I'm settled in! That said I don't think I ever took the time to thank you as much as I should have. As you know the process of selling my house was a very emotional one for me and you were unbelievably patient and supportive. I can't begin to tell you how much that helped.
I told several friends about how easy it was to get in touch with you when I needed to and how much information you had whenever I asked questions. Most of them were surprised. It seems they didn't have the same story to tell with realtors they've worked with. For all of my complaining about 'keeping it clean' the way appointments were scheduled was relatively easy too.
So thank you again, so much, for everything you did and the time you spent making sure it was as easy as selling and moving can be- especially in these times."
Buying or Selling in Charleston, South Carolina? Call Randall Sandin at 843-209-9667 or email at rsandin@carolinaone.com. Let me earn your business! I will be happy to discuss your situation in confidence and there is no obligation what-so-ever...I look forward to your call or email.
Search for Charleston, SC & Folly Beach, SC properties for FREE at CHARLESTON SC HOME SEARCH
North Charleston Condo ~~ Price Reduction
NEW PRICE of $94,500 ~~ Looking for a clean & well cared for condo, conveniently located to I-26 & I-526 and priced to sell, please give Randall Sandin a call at 843-209-9667 about 8078 Shadow Oak Drive.
8078 Shadow Oak Drive - Oak Bluff
MLS# 2926273, Only $94,500
2 BD, 1.5 BA, 1000 sq ft, back patio
Regime covers all and is just $196 per month
To see this property or for more info, please call Randall Sandin at 843-209-9667 or reach me at rsandin@carolinaone.com.
Search the Charleston MLS for homes at http://www.charlestonpierpartners.com
Charleston SC - Holiday Festival of Lights
Making the Magic Happen ~~ Behind-the-Scenes at the Holiday Festival of Lights
By Charlie Morrison
The holiday season is once again upon us. The shorter days, the blustery winds, and those manic shopping sprees have the power to dampen our holiday spirits. What sometimes gets lost in all of this is the idea that the holiday season is the time of the year we give thanks to the things that make our lives healthy, fruitful, and fulfilling. For residents of the Lowcountry, we have an extra reason to be thankful each and every year: James Island County Park's Holiday Festival of Lights.
The Charleston Parks and Recreation Commission (CCPRC) is doing a little bit of celebrating themselves this year. The 2009-2010 holiday season marks the 20th anniversary of the Holiday Festival of Lights, no small feat considering all of the turbulence the past two decades. The festival has survived recessions, hurricanes, and an-ever changing Charleston region, largely in part to the people behind the scenes. For an inside look into the strength and resilience of the event, JIM spoke to two of the Festival's key players: Director of Maintenance David Chappell and Holiday Festival of Lights Supervisor Rich Raab, both residents of James Island.
The Origins of the Festival
The Holiday Festival of Lights started modestly. Former CCPRC Director Tim Eubanks wanted to bring something new to the park. He and Chappell scanned the country for ideas, and what emerged was a trek to Wheeling, West Virginia and Oglebay Park. Oglebay had been putting on a wintertime event called the Winter Festival of Lights, which was a big hit in the small town about an hour southwest of Pittsburgh. CCPRC purchased 18 light displays from Oglebay Park, and the James Island County Park Festival of Lights was born.
Purchasing the light was just the beginning, and the growth of the festival that followed was exponential. Enter Rich Raab, Holiday Festival of Lights Supervisor. Raab saw the park's newest asset and said to Chappell, "I can build these." Seeing Raab's enthusiasm and knowing his artistic and metal-working abilities, Chappell responded with a challenge, telling Raab if he thought he could fabricate the designs himself, he should go ahead and do it.
"Lets see if you can really do it. Build me a couple of snowflake designs over the summer, complete with lighting, and then we'll really know if its possible or not," he told Raab.
Over that next summer, Raab, working in his home-based shop, created a total of 80 snowflake displays. And the rest, as they say, is history. Rich Raab became the architect of the displays, and earned himself a full-time job as the Festival of Lights supervisor, a position he's held for all 20 years.
Chappell knew what he had at that point. The wheels began to spin in his mind about what the Holiday Festival of Lights could be, and growth of "the little light show" into the holiday extravaganza we all know and love began. Today, the Holiday Festival of Lights features more than 650 displays and over 100 individual pieces, all dreamed up, designed and created by Rich Raab, who David Chappell fondly calls "a true artist."
Santa's Workshop
Putting on the Festival of Lights is a year-round event. Raab's current work facility, which he fondly dubbed "Santa's Workshop," has undergone an evolution of its own. In the past, Raab and his crew used a basic technique of drawing a rough chalk outline of an image onto the concrete floor, and bended rebar into the shapes he needed. Today, the artist utilizes a scanner, a computer, and a projector to lay the template of an image on the concrete. Once Raab finds an image he likes, he scans it into the computer. The digital image makes any edits he sees fit to make much easier. The edited image is then sent to a projector that's mounted on the ceiling of the shop and pointed straight down to the floor design area. Alterations regarding the size of the image, and the display to be created, can be made with a click of the mouse.
With a projected image of the potential display piece illuminated on the floor of the workshop, the design team can begin the process of cutting, bending, shaping, and welding the rebar skeleton into the form they want. Raab is a bit of a perfectionist.
"Even when I get a drawing or image I like, I spend hours on the computer re-working the drawing. Then, even when it's on the floor, I sometimes decide the image isn't going to work, so I begin again," he said.
There is a practical reason to build and maintain the displays in-house, notes David Chappell. "The sun's UV rays fade the bulbs," he says. "The fading defeats the purpose of being clear, distinct, joyful, and wonderful. That's the battle. If the lights aren't clear the people wouldn't come back. It wouldn't be as festive".
With the metalworking done, Raab and his team begin the tedious process of adding the lights. These days, the design crew utilizes many types of lights in their displays. These include six different varieties of bulbs: mini-lights, icicle lights, rope lights, the typical big-bulb C-7 and C-9 lights, and the team's newest toy, LED lights.
The 'light infantry'
David Chappell says it's nice to have the talented Raab handling the production and maintenance of the individual displays, but that's only half the battle. The workforce behind the project is immense by necessity. Chappell's traditional duties are to maintain the CCPRC's ten parks and 19 boat landings, a feat that requires a staff of 65 full-time CCPRC employees. These employees, efficiently broken up into smaller teams, each spend time on the Festival of Lights project, but even they need help getting the job done. That's where the volunteers come in.
The James Island County Park utilizes "campground hosts," visitors that put in 40+ hours of labor each on the project. In return, the park grants them free use to water and electricity. Each volunteer brings various areas of expertise, something Chappell needs desperately to make the show happen.
Chappell says the folks that offer up their time and knowledge are the real heroes of the festival. "It's better to have volunteerism because they look at it not as job, but as something they have to do now," he says. "They're fantastic. They come to maintenance and do nothing but lights bulbs and a couple various jobs like drop trash off, pick up litter, and help with recycling."
For the Love of the Show
Having worked together in growing the Festival for the last 20 years, Chappell and Raab clearly have higher motives for doing the work. For Raab, spending all year building displays in the heat of a Lowcountry summer is worth it. "This job is a lot of work in the summer sweathouse, but every year, to see kids' faces light up, it's all worth it," said Raab.
Raab sees the financial side as well. "The other reward I feel personally is, for $10, a family can come in and see the show," he says.
Chappell is proud of the County Parks' ability to price the event reasonably as well. "Our goal is to be efficient, if we're not efficient, the cost to the consumer has to go up," he says. "We've charged only $10 a car for 10 years. The park wants a really great family tradition. It's history now, its something that people look forward to. We want to be so efficient that we can keep the costs down. If you can do a quality show and people come to it, the reward is pretty good."
A lot of time, effort and hardworking people go in to putting this project together. Here's a look at some of the numbers:
* Individual Lights: 2,000,000+
* Large Displays: 650+
* Display Pieces: 1,000+
* Workers: 150+
* Time to power up and power down the lights: 45 minutes each
* Sets of mini-lights: 10,000 (500,000 lights, for 56 displays)
* Avg. nightly light bill: $1,000
* Electrical Breakers used in show: 6,000
* Life of glass bulbs: 3,000 hours
* Nights of Show: 52
* Annual Visitors: 200,000+
* Trailers used to store lights: 29
* Price in 1999: $10/car
* Price in 2009: $10/ car
* Avg. number of glass bulbs changed each year during 4-week period: 170,000
* Avg. number of displays refurbished or added each year: 35
* Avg. Weight of pig cooked for staff appreciation party: 130 lbs.
Charlie Morrison is staff writer for the James Island Messenger and West Of, both publications of Wiser Time Publishing. Contact Charlie at 843-297-0528 or by email at MorrisonCD31@yahoo.com or visit the James Island Messenger at JAMES ISLAND MESSENGER
For information on Charleston, SC and Folly Beach, SC real estate, please call Randall Sandin at 843-209-9667 or email at rsandin@carolinaone.com. Search the Charleston MLS for free at CHARLESTON REAL ESTATE SEARCH
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