So the realities of going back to school have set in. You’re bored and wishing for the carefree days of summer to return again, but alas, they won’t be here for quite some time. So, what are you to do? This weekend, the Irmo Okra Strut Festival is in town, ready to keep you amused and entertained!
Since 1973, the Irmo Okra Strut Festival has been raising money for the town. As the idea stemmed from a joke on a local radio show at the time that pondered the question, “What were the ancient Irmese like?” One answer was that they most likely survived off Okra, as they were originally a farming community.
The Lake Murray-Irmo Women’s club took that idea and ran with it, and as they say, the rest is history. The purpose for the festival was to raise funds to build a public library, and they had enough money to do so by 1980. Today, a board of commissioners appointed by town council put on the event, which now funds civic and school organizations, scholarships and town improvements with the festival’s profits. Read the rest…
As a follow-up to yesterday’s posting on things to do in downtown Columbia, South Carolina, I thought I’d show you the beauty of Lake Murray. Since it is not within the downtown city limits, the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau won’t show you the lake. It borders parts of Columbia, Chapin, Lexington, Irmo, Ballentine, Chapin and even Prosperity, SC.
Lake Murray, named after the New York architect who designed the dam, was built in 1929-1930. It has nearly 600 miles of shoreline and is a 50,000 acre lake. Not a small pond by any stretch of the imagination! Read the rest…
I thought that as a tribute to the hard work it takes to put together all of the Lake Murray July 4th celebrations, I’d feature them today. For those of you not from the area, it might be an interesting glimpse into how we celebrate our nation’s independence. From a boat parade to a symphony and a grand fireworks show over the lake as a finale, it’s a great time for all who attend or participate. Read the rest…
Has the Columbia, South Carolina housing market fully rebounded or is it still in a slump? How does one know when things are improving? According to bankrate.com, there are two key indicators: 1) a decreasing unemployment rate, which shows residents of the area are going to work and companies are confident in their abilities to remain profitable and 2) a decreasing number of properties that remain unsold on market.
There’s a new kid in town, named the “Spirit of Lake Murray”. This new, 149 passenger cruise ship is ready to set sail off the shores of Lake Murray. Offering sunset cruises and Sunday lunch-time sailings this summer, the new ship promises a good time to all who board.
For those who would like an exciting place to hold a party, the “Spirit of Lake Murray” offers chartered cruising as well. Historic and Purple Martin watching tours are also on the calendar for this air-conditioned ship. Be sure to check them out here. Read the rest…
I was amazed, but then again, not really so surprised at the latest press release from HUD today. They issued Mortagee Letter 09-ML-15 “Using First Time Homebuyer Tax Credits”. It really tells us the bigger picture with some information, but the really useful details are totally left out. What makes me uneasy is that each state and each lender can really do their own interpretation of the rules here in many ways. Read the rest…
Today I found myself amongst a cheering crowd for the housing industry in South Carolina. It was refreshing to be a voice in the choir, instead of the odd man out when talking about real estate in the Midlands. Yes, it’s true. Things have slowed down, but we haven’t come to a screeching halt as portrayed in the popular media. Unfortunately, many of us are focused on what’s happening nationally and somehow have come to the conclusion that if it’s going on in Michigan, Florida or California, then it must be happening here.Read the rest…
All this talk since July 30th has first time buyers excited about the IRS handing money over to taxpayers – but is it as good as it seems? Perhaps. However, there is a loan involved that you’ll have to pay back to the IRS.
For a fun twist on having a “dog” and a beer at the ballpark, the Columbia Blowfish Baseball team is inviting fans to bring their own dogs. “Bark to the Park” will be taking place on July 6th, 2008 at 6:05 p.m. at Capital City Stadium. The Blowfish will be playing the Florence Redwolves.
I thought I’d take a quick look at what has been happening in the Columbia, Irmo, Chapin, Lexington, Ballentine, Blythewood (and so on) markets. Our Multiple Listing Service covers areas as far northwest as Newberry, as far west as Aiken, South Carolina and southeast to Orangeburg. In that coverage area, during the first quarter of this year (January – April 2008), we had 19,035 residential houses available for sale. At that time last year, 18,782 properties were for sale. Read the rest…
There’s a new kid in town, named the “Spirit of Lake Murray”. This new, 149 passenger cruise ship is ready to set sail off the shores of Lake Murray. Offering sunset cruises and Sunday lunch-time sailings this summer, the new ship promises a good time to all who board.
Today I found myself amongst a cheering crowd for the housing industry in South Carolina. It was refreshing to be a voice in the choir, instead of the odd man out when talking about real estate in the Midlands. Yes, it’s true. Things have slowed down, but we haven’t come to a screeching halt as portrayed in the popular media. Unfortunately, many of us are focused on what’s happening nationally and somehow have come to the conclusion that if it’s going on in Michigan, Florida or California, then it must be happening here. 
All this talk since July 30th has first time buyers excited about the IRS handing money over to taxpayers – but is it as good as it seems? Perhaps. However, there is a loan involved that you’ll have to pay back to the IRS.
For a fun twist on having a “dog” and a beer at the ballpark, the Columbia Blowfish Baseball team is inviting fans to bring their own dogs. “Bark to the Park” will be taking place on July 6th, 2008 at 6:05 p.m. at Capital City Stadium. The Blowfish will be playing the Florence Redwolves.
I thought I’d take a quick look at what has been happening in the Columbia, Irmo, Chapin, Lexington, Ballentine, Blythewood (and so on) markets. Our Multiple Listing Service covers areas as far northwest as Newberry, as far west as Aiken, South Carolina and southeast to Orangeburg. In that coverage area, during the first quarter of this year (January – April 2008), we had 19,035 residential houses available for sale. At that time last year, 18,782 properties were for sale. 
