Top 5 Ways to Prep Your Home For a Freeze

The rare Charleston freeze is something that most dont consider until it's too late. So, with one snow storm under our belt and another possible, make sure you prep a little to avoid a big unnecessary expense to your home:

1. Pipe insulation
Your pipes are more susceptible to freezing damage when temperatures drop to 20 degrees or below. Pipe insulation provides your first line of defense against cold temperatures and frozen pipes. If you live in Charleston you know this isn’t the norm, but many older homes tend to lack any form of insulation especially in crawl spaces w/ old copper piping. I’d take extra caution and Insulate the pipes in all unheated areas, as they are most likely to freeze. A hardware or plumbing supply store should have the insulation and tools you need. Wrap the pipes in insulation tubes. Measure the outside diameter of your pipes to make sure you purchase the correct size of tube. Take extra care with pipes that have frozen during previous winters or have been repaired in the last 12 months, as these pipes are more susceptible to damage. Wrapping pipes in heat-tape prior to insulating adds an extra layer of protection, but make sure you follow the manufacturer's instructions when using heat-tape to avoid damage.

2. Keep a dripping faucet
On days when the temperature is expected to drop below freezing, turn on faucets along the exterior walls to create a small, steady drip. This eliminates pressure that can build between the faucet and an ice blockage, so even if a pipe freezes, it may not burst.

3. Open cabinets
You can stop frozen pipes by introducing more heat. Open all sink-based cabinet doors along exterior walls to allow more heat to reach the pipes

4. Fix exterior cracks
Note any cracks or holes along the outside walls and foundation of your home. Filling holes and cracks with spray foam insulation and caulking can help stop the cold air from coming into contact with your water pipes during extremely cold weather.

5. Seal off crawl space
Pier and beam homes with ventilated crawl spaces should be sealed against the cold weather. Cover your vents with heavy-duty pieces of cardboard cut to fit the vents, duct taping the cardboard in place. Don't forget to seal off access to the crawl space. Check for worn or missing insulation around garage and utility doors. Reducing the amount of cold air in the area minimizes your pipes' vulnerability to freezing.

2017 Year In Review - Charleston Housing

A big thank you for the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and Charleston Trident Association of Realtors for putting forth the data to give all of us a comprehensive overview of this past year in the market. The data below and referenced in the the podcast reflects the entire year of 2017.

The Raw Data:

Sales: Pending sales increased 5.4 percent, landing at 18,726 to close out the year. Closed sales were up 3.1 percent to finish 2017 at 18,381.

Listings: Year-over-year, the number of homes available for sale was lower by 14.0 percent. There were 4,673 active listings at the end of 2017. New listings increased by 4.5 percent to finish the year at 24,054. Home supply was once again lower than desired in 2017.

Showings: Demand was high throughout 2017, thus showings were up. Homes for sale received, on average, 3.2 percent more showings. There were 13 showings before pending, which was unchanged compared to 2016.

Distressed Properties: The foreclosure market has dwindled from its peak several years ago. In 2017, the percentage of closed sales that were either foreclosure or short sale decreased by 8.1 percent to end the year at 5.7 percent of the market.

New Construction: New home building has improved acrossthe country but is not yet at a level to help sustain a balanced market. Locally, new construction months of supply finished 2017 at 3.8 months. While previously owned homes have seen months of supply drop from 6.0 to 2.8 months over the last five years, new construction supply has seen less change from a 2014 peak of 5.6 months.

Prices: Home prices were up compared to last year. The overall median sales price increased 4.7 percent to $251,333 for the year. Prices are expected to rise at a slow rate in 2018. Single-Family home prices were up 5.9 percent compared to last year, and Townhouse/Condo home prices were up 4.5 percent.

Client Testimonial: Kyle Dicke

Kyle Dicke, owner of Outline (a Charleston Based design studio, web and PR company) chose to call Charleston home over 6 years ago. With business booming, Kyle wanted to lay some serious roots to Charleston by purchasing a home in addition to some Investment property.

After initially helping Kyle purchase a cash flowing rental unit, we found him a new, turnkey home in James Island just a couple years later. The investment property quickly became a 'cash cow', generating positive returns immediately. The new build we dealt with several challenges of building a new home; unreliable sub-contractors, elusive completion date and quality control. However, navigated through to end up with two great deals for Kyle's portfolio.

I'm honored to call a two-time client, but more so a friend! Thanks buddy!