South Carolina offers sunny, affordable lifestyle

Northern winters are cold and dreary, summers full of roadway construction. Of course, we love life on Long Island. But if we’re ever considering a change of scenery, South Carolina hopes you’ll check out what the south has to offer..

“We’re getting lots of buyers from the north because of our climate, because of our lifestyle, and because our homes are very affordable,” said Jana Bantz, who runs Jana Bantz & Associates in Summerville, located just outside of Charleston. “People move here because there’s something for everyone.”

Bantz joined Southern Trust loan officer Beth Greenlee and real estate attorney Michael Browder as part of the RichnerLive webinar series, Herald Inside LI. She gets people love their New York homes, but it doesn’t mean they can’t consider something new — or even something additional — in South Carolina.

It’s a state filled with beaches, in-ground swimming pools, and plenty of flat land considered great for cyclists. Bantz lauded the world-class restaurants and art scenes the Charleston area also offers.

Downtown Charleston is home to high-end real estate with many historical homes dating back to the 18th century. Kiawah, a barrier island southwest of Charleston, is primarily a private beach and golf resort with nearly 40 such courses within 20 miles of the coastal city.

Charleston, James Island, Summerville and West Ashley are among other many affordable suburban areas, all helped with South Carolina’s low tax rates. A property valued at $400,000 could pay as little as $2,000 in taxes each year if treated as a primary property, Browder shared.

“People, especially after the pandemic, are looking for our lifestyle and livability,” Bantz said. “The distance between South Carolina and New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, is only a day’s drive away. Florida is a two-day trip. Being close to family is also a draw.”

And South Carolina’s location eases some of the more extreme weather patterns found in northern states.

“The strong storms are mostly broken up by the breeze of the ocean before they get to the lowland,” Greenlee said. “Thunderstorms will occur more inland, but don’t count on Charleston getting any major tornados.”

“Many of the children in the low country haven’t even seen snow,” Banta said. “So when it does snow, it’s a party.”

Yes, there are hurricanes. Oceanfront homes would need to be secured. Interior areas such as Goose Creek, Moncks Corner and Summerville, however typically only experience rain and wind.

“We get 10 days’ notice before they arrive, so everyone just battens down the hatches and waits for them to go,” Bantz said.

For those who do want to move don’t even have to wait for retirement. Charleston offers a booming job market with high-end employers and top-notch medical services, according to the panelists. Medical University of South Carolina’s Teaching Hospital draws the best and the brightest young medical students looking to serve beach towns, among a plethora of hospitals in Moncks Corner, Mount Pleasant and Summerville.

Anyone getting around Long Island last Friday needed heavy coats and maybe even scarves. But that wasn’t true in Charleston.

“It’s a beautiful, South Carolina day,” Bantz said. “Sunny, blue skies. It’s 72. We broke out our summer wardrobe. Spring is here. Flowers are blooming, birds are building nests. It’s beautiful.”