By Ashley Melton, Realtor®  Business Week has called Goose Creek, "The Best Place to Raise a Family" in South Carolina and for good reason. Conveniently located between Volvo and Boeing, two of the largest employers in the area and minutes from some of the Charleston, South Carolina's areas most beautiful beaches - Goose Creek has managed to balance a small town community feel with tremendous growth and opportunity. But is Goose Creek, South Carolina a great place to live? Read on for my top 5 picks for Goose Creek neighborhoods under $300k. Brickhope Greens The front page of Brickhope Greens' HOA website implores you: "Enjoy a small town feel within minutes of city amenities!", and it's not a tough order to follow. The Neighborhood Brickhope Greens is a quiet subdivision whose first homes were built in 2006 and indeed it provides a small town feel while still being close to everything you need. A short 30-minute drive puts you in Downtown Charleston while you're even closer to the Naval Weapons station, CSU and North Charleston's retail hubs providing access to pretty much anything you'd need. Major thoroughfares I-52, I-26 and I-526 are all within easy access to homeowners You don't have to venture far to enjoy neighborhood favorites like LG's By The Creek and Vinny's Pizza and you can even grab some great local coffee at the RA Coffee Company on the way to work. This HOA neighborhood doesn't offer a pool among its amenities but does feature its own dog park, picnic areas, playgrounds and tons of ponds. However, if it's swimming you're after, right around the corner is Charleston Wannamaker County Park and its Whirlin' Waters Adventure Waterpark.  The Homes Median sale price of these single-family homes is currently $245,000 with the range being between $225k and almost $260k. The homes are fairly new being built between 2006 and 2013 offering 3-5 bedrooms and 2-3 bathrooms. Highlights Convenient location Nice amenities, including a dog park Considerations HOA No community pool Brickhope Plantation Although the selection of homes under $300k is a bit lighter than the other neighborhoods in my list, I do love this neighborhood so if you're budget is $300k definitely put this one on your list. The Neighborhood Quietly tucked away in Goose Creek, Brickhope Plantation consists of two distinct sections Villages and Estates and is centrally located near the area military bases, highways, shopping and restaurants. It's also within walking distance to Mevers School of Excellence and situated between Boeing and Volvo. Only minutes away from major highways and interstates, about a 20-minute drive puts you in Downtown Charleston and the areas beaches. Dining and shopping in the area offer neighborhood favorites like Alex's Restaurant for a great meal, Donut Connection for satisfying your sweet tooth, and Dreamalot Books for the latest novel or a used edition from your favorite author. This gorgeous HOA neighborhood features a resort-style pool, amazing clubhouse that's available to rent for parties, a fitness center with locker room and a fenced children's playground. You can read more about Brickhope's HOA right HERE. The Homes Brickhope Plantation features single-family homes in its two neighborhood sections ranging from $223,500 to $360,000 with a median home price of $300,000 currently. Built starting in 2007 to present, the homes feature 3-5 bedrooms and 2-4 bathrooms within 1,288 to 3,288 square feet. Highlights Convenient location Great amenities Considerations HOA Crowfield Plantation The largest community in Goose Creek developed over 2,800 acres with over 20 subsections features a variety of home styles at multiple price points. The Neighborhood Crowfield features the only golf course in Goose Creek designed by Bob Spence in 1990 with 18 holes and over 7,000 yards of playing area. While the golf amenities aren't included in the HOA and homes in the $300k price range wouldn't be in the area of the golf course, the Crowfield Bar & Grill is open to the public.  The community features loads of great amenities aside from golf including four pools, four tennis courts, children's play parks, 16 miles of walking and biking trails and a 78-acre lake that allows non-engine boating and fishing. There's also RV and boat storage for an additional fee and K-12 schools are located within the development. Not to mention its close proximity to restaurants like Joe Bessinger's BBQ, shopping and medical offices. Crowfield Plantation is a great community with an active online neighborhood group that allows neighbors to share information as well as other updates and social events.   Learn more about their HOA HERE.  The Homes Because of Crowfield Plantations size, the neighborhoods offer attached homes like condos and townhomes as well as single-family homes with price ranges between $225,000 and up. Because it's one of the first communities developed in Goose Creek the homes age is older starting in 1980 up to 2017.Home sizes range from 960 to 6,706 square feet for the higher-end homes and feature 2-7 bedrooms and 2-7 bathrooms. Highlights Largest development in Goose Creek with community feel 18-hole golf course Great Amenities Considerations HOA Golf community Liberty Hall Plantation The Neighborhood Liberty Hall Plantation consists of five different subsections: Brick Barn Point, Mulberry Park and Foster's Creek feature single family homes while Waterford and Wedgewood feature a limited number of townhomes right inside the front entrance. All of these are part of Liberty Hall's HOA which you can read more about HERE. Conveniently situated near I-26 and I-526, residents enjoy quick and easy access to other parts of the Charleston area including downtown Charleston which is only a 30 minute drive away. Closer still is the Naval Weapons Station Joint Base Charleston, Charleston Southern University and Volvo.  Shopping and dining options are plentiful like a neighborhood favorite Gennaro's Italian Ristorante and larger chains like Lowe's, Walmart and Outback Steakhouse. The Homes Current home prices in Liberty Hall Plantation range from $154,000 to $365,000 with the median sale price coming in around $230,000.  As mentioned before, both townhomes and single-family homes are available within Liberty Hall built between 2004 to present day. Home sizes fall between 1,100 to 3,584 square feet for the higher priced homes and include 2-6 bedrooms and 2-4 bathrooms. Highlights Variety of housing options Convenient location Considerations HOA Further away from beaches Sophia Landing The Neighborhood Sidewalks line the streets Sophia Landing offering quiet evening strolls through this HOA managed neighborhood. Although easily accessible from highway 52, close to other major roads, and only a few miles from the areas top employers including Boeing and the Naval Weapons Station - Sophia Landing is a peaceful community buffered from the noise of traffic offering pond, wetland and wooded views. This HOA's community amenities include a neighborhood pool, clubhouse and children's playground. And if you're looking for additional activities, you're also minutes from Goose Creek's state of the art Goose Creek Community Center featuring classes, indoor basketball courts, climbing wall and more. Get more HOA details for Sophia Landing HERE.  The Homes Prices in Sophia Landing currently range between $199,000 to $360,000 with the median sale price at $290,910. Only single-family homes built between 2011 to present day are available making in one of the newer developments in the area. Square footage of the homes runs between 1,218 to 3,355 square feet offering 3-5 bedrooms and 2-3 bathrooms. Highlights Quiet and tucked away Great amenities Considerations HOA Goose Creek IS a Great Place to Live With these five neighborhoods, It's easy to see why Goose Creek, South Carolina is such a popular place to call home. Amazing southern hospitality, natural beauty with tons of outdoor activities available. A wide range of job opportunities, entertainment, dining options, and more all add up to make Goose Creek a place to call home and start enjoying some Lowcountry southern charm. If you'd like to learn more about the neighborhoods in the Charleston area, check out my guides for Mt. Pleasant, West Ashley, James Island, and Summerville, too!      Ashley Melton, Realtor®     843-670-2333    www.CharlestonPalmettoHomes.com     Ashley.Melton@AgentOwned.com    

CONGRATULATIONS to the City of Goose Creek!! Money Magazine has honored this community with a spot on its annual ranking of 100 Best Places to Live in the United States for the very first time!Of course, it did not take Money Magazine's distinction to put Goose Creek on the "hot sheet" for both buyers and sellers this year. For the last few months, Goose Creek has seen incredible market activity for a number of reasons. I hate to use a cliché, but it is true ---- YOU GET MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK!Take a look at this side by side comparison of Goose Creek's sales price per square foot next to the price of the rest of the homes in this market that have closed during the same period. You can see the savings are buyer-friendly in comparison to other areas. While a lower price per square foot is definitely in the PLUS column for buyers, sellers also see benefits from Goose Creek's hot market. Take a look at homes for sale ---- across the LowCountry volume is VERY low for current homes listed as compared to the same period in 2019. This certainly benefits sellers, with buyers having a smaller number of homes to choose from, properties are selling at record speed and for TOP dollar. Right now, sellers are not having to deal with the typical headaches of listing their homes, such as longer days on the market and low ball offers. In today's market, most of the headaches are being felt on the buyers' side, with it becoming a multi-offer situation on most properties that are new to the market. Even as aggressive of a market the LowCountry has become, buyers are NOT hiding in the corner and waiting.....THEY ARE BUYING! Take a look at the number of closed sales in comparison to the same period last year. BUYERS ARE BUYING and SELLERS ARE SELLING ---- What we do need are Owners TO LIST! While I believe EVERY LowCountry community is a top place to live, Goose Creek received the honor for not only affordable home prices but also for an array of outdoor activities offered, dozens and dozens of restaurants and shops, great schools, low crime rate, and its close proximity to major employers like Google and Volvo. Now that you know all of the terrific things Goose Creek has to offer let's talk about a new Goose Creek listing that just hit the market! 406 Farm Road in the heart of the city has just been completely renovated inside and out. The exterior makeover includes new paint, new roof, new windows, and beautiful easy to maintain landscaping. Once inside...WOW....an open kitchen with huge island, new flooring, new fixtures, new appliances, and new paint to just name a few upgrades. This 3 bedroom, 2 bath also has a large flex room off the living room that can be used either for your home office or a quiet place for kiddos to do school work.       Stop by Saturday 9/26/2020 from 11am-2pm to walk thru with me to talk about the home, the real estate market, and the community!