Welcome to the newly redesigned ChuckTown Report.
Things look a little different. And a brand new website is coming too, but I need your help!
Here's what started it: As a realtor, I spent weeks studying the best real estate websites out there and noticed something. No matter how good they were, they all looked like real estate websites. Does this format sound familiar? Featured listings. Neighborhood pages with nothing but market stats. A few blog posts telling you the “best neighborhoods to live” and “why you need to move to Charleston”.
That's not what I'm building.
I'm building a Charleston resource. The kind of site you'd bookmark even if you weren't buying or selling. Local government, development, neighborhoods, what's actually happening in this city, and why it matters. Not just what's for sale in it. And honestly, the real estate aspect of it is second to everything else.
But I need your help. You're the person I'm building it for, and I don't want to guess what you want. What would make you come back to it? What's missing from everything else out there?
Hit reply and tell me. Your answer will shape what this becomes. This site isn’t for me…it’s for you.
— Bill
CIVIC SNAPSHOTS
City of Charleston · Planning Commission
$80M Mixed-Use Project Narrowly Approved 5-4 Amid Height Controversy
A 328-unit mixed-use project at 1450 Meeting Street on the upper peninsula was approved by a razor-thin 5-4 vote following heated debate over the building's height. Multiple neighborhood association speakers appeared in opposition, underscoring significant community concern about the project's scale and downtown impact. A second reading is scheduled for May 15, 2026, meaning the project is not yet final. The close vote and organized opposition signal continued controversy as the proposal moves forward.
City of Charleston · Planning Commission
$35M Flood Resilience Bond Advances for Gullah Geechee East Side Community
A $35 million resilience bond targeting flooding mitigation in the Gadsden Green neighborhood moved forward with a public hearing scheduled for May 10, 2026. The project includes both drainage improvements and seawall components, addressing chronic flooding vulnerabilities on Charleston's lower peninsula. The area serves the historic Gullah Geechee community on the East Side, adding environmental justice significance to an already high-priority infrastructure investment. No final vote was taken at this meeting, but the public hearing marks a critical procedural milestone.
City of Charleston - City Council
Amended e-bike ordinance passes first reading with Daniel Island pilot approach
Council passed the first reading of an amended e-bike and e-scooter ordinance that limits the prohibition on e-bikes from multi-use paths to Daniel Island only as a pilot program, with a council review planned by end of 2026 to evaluate potential citywide expansion. Bike parking confiscation provisions were struck pending expansion of parking infrastructure, and scooters are now limited to streets with 25 mph speed limits rather than 35 mph. Public speakers and written comments strongly supported the amended approach over an earlier proposal for a broader ban.
City of Charleston - City Council
Mayor outlines $23M-plus TIF funding plan for citywide affordable housing push
Mayor Cogswell briefed council on the financial framework for Project 3500, a city-led affordable housing initiative focused primarily on the Charleston peninsula. Approximately $5 million from the Cooper River Bridge TIF would fund design work, layered on top of $18 million already committed for the Longshoreman's property purchase, with additional West Side funding from the Horizon TIF. No vote was taken; procurement RFQs and design contracts will return to the Community Development and Ways and Means committees for approval.
City of Charleston - City Council
Council approves contested King Street hotel BZA settlement over foundation objections
Council approved a mediated settlement agreement resolving a dispute over a hotel project at 657 King Street, stemming from the Board of Architectural Review's prior conceptual design approval. Historic Charleston Foundation and attorney Brian Helman urged rejection, while applicant attorney Brandon Gaskins argued the settlement was the product of arm's-length mediation involving city attorneys, the zoning administrator, and the BZA chairman.
City of North Charleston · North Charleston City Council
Accommodation tax awards approved after brief conflict-of-interest debate
Council approved both the 2026-2027 Accommodation Tax Advisory Committee appointments and the 2026 accommodation tax funding awards, though not before a councilmember raised concern that a council member's spouse serves on the advisory committee. City attorney advised no conflict exists because that council member abstained from the related funding vote, and staff noted state guidelines govern the process. A councilmember publicly requested that funding materials be distributed earlier to allow adequate review time.
City of Charleston · Board of Zoning Appeals
Two commercial parking variances approved on the peninsula
The board approved reduced parking variances at both 765 Meeting Street and 423 King Street, allowing businesses to operate with fewer off-street spaces than city code requires. The Meeting Street application, which involved a small Pilates studio addition, was revised from a prior tandem-parking proposal after staff raised concerns about variances running with the land and creating complications for future tenants. Staff supported both final requests based on available street parking in the surrounding areas.
REAL ESTATE CORNER
Historic Home of the Week
59 Church St • South of Broad
6 bed • 5 full + 2 half bath • 5581 sqft · $12,000,000
The Thomas Rose house sits on .33 acres and spans across the main house, 2 accessory apartments, and a hidden pool house. This 291-year-old home holds the story of Dr Joseph Brown Ladd, the whistling doctor who is said to still wander the house and neighborhood and people have claimed to hear his whistling.
I toured this house on my YouTube channel this week. It’s incredible. Watch it below.
Deal of the Week
Four-year-old West Ashley home
5 bedrooms and 2.5 baths
Built in 2022
Spacious loft upstairs
Screened porch with private backyard
$493,000
How’s The Market?
The Charleston market didn't blink this week. A total of 399 homes went under contract across the region, including 317 single-family homes, signaling that buyer demand remains very much alive.
The numbers that matter:
The median list price for single-family homes that went under contract was $505,000 at $249/sqft, with a median of just 19 days on market before going under contract. Sellers aren't waiting long. On the high end, 66 homes over $1M went under contract, including 28 over $2M and 12 over $3M. Luxury is moving. Distressed sales are essentially a non-factor, with only 2 bank-owned or short sale properties in the mix all week.
A quick neighborhood snapshot:
Mount Pleasant dominated the upper tier with 42 homes at a median of $1.3M. Carolina Park alone accounted for 8 of those.
The Peninsula was the most expensive market per square foot by a wide margin at $967/sqft, with a median of $3.1M and 11 of 13 homes selling south of the Crosstown.
West Ashley posted strong volume with 31 homes at a median of $590k, proving it remains one of the more accessible close-in options.
James and Johns Islands combined for 24 homes, with medians of $703k and $667k respectively.
Summerville, Ladson, Hanahan, Goose Creek, and Moncks Corner combined for 154 homes under contract last week, making the outlying suburbs the single biggest demand center in the region by volume. At median prices of $395-$405k, it's clear where buyers are finding room to breathe.
What this means for buyers:
Competition is real. A 19-day median days on market tells you that well-priced homes are not sitting. If you're shopping under $500k, you need to be ready to move fast and come in strong. Affordability options still exist, particularly in the suburban corridors where you can still find homes in the $200-$400k range.
What this means for sellers:
This is still your market. Nearly 400 homes went under contract in a single week and distressed inventory is almost nonexistent. If your home is priced right and shows well, you should be seeing activity. If you're not, pricing is likely the issue, not the market.
THAT’S A WRAP
Three types of people should respond to this email:
1️⃣ You own a home in Charleston, and you're watching all of this growth happen around you.
The new developments, the zoning fights, the infrastructure changes. That activity isn't just news. It's moving your home's value in ways a Zestimate will never catch. Reply with your address, or just your neighborhood, and I'll tell you what it actually means for you.
2️⃣ You're buying in Charleston, and you know you're not just buying a house.
You're buying into a neighborhood, a school district, a commute, a lifestyle. You need an agent who can tell you what's being built two streets over, not just what sold last month. That's what this newsletter is.
3️⃣ You’re seeing land get cleared. Zoning notices are popping up near your home. Something's happening, and you want to know what.
Reply with the address and/or any details and I’ll find out!
Prefer to just talk? Schedule a 15-minute call
If this was useful, pass it on!
Forward it to one person in Charleston who actually pays attention to what's happening around them. Or send them here to sign up:
chucktownreport.com/subscribe
Until next week,
Bill Olson
Father • Husband • Realtor® • Civic Storyteller
