Real EstateLiving South of Broad – Raised to Love a Historic Home

As a Realtor many of my clients are amazed when they find that I live in a historic home dating to the 1700’s.  Or, that the newest home I have ever owned, was a wonderful old estate in North Carolina built in 1873, that I still own today.  As a child I had a real estate investor father who also was an auctioneer for fun on the weekends.  My grandfather was also a real estate investor.  I was always with them,  in and out of old houses, looking at their next renovation or sifting through the antiques and junk at a farm auction.  I grew to love it.  Always looking for that “find” at an auction.  Walking into a home and imagining what it could be.  Thinking even at that young age, “what if these walls could talk? ”   

I loved early morning trips to the auction, stopping on our way at the local store for a soda and a pack of nabs and then off we went, never knowing what we would find.  Learning that I too had a keen eye for what to buy and how to sell it for a profit.  Many of those treasures still decorate my homes today.  The fond memories that they bring are what make my house a home.  

All through school History was my favorite subject.  Watching my father and grandfather I learned at a young age that taking an old home, especially a historic home, and restoring it in the right way also was a good investment.  A way to give back to a neighborhood but also make money.

So, with a dream and determination, I purchased my first home after college.  A historic property built in the 1700’s. From that, they say, “the rest is history. ” I was hooked!  My mother has always said I am certainly my father’s daughter.  The love I have of antiques, history and old homes certainly came from my father.  Taking what at one time was a simple outing to an auction or a renovation site and turning it in to a career.  My father always said “Do what you love and the money follows. ”  As a Realtor who lives  and works in Charleston’s historic South of Broad neighborhood I certainly do what I love today.

I love the architectural features of an old home.  The character, the old worn floors, the hand blown glass windows, or how the trim and moldings were made by hand. Nothing is ever flush or straight but I don’t care.  The older the better!  I always preserve the history of the home.  Careful attention is paid to the details and to the use of the materials that exist there.  And making sure not to change the character or historic value.  In Charleston, the historic significance of a home is vitally important to its value as many of the homes throughout Charleston’s diverse historic neighborhoods are Federally Registered and protected by preservation easements. That knowledge has been invaluable not only in my own personal renovations but in helping clients that are purchasing older or historic homes.  

This shared love and understanding for historic preservation is what makes it great to work alongside the restoration team within our organization.  This is a talented team of experts who know and understand the intricate process of historic restoration.  This collaborative approach, between real estate, restoration and renovation is what I bring to each of my clients looking for a home, whether it is a historic property, a renovation project or a new home.  

NOTE:  Our Luxury Simplified Construction team just completed one of the largest historic restoration projects done in Charleston, SC in 2015, the Gadsden House.  Have a look at the documentary that was produced that traces the historic scope of this project and how they worked in collaboration with the Historic Charleston Foundation.