About Pickens County, SC

Everyone, from the man on the street, friends, acquaintances, teammates, vendors and buyers and sellers of single family homes for sale in Columbia, SC all want to know what is going on with the real estate market and what will happen, if anything, in 2012. Looking at the present, now is the best time to buy in Columbia SC . Interest rates are at all-time lows hovering around 4%. The supply of properties is in a normal market supply of 5-6 months of inventory. Prices are at 2003 levels or lower. Business Week says it's a no-brainer to buy now. Market Watch.com says it may be the best time in history to buy. US News and World Report says now is the time to buy. As does JP Morgan. Remember, the real estate market is a market that throughout its history is always in different phases of cycles. The smart investor/buyer always will look for the point of maximum opportunity to buy. Today is that point, because optimism will follow in the market from 2012-2015, just as we were in an "optimistic" phase in 2000-2005.

What happened in 2006 when the "euphoria" phase of the cycle hit? That year was the point of maximum RISK to invest. We in Columbia, SC know what has happened since we purchased in 2006. Look at prices now, some down 20-25% from the "euphoric" phase. The point is, those who buy now that plan to keep their home/investment for four years or so will see this great deal they're getting now move again into the "euphoric" phase eventually and reap the benefits of a huge return on investment when selling in 4-5 years. History proves this will be the case. The cycles are trustworthy in time. 2012, however, although there is a case that there is some "optimism" looking forward in the market, the mistakes that lenders made in the past will rear their ugly heads this coming year in the form of FORECLOSURES that will hit the market in 2012.

The second quarter of 2011 shows over 1,300,000 foreclosures (blame "robo-signing" and other methods banks used) will hit the market. Forecasters like Chase Bank feel that prices could fall by as much as 7% until rock bottom is hit at the end of 2012. So should buyers wait until next year to buy? What if mortgage rates rise .5% as they are forecast? Buyers should be concerned with COST of buying versus PRICE of home. A slightly lower price combined with a jump in mortgage rate generally is a wash, or worse, a greater mortgage payment per month. So now is definitely the time to buy property for sale in Columbia SC.

From WYFF.com:

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When it's time to buy or sell real estate in Greenville, SC you need to work with a realtor who is honest, trustworthy, and knows the market. Dave Edwards - Greenville, SC Realtor - makes a strong effort to keep up with Greenville, SC market trends by analyzing market information on a daily basis. Who do you know that needs to sell? Contact us today at 864.275.7250.
Based on sales by GGAR members and CRS data.

The first Clemson University Blue Cheese was cured in Stumphouse Mountain Tunnel in 1941. Since then, the homemade gourmet item has worked its way into the hearts and stomachs of an ever growing number of aficionados. The history and folklore surrounding this scenic spot in the Blue Ridge mountains is legendary in the Piedmont area of South Carolina. The name Stumphouse originated from the Indian Legend of Isaqueena. For more info on Stumphouse Tunnel visit my previous blog: Wordless Wednesday - Ever Been To Stumphouse Tunnel? And for more info on Issaqueena Falls, visit:
Speechless Sunday - Issaqueena Falls - Oconee Count SC


The Cheese Research Project

The unfinished Stumphouse Mountain Tunnel lay idle for 80 years, visited by tourists and picnickers through the years, but serving no useful purpose. In 1940 an alert Clemson College professor recognized the possibilities of curing blue mold cheese in the tunnel. With this thought in mind, the Clemson College Dairy Department began experimenting with the manufacture of blue cheese and curing it in the tunnel. The debris which had accumulated during three quarters of a century was cleared out, equipment for cheese curing was moved in, and the project was off to a successful beginning. The outbreak of World War II in 1941 limited production, and the work was discontinued in 1944. Clemson lost skilled specialists; the milk used for cheese was needed for aviation cadets quartered on campus; and litigation arose as to the ownership of the tunnel. In 1951 Clemson College was successful in purchasing the tunnel. With adequate milk supplies again available, Operation Blue Cheese was re-initiated. Operations were resumed on an experimental basis in 1953. Selected Brown Swiss and Holstein milk from Clemson dairy herd consisting of 680 animals was used to make the Roquefort-style blue mold cheese. The cheese was manufactured on campus, transported 30 miles, and cured in the tunnel. In October 1953, some 2500 pounds of Blue cheese was curing in the depths of Stumphouse Mountain Tunnel. The production was directed by D.H. Graham, a native of Mississippi and a recent Ph.D. from Iowa State College. He joined the Clemson Dairy staff in August, 1953, to initiate the manufacture of Blue cheese and carry on other dairy products research. Indications were that the product would be ready for market in April or May 1954. The Clemson Dairy Department was pleasantly anticipating the time when cheese connoisseurs over the country could again enjoy the tangy, piquant flavor of Clemson Blue Cheese. Blue cheese was cured in the tunnel from 1953 to 1956. The environmental conditions in the tunnel were carefully analyzed, mold strains suited for these conditions were developed, and curing procedures were investigated. Curing in the tunnel was suspended during the summer months because of the warm temperature.

The Agricultural Center in Newman Hall was built at Clemson in 1956. Air conditioned cheese rooms were designed to duplicate the tunnel's high humidity and temperature. Research studies were begun on the campus early in 1956. The air conditioned rooms have eliminated the need for suspending operations during the warm summer months, which was necessary in the tunnel. In 1958, all manufacturing and curing of Blue Cheese was conducted on campus.

In 1970, the tunnel was leased to the Pendleton Historical District Commission, which converted the area into a picnic spot and tourist attraction. The south entrance of the tunnel was a historic landmark in South Carolina for many years. After a rockslide inside the tunnel in the mid 1990's, the tunnel was closed to visitors. After strenuous safety testing, the city of Walhalla has reopened the tunnel as a landmark site.

Clemson Blue Cheese was always been an artisanal cheese, made the old fashioned way. Each 288 gallon vat makes a batch of about 240 lbs, which is then salted, waxed and aged for 6 months. When it is ready, each hoop is scraped and packaged by hand. Each lot is kept separate, and meticulous record keeping assures quality at every step.

More devlopment in the Upstate of South Carolina:

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Market data is based on GGAR and CRS data.

Gaffney 35, Byrnes 13

Boiling Springs 23, Clinton 19

Liberty 34, Blacksburg 6

Union County 35, Laurens 12

Wren 34, JL Mann 17

Greenwood 28, Spartanburg 13

Dorman 45, TL Hanna 0

Seneca 35, Wade Hampton 17

Daniel 43, Southside 0

Easley 42, Riverside 0

Belton Honea Path 48, Ninety Six 6

Greer 59, Greenville 14

Pickens 20, Travelers Rest 17

Mauldin 56, Westside 7

Walhalla 31, Crescent 12

Abbeville 27, Pendleton 3

Hillcrest 49, Woodmont 14

This weeks highlighted school is Easley High School

Easley High School is a public high school in Easley, South Carolina. The largest high school in Pickens County. The official colors of Easley High School, green and white, were adopted early in the twentieth century, shortly after the school’s founding. Despite this, for several decades most athletic uniforms remained dark colors like red and black so that they would not be as susceptible to mud and dirt found on most playing fields of the time.