About Greer's Sugar Creek

A few weeks ago I wrote about the physical charm of my Sugar Creek neighborhood as one of the main factors for selecting it. I knew four years ago that Sugar Creek in Greer was large (over 600 homes); that it was assigned to one of the best elementary schools around (Buena Vista) and that it was family friendly. What I didn't know and have been delighted to discover since, is what a nice, old fashioned and actively involved NEIGHBORHOOD this place is.

Here are some examples: There are three swimming pools (two swim teams), three boards of Directors and three Social Chairpersons. All this for ONE HOA fee of under $450 per year.

With that many social groups you can imagine how many fun things there are for families to do beyond the ever popular back yard cookouts. One summer night, for example, it might be a guitar duo by the pool. Or an afternoon of Men's Dodge ball. There's always the 4th of July kids parade complete with a couple of major floats provided by doting Dads and the local Firetruck in the lead. A day of Red, White & Blue Galore, this annual event is topped off by a HUGE night time fireworks show over one of our two neighborhood ponds that delights folks from many surrounding subdivisions. Then in the Fall, there's the Rising Kindergartner's Tea to acquaint our little ones as we prepare to send them off to school via our Sugar Creek only"BackPath". And for the ladies there's an occasional Bunco game to be played or craft show in one of our Clubhouses. There's alot going on no matter what the season to help neighbors build friendships and the old fashioned bonds that we remember from days gone by. We even have our own local County Deputy (not named Barney) that lends a constant & watchful eye over the safety of our streets, homes and children.

As a person who's old enough to remember Mayberry from the TV shows, this neighborhood of mine sure seems like it. It took me more decades than I'd like to admit to find it, but I'm really glad for myself and my family, that I did! Welcome Home!

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2008 Home Sales: How is Sugar Creek REALLY Doing?

An old adage is that real estate markets are as local as the weather. We know from all of the hype that the national market is stormy and it's impacting the entire economy. Freddie Mac & Fannie Mae are troubled and being bailed out by Uncle Sam. Realtors are notoriously upbeat and it's hard to really know what's happening. What can you believe?

Let's look at the FACTS to decide. First let's see what's happening with the greater Greenville Market. As any good appraiser will tell you, we need to focus on properties that have SOLD. YTD thru 8/10/08 sales are down 18% and the average days on market (DOM) is up to 91 days from 85 days YTD 2007. This is softer for sure, but much stronger than the rest of the country AND the average sales price is UP 2.6% to $185,600. Despite building inventories of homes available for sale, we haven't seen the depreciation of other markets.

What about SUGAR CREEK? Our neighborhood, because of home quality, school excellence, wonderful amenities and family friendliness, has consistently been in high demand. This year (1/1- 8/31/08) the same holds true based on many key indicators. Sugar Creek's YTD Days on Market has DROPPED to 41 days, down 24% from last year and is more than twice as fast as the Greenville average. Our Sales price per square foot has also appreciated 3.3% to $94 over our $91 average last year. Our average sales price of homes is $273,682 for the 17 homes sold so far this year which is way above the Greenville average of $185,630. And while our number of homes sold is down slightly from last year 19 vs. 22, and our average sales price also appears somewhat lower, a quick look at the data reveals that we had a large number of high end homes sell last year. With adjustments for those homes, we're at least on par with Greenville's 2.6% appreciation if not more.

All in all, Sugar Creek & Greenville markets are in pretty good shape. Our real estate market, like our Upstate weather is mostly sunny with an occasional period of overcast! Look for this market snapshot in future issues. Source: Greater Greenville Association of Realtors

Having relocated from Ohio years ago, I was seeking a neighborhood for my family that had a close knit family feel yet had yards with mature trees and enough size that we could enjoy our privacy. It was also critical that the school quality was excellent. Sugar Creek was the answer with all that and more! Sugar Creek has THREE community centers with pools & tennis courts and regular family activities. It's landscapes sport dozens of cul-de-sacs with pie shaped lots that really feel BIG. The homes are anywhere from 10 to 25 years old, are varied from beautiful two story traditionals to ranch style homes to contemporaries but virtually all are well kept with a sense neighborhood pride. And, as a Master Gradner from earlier times, I am thrilled to report that the landscapes are beautiful and mature with rich green lawns, bright gardens accented with colorful spring Azaelas and summer blooming Crepe Myrtles. It's a beautiful and welcoming place to live!