Folly Beach is one of the most affordable options for buying beach real estate in the Charleston area, and you will find a large selection of homes for sale in a wide range of prices.  I’ve organized some of the more popular condo and townhouse communities below by price so that you can get a good idea of what you can afford in your price range.

                        

Under $400,000:  Mariners Cay is one of the most popular condo options in this price range.  These are townhouse-style homes are marshfront, and the gated community has amenities such as a marina and dock facilities, a swimming pool, and tennis courts.  Marsh Winds is also a good option, and it is located near Mariners Cay (just before you go over the bridge to the island).  These condo buildings have elevators, which is a plus especially if you plan to use the home for vacations.  There is also a swimming pool, and many of these condos have screened porches that overlook the marsh.  Pelican Pointe Villas is a little further out from the beach (located just across from the Piggly Wiggly grocery), but these are some of the newest (and most affordable) options for condos at Folly Beach.  These also have good marsh views as well as screened porches.  Pelican Pointe Villas also has a community pool.

 

$400-600,000:  In addition to upgraded units in Mariners Cay, you’ll also see in this price range some newer townhouse options.  Back Bay has the newest townhouses available at Folly.  Turtle Bay has a pool as well as boat facilities.  Waters Edge town homes are set up more like houses that have been divided down the middle, meaning that all of these are end units.  Buyers generally like that these have more of a “house” feel to them with added privacy.  All three of these communities are located at the back of the island (the marsh side), so they’re only about a 6 block walk or bike ride to the beach.  Palmetto Pointe sits on its own little island within a few minutes’ drive outside of Folly Beach.  These two story condos have incredible views, nice upgrades, plenty of privacy, and good boat facilities.  All of the communities I have recommended in this price range have marshfront homes, but the listing price generally reflects a unit’s proximity to water (and views).  So, some of these may be directly marshfront, while others have more of a marsh view.

 

$600-800,000:  Towards the upper part of this price range, you will start to find beachfront condos.  Many of these will be in the Charleston Oceanfront Villas, which has a pool and elevator.  This is an unbeatable location because these are about as close to the Folly Beach Pier and the downtown section of Folly as it gets.  Pavilion Watch also has a good selection of condos in these prices.  This community is located just across the street from the beach, and many of these have beach views.  Although Pavilion Watch is not beach front like Charleston Oceanfront Villas, you will find that they are more affordable options and have a comparable location otherwise (to downtown and to the pier).  Folly Creek Place is also a good option – especially if you want to avoid some of the traffic associated with living on the island.  These have marsh views on both sides of the townhouses (which is quite rare) and good dock facilities with boat lifts.  In this price range, you can also find nicer units in Palmetto Pointe and Waters Edge.

 

$800,000+:  If you are looking to buy a home over $800K, I recommend houses rather than condos and townhouses.  Although it is possible to find houses for sale in the lower price ranges, they usually amount to little more than cement block cottages.  It is really only in the $800+ range that you can buy a good single family home – and one that can be used as a vacation rental to offset some of your costs.  On the other hand, you can certainly find condos and townhouses in this price range at Folly Beach.  However, know that if you buy one of these, you will be buying at the top of the condo and townhouse market.  As far as appreciation is concerned (and in addition to potential rental income), it simply makes a better investment to purchase a house rather than a condo or townhouse when you reach a certain price range.

Steel Frame Home Builders – Build Sturdy Yet Beautiful Homes

You love an old-fashioned, rugged looking home with a southwestern touch. However, you also want it to be sturdy, built to last even generations after. Thus, if you want beauty and utility to go together well, you need a steel frame home builder. There are a number of Houston custom home builders that use modern materials and technology to create your “old-fashioned” dream home.

The custom home builder for you

Steel frame home builders are easy to find. The hard part here is finding the perfect one for the job.

One of the best Houston custom home builders that realtors can recommend is Carter Bruce Homes. The reason: At Carter Bruce Homes, you only need to know of the story of how Carter Bruce, the company’s founder, felt the first time he built a house and felt it his duty to be a part of every homebuilding experience for clients since then, so that you will likewise feel that Carter Bruce Homes is the builder you have been looking for.

This Houston-based builder banks on commitment – their own and their industry partners, including suppliers, contractors, and other service providers – to continue excelling in this business. Each Carter Bruce Homes craftsman, subcontractor, plumber, landscaper, or materials dealer will tell you that they each have a personal stake in the construction of your home. They take a partnership stance with you in every step of the process from designing and planning, to financing and procuring, to actual construction and completion.

Matching your finances to your specifications, incorporating business and professional sense into the arrangement, and marrying your ideas with their technical capabilities, Carter Bruce Homes assures you that your custom home is built precisely as you have dreamt it to be.

Another match is made between your lifestyle and the community where your home will be built. With Carter Bruce Homes’ projects in prime property neighborhoods, you get a choice of sites depending on your preferences for basic amenities, entertainment and recreation, even education. To name a few of the prestigious neighborhoods where Carter Bruce Homes is building, there are Highland Lakes and Horseshoe Bay, Falconhead and Yaupon Creek. These communities boast of golf and other sports, shopping and dining, music and the arts, entertainment and business. Accessibility is not a problem; public and private utilities are likewise no hassles. Your dream home, built to your discriminating taste, and situated in your dream community summarizes Carter Bruce Homes’ commitment to your total satisfaction.

Wait there’s more…

Before you call Carter Bruce Homes, contact a realtor first to give you a full service description of this Houston custom home builder. A realtor can give you an unbiased opinion about this builder and can also recommend you to a number of steel frame home builders in the Houston area that you may want to consider.

Dubai is one of the finest cities not only in the middle eastern region, but also throughout the globe. What makes it more special among the known urban centers of the world however, is the sandy surroundings it has been built upon. It shows on one hand the ability of the city planners to have got such an architectural marvel built in the middle of the desert, and on the other it lends a chance for some major outdoor activities around for the fun seeking enthusiasts. There are several locations around Dubai that one could choose to embark on with their desert safaris and have plenty of leisurely time ahead in the rustic Arabian countryside.

These safaris normally take place at a time the sun just starts lowering down on the western horizon and the sand dunes begin displaying larger shadows. The excitement of traveling straightway down from Dubai into a vast deserted land can be immeasurable in these circumstances. One normally encounters scattered villages and well-bred camels straying across on earth while being on these expeditions. The purple Arabian skies provide a very fitting backdrop for camping out in the desert as the evening finally sets in. Dubai is appreciated not only for its trade and commerce but also for the tourism activities it presents these days, and desert safaris may without doubt be stated as one of the key areas where these activities generally lay around at.

There are several available options for the tourists to get their safaris selected from. Generally all major hotels and resorts will get such trips organized when asked for by their clients. Guides are provided with all traveling parties for the duration beginning from the late afternoon start of any journey to the same night return later. Travelers should keep aware about the kind of topsy-turvy ride they might be about to undertake, as miles of sand dunes will be lying ahead in the path to be taken care of. Any lack of carefulness on part of the driver may cause the jeep to be overturned or get stuck inside the sand. Somehow, the fun and excitement of traveling like a gypsy will make out these stressful parts insignificant.

Once deep inside the desert, one may witness camels ferrying tourists across from one souk to another. It’s not only entertaining but challenging as well to be placed at the top of mounting and dismounting camel backs. The long-necked mammals on their part are well bred and nicely taken care of by their masters, and would start acting somewhat like puppies whenever pampered by someone. Just scratch behind any camel’s ears and it would start flattening its necks as if asking for more of the same massage.

The late evening outings normally include visiting souks in the desert and having Arabian dinner along with some entertaining folk dance and music shows on. Liquor drinks may cost between $7.00 – 10.00 and beers in the range of $5.00 – 7.00. You will enjoy watching stars at night provided Dubai is not very near the place where you have landed for your outing. The return journey takes place soon after all you camp fire itineraries, including having dinner and spending time around in shops, have ended to the best of your fulfilment. You will be back to your hotel just before the midnight and get on with your usual Dubai holiday making.