New member introduction and a request for help in Charleston, SC

[Simon O.]

Hi all!

First of all I'd like to say thank you so much to all the contributors on here - this is an absolutely fantastic resource and I know I'm not alone in finding it invaluable.

So a little about us... my wife and I currently live out of state, but are planning to move to Charleston SC in the next couple of years and get involved in property there. Whether that means rentals, fix and flip, something else etc. we're not sure yet. My wife's parents are actually going to move to Charleston first - ideally before Christmas this year - so we are going to start by buying the property for them to live in. 

This is my very first message so I know it's a bit naughty to ask for help, but if anybody had any thoughts on the following I'd be very much obliged!

1) We're all going to visit Charleston shortly to check out neighbourhoods but we're looking for a neighbourhood with great schools and somewhere that's convenient to both downtown Charleston and the beaches so are thinking either downtown Charleston itself or Mount Pleasant. Does anybody know of any good realtors we can get in touch with to start getting a feel for best schools, best neighbourhoods, what's achievable within our budget etc?

2) A question if there is anybody here who has moved to Charleston from out of State... did you find it easy to settle down and make friends? It's a big step to take and would love to hear your experiences!

3) a question for anybody involved in the property market in Charleston - how is the market there? Are there opportunities across the spectrum of property investing or does it lend itself to one more than another? 

Once it get closer to the time for us to move I'm looking forward to building a network with those of you in Charleston!

Thanks again

Simon