Time to BUY at Lake Murray

The Lake Murray BUYING Season Has Started at Lake Murray

Ready to move or relocate to beautiful Lake Murray?  Now is the time!  Contact Mel Coker for buyer representation to buy your home or property at Lake Murray.  Mel is a life-long Columbia area resident and has lived on Lake Murray for the past 13 years.   Mel knows Lake Murray.

CLICK HERE FOR LAKE MURRAY MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE ACCESS

Ready to buy?
Call Mel Coker at (803) 318-2007
Send Mel and email

Live at Lake Murray

Have Fun at Lake Murray

Mel Coker
RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants
Chapin, SC

Lake Murray is the Place to be in Wintertime (and Summer)

To my Northeast friends... Tired of the snow and blizzards? Move to friendly and (relatively) warm Greater Columbia or Lake Murray (SC).
http://mel.bestlakemurrayhomes.com

Average temperatures and snowfall in Columbia, SC:
January   High:  56 degrees  Low: 34 degrees  
February  High:  60 degrees  Low: 37 degrees
March  High:  68 degrees  Low: 43 degrees
Average ANNUAL snowfall for Columbia, SC is only 1/2 inch!
Average ANNUAL hours of sunshine: 2825
What are your averages?   View this website to get your numbers

 Ready to move?  Contact Mel Coker at RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants.   Mel sells all over Greater Columbia, including Lake Murray, Chapin, Irmo and Lexington.


Mel Coker

Cell: (803) 318-2007
MLS Search and Register At My Website
email: melcoker@remax.net

Chapin, SC Update #1

Chapin, SC - NEW Growth

Chapin is a small town approximately 20 miles Northwest of Columbia, South Carolina via I-26

West.  The town is known by many as the "Capital of Lake Murray."   The shores of this beautiful lake are only a few miles from Chapin.  There, homeowners and visitors enjoy a lake of 40 miles in length with approximately 600 miles of shoreline.   Chapin area residents have one of the finest school districts in South Carolina - Lexington Richland School District 5.

An update on what will be new in the Chapin area in 2016:

Chapin Furniture will open a new store at 660 Columbia Avenue.   It's conveniently located at exit 91 on I-26 and will open around mid-year in 2016.

Publix is building a new grocery store at Chapin Crossing at 1150 Chapin Road.  This store is expected to open in the fall of 2016.   It will have about 46,000 square feet of space.   There will be other stores in this development to be announced later.

Sonic is expected to build a new restaurant on Chapin Road and open in 2016.

Chapin Park (possibly to be re-named), a new park developed and operated by the Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission is expected to open by the end of 2016.   This 70 acre park situated between  Eptings Camp and Old Bush River Roads was developed in conjunction with community needs and participation.   The park will feature six baseball fields, tennis courts, soccer fields, play area and a state of the art splash pond.   Click here for a site plan.

And, close to Chapin will be the Greater Columbia area's first Costco store.  This store is under development now at Piney Grove Road and I-26 (exit 104).  This is only 13 miles from Chapin exit 91 on I-26.  The store will open in 2016.


 Chapin is a GREAT PLACE TO LIVE!  Ready to move or retire to Chapin and the Lake Murray area?  Contact Mel Coker at RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants.  Call Mel at (803) 318-2007.

Chapin, SC Area Map

Mel Coker
RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants
Chapin, SC
(803) 318-2007  |  email: melcoker@remax.net
Search MLS for Chapin and Lake Murray

Lake Murray and Columbia are in the Bargain Belt of Real Estate Values!

Columbia, SC is in the Bargain Belt!

TRULIA recently posted an article, "Housing in 2016", that identified COLUMBIA, SC as being in Markets to Watch in 2016.  This area is labeled as the

Trulia Reports:  Columbia, SC is in the Bargain Belt!

the "Bargain Belt" of affordable housing.   Columbia, SC was #7 in a national survey of markets that have strong potential for growth.

Key components of the analysis included: strong job growth, high affordability, high number of inbound searches and a large share of millennials.   For the full and informative article, CLICK HERE for 2016 Housing Predictions.

Columbia is a GREAT place to live.   We also have pleasant year-round weather, highly rated school districts, fun recreational opportunities and Lake Murray and a vibrant downtown area.

Ready to move or have questions?  Contact Mel Coker at (803) 318-2007.   I am a life-long Columbia area resident and currently live on Lake Murray.

(Trulia information and graphic used with permission of Trulia).



Mel Coker
Realtor, ABR, CRS, GRI, e-PRO, MilRES
RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants - Chapin, SC
(803) 318-2007
Columbia & Lake Murray MLS search: http://mel.bestlakemurrayhomes.com
Lake Murray Blog:  www.LakeMurrayBlog.com

Will 2016 Be The Year For Your Move to Lake Murray?

2016 NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION - MOVE TO LAKE MURRAY

This may be the  year you decide to move to a beautiful and friendly lake in the South.  If so, you

need to consider Lake Murray near Columbia, South Carolina.   Mel Coker is the Lake Murray expert to assist you with relocation and finding the right home.

Mel is a life-long Columbia area resident and has lived on Lake Murray for over 12 years.  Call Mel for assistance in finding the right Lake Murray home or lot.



Mel Coker
RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants
Chapin, SC
(803) 318-2007
Internet:
Mel.BestLakeMurrayHomes.com  (MLS Search)
LakeMurray-SC.com

Lake Murray Water Level Update

Sunshine Today at Lake Murray and in Columbia!   
We have had rain and cloudy days every day in the Lake Murray area since September 24th.  Then the low pressure system and some effects from Hurricane Joaquin caused historic rain and flooding from  October 1st through yesterday.    The heaviest rain was from the coastal areas of Charleston to Myrtle Beach and up through the middle part of the state and through Columbia.    Some parts of Columbia and Lexington have had very heavy and damaging floods.  Unfortunately, there have been drowning deaths, mostly in cars.

At Lake Murray, water levels are at near historic highs, but NOT over the 360' flood stage.  On October 1st, the water level was at a normal seasonal level of about 356.52.     On this date, the owner of the lake, South Carolina Electric & Gas Company, began lowering water levels with increased flow through the hydro plant.   This took the water level to about 356.2 on October 3rd.  The normal summer time water level is about 358' and the normal winter time water level is about 354'.

SCE&G had to release additional water from the emergency spillway gates on Sunday, October 4th and Monday October 5th.    As I understand, these gates had not been used to release water (except annual testing) since about 47 years ago.   Water levels continued to increase during this time as SCE&G worked to balance water release at the lake with concerns for increased river flows downstream.  As of October 6th, water releases from the Dreher Shoals dam on Lake Murray have been significantly reduced to aid in downstream river flows.

The water level today, Tuesday October 6th,  is 359.31.  This is an increase of 3 feet just since last Saturday, October 3rd.  It appears this may be near the peak as the rains stopped yesterday and we have sunshine today.  This is the highest level of Lake Murray we have seen during our 12 years of living on this beautiful lake.

SCE&G has to carefully monitor and manage water levels with two primary concerns - water inflows from the Saluda River watershed and Lake Greenwood AND how it releases water as it impacts downstream in the lower Saluda and the Congaree Rivers.  

Link to Lake Murray water levels

Lake Murray Water Levels - Sep. 29 - Oct. 6

Note stake in water just beyond and to right of birdhouse.  The bottom of this stake is the normal summer high waster elevation.   The lake level as of October 6th is about 3-4 feet above normal for this time of year.

Sunshine at Lake Murray!

Mel Coker
Lake Murray Resident & Realtor
RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants

Keep Lake Murray Litter Free!

Please Help Keep Lake Murray Clean

Yesterday, I rode my jet ski out to Bear Island to do a cleanup on my "adopted" island.  Unfortuntely, I did find a good bit of litter around two campsites.  It's certainly depressing to see that some folks choose to litter such beautiful sites.  The camping on Lake Murray's islands is even free!   Thank you to those that help keep Lake Murray's waterways and islands clean.

My adopted island:  Bear Island

If you want to help against the fight against litter in the Midlands, join the KEEP THE MIDLANDS BEAUTIFUL organization (like I have done).   It's only $25 per year.

Trash pickup on Bear Island - September 13, 2015

Ready to Leave Bear Island With the Trashbag

Mel Coker
Realtor - RE/MAX Real Estate Consultants
(803) 318-2007
Lake Murray MLS Search