Southern Living highlights 2 SC housing markets — 1 for its popularity, 1 for being an up and comer
Two South Carolina communities made a recent Opendoor’s list, one for most popular, the other up and coming.
Opendoor, an online real estate company, said Summerville is one of the hottest markets in the country, while Greenville’s Eastside is an up and coming community.
The Houston area topped the most popular list with Katy and Cypress ranking one and two.
In the up and coming category, Austell, Georgia, ranked first.
Southern Living, reporting on Opendoor’s lists, said, “These neighborhoods boast smaller populations and plenty of move-in-ready homes. But the best part? In these locations, many homes cost less than $300,000.”
Summerville, known as “The Flower Town in the Pines,” began as a place for Lowcountry plantation families to escape the heat of the summer, mosquitoes and disease.
Today, it has a population of about 50,000, 25 miles northwest of Charleston.
Homes can be pricey there. The most expensive on the market this week is a six bedroom on Sumter Avenue with an asking price of just under $3.3 million. Sixteen houses on the market are going for more than $1 million.
The least expensive is a two-bedroom on Luden Drive for $155,000 that the owners stipulated as cash only.
Summerville ranked fifth of 20 on Opendoor’s list. The other cities on the list were San Antonio, Texas; New Braunfels, Texas; Forney, Texas; Yukon, Oklahoma; Clarksville, Tennessee; Parrish, Florida; Kyle, Texas; Davenport, Florida; McKinney, Texas; Winter Garden, Florida; Saint Augustine, Florida; Haines City, Florida; Palm Coast, Florida; Venice, Florida; Maricopa, Arizona; Ocala, Florida and Fuquay Varina, North Carolina.
Greenville’s Eastside is known for multiple subdivisions, good schools and plenty of shopping, including Haywood Mall, the largest in the state. Among the oldest neighborhoods on the Eastside are Botany Woods and Del Norte.
Most of the area was developed in the 1960s and 1970s, but some newer subdivisions have been built in recent years. The inventory includes estates as well as smaller homes with denser lots, cottages and condominiums.
A 1960s era modern-style house is for sale in Botany Woods for just over $1 million. Another on the same street has an asking price of just under $500,000.
Realtor Will Sawyer said the area appeals to everyone in every stage of life and lifestyle. It is also close to other Greenville County locations such as downtown Greenville, Greenville Spartanburg International Airport and Interstate 85.
The Eastside YMCA spent $2 million to upgrade soccer fields and pickleball courts. Also Prisma Health has a campus on the Eastside.
Sawyer said 1,000 homes went on the market in 2024 and just over 800 were sold.
“It’s a desirable place,” he said. “It doesn’t appeal to one demographic.”
The other areas on the up and coming list are Austell, Georgia; Harrah, Oklahoma; Saint Johns, Florida; Tomball, Texas; Edgewater, Florida; Arnold, Missouri; Loudon, Tennessee; Lebanon, Tennessee and Detroit, Michigan.