Your Local, Reliable, Hometown Realtor

Written by: Matthew Brownlee | Allen Tate Realtors | 864.684.5622 | matthew.brownlee@allentate.com

Local Real Estate News

-- Laurens is growing rapidly as you very well know. People from cities like Greenville and Spartanburg are venturing towards Laurens county. With quick growth we must adapt and preserve the beauty of our county while also welcoming folks in.

--Comparing May YTD 2022 with 2021, median sales price in Laurens have risen over 30%!!

-- Over 50% increase in new listings in the county

-- Interest rates are hovering around 6.5% now but are still below the 30 year national average

-- Days on market of listed homes continue to decline, meaning buyers are eager for Laurens Homes!!

The Octagon House

Many of you have seen this famous home located right off of E Main on Woodrow Street while driving through town. Did you know this house was built from 1859 to 1862? It took three years due to manner of construction. It is thought to be one of the first concrete homes erected in South Carolina! Designed and constructed by Rev. Zelotes Holmes, this home stands as a tribute to great craftsmanship and skill.

Future U-Pick Orchard on the Brownlee's Farm in Hickory Tavern

Spotlight on Laurens

-- Laurens County Freedom Fest Parade beginning @4pm on Saturday, July 3rd followed immediately by the Second Annual Laurens Lights the Nights; featuring a salute to our Armed Forces, local musicians, a comedian, light show on the courthouse and a jaw dropping firework finale! More info at www.laurenslightsthenight.com

-- Palmetto Brothers Dispensary announces Singer / Songwriter Saturday Night each Saturday @7pm in the Taproom. This months lineups include; J. Stephens (July 9), Jef Wilson (16th), Billy Dalton (23rd), Aden Webb (30th)

-- Laurens County Museum will have the travelling Smithsonian Museum at the Main Street location until July 16th, open Tuesday's- Saturday's 10am-3pm

-- Laurens County Trails Association hosted a ground breaking ceremony for the new loop trail, a new section of the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail

-- Laurens City Police Chief; Chrissie Latimore nominated to be US Marshal for the District of South Carolina

-- City Council gets first peek at renovation plans for the new Municipal Complex that will be located at the current City Police Department on Laurens Street that will house all City Judicial Functions in the future

-- Mayor Nathan Senn announced the appointment of Neil Roberts as the next Chief of the City of Laurens Fire Department

Sunset over 'Finally Friday' on the Square

Dates to remember in July

Most Land

247 Valcourt Lane, Kinards

15 Acres / $499,900

Most Unique

Highest Sold Price

Most Unique

Most Land

115 Gilbert Rd, Ware Shoals

88 Acres / $1,490,000

John Calvin Owings House

This stunning Victorian home was built in 1896 and designed by architect George F. Barber. This beauty has 12 indoor fireplaces, multiple wrap around porches and two turrets! Owings, born in 1857, was an entrepreneur who founded Owings and Bobo Mercantile Firm. Not only was he successful in his business, but he also flourished in public life, serving as a trustee on the school board, Director of the Chamber of Commerce, and even mayor of Laurens from 1916-1918. The home he built more than one hundred years ago remains in the Owings family.

*What is a turret you ask? A key "tower" like feature of Queen Anne style homes, also known as Victorian Style.

My Featured Listings

Local Real Estate News

-- Laurens is growing rapidly as you very well know. People from cities like Greenville and Spartanburg are venturing towards Laurens county. With quick growth we must adapt and preserve the beauty of our county while also welcoming folks in.

-- Comparing June YTD 2022 with 2021, median sales price is maintaining at a 30% increase

-- Interest rates are expected to hover around 5% but are still below the 30 year national average of 8% - which means it is still a great time to buy!

Spotlight on Laurens

- New Restaurant Coming to the Square this Fall!! "Rootimentary" will soon be a fine dining option for all of us in Laurens. I'm excited to see the options that this restaurant will offer us!

- Great things are happening in Laurens as always! For the second year in a row the City of Laurens takes the top award at the South Carolina Municipal Association Annual Meeting

- Francis Schodowski, current Vice President for Columbia College was welcomed to Presbyterian College as Vice President for Advancement

- Laurens Mayor, Nathan Senn announced the appointment of the City of Laurens next Police Chief, Mr. Keith P. Grounsell.

- Laurens Dentistry is getting a new home coming soon, but not moving to far away. The new building will be located across the street from the current location behind Zaxby's and Arby's!

- Laurens 55 announced the Clear Backpack policy for the 2022-23 school year. Students are required to have a clear backpack but are permitted to carry a non transparent bag no bigger than 6"x9". This is to increase safety measures according to district staff and board at the June Board meeting

- Singer/Songwriter Saturday Night lineup at Palmetto Brothers Dispensary for this month is Andrew Wooten (Aug. 6th), Jim Moss (13th), JT Sayres (20th), and Richie Tharpe (27th)

- Time for the kids to go back to school! Students in District 55 head back to school on August 16th. If you know or have kids or grandkids I hope they have a great first couple weeks back to school!!

*Keep a lookout in your mailbox for my next letter coming out next month!!*

Future U-Pick Orchard on the Brownlee's Farm in Hickory Tavern

Courthouse Light Show at the Freedom Fest

Dates to remember in August

Friday Night Live Lineup @The Square 4-10pm

5th: The Warcry Band

12th: J. Stephens Folk Trio

19th: No Speed Limit

26th: Richie Tharpe

Events at Palmetto Brothers

Trivia with Beauty and the Beard: Every Tuesday 7- 9PM

Rockstar Music Bingo: Every Wednesday 7-9pm

Cornhole Tournament: Every Thursday 4-9pm

School

16th: First day back to school for District 55

Your Local, Reliable, Hometown Realtor

Written by: Matthew Brownlee | Allen Tate Realtors | 864.684.5622 | matthew.brownlee@allentate.com

My Featured Listings

Charles H. Duckett House

Charles H. Duckett a notable African American businessman in Laurens built this house in 1892 and lived here until his death in 1942. He was a carpenter, contractor, and lumber dealer in Laurens and owned the only lumberyard there for many years. The house demonstrates Duckett’s skill in carpentry and construction. Mr. Duckett also operated a funeral home and was active in civic affairs and in the Bethel AME Church. The home remained in the Duckett family until 1975 and is now owned by the Laurens County African American Cultural Foundation.

Most Land

14019 Neely Ferry Rd, Waterloo

53± Acres / $295,000

Local Real Estate News

- Despite the talk of a “housing recession,” don’t hold your breath waiting for home prices to suddenly decline any time soon. In fact, prices are expected to grow through 2023, according to several housing forecasts.

However, the market does seem to be cooling off. With higher mortgage costs, home sales are slowing to a normalized pace.

- Mortgage Rates are still hovering between 5.5% - 6%

- New growth in Laurens continues to be a positive impact on the City and County making Laurens a hotspot for Industry, Retail and Small businesses!

Spotlight on Laurens

- I hope that the kids you have (or know) have had a fantastic time back to school! That means one thing for Laurens High, the Friday Night Lights are on and the Raiders are hitting the Football field!!

- Mayor Senn welcomed Main Street organizations around the state to visit Laurens and to share strategies of the successes on the square

- Laurens County Agriculture Tour is being held Sept. 14th from 8:30am - 4:30pm. Hosted by the Laurens Chamber of Commerce. Hope to see you out there for a action packed day!!

#1 Sunny Days Entertainment LLC. has announced it will move it's corporate headquarters to Laurens County. Investing $16M and creating a staggering 80 new jobs in the county!! Located in Owings Park, Sunny Days Entertainment is a distributor and manufacturer of children's toys for some of the nations largest retailers. Definitely a big win for Laurens County!!

#2 Boondocks Fish Camp & BBQ is set to open sometime this month. They are located at 1955 Trinity Church Rd, Gray Court. I remember working at Bull Hill Ranch across the road during high school, I'm excited to see this restaurant instill a breath of fresh air to this location. Boondocks can be contacted at (864) 497-7938. Hope to see y'all at the grand opening this month!!

#3 Southern Twist & Trade. Have you walked by the building on the square with "Coming Soon" on the windows? Here's what's going on, Two of Laurens well known retail storefronts, Southern Twist and Southern Trade are joining forces for an amazing shopping experience!! They will now have a new location at 109 West Public Square!

Halloween is right around the corner!!

P.S. Matthew's Minute is growing! Stay tuned for the Matthew's Minute Podcast in October! What do y'all want to hear? I'd love to hear what information y'all want me to cover! Text me at 864.684.5622

Dates to remember in September

Friday Night Live Lineup @ The Square 6-10pm

2nd: Jared Pettey's & The Headliners

9th: Rhythm Section

10th: Jerius Duncan

16th: Andrew Wooten w/ Carolina Roost

23rd: J Stephens & The Stubborn Hearts

24th: JT Sayres

Events at Palmetto Brothers

Trivia with Beauty and the Beard: Every Tuesday 7- 9PM

Rockstar Music Bingo: Every Wednesday 7-9pm

Cornhole Tournament: Every Thursday 7-9pm

Many of you may know this tree located at the intersection of Wilsontown Road and Hwy. 76. During the storm on August 20th, it was struck by lightning. My family's history spans over 100 years on this road with our land bordering this historical tree. During the 1930's and 40's my great-grandfather would sit under this tree waiting to be picked up to go to work at the Laurens Textile Mill. This tree has lived for over 200 years and was said to be very large during my grandpa's childhood. I'm sad that it was damaged during this storm, but I am glad to know my family's history around this iconic tree. Imagine the stories that it could tell throughout it's life!!

Sunset Over the Farm

Your Local, Reliable, Hometown Realtor

Written by: Matthew Brownlee | Allen Tate Realtors | 864.684.5622 | matthew.brownlee@allentate.com

Featured Listings

302 Furman Street, Laurens

Coming Soon - Call for details

Albright-Dukes House

The Albright-Dukes House was built in 1904 as a residence for Dr. George C. Albright. This home is Laurens best example of the Dutch Colonial Revival style of architecture. Very few houses of this style were built in the Upper Savannah region of SC. Notable features of the home are its cross gambrel roof with Palladian windows. Around the home is an unusual placement of windows, many of them are stained glass, leaded glass, and lattice paned windows. The home has had few alterations over its history and still retains the unique integrity from its time of construction.

Most Land

00 Cattle Drive, Laurens

195± Acres / $15,900/Acre

Will Subdivide - Min. 5 acres

Local Real Estate News

- As rates continue to rise I expect the see a flatter market soon meaning we won't be in a sellers market nor a buyers market. It will be normalized which the market has needed!

- Many buyers are weary of the rising rates but as prices still continue to appreciate I predict the best option for a buyer now would be to buy the home they want now and refinance once rates decline in late 2023 or early 2024.

- If you know anyone searching for homes in the area or someone needing to sell their home and move I would love the opportunity to guide someone with their Real Estate journey!

- Finally Fridays may be over for 2022 but live music on the square is still alive! Come see, Live and Local Music Artist on the Square on the following Friday Nights. See y'all there!!

7th: Taylor Alexander

14th: Jerius Duncan

21st: Andrew Wooten

28th: J Stephens

Spotlight on Laurens

- Laurens High School in partnership with the Sheriff's office has added a firearm detection K-9 whose name is 'Abel' in an effort to further protect students and schools

- Hurricane Ian thankfully did not bring too much trouble to Laurens other than forcing Squealin on the Square to be postponed a week. Squealin will take place as normal this Friday and Saturday the 7th-8th

- Renovations are under way at the City Police department. All city police operations have been moved to the second story of the Truist bank building while renovations take place on W Laurens St. The renovations are anticipated to take one year to complete.

Remember the talk about my upcoming podcast? Episode 1 is here!!

Episode 1 features my amazing office Branch Leader, Kelly Smith as we talk about Matthew's Minute and the great things to come in the future!! Just like this newsletter is a quick read, I promise the podcast won't take long to listen too

Scan the QR code below with your phone camera to be directed to the Podcast link!

Or type this link online

https://goo.by/2Xkfr

Dates to remember in October

As another way of giving back to the community, I have started a Facebook page built for Professionals in Laurens County. In this group you can market your business, ask for advice or give some, as well as network with over 200 others already in the group! To join, go to Facebook and search "Laurens SC Young Professionals", click join and answer the membership questions. Stay tuned on the page for in person networking events in the near future!

Sunset Over the Farm

Your Local, Reliable, Hometown Realtor

Written by: Matthew Brownlee | Allen Tate Realtors | 864.684.5622 | matthew.brownlee@allentate.com

Featured Listings

00 The Pines Rd, Cross Hill

$32,500 - 4.4 Acres

NO Restrictions

Irby-Henderson-Todd House

This house was built in 1838 and enlarged in 1855 and 1880. It was built in three stages by three different owners, the home’s architectural features of the preceding periods were not concealed when later additions and alterations were made keeping histories touch alive in the home. The house is also significant for its association with Irby, Henderson, and Todd, locally prominent lawyers who were active in state politics and government. Interesting features include the two-story pedimented portico, fine window and door surrounds, carved mantels, and wide crown moldings

More Land

00 Cattle Drive, Laurens

195± Acres / $15,900/Acre

Will Subdivide - Min. 5 acres

Local Real Estate News

- I heard a simple phrase the other day from my broker to explain the housing market right now. Marry the house, date the rate. This couldn't be more true in today's market as we all face rising interest rates. Buy now, refinance later because home prices still continue to rise.

- The market is however experiencing a deceleration of appreciation but not a depreciation

- If you pay attention to home prices in some areas, you may see price drops but that's not to get confused with depreciation. Price Adjustments happen all the time in a normal market. We've been overwhelmed the past couple years with homes flying off the market.

Year to date Stats in Laurens

- Average home prices have increased from $175,900 to $230,000 which is a 30.8% increase year to date.

- Percent of list price received remains the same which means people are still willing to pay list price for homes in Laurens...a great thing if you're selling!!

Spotlight on Laurens

- ** General Election Reminder for November 8th, Polling Places are open 7am-7pm. For more info on polling places and to get a sample ballot visit www.scvotes.gov and click under the "Voters" tab.

- The Voter Registration office will be open for early voting from 8:30 am – 6:00 pm, Monday through Saturday at 105 Bolt Dr, Laurens

Early Voting is open October 24 - November 5.

- The Laurens Inmate litter crew cleaned up 35,920 pounds of trash this past month off of Laurens County Roads!

- New Restaurant Opens in Clinton, Gerard’s Italian Pizza & Subs opened recently at 23195 Hwy 76 E Suite B. Open seven days a week 11am-11pm!

Matthew's Minute Podcast Episode 2 will feature my knowledgeable colleague, Carl Jones "The Land Man" as we talk about the land market in Laurens County. Just like this newsletter is a quick read, I promise the podcast won't take long to listen too!

Ep. 2 will be released on November 15th : Youtube Channel Link Below

Scan or Type

https://bit.ly/mmepis2

Your Local, Reliable, Hometown Realtor

Written by: Matthew Brownlee | Allen Tate Realtors | 864.684.5622 | matthew.brownlee@allentate.com

Winter Home Maintenance Tips

-> Insulate outdoor pipes/spigots to prevent freezing

-> Test your basement/crawl space sump pump (if you have one) by pouring in a couple gallons

-> Trim back trees close to your roof/home

-> Clear the fall leaves from your roof/gutters

-> Place a screen over openings to prevent rodents from discovering a warm place to call home

-> Drain your garden hoses and unused pipes outdoors

-> Replace furnace filters

-> Don't forget to pay your property taxes :)

Christmas Lights in Laurens

-> Holiday Lights - 2753 Trinity Church Rd

-> Poole's Light Show- 6264 Hwy 92, Enoree

-> Reindeer 5k Run will take place on Saturday December 10th on the Square. 5k begins promptly at 9am followed by the kids 1 mile Fun Run starting at 9:05. Starts and ends at Truist Bank.

-> When you take your family out dining this holiday season look no further than Lauren's very own fine dining restaurant, Rootimentary!! Reservations are now being taken starting Dec. 6th and beyond! To make reservations email hello@rootimentary.co ; visit their website at www.rootimentary.co

-> Laurens Chorale Concert on Dec. 9th @7:30pm at First Presbyterian Laurens. $10 to attend

-> Midnight at the Museum New Years Event will be held on Dec. 31st from 8pm-Midnight at 116 South Public Square. Register at the Museum

Your Local, Reliable, Hometown Realtor

Written by: Matthew Brownlee | Allen Tate Realtors | 864.684.5622 | matthew.brownlee@allentate.com

Matthews Minute in Laurens...all about Laurens

New Year's Resolutions

New Year is here and so are resolutions. Resolutions by definition are firm decisions to do something. I hope that you've made yours whether it be to get healthier, achieve a new goal, start a new hobby, etc.

My 2023 new years resolution is to guide 24 people through meeting their Real Estate needs. Real Estate transactions involves a lot of money and emotions. My goal since getting in the business and above all else, is simply to help others reach their goals in Real Estate and be a trusted resource before, during and after the sale.

2022 Year in Review

My team and I helped 20 sellers and 50 buyers throughout 2022