Is that house vacant
One of the more interesting questions I get from website visitors requesting additional information on Charleston homes for sale is whether the house is vacant. I think the reason for this question is they may think, can I steal this house for well below market value because the sellers are desperate. It's kind of like a shark who smells blood in the water.
The Charleston South Carolina real estate market is a very fluid market, there are a lot of people who move here for a job assignment and move away several years later. In many cases, the sale of their home is being handled by a relocation company.
So it really is a question of perception vs. reality. If the house is vacant, it doesn't necessarily mean that the seller will accept a lowball offer out of desperation. If the house is fairly priced, while you may not have to pay full list price (after all, considering the current market conditions and the high level of inventory, in most cases, the buyer would be foolish to start negotiation at full price).
I've sold homes that were vacant and the sellers received offers fairly close to list price. In some instances, it can also be an advantage to putting a vacant house on the market because a messy, cluttered home doesn't show all that well and in some cases, it is inconvenient to the seller to have buyers looking while they are currently living in the house, a couple of examples might be when they work shifts and sleep during the day or if they have young children to take care of or pets that need to be controlled.
There are good buys available in the Charleston real estate market but a vacant house does not mean that you can necessarily buy it any more advantageously than a home that is occupied by the homeowner. You can be a dolphin instead of a shark and still buy a nice home at a good price.