The solution for suburban sprawl
The Charleston South Carolina area has been growing rapidly during this decade. Charleston has benefited from the overall trend towards migration from the Northeast and Midwest to the South and West. Job creation has been excellent, the quality of life is wonderful, we have great weather and still have 4 distinct seasons but winter is short and mild and Charleston is located half way back (many Florida transplants have decided the Carolina coast is better located to return home for a visit and they have been referred to as "half backs").
To accommodate the growing population and build new homes for the many people who have been and will continue to relocate to Charleston, builders have purchased inexpensive land and built subdivision far from the center of the city. Commuters get in their cars, trucks and SUV's and face longer commutes to work as the road construction and road widening haven't kept up with the growing population. When busy people who are late for work try to text message or apply their makeup while driving, the inevitable result, a car accident will back up traffic even more.
Local politicians have attempted to control growth with building moratoriums and other measures. Their focus should be on planning and managing growth since people will continue to want to move to Charleston.
But a solution is for suburban sprawl is now in sight.
High gas prices.
And I think high gas prices will have a significant effect on the Charleston real estate market. I believe that more and more people will want to live both closer to their jobs and to the city in the coming years. When you analyze how much someone might pay in gas to live 20 miles from their job vs. living 2 miles from their job and multiply it by the $4 or $5 price per gallon which is seemingly inevitable, they may think about living closer to where the jobs are and more of the jobs are in the city, not the suburbs.
When put in this perspective, Charleston real estate buyers might consider spending a little more on their home with the savings they'll gain from spending less on gas. I think real estate values will hold up better and appreciate faster in areas that are closer to the city and the job centers.