The reading room
Guides for South Carolina buyers of a first home
Careful, plain-spoken answers for South Carolina families buying a first home: property tax status, attorney closings, coastal insurance, military moves and the fine print on SC Housing assistance.
Running your own business and buying a first home in South Carolina
For South Carolina contractors, tradespeople and business owners: how lenders read your tax returns, a worked HVAC example, and which state programs fit.
Driving, delivering or shopping through an app: buying a first South Carolina home on gig income
Drive for Uber or Lyft, deliver for DoorDash or Amazon Flex, or shop for Instacart or Shipt in South Carolina? How lenders count app income and which programs fit.
Preparing for Palmetto Heroes: what to finish before the spring round opens
Palmetto Heroes opens each spring and closes fast. How past rounds ran, why you need a signed contract, and what to finish over the winter to be ready.
The fine print on SC Housing's $10,000 forgivable assistance
How SC Housing's forgivable down payment assistance works, when it must be repaid, the refinance rule, recapture tax, and stacking with local programs.
The 4% legal residence ratio: a first-year task every South Carolina buyer should finish
Why a South Carolina home you live in is assessed at 4% instead of 6%, what the county assessor asks for, and the January deadline new owners miss.
Closing on a South Carolina home: what your attorney does and why you choose them
South Carolina requires a licensed attorney at key steps of a home closing. What that means, your right to choose the attorney, and how to prepare.
The deed recording fee and the other costs you will see at a South Carolina closing
How South Carolina's deed recording fee is calculated, what recording costs look like, and which closing costs SC Housing's $10,000 forgivable loan can cover.
Wind, hail and flood: insuring a first home on the South Carolina coast
Buying near the South Carolina coast? How the state wind pool works, why flood needs its own policy, the Safe Home grant and catastrophe savings accounts.
Charleston, Columbia or Greenville: how the cost of a first home differs across South Carolina's three largest metros
How income limits, local down payment programs, insurance and first-time buyer rules differ for first-time buyers in Charleston, Columbia and Greenville, SC.
Buying near Joint Base Charleston, Shaw, Fort Jackson or Beaufort: a guide for military families
Stationed at Joint Base Charleston, Shaw, Fort Jackson, Beaufort or Parris Island? VA loans, SC Housing rules, the 4% tax ratio and what a PCS means for your DPA.
For South Carolina teachers: how a school-year salary, a new contract and student loans fit a mortgage
How lenders count a South Carolina teacher's 10-month pay, summer school, a new contract and student loans, and what the educator certificate rule means for you.
A first home in rural South Carolina: County First, USDA loans and the property rules that matter
SC Housing's County First Initiative covers 31 rural counties. How it works with USDA loans, the 5-acre rule, and what to know about manufactured homes.
