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It is official, summer is here! The kids are out of school, my father-in-law (a teacher at Lexington High School) has turned in his keys and shut off his lights and the roads in the morning have less traffic and absolutely no busses! All of these are signs that summer is here, if the heat has not already clued you in.
With summer comes the necessity to find a nice place to cool off and enjoy time with the family. For most of us that is time in the pool, river or lake. As for me and my family we tend to enjoy swimming and boating on Lake Murray! I recently read an article in The Lake Murray News that shared some very useful information concerning water safety, I’ll share some of their tips as well as add a couple that were not included.
1-Always wear a life jacket when enjoying lake activities (skiing, tubing etc…). While towing our kids and their friends a few days ago one of the boys fell off the tube and skipped across the water several time before he stopped with a large smile on his face. Life jackets are absolutely essential, don’t leave home without one.
2-Never dive in water you don’t know. Rivers and lakes are notorious for having stumps, branches and unknown spots that seem deep but in fact are shallow. Be careful and never dive into water without knowing where it is safe to do so.
3-When pulling someone in a boat be aware of your surroundings and always have a spotter. During the summer lake traffic picks up which means boating vigilance is essential for safety.
4-Never swim alone. This seems simple enough but some people think a quick solo swim in the pool is no big deal. As tempting as it seems don’t do it. You always want someone available in case of an accident.
5-Know the proper hand signals for safety. The ability to get a message from the tube or wake board to the driver is essential! Be sure you go over the signals for stopping, slowing down, speeding up and catching bigger waves!
6-Turn off the boat when getting into or out of the water. I never like getting into the water while the boat is running. For some reason I have visions of being turned into 160 lbs of ground beef! Always turn the motor off!
7-Acknowdge you are “ok” after a spill. When and if you fall off the tube or wake board be sure you let your friends in the boat know you are alive and ok by giving a hands up signal. The Lake Murray News suggested that in some states a “skier down” flag may need to be displayed.
8-While waiting to be picked up, keep the ski tips above your head so you can be seen better by other recreational boat traffic. Whatever it takes, be sure you are seen!
9-In a river still water can be dangerous under the surface. For those of us that enjoy time on the river, be very mindful of the river current and the potential for deadly currents.
10-Don’t stand up in the rapids! Foot entrapments can be deadly. If you find yourself going through the rapids try to keep your feet up and in front of you so you can avoid approaching rocks with your feet.
It is summer and water sports are here for the next few months so, think safety, think fun and be careful!
For those of you that enjoy statistics, here are the market statistics for the month of May 2009.
|
AREA
|
SALES
|
AVG LIST
PRICE |
MED SOLD
PRICE |
AVG SOLD
PRICE |
DAYS ON
MARKET |
UNITS
LISTED |
|
Chapin
|
26
|
$298,805
|
$159,950
|
$185,276
|
155
|
40
|
|
Irmo
|
69
|
$176,170
|
$127,000
|
$141,956
|
105
|
203
|
|
Lake Murray
|
6
|
$555,662
|
$444,000
|
$427,750
|
49
|
24
|
|
Forest Acres
|
32
|
$172,872
|
$161,250
|
$165,385
|
85
|
43
|
These numbers compared to the statistics for the same time in 2008 reflect a general trend of increasing sales while the listing and sales prices have fallen. Some areas reflect a higher gap between 2008 and 2009 but there is a trend of increasing sales in 2009, lower inventories in 2009 and slight decline in the sold prices in 2009. Some buyers are out to “get deals” but in general home prices have fallen slightly and the deals that are available tend to be bank owned. That said, it is a great time to buy your next home!
Chapin Real Estate for Sale
Chapin Entry Level Homes
[under $150K] |
Chapin Median Homes
[$150K ~ $300K]
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Chapin Upscale Homes
[$300k ~ $550K]
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Chapin Luxury Homes
[over $550K] |
Chapin Homesites and Acreage for Sale |
Columbia SC Real Estate for Sale
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Chapin Real Estate; Homes for Sale in Chapin South Carolina. You have access to additional Property Searches such as, Chapin Entry Level Homes, Chapin Median Homes, Chapin Upscale Homes, Chapin Luxury Homes, and Chapin Homesites and Acreage in Chapin SC. Exit Midlands Realty also offers you access to Chapin SC, Columbia SC, Lake Murray SC, Irmo SC, Lexington SC, West Columbia SC, Ft Jackson SC, Forest Acres SC, Shandon SC, Newberry SC, Prosperity SC, and Saluda South Carolina. Call us for more information at (803) 345-6124.
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 Chapin, SC Real Estate Network: Your real estate experts for the Chapin, Newberry, Irmo and Columbia SC areas. We are happy to have you visiting with us. Providing the most comprehensive real estate site for all of Chapin is our goal! (803) 345-6124.
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