Committed developers understand the importance of their role within local communities. They seek to add value through intentional design, land impact, and improvements, providing local jobs, stewarding the environment, community input, following state/local building codes for design and development while maintaining community standards. Simply put, developers should seek ways to invest in their community through charity, land improvement, and quality. These developers consider themselves part of the community so they really do have “skin in the game” beyond profit.

One of the ways developers support the community is through charitable contributions, volunteering in various community efforts, providing support to first responders, schools, and other worthy non-profit organizations.

The Randolph Group (TRG) continually seeks ways to support the local community in every development we pursue. Each is different and unique to the specific community and location. We are committed to being good stewards, sharing and supporting local causes, agencies, and people within the communities we develop and serve.

One recent example is a new development in Charleston, South Carolina, where we are leading an affordable housing development in conjunction with Homes of Hope with the City of Charleston as a partner. The proposed development on Ashley River Road at Dogwood Road will include 75 affordable for-sale townhomes that will serve families earning up to 100% of AMI (Area medium income). It is expected to be completed in April 2022 with occupancy in the fall of 2022.

As part of the plan, there is some required demolition. Before demolishing one of the buildings we offered the St. Andrews Fire Department the opportunity to conduct training events within and outside the structure. We have enjoyed the partnership with these community heroes guided by Fire Marshall and Captain Kevin Berkel head of investigations, training, and fire prevention for the St. Andrews Fire Department.

Captain Berkel noted, “We are continuing our training scenarios of rescuing a firefighter down, as well as civilian victims. This week we rotated all our companies through this training using theatrical smoke. All our crews love the opportunity to train in this structure and we are all very thankful!”

Giving back to the community is really important in regard to corporate stewardship and partnership. Seeking creative opportunities and innovative ways to support the local community is just one way developers can invest and buy into their local community. First Responders are always looking for private and public sector partnerships. Sometimes it’s something as small as providing a training location that otherwise would’ve gone unnoticed and been demolished without a thought.

At TRG we are trying to find ways to support the communities in which we invest with creativity and innovation. We encourage other developers and community non-profit organizations to seek similar partnerships. Community development is a partnership and one that shouldn’t be taken for granted. TRG will continue to seek ways to support our communities and neighborhoods without seeking fanfare or the limelight because it’s just the right thing to do.

TRG Communities develops and creates imaginative places for homeowners to enjoy a wide array of amenities and living space. We design communities instead of houses and neighborhoods! Our desire is for the total enjoyment and satisfaction of our residents. Our developments include O’Neal Village in Greer, SC, Foxbank Plantation in Charleston, Verdmont and Carilion in Travelers Rest, and Neely Farm in Simpsonville, SC.

Contact us at https://trgcommunities.com/contact
864.239.6683

The Upstate and Greenville, South Carolina are among the top 10 fastest growing metro areas in the United States according to some new research by Redfin. The “Charlanta” corridor (I-85 between Atlanta, Greenville, and Charlotte) is among the fastest-growing metros trailing places like Phoenix, Dallas, Orlando, and Tampa just slightly. According to a recent article in A-Z Business Magazine Greenville is ahead of 9th ranked Charlotte and just behind 7th ranked Atlanta of new in-flow in new homeowners and residents. Greenville gained just shy of 39,000 new residents in 2020 ahead of Charlotte’s nearly 38,000 and just behind Atlanta’s 42,000+ new residents.

The expansive growth means demand for new homes and each of the top 10 markets, including Greenville has builders and developers scrambling to keep up. According to Redfin chief economist Daryl Fairweather in the article: “People aren’t moving to places with more homes available to buy; they’re moving to places with more affordable homes to buy….Remote workers leaving expensive places for relatively affordable areas, partly because the allure of more house for less money is strong, is exacerbating housing supply shortages in more affordable parts of the country.”

Residential building permits are up and so is the development from Atlanta to Charlotte. Many young professionals are fleeing the high-priced living of places like San Francisco, NY, Chicago, and Miami with the options for remote work and the ability to lower their housing/mortgage payment while still being able to save money on the cost of living in many of these areas and save.

The growth presents a boon for developers and builders but points out the level of competition that locals (current residents moves within a particular metro) now have in considering a new home or residence. It also means moving south is more affordable for a variety of reasons. Among them, lower housing costs, taxes on property, sales, and state income tend to be lower, as well as an overall lower COLA and higher quality of living. In many of the growth metros like Greenville, commuting and traffic are light compared to higher populated metros. Vibrant downtown life and retail along with access to major sporting events, concerts, and entertainment just adds to the value.

The growing metros have spectacular downtown areas, easy access to shopping, high-quality medical care, strong public safety, schools with relatively lower travel time to the beach or mountains for getaway weekends. For many of these transfers and new in-flow residents, it’s not as important to live on the ocean or in the mountains as it is to be accessible for when they need “getaway time” for family.

TRG (The Randolph Group) is doing its part to provide housing choices in a variety of mixed-use communities in the Upstate with access to a quality of life absent attractive shops, dining and other amenities.

Developments such as Pinestone in Travelers Rest, O’Neal Village in Greer, Pendleton West, Carilion and others offer the opportunity to get more value out of your dollar without sacrificing or giving up amenities previously enjoyed in other metro areas. Downtown Greenville offers a palette of choice for the arts, fine dining, with easy access to hiking trails, the Swamp Rabbit Trail, quaint and charming towns like Greer, Travelers Rest, and beyond offer an easy connection to local culture, art, food, and entertainment.

There are new homes and lots available in each of our developments for those looking to take advantage of all the Upstate of South Carolina has to offer. Contact us today to discover how we can help make your dream of affordable living without sacrificing amenities a reality. Come discover the difference of the Upstate of South Carolina.

TRG Communities creates imaginative places for homeowners to enjoy a wide array of amenities and living space. We design communities instead of houses and neighborhoods! Our desire is for the total enjoyment and satisfaction of our residents. Our developments include O’Neal Village in Greer, SC, Foxbank Plantation in Charleston, Verdmont and Carilion in Travelers Rest, and Neely Farm in Simpsonville, and our newest communities of Pinestone and Magnolia Cottages in Travelers Rest, South Carolina.

Contact us at https://trgcommunities.com/contact 864.239.6683

When choosing a neighborhood it’s important to consider a variety of factors. Amenities, the HOA, lot layout, the community design-build, location, participating builders, access to schools, conveniences, safety, neighbors, and much more come into play. A particular house may be appealing but you need to do your homework regarding the neighborhood.

For example, you may have a great neighborhood that you’ve discovered while driving through a particular community, but it could have a high crime rate, low-value appreciation, an overzealous Homeowner Association, and fees, or it could be located within 2 miles of a local wastewater treatment plant with odors undetected at the time of day you drove through it.

While you may have already secured a Realtor, finding the right neighborhood is ultimately going to be your choice. You are the one who will live there and only you can decide if this is a place that you want to live! There are several things you can do on your end to rule out or choose potential neighborhoods.

The first thing to consider is the community developer. Before looking at builders, spec homes, or homes for sale consider who developed the neighborhood. Study their credentials. See what other neighborhoods they have developed in your area and region. Go on their website and see what they are all about. Check out the Google Reviews of the neighborhood you are considering. It all starts with the developer. Every developer has complaints, but if you see multiple negative reviews about their quality, layout, design, HOA, etc., you may want to broaden your search.

Before you move into a deed-restricted neighborhood with an HOA request a copy of the HOA guidelines so you know upfront what your limitations and guidelines are going to be. This is very important because deed-restricted communities have very specific guidelines and requirements. You have to determine which is right for you and your family.

Check the crime rates and police response for the community you are considering. This can be done through a pretty generic search on Google. If you see a high crime or multiple police response pattern to the specific neighborhood you may want to consider another development. Only you can make that decision.

Research the schools in the area if you have school-aged children. Your realtor cannot comment on this subject but you can determine if the school district is acceptable to your desires.

Check out the amenities the neighborhood has to offer. Is there a lot of gathering and commons space? What about the pool? Workout facilities? Dog parks? Neighborhood gatherings for specific holidays and events? Don’t forget to pay attention to nearby land vacancies, or a property listed for sale. You could move into a great neighborhood and the next thing you know the adjacent farm property could be available for retail development directly across from the neighborhood you are considering. Do your homework!

Other things to consider?
Review the garbage pickup schedule and reviews. Google internet service providers and determine if you have multiple choices for Internet and TV access. Ascertain the average costs of heating and cooling, water, and other utilities in the neighborhood. And don’t hesitate to talk to residents in the neighborhood. Tell the neighbors you are considering purchasing an existing home or building in the neighborhood and invite their feedback.

Scan the online neighborhood forums such as NextDoor, Facebook, and other social media applications that contain neighborhood information. Check out the BBB rating of the builders. Talk to the builders and check out their work, warranties, and Google Reviews. Ask the hard questions.

Finding the right neighborhood and vetting specific builders is the lion’s share of purchasing an existing or new home in a specific neighborhood. At the end of the day, the decision is yours to make, and being able to say you did your homework is important.

At TRG Communities we have been designing award-winning imaginative neighborhoods and communities for many years. Our goal is to build communities, not just neighborhoods. Everything we do in our design is intentional with the end goal of resident enjoyment, pleasure, satisfaction, benefits, and increased home value. We provide value in our neighborhoods through intentional design-build, amenities, generous green space, working closely with inspectors, our hand-selected, and fully vetted builders as well as a close working relationship with the HOA. Our creative process takes the long view of how the neighborhood is going to look and feel upon project completion. The goal is to provide residences that will only increase in value as the project progresses through completion. As residents have to relocate we want their home’s value to increase with age.

TRG Communities creates imaginative places for homeowners to enjoy a wide array of amenities and living space. We design communities instead of houses and neighborhoods! Our desire is for the total enjoyment and satisfaction of our residents.

Contact us at https://trgcommunities.com/contact