Why these exist
Portals show you listings. They do not show you whether assuming a seller’s VA rate beats originating a new loan, what your BAH buys by grade, or what is being permitted two streets over. I built these because clients kept asking the same hard questions. Everything lives here (short URL: /tools).
All tools
| Tool | Use it for | Short URL |
|---|---|---|
| Home Taste | How it should feel — Sullivan learns, does not steer | /taste |
| Assumable VA vs New VA | Assume the seller’s rate or originate fresh | /assumable-vs-va |
| BAH Calculator | 2026 allowance by pay grade | /bah-calculator-charleston-sc |
| Charleston Pulse | Live metro permits, flood, traffic, schools | /pulse |
| Search Homes | Filter Jennifer’s book by city, price, beds, status | /search |
| Homes Pulse | For sale, under contract, coming soon, sold map | /homes-pulse |
| SC Pulse | Statewide projects outside the metro | /sc-pulse |
| Check This Address | Taxes, flood, utilities on one address | /spie |
| 4% vs 6% Tax Estimator | Legal residence vs investment, plus $75k homestead | /tax-estimator |
| Closing Cost Calculator | Buyer cash-to-close vs seller deed stamps | /closing-costs |
| All-In Monthly Cost | PITI + flood + wind + HOA | /monthly-cost |
| STR Checker | Town posture by address, including Folly 2026 | /str-checker |
| Commute Calculator | Drive time to JBC, NWS, Boeing, downtown, MUSC | /commute |
| School Zone Check | Official attendance lookup — not a fake map | /school-zone |
| Land Buildability Score | Septic, grading, site-cost risk on dirt | /charleston-land-buildability |
| BRRR Analyzer | Buy / rehab / rent / refi deal math | /brrr |
| Compare Cash Offer | iBuyer / cash vs listing net proceeds | /cash-offer |
| What’s My Home Worth? | Request a Charleston CMA (not an AVM) | /home-value-charleston-sc |
| Land for Sale hub | Lots, acreage, and land due diligence | /land |
| Mobile & Manufactured Homes | HUD vs modular, de-title, land loans, land-home packages | /mobile-homes |
Also linked from Explore in the site nav. Military tools sit under Military; seller tools also appear under Sell.
Cost of owning
Highest-value buyer math, in the order I actually use it: tax first, cash-to-close second, then the monthly stack. STR, commute, and school lookup sit next to those when the deal depends on them.
- 4% vs 6% Tax Estimator — legal residence vs second home/rental, plus the FY2027 $75k homestead. Short URL: /tax-estimator
- Closing Cost Calculator — buyer cash-to-close vs seller deed stamps. Short URL: /closing-costs
- All-In Monthly Cost — PITI + flood + wind + HOA, with an NFIP note for fall 2026 closings. Short URL: /monthly-cost
- STR Checker — town posture by address, including Folly’s appeal and moratorium. Short URL: /str-checker
- Commute Calculator — drive time to Joint Base Charleston, Naval Weapons Station, Boeing, downtown, and MUSC. Short URL: /commute
- School Zone Check — official attendance layers where they exist; nearby is not zoned. Short URL: /school-zone
Military & VA
Assumable VA vs New VA
Side-by-side payment math, equity gap, entitlement, and timeline. When the cheap rate wins, and when it does not.
BAH Calculator
2026 rates for every pay grade in the Charleston Military Housing Area. Pair it with commute reality, not a Zillow filter.
Charleston Pulse
Live metro map: permits, schools, FEMA, traffic, employers. See what is being built before you fall for a listing photo.
Seller tools
- What’s My Home Worth? - request a comp-backed Charleston CMA. Not a Zillow estimate.
- Compare Cash Offer - free net-proceeds calculator: cash/iBuyer vs listing with SC closing costs. Short URL: /cash-offer
Investor underwriting
- BRRR Analyzer & Deal Maker - Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance math with max allowable offer, cash left after refi, DSCR, and a deal verdict. Short URL: /brrr
- Investor representation - acquisition through renovation coordination and eventual resale.
Parcel, land & maps
- Check This Address - taxes, flood notes, utilities, public-record context for a Lowcountry address. Short URL: /spie
- Land Buildability Score - septic, grading, and hidden site-cost risk before you buy dirt.
- Land for Sale hub - lots, acreage, build sites, area guidance, and the full land due-diligence path. Short URL: /land
- Mobile and manufactured homes - mobile vs manufactured vs modular, HUD, de-title, fees, and land-and-home packages. Short URL: /mobile-homes
- Charleston Pulse - metro growth signal map. Short URL: /pulse
- Search Homes - Filter Jennifer’s listing book by city, price, beds, and status. Short URL: /search
- Homes Pulse - Jennifer’s for-sale / under-contract / sold map. Short URL: /homes-pulse
- SC Pulse - statewide data-center and corridor projects outside the Lowcountry metro.
How to use them together
PCS buyer: run BAH, decide path with assumable vs new VA, then stress-test the street on Pulse.
Local buyer or seller: start with Check This Address and Pulse. Run the tax estimator and all-in monthly before you write the offer. Sellers: request What’s My Home Worth?, then run Compare Cash Offer if you have an iBuyer number. Investor running a value-add: open the BRRR analyzer and the STR checker, then Check This Address and Pulse on the street. Land shopper: open the land hub, run Land Score first, then Check This Address on shortlisted parcels. Mobile or manufactured: read the manufactured home guide before you write the offer.