December 10th is the last day of our 30 Days of Giving Project and its quickly approaching. Remember, for every item donated to our Toys for Tots or Lowcountry Food Bank drive, we will donate $1 to One80 Place. Ravenel Associates will also match any monetary donations made through www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ravenel-associates dollar for dollar. Stop by and see us. Donation boxes are available in the 960 Morrison office lobby.

Today we begin 30 Days of Giving. Since this year has been especially difficult for our community, we’re getting very ambitious!

We will accept donations for Lowcountry Food Bank and Toys for Tots for the next 30 days. For every item donated to either, Ravenel Associates will donate $1 to One80 Place.You will find donation boxes in the 960 Morrison office lobby.

Here is a list of the most needed items by the Food Bank. You may make a monetary donation, if you prefer by following this link: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ravenel-associates.

To learn more about the programs we’ve chosen, please click on their link.

*Please share this announcement with family and friends.

Your donation could save three lives.

Make an appointment for our blood drive on August 24th from 10:00 am to 12:00pm at 960 Morrison Drive.

Schedule Your Appointment Before It Fills Up!

https://donate.thebloodconnection.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/151426

It really is a piece of cake. And speaking of cake, yes you get snacks!

Blood Drive Info.pdf
blood Drive Info 2.pdf

We are monitoring tropical storm Isaias closely and encourage everyone to make preparations now by securing any outdoor items that may prove hazardous in high winds. We will arrange for any post storm clean up as soon as possible.

Please watch for announcements from the local weather stations or NOAA (National Hurricane Center) Weather Radio. In the Charleston area, the frequency for the NOAA is 162.550-162.450. While the television is usually preferable, the power may go out as the storm approaches making battery operated radios the way to go.

South Carolina Emergency Management Division (scemd.org) has an excellent 14 page guide with emergency contact numbers and preparation guides if you plan to stay home for the storm. Charleston County’s website is also useful for determining road closures and openings.

“While it is still too early to know exactly what the impacts of Hurricane Isaias will be on the city, the time for citizens to prepare is now,” said City of Charleston Emergency Management Director Shannon Scaff. “Make sure your family has a plan and emergency supplies in place, and continue to monitor local media for the latest information about the storm.”

Other useful sites include:

The National Hurricane Center - www.nhc.noaa.gov

The Weather Channel - https://weather.com

American Red Cross - www.redcross.org

Charleston County - https://www.charlestoncounty.org

Town of Seabrook Island - http://www.townofseabrookisland.org

Dear valued clients and friends of Ravenel Associates,

We would like to share an update on how Ravenel is responding to the rapidly changing environment caused by the continued spreading of coronavirus (COVID-19). Our firm is devoted to the health and safety of our people, clients, and communities we serve. With safety as our primary concern, Ravenel is taking all necessary precautions with each decision oriented around our people and our clients.

In an effort to limit exposure to COVID-19, Ravenel’s physical office locations are officially closing to visitors. As the situation is quickly changing, we do not know how long this policy will be in effect, but we are prepared to serve clients for an extended period, as well as in limited situations at client locations. We are swiftly shifting to provide social distance among our team members without disrupting operations and still allowing our clients to work with us as you normally would each day.

A few items to note:

• The methods of reaching us remain the same - our email addresses and phone numbers have not changed.
• We will limit in-person meetings. Instead of in-person meetings, we encourage the use of video-conferencing technology.
• In certain limited, case-by-case situations, which we will strongly evaluate, we’ll serve clients at their locations while our clients are implementing their own remote response plans.
• We remain dedicated to our client relationships. If we need to adjust how an engagement is approached due to your changing requirements or ours, we’re committed to being nimble and collaborative.
• Proactive and open communication continues to be a hallmark of how we serve. We are regularly communicating updates to our people and to our clients, so as we evolve in this situation, we expect to update you again.

Despite the disruptions to daily life caused by COVID-19, we are committed to delivering an exceptional client experience, and our passion for helping our clients achieve their goals has not diminished in the wake of this national crisis. Regardless of what lies ahead, one thing we can count on is each other. We care about our families, fellow team members, our clients and our communities, and we will be in this together, supporting one another throughout this unprecedented situation until this unusual time has passed.

We are grateful for the trust you have placed with us. Please contact your Ravenel team members with any questions or needs. We hope you and your family remain safe and healthy.

Sincerely,

Jules Deas
President

3/13/2020 12:21 PM
As we continue to monitor Coronavirus (COVID-19) developments closely, the health and well-being of our clients and employees is of utmost importance to us.

As a critical partner to your community, we also understand that limiting any impact this health event could have on our service to our clients is imperative. We are keenly focused on our preparedness efforts to maintain a safe work environment for our employees and to sustain our business operations.

Security, safety and well-being are integral to our business processes and infrastructure. We are committed to keeping our operations running smoothly so that we can provide you with the best possible service.

As a precautionary measure, Ravenel Associates has implemented the following control measures designed to minimize the risk of impact to our services:

• Enabling work from home capabilities for essential employees
• Requesting heightened levels of hygiene. To facilitate, we offer hand sanitizer and liquid soap for handwashing.
• Restricting office entrance to individuals who have a fever or other flu symptoms or have visited a Coronavirus hotspot in the last 14 days.
• Limiting all non-essential business travel
• Implementing additional control measures as events unfold.

We will continue to monitor this fluid situation and will work to ensure essential services remain operable. For decades, Ravenel Associates has demonstrated unwavering support to our clients in past emergency situations, and in dealing with the present circumstances, we will continue to use every effort to deliver uninterrupted essential services to all our clients.

Thank you,

Ravenel Associates will be hosting a community blood drive at our downtown location on Thursday, March 5th from 10AM - 3PM. All donors will receive light refreshments and $20 Visa gift cards provided by The Blood Connection.

Please consider donating blood. Your donation could save three lives.
Click here to schedule your appointment today!


Should anyone choose to donate their gift card to The Lowcountry Food Bank, Ravenel Associates will match your donation dollar for dollar. Since every dollar donated helps provide 6 meals, the difference we can make together is exponential.

Additional Blood Drive Info.pdf

RARE Charleston Blog Home

You’ve probably heard that spring and summer are the best times to sell your home, and we’ll be honest: they do have their perks. But with mortgage rates remaining low and motivated buyers steadily flowing into the market, this fall is shaping up to be a pretty profitable selling season.

If you’re gearing up to list your home soon, then you’ll need to pay extra attention to your outdoor areas. Here are the top five spaces to give a little TLC to before you sell!

The Lawn

Once you’ve raked up the leaves, you might think your lawn is all taken care of. But there’s much more to fall lawn care than bagging up leaves! If temperatures haven’t majorly dropped by the time you list, you’ll need to keep mowing your lawn—it’ll continue growing until the first hard frost.

If you’ve got a few bare spots in your yard, fall is also the perfect time for overseeding! Since the ground is relatively warm but the sun isn’t quite as powerful as in the summer, growing conditions are better than ever. Just be sure you’re providing your lawn with plenty of water, and those sparse spots should start to fill in.

The Garden

Since you’re planning a move, you probably don’t want to start planting new veggies, but there are other ways to give your garden a fresh look. First, you’ll want to make sure all of your leftover plants from spring and summer are cleared out, and your plot is weed-free. Once that’s taken care of, it’s time for the fun part!

Picked up a few pumpkins or gourds from the farmers’ market? Set them out near your doorstep. Need a home for a scarecrow or two? Give them a perch on either side of the garden. You can fill in any blank space with potted plants like mums or sunflowers or a decorative holiday banner!

The Roof

With trees shedding leaves and dead branches, you’ve probably got a decent amount of brush and foliage dotting your roof. Now’s the time to pull out the ladder and do a clean sweep. Plus, it’s the perfect chance to get a look at the condition of your shingles and see if any need replacing!

While you’re up there, be sure to sweep out your gutters, as well. There’s a good chance the extra debris has them more clogged up than usual, which could lead to flooding or exterior damage. Clearing them out will prevent any issues, and show buyers that you go the extra mile in maintaining your home.

The Porch

The crowning glory of your home’s exterior, the porch should act as the first taste of what the inside of the home has to offer. You want to strike the perfect balance between warm and welcoming and clean and clutter-free!

First, take care of spiffing the space up by sweeping the floors, ringing out the welcome mat, and dusting off any outdoor furniture. If you have one too many chairs or a crowded collection of potted plants, you should remove some of the clutter.

Then, add a little character! Put a few pumpkins by door, set out a scented candle or two, swap out your porch light for a warmer wattage, and update your throw pillows—just be careful not to overdo it. Since your porch space is likely relatively small, a little goes a long way.

The Front Door

It’s only a small portion of your exterior, but if you play your cards right, your front door can be one of the most eye-catching parts of your home. Nothing draws attention like a fresh coat of paint, so you should consider picking a shade that pops and matches your siding—like a warm red or a bold blue. At the very least, you should use furniture wax or dish soap to scrub out the dinginess.

Once you’ve revamped your door, it’s time to accessorize! Since it’s fall, you should be able to easily find a seasonal wreath to hang. If you really want to go the extra mile, think about replacing your house number or knocker with some shiny new hardware.

For more useful tips CLICK HERE to visit RARECharleston.com.

RARE Charleston Blog Home

We’ve all been there. One day, you look around your house, and there’s just So. Much. Stuff. Stuff in boxes, stuff on the walls, stuff in the corners—just…stuff. If you’re gearing up to sell your home, you’re going to have to deal with all that accumulated clutter eventually. Luckily, there are plenty of simple strategies for getting the job done!

Arm yourself for the Crusade Against the Clutter, and use these top tips to transform your home before selling.

Start Early

If you aren’t prepared, things can quickly get overwhelming. After all, you’re not only getting your home ready to sell, but you’re also packing things up, finding a new home, and dealing with your finances. It makes sense that decluttering your home isn’t first on your list, but it’s one of the most important steps!

Before you list your home, you want the space to be ready to wow buyers from the second they walk through the door. If you kick off your decluttering months in advance, you’ll be in much better shape come listing time.

Expand Your Storage

For many people, clutter accumulates simply because they don’t know what they actually have. An easy way to fix this issue and make your home more organized is by coming up with an intentional storage solution.

Hit the store and pick up some sliding storage and plastic tubs, then label each unit and keep it stored anyway until needed. That way, you’ll know exactly what you have and where it is. Never worry about misplaced holiday decorations or a surplus of school supplies ever again! Plus, a lot of your stuff will already be neatly packed away come moving time.

Take It Little by Little

Decluttering can be a long process, filling up nights and weekends and free time—especially if you put it off until the last minute. Luckily, if you start ahead of time, you’ll have the luxury of taking it little by little. And not just one room at a time—we mean really little, like an hour or two hours spent on just the kitchen cabinets or bedroom closets.

You can even make it fun! Get everybody in the house together and play a game of 12-12-12. The rules are simple: walk through the house and find 12 items you want to keep, 12 items you want to get rid of, and 12 items you want to sell/donate. You’d be surprised how quickly you can reduce your clutter after a few rounds, and it only takes a couple of minutes!

Make it FAST

For the last tip, we’ve gotten the inside scoop from professional organizer, Peter Walsh. Walsh says that decluttering is as simple as remembering this short acronym:

Fix a time. Plan ahead, and find a time that works for everyone in the house—and make attendance mandatory!

Anything not used in twelve months. If you haven’t used it in a year, then you probably don’t need it. Ask yourself a few questions: Do I need it? Is it valuable to me? Is it worth the space it’s taking up? If no, then kick it to the curb.

Someone else’s stuff. Still have that borrowed tupperware? Give it back. Holding onto things that family members have left behind? Send it their way. If it’s not yours, find a new home for it!

Trash. It’s easy to get sentimental and hold onto things that are well past their expiration date (metaphorically speaking). Don’t be afraid to take the plunge—and maybe even go overboard—and trash some of your older belongings. If you don’t want to go full in and trash it, then you can always donate it to a good cause.

CLICK HERE to read more or View all posts by RARE Charleston ?

There is nothing more adorable than seeing our kids excitedly trick-or-treating as their favorite superhero or cartoon character. As we fondly reminisce Halloweens passed, we get to enjoy watching them form memories of their own. While these times are sure to be cherished, its important that we always remember to practice safety first.

While I hate to cast a shadow on my favorite holiday, I feel compelled to share the following in the name of safety. According to the National Safety Council, children are more than twice as likely to be struck and killed by a vehicle on Halloween than any other day of the year. Scary, right? If numbers and stats are your thing, visit the National Safety Council to learn more. The full article can be found here.

Statistics aside, we want to help ensure adults and children have a safe holiday. For safety tips on costumes, trick-or-treating, candy allergies, etc. we recommend giving Halloween Safety Tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics a read. You might be surprised by the number of safety tips you never considered.

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Autumn is officially here!

Management will inspect the community once it is safe to do so. Please have your rental company inspect the inside your home. Notify your insurance agent of any damages.

Ravenel Associates offices, will be closed effective Tuesday, September 3 at 12pm. We will be monitoring and responding to e-mails and voicemails. If there is an emergency, please call our emergency line at 843-768-9480.

Excerpts from https://www.charlestoncounty.org/departments/publi...

Ground Operations Notification:
Charleston County Mosquito Control (CCMC) may be conducting ground adulticide operations using ultra low volume spray trucks throughout the County of Charleston from May 13, 2019 to May 28, 2019. These operations will be conducted based on comprehensive surveillance results. Daily schedules will be posted on this site and citizens on CCMC’s call list will receive notifications of scheduled spraying in their area.

Quick Mosquito Facts

1. 50+ species of mosquitoes live in Charleston County
2. 30 of these species bite people and pets
3. The two salt marsh species occur in the greatest numbers
4. Dredged material disposal sites can produce up to 80 million mosquitoes per acre per rainfall
5. Natural sites can produce up to 8 million mosquitoes per acre per rainfall or tide event
   
   

Phone: (843)202-7880
For service requests or to be added to the notification list (allergies, bees, etc..) please complete a work order request.

Author: RARE Charleston

Picture this: It’s winter. It’s freezing. You still need to clear the last of the leaves from your lawn, but you’re finding every excuse to stay huddled inside your warm home and out of the cold, biting air. More than ever, you’re wishing your yard work would just do itself.

Sound familiar? Maintenance and lawn care can be tedious and exhausting chores, especially on the coldest or hottest days of the year. But there are types of residential developments that take care of these chores for you.

The Many Faces of Low-Maintenance Living

Low-maintenance communities, in general, are neighborhoods that provide services such as lawn care and exterior maintenance through an association fee. In a maintenance-free community, especially, little — if any — maintenance is required on the homeowner’s part.

As is the case with any neighborhood, different communities offer different amenities, especially when it comes to low- or no-maintenance living. So to give you a better idea about what to look for in a low-maintenance home, we’ve come up with a quick guide.

Low-Maintenance Townhome Developments

If you want all the space of a single-family home but don’t mind sharing a wall, a townhouse is a great option for low-maintenance living. Though the amenities many vary from community to community, townhome developments typically provide common area maintenance and landscaping.

Low-Maintenance Condominiums

Think of condos as upgraded rental apartments: you have your own space, you can access community amenities, and you can count on someone else to take care of the most mundane chores. It’s important to note that condos are a type of ownership: when you own a condo, you own everything within the walls of your home. Unlike with townhomes, you aren’t required to care for the exterior. In addition, condo associations typically maintain the common areas and provide services like trash removal and pest control. Depending on the association, the community may also provide utilities, phone service, and cable or Internet.

No-Maintenance Residential Communities

Some communities, like 55+ communities, take care of more than just the common areas. True maintenance-free communities may also take care of your home’s exterior maintenance, lawn care, landscaping, and services like trash or snow removal.

Real estate options in these no-maintenance communities can include condos, townhomes, and/or single-family homes.

Where to Do Your Research

If a community has an association, check the rules and regulations to learn about what services the association provides. Not sure where to look? It never hurts to ask a trusted real estate agent.

Reposted with permission of RARE Charleston.
Please visit blog.rarecharleston.com for a comprehensive list of articles pertinent to home-ownership in the Lowcountry.