Real estate market booms in Burke County




SHELLIE This 72-acre parcel located in Keysville found a new owner only 24 hours after it was listed for sale.

SHELLIE This 72-acre parcel located in Keysville found a new owner only 24 hours after it was listed for sale.

Burke County houses and parcels of land are selling like hot cakes.

Max Boswell of Mary Yelton Realty said he has witnessed a substantial increase in sales of houses and land over the last 18-24 months.

“Especially land in the 50 acres and below,” Boswell said and pointed out the appeal of such parcels for people looking to build new homes. “It’s a very competitive market and the inventory is down, so you have more buyers in the market then there are properties available.”

Boswell speculates that a combination of high-priced building materials, COVID 19 and extremely attractive interest rates have created a renewed interest in home purchasing, that in-turn, has created a shortage of houses to buy. Sellers have the luxury of evaluating different offers from prospective buyers and getting good prices for their homes.

Burke County is not unlike other housing markets. Turnover is quick and buyers are often purchasing homes without seeing the properties face-to-face. Two years ago, the average time it took to sell a house was 60-75 days.

SHELLIE Max Boswell of Mary Yelton Realty points out that of 20 houses currently listed for sale, only four are not listed as pending or under contract.

SHELLIE Max Boswell of Mary Yelton Realty points out that of 20 houses currently listed for sale, only four are not listed as pending or under contract.

“Now we have houses that sell in a day,” Boswell said of the current market. Homes that fit into the mold of what a large portion of buyers are looking for are, on average, sold about a week after they are posted. “They are looking at them, but we have also sold some that are sight unseen.”

The buyers are not just local residents looking to relocate to another area of the county.

“We are seeing people from all over the country,” Boswell said and attributed some of the influx of new residents to Plant Vogtle and Fort Gordon’s Cyber Center.

Other newcomers are captivated by the county’s charm. “I think a lot of people are looking to come into an area like Waynesboro and Burke County,” he said and mentioned a recent sale to a couple from Maine who intend to spend their retirement in Georgia. “They love Waynesboro, love the area and love the people here.”

The size and geographic location of the bird dog capital make it a desirable place to live.

“This is kind of a nice quiet secret area of Georgia,” Boswell said. “So many times, I hear from the people we work with that they just love the town, Burke County and the surrounding area. That has really been a good selling point.”

The County Commission’s pledge, along with the school system’s interest to contribute to the remediation of the area’s broadband issue, almost guarantees Burke County’s future status as a transplant hotspot.

The ability to work-fromhome has prompted people to consider living outside of the state where they work, and for that reason, Boswell believes that broadband expansion is important to the county’s continued growth.

“Internet access and broadband access has become as important as power and water,” he said. “People say ‘if I can’t have high speed DSL, then I can’t live there.”’

Boswell said he is seeing a mixture of clients, with no particular age group that the housing market flurry seems geared toward. Additionally, some are purchasing land with the intention of building right away, while some are planning on paying off the land and using it to secure construction loans in the future.

“You can ride around the county and see houses in different stages of construction right now,” he said.

Burke CountyPlanning Director Scott Lee said permits in general, including new homes, renovations and additions, are increasing.

“We noticed the increase in permitting around this time last year,” he said.

A building permit is typically required for any construction activity exceeding $1,500.00 in value, with the exception of ordinary repairs. Increased building of homes means a bit more money coming into the county through permitting fees. The county charges for permits based on the total construction value of the project. It is $100 for the first $1,000 of value and then $5.00 for every $1,000 increment.

“We have seen an average increase in permitting of about 50-75 percent,” Lee said. “We consistently permit throughout the county, but lately we’ve seen an increase of housing starts on the north end of the county, specifically Spread Oak Rd, West Four Points Rd, Story Mill and the Greiner Circle area.”

Boswell agreed that North Burke County is definitely an active area for land sales, but when it comes to selling houses, people are purchasing them throughout the county.

“Because of the number of buyers that are out there, whether it is a house on 20 acres between Waynesboro and Midville or a house and two acres between Waynesboro and Augusta, we seem to have a lot of activity regardless of where it is,” he said.

So far this year, listings in Burke County have increased 31.5% compared to the same time period last year, Sales Agent Anne Marie Kyzer pointed out. The figures do not account for the number of private sales (unlisted properties), which are common in Burke County.

“It’s like a front row seat watching an economics textbook play out in real life,” Kyzer said.

There doesn’t seem to be any indication that the real estate market in Burke County will slow down any time soon. As the price of building supplies begins to fall away from pandemic related inflated costs, Burke County is on a path to continued growth. Existing plans to expand hospital and airport services helps to ensure future vitality.

“There are still a lot of buyers out there,” Boswell said. “I think there will be some new construction that will be coming on as material prices continue to go down. Broadband is on the horizon, so I believe this will continue on for the foreseeable future.”

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