Active
$1,699,000
Gilbert, SC
1305 Rock Island Road
4 bd · 3.5 ba · 3,688 sqft
Lake Murray equestrian estate with 219 ft of frontage
Coldwell Banker Realty · The Patrick O'Connor Team
Joseph Michel
Lexington, Lake Murray & the Midlands
An investment-minded advisor who still answers the phone. Joe Michel helps you sell smarter and buy better — from first homes in Lexington to waterfront on Lake Murray — with the #1 Coldwell Banker team in South Carolina behind every listing.
Work with Joe
SC license 130259 · 607 Columbia Ave, Lexington, SC 29072
Work with Joe
Buy
Buyer resources
Process, listings, and the live buyer form.
Call
(803) 553-6438
Or start on the seller hub.
SC license 130259
#1 Coldwell Banker team in South Carolina
Lexington · Lake Murray · Midlands
From scmidlandsagent.com
Featured listings
Live Patrick O'Connor Team inventory. Nothing here is invented — every address is on the team site.
Investor who still shows houses
Meet Joe Michel
Before the blazer, there were duplex rehabs in Inglewood, California, a seller-financed five-unit in Daytona Beach, and a turnkey single-family in Lexington. Weekends are family, guitar, and jiu jitsu. The burger argument is settled at Jack Brown's.
Clients hire him for the same reason investors did: he answers, he knows the numbers, and he does not pretend a cove lot is main-lake frontage.
The full storyJuly 2026 · CMLS Area 11
Lexington market, without the spin
Closings are happening. Prices are up. Inventory is also up. That is why pricing — not hope — decides whether your Lexington home sells in 30 days.
184
July closings
$331,060
Median sale
+6.5%
vs. last year
30
Days on market
491
Inventory
98.7%
Sale-to-list
From the desk
The blog lives here now
Market notes stay on Joe's personal site — not the team Squarespace. Seller timing and the 2026 buyer process both live here.
October 29, 2026
What Is the Median Home Price in Irmo, SC in 2026?
Homes in the Irmo area sold for a median of $277,750 in September 2026, up 4.9% from a year ago, according to Hubrec's CMLS report for Area 1 (Irmo, St. Andrews and Ballentine). Year to date, 1,020 homes have closed there at a median of $260,000.
October 28, 2026
Should I Buy Lakefront or Lake-Access on Lake Murray in 2026?
Lake Murray waterfront and water-access homes on the Irmo/Chapin side sold for a year-to-date median of $732,500 through September 2026, up 10.8% from last year, according to Hubrec's September lake report. Chapin as a whole sold for a median of $395,000…
October 27, 2026
How Did a Custom Irmo Home in Ascot Estates Sell in 17 Days in 2026?
In September, the typical Irmo home took 64 days to sell, according to Consolidated MLS (CMLS) numbers published by Hubrec. That's up from 49 days a year ago. Inventory jumped 32.4% to 368 homes, and new listings were up 50%. Over in the 29063 ZIP code, Redfin says 40.2% of…
October 25, 2026
How Do I Prepare My Home to Sell in Lexington, SC in 2026?
506 homes. That's how many were for sale in Lexington's MLS Area 11 in September 2026, up 19.3% from a year ago, according to the September CMLS numbers reported by Hubrec. Days on market stretched to 52, up almost 40%. And Redfin shows 43.1% of Lexington listings had a price…
October 24, 2026
What Is the Median Home Price in Chapin, SC in 2026?
Chapin's median home price was $385,000 in September 2026, based on 61 closed sales in Hubrec's monthly Chapin report. That's down 1.9% from $392,500 last September. But the year-to-date median is $395,000, up 1.9%, and there are now 225 homes for sale, up 31.6% from a year ago.
October 26, 2026
Is Oak Grove, SC a Good Place to Buy a Home in 2026?
Homes in Oak Grove, SC sold for a median of $259,876 over the three months ending September 2026, according to Redfin. That's up 8.3% from a year ago, and homes went under contract in a median of just 27 days. Redfin also ranked Oak Grove the #2 most competitive city in South…
October 23, 2026
Should I Rent or Buy a Home in Lexington, SC in 2026?
A three-bedroom rental in Lexington averages $1,899 a month right now, according to Zillow's rental data updated October 21, 2026. Buying the median Lexington home, about $339,838 per Redfin, with 5% down at Freddie Mac's 7.32% average rate (October 22) runs about $2,218 a…
October 22, 2026
How Did a Lake Murray Home in Leesville Sell in a Slow 2026 Market?
In Leesville's 29070 ZIP code, the median home took 70 days to sell over the three months ending September 2026, according to Redfin, and 44.8% of sellers had to cut their price. On the Lexington side of Lake Murray, Consolidated MLS (CMLS) data published by Hubrec shows the…
October 21, 2026
Is Northeast Columbia, SC a Good Place to Buy a Home in 2026?
Northeast Columbia had 807 homes for sale at the end of September 2026, up 37.7% from a year ago, according to the Consolidated MLS (CMLS) Area 4 report. That's 221 more homes to choose from than last fall. Yet sellers still got 99.3% of their asking price on average, and the…
October 20, 2026
How Do I Use Seller Credits to Buy Down My Mortgage Rate in Lexington, SC in 2026?
Ask the seller for a credit and spend it on your rate instead of the price. At 7.40%, about $6,985 in seller credit on a $309,900 Lexington home can fund a 2-1 buydown that cuts your payment $385 a month in year one, versus about $46 a month as a price cut…
October 19, 2026
Are Lake Murray Home Prices Going Down in Fall 2026?
Not at the median. Through September 2026, Lake Murray's year-to-date median was $932,500 on the Lexington side (+9.4%) and $732,500 on the Irmo/Chapin side (+10.8%). What's changing is inventory, up 40% to 56%, longer marketing times and more room to negotiate…
October 18, 2026
Should I Buy a Townhome or a Single-Family Home in Lexington, SC in 2026?
Lexington townhomes recently sold for a median of $210K versus $318K for single-family homes. At 7.40% with 5% down, a townhome like 410 Pepperbush Lane at $239,500 runs about $380 a month less even after the HOA. Here's who each fits…
October 17, 2026
How Did a Lake Murray Waterfront Home in Chapin Go Under Contract in 13 Days in 2026?
145 Bay Pointe Drive in Timberlake listed September 28 at $1,150,000 and went under contract in 13 days, while Lake Murray homes averaged 58 days on market. Here's what pricing, prep and marketing did, and what it means for Chapin waterfront sellers…
October 16, 2026
Is Leesville, SC a Good Place to Buy a Home in 2026?
Leesville is two markets in one ZIP code: Lake Murray homes like Harbour Watch sold for $475K to $532K in September, while in-town and rural homes sold for $165K to $255K. With a 70-day median and 44.8% of listings cutting price, buyers have room to negotiate…
October 15, 2026
How Do I Read a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) in Lexington, SC in 2026?
In September 2026, Lexington and surrounding areas (CMLS Area 11) closed 146 sales at a median of $309,900, while 506 homes sat available and the average listing took 52 days to sell. That mix is why a comparative market analysis matters more than a Zillow or Redfin estimate…
October 13, 2026
Should I Buy a Home With an HOA in Lexington, SC in 2026?
Here's a real Midlands example. Earlier this fall, a renovated two-bedroom condo at The Village at Lake Murray was listed for sale at about $185,000 in the Consolidated MLS (CMLS), and the community's HOA fee is $387 a month. That fee covers a lot: the clubhouse, the pool, Spectrum TV and internet,…
October 12, 2026
How Did a Lexington, SC Home Go Under Contract in 1 Day After 38 Days on the Market in 2026?
In the 29072 ZIP code, the median home took 49 days to sell over the three months ending September 2026, nine days longer than a year ago, and 43.2% of homes had at least one price drop, according to Redfin. That's the market a Wise Ferry Plantation seller was living in this summer. Their home at 237 River…
October 11, 2026
Is Red Bank, SC a Good Place to Buy a Home in 2026?
Homes in the 29073 ZIP code, which covers Red Bank and the south side of Lexington, sold for a median of $279,900 over the three months ending August 2026, according to Redfin. That's up 4.2% from a year ago, and it's about $34,000 under the $314,000 year-to-date median for the broader Lexington area in…
October 7, 2026
What Mistakes Do First-Time Home Buyers Make in Lexington, SC in 2026?
A Lexington home at Redfin's three-month median price of $336,028, bought with 5% down at Freddie Mac's 7.28% 30-year average from October 1, runs about $2,184 a month in principal and interest alone. A year ago, at 6.34%, the same loan would have been about $1,984. That $200-a-month gap is why first-time…
October 5, 2026
Is Ballentine, SC a Good Place to Buy a Home in 2026?
Redfin’s three-month ZIP 29212 print ending August 2026 lands at a median sale of $264,885 — down about 9.1% year over year — with 131 August closings, up about 18% from last August. Homes on that read are clearing near 98.4% of list, while about 36.8% of listings still took a price cut. That mix is the…
October 4, 2026
Can I Ask for Closing Cost Credits When Buying in Lexington, SC in 2026?
Resideline’s Lexington Market Watch (updated Oct 3, 2026) puts the median listed-to-under-contract clock at 22 days across 148 tracked closings — while Redfin’s city read still shows about 35.9% of homes taking a price drop and a Compete Score of 60 (“somewhat competitive”). That mix is why closing-cost…
October 3, 2026
How Much Home Inventory Do Lexington, SC Buyers Have in October 2026?
Hubrec’s latest CMLS Lexington Area 11 update still shows 517 homes available — up 32.9% from a year earlier — while Realtor.com’s September 2026 Lexington read lists about 1,083 active listings and Redfin scores the city a Compete Score of 60 (“somewhat competitive”). That is the October 2026 Midlands…
October 1, 2026
What Can Lexington Sellers Learn From a $838,500 Closing in 2026?
100 Birch Terrace Court in Kenwood closed at $838,500 on July 1, 2026 after The Patrick O’Connor Team listed it at $875,000 on April 16. The sellers had originally paid $417,500 — and with a serious pool upgrade plus interior work, they walked out near double that purchase price. That is not a starter-ranch…
September 30, 2026
Is Blythewood, SC a Good Place to Buy a Home in 2026?
Redfin’s three-month Blythewood print ending August 2026 lands at a median sale of $437,710 — essentially flat year over year — with 41 August closings, up about 37% from last August. Homes on that read are clearing near 99.5% of list, while about 45.3% of listings still took a price cut. That mix is the honest…
September 29, 2026
What Contingencies Should I Keep When Buying in Lexington, SC in 2026?
CMLS Area 11 via Hubrec still shows 517 homes available in Lexington through August 2026 — up about 33% year over year — while Redfin’s three-month city read ends August with a median sale of $336,028 and a sale-to-list ratio near 98.6%. That mix is why contingency strategy matters again. You are not in a 2021…
September 28, 2026
Why Do Lexington City and Lexington County Home Prices Differ in 2026?
Lexington County’s August 2026 CMLS print put the single-family median sold price at $310,000 across 345 closings. Redfin’s three-month City of Lexington read for the same late-summer window printed about $336,028. That is roughly a $26,000 gap at the median — same word “Lexington,” two different maps — and it is…
September 27, 2026
Is Winter a Good Time to Buy a Home in Lexington, SC in 2026?
Lexington’s August 2026 CMLS update printed 517 homes available — up about 33% year over year — with a year-to-date median near $314,000, sellers still clearing about 98.9% of list, and a typical marketing window around 45 days. That is the real backdrop for the question I hear as soon as football season ends and…
September 26, 2026
What Can Lexington Sellers Learn From a $630,000 Closing in 2026?
410 Montrose Drive in Vintners Wood closed at $630,000 after The Patrick O’Connor Team took it under contract in April 2026 — a multiple-offer result that stands as the team’s second price record in that neighborhood. That is not a starter-ranch story and it is not a lakefront story. It is a top-of-subdivision…
September 25, 2026
Is Gilbert, SC a Good Place to Buy a Home in 2026?
Realtor.com’s September 2026 Gilbert snapshot puts the median listing price at $370,000 — up about 9.2% year over year — with a median sold print near $369,500, about 197 homes for sale, and a typical 45 days on market. Homes on that print are clearing around 99% of list. That is the honest starting point for…
September 24, 2026
How Do I Handle an Appraisal Gap When Buying in Lexington, SC in 2026?
Lexington homes still close near 98.6% of list while about 14.8% sell above ask — exactly where appraisal gaps show up. Here is Joe Michel’s 2026 buyer playbook for low appraisals in the SC Midlands.
September 23, 2026
Are Lexington, SC Buyers Getting More Negotiating Power in Fall 2026?
Redfin’s three-month Lexington city read ending August 2026 shows about 35.9% of homes carrying a price drop — while Hubrec’s CMLS Area 11 print still puts 517 homes on the market, up roughly 33% from a year earlier. That pairing is the real fall story: more choices for shoppers, more pressure on over-asks, and…
September 21, 2026
What Can Chapin Sellers Learn From a $1.3 Million Closing in 2026?
1664 Wonder Drive in Chapin closed at $1,300,000 — a 2023 custom on 1.25 acres across from Lake Murray, not a dock sale. What Chapin sellers in the seven-figure band can learn from that public closing.
September 21, 2026
Is Seven Oaks, SC a Good Place to Buy a Home in 2026?
Seven Oaks’ September 2026 listing median sat at $260,000 with a median sold print nearer $230,000, about 67 homes for sale, and a 53-day market. Harbison-adjacent living without Chapin money or a Lake Murray dock premium.
September 19, 2026
How Do I Price My Home to Sell in Lexington, SC in 2026?
Redfin’s City of Lexington three-month median sat at $340,815 with homes selling for about 98.5% of list in around 28 days. Here is how Joe Michel prices a Midlands listing for week-one activity in 2026.
September 16, 2026
What Can Lexington Sellers Learn From a $255,000 Closing in 2026?
321 Drooping Leaf Road in Persimmon Grove closed Aug 3, 2026 for $255,000 after listing at $248,500 (~102.6% of list, zero cuts, 47 days). What Lexington sellers in the everyday band can learn from that public closing.
September 15, 2026
Is Cayce, SC a Good Place to Buy a Home in 2026?
Cayce’s August 2026 listing median in ZIP 29033 sat at $249,450 — down 19% from $307,900 a year earlier — with about 49 active listings and homes averaging 57 days on market. Sold-side and value indexes sit near the low-$210Ks.
September 8, 2026
Is Fall a Good Time to Buy a Home in Lexington, SC in 2026?
Redfin’s city read for Lexington shows a July 2026 median sale price of $329,835 — down 8.7% from the same stretch last year — with 145 homes sold that month (+19.1%) and a median of 28 days on market. Sale-to-list sat at 98.5%, and about 31.7% of listings carried a price drop.
September 6, 2026
Is Irmo, SC a Good Place to Buy a Home in 2026?
Irmo closed 151 homes in July 2026 — up 21.8% from July 2025 — and sellers still collected about 98.1% of list price. Year to date through July, the Irmo / St. Andrews / Ballentine CMLS pocket has 816 closings (+8.2%) at a flat $255,000 median.
September 3, 2026
Columbia SC Housing Market 2026: Which Midlands Submarket Is Growing Fastest?
Greater Columbia closed 8,371 homes in the first seven months of 2026. That is 293 more closings than the same stretch of 2025, a +3.6% year-to-date gain, at a median sales price of $283,290 (up 1.5%).
September 2, 2026
Should I Buy in Chapin or Lexington, SC in 2026?
Chapin YTD median $413K vs Lexington $312.5K through July 2026 (CMLS via Hubrec). Inventory, days on market, and which town fits which buyer — plus why Lake Murray waterfront is a third market.
September 1, 2026
What Can Lexington Sellers Learn From a $408,000 Closing in 2026?
812 Beech Leaf Court in Hope Ferry Plantation closed Aug 5, 2026 for $408,000 after listing at $425,000 (96% sale-to-list). What Lexington sellers can learn from that public closing.
August 12, 2026
Is Now a Good Time to Sell a Home in Lexington, SC in 2026?
July 2026 CMLS Area 11 closed 184 homes at a $331,060 median — up 6.5% — in 30 days, at 98.7% of list. Inventory is up 21.2%. Here is what that means if you are selling in Lexington.
August 30, 2026
How Do I Buy a Home in Lexington, SC in 2026?
Lexington-area buyers in July 2026 were shopping a $331,060 median with 491 homes on the market. Listings still closed in 30 days at 98.7% of list. Here is the process Joe Michel actually uses.
Questions people actually ask
Lexington · Lake Murray · Midlands
Ready to buy or sell in the Midlands?
Call or text Joe Michel. You will get a straight answer on price, timing, and whether the house in front of you is the one.