A Few Minutes With ... Billy Conyers

Car veteran heads new Hoover Pre-Owned Supercenter west of the Ashley

Customers this Halloween didn’t spirit away vehicles from the used car outlet at 2250 Savannah Highway, but they came close. Try autos for $5. A marketing move, Hoover Pre-Owned Supercenter attracted large crowds to the Oct. 31 event, where four motorists got the deals of a lifetime. Yet the dealership had another reason for the promotion: it’s a tough economy in the Charleston area and elsewhere, and this was a way for an established family-run business to lend a hand. Read More

Ready for Pickup

Sales of light-, mid and full-sized trucks could strengthen into 2010

Shoppers at Summerville Ford — or any Ford dealer for that matter — can view the largest selling pickup truck in America: the F-150. Yet for awhile this fall, the classic model wasn’t the most sought after at least at the Dorchester County dealership. That’s even after a major remodeling of the F-150 for 2009 that drew rave reviews. As it turns out, the dealership couldn’t stock enough of the Ford Ranger, general manager Louis Abidi said. Read More

All-Mustang show, BMW drive mark month's auto fests

Even with nightfall arriving earlier and a chill in the air, auto enthusiasts continue to host shows, festivals and drives across the Lowcountry. Read More

Open Wide

Dozens of sellers make houses available for viewing this weekend

As appealing, luxurious, comfy a home looks from the exterior, it’s still not as revealing as taking a gander inside. That’s why open houses continue to draw sizable crowds, whether possible buyers eager to purchase, current owners picking up ideas or casual shoppers out “kicking the tires,” er, “tapping the foundations.” Read More

344 Bermuda Towne Row

Large lot, ample living space distinguish traditional home east of the Cooper

Step inside 344 Bermuda Towne Row, and the look is elegant yet practical. The 3,500-square-foot home in the Hibben neighborhood in Mount Pleasant showcases four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and a functional kitchen with cherry cabinets, stainless-steel appliances, gas cooktop and an island with granite countertops. Ceilings are more than 10-feet high, walls feature crown molding and wainscoting and floors are hardwood expect for carpeting primarily in bedrooms. The house is wired for sound via an entertainment system and has a big screen TV above the gas fireplace with granite surround in the living room. The home’s asking price is $850,000.“It’s got most of the bells and whistles,” says Tim Fraylick, the owner and a local builder who constructed the house five years ago. Read More

141 North Plaza Court, Unit 301

Posh condo for lease in the Renaissance on Charleston Harbor serves up expansive views, luxury perks

Walk out on the balcony at 141 North Plaza Court, Unit 301, gaze one way and there’s Charleston Harbor. Look another, and the Ravenel Bridge looms not far away. Return inside, and fix dinner on a smooth-top stove, pulling ingredients pulled from the Sub-Zero refrigerator and stacking pots and pans in the Bosch dishwasher. Then ride down the private elevator, work out in the fitness center, take a swim in the pool and climb in your roadster parked in the underground garage. The cost is $2,400 a month, furniture – and roadster – not included. Daniel Ravenel Real Estate is leasing out the condo at the Renaissance on Charleston Harbor in Mount Pleasant. Read More

A Few Minutes With ... Strom Altman

Suzuki switch sudden, yet positive, transition for veteran Dodge dealer

The first time Strom Altman sold cars as a Suzuki dealer was July. Yet by September, his dealership ranked 14th in sales out of 650 Suzuki outlets nationwide. The manufacturer has been so impressed with the store’s performance that Altman has been invited to drive the carmaker’s new Kizashi sedan at Firebird International Speedway in Phoenix on Monday, a privilege awarded only to the top 50 Suzuki dealers in the country. Read More

2010 Audi A3 Turbodiesel

New crossover exudes performance while boasting 40-plus miles per gallon fuel totals

Those maximum miles per hour figures that show up on a car speedometer — routinely 100, 150 even 200 mph — are essentially advertising ploys. They make the plodding family runabout seem fast and the sleek roadster appear even faster. But the gauge that tops out at 160 mph on the new Audi A3 turbodiesel is more than a generic marketing tool; it sends a message to buyers. Read More

Looking Up

Charleston real estate market in gradual rally after downtime

All things were in place for a strong Charleston area real estate market for years to come. There’s the warm climate, pro-business attitude, attractive locales in Berkeley, Dorchester and Charleston counties and fairly reasonable prices. Not to mention the Atlantic Ocean, scenic marshes, top notch restaurants, historic sites, boating and fishing, the excitement of three pro sports teams … Then the inconceivable – at least at the time – happened. The national housing industry, overstimulated by easy financing and speculation, took a hit. Builders stopped building, homeowners couldn’t sell, few people would buy. There’s no arguing that Greater Charleston suffered like the rest of the United States. But not having experienced the artificial highs, the area didn’t succumb to the mind-numbing lows. Read More

A Few Minutes With ... Steve Jacobs

Veteran auto manager cuts ownership teeth developing Marathon Chevrolet over past four years

The title of “car dealership owner” is not exactly what Steve Jacobs had in mind after graduating from Miami of Ohio in 1971. “I was going to law school,” he said. But in his first post-graduate job, Jacobs came to a career-shifting realization: “I found out in order to increase my pay, I had to work more years.” Recently married, Jacobs admittedly was disillusioned with his prospects. So he sought a job that was more performance driven: auto sales. Read More