A lot of the calls I get from Irmo start the same way: “My parents bought this house new.”
Irmo’s neighborhoods grew up in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s. Many of the people who bought those houses first are still in them — or recently weren’t, and now their children are deciding what to do with a home full of memories and a furnace older than some of the grandkids.
If that’s you, I want to start by saying this: there’s no rush. You can take your time, talk to more than one buyer, and decide what’s right for your family.
When you’re ready to look at selling, here’s how I work.
Who I buy from in Irmo
- Owners. Including long-time owners who are ready to downsize or move closer to family.
- Families and personal representatives settling an estate. I’ll work around probate timelines and your attorney’s guidance.
- Licensed agents. As-is listings, estate listings and houses with tenants are welcome.
- Investors who already hold title. A rental you’re ready to sell, or a project you can’t finish.
- Documented joint venture partners.
Every one of those people has the right to sell or market the property. That matters in South Carolina now. I’ll explain why further down.
Why I like buying in Irmo
I have a renovation underway in Irmo right now. So I’m not guessing about what these houses need — I’m living it.
Irmo sits northwest of Columbia along I-26, near the Lake Murray Dam, with the Harbison retail corridor close by. It’s served by School District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties, and families still choose it for that. Every fall the Okra Strut reminds you it’s a real community, not just a stretch of subdivisions.
That makes a well-renovated Irmo house appealing to the next family. My job is to get it there.
What older Irmo houses usually need
If you’re selling a house built a few decades ago, here’s what a buyer like me expects to find. None of it scares me. It all goes into the numbers.
- Original or once-replaced HVAC
- Roofs nearing the end of their life
- Kitchens and baths from the year the house was built
- Windows that fog or stick
- Older plumbing and water heaters
- Decks, fences and siding that need attention
- Rooms full of belongings nobody has had the heart to sort
You don’t have to fix any of it. You don’t have to empty the house either. Take what matters to you.
How the process works with me
Here’s the order.
- We talk. You tell me about the house, the situation and what matters to you. Price, timing, privacy, convenience — all fair priorities.
- I look at it. I walk the house, pull nearby sold comps in the same school zone, and figure out the scope of work.
- I tell you what I see. An offer, or a clear explanation of why it isn’t a fit. I won’t promise a price before I’ve seen it or promise that I’ll buy.
- A closing attorney handles the rest. South Carolina closings are attorney-supervised, which protects you. Read about SC closing attorneys.
If you’d be better served listing with a licensed agent, I’ll tell you that too.
For anyone holding an Irmo contract they don’t own
Governor McMaster signed a revised Real Estate Practice Act in May 2024, and it changed the conversation. Under § 40-57-30(44), wholesaling means holding a contract to buy someone’s residential property and then promoting that property to a different buyer before you’ve closed on it yourself. Promoting real estate that belongs to someone else, with an eye toward getting paid, is broker activity — and broker activity requires a license.
How broad is “promoting”? The Commission’s advisory from November 14, 2024 includes the MLS, social posts, print, Facebook groups, private email groups and verbal communication.
So if you don’t hold a license and you’ve got an Irmo home under contract, please get advice from a South Carolina real estate attorney before you approach any buyer. I laid out the statute and the options people discuss in this South Carolina wholesaling guide. For my part, I purchase in my own name, I listen to my attorney, and I’ll walk away from a deal before I bend a rule.
If you’re not sure whether to sell
Some Irmo owners decide to keep the house and rent it. If that’s on your mind, read rental property investing in Irmo SC first. For the bigger picture on the area, see real estate investing in Irmo SC. And for how I buy across the state, there’s cash buyers in South Carolina.
When you’re ready, tell me about the property. I read every one myself.