Locals, and even those that have been here for 15 years or so, can remember times before the Mark Clark, before Park West, when McDonald’s was across the street from Burger King here on Coleman, Bee’s Knees, the old water slide, and so many other landmarks that made us happy to be here.

A’las, those good ol’ days are history now, but the same people that came rushing in on the construction boom are a lot of the same ones suffering through the nation’s mortgage crisis right now. Checkout this infograph the NYT’s did illustrating the nation’s foreclosure market.

No doubt it’s tough out there for many, and it looks to get worse over the next year at least going forward. There are good finds for those looking in the right spots though. Sure, it’s all about location, location, location, but Charleston real estate will always be a hot commodity.

Anyway, I think the lesson learned here is to not live outside your means, and always protect yourself financially against the worst of times. Those with safe, secure jobs, are fortunate and should do whatever necessary to make sure it stays that way, but helping out others in need along the way isn’t such a bad idea either – you’ll be glad you did. G/L out there.

If you think traffic is a problem now, you better start saving up for that helicopter you were longing for. After all, most areas experience urban growth sooner or later, but how state and local governments plan for, and later handle that growth, directly affects whether or not that self-fulfilled prophecy “build and they will come” ever takes place.

To view a slideshow of urban growth projections for the Charleston area, click the link or image provided, but be warned, if you think traffic is bad now, “you ain’t seen nuttin’ yet!”

Mayor Riley is now talking about using rail cars to alleviate some of the dreaded highway traffic we see around here every workday. Charleston paying to benefit Mt. Pleasant? Now that’s a sign of the times…

And it’s a good thing too, because when Mt. Pleasant finishes last for walkers in S.C., you know it’s time for the local government to get things fixed. I mean, have you ever tried to cross Johnnie Dodds on foot? Good luck!