1-0 Buydown for Charleston SC Buyers (Free Through June 30, 2026)

1-0 Buydown for Charleston SC Buyers: Free First-Year Rate Reduction Through June 30, 2026

Buying in Charleston, Mount Pleasant, West Ashley, James Island, or anywhere in the Charleston metro before June 30? Lock in a full 1 percentage point lower mortgage rate for year one — lender-funded, no cost to you or the seller.

Real Numbers on a Charleston Purchase

At a Charleston median of $575,000 with 10% down, your loan amount is around $517,500.

• Normal year-one payment at 6.5%: roughly $3,270/month
• With the 1-0 buydown at 5.5% in year one: roughly $2,940/month
• Year-one savings: ~$330 per month, or $3,960 across the first 12 months

Why This Matters Especially in Charleston

Charleston buyers also have to budget for flood insurance and wind insurance — costs that don't apply in Greenville. A $4,000 year-one buffer is a meaningful offset against those first-year surprises. For Boeing, MUSC, and Joint Base Charleston relocators in particular, the buydown gives breathing room while you adjust to the higher coastal cost structure.

Use It as a Negotiating Edge in Charleston's Competitive Market

Charleston offer competition can still be tough in premium submarkets (Daniel Island, Old Village, Downtown). You can include the buydown in your offer without asking the seller for a rate concession — a cleaner offer with a real first-year benefit baked in.

Deadline: June 30, 2026

This is a lender-funded offer with a hard deadline. Loans need to be locked by June 30. After that the cost reverts to seller or buyer.

Read More and Apply

Full mechanics in our main 1-0 Buydown blog post. Browse the Charleston SC Mortgages hub for all loan programs we place in the Charleston metro.

Call or text Samantha Payne at (864) 387-8964, email Samantha@openkeymortgage.com.

OpenKey Mortgage Advisors LLC. NMLS Company ID 2812158. Samantha Payne, NMLS #2743877. Licensed in South Carolina and North Carolina. Equal Housing Opportunity.