The city’s Planning and Development Department is exploring ways to expand Greenville’s housing supply by promoting the creation of missing middle housing. This concept refers to house-scale buildings containing multiple residential units. Examples include duplexes, triplexes, four-plexes, townhomes, cottage courts, courtyard apartments and similar developments.

Mary Douglas Hirsch, the city’s director of planning and development, said missing middle housing is “gentle density” that can be used for infill development within the city. Missing middle housing is ideal in walkable neighborhoods near retail, food, open space and other amenities. These housing types sit between detached single-family homes and high-rise apartments on the housing-density spectrum. 

“We’re dusting off this concept as we’re looking at a variety of tools to achieve more housing. This is not the silver bullet,” Hirsch said. 

Construction of these housing types has been widely missing in the United States since the early 1940s. Existing examples can be found in neighborhoods and historic districts across the city of Greenville, including in Hampton-Pickney, Greenline-Spartanburg and the West End. 

Missing middle housing can appeal to a range of demographics, from empty nesters looking to downsize to young professionals. Greenville City Councilmember Tina Belge explained that this housing type can also provide more attainable options for middle-income households and create homeownership opportunities. 

“We’ve gotten pretty imbalanced in our homeownership and rental in our city and homeownership is just not attainable for so many people,” Belge explained. “More missing middle housing is not only to lower price points so they can rent at a more affordable price, but maybe also purchase.”

Greenville housing study and planning

The concept of missing middle housing was reintroduced by Daniel Parolek, founding principal of California-based Opticos Design, in 2010. In 2019, the team at Opticos Design completed a two-part study of the regulatory barriers to creating these housing types in the city of Greenville and Greenville County. The study results and recommendations were presented to the Greenville City and County Councils in 2020. 

Hirsch said the study set the stage for the creation and adoption of the GVL2040 Comprehensive Plan in 2021. The plan promotes missing middle housing strategies and outlines areas within the city suitable for this housing type, such as around downtown Greenville, Augusta Street and the Village of West Greenville. A five-year update of GVL2040 is currently underway.  

The city also overhauled its zoning and land development regulations to adopt the new Greenville Development Code in 2023. Existing zoning barriers restricting the creation of missing middle housing were removed from the new code. A new zoning category, Neighborhood-Scale Zoning Districts, was also created for these housing types. 

Neighborhood-Scale Zoning Districts allow low-intensity housing options ranging from 2.5 to 3 stories tall. These buildings can accommodate between 4 and 12 residential units, with a 16-unit max when the development bonus is applied. This zoning type can be found in pockets throughout the city, often as a transition between single-family residential neighborhoods and commercial areas.

Despite the new zoning framework, city staff have not seen many missing middle housing options, outside of townhomes, being created in Greenville. The city invited Tony Perez, senior associate with Opticos Design, to visit Greenville in May to meet with city officials, developers and the community about missing middle housing. 

Perez led a housing workshop with the city’s Planning Commission on May 13. Commission members discussed the current barriers that prohibit developers from building missing middle housing, such as financing issues, utility fees and building codes. Hirsch explained that the city will explore ways to mitigate these barriers for developers.

Planning staff is also interested in completing a pilot project for missing middle housing on city-owned land in partnership with a home builder. Hirsch explained that the project would help test out building this housing type to work through any hurdles. The pilot project would also create new housing for the community. 

“Over the summer, we’re going to be exploring this more and figuring out what our next steps are, but planning will be following up with other departments at the city and our city council on next steps,” Hirsch said. “We’ve got good momentum and interest, so I’d like to continue the conversation.”

Definition of missing middle housing

“House-scale buildings with multiple units in walkable neighborhoods.”

Source: Opticos Design

Examples of missing middle housing

• Duplex
• Triplex
• Cottage court
• Townhome
• Multiplex
• Courtyard apartments
• Accessory dwelling units
• Live/work building

Missing middle housing study

Opticos Design, the architects behind the missing middle housing movement, completed a two-part study of the city of Greenville and Greenville County in 2019. The study was commissioned by Impact Greenville, a coalition consisting of the Greater Greenville Association of Realtors, Upstate Forever, the Greenville Housing Fund, Greenville Community Foundation and the city of Greenville.

Population growth

The city of Greenville had a total population of  79,396 residents in 2025. By 2030, the city’s population is projected to reach 85,616 residents.

Source: City of Greenville

***

Owner-occupied vs. renter-occupied units

Year: 2025

• Renter occupied: 56%
• Owner occupied: 44%

Year: 2030 (projected)

• Renter occupied: 54.5%
• Owner occupied: 45.5%

Source: City of Greenville

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If nominations are being taken for “State Bug,” punsters may vote for the “palmetto bug” (aka gigantic, revolting roaches) since this is the Palmetto State. But Joan Herlong of Herlong Sotheby’s International Realty would like to put forth the termite.

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“It’s annoying when a prospective buyer sends eight questions that were clearly generated by ChatGPT,” she says. “You can tell when the words are not someone’s own thoughts; it might seem like a tool that makes you seem savvy, but when the way you talk is nothing like what you write, artificial intelligence just comes across as … artificial.”

The unproductive use of AI extends to sellers, too.

“I recently received an email from an owner asking about my ‘personal average sales-price-to-list-price ratio.’ I don’t list average properties, so that was obviously an AI-generated question.”

Herlong says AI also offers positive benefits.

“AI is a great tool for reining in otherwise florid, verbose or just clunky property descriptions,” she says. “The results are a lot better than what the average agent used to write on their own. It often makes sense now.”

Another big lift offered by AI? The ability to quickly pull information on big-ticket items like water heaters or HVAC systems.

“When a seller cannot or will not disclose the age of their HVAC systems, for example, I can take a picture of the serial number on an AC unit, run it by ChatGPT, and get the approximate age for my buyer in seconds. More information really is ‘more better’ when it comes to making an offer on something,” Herlong says. “With AI and its assorted tools, buyers and buyer agents no longer have to take ‘I don’t know’ for an answer.”

Note: Joan Herlong wants you to know that AI was not used in any way to generate this content.

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Denied: Owens Glen

Owens Glen is a proposed subdivision located near the Woodville community close to the intersection of Owens Road and North Flat Rock Road. It is proposed for 288 lots on 121.41 acres for 2.37 units per acre. The application came with an accompanying variance application from the buffer and screening requirement.

This application was first seen in August 2024 and returned in July 2025 but was met with denial for its lack of adequate traffic infrastructure.

Its return was a suggestion from County Council and thus required a vote by the Planning Commission to reconsider. That vote was approved.

Members of the community were then allowed to voice opposition but a representative of the developer revealed that an appeal has been filed with the circuit court but was not yet served. As a result, the commission could still hear it.

The commission denied the application 8-1 due to the proposed density and traffic infrastructure.

Denied: Aetna Springs Phase 2

Aetna Springs Phase 2 is a proposed cluster subdivision located near Stallings and Rutherford roads totaling 32 lots on 15.05 acres for 2.13 residences per acre. This is the project’s third time being heard by the commission, with the first being in October 2023 for variance applications and the second in February 2024 when it was approved.

The application returned due to changes resulting from engineering matters concerning stormwater and buffers.

Members of the community raised concerns for watersheds and blue line stream piping, among other concerns that were ameliorated by the developer. One commission member raised the matter of South Carolina Code Section 6-29-1120 which speaks to infrastructure for community safety.

The commission chose to deny the application, 5-4.

Other proposed subdivisions

• Georgia West, located at West Georgia Road in South Greenville totaling nine lots on 8.6 acres yielding a nearly one dwelling per acre: Approved unanimously
• Nova Res, located near the corner of Agnew Road and Newberry Street in the Parker community totaling 45 lots on 12.60 acres yielding roughly 3.57 swellings per acre: Approved unanimously.
• Piney Bluff, located at Ridgeway Drive and Milford Lane south of Interstate 85 totaling nine lots on 2.995 acres yielding roughly three dwellings per acre: Approved, 8-1
• The Haven at Sandy Springs, located at West Georgia and Sandy Springs Road north of Woodville totaling eight lots on 13.1 acres for about 0.61 units per acre: Approved unanimously
• Rock Springs, located near the intersection of Stallings Road and Monarch Place totaling 13 lots on 11.42 acres for 1.14 units per acre: Denied, 5-4

Variances

The commission also heard two variance applications, both of which were approved: 7702A Augusta Road from the 50-foot front setback requirement, and Creek Walk Tiny Homes Community’s second phase from the minimum space requirement.

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“Helene had a lasting impact on several aspects of real estate in the Upstate,” says Herlong. “Before, no one inquired about hurricane damage. Now, it’s almost routine to ask whether a seller made insurance claims that were paid or denied.”

The other lingering consequence of Helene involves insurance.

“Obtaining home insurance was a no-brainer,” says Herlong. “Often all it took was a phone call. Now, if a roof has some age on it, we can’t assume anything. If the cost to insure a property is too high, the buyer’s financing is declined and the deal is off.”

At Herlong’s downtown Greenville office, Helene knocked over a huge tree, at least 200 years old. It lopped off a section of the building and crushed another portion. Renovation and restoration work will be completed in January 2026.

Trees are not a disclosure item on the South Carolina seller disclosure form – but it’s still important information.

“I love mature trees and the bower of shade they provide,” says Herlong. “Homes with healthy, mature trees tend to be more valuable. I don’t look at trees askance now, but I’ve gleaned wisdom the hard way about damage from fallen trees. I’d be remiss if I didn’t apply that wisdom to my clients’ benefit, by inquiring about the health and maintenance of trees close to a home.”

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The residence on Rockwood Drive in Greenville, which was recognized in the Best One-of-a-Kind Custom Home 4,001-5,000-square-foot category, was designed by Frank Bain of Anthemion Architects and had its interior design done by Jeanne Olsen and Kelsey Cosgrove of IndigoMapel and Kelly Ford of Ford Interior Design, and its yard created by landscape architect Dabney Collins.

“We are honored and so proud to have received this Best in American Living Award by the National Association of Home Builders,” said Kevin J. Reed, owner of Bluestone Construction. “A very talented group of designers and great craftsmanship by the team at Bluestone Construction made this a truly fantastic home here in the city of Greenville.”

The white-painted brick home was designed and built to fit into an older city neighborhood infill lot to replace a 1950s ranch-style home. Its features include three guest bedrooms, two bathrooms and a rec room in the upstairs area; a living space, a bathroom and an office with a custom desk and a table on the ground floor; and the living room, laundry room, den, powder room, primary suite, and kitchen and dining areas on the main level.

For more information, visit bluestoneconstruction.com.

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“Our market is still being driven by the historically low, COVID-era interest rates of 2020 and 2021,” she says. “Owners who bought or refinanced then don’t want to part with that interest rate now. Unless, of course, a buyer makes it worth their while.”

Herlong says even homeowners who don’t love their homes are willing to stay put.

“They know those low interest rates aren’t coming back – it’s more likely Godot will show up before the rates get that low again.”

In other words, never.

“But even if rates miraculously dropped, our market would be instantly flooded with buyers, which of course will drive up prices overnight,” she says. “Because while interest rates are transitory, prices continue rising.”

That means buyers who are waiting for that perfect home and perfect deal are probably going to wait quite a while. But Herlong is not concerned for her team or herself.

“People still relocate, they still have growing families, they get married, they get divorced,” she says. “There’s always a demand for premium homes in this market, and for brokers whose agents speak ‘client service’ fluently.”

Others might struggle.

“Brokerages that deliver average service are probably nervous, and they should be,” she warns. “Because in this market, average isn’t good enough. Client expectations are too high.”

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It’s a question Joan Herlong of Herlong Sotheby’s International Realty hears a lot this time of year.

“A lot of people think the best time around here is when the azaleas bloom,” she says. “But that’s also when inventories peak and the spring market heats up.”

That means more competition, which means flatter pricing, Herlong warns.

“In other words, it’ll be harder to command the price you want,” she says.

Therefore, Herlong often advises sellers to go to market in January and February, before the spring rush.

“In one case, we listed at a higher price than we might have been able to in the spring, and had an offer in less than a week,” she says. “And that, in turn, raised comps in the neighborhood for those who were going to market in April.”

But there is a flipside to the strategy.

“Something that really hurts agent credibility is all the social media videos saying, ‘Now is the best time to buy, now is the best time to sell,’” she says. “But the problem is that those videos are up all year round. But if ‘right now’ is always the best time to buy or sell, then there is really no best time to buy or sell.”

Instead, Herlong insists on listing according to the seller’s timeline, not hers.

“Because if you feel like your Realtor is rushing you, then that’s probably not the right Realtor for you,” she says.

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“And that’s a natural feeling, given so many consumer-based concerns,” she says. “But the better response is how is the industry going to raise the bar for itself?”

Herlong says a good start would be bolstering professional standards.

“The qualifications for getting a license in this state are almost non-existent. You must be 18, have a GED and a reasonably clean criminal record — not clean, reasonably clean,” she says. 

Beyond such low professional requirements, Herlong says lax ethical-accountability standards leave consumers at risk.

“While our state and local associations do hold ethics hearings, when the respondent is found to be in violation, it remains confidential,” she says. “And this can leave many home sellers and buyers in the dark. They’re trusting their Realtor with one of the biggest investments they’ll ever make.”

Inman News (a real estate industry publication) notes that 71% of agents did not close any deals in 2024. Professions, such as medicine or law, have designations that inform the consumer as to experience and expertise, such as board certificatied, senior resident, partner, junior associate, senior partner, emeritus, of-counsel, or retired.

“Realtors are associates, brokers, or a Broker-in-Charge,” says Herlong. “There are no other designations to better inform the public as to how experienced or actively-engaged a Realtor is.”

“If our industry truly seeks to improve our public image, we need to take a fresh look – from the consumer’s perspective,” says Herlong. “Otherwise, we’re at risk of more litigation. We need a megadose of transparency.”

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But Joan Herlong with Herlong Sotheby’s International Realty says in real estate, “seller beware” is also a key concept.

A recent experience underscores her point.

“A man called me and politely asked several questions about one of my listings,” she says. “The more we spoke, the more I realized the man had already toured my client’s home.”

The man later confirmed that not only had he toured the home, but the buyer agent who met him there stayed outside.

“He said he’d just clicked a button on Zillow, and the buyer agent just met him at the house and let him in,” Herlong says. “And that’s the problem. As long as there are buyer agents out there willing to take a chance on a buyer being legit, then sellers run the risk of having buyers’ agents let people they don’t know, and haven’t vetted, into their homes.”

Enter buyer-agency agreement requirements.

“Sellers have the right to stipulate that an agent cannot show their house without a signed buyer-agency agreement, but few listing agents are probably going to mention that, because they want to maximize showing traffic,” she says.

“If something had gone wrong, as the listing agent I would’ve been blamed,” she says. “Therefore, it’s incumbent upon a listing agent to make sure their seller is being protected, because there are still a lot of buyer agents out there who even don’t know who their buyers are.”

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Participants will be shuttled by bus or limo from the Younts Center for Performing Arts on Main Street in Fountain Inn to each residence. All featured homes will be decorated for the holidays and guests will hear to live music performances at each stop.

Refreshments will be offered at the Younts Center’s banquet hall. The location will also host musical performances.

Tickets are $15 and may be purchased in advance or on tour day at the Younts Center. Visitors may also buy tickets from the hostesses at each home. All event proceeds will provide scholarships for local music students and support Fountain Inn High School’s music programs.

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“It matters because sellers are no longer obligated to pay anything to the buyer agent,” Herlong says. “Most of my sellers, for example, aren’t committing to a set fee, or percentage, any longer. They’re instead opting to negotiate buyer-agent fees as part of the final sales contract.”

This is tied to a change in National Association of Realtor rules that took effect in August related to guaranteed compensation for buyer agents.

“As of August, listing agents cannot recommend, imply or expect sellers to offer compensation to buyer agents,” Herlong says.

As a result, Herlong says, sellers are beginning to base buyer-agent compensation on whether the buyer agent is bringing any value to the transaction.

“Are they facilitating the transaction or just throwing up roadblocks?” Herlong says. “Because too many buyer agents simply parrot the buyer’s concerns and that doesn’t bring value. It only adds static and difficulty.”

This doesn’t mean a buyer must cater to the seller, but it does mean that buyers’ agents should ask intelligent, informed questions on behalf of the buyers.

A recent transaction underscores Herlong’s point.

“The buyer agent simply relayed her buyer’s concerns over and over again, making us wonder if she was not relaying our answers back to them, or whether the buyers were not listening,” Herlong recalls. “Either way, it gave the seller pause, and they went with an offer from another agent.”

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“The difference between active voice and passive voice is the difference between acknowledging one’s responsibility and dodging it,” Herlong says.

“Active voice says, ‘I’m sorry. I dropped the ball. I know I was supposed to call you, and I forgot to do that.’” she says. “But passive voice says, “Gee, I’m sorry we’ve lost touch. I’ve been on vacation.’”

Herlong says agents who choose the former over the latter can lose business to other agents.

“I had an agent who recently lost a sale and blamed it on ‘losing touch with the buyer’,” Herlong says. “It’s not the buyer’s job to stay in touch with the agent! The agent dropped the ball and wouldn’t acknowledge he’d dropped it.”

“The easiest way to determine whether someone is going to be responsible is how they handle it when they screw up,” she says. “We don’t have to be perfect, but we have to be pretty close to perfect about acknowledging our own imperfections.”

Herlong says when an agent sells a property, they don’t say “the property sold.” They say, “I sold it!”

“Therefore, we have to embrace our foibles the same way, with the same active sense of ownership,” she says.

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And now that they’ve shot up, many potential home buyers and sellers are sitting still, hoping the rates will return to those historic lows, says Joan Herlong of Joan Herlong & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty.

But they may be in for a long wait, she warns.

“I don’t think rates will ever drop back down to 3% or below,” Herlong says. “I’d love to be wrong, but I just don’t see it happening again.”

In the white-hot Greenville market, waiting on rates to change creates a dearth of inventory.

“So many homeowners refinanced during that 2020, 2021 period when rates were so low,” she says. “As a result, they’re incentivized to stay put.”

Even skyrocketing values — and the enormous growth in equity those skyrocketing values bring — is not enough to move them off-center, Herlong says.

“Therefore, we’re seeing the other side of that two-edged sword — those artificially low interest rates of a few years ago are continuing to drive a very low inventory in this market,” she says.

So, what is a potential homebuyer to do?

Herlong says the first step is to keep it in perspective.

“If you’re preoccupied with interest rates, you might be missing a great opportunity, because there are several options for working with the seller to lower costs,” Herlong says, “such as asking the seller to buy down your rate.”

But even if rates are a little higher than they were two or three years ago, they’re still reasonable, Herlong says.

“Even when interest rates were up to 18%, people still bought and sold houses,” Herlong says. “They didn’t put their lives on hold. They bought and then refinanced when rates dipped.”

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MHK Charleston designed the home on Johns Island, while Dillard-Jones built the 4,400-square-foot residence. The house includes indoor and outdoor entertaining areas, a pool and a carriage house.

“The 2024 Southern Living Idea Home is the culmination of a 20-year relationship with Southern Living,” said Tom Dillard of Dillard-Jones. “This opportunity allowed us to partner with MHK Charleston and Allison Elebash Interior Design to create an exceptional waterfront home in Kiawah River. Everything about it, from the site to the design and interiors, is perfect. We’re incredibly proud of the collaboration and the team effort that brought this vision to life. It couldn’t have gone any better, and we’re excited for people to see it. This home will be a great introduction of Dillard-Jones to the Charleston market.”

The house is featured in Southern Living’s September 2024 issue. It is also open for tours until Dec. 22, Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 5 pm. The Southern Living Idea Home will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and in November, it will be decorated for the holidays. Admission is $25 per person and a portion of the ticket sales will benefit three Lowcountry charities, Communities In Schools of SC, Sea Island Habitat for Humanity and the Emmanuel Nine Memorial Foundation.

For more information, visit southernliving.com/sl-idea-house-2024-8553181.

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