Coffered ceilings and intricate millwork adorn the inside of the $2.9 million listing at 106 Jacobs Drive in Columbia.

The home was built over a decade ago, but the hardwood floors and the millwork of the coffered ceilings still gleam as if they were installed yesterday. A driveway winds its way past tall pine trees and a brick and iron gate to the handsomely colonnaded front porch. The front yard slopes gently toward a private pond, and the expanse of the nearly 32-acre property beyond.

This is 106 Jacobs Drive, a four-bedroom, 7,552-square-foot home tucked away in a quiet corner of northeast Columbia, and a prime example of a luxury market that’s become one of the strongest sectors in Midlands residential real estate. Listed for $2.9 million, the Jacobs Drive home was built in 2011 by the seller, and includes custom touches like intricately coffered ceilings, massive closets in the primary suite, and dazzling millwork throughout.

“The first floor has 10-foot ceilings, and since they’re coffered, it actually makes them feel about 11 feet tall. The house just has a real solid feel,” said Whit Moore of Coldwell Banker Realty in Columbia, who is co-listing the home with George Walker. “It’s a great setup for entertaining, and it has space for seven cars — three in a garage on one side of the house, and four in a garage underneath the house.”

The sellers’ children grew up in the home, Moore added, but now they’re grown and the owners don’t need all the space. And what a space it is — including storage areas, the three-story home measures at more than 11,000 square feet, while the exterior includes two 70-foot covered porches. The total property of 31.73 acres includes the 16-acre private pond.

Luxury sales on the rise

For four consecutive months now, the Midlands price range with the strongest sales has been $1,000,001 and above, according to figures from Consolidated Multiple Listing Service. Sales in that luxury sector were up 48.3 percent year-over-year in January, with 175 closings over the past 12 months — compared with 118 in that same span ending in January of 2024.

Over the past year, notable luxury closings in Columbia have included 9 Cedarwood Lane, a 7,000-square-foot home which sold for $4.4 million in September, and 714 Hampton Hill Road, a 9,600-square-foot residence on a 1.68-acre lot that sold for $4.1 million in August. On Lake Murray, the 6,900-square-foot home at 631 Panorama Point sold for $3.6 million in October, and the six-bedroom home at 408 Cove View Point closed for $3.19 million in September.

It hasn’t always been this way — as Moore, who’s been with Coldwell Banker Realty for more than 50 years, can personally attest.

“I've been in the Columbia market since 1970 — I started right after finishing at (the University of South) Carolina. And I'm just amazed right now at how many people there are in the $2 million-plus market,” Moore said. “A lot of agents can tell you that not too many years ago, a $1 million home in Columbia was like a mansion. Now we're seeing a number of $2 million sales, and most of them are cash transactions, which really blows my mind.”

As is the case in other parts of South Carolina, some of that is indeed due to people moving from elsewhere to the Palmetto State, which has seen one of the highest rates of in-migration in the U.S. since the onset of the pandemic. But some of those Columbia luxury buyers are also locals who are moving up to a bigger house, Moore said.

“My daughter works with me, and she just sold to some clients of hers who are moving from a $1 million home to a $2-plus million dollar home,” he added. “Local folks. So it is a good mix.”

The $2.9 million listing at 106 Jacobs Drive in Columbia features a 7,552-square-foot home built in 2011, along with a barn and private pond on 31.73 acres.

Location, space and horses

The Jacobs Drive property is accessed by an electric gate with a camera, connected to 400 linear feet of high-impact Ramm fencing. The great room is enhanced by a fireplace and custom built-ins, the kitchen by high-end appliances. The heated, walk-out basement has 10-foot ceilings, a full kitchen and a safe room. Horses can be kept on the property, which includes a 2,300-square-foot barn with an attached shop and a half-bath.

“It’s a unique situation because of the size of the property, but it's also very close to the Woodcreek Farms subdivision and shopping,” Moore said. “So it's not totally remote, like most properties of that size would be. It's very conveniently located.”

Indeed, the home at 106 Jacobs Drive is just one example of what’s available in a Columbia-area luxury market that’s experiencing unprecedented interest. But the expansive property is also distinctive in so many ways—from the quality of the interior craftsmanship, to the high ceilings and ample storage within the home, to the ability to ride horses across a pasture right down to your own private pond.

“It is a great family house,” Moore said. “And you would think it’d be great for somebody with a couple of kids who wanted horses, who loved the outdoors, and who wanted to fish on their own pond.”