Appraiser Bryan Mowery has covered a lot of ground in South Carolina. He’s driven rolling Upstate hills, felt the thrum of Charleston highways, and unwound along quiet rural trails and beside placid lakes. But ask him what stands out the most, and it’s not the scenery. He’ll tell you it’s the people he’s met along the way, and the remarkable warmth that makes every trip feel a little like coming home.
Bryan joined the Centurisk team in June of 2022, documenting property throughout New Jersey and South Carolina. Living in Philly, he’s used to the fast pace and direct manner of the Northeast U.S. But in South Carolina, the tone shifts. Each trip feels more like visiting old friends. It’s something he notices immediately when working with long-time members.
“Centurisk has been doing appraisals in South Carolina for ten years now,” he said. “When I call, my customers know who I am, why I’m calling: everything. It’s so easy and stress-free. And they’re genuinely nice. They make the whole experience so enjoyable.”
A Welcome that Goes Above and Beyond
That sense of Southern hospitality follows Bryan wherever the appraisals lead and, sometimes, in surprising ways. He first noticed it when customer contacts eagerly showed him some of South Carolina’s “hidden gem” eateries. “For lunch, we’ll go to these little places the locals all know, that you might not even realize are a restaurant,” he laughed. “Family businesses that are open only a few days a week, where the food is great and I eat way too much.” A fan of barbeque, he fondly recalls ordering a particular $10 lunch plate that proved to be a mountain of pulled pork, mac and cheese, and fried okra.
“I’d never even heard of fried okra before going down there,” he said. “But when the site staff recommend something, I’ve got to trust it’s good.”
His guides don’t stop at sharing their favorite dining spots, either. “They always want to know if I’m staying the weekend and would like things to do,” he said. “I explain I’m only there a few days for work, but they have a plenty of ideas to keep me entertained if I ever needed them.”
It doesn’t matter whether he’s near Charleston’s coast, Greenville’s growing metro area, or the quiet backcountry, his contacts demonstrate the same helpful, friendly spirit.
A State of Contrasts
Bryan noted the regular warm welcomes are especially intriguing because South Carolina itself is a state of contrasts. Bryan described Greenville, nestled in the state’s northwest, as “energetic and fast-growing,” while he likened Charleston’s atmosphere to New York City’s bustling traffic and tightly packed streets — with some exception. “The unique thing about Charleston is the residential homes right downtown. You’ll walk by city storefronts, then suddenly there’s a standalone house and a yard. Also, between the cities, you get these long, quiet stretches of countryside. I’ll finish a long day, and the drive back to the hotel clears my mind. It’s relaxing in a way I never experienced in Philly.”
That “two worlds in one” dynamic makes his assignments varied and memorable. Some days he battles rush hour traffic to get to his next appraisal site. Other days, like when he’s appraising sites near the Georgia border, he’s surrounded by trees and lakes with no GPS signal to be found.
He has Lexington, South Carolina-based colleagues John Vail and CJ Rhodes to thank for heading off that challenge. They’ve supported work in the state for years and are happy to give Bryan the 4-1-1 on upcoming travel. “John tells me everything: which roads to avoid, which routes look close on the map, but actually add 20 miles to the journey, and where GPS won’t work. Without that help? I’d have some stories to tell.”
The Sights Between Sites
At the end of the workday, Bryan’s favorite off-the-clock activity is exploring South Carolina’s state parks and historical sites, especially the ones with ties to World War II military training. “I’m a big history nerd,” he admitted. “If there’s a plaque there, I’m reading it!”
And when his assignments align with his hobbies, it’s even better. A recent assignment at a South Carolina university let him tap into his sporty side, as a staff member walked him through the school’s impressive athletic and recovery facilities. “I played Division III football, but this place was at a whole new level,” he laughed. “It was so advanced, it looked like a hospital.”
Pace and Patience
Over all the miles he’s logged, Bryan has grown to appreciate the everyday rhythms that make South Carolina stand apart. Even in the thick of Charleston traffic, he’s struck by how calm everyone seems. “No one’s in too much of a hurry,” he said. “It makes the whole day feel a little lighter.”
He admits he’s had a learning curve with the thick Carolina accents. “Half of my wife’s family is from the Indian Trail area of North Carolina, so I have some experience with it. But there are times I’m scheduling site visits, I have to ask my contacts to repeat themselves several times. I feel bad about it, but they just laugh, because they understand,” he said. “They know I’m trying.” That patience, he added, doesn’t go unappreciated.
So, through all the backroads, detours, big-city rush hours, and quiet drives along tree-lined stretches, it’s the people who stand out with every project. The hospitality at those family-run lunch spots. The members who greet him like an old friend. And the colleagues who take time out of their days to ensure each trip goes smoothly. “They’re never in too big of a hurry to be kinder than you’d expect,” Bryan said. When you’re on the road, that kind of welcome lingers longer than any windshield vista.