Sometimes a higher calling means living in a home one could actually afford, depending on location of course. That’s the case at Francis Street Lofts in Charleston, South Carolina, where a former church built in 1937 (serving as a costume shop in the 1990s) now provides homes for young professionals.

The renovated building consists of twelve one-bedroom units ranging from 621 s.f. to 930 s.f., priced between $170,000 and $250,000.  Smaller units are what creatives are looking for in a down economy, and smaller units also need a bit more character to make up for the loss of square footage.  Most every unit has a spiral metal staircase (see image above), wooden fireplaces, exposed beam ceilings between 8 and 20 feet and green building design.

As far as neighborhood, the development is marketed to a crowd that “enjoys biking to work, walking to eat, and playing where they live.“ Just what the emerging market wants.