Hilton Head Real Estate Blog

A regional farmer’s market has opened in Jasper County, just south of Ridgeland, SC.  The market will offer both a wholesale auction for area grocers, restaurants and churches, as well as a retail market for the public.  The organizers of the market cited a growing desire for fresh, high quality and local produce from both the commercial and residential sectors.  Although Bluffton also offers a local farmer’s market near the Oyster Company, just off of Bridge St., this will be the largest farmer’s market of its kind in the Southern Lowcountry.

For farmers from Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper Counties, the new farmer’s market will offer a convenient location to sell there produce at both wholesale and retail prices.  In addition to the produce sold at the retail market, there will also be space for crafts and prepared foods. 

The location of the market is an existing, county-owned structure which has been abandoned for more than 20 years.  The structure has be revitalized with a new Lowcountry-style tin roof, bright new paint and the addition of an industrial kitchen.  The site may also be used for future BBQ cook-offs and Chamber of Commerce functions. 

The hours of the Farmer’s Market:

Wholesale auction market – 4 p.m. Mondays, 10 a.m. Thursdays

Retail (public) market – 2 to 6 p.m. Fridays

Location – U.S. 17, a half mile south of Ridgeland

Additional facts can be found by visiting this Jasper County web site.  Contact information and information about registering for the wholesale auction is available at the web site.    

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Revenue Procedure 2008-16, which goes into effect March 10, 2008, officially allows limited personal use of an investment property and will not prevent a dwelling unit from qualifying as property held for trade or business or investment use for purposes of the 1031 tax-free-exchange rules.

Strict personal-use rules of the investment property as a “second home” still apply. The period of the taxpayer’s personal use of the dwelling unit cannot exceed the greater of 14 days or 10 percent of the number of days during the 12-month period that the dwelling unit is rented at a fair market value.  Allowing the owner to utilize the unit for a vacation retreat and still “swap” the equity in the event of a sale and second purchase of like property. 

Will this help to stimulate the bleak Villa/Condo market in the Hilton Head Island area?  Maybe just a little.  But, none the less, this is valuable information for property investors who seek to utilize their investment(s) for limited vacation use. 

As always, I would suggest seeking the advice of a trusted tax advisor to answer any questions regarding a 1031 tax-free-exchange.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

2007 may well be remembered as one of the worst years in real estate for the Bluffton and HHI area, statistically, but statistics are rarely the full story.  A great many of the buyers who purchased a home may one day look back on this year as the year they found a great bargain.

The Market Conditions Page of this site offers a brief look at the numbers and the real estate trends of 2007, in comparison to 2006.  Most of the information may not be much of a shock to home seekers who have been keeping up with the continued media portrayal of doom and gloom.  But one surprising fact about the HHI and Bluffton real estate market shows that the closing prices in a number of areas are still increasing.  While this does not suggest home prices, in general, are moving higher but rather that buyers are finding that buying larger or lavishly upgraded homes offer a better value.  Educated home buyers are taking advantage of the growing inventory and their agents are negotiating great deals.

I’m excited to see just how the HHi and Bluffton market changes in 2008, if at all.  There is enough inventory in the Southern Beaufort County area to last through to mid 2009, when I would expect the HHI & Bluffton market to level.  This means 2008 may offer even better deals than 2007.  Oh, time will tell.   

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Auldbrass is a unique home in Beaufort county designed by well-known architect Frank Lloyd Wright.  It offers an interesting history, with the current owner being film producer Joel Silver.  Auldbrass was only fully completed when Silver became the owner in 1987, fulfilling Wright’s original design. The home was originally owned by C. Leigh Stevens, who wished the buildings to serve as a modern self-sufficient retreat for farming, hunting and entertaining.  The financial effects of World War II and Stevens’ multiple changes and revisions stalled work on the property for many years, never to reach completion in Stevens’ lifetime.  The timeline of the property after Stevens’ death included the use of the property as a hunting Club and ownership by a few lumber companies.

Beaufort County Open Land Trust now manages the property and offers rare tours (a requirement by Silver when he purchased the property) of the Auldbrass property with this past weekend being the most recent.   As with most of the tours, this past tour sold out well in advance being that Auldbrass is one of the most interesting homes in Beaufort County, even at Wright’s standards. 

Many feel the Auldbrass property was the influence for the style of the first homes built in Sea Pines Plantation on Hilton Head Island.  Along with the California Modern and Japanese architectural styles; Auldbrass offered a few of the key design elements which evolved in to the Sea Pines or Hilton Head style. 

A few of the most predominate features of the Sea Pines style influenced by Auldbrass are:

• large overhangs 
• screen porches
• low roof slopes
• earth tone colors
• landscape with native plants rather than formal southern plantings

The desired effect is to blend a modern style house into nature rather than to stand out, much of what Frank Lloyd Wright was known.  With the more recent architectural movement towards neotraditional and classic southern home styles, it is interesting to point out that there is a creative blend of architectural styles in Beaufort County.  It is this ever evolving blend of home styles which will, in part, continue to stimulate interest in the Hilton Head and Beaufort County area, known as the Treasured Coast. 

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

The Coastal Discovery Museum will celebrate the grand opening of their new location this weekend at Honey Horn on Hilton Head Island.  As part of the the events scheduled will be the first art exhibit at the museum.  The curators wanted an exhibit that reflected the culture of the area, but wasn't exclusive to the island.

“Artists Influenced by the Gullah Culture: 1907-2007″ is the first exhibit in the new Hilton Head Regional Healthcare Gallery in the Discovery House at Honey Horn. Work from local artisans will be displayed, intermingled with nationally-renown pieces collected from some of the top galleries in the state.

The public is invited to view the gallery as part of Saturday’s grand opening of the new Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn.  The 1,000-square-foot gallery is one of the new ventures for the Coastal Discovery Museum, giving it a venue to host rotating art exhibits. Through February, the art gallery will house more than 40 works inspired by Gullah culture. 

The gallery will change exhibits three to four times a year. Future plans include a juried art show titled, “Life on the May River,” which will be paired with an educational program. Following that, the gallery will host a show by Hilton Head’s Apple Pie Painters, who will exhibit their open-air painting of the Honey Horn landscape.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

The obvious attractions of Hilton Head and the surrounding Lowcountry -golf, the beach, dining, tennis or just plain relaxing – can be well supplemented with the numerous area events and festivals occurring in the Fall.

Port Royal’s October Festival, Oct 20th, is a delightful area festival just  North of the Broad River.  The main street, Paris Avenue, will be lined with vendors, live music, antique cars and organized activities for all ages. 

The Activities include:

• Kitties Corner – Face painting, a moon bounce and an interactive D.J.
• Contests – The Juried Art Show will exhibit locals works by both adults and K-12 graders with prizes awarded.  Hula Hoop contest for kids and adults.

Ten area restaurants will be serving regional favorites as well as soft drinks, beer and wine and colorful snow cones.  A local bake sale will offer homemade-style sweets and pastries as well as regional farmers offering cider and pumpkins.

The Highlight of the event must be considered the Classic Rag-top car show.  The Beaufort Car Club gathers once a month, but they save the biggest event for the October Festival.  The show offers classic car lovers the chance to get an up close look at some of the best convertible in the Lowcountry.  The show concludes with a judges and prizes

The Port Royal October Festival is just one of the wonderful area events this fall, and a fun time for all ages.  

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

There is no denying that we Americans have a special type of love affair with our cars.   The first weekend in November will offer the opportunity to express that affection in grand fashion at the 6^th annual Concours d’ Elegance & Motoring Festival held at Honey Horn Plantation on Hilton Head November 1–4. 

This years honored marque (the stars of the show,so to speak) is the Cadillac/Laslle nameplate.  But classic and contemporary car manufacturers from around the world will be featured throughout the weekend.  The Concours d’ Elegance is a very special event honoring the historic automobiles and their builders from around the globe.  The history of the event dates back to the early 1900s in Paris where cars were paired with the newest fashions of the day.  Decades later, the event emerged in the U.S. when organizers in Pebble Beach, Ca put their signature on the event with showcasing the classic cars of America.  The Hilton Head Concours is considered one of the elite four among dozens other national events sharing the same name, and many consider the Hilton Head Concours to be the Grand Finale of the season.  

A few of the special features of this years Concours d’ Elegance:

• Car Club Jamboree
• Auction
• Vintage Race
• Quest for Speed and Style
• Fashion Show
• Children’s Activities
• Artist Exhibition

As well this year’s event will feature, for the first time, an antique motorcycle exhibition.

A local blog has been created to provide information about the event and to allow others to share in the excitement about the Hilton Head Concours.  For someone who enjoys cars, this is a must see.  Just one more wonderful attraction available to area residents and visitors, alike. 

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Coligny Plaza is well known for its eclectic shops and restaurants.   It is, more or less, Hilton Heads version of a boardwalk that you would see in many other coastal towns.

It is also the home of the Coligny Theatre, originally called The Island Theatre.  It was for many years Hilton Heads first and only movie theatre. 

With the 1980’s being the start of the multi cinemas along with the invention of the VCR and cable television,   single theatres around the nation quickly closed their doors.  The Island Theatre was no exception, after years of struggling, the theatre closed in late 1997.

The owner of Coligny Plaza decided in 2001 to re-open the theatre.  It was renovated and renamed The Coligny Theatre and opened in March of 2002.  The theatre mostly shows films by independent producers, and is targeted toward an upscale adult audience. 

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Windmill Harbour is located just off the bridge to Hilton Head Island.  This private boating community offers a 15.5 acre harbour with lock system.  The marina connects to the Intracoastal Waterway and Calibogue Sound.  The lock is 80 feet long and 20 feet wide, it will accommodate any watercraft falling within that size range or even longer, but no wider! 

This impressively engineered lock system is one of only three private lock systems on the East Coast – the second of the three is also on Hilton Head Island, in Wexford Plantation.  The benefits to boats and owners alike are many; offering much less wear and tear on vessels at dockage caused by rising and falling tides, as well as preventing tidal currents which can hinder the docking process.  The restricted flow of fresh tidal water restricts exposure to marine life, which reduces the amount of bottom maintenance normally required on a boat stored in the water.  The Harbour itself, protected from the wind and currents, becomes a safe haven.  During the “winter hurricane” of 1993, two local marinas suffered damages well into the multi-millions and fourteen boats sank in Skull Creek, while Windmill Harbour Marina suffered NO property damage.

The allure of the lock system is well matched by the architecturally vibrant and diverse Charleston style homes, villas, townhomes and estate homes. 

• 80 percent of homes have a waterview
• Property views include:
• Deep water, lagoon, marsh
• Harbor
• Wooded and/or landscaped
• Lots, priced from $329,000 to $1.395 million
• Villas/Condominiums, priced from $375,000 to $939,000
• Patio Homes, priced from $599,000 to $1.599 million
• Estate/Full Size Homes, priced $865,000 to $1.7 million
• Charleston-style Townhomes, priced from $899,000 to $2.2 million
• SCYC boat slips, priced from $62,000 to $185,000
• Boat slips range from 30 feet to 60 feet

Membership privileges in the South Carolina Yacht Club include reciprocity with over 250 ClubCorp Associate Clubs and over 700 yacht and sailing clubs.
The 13,000-square-foot Windmill Harbour clubhouse(SCYC), with its twin entry staircases and pastel-stucco exterior, reflects the historical architectural heritage of nearby Charleston. The interior is a skillful blend of formal elegance and comfort, accented by a collection of antique furniture, hardwood floors, and custom made carpets.

The charm and romantic feeling that Windmill Harbour offers can only be experienced by walking the brick sidewalks through the Old Live Oaks. 

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Is it possible to get a home with an acre + land in Bluffton?  This is a question I am asked at least once week.  Well, it just so happens, I have listed a great piece of Bluffton property. 

The home is located on Prichard Farms Road.  Close to Palmetto Bluff, New Riverside Communities and Savannah, GA., it’s a great location. 

The plan for this Antebellum - style home is from Southern Living and exudes southern charm.  When entering the home from the large relaxing front porch, you see a grand staircase made of oak….and perfect for the kids or grand children to slide down.  To the right is the formal dining room that will accommodate a large table for family dinners.  To the left is the den with plenty of room for two desks or a comfy couch.

The master suite is on the main floor.  It boasts a large walk-in closet, double vanity and a separate entrance from the screened porch. 

Further along is the great room with a red brick fireplace, beautiful built - ins and enough room to entertain in comfort.  Read a book or just relax in the bright and charming Carolina Room.

Each of the two bedrooms upstairs have closets large enough to live in!  The rooms are joined by a Jack & Jill bath with a double vanity.

The home is nestled on 1.33 acres and has just about every type of hard wood tree native to the Lowcountry.  There is plenty of room for the equestrian lover as well!!

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!