There are garlands of gold grape leaves and cascades of red-leafed Virginia Creeper vines, adding drama to nature's holiday scene. At sunset, white egrets roost in groups on tree limbs, positioned like so many Christmas tree ornaments. For much of this month, the air has been warm and balmy with temperatures in the low 70's. The holidays are filled with twinkling lights, high spirits, gifts to the needy, parties for the more fortunate.
In Hilton Head Plantation at the Old Fort Pub, it is quiet in the evening along Skull Creek as dusk approaches. If you listen carefully, you might hear echoes of cannon fire from the historic Fort Mitchell Civil War shore battery site adjacent to the restaurant. The echoes linger over the marshes where diners, serious about creative cuisine, choose to go.
For one party in a private room, a fully decorated Christmas tree glittered, surrounded by fairy lights. Guests watched a spectacular sunset over Skull Creek as trays of hors d'oeuvres were passed. The menu included Butternut Squash Soup, Pan-seared Salmon Spoons with Saffron Risotto, Apple Cider Pork Medallions with Crispy Potato Galettes, Margret Duck Breast with Sugar Plum on Pumpkin Pancakes, Naked Roasted Brie with Apricot Chili Glaze and Beef Tenderloin Forks with Fois Gras Whipped Potatoes. Braised Peaches with Chambord accented with Vanilla Tapioca was featured for dessert.
When you live on Hilton Head, you live with history. Not far from Fort Mitchell, in Port Royal Plantation, Fort Walker was built during the Civil War. It was built by Confederate soldiers but was captured by Union troops and became a city of over 50,000 Union soldiers. The ruins of a large cannon site are still there, overlooking Port Royal Sound.
After the Civil War, Northern money poured into Southern land. Money has always found the Hilton Head area. Hilton Head Plantation and Honey Horn Plantation were bought by friends Landon Thorne and Alfred Loomis in 1931, consisting of eleven thousand acres. Adding to the acreage over time, they eventually owned some 20,000 acres or 80% of the island. The eighteen hundred acre Fort Walker site was part of this, purchased from the government for $12,500.00. They came to the island for a month or so each year to hunt, both families staying in the main house at Honey Horn after adding a number of rooms.
The grandeur of their shoots (duck, quail, venison and fresh oysters on the half-shell were favorites) and dinners have been well documented in various publications. Black men in livery, white linen tablecloths with china and silver place settings set the tone for the elaborate dinners.
Thorne and Loomis had permanent residences in New York state. Landon Thorne had Thornham, a 230-acre estate on the Great South Bay in Bay Shore, Long Island, purchased in 1928. There, a 30-room Tudor mansion was surrounded by masterpiece gardens, fields for pheasant hunting, a croquet court, indoor tennis court, indoor and outdoor swimming pools. In 1930, he bought a fifteen-room simplex at 740 Park in New York City which came to be known as the richest building in the world. There were a number of homes, yachts, Bentleys, even Romanov emeralds to wear to splendid parties they hosted. Loomis also had an apartment at 740 Park. They eventually sold their Hilton Head land in 1950 and 1951. The south end of eighty-four hundred acres sold to timbermen from Georgia for $450,000 in 1950. The buyers were Fred C. Hack, General Joseph B. Fraser and C.C. Stebbins. In 1951, Hack, Stebbins and Olin T. McIntosh purchased the remaining eleven thousand acres from Thorne and Loomis for $600,000. Several years ago, the Town of Hilton Head paid $7 million dollars for the Honey Horn property.
By the early 1950's, General Fraser's son Charles had Sea Pines Plantation on the drawing board, assisted by the finest land planner in the country, Hideo Sasaki, chairman of Harvard University's landscape architecture department. From these careful beginnings and great respect for the land, Charles Fraser developed one of the most notable resort communities in the United States.
In the nearby Ridgeland area, a twenty thousand acre parcel was the setting for one of many hunt clubs in the south, the Chelsea Plantation Club. Thirteen thousand acres of this land was sold to one of the richest men in the country, Marshall Field, of New York. His permanent residence was on Long Island, New York's North Shore. It was a $6 million dollar replica of a family home in England. There was a private hunting preserve, a golf course, an air strip, a polo field, a private beach, tennis courts and a staff of eighty-five. (In 1943, his grandson Marshall Field, III turned fifty and inherited the remainder of his grandfather's fortune, $75 million dollars).
Chelsea Plantation became known for its hunting parties. Before a quail shoot, the extensive lawns at the rear of the regency-designed faded white brick manse (a special silicone paint was used on the exterior to produce the "look") were seeded with winter rye and tons of white sand poured on meandering paths that led out to the nearby river. When houseguests arrived for a shoot, the quail were let out of cages and driven over a velvet lawn of green toward the rear of the house where the hunters stood, waiting.
Real estate sales have continued to be strong on Hilton Head Island, especially now as the end of the year approaches. There has been a scramble for properties with buyers wanting to close on a purchase before the end of the year in order to obtain a better price from a seller before a possible tax increase goes into effect. This has created many multiple offers, an increase in the sale of lots as well as many large home sales. A 2.5 acre estate lot that I mentioned in the November blog, is under contract, to close before the end of the year. The buyer doesn't plan to build for about four more years. Villa sales are up almost 20%; home sales prices are increasing. Home prices in many states rose 6.3 percent in October compared with a year ago, the largest yearly gain since July 2006. As inventory clears out, we expect more price increases. The Wall Street Journal has published three articles recently calling this the time to buy!
We've seen some serious money come to our shores through the years. Northern money continues to pour into Southern land, as does money from all over the country, Europe and other countries. People breathe the same soft, salty rarefied air that the very rich have breathed and enjoy a lot of the same things. Most of the dirt roads have been paved now and the island is a little more crowded but property owners and visitors alike share the same admiration for the natural beauty of the Lowcountry and the same respect for the land.
Make your holidays bright and plan a visit to beautiful Hilton Head Island and take a step back into history. Have a happy and healthy 2013!
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Thursday, November 8, 2012
A FULL CAROLINA MOON, A SKY FILLED WITH STARS. . .HILTON HEAD ISLAND IN NOVEMBER 2012
A full Carolina moon lit up the sky over Hilton Head Island going into November. It bathed haunted hayrides, painted pumpkins and fuzzy, white-blooming swamp myrtle in a soft glow.
Island living is never better than in early fall when red pyracantha berries decorate the landscape and white camellia petals litter still-green lawns.
This is the beginning of the holiday season, opened in early November by the highly regarded Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival and Concours d’Elegance held at beautiful Honey Horn Plantation. The honorary chairman, Bob Lutz, former vice-chairman of General Motors as well as former executive vice-president of sales for BMW, head of Chrysler’s global production development and a member of the board of directors at Ford Motor Company, added to the excitement.
Driving his 1971 Monteverdi, a car made in Switzerland with an Italian body and American mechanicals , he joined thousands who came to the event from 47 states and 10 countries. Commenting on the antique cars he said, “It’s basically, to me, an historical preservation event for one of the most important artifacts of any society. . .a manifestation of folk art, of the period in question and its reflection of the economy of the time and the psychology of the time.” He likened cars to rolling sculptures that are artifacts from history.
Concours Judge John Carlson said, “Hilton Head has become one of the truly unique Concours in the U.S.A.; in my view it has become a benchmark for other Concours throughout North America.” It was recently named to the Southeast Tourism Society’s Top 20 events list.
Another signature event is the annual Hilton Head Heroes gala, held this year at the elegant TidePoiinte retirement and assisted living community on the island. The date is November 9th from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. with an exquisite array of fine food prepared by Chef Stephens Steward. Wine tasting and a silent auction will highlight the evening.
The organization was formed by popular singer Gregg Russell and his wife Lindy Ellison Russell in 1998. The mission is to bring children between the ages of four and eighteen suffering from life-threatening illnesses to Hilton Head for a resort vacation.
To that end a home in Sea Pines was purchased in March of 2005 where families can stay. Hilton Head Heroes is in the business of helping children gracefully become angels, while unselfish acts of love and kindness help everyday people become heroes. The organization was honored by the Chamber of Commerce as the Organization of the Year in 2009. Over the years Hilton Head Heroes has had hundreds of families as guests. (www.HHHeroes.com).
Long known for his concerts under the Liberty Oak in Harbour Town, Gregg arrived in Sea Pines from Disney World in 1976. Gregg Russell has traveled around the globe for the past 35 years, entertaining. He has experienced over 1,000 cruises and has been asked such questions as “What time is the midnight buffet?” and “What do they do with the ice carvings after they melt?” He and Lindy are caring, contributing members of our unique island community.
The fall season on-island revved up not only with a wide variety of festivals, the Concours d’Elegance, and the 31st season of the 2012-2013 Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra’s opening performance on November 12th at 8 p.m. featuring three masterworks of Bach’s orchestral oeuvre led at the harpsichord by one of North America’s foremost specialist in Baroque music (www.hhso.org), The South Carolina Repertory Company offered a production of “RED.”
When the play went from London’s West End to Broadway it won six Tony Awards, including Best Play and Best Direction. In this group’s intimate theatre on Beach City Road, it gives unusual insight into the abstract-expressionist artist Mark Rothko and his color-field work.
2013 is looking very positive for housing and overall economic growth, which should lead to rising home prices and possibly rising mortgage lending rates. On the island NFL star Chris Canty’s new 13,000 square foot waterfront home is still getting a lot of attention. There is another waterfront lot available for sale nearby with 183-feet of water frontage as well as an expansive dock with a covered pier. From this site it is an easy walk to the club, tennis, golf and pool.
Agents are talking about an unusually good buy on Twin Pines Court in Sea Pines. The house has over 4,000 heated square feet with 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 2 half-baths, a spacious living room with double-sided fireplace, and lofted ceiling. The eat-in-kitchen is open to a large great room. The rear deck is huge and has a heated swimming pool. There is a sizeable 5th bedroom or office over the 2-car garage. Rental income this year has been around $46,000. It is priced at $849,000 F.
On Sandhill Crane there is an oceanfront home for sale for only $3,745,000 UF. This home has 5 bedrooms, 5 full bathrooms and 1 half-bath. It has over 5,000 square feet, a private, heated oceanfront pool, hardwood flooring and a dramatic wrought iron staircase in the foyer. In the front courtyard there is a grapefruit tree, laden with golden fruit. Nearby are blue plumbago and miniature rose bushes where yellow butterflies flutter. It is an idyllic setting.
Financial guru Warren Buffet is the most bullish indicator for U.S. housing. He is buying up real-estate brokerages around the country, betting on a housing turnaround. He has partnered with Brookfield Asset Management, a Canadian real-estate investor, which more than doubles the size of his brokerage business.
Berkshire’s Home Services of America, Inc. unit will be the majority owner of the venture. It will manage a U.S. residential real-estate affiliate network. A press release said the brokerages that will make up the new company did a combined $72 billion in sales in 2011. That is more than twice the $32 billion in sales that Berkshire did in 2011 without the new brokerages.
Island living is never better than in early fall when red pyracantha berries decorate the landscape and white camellia petals litter still-green lawns.
This is the beginning of the holiday season, opened in early November by the highly regarded Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival and Concours d’Elegance held at beautiful Honey Horn Plantation. The honorary chairman, Bob Lutz, former vice-chairman of General Motors as well as former executive vice-president of sales for BMW, head of Chrysler’s global production development and a member of the board of directors at Ford Motor Company, added to the excitement.
Driving his 1971 Monteverdi, a car made in Switzerland with an Italian body and American mechanicals , he joined thousands who came to the event from 47 states and 10 countries. Commenting on the antique cars he said, “It’s basically, to me, an historical preservation event for one of the most important artifacts of any society. . .a manifestation of folk art, of the period in question and its reflection of the economy of the time and the psychology of the time.” He likened cars to rolling sculptures that are artifacts from history.
Concours Judge John Carlson said, “Hilton Head has become one of the truly unique Concours in the U.S.A.; in my view it has become a benchmark for other Concours throughout North America.” It was recently named to the Southeast Tourism Society’s Top 20 events list.
Another signature event is the annual Hilton Head Heroes gala, held this year at the elegant TidePoiinte retirement and assisted living community on the island. The date is November 9th from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. with an exquisite array of fine food prepared by Chef Stephens Steward. Wine tasting and a silent auction will highlight the evening.
The organization was formed by popular singer Gregg Russell and his wife Lindy Ellison Russell in 1998. The mission is to bring children between the ages of four and eighteen suffering from life-threatening illnesses to Hilton Head for a resort vacation.
To that end a home in Sea Pines was purchased in March of 2005 where families can stay. Hilton Head Heroes is in the business of helping children gracefully become angels, while unselfish acts of love and kindness help everyday people become heroes. The organization was honored by the Chamber of Commerce as the Organization of the Year in 2009. Over the years Hilton Head Heroes has had hundreds of families as guests. (www.HHHeroes.com).
Long known for his concerts under the Liberty Oak in Harbour Town, Gregg arrived in Sea Pines from Disney World in 1976. Gregg Russell has traveled around the globe for the past 35 years, entertaining. He has experienced over 1,000 cruises and has been asked such questions as “What time is the midnight buffet?” and “What do they do with the ice carvings after they melt?” He and Lindy are caring, contributing members of our unique island community.
The fall season on-island revved up not only with a wide variety of festivals, the Concours d’Elegance, and the 31st season of the 2012-2013 Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra’s opening performance on November 12th at 8 p.m. featuring three masterworks of Bach’s orchestral oeuvre led at the harpsichord by one of North America’s foremost specialist in Baroque music (www.hhso.org), The South Carolina Repertory Company offered a production of “RED.”
When the play went from London’s West End to Broadway it won six Tony Awards, including Best Play and Best Direction. In this group’s intimate theatre on Beach City Road, it gives unusual insight into the abstract-expressionist artist Mark Rothko and his color-field work.
2013 is looking very positive for housing and overall economic growth, which should lead to rising home prices and possibly rising mortgage lending rates. On the island NFL star Chris Canty’s new 13,000 square foot waterfront home is still getting a lot of attention. There is another waterfront lot available for sale nearby with 183-feet of water frontage as well as an expansive dock with a covered pier. From this site it is an easy walk to the club, tennis, golf and pool.
Agents are talking about an unusually good buy on Twin Pines Court in Sea Pines. The house has over 4,000 heated square feet with 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 2 half-baths, a spacious living room with double-sided fireplace, and lofted ceiling. The eat-in-kitchen is open to a large great room. The rear deck is huge and has a heated swimming pool. There is a sizeable 5th bedroom or office over the 2-car garage. Rental income this year has been around $46,000. It is priced at $849,000 F.
On Sandhill Crane there is an oceanfront home for sale for only $3,745,000 UF. This home has 5 bedrooms, 5 full bathrooms and 1 half-bath. It has over 5,000 square feet, a private, heated oceanfront pool, hardwood flooring and a dramatic wrought iron staircase in the foyer. In the front courtyard there is a grapefruit tree, laden with golden fruit. Nearby are blue plumbago and miniature rose bushes where yellow butterflies flutter. It is an idyllic setting.
Financial guru Warren Buffet is the most bullish indicator for U.S. housing. He is buying up real-estate brokerages around the country, betting on a housing turnaround. He has partnered with Brookfield Asset Management, a Canadian real-estate investor, which more than doubles the size of his brokerage business.
Berkshire’s Home Services of America, Inc. unit will be the majority owner of the venture. It will manage a U.S. residential real-estate affiliate network. A press release said the brokerages that will make up the new company did a combined $72 billion in sales in 2011. That is more than twice the $32 billion in sales that Berkshire did in 2011 without the new brokerages.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Fall Festivities on Hilton Head Island
Early fall on Hilton Head is a series of festivals, oyster roasts, art exhibits, polo matches, chili cook-offs, Latin music festivals, fiery sunrises and sunsets, Salty Dog Fish Fries, a Craft Beer and BBQ Festival and the week-long annual Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival with music, entertainment and a boat parade complete with a blessing of the fleet...an event that draws islanders and visitors from near and far to the quaint town of Bluffton, located across the bridge from Hilton Head, nestled by the May River. This historic hamlet is a favorite of many who favor the laid-back lifestyle and the smell of wood smoke as cooling breezes stroke the land.
Many buyers of real estate prefer to focus their efforts on property searches in the fall after the summer crowds have left. As inventory decreases and prices begin to edge upward, smart buyers are looking for their dream home or villa before selection is further diminished, while mortgage rates are still low. They are finding success. There have been more oceanfront homes and lot sales in Sea Pines this year than in 2009, 2010 and 2011 combined. Villa sales are ahead of 2011 sales by more than 40%. Rising building optimism along with rising buyer demand is creating a surge in building activity.
One NFL champ, Chris Canty, has chosen Hilton Head for his new 13,000 square foot, six bedroom, six bathroom home that is now under construction on a beautiful waterfront lot where a 3,254 square foot home has been demolished. The new structure will have a limestone facade and a lighting, heating, security and home-theater system that can be controlled by the owner from anywhere on the planet via his iPhone. Nearby is a waterfront home of 18,000 square feet once appraised at $17 million.
For the buyer who revels in stunning water views and spectacular sunsets, an executive-owner with a leading internationally known financial firm is offering his almost 5,000 square foot penthouse in Harbour Town, overlooking the 18th fairway of the Harbour Town Golf Links, for $2 million, furnished. Like some other prime-property owners who have found a safe harbor here for their money during high earning years, he is retiring and downsizing. From the penthouse, it is an easy stroll to the Harbour Town Yacht Basin where an owner can board his yacht and enjoy a sunset cruise all the way to Costa Rica.
Another interesting offering are two adjacent estate-size lots, 2.5 acres each, in a former plantation area in Sea Pines bordered by a large, sparkling lagoon, with enough space on the far side of the lagoon for a small guest house or two. The plantation once grew fields of rice that surrounded a large plantation house. The fields were flooded with water carried through Lawton Canal from Calibogue Sound. The rich rice harvest was called "Carolina Gold" by planters.
This area is only a short walk to Lawton Stables, a state-of-the-art facility across from Heritage Farms where residents park their Land Rovers, Jaguars and BMW SUV's and work their plots in old Gucci loafers and stained jeans. Instead of growing vegetables, some grow roses. At Lawton Stables, the revered American Saddlebred horse, known as the "Peacock of the house show world" is bred. Long a favorite of riders, General Robert E. Lee rode a Saddlebred named "Traveller" (General Ulysses S. Grant and Stonewall Jackson also rode Saddlebreds). After the American Civil War ended, breeders began promoting the breed as a show horse. The two adjacent estate lots near Lawton Stables present an unusual opportunity for a buyer with a sense of history and vision, especially if his or her family appreciates horses. It is a dream location for grandchildren. They can also ride their bikes to the beach or to Harbour Town.
Last week there was a final party at the Plantation Club in Sea Pines - a once-elegant private club where members kept their liquor in lockers and chefs were imported from Europe to serve fine foods and wines "at table". It was a final farewell before the structure is torn down to make way for a new $12 million dollar golf club. On a personal note, our family joined the Plantation Club in the 1960's when we were stationed in Seoul, Korea. We were charter members of the club. My then husband, a Marine officer, accompanied the first ROC battalion to Vietnam where they were valiant fighters. It was the first time the Koreans had fought outside of their country. Later, I arranged for our home to be built in Sea Pines near the beach while said-husband was under siege at Khe Sanh, Vietnam, commanding the 1st Battalion, 26th Marines.
For the last party at the Plantation Club, former chef Franz Meier and his former captain Klaus Jackel joined a number of early members, all gave nostalgic, short speeches while some admired one of the most beautiful tropical views on the island, long vistas from the rear of the club's large dining room windows of green golf fairways fringed by tall palmettos and lagoons. One speaker mentioned Sea Pines founder Charles Fraser, the genius behind our internationally known resort, being photographed for the Saturday Evening Post in the early days walking a 13-foot alligator on a leash. A short time later, while in Italy, he came across a foundry where various animals had been cast. Having a photograph with him of the alligator on a leash, he commissioned an alligator to be cast. It has served as a water fountain near the front of the Plantation Club ever since.
Stan Smith, our resident celebrity (an American Wimbledon champion whom I've written about before in this blog) was one of the speakers. He remembered the club as being the original home of the Renaissance Weekends that brought some of the most famous names in the country to the island, including Bill and Hillary Clinton. Stan and his family have lived on Hilton Head for 41 years. He is tall, handsome and dignified - a true all-American that all who know him are proud of.
When the club was built, the interior was designed by Elizabeth Gordon, the influential editor of House Beautiful magazine. Klaus Jacket told the crowd the club was known up and down the East Coast as the finest of dining establishments. One of the best and most popular speakers was "Happy" Mitchell, a slender, energetic African American who worked at the club and arranged parties for members for over 45 years. Happy retired a couple of years ago from the Harbour Town clubhouse where he continued arranging parties for residents and where he ended his career with Sea Pines. During his speech, he said that when he decided to retire, he wanted to go home, to go back to the river and to spend time with his "grands". He said they go all over the island and almost every day the grands ask him, "Where we goin today, Pappy? Do we have any money?" Happy likes going home, to the river.
The sun was setting over Calibogue Sound as the party ended. Numerous widows and widowers departed the club for the last time, leaving with their memories of happier times, wrapped like gifts and placed forever in their minds. Some were guided in their wheelchairs to waiting cars. Only the alligator from Italy remained.
Many buyers of real estate prefer to focus their efforts on property searches in the fall after the summer crowds have left. As inventory decreases and prices begin to edge upward, smart buyers are looking for their dream home or villa before selection is further diminished, while mortgage rates are still low. They are finding success. There have been more oceanfront homes and lot sales in Sea Pines this year than in 2009, 2010 and 2011 combined. Villa sales are ahead of 2011 sales by more than 40%. Rising building optimism along with rising buyer demand is creating a surge in building activity.
One NFL champ, Chris Canty, has chosen Hilton Head for his new 13,000 square foot, six bedroom, six bathroom home that is now under construction on a beautiful waterfront lot where a 3,254 square foot home has been demolished. The new structure will have a limestone facade and a lighting, heating, security and home-theater system that can be controlled by the owner from anywhere on the planet via his iPhone. Nearby is a waterfront home of 18,000 square feet once appraised at $17 million.
For the buyer who revels in stunning water views and spectacular sunsets, an executive-owner with a leading internationally known financial firm is offering his almost 5,000 square foot penthouse in Harbour Town, overlooking the 18th fairway of the Harbour Town Golf Links, for $2 million, furnished. Like some other prime-property owners who have found a safe harbor here for their money during high earning years, he is retiring and downsizing. From the penthouse, it is an easy stroll to the Harbour Town Yacht Basin where an owner can board his yacht and enjoy a sunset cruise all the way to Costa Rica.
Another interesting offering are two adjacent estate-size lots, 2.5 acres each, in a former plantation area in Sea Pines bordered by a large, sparkling lagoon, with enough space on the far side of the lagoon for a small guest house or two. The plantation once grew fields of rice that surrounded a large plantation house. The fields were flooded with water carried through Lawton Canal from Calibogue Sound. The rich rice harvest was called "Carolina Gold" by planters.
This area is only a short walk to Lawton Stables, a state-of-the-art facility across from Heritage Farms where residents park their Land Rovers, Jaguars and BMW SUV's and work their plots in old Gucci loafers and stained jeans. Instead of growing vegetables, some grow roses. At Lawton Stables, the revered American Saddlebred horse, known as the "Peacock of the house show world" is bred. Long a favorite of riders, General Robert E. Lee rode a Saddlebred named "Traveller" (General Ulysses S. Grant and Stonewall Jackson also rode Saddlebreds). After the American Civil War ended, breeders began promoting the breed as a show horse. The two adjacent estate lots near Lawton Stables present an unusual opportunity for a buyer with a sense of history and vision, especially if his or her family appreciates horses. It is a dream location for grandchildren. They can also ride their bikes to the beach or to Harbour Town.
Last week there was a final party at the Plantation Club in Sea Pines - a once-elegant private club where members kept their liquor in lockers and chefs were imported from Europe to serve fine foods and wines "at table". It was a final farewell before the structure is torn down to make way for a new $12 million dollar golf club. On a personal note, our family joined the Plantation Club in the 1960's when we were stationed in Seoul, Korea. We were charter members of the club. My then husband, a Marine officer, accompanied the first ROC battalion to Vietnam where they were valiant fighters. It was the first time the Koreans had fought outside of their country. Later, I arranged for our home to be built in Sea Pines near the beach while said-husband was under siege at Khe Sanh, Vietnam, commanding the 1st Battalion, 26th Marines.
For the last party at the Plantation Club, former chef Franz Meier and his former captain Klaus Jackel joined a number of early members, all gave nostalgic, short speeches while some admired one of the most beautiful tropical views on the island, long vistas from the rear of the club's large dining room windows of green golf fairways fringed by tall palmettos and lagoons. One speaker mentioned Sea Pines founder Charles Fraser, the genius behind our internationally known resort, being photographed for the Saturday Evening Post in the early days walking a 13-foot alligator on a leash. A short time later, while in Italy, he came across a foundry where various animals had been cast. Having a photograph with him of the alligator on a leash, he commissioned an alligator to be cast. It has served as a water fountain near the front of the Plantation Club ever since.
Stan Smith, our resident celebrity (an American Wimbledon champion whom I've written about before in this blog) was one of the speakers. He remembered the club as being the original home of the Renaissance Weekends that brought some of the most famous names in the country to the island, including Bill and Hillary Clinton. Stan and his family have lived on Hilton Head for 41 years. He is tall, handsome and dignified - a true all-American that all who know him are proud of.
When the club was built, the interior was designed by Elizabeth Gordon, the influential editor of House Beautiful magazine. Klaus Jacket told the crowd the club was known up and down the East Coast as the finest of dining establishments. One of the best and most popular speakers was "Happy" Mitchell, a slender, energetic African American who worked at the club and arranged parties for members for over 45 years. Happy retired a couple of years ago from the Harbour Town clubhouse where he continued arranging parties for residents and where he ended his career with Sea Pines. During his speech, he said that when he decided to retire, he wanted to go home, to go back to the river and to spend time with his "grands". He said they go all over the island and almost every day the grands ask him, "Where we goin today, Pappy? Do we have any money?" Happy likes going home, to the river.
The sun was setting over Calibogue Sound as the party ended. Numerous widows and widowers departed the club for the last time, leaving with their memories of happier times, wrapped like gifts and placed forever in their minds. Some were guided in their wheelchairs to waiting cars. Only the alligator from Italy remained.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Butterflies are Free - on Hilton Head Island
The great annual butterfly migration to our island usually begins in September, a harbinger of autumn.
On September 11, 2012, the temperature on Hilton Head was 81 degrees with clear blue skies and gentle sea breezes. My first butterfly sighting was a fluttering group of yellow Sulphers, feeding on a clump of yellow hibiscus blossoms. The Sulphers were followed by the colorful Monarchs with their black-tipped and veined orange wings, then the Viceroys and the Gulf frittlary. The silver winged Fritillary arrived, flashing silver under orange-spotted wings. There are many other species, including the dramatically beautiful Eastern Tiger Swallowtail with its jewel-like gold and black tiger streaks anchored by dazzling blue pearl-size dots bordering the tail. Some of these gentle, fragile creatures are en route to a small province in Mexico. They feed here on flowering plants, laying 3-4 egg broods. In the spring hatching butterflies wing north.
There is a palpable feeling of excitement in our soft, sea air. Change is obvious in the world of real estate, causing much chatter along the "coconut vine" with agents exulting over a number of happenings: another oceanfront home has gone under contract. This one was priced at $7,200,000. That makes nine oceanfront sales (Three are "pending") in the past nine months just in Sea Pines (I don't have room in this blog to give you island-wide statistics). After three long years of soft sales, we're seeing very encouraging trends emerging in our market. For instance, a new "spec" house (6th row ocean/golf views) priced at $2,495,000 is barely framed but it is under contract! This tells us that buyers want new construction and are willing to pay for it. We have seen very few "spec" houses in the past few years because lenders were not interested in risking funds. The "spec" business was virtually shut down unless someone with deep pockets would fund a "spec" project. Builders are reporting seeing the best sales levels since July 2006 - six long years. Often we are asked by a prospective buyer if there are still any "deals" around. They have to be gently reminded that our pricing is at 2003 levels, which is already a very good deal! Most of our sold properties are within 10% of the asking price.
Some ask about "flipping". They want to know if we are seeing any properties being "flipped" for a quick profit. I suppose that depends on what you consider a quick profit. Not long ago I noticed a very nice lot in Harbour Town with partial views of Calibogue Sound (a nice view amenity) priced under $400,000. It sold for $350,000 - a great buy. It was immediately put back on the market for sale. Several months later it sold for $450,000. Not a bad short term investment for someone's portfolio and not a bad profit but flipping often depends on a buyer listening to his real estate agent's information and expertise in our market, then having to be prepared to act quickly. No agent is going to tell you purchasing anything is not without risk. They can only give you information that may or may not assist a prospective buyer. It has been my experience in my real estate life to learn that some people can make quick decisions (such as doctors) and others cannot or do not. (Dare we say lawyers?) Right now there are some unusual and unique opportunities available that I have been researching for a customer/client whom I've sold to and listed property for before. He and his wife are very bright and very detail oriented. They have been very successful not only in their primary business but in their real estate investments. They are creative thinkers.
Money seems to be pouring into Hilton Head. The Westin Hotel at Port Royal Plantation (north end of the island) has plans on the drawing board for a $30 million renovation; the Sonesta Resort (formerly the Crown Plaza at Shipyard Plantation near Sea Pines) has announced it will undergo a $30 million renovation of its 340 guest rooms and its public spaces in addition to adding a spa. Everyone seems to be adding a spa. Big business, spas.
Three other Hilton Head beachfront hotels, Holiday Inn Oceanfront (now named The Beach House), Hilton Head Marriott Resort & Spa and the Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort have already either undergone or announced major renovations. Our local tourism officials say this activity heralds a new era for the island's main economic driver, increasing property values and investment.
The Sea Pines Resort has announced plans for a new Heron Point (Pete Dye designed) and Ocean Course clubhouse. The 16,000 square foot clubhouse will be sited where the Plantation Club is now. Our family was Charter Members of the club and have many fond memories of it. It will be torn down after a final October remembrance celebration. The estimated cost of the new facility is $12 million. There will be 2,000 square-feet of meeting/function space. It will provide a premier golf experience for property owners and visitors.
By Labor Day weekend, summer was officially over. The sun had set on the best summer rental season since the beginning of the economic downturn. Rentals were up 12-15% for many rental companies. Properties were selling again. The 32nd annual Hilton Head Island Celebrity Golf tournament welcomed around 30 celebrities who played golf (some don't even know how to play golf but everyone has fun) on three fine area golf courses. Song-writer Paul Williams was present for the occasion: "Rainy Days and Mondays," "You and Me Against the World," "We've only Just Begun," ended in raising more funds for children's charities (over $4 million to date) and gives the public the opportunity to play golf with the celebrities.
Coming up will be polo at Rose Hill Plantation on October 14th and on November 3rd at Honey Horn Plantation (where the wonderful Farmers' Market is held each Friday in season from 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.) a signature annual event on Hilton Head, The Concours d'Elegance. Residents and visitors will see some wonderful antique automobiles being driven around the island near old oaks, tall palmetto trees and still-blooming magnolias. It was recently named to the Southeast Tourism Society's Top 20 Events list.
Before the last butterflies fluttered away from the island, acorns began falling.
On September 11, 2012, the temperature on Hilton Head was 81 degrees with clear blue skies and gentle sea breezes. My first butterfly sighting was a fluttering group of yellow Sulphers, feeding on a clump of yellow hibiscus blossoms. The Sulphers were followed by the colorful Monarchs with their black-tipped and veined orange wings, then the Viceroys and the Gulf frittlary. The silver winged Fritillary arrived, flashing silver under orange-spotted wings. There are many other species, including the dramatically beautiful Eastern Tiger Swallowtail with its jewel-like gold and black tiger streaks anchored by dazzling blue pearl-size dots bordering the tail. Some of these gentle, fragile creatures are en route to a small province in Mexico. They feed here on flowering plants, laying 3-4 egg broods. In the spring hatching butterflies wing north.
There is a palpable feeling of excitement in our soft, sea air. Change is obvious in the world of real estate, causing much chatter along the "coconut vine" with agents exulting over a number of happenings: another oceanfront home has gone under contract. This one was priced at $7,200,000. That makes nine oceanfront sales (Three are "pending") in the past nine months just in Sea Pines (I don't have room in this blog to give you island-wide statistics). After three long years of soft sales, we're seeing very encouraging trends emerging in our market. For instance, a new "spec" house (6th row ocean/golf views) priced at $2,495,000 is barely framed but it is under contract! This tells us that buyers want new construction and are willing to pay for it. We have seen very few "spec" houses in the past few years because lenders were not interested in risking funds. The "spec" business was virtually shut down unless someone with deep pockets would fund a "spec" project. Builders are reporting seeing the best sales levels since July 2006 - six long years. Often we are asked by a prospective buyer if there are still any "deals" around. They have to be gently reminded that our pricing is at 2003 levels, which is already a very good deal! Most of our sold properties are within 10% of the asking price.
Some ask about "flipping". They want to know if we are seeing any properties being "flipped" for a quick profit. I suppose that depends on what you consider a quick profit. Not long ago I noticed a very nice lot in Harbour Town with partial views of Calibogue Sound (a nice view amenity) priced under $400,000. It sold for $350,000 - a great buy. It was immediately put back on the market for sale. Several months later it sold for $450,000. Not a bad short term investment for someone's portfolio and not a bad profit but flipping often depends on a buyer listening to his real estate agent's information and expertise in our market, then having to be prepared to act quickly. No agent is going to tell you purchasing anything is not without risk. They can only give you information that may or may not assist a prospective buyer. It has been my experience in my real estate life to learn that some people can make quick decisions (such as doctors) and others cannot or do not. (Dare we say lawyers?) Right now there are some unusual and unique opportunities available that I have been researching for a customer/client whom I've sold to and listed property for before. He and his wife are very bright and very detail oriented. They have been very successful not only in their primary business but in their real estate investments. They are creative thinkers.
Money seems to be pouring into Hilton Head. The Westin Hotel at Port Royal Plantation (north end of the island) has plans on the drawing board for a $30 million renovation; the Sonesta Resort (formerly the Crown Plaza at Shipyard Plantation near Sea Pines) has announced it will undergo a $30 million renovation of its 340 guest rooms and its public spaces in addition to adding a spa. Everyone seems to be adding a spa. Big business, spas.
Three other Hilton Head beachfront hotels, Holiday Inn Oceanfront (now named The Beach House), Hilton Head Marriott Resort & Spa and the Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort have already either undergone or announced major renovations. Our local tourism officials say this activity heralds a new era for the island's main economic driver, increasing property values and investment.
The Sea Pines Resort has announced plans for a new Heron Point (Pete Dye designed) and Ocean Course clubhouse. The 16,000 square foot clubhouse will be sited where the Plantation Club is now. Our family was Charter Members of the club and have many fond memories of it. It will be torn down after a final October remembrance celebration. The estimated cost of the new facility is $12 million. There will be 2,000 square-feet of meeting/function space. It will provide a premier golf experience for property owners and visitors.
By Labor Day weekend, summer was officially over. The sun had set on the best summer rental season since the beginning of the economic downturn. Rentals were up 12-15% for many rental companies. Properties were selling again. The 32nd annual Hilton Head Island Celebrity Golf tournament welcomed around 30 celebrities who played golf (some don't even know how to play golf but everyone has fun) on three fine area golf courses. Song-writer Paul Williams was present for the occasion: "Rainy Days and Mondays," "You and Me Against the World," "We've only Just Begun," ended in raising more funds for children's charities (over $4 million to date) and gives the public the opportunity to play golf with the celebrities.
Coming up will be polo at Rose Hill Plantation on October 14th and on November 3rd at Honey Horn Plantation (where the wonderful Farmers' Market is held each Friday in season from 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.) a signature annual event on Hilton Head, The Concours d'Elegance. Residents and visitors will see some wonderful antique automobiles being driven around the island near old oaks, tall palmetto trees and still-blooming magnolias. It was recently named to the Southeast Tourism Society's Top 20 Events list.
Before the last butterflies fluttered away from the island, acorns began falling.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Hilton Head Island's Changing Tides
As the summer winds down on Hilton Head, vacationers begin packing up to make the trek back to homes in other states. Some will have come from South Carolina or other nearby areas. They are called "the grits and gravy crowd." Vacationers who visit in the winter when it is too cold to get on their golf courses at home are called "the jet set". At the end of summer, the younger set have finished such activities as Crabby Encounters, Shark Tooth Necklace making, Sand Dollar Painting, Tie-Dye Fun, beaching, fishing, dolphin cruises, evening campfires in the Sea Pines Forest Preserve where ghost stories shiver young timbers and of course our favorite Alabama produced singer Greg Russell's dynamite concerts under the Liberty Oak near sleek yachts that rock gently in the famous harbor's placid waters. The tall, candy-striped lighthouse stands quiet guard over this colorful, fun, beautiful place.
Hilton Head's strong home sales in 2012 continued in July with a greater improvement rate over July 2011 sales than any of the state's 16 regions. We've seen four years of continued growth since the market bottomed in 2008. In Sea Pines alone, comparing the first six months of 2012 to all of 2011, residential sales are up 13%, villa sales are up 62% while lot sales are up 42%. Since there are so few lots available for sale, the best having been built on years ago, many buyers simply purchase an older home and long-term rent it until they are ready to tear it down and build. If it is close to the beach and in good condition, it can short-term rent by the week. Long-term rental properties are in short supply on the Island so this is a great time to buy (lower prices and low interest rates).
With 104 closed home sales in Sea Pines (if I seem to focus on Sea Pines, it is because I've lived here, by the beach, for over 40 years) in the first 7 months of 2012, the average price is up 5% to $926,728 compared to $880,120 a year ago at this time. The villa market has always been a hot market on Hilton Head until a couple of years ago. Now villa sales are up dramatically all over the Island with Sea Pines seeing a huge jump with 74 sales compared to 46 last year. Currently there are only 114 villas listed for sale compared to 161 in 2011. Naturally the lower priced inventory has been selling resulting in lower priced villas being cleared out. The same is true with homes although now we are seeing higher end homes selling, many for cash. Buyers feel that Hilton Head is a good place to put their money. Foreigners obviously feel that way since sales to them in this country have increased 24% in 2012 reaching $82.5 billion and growing. We've seen buyers from Russia, Italy, England, Germany, etc. coming to the Island.
The Hilton Head Town Council has been considering plans to use town land and money to create a new commercial district in the Coligny area near the beach. Plans first included a hotel, parking garages, a new park and new plazas with outdoor cafes, shops and restaurants (some of which are already there). Condominiums or apartments would occupy a second story above the retail space. Now comes a decision not to subsidize or support redevelopment of viable existing commercial enterprise or install public improvements. Instead, funds from a tax-increment finance district will be used to improve parking in the Coligny area, adding green space, upgrading nearby streets and establishing a presence for the University of South Carolina Beaufort's new center for event-management and hospitality training. There is also a new University of South Carolina Beaufort Gateway Campus across the bridge from Hilton Head, near Sun City that includes a nursing school
The current Hilton Head center is operated by USCB in space rented from Sea Pines and offers credit and noncredit courses as well as certificates and training for industry professionals. About 60 USCB students were enrolled for the spring semester, and the center has trained more than 360 hospitality workers. Chancellor Jane Upshaw calls it "a wonderful success" and says, "We have plans to expand the program to include coastal ecology, island environment and sustainability and offer more seminars."
She said the university had discussed plans for a campus on Hilton Head that would serve about 200 students and offer extended learning courses for residents and retirees through Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. The plan would have a sustaining appeal to seniors with on-going learning for younger people as well as filling unused rental units during the off-season. The plan accomplishes giving the Coligny area a unique identity while recognizing why it is residents live there, which is because of the forest and the beach.
Hilton Head's strong home sales in 2012 continued in July with a greater improvement rate over July 2011 sales than any of the state's 16 regions. We've seen four years of continued growth since the market bottomed in 2008. In Sea Pines alone, comparing the first six months of 2012 to all of 2011, residential sales are up 13%, villa sales are up 62% while lot sales are up 42%. Since there are so few lots available for sale, the best having been built on years ago, many buyers simply purchase an older home and long-term rent it until they are ready to tear it down and build. If it is close to the beach and in good condition, it can short-term rent by the week. Long-term rental properties are in short supply on the Island so this is a great time to buy (lower prices and low interest rates).
With 104 closed home sales in Sea Pines (if I seem to focus on Sea Pines, it is because I've lived here, by the beach, for over 40 years) in the first 7 months of 2012, the average price is up 5% to $926,728 compared to $880,120 a year ago at this time. The villa market has always been a hot market on Hilton Head until a couple of years ago. Now villa sales are up dramatically all over the Island with Sea Pines seeing a huge jump with 74 sales compared to 46 last year. Currently there are only 114 villas listed for sale compared to 161 in 2011. Naturally the lower priced inventory has been selling resulting in lower priced villas being cleared out. The same is true with homes although now we are seeing higher end homes selling, many for cash. Buyers feel that Hilton Head is a good place to put their money. Foreigners obviously feel that way since sales to them in this country have increased 24% in 2012 reaching $82.5 billion and growing. We've seen buyers from Russia, Italy, England, Germany, etc. coming to the Island.
The Hilton Head Town Council has been considering plans to use town land and money to create a new commercial district in the Coligny area near the beach. Plans first included a hotel, parking garages, a new park and new plazas with outdoor cafes, shops and restaurants (some of which are already there). Condominiums or apartments would occupy a second story above the retail space. Now comes a decision not to subsidize or support redevelopment of viable existing commercial enterprise or install public improvements. Instead, funds from a tax-increment finance district will be used to improve parking in the Coligny area, adding green space, upgrading nearby streets and establishing a presence for the University of South Carolina Beaufort's new center for event-management and hospitality training. There is also a new University of South Carolina Beaufort Gateway Campus across the bridge from Hilton Head, near Sun City that includes a nursing school
The current Hilton Head center is operated by USCB in space rented from Sea Pines and offers credit and noncredit courses as well as certificates and training for industry professionals. About 60 USCB students were enrolled for the spring semester, and the center has trained more than 360 hospitality workers. Chancellor Jane Upshaw calls it "a wonderful success" and says, "We have plans to expand the program to include coastal ecology, island environment and sustainability and offer more seminars."
She said the university had discussed plans for a campus on Hilton Head that would serve about 200 students and offer extended learning courses for residents and retirees through Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. The plan would have a sustaining appeal to seniors with on-going learning for younger people as well as filling unused rental units during the off-season. The plan accomplishes giving the Coligny area a unique identity while recognizing why it is residents live there, which is because of the forest and the beach.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
The Heartbeat of Hilton Head
Summertime on Hilton Head is filled with long, languid afternoons, the smell of the sea, a line of pelicans skimming over the ocean while pounding surf breaks on the beach - the heartbeat of Hilton Head.
Loggerhead turtles are nesting now. It is an annual rite dating back thousands of years. They lay their eggs in a depression on the beach from may to mid-August. The eggs hatch from July to October. By mid-June, 89 nests had been reported with more to come, according to the seaturtle.org website. Owners of beachfront properties are cautioned to turn off outside lights from 10 pm until dawn in order for these unique creatures to find their way to the ocean and not, by being disoriented, end up on someone's lawn or in a swimming pool.
While turtles were nesting in June of 2012, a report from South Carolina Realtors showed sales were up more than 60 percent over the same time last year, with 21 percent less time on the market. These numbers reflect a much healthier market than a year ago. Buyers are making their moves and sellers feel they have waited long enough to sell. The average home price island-wide is now $653,206 (in Sea Pines the average price is $941,207). This is not to say there are not some very good buys in the lower price ranges. One house in Sea Pines that sold a few weeks ago for a low $385,000 is in a neighborhood of nice, large homes, has a lovely lagoon view with open space on one side; lagoon views from a kitchen-great room/fireplace and master suite; an open foyer, spacious interior with a separate dining room and a two-car garage. It is less than ten minutes by auto from the beach. The buyers have been vacationing on Hilton Head for twenty years. It took them less than a full day to make a decision about this house. Now they're "living the dream."
Owners of high-end properties who want to sell are anxious to complete a transaction before the end of this year because, if the Bush tax cuts are allowed to expire and tax rates go up, sellers in the high-end market could owe hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars more in capital-gains taxes. If more wealthy property owners sell, they could drive up inventory and lower prices at the top-end of the real estate market. The market experienced a similar situation in 2010 when it was feared that Congress would raise capital-gains rates. Inventory rose and prices decreased. Families who sell a second home that they have owned for more than a year pay capital-gains on the difference between the sale price and their original purchase price, minus improvements, certain fees and other deductions. There will also be local taxes and state taxes applied to the gains. All of this combined makes a good case for some wealthy owners who see a significant potential tax savings.
The upside means more affordable upper-end homes, especially for some foreigners, who continue to purchase real estate in this country as stocks and other financial purchases weaken.
Buyers are more focused on purchasing rental properties this year as the rental market tightens. Rental rates are being pushed up. Some rental companies have prospects waiting for nice rental properties. Often a buyer can close on a property one week and rent it the next. This is a far cry from a year or two ago as economic realities have swollen the ranks of renters. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of 20-34 year olds (a prime renter demographic) will grow every year between now and 2030. With a record fall in interest rates on June 19, 2012 (to 3.53%), an exciting opportunity is afforded today's buyer.
While the lazy days of summer play themselves out, residents and visitors alike gather at Honey Horn Plantation on Friday mornings to peruse the local Farmers' Market where produce has been plucked from the vine in the early morning or late afternoon before and seafood was swimming in the river only hours earlier. The exotic smell of Palm Key smoked barbecue mingles with more earthly fragrances (including a nearby pasture with two snorting horses). Other edibles are organic hen eggs, quail eggs, artisan breads, gourmet soups - and don't forget the fresh peaches for a peach pound cake or fresh peach ice cream!
Loggerhead turtles are nesting now. It is an annual rite dating back thousands of years. They lay their eggs in a depression on the beach from may to mid-August. The eggs hatch from July to October. By mid-June, 89 nests had been reported with more to come, according to the seaturtle.org website. Owners of beachfront properties are cautioned to turn off outside lights from 10 pm until dawn in order for these unique creatures to find their way to the ocean and not, by being disoriented, end up on someone's lawn or in a swimming pool.
While turtles were nesting in June of 2012, a report from South Carolina Realtors showed sales were up more than 60 percent over the same time last year, with 21 percent less time on the market. These numbers reflect a much healthier market than a year ago. Buyers are making their moves and sellers feel they have waited long enough to sell. The average home price island-wide is now $653,206 (in Sea Pines the average price is $941,207). This is not to say there are not some very good buys in the lower price ranges. One house in Sea Pines that sold a few weeks ago for a low $385,000 is in a neighborhood of nice, large homes, has a lovely lagoon view with open space on one side; lagoon views from a kitchen-great room/fireplace and master suite; an open foyer, spacious interior with a separate dining room and a two-car garage. It is less than ten minutes by auto from the beach. The buyers have been vacationing on Hilton Head for twenty years. It took them less than a full day to make a decision about this house. Now they're "living the dream."
Owners of high-end properties who want to sell are anxious to complete a transaction before the end of this year because, if the Bush tax cuts are allowed to expire and tax rates go up, sellers in the high-end market could owe hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars more in capital-gains taxes. If more wealthy property owners sell, they could drive up inventory and lower prices at the top-end of the real estate market. The market experienced a similar situation in 2010 when it was feared that Congress would raise capital-gains rates. Inventory rose and prices decreased. Families who sell a second home that they have owned for more than a year pay capital-gains on the difference between the sale price and their original purchase price, minus improvements, certain fees and other deductions. There will also be local taxes and state taxes applied to the gains. All of this combined makes a good case for some wealthy owners who see a significant potential tax savings.
The upside means more affordable upper-end homes, especially for some foreigners, who continue to purchase real estate in this country as stocks and other financial purchases weaken.
Buyers are more focused on purchasing rental properties this year as the rental market tightens. Rental rates are being pushed up. Some rental companies have prospects waiting for nice rental properties. Often a buyer can close on a property one week and rent it the next. This is a far cry from a year or two ago as economic realities have swollen the ranks of renters. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of 20-34 year olds (a prime renter demographic) will grow every year between now and 2030. With a record fall in interest rates on June 19, 2012 (to 3.53%), an exciting opportunity is afforded today's buyer.
While the lazy days of summer play themselves out, residents and visitors alike gather at Honey Horn Plantation on Friday mornings to peruse the local Farmers' Market where produce has been plucked from the vine in the early morning or late afternoon before and seafood was swimming in the river only hours earlier. The exotic smell of Palm Key smoked barbecue mingles with more earthly fragrances (including a nearby pasture with two snorting horses). Other edibles are organic hen eggs, quail eggs, artisan breads, gourmet soups - and don't forget the fresh peaches for a peach pound cake or fresh peach ice cream!
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Building Sandcastles on Hilton Head Island
Across the extensive marshlands that surround rivers and creeks in our area of the Lowcountry, spartina grass turns from brown to a bright, new green in June and is almost submerged by flooding spring tides, illuminated by a full moon. As the tide turns some 12 hours later, the eye is drawn to bands of color: some browns, the bright greens, patches of umber - a Rothko color field painted on nature's canvas.
At nightfall, there are as many animal and bird sounds as one would hear in a jungle. The piercing, forlorn cries of a chuck-will's-widow mingle with the songs of tree frogs, the background noise of crickets, the occasional roar of a bull alligator and an owl's hoot. The chuck-will's-widow's relentless, shrill cries are often mistaken for those of the whip-poor-will but whip-poor-wills seldom visit this still-wild place.
When you live on an Island, you learn to co-exist with nature's creatures: deer, raccoons, the occasional snake, exotic bird life (consider the tall, handsome blue heron which is actually gray), elegant white egrets dressed in exquisite plumage for the mating season; ospreys, bald eagles and of course, the prehistoric alligator.
Recently a 13 foot alligator had to be removed from a large lagoon bordering a public park. The creature had snapped up an errant soccer ball that landed in the lagoon. The soccer ball was lodged in the jaws of the gator, which, in the end, could not be relocated so it subsequently was dispatched to wherever it is that only alligators go. The following is what was found in the creature's stomach: two turtles, a 4-foot alligator, 48 rocks, 53 fishing lures, 2 baseballs, 1 tennis ball, a half-pound of lead sinkers, two other partially digested balls and one beer can. Occasionally a homeowner will find a small gator taking a swim in the family pool, at which time the wildlife officer is called.
Hilton Head is flooded with a tsunami of visitors this summer, happily building sandcastles on the beach, riding bike trails that crisscross the Island, lobbing tennis balls, hitting golf balls, sailing while porpoises trail the boats, crabbing, visiting the Indian Shell Ring that was built 4,000 years ago in the Sea Pines Forest Preserve, eating watermelon - storing never to be forgotten memories of an Island vacation with friends and family.
In the real world of business and real estate activity, our market is recovering quicker than most in the national marketplace. As inventory is declining with short sales and foreclosures being cleared out, there are positive trends such as 77 homes in Sea Pines selling so far this year with an average price of $1,009,007 compared to $863,867 in 2011. Five oceanfront homes have sold, impacting the average price. As mentioned in my blog last month, the upper end of the market is selling again and for a couple of months now, agents have been getting multiple offers on desirable properties, the result of a more balanced market. Appraisers are still often having problems matching value to comparable selling prices as the market keeps moving, resulting in a determined buyer who knows what he wants making a larger down payment if necessary and walking away with the property at a good price and low interest mortgage payments.
Over the years, Hilton Head Island has benefited from The Town of Hilton Head purchasing around 1,100 acres of land on the Island, keeping it from commercial development. Currently, the Island is benefiting from the major infusion of capital improvements and redevelopment at Shelter Cove, Park Plaza, Coligny Plaza and Sea Pines Center. Beaufort County signed off on the Hilton Head Island's Airport expansion project. The master plan calls for a two-phased extension of the 4,300-foot runway to 5,400 feet. The work is designed to ensure the future of commercial and private air service on the Island. The FAA approved the plan last fall. Tree clearing has already begun.
At nightfall, there are as many animal and bird sounds as one would hear in a jungle. The piercing, forlorn cries of a chuck-will's-widow mingle with the songs of tree frogs, the background noise of crickets, the occasional roar of a bull alligator and an owl's hoot. The chuck-will's-widow's relentless, shrill cries are often mistaken for those of the whip-poor-will but whip-poor-wills seldom visit this still-wild place.
When you live on an Island, you learn to co-exist with nature's creatures: deer, raccoons, the occasional snake, exotic bird life (consider the tall, handsome blue heron which is actually gray), elegant white egrets dressed in exquisite plumage for the mating season; ospreys, bald eagles and of course, the prehistoric alligator.
Recently a 13 foot alligator had to be removed from a large lagoon bordering a public park. The creature had snapped up an errant soccer ball that landed in the lagoon. The soccer ball was lodged in the jaws of the gator, which, in the end, could not be relocated so it subsequently was dispatched to wherever it is that only alligators go. The following is what was found in the creature's stomach: two turtles, a 4-foot alligator, 48 rocks, 53 fishing lures, 2 baseballs, 1 tennis ball, a half-pound of lead sinkers, two other partially digested balls and one beer can. Occasionally a homeowner will find a small gator taking a swim in the family pool, at which time the wildlife officer is called.
Hilton Head is flooded with a tsunami of visitors this summer, happily building sandcastles on the beach, riding bike trails that crisscross the Island, lobbing tennis balls, hitting golf balls, sailing while porpoises trail the boats, crabbing, visiting the Indian Shell Ring that was built 4,000 years ago in the Sea Pines Forest Preserve, eating watermelon - storing never to be forgotten memories of an Island vacation with friends and family.
In the real world of business and real estate activity, our market is recovering quicker than most in the national marketplace. As inventory is declining with short sales and foreclosures being cleared out, there are positive trends such as 77 homes in Sea Pines selling so far this year with an average price of $1,009,007 compared to $863,867 in 2011. Five oceanfront homes have sold, impacting the average price. As mentioned in my blog last month, the upper end of the market is selling again and for a couple of months now, agents have been getting multiple offers on desirable properties, the result of a more balanced market. Appraisers are still often having problems matching value to comparable selling prices as the market keeps moving, resulting in a determined buyer who knows what he wants making a larger down payment if necessary and walking away with the property at a good price and low interest mortgage payments.
Over the years, Hilton Head Island has benefited from The Town of Hilton Head purchasing around 1,100 acres of land on the Island, keeping it from commercial development. Currently, the Island is benefiting from the major infusion of capital improvements and redevelopment at Shelter Cove, Park Plaza, Coligny Plaza and Sea Pines Center. Beaufort County signed off on the Hilton Head Island's Airport expansion project. The master plan calls for a two-phased extension of the 4,300-foot runway to 5,400 feet. The work is designed to ensure the future of commercial and private air service on the Island. The FAA approved the plan last fall. Tree clearing has already begun.
Monday, May 21, 2012
May is Pink Sunsets, White Gardenias and Serious Money
When gardenias are blooming, Southern girls wear them in their hair. When the spring polo match is played at nearby Rose Hill Plantation on the mainland, pretty girls hot-walk ponies. On Hilton Head Island, May is pink sunsets, white gardenias and serious money.
A couple of weeks ago, an equestrian exposition and polo match, presented by Equus Ventures, LLC and led by Chairman Dr. Sandy Termotto, was held at the Rose Hill Plantation Equestrian Center where Hall of Fame horse racing jockey Eddie Maples and his wife, Kate, manage the center. Visitors to the center come from as far away as Dubai. The exposition competition involves gated horses such as the American Saddlebred, National Showhorse, Arabians, the Tennessee Walking Horse, the Missouri Fox Trotter, Morgans and others. Riders are attired in elegant riding habit. There is a Lowcountry Hunt demo, a Parade of Breeds that might include Paso Fino, Appaloosa, Shire, Hanoverian, Friesian, Thoroughbred, Selle Francais, Arabian, Palomino and Quarter Horse. Spectators see colorful carriages, enjoy creative tailgate picnics and better understand the powerful bond between horse and rider. The surrounding woods showboat with blooming white magnolia blossoms.
Eddie Maples was aboard the famous Secretariat ("Big Red") when he rode to victory in the Canadian International Champion Stakes.It was the revered horse's last race. Eddie has won 4,398 races including wins in the Belmont Stakes twice. He has competed in nine Kentucky Derbys. This event and others has raised over $215,000 to benefit local charities.
Serious money (serious to us) has been pouring into the Hilton Head real estate market this season. Five oceanfront homes in Sea Pines have sold and closed. One priced at $5,500,000 sold for $4,600,000; another priced at $4,900,000 sold for $4,550,000; another priced at $3,995,000 sold for $3,500,000. Occasionally we see an older oceanfront home sell in the $3 million range, then torn down to make way for a new oceanfront home. One buyer of a large, vacant oceanfront lot paid $9,600,000 and is building a handsome, spacious second home. He lives in Europe. Since the Island is close to build out, we often see interior older homes in a prime location costing close to $1 million purchased and torn down with a new home to follow. Many of these are second homes. One lovely home that is for sale, priced at $4,200,000 with 135-feet on the ocean, is only a couple of houses away from an oceanfront home formerly owned by author Patricia Cornwell.
In Wexford Plantation, an elegant mid-island development with British Colonial architectural influences and a large harbor for owners' yachts, there are a number of homes for sale in the $1.7-$3 million-plus range with owners who have already purchased another home in Wexford while prices are low. This means their properties are priced lower than what was paid for them but that doesn't bother the seller. It also means the current owner is paying two Property Owner's Assessments. Not to worry. They all love Wexford, its beautiful white, sparkling clubhouse, the safe harbor where they can access nearby rivers and the Atlantic Ocean. It is a very special community (originally developed by Marathon Oil).
Millions of dollars are being spent on renovations of existing oceanfront hotels on Hilton Head: The Westin Hotel and Spa, the Omni, Holiday Oceanfront and The Crown Plaza (now the Sonesta).
While all of this has been going on, two nature events are playing out on South Carolina's barrier islands with the arrival of two endangered species, drawn simultaneously by our warmer spring waters and the moon's cycle. One is a tiny shorebird called the Red Knot that weighs less than an iPhone, and a living fossil of the ocean floor that has been in our geological records for over 350 million years. It is the horseshoe crab. The female crab will beach at high tide and lay around 64,000 eggs in shallow water. The Red Knot will have flown four days and nights nonstop over the Atlantic Ocean from their wintering grounds in Chile and Argentina (some 18,000 miles every year) to their breeding grounds north of the Arctic circle in Canada and back. The Red Knot has only two weeks in which to double their weight.
Unfortunately, there has been a major decline in the horseshoe crab population (as well as the Red Knot) due to a quart of their blood selling for $15,000. The blood contains a compound called Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LALO) that immediately clots around viruses, bacterial endotoxins and fungi. It is the equivalent of liquid gold for biomedicine. It is a $50 million dollar a year industry in the U.S. Serious money.
Diann Wilkinson
A couple of weeks ago, an equestrian exposition and polo match, presented by Equus Ventures, LLC and led by Chairman Dr. Sandy Termotto, was held at the Rose Hill Plantation Equestrian Center where Hall of Fame horse racing jockey Eddie Maples and his wife, Kate, manage the center. Visitors to the center come from as far away as Dubai. The exposition competition involves gated horses such as the American Saddlebred, National Showhorse, Arabians, the Tennessee Walking Horse, the Missouri Fox Trotter, Morgans and others. Riders are attired in elegant riding habit. There is a Lowcountry Hunt demo, a Parade of Breeds that might include Paso Fino, Appaloosa, Shire, Hanoverian, Friesian, Thoroughbred, Selle Francais, Arabian, Palomino and Quarter Horse. Spectators see colorful carriages, enjoy creative tailgate picnics and better understand the powerful bond between horse and rider. The surrounding woods showboat with blooming white magnolia blossoms.
Eddie Maples was aboard the famous Secretariat ("Big Red") when he rode to victory in the Canadian International Champion Stakes.It was the revered horse's last race. Eddie has won 4,398 races including wins in the Belmont Stakes twice. He has competed in nine Kentucky Derbys. This event and others has raised over $215,000 to benefit local charities.
Serious money (serious to us) has been pouring into the Hilton Head real estate market this season. Five oceanfront homes in Sea Pines have sold and closed. One priced at $5,500,000 sold for $4,600,000; another priced at $4,900,000 sold for $4,550,000; another priced at $3,995,000 sold for $3,500,000. Occasionally we see an older oceanfront home sell in the $3 million range, then torn down to make way for a new oceanfront home. One buyer of a large, vacant oceanfront lot paid $9,600,000 and is building a handsome, spacious second home. He lives in Europe. Since the Island is close to build out, we often see interior older homes in a prime location costing close to $1 million purchased and torn down with a new home to follow. Many of these are second homes. One lovely home that is for sale, priced at $4,200,000 with 135-feet on the ocean, is only a couple of houses away from an oceanfront home formerly owned by author Patricia Cornwell.
In Wexford Plantation, an elegant mid-island development with British Colonial architectural influences and a large harbor for owners' yachts, there are a number of homes for sale in the $1.7-$3 million-plus range with owners who have already purchased another home in Wexford while prices are low. This means their properties are priced lower than what was paid for them but that doesn't bother the seller. It also means the current owner is paying two Property Owner's Assessments. Not to worry. They all love Wexford, its beautiful white, sparkling clubhouse, the safe harbor where they can access nearby rivers and the Atlantic Ocean. It is a very special community (originally developed by Marathon Oil).
Millions of dollars are being spent on renovations of existing oceanfront hotels on Hilton Head: The Westin Hotel and Spa, the Omni, Holiday Oceanfront and The Crown Plaza (now the Sonesta).
While all of this has been going on, two nature events are playing out on South Carolina's barrier islands with the arrival of two endangered species, drawn simultaneously by our warmer spring waters and the moon's cycle. One is a tiny shorebird called the Red Knot that weighs less than an iPhone, and a living fossil of the ocean floor that has been in our geological records for over 350 million years. It is the horseshoe crab. The female crab will beach at high tide and lay around 64,000 eggs in shallow water. The Red Knot will have flown four days and nights nonstop over the Atlantic Ocean from their wintering grounds in Chile and Argentina (some 18,000 miles every year) to their breeding grounds north of the Arctic circle in Canada and back. The Red Knot has only two weeks in which to double their weight.
Unfortunately, there has been a major decline in the horseshoe crab population (as well as the Red Knot) due to a quart of their blood selling for $15,000. The blood contains a compound called Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LALO) that immediately clots around viruses, bacterial endotoxins and fungi. It is the equivalent of liquid gold for biomedicine. It is a $50 million dollar a year industry in the U.S. Serious money.
Diann Wilkinson
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
THE EPITOME OF BLISS
The Symphony Under the Stars, presented by the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, was over by the time the 44th RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing began on the Harbour Town Golf Links in Sea Pines.
The venerable golf tournament began with the usual boom of canon fire across Calibogue Sound, kicking off the pageantry and excitement long associated with the tournament. It brought some of the finest weather ever for this event: cool, fresh, gentle breezes, low humidity, no bugs, sparkling sunshine, the air touched by fragrances from blooming magnolia, gardenias, Sweet Ligustrum - the epitome of bliss on a subtropical barrier Island where 125,000 fans watched the pros play.
The Harbour Town course has long been known as a difficult test for players. Furman Bisher, an iconic sports editor for the Atlanta Journal, called the Harbour Town Golf Links "Purgatory with 18 holes." He wrote about the opening tournament in 1969, calling it "the last word in outdoor torture chambers. When you are in trouble here, you may be in need of last rites..it is likely to be one of the most talked-about golf courses in the world." The beloved sports writer passed away at the age of 93 in March 2012.
While 34 year old Swede Carl Pettersson focused on winning the Heritage by five strokes and a purse of $1,026,000, yachts glistened in the harbour, sailboats and motor launches dotted Calibogue Sound; many residents who live along the golf course hosted Heritage parties that featured gourmet edibles and open bars as flowers floated in swimming pools.
A highlight of the tournament was the thrill of seeing Boeing's sleek and gorgeous new 787 Dreamliner fly low over the 18th fairway, then turn its wings toward the sun and fly away, its GE and Rolls Royce engines as silent as a gliding raptor.
Despite golf tournaments and symphonies, commerce flowed on, causing great rejoicing in the real estate world as word spread: "The market is moving! The market is moving!" Excitement is palpable as the up-tick in sales continues and grows. The upper-end market is moving again; villa sales island-wide are up 21% with a 20% reduction in inventory. Three oceanfront homes in Sea Pines have sold in the past three months; the average price of a home in Sea Pines in March was $1,135,561 (this number is probably a bit skewed by the oceanfront sales). Island-wide the average home price was $682,406 in March.
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported a surge in sales of investment and vacation homes in 2011, a trend that continues today. NAR says nearly half of all investors and 42% of vacation homebuyers were cash buyers who indicated they will use their home as a primary residence in the future. Rentals in our area are in great demand which makes a purchase even more inviting.
The venerable golf tournament began with the usual boom of canon fire across Calibogue Sound, kicking off the pageantry and excitement long associated with the tournament. It brought some of the finest weather ever for this event: cool, fresh, gentle breezes, low humidity, no bugs, sparkling sunshine, the air touched by fragrances from blooming magnolia, gardenias, Sweet Ligustrum - the epitome of bliss on a subtropical barrier Island where 125,000 fans watched the pros play.
The Harbour Town course has long been known as a difficult test for players. Furman Bisher, an iconic sports editor for the Atlanta Journal, called the Harbour Town Golf Links "Purgatory with 18 holes." He wrote about the opening tournament in 1969, calling it "the last word in outdoor torture chambers. When you are in trouble here, you may be in need of last rites..it is likely to be one of the most talked-about golf courses in the world." The beloved sports writer passed away at the age of 93 in March 2012.
While 34 year old Swede Carl Pettersson focused on winning the Heritage by five strokes and a purse of $1,026,000, yachts glistened in the harbour, sailboats and motor launches dotted Calibogue Sound; many residents who live along the golf course hosted Heritage parties that featured gourmet edibles and open bars as flowers floated in swimming pools.
A highlight of the tournament was the thrill of seeing Boeing's sleek and gorgeous new 787 Dreamliner fly low over the 18th fairway, then turn its wings toward the sun and fly away, its GE and Rolls Royce engines as silent as a gliding raptor.
Despite golf tournaments and symphonies, commerce flowed on, causing great rejoicing in the real estate world as word spread: "The market is moving! The market is moving!" Excitement is palpable as the up-tick in sales continues and grows. The upper-end market is moving again; villa sales island-wide are up 21% with a 20% reduction in inventory. Three oceanfront homes in Sea Pines have sold in the past three months; the average price of a home in Sea Pines in March was $1,135,561 (this number is probably a bit skewed by the oceanfront sales). Island-wide the average home price was $682,406 in March.
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported a surge in sales of investment and vacation homes in 2011, a trend that continues today. NAR says nearly half of all investors and 42% of vacation homebuyers were cash buyers who indicated they will use their home as a primary residence in the future. Rentals in our area are in great demand which makes a purchase even more inviting.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
HILTON HEAD ISLAND - AN OASIS OF PEACE
A world-traveling couple I sold a home to several years ago once called Hilton Head Island "a Garden of Eden - an oasis of peace." They still travel the world but Hilton Head is home.
Our barrier island has truly been a Garden of Eden this spring. The whole area has erupted in masses of color from blooming azaleas, yellow Carolina Jasmine (the white Confederate Jasmine will come later), wisteria, dogwood - every imaginable variety of blooming plants, shrubs, trees and vines.
As varied, colorful and interesting as the plants are the people who live here, have lived here, visit here, and are drawn to the natural beauty of the island. One of my favorites is Mary Edna Fraser, a creative artist whom I've known since she began to take off in her career, a spirited girl who flew in her family's vintage 1947 propeller plane gathering inspiration from an aerial perspective for what would become her internationally recognized, stunning silk batiks. That was before she had the first-ever one-woman exhibit at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. She has exhibited all over the world. She has been called an environmental artist and has a deep spiritual connection with nature and environmental concerns which are the focus of many of her large batiks.
The process used on silk batik is precise and complicated. It is not for the faint of heart, nor is there room for error. One mistake and the piece is ruined. Currently Mary Edna is working on silk sails that are 21-feet tall! This is a commissioned piece for a museum.
Batik is a dye-resistant process in which removable wax is applied to fabric, creating areas that will repel dye, while any unwaxed areas will absorb dye. This technique of dying textiles is a traditional craft in Malaysia, India, China, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Japan, Azerbaijan, Nigeria, Singapore, Senegal and Indonesia. The word "batik" originated in Java, Indonesia where the process predates written records.
She has collaborated on books with the highly regarded Orrin H. Pilkey, the James B. Duke Professor Emeritus of Geology at the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University in North Carolina. He is an internationally recognized expert on the geology of barrier islands. He and his son Keith's book, "Global Climate Change," accompanied by Mary Edna's stunning batiks, describes global change and its effects. Another collaboration with Pilkey is "A Celebration of the World's Barrier Islands." If you would enjoy seeing some beautiful, intricate work, go to : http://www.maryedna.com/.
Our local real estate environment is incredibly attractive right now. With stronger sales and a more limited inventory, interest rates are still low and we're seeing multiple offers being presented on various properties. Sales are generally within 5-7% of the asking price. The market is turning and when that happens inventory can go down very quickly and prices begin to edge up. Closed sales are already up around 12% over this time last year. There isn't as much product on the market as there was. Have you missed the buyer's market?
Diann Wilkinson
Our barrier island has truly been a Garden of Eden this spring. The whole area has erupted in masses of color from blooming azaleas, yellow Carolina Jasmine (the white Confederate Jasmine will come later), wisteria, dogwood - every imaginable variety of blooming plants, shrubs, trees and vines.
As varied, colorful and interesting as the plants are the people who live here, have lived here, visit here, and are drawn to the natural beauty of the island. One of my favorites is Mary Edna Fraser, a creative artist whom I've known since she began to take off in her career, a spirited girl who flew in her family's vintage 1947 propeller plane gathering inspiration from an aerial perspective for what would become her internationally recognized, stunning silk batiks. That was before she had the first-ever one-woman exhibit at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. She has exhibited all over the world. She has been called an environmental artist and has a deep spiritual connection with nature and environmental concerns which are the focus of many of her large batiks.
The process used on silk batik is precise and complicated. It is not for the faint of heart, nor is there room for error. One mistake and the piece is ruined. Currently Mary Edna is working on silk sails that are 21-feet tall! This is a commissioned piece for a museum.
Batik is a dye-resistant process in which removable wax is applied to fabric, creating areas that will repel dye, while any unwaxed areas will absorb dye. This technique of dying textiles is a traditional craft in Malaysia, India, China, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Japan, Azerbaijan, Nigeria, Singapore, Senegal and Indonesia. The word "batik" originated in Java, Indonesia where the process predates written records.
She has collaborated on books with the highly regarded Orrin H. Pilkey, the James B. Duke Professor Emeritus of Geology at the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University in North Carolina. He is an internationally recognized expert on the geology of barrier islands. He and his son Keith's book, "Global Climate Change," accompanied by Mary Edna's stunning batiks, describes global change and its effects. Another collaboration with Pilkey is "A Celebration of the World's Barrier Islands." If you would enjoy seeing some beautiful, intricate work, go to : http://www.maryedna.com/.
Our local real estate environment is incredibly attractive right now. With stronger sales and a more limited inventory, interest rates are still low and we're seeing multiple offers being presented on various properties. Sales are generally within 5-7% of the asking price. The market is turning and when that happens inventory can go down very quickly and prices begin to edge up. Closed sales are already up around 12% over this time last year. There isn't as much product on the market as there was. Have you missed the buyer's market?
Diann Wilkinson
Sunday, February 26, 2012
AN ABSOLUTELY ALL-AMERICAN TENNIS CHAMPION
has lived on Hilton Head Island for most of his adult life. He's the kind of American who makes you feel proud when you see him: tall, imposing, there is a certain aura of strength and purpose surrounding him. You see it when he walks into a room - head and shoulders above everyone else. His name is Stan Smith.
He came to Hilton Head from California in 1971 at the invitation of Charles Fraser, the founder of Sea Pines, who wanted tennis to capture a more prominent position in the resort. Except for a few years at Amelia Island he has been here ever since. He dominated tennis in the early 1970s when he won the U.S. Open in 1971 and Wimbledon in 1972. he represented the USA in the Davis Cup for 10 years, helping to win the coveted championship seven times. He has been the Touring Pro for Sea Pines for 41 years!
Over the years he has won 39 singles titles, 61 doubles crowns, was the number one player in the world in 1971 and 1972, and was the United States'top ranked player in 1969, 1971, 1972 and 1973. He won the 35-and-over title at Wimbledon in 1984, 1985 and at the U.S. Open in 1984. He won the 55-and-over title at the U.S. Open in 2002 and 2004. He was the coach of the 2000 U.S. Olympic team in Sidney, australia and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1986. he was Director of Coaching for the USTA Player Development Program from 1986-1994 and was the Associate Director of Player Development from 1995-1998. Stan and his wife Margie reside on Hilton Head and have four children.
Part of the pleasure of living on Hilton Head is seeing such nationally and internationally recognized figures who blend into the community and contribute to it. Some are just passing through. In earlier days Jackie Gleason would be aboard his yacht, moored in Harbour Town for an island visit. Each late afternoon he would appear, dressed in crisp white slacks, wearing a navy blazer, cocktail in hand taking a stroll around the quay. He was a friendly fellow who enjoyed a short chat with anyone who recognized him. Joseph E. Levine was a quieter type, not interested in socializing.
Gary Moore of television fame lived here then. Occasionally his friend Walter Cronkite would moor his boat in Harbour Town. Gary kept a small, one-man tugboat named "Little Toot" that he liked to ramble around Calibogue Sound in. He was always agreeable to contributing to the community in any way that he could. He was a sweet person with a wonderful smile.
ISLANDERS ARE GEARING UP FOR THE RBC HERITAGE which will be held April 9-15 at Harbour Town golf Links. Five major PGA Tour winners have committed to play in the event: Ernie Els, John Daly, Padraig Harrington, Justin Leonard and Lee Jansen will join former Heritage winners Stewart Clink, Glen Day, Brian Gay, Jim Furyk, Boo Weekley and defending champ Brandt Snedeker. The entire group will be shooting for a top prize of slightly more than $1 million from a total purse of $5.7 million.
MORE REAL ESTATE SALES. . .We're seeing increasing interest in real estate. Our real estate sales are the highest in the state of South Carolina. Our area had the most improved real estate market in the state of South Carolina during 2011 with an increase of 9/4% over 2010 and a 15.4% increase in properties going under contract, which was more than double the rest of South Carolina's real estate regions. People enjoy our relaxed, Lowcountry living. A good selection and low interest rates are a perfect combination!
Diann Wilkinson
He came to Hilton Head from California in 1971 at the invitation of Charles Fraser, the founder of Sea Pines, who wanted tennis to capture a more prominent position in the resort. Except for a few years at Amelia Island he has been here ever since. He dominated tennis in the early 1970s when he won the U.S. Open in 1971 and Wimbledon in 1972. he represented the USA in the Davis Cup for 10 years, helping to win the coveted championship seven times. He has been the Touring Pro for Sea Pines for 41 years!
Over the years he has won 39 singles titles, 61 doubles crowns, was the number one player in the world in 1971 and 1972, and was the United States'top ranked player in 1969, 1971, 1972 and 1973. He won the 35-and-over title at Wimbledon in 1984, 1985 and at the U.S. Open in 1984. He won the 55-and-over title at the U.S. Open in 2002 and 2004. He was the coach of the 2000 U.S. Olympic team in Sidney, australia and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1986. he was Director of Coaching for the USTA Player Development Program from 1986-1994 and was the Associate Director of Player Development from 1995-1998. Stan and his wife Margie reside on Hilton Head and have four children.
Part of the pleasure of living on Hilton Head is seeing such nationally and internationally recognized figures who blend into the community and contribute to it. Some are just passing through. In earlier days Jackie Gleason would be aboard his yacht, moored in Harbour Town for an island visit. Each late afternoon he would appear, dressed in crisp white slacks, wearing a navy blazer, cocktail in hand taking a stroll around the quay. He was a friendly fellow who enjoyed a short chat with anyone who recognized him. Joseph E. Levine was a quieter type, not interested in socializing.
Gary Moore of television fame lived here then. Occasionally his friend Walter Cronkite would moor his boat in Harbour Town. Gary kept a small, one-man tugboat named "Little Toot" that he liked to ramble around Calibogue Sound in. He was always agreeable to contributing to the community in any way that he could. He was a sweet person with a wonderful smile.
ISLANDERS ARE GEARING UP FOR THE RBC HERITAGE which will be held April 9-15 at Harbour Town golf Links. Five major PGA Tour winners have committed to play in the event: Ernie Els, John Daly, Padraig Harrington, Justin Leonard and Lee Jansen will join former Heritage winners Stewart Clink, Glen Day, Brian Gay, Jim Furyk, Boo Weekley and defending champ Brandt Snedeker. The entire group will be shooting for a top prize of slightly more than $1 million from a total purse of $5.7 million.
MORE REAL ESTATE SALES. . .We're seeing increasing interest in real estate. Our real estate sales are the highest in the state of South Carolina. Our area had the most improved real estate market in the state of South Carolina during 2011 with an increase of 9/4% over 2010 and a 15.4% increase in properties going under contract, which was more than double the rest of South Carolina's real estate regions. People enjoy our relaxed, Lowcountry living. A good selection and low interest rates are a perfect combination!
Diann Wilkinson
Friday, January 20, 2012
SPRING CAME TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND IN JANUARY 2012.
Spring came to Hilton Head Island in January of 2012 following a mild December. Occasionally a light fog moved in from the ocean's up-welling, drifting over early budding shrubs and trees decorated with long, trailing beards of Spanish moss. Sweet-smelling yellow Carolina Jessamine bloomed near tulip trees with velvety purple blossoms.
The month before, US Airways Magazine featured a 24-page article promoting the art and cultural community on Hilton Head Island, creating a surge of interest in the local arts community. It is estimated that the magazine reached five million to six million travelers. One immediate effect was a Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra concert selling out. Normally Hilton Head is only associated with world class golf and tennis facilities and pristine beaches patrolled by seagulls and protectors of Loggerhead turtle nests.
Steve Mitchem, vice-president and publisher of the magazine, said he was unaware of the area's artistic attributes prior to meeting with Chamber of Commerce delegates. "I was amazed at the cultural diversity in the area," he said. "I think that art and culture define the personality of a community, and I'm glad we could show more of what that area has to offer." About this time two angels, Dottie and Fred Beard of Sea Pines, underwrote dance performances at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina on Hilton Head Island for the next five years. The dance series kicked off with a presentation of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.
The Beards first moved to the Carolina Lowcountry part-time in 2002. Fred has served on the board of trustees for the past five years, currently as vice-chairman; Dottie has volunteered her support on many arts center programs and events, including last year's "Behind the Scenes" costume sale. Fred is former chairman, president and chief executive officer of Mellon Bank in Pittsburgh.
Excitement is building for the 43rd Heritage in April, which has new sponsors: the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and Boeing. The Harbour Town Golf Links, ranked #2 most favorite course by PGA TOUR pros will be the usual venerable site. Some changes are on the planning board, involving Pete Dye. The changes will include moving and reshaping the 5th green. Homes, villas and hotels on and off-island are already being booked for the event. Harbour Town is included in Golf Magazine's 50 Greatest Courses of the last 50 years; Harbour Town Golf Links Pro Shop is ranked as one of the Top 100 Best Golf Shops by Golf World. Conde Nast Traveler's has placed Sea Pines Resort in their Top 150 U.S. Resorts. Harbour Town offers a total world-class experience from start to finish.
The elegant Inn at Harbour Town's Four-Star rating has been renewed by Forbes Travel Guide. The Inn recently underwent a $3,000,000 renovation. Only a short stroll to the harbour, unique shops (ladies, don't miss S.M. Bradford on the harbour for lovely clothes), restaurants and "yacht-watching", it is a favorite of many who appreciate a fine lodging experience. For Inn reservations or for homes or villas, call: 800-732-7463.
The Hilton Head Island area had the most improved real estate market in the state last year, according to a report that has been released this month by S.C. Realtors. Low interest rates are thought to be contributing to a turnaround in the housing market. Historically, low interest rates are among the signs that point to a pickup in the housing market.
Money is beginning to flow back into our market as buyers take advantage not only of low interest rates but exciting opportunities provided by a large and diverse selection of properties, the only asset class that entices when banks offer virtually nothing and stocks slide down, occasionally up. We're seeing cash buyers now. Everyone is looking forward to even more of an up-tick in sales in 2012.
(To read Diann's December post about living on an island, go to the Archives.)
The month before, US Airways Magazine featured a 24-page article promoting the art and cultural community on Hilton Head Island, creating a surge of interest in the local arts community. It is estimated that the magazine reached five million to six million travelers. One immediate effect was a Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra concert selling out. Normally Hilton Head is only associated with world class golf and tennis facilities and pristine beaches patrolled by seagulls and protectors of Loggerhead turtle nests.
Steve Mitchem, vice-president and publisher of the magazine, said he was unaware of the area's artistic attributes prior to meeting with Chamber of Commerce delegates. "I was amazed at the cultural diversity in the area," he said. "I think that art and culture define the personality of a community, and I'm glad we could show more of what that area has to offer." About this time two angels, Dottie and Fred Beard of Sea Pines, underwrote dance performances at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina on Hilton Head Island for the next five years. The dance series kicked off with a presentation of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.
The Beards first moved to the Carolina Lowcountry part-time in 2002. Fred has served on the board of trustees for the past five years, currently as vice-chairman; Dottie has volunteered her support on many arts center programs and events, including last year's "Behind the Scenes" costume sale. Fred is former chairman, president and chief executive officer of Mellon Bank in Pittsburgh.
Excitement is building for the 43rd Heritage in April, which has new sponsors: the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and Boeing. The Harbour Town Golf Links, ranked #2 most favorite course by PGA TOUR pros will be the usual venerable site. Some changes are on the planning board, involving Pete Dye. The changes will include moving and reshaping the 5th green. Homes, villas and hotels on and off-island are already being booked for the event. Harbour Town is included in Golf Magazine's 50 Greatest Courses of the last 50 years; Harbour Town Golf Links Pro Shop is ranked as one of the Top 100 Best Golf Shops by Golf World. Conde Nast Traveler's has placed Sea Pines Resort in their Top 150 U.S. Resorts. Harbour Town offers a total world-class experience from start to finish.
The elegant Inn at Harbour Town's Four-Star rating has been renewed by Forbes Travel Guide. The Inn recently underwent a $3,000,000 renovation. Only a short stroll to the harbour, unique shops (ladies, don't miss S.M. Bradford on the harbour for lovely clothes), restaurants and "yacht-watching", it is a favorite of many who appreciate a fine lodging experience. For Inn reservations or for homes or villas, call: 800-732-7463.
The Hilton Head Island area had the most improved real estate market in the state last year, according to a report that has been released this month by S.C. Realtors. Low interest rates are thought to be contributing to a turnaround in the housing market. Historically, low interest rates are among the signs that point to a pickup in the housing market.
Money is beginning to flow back into our market as buyers take advantage not only of low interest rates but exciting opportunities provided by a large and diverse selection of properties, the only asset class that entices when banks offer virtually nothing and stocks slide down, occasionally up. We're seeing cash buyers now. Everyone is looking forward to even more of an up-tick in sales in 2012.
(To read Diann's December post about living on an island, go to the Archives.)
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