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
Showing posts with label Sea Pines Real Estate Beach Club. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sea Pines Real Estate Beach Club. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
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
Monday, December 19, 2011
The Way It Is on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Not long ago, a reporter called from Bloomberg News. He had a few questions about real estate on Hilton Head Island. His first question was: "Why are people drawn to Hilton Head?"
Having lived in Sea Pines by the beach for 43 years, my response was: "The natural beauty of the Island is the big draw, not just world-class golf, tennis facilities or miles of beach. We live in a unique environment with a subtropical climate where it is green all year long. We seldom see snow but see a lot of wildlife. When you live on an Island, you live close to nature. Outside of the study by my house, there is a "deer walk". It is a path that the human eye cannot see. Deer have been traveling that path for as long as I can remember. They stroll over fallen pine needles, next to a tall hedge of bamboo. The limbs of a large oak tree shelter part of the path. A few weeks ago, I went into the study to check e-mail and two young fawns all covered with spots were passing by. The mother must have gone ahead because I did not see her. One year a tiny, baby fawn was curled up outside of the dining room window (there are long windows in this house). The sight was like seeing a small miracle.
At certain times of the year, late in the afternoon, the woods are back lit by the sun. It makes long, trailing Spanish moss look almost translucent. The forest areas appear to be on fire. I've seen Calibogue Sound with the sun setting over Daufuskie Island, turning the sound into a river of gold. It is an unusual visual effect. In the fall, yellow ditch daisies bloom alongside rural roads. That is when thousands of butterflies are migrating to South America and spend some time here. If you are taking a walk on the beach in our balmy air, wearing a bathing suit, one might alight on your shoulder. It feels like being brushed by an angel's wing. Occasionally at night, the mournful sound of a foghorn from a passing container ship can be heard from the ocean, a ship from foreign lands making its way to port in Savannah.
These are the things that draw people to Hilton Head, people who greatly appreciate the natural beauty and quality of life found here. This is what I told the reporter from Bloomberg News.
Diann Wilkinson
Having lived in Sea Pines by the beach for 43 years, my response was: "The natural beauty of the Island is the big draw, not just world-class golf, tennis facilities or miles of beach. We live in a unique environment with a subtropical climate where it is green all year long. We seldom see snow but see a lot of wildlife. When you live on an Island, you live close to nature. Outside of the study by my house, there is a "deer walk". It is a path that the human eye cannot see. Deer have been traveling that path for as long as I can remember. They stroll over fallen pine needles, next to a tall hedge of bamboo. The limbs of a large oak tree shelter part of the path. A few weeks ago, I went into the study to check e-mail and two young fawns all covered with spots were passing by. The mother must have gone ahead because I did not see her. One year a tiny, baby fawn was curled up outside of the dining room window (there are long windows in this house). The sight was like seeing a small miracle.
At certain times of the year, late in the afternoon, the woods are back lit by the sun. It makes long, trailing Spanish moss look almost translucent. The forest areas appear to be on fire. I've seen Calibogue Sound with the sun setting over Daufuskie Island, turning the sound into a river of gold. It is an unusual visual effect. In the fall, yellow ditch daisies bloom alongside rural roads. That is when thousands of butterflies are migrating to South America and spend some time here. If you are taking a walk on the beach in our balmy air, wearing a bathing suit, one might alight on your shoulder. It feels like being brushed by an angel's wing. Occasionally at night, the mournful sound of a foghorn from a passing container ship can be heard from the ocean, a ship from foreign lands making its way to port in Savannah.
These are the things that draw people to Hilton Head, people who greatly appreciate the natural beauty and quality of life found here. This is what I told the reporter from Bloomberg News.
Diann Wilkinson
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