Dear Clients, Friends and Fellow Associates~

I credit this economy for allowing my clients to get better properties at better prices.  I credit this economy for challenging me to do things differently and become stronger.  I credit this economy for the chance to find creative solutions for my buyers and sellers.  We have listed several ideas below that can help our clients, friends and fellow associates move faster and save money in the lending process!  We hope you find these useful.

Creative Financing 101:

Call your Stock Broker!   Recently a client of mine found a great home, but alas had not yet sold his primary residence.  Deciding not to take a chance on time he bought this great home and went to work figuring out how to pay for it.  In his search for cheap money he found his Stock Broker offered a loan at 2 1/2 percent.  Needless to say, I told him he should buy another!  This portfolio loan program is offered by many brokerage houses or give me a call as we have sources we can share with you. 

Ask the seller to offer financing!  Back in the old days when we had interest rates starting at about 17% we often looked for alternative or creative financing from the seller before we ever headed to a bank.  If the seller does not have a mortgage(if they do have a mortgage see land contracts below) they should consider the benefits of offering seller financing on their Hilton Head Property.   Of course, seller financing makes sense for the second home or vacant lot owner.  The benefits can include a faster sale and a better return.  Right now, money markets are paying less than 1.5% and the seller could easily offer owner financing at 5 or 6%. 

Ask the seller to do a land contract!  Land contracts offer more attractive financing terms over the rigid qualification standards of institutional lenders right now.  This program is similar to a lease purchase or rent to own and works for sellers that have an existing mortgage in place.  A land contract wraps around the existing mortgage or is paid straigt to the existing lender.  The seller typically offers this financing with a balloon payment of  3-5 years. At the time that the buyer secures bank financing the sellers existing loan is paid off and the deed transfers to the purchaser.  And for non conforming properties, a land contract or seller financing makes the property easier to sell.

Ask the seller to carry a second mortgage!  Given the higher down payments required by the lenders in today’s market, sellers would be wise to consider a 2nd mortgage on their property.  If the seller has some equity, this is a great way to earn a higher return than investing this money in a mutual fund or CD, but the real benefit is it will help the seller position the property more attractively to a buyer.  This is a great solution for a buyer that simply cannot come up with the down payment, but can easily afford the property.

Get a home equity line to buy a lot or second home!  Although this is not a preferred financing alternative, many purchasers have used their equity to buy property in the area.  These equity lines allow homeowners the ability to borrow up to $100,000 and still deduct all of the interest when they file their tax returns.   Home-equity loans provide an easy source of cash. The interest rate on a home-equity loans although higher than that of a first mortgage – is much lower than on credit cards and other consumer loans.

Sellers and buyers both win!  The benefits of creative financing for buyers include less stringent requirements to qualify, flexible terms, lower closing costs and a faster closing.  Seller realize benefits that can  include a faster selling process,  less difficult appraisal requirements, the possibility of deferring a gain, monthly income, a better rate of return than money market accounts and a faster closing. 

Money is once again flowing.  Conventional and even Jumbo loans are now available with very attractive rates.  If however you want to speed up the sale and reduce closing costs the above alternative financing solutions can help.  With 30 year fixed rates lower than they have ever been timing is important.  We may not be at the bottom, but we are pretty darn close!

Happy August on an Island.

 
Robbie Bunting &
Jane Hyers

Dear Friends, Clients and Fellow Associates~
 
This week will be spotlighting the Top Ten Reasons to buy property on Hilton Head Island in Spanish Wells with its 400 acres and its incredible waterfront.   We are also spotlighting the Top Ten Reasons to buy property in Wexford(29928) with its British colonial architecture and its unique harbour!  

Spanish Wells

1. It has a great location!   Spanish Wells Plantation is located on the north end of Hilton Head Island, in the geograhic center.  It has easy access the Cross Island toll bridge. Spanish Wells Plantation is within three miles of the great  beach, gourmet supermarkets, an airport, a hospital, and plenty of shopping.
2. It has great Waterfront!  Nestled on a peninsula between the Inter coastal and Broad Creek, Spanish Wells offers deep water access with private docks on both sides. 
3. It has great architecture!  Spanish Wells Plantation homes include comfortable mid-sized homes to magnificent mansions with a variety of unique and wonderful styles.  The amenities these private homes offer are unbelievable.
4. It has great golf!  Designed by George W. Cobb the 9-hole “Spanish Wells” golf course opened in 2005 and features 3,052 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 36.
5. It has the great history!  Spanish Wells was named for the freshwater wells on the property that were frequented by the Spanish fleets in the 13th century when they were exploring the area.  The wells still exist today.
6. It has a great club! The club includes golf, four Har-tru tennis couts, a clubhouse, a beach area and a recreational boat dock.  The deep water dock provides fishing and crabbing opportunities as well as dolphin watching.
7. It has a great acreage!  Although Spanish Wells is one of the smaller communities, all lots exceed one acre.  There are over 200 homes spread across nearly 400 acres.
8. It has a great blend of property.  Spanish Wells is a true community with all age groups and interest.  This is a very small and intimate neighborhood of only 200 homes and this is the catalyst that makes this a great neighborhood.  Adjacent to Spanish Wells is Wells East, a 24-home community, nestled along the first two holes on the Spanish Wells Golf Course. Property owners enjoy Spanish Wells’ amenities as well as their own pool, community well, and recreation field.
9. It has great security.   Although no security gate—the crime rate in Spanish Wells is significantly lower than in other gated plantations with their roving patrol.  The first stop sign wasn’t even added until late fall of 2001.
10. It has a unique real estate!  Brams Point Road offers a limited number of estates with deep water in the back of these homes and inter coastal beach at the front.  Brams Point Owners enjoy both sunrise and sunsets over the water from these unique locations.

Below are the prices for Spanish Wells today:

Spanish Wells Homes                    $ 599,000  to  $6,975,000                                    
Spanish Wells Home-sites           $349,000  to   $2,699,000

Wexford

1. It has a great location.  Close to the center of the Island, Wexford offers convenience to shops, banks, post office, and the Cross Island Expressway.
2. It has a great masterplan.  Wexford is 500 acres with 37 acres of waterfront winding through the residential neighborhoods.  Originally 525 home-sites were planned but some lots have been combined and site plans altered so that only 460 remain today. By design, every home has a view of marsh, lagoon, golf course or harbour.
3. It has a great amenities.   In addition to golf and boating, there are six Har Tru tennis courts, a swimming pool, playground, bathhouse, patio area, a croquet, bocce ball court, biking and walking trails
4. It has great water.   Wexford’s 37.5 acre 138 slip harbour offers direct access to the intercostal waterway and Broad Creek.  You can  get a slip or park your boat in the backyard.  There are only two other communities on the east coast with lock-controlled harbors.  
5. It has a great clubhouse.  The British style clubhouse with marble foyer and Tiffany glass skylight offers pro shop, locker rooms, private lounge, and a first class restaurant.  On Thursdays, Happy Hour from 6:00 – to 7:30 pm provides the perfect way to make friends with your neighbors.
6. It has great architecture.  Homes are designed with a British West Indies design with colonial and Caribbean architectural elements embracing the land that it sits on.  The private, championship golf course passes amongst Wexford’s beautiful homes.
7. It has great security.  Wexford Plantation is tucked behind 24 hour gated security.  Security monitors the community round the clock
8. It has great history.  Alexander Trench sailed from Wexford, Ireland in 1690 to Port Royal Sound.  The name Wexford is derived from their sister community in Norse, Weissfjord.
9. It has great golf.  The 18 hole championship golf course was designed by Willard Byrd with five sets of tees which extend a short 4,000 yards to a long 7,000 yard course.
10. It has a great blend of neighbors.  Attractive to young and old, this community offers leisure trails, a heated swimming pool and safe cul-de-sacs.  Members are spotted out riding in golf carts, in their boats, bicycling, jogging, dog-walking, and pushing babies in strollers and enjoying their community and this Island paradise.

Below are the price ranges in Wexford today:

Wexford Homes                         $579,000 to $4,995,000
Wexford Home sites                 $159,900 to  $2,395,000

We hope you enjoy these benefit lists.  If you would like a complete price list and ownership package e-mail us at islandrealtor@hargray.com.  Please be sure to visit our website www.robbiebunting.com for some of the best properties offered on the Island.  Thank you!

All the best~

 
Robbie Bunting & Jane Hyers
800-932-3652
islandrealtor@hargray.com

P.S.  If you would like to visit our other top ten lists for communities on Hilton Head Island, please CLICK HERE.

Dear Clients, Friends and Fellow Associates~

Timing is everything!  Bottom is either here or very near and we can negotiate it for you. The indicators for this “buyers alert” include two very simple laws that real estate is governed by.  

The First Law of real estate is “Supply and Demand”.  As supply decreases or demand increases, real estate prices firm or move up. Last month on the Island we sold another 40 homes and 41 villas. The key to buying right is to negotiate price when inventory is in place.  Keep in mind the market is building from the bottom up and the top down with premier locations going first.  Supply is finally decreasing on the Island.

The Second Law that real estate is governed by is “Cause and Effect”.  The news is getting better almost daily.  We have been able to negotiate asking prices significantly in the past few months because of the economic conditions, however sellers will become more embolden as they see these conditions improve. 

YOU CAN NOT START YOUR RESEACH TOO SOON!   If you are interested in finding the perfect property and negotiating a great price, please do not hesitate to call or e-mail me us today.  We will put you on “Market Watch” and e-mail our ideas to you.  We look forward to your reply.  Thank you.  

With Respect,

Robbie Bunting &
Jane Hyers  

islandrealtor@hargray.com

P.S.  In the past few weeks we have noted buyers negotiating contracts before they hop on a plane or drive here.  This can be done with a simple contingency stating “subject to a satisfactory on-site inspection by purchaser within ___days”.  In this way they guarantee that the property will still be available when they arrive! (This is certainly another indicator that bottom is near or here!)

Dear Friends, Clients and Fellow Associates~
 
This week will be spotlighting the Top Ten Reasons to buy property in Long Cove with its 660 acres, great neighbors and its fantastic Pete Dye Golf Course.  We are also spotlighting the Top Ten Reasons to buy property in the Hilton Head’s original beach community Folly Field with all its great sports fields and beautiful beach parks.

Folly Field & Singleton Beach Areas

1. It has great history!  In 1953 The first vacation cottages were developed on Folly Field Road.   Olin McIntosh of the Hilton Head Company built the island’s first beach cottages at Folly Field to generate more ferry traffic from the mainland in hopes that the South Carolina government would then build a bridge to accommodate all the new residents and visitors.
2. It has a great location!   Located between Palmetto Dunes and Port Royal in the center of the beach is Folly Field.  This community is accessed throught Folly Field Road or Port Royal Resort and is the Islands Oldest beach community.
3. It has great sports fields!  Chaplain park is 70 acres and offers islanders and visitors free well-lit tennis courts, Children’s Playground, Basketball Courts, Softball Fields, Soccer Fields, Bathrooms, and Free Parking.
4. It has great beach parks!  Folly Field Beach Park, off Folly Field Road, provides public beach access where parking is available for residents and guests. Here you will find restrooms, outdoor showers, handicap beach matting, seasonal lifeguards and seasonal beach rentals. It also has the surfers beach which is uncrowded and filled with locals and their dogs(during the posted hours) located at the end of Burkes Beach Road. 
5. It has the great Islanders Beach Park!  Near Folly Field Beach and the Islander’s Beach Park, which allows permit parking, this neighborhood contains playgrounds, picnic areas, and a boardwalk to the beach. Hilton Head Beach and Tennis Resort is also located here.
6. It has great fun for families! This family fun center has been here for as long as most islanders can remember. Instead of the world-class golfing greens of the gated plantation communities, Folly Field offers playful miniature golf, along with arcade games inside the Adventure Cove building.
7. It has a great blend of property. Neighborhoods with streets named after flowers and villa communities make this a great beach community to live, vacation or rent in.  Some of these communities include Sandcastles by the Sea, Singleton Beach, Island Club, Hilton Head Beach and Tennis, Fiddlers Cove, Admirals Row, cozy beach bungalows and brand new homes oceanfront and throughout. 
8. It has great Villa Resorts.  The Marriot Surf Watch, Island Club and the Hilton Head Beach and Tennis are all located in Folly Field.  These resorts offer a host of amenities with dining and activities for their owners and guests.
9. It has a great dog park!   Located in Chaplin Park is Hilton Head’s only Dog Park. There are two areas fenced off for sizes of dogs. Both areas have working water fountains for you and your pet.  Park benches are placed all throughout the area.
10. It has great Tennis! Hilton Head is a tennis players dream come true. There are hundreds of courts all over the island.  Six are at the Chaplin Park with four lighted.  These courts are intended for use by islanders.  

***Extra bonus. It has Harolds!  Located on the corner of Singleton Beach Road is Harolds.  Known for great breakfasts, huge burgers and a cook that may bust your chops if you order wrong.  This is a fun place to grab lunch with a friend.

Below are the price ranges for properties in Folly Field/Singleton Beach as of July 2009

Folly Field Homes                       $498,000 to  $4,190,000
Folly Field Villas                          $ 99,000  to  $2,800,000                                    
Folly Field Home-sites               $139,000  to  $5,000,000

Long Cove

1. It has a great master plan.  In 1981 when Long Cove Club was unveiled it lured to the island a bevy of selective golfers seeking world-class golf with a Pete Dye masterpiece as its crowning jewel. Featuring 660 acres that meander through majestic oaks, the golf course and neighborhoods have a lagoon system that is interconnected for drainage and provides beautiful water views from the course and homes. 
2. It has a great location.  Long Cove Club is in the middle of the Broad Creek and the William Hilton Parkway(HWY 278).  Just outside the community gate are world-class restaurants, fantastic shopping, unbelievable beaches, grocery stores and all things that make this Island a wonderful place to live.    
3. It has a great pools. The Junior-Olympic-sized pool and pool house are in the center of the club and all it offers. This natural and comfortable outdoor living area is the site for parties and cookouts or just an afternnoons with a good book from the complimentary book exchange.
4. It has a great club.  The Clubhouse features two dining rooms, bar/lounge, men and ladies locker room, full service golf pro shop, cart and bag storage. The staff serves members and guests with great care. The food & beverage operation is open six days/week, with evening dining three nights a week. 
5. It has great security.  Long Cove has friendly security people that will remember you at the gate and provide 24 hour gated security with only one entrance in and out. 
6. It has a great marina.  This marina is located on Broad Creek leading to Calibogue Sound and thence to the sea.  It offers 45 kayak slips,and 85 boat slips(brand new docks).  The docks are a perfect place for parent and child fishing and crabbing.
7. It has great tennis. Ten Har-Tru courts (four lighted), a viewing terrace for the matches and a pro shop round out a premier facility.
8. It has great golf. Golf historian Charles Price: “. . . nobody could intelligently pick the noblest courses without having played Long Cove.   It’s beautiful just for golf’s sake. It fits the land that’s there.” This course offers more than 7,000 yards and is a par 71.
9. It has great property.  With 570 properties and over 400 homes built, this community offers a range of sizes and prices for the big family to just a holiday home. 
10. It has great neighbors.  All property owners are members to the same club and this is the catalyst in getting to meet some of your best friends you haven’t met yet.  Whether it is lunch at the Club, followed by bridge in the afternoon or sunsets in the boat, you will find this communtity offers something for everyone. 

Below are the price ranges in Long Cove as of July 2009.

Long Cove Homes                         $430,000 to $1,350,000
Long Cove Home sites                  $229,900 to $  995,000

We hope you enjoy these benefit lists.  Next week we will hi-lite Wexford and Spanish Wells.  If you would like a complete ownership package that includes map and best buys please let us know.  Be sure to visit our website to see all of our great listings.  We stand ready to open these doors for you anytime. 

Thanks to all of our great real estate agents working hard to help you find your place in the sun!  Good Job, Good Job! 

Happy Summer Days on an Island….

 
Robbie Bunting & Jane Hyers
800-932-3652
islandrealtor@hargray.com

Dear Friends, Clients and Fellow Associates~

As the world digs itself out of this recession, this might not seem like the best time to jump into real estate. But for those willing to invest for the long term, 2009 will be the year of the property bargains on the Island.

Right now, the buyer is being rewarded for making an offer as the very best locations are being listed for sale.   It takes time, patience, and in some cases, a little bit of creativity to find these properties, but in our opinion there will never be a 2009 timing opportunity like this one.   The properties are almost never identified as a value, but by researching purchase date, motivation, locations and condition we have found and negotiated some incredible deals.  Many of our buyers are using cash, but some are finding owner financing or land contracts to sweeten the deal.

We all know we cannot “time” the bottom of the market.  The key is not to lose “time” in our lives waiting for a sign or signal.  My wife told me once “Don’t take a chance on time” and I am sharing this with you because your time spent enjoying this Island Paradise is more valuable than the dollars you might save waiting for a better one.

The links below will help you start your Island reseach from your computer.  As well, we have additional resources, ideas and programs that will allow you to find the perfect property.  Just let us know and we will put you into our research loop.

Wishing you much success,

 
Robbie Bunting & Jane Hyers

Here are some helpful links to get you started:

Dear Friends, Clients and Fellow Associates~
 
This week will be spotlighting the Top Ten Reasons to buy property in Port Royal with its 1,173 acres and its beautiful 3 miles of watefront.  Also spotlighted is the Top Ten Reasons to buy property in the 800 acre Shipyard Plantation with its ocean access and central location…enjoy!

Shipyard Plantation

• It has great Beach!  A major attraction for Shipyard residents, guests and visitors is the community Beach Club on the oceanfront.  The Beach Club events include Mens and Womens group, educational events and multiple social gatherings. There is a convenient walkway to the beach, restrooms, showers, and over 400 beach storage lockers that are rented by property owners below the Beach Club. 
• It has great security!  Shipyard has two gates in two different areas of the Island. Shipyard offers 24 hour security and roaming patrols.
• It has great golf!  Three nine-hole golf courses, recognized as some of the best in the country by the Senior PGA Tour, are available to residents and visitors. Shipyard also features a tremendous practice facility. 
• It has great neighborhoods! There are two residential neighborhoods that wrap around 27 holes of golf. 
• It has a great location. Coligny Plaza is less than one mile and there is easy access to restaurants, stores, banks, movie theaters, a local hardware store, and the the post office.
• It has great bikepaths.Bicycling is very popular in Shipyard, and there are more than twelve miles of bike paths.  Along gorgeous lagoons these paths complete the community, making it one of Hilton Head’s most desired communities.
• It has a great Hotel! The Crowne Plaza Hotel adds restaurants, Health Club, lounges and conference facilities.  Some of the Residents and Guests favorite dining spots are located at the hotel including Signals, Docker’s, Portz, and Brellas Café.
• It has great Tennis!  Shipyard is also home to the Van der Meer Tennis Center. This club has been ranked as one of the countries top twenty- five clubs.  Tennis Magazine has dubbed Shipyard Racquet Club, built for Billy Jean King, one of their “50 Greatest Tennis Resorts in America.”  
• It has a great master plan.  Shipyard was developed with special consideration given to complementing rather than competing with nature.  It just feels good as you wind through the community by bike or even in a car. 

Shipyard Properties for sale and thier price ranges
Shipyard Homes                    $343,000 to $769,000
Shipyard Home-sites           $269,900 to $399,000                                    
Shipyard Villas                       $182,900 to $599,000

Port Royal Plantation

• It has a great neighborhoods.  Port Royal offers two very distinct neighborhoods.  One is completely private and limited to permanent residents and long term rentals.  This community offers 900 single family residences.  The other neighborhood offers second homes, resort villas and the Westin Hotel.
• It has a great beach. Port Royal stretches over 3 miles of shore line with Atlantic Ocean beach and winds around to the sand covered walking beach of Port Royal Sound.
• It has a great master-plan.  The unique Port Royal Plantation has over 1250 acres and 2100 homes with oversized lots.
• It has great security.  Completely Private Security Gate with access for owners and their guests(no short term rentals) and a 24-Hour Full Area Coverage by Port Royal Security.
• It has a great waterfront club.  Private Port Royal Beach Club offers an olympic sized swimming pool and kids pool overlooking the Port Royal Sound.  This recreational facility also offers members club house(for private functions), playground, basketball and beach access. 
• It has great history.  Once 60,000 union troops lived here and this was also the landing for Captain William Hilton’s discovery.  As well, the steam gun and Fort Sherman are remnants left by soldiers during the civil and Spanish American wars.
• It has great tennis.  Port Royal Racquet Club offers 16 courts with Clay, Grass and Hard Court Surfaces.  No matter where you choose to live, as a tennis player you may want to look at the membership programs offered here.  Inside the gates are Four tennis courts, two of which are lit for members and guests.
• It has great golf. Port Royal offers 54 holes of legendary golf nestled within one of Hilton Head Island’s most pristine plantations along the Atlantic coastline. Designed by some of the best golf architects – George Cobb, Pete Dye and William Byrd with the Barony, Planter’s Row, and Robber’s Row.
• It has great Hotel.  The Westion Resort, the only 4 star hotel on the Island, provides a health club that locals can join(or day visit), an excellent seafood buffet and fantastic dining choices. 
• It has great neighbors.  Events include women’s Friday morning coffee, men’s friday lunch group, numerous social clubs, speakers and special holiday events are just a few things that make this community great.

The links below will allow you to visit some great properties in Port Royal.

Port Royal Homes                         $343,000 to $   769,000
Port Royal Home sites                $325,000 to $2,495,000
Tennis Village Villas                    $329,000 to $   799,000

We hope you enjoy these benefit lists.  Next week we will hi-lite Long Cove and Folly Field.  If you would like a complete ownership package that includes maps and best buys please let us know. 

Be sure to visit our website to see all of our great listings(click listing link at the top of the page).  We stand ready to open the doors for you anytime on any property in the Low Country. 

Thanks to our great sellers and buyers that are working to turn this economy around.  

Happy Summer Days on an Island….
Robbie Bunting & Jane Hyers
800-932-3652
islandrealtor@hargray.com

Dear Friends, Clients and Fellow Associates~

This week will be spotlighting the Top Ten Reasons to buy property in Sea Pines Plantation with its 5,000 oceanfront acres spanning 1/3 of Hilton Head Island.  In addition, we will be spotlighting the Top Ten Reasons to buy property in Ward 1 ~ which included Jonesville Road…enjoy and be sure to check in next week for Shipyard and Port Royal Top Ten Reasons to buy! 

Sea Pines Plantation

1. It has great Beach!  Spanning South Beach to South Forest Beach and the ocean gate, you will enjoy the dolphins frolicking, sea birds swooping, pelicans floating, the sand and the waves of one of the prettiest beaches in the world.  Sea Pines offers five miles of Atlantic Ocean beach and if you get thirsty as you explore stop at full-service Sea Pines Beach Club and Surfside Grill half way through.
2. It has great security!  Sea Pines installed Hilton Head Island first security gates in 1967.  Security personnel also patrol the plantations streets, and they can (and do) issue tickets fining offenders for the infraction of plantation rules.
3. It has great Marinas!  Harbour Town Marina is the place to see and be seen with its circular design. Fantastic dining, live music entertainment, unique shopping and every water sport available. Harbour Town has a Gregg Russell Playground and a tree house for children, as well as a nature center.  South Beach Village the second marina in the Sea Pines Resort is designed after a New England fishing village and is located at the southernmost tip of Hilton Head Island. Nature tours, dolphin tours, kayaking, and para-sailing are only a handful of the activities available near the home of The Salty Dog Cafe.
4. It has great golf!  72 Holes of Golf that is!  Sea Pines contains the island’s first golf course, the Ocean Course with its sweeping views of the ocean from the 15th hole.  The newly acclaimed Heron Point and the Harbour Town Golf Links which has been home to the PGAs Verizon Heritage Classic since 1969, when it was first won by Arnold Palmer. The Members Only Club Course comes with a membership purchase to the Sea Pines Country Club.
5. It has pristine open spaces!  1,300 acres of parks which includes the Forest Preserve which covers approximately 605 acres that meander through lagoons and salt marshes. Here you will find a Wildflower Meadow, a thousand-foot-long boardwalk, the Low Ropes Team Building Course, and miles of bike trails and walking paths. Even fishing is allowed with the correct permit.
6. It has great shopping and dining!  The resort features 20 different restaurants from casual to elegant such as the Harbor Town Grill.  Restaurants, bakeries, cafes, bars and ice cream shops are woven throughout Harbour Town, Sea Pines Center, and South Beach Marina.
7. It has great Bike Paths! With over 15 miles of leasure trails which are perfect for walking, biking or in-line skating.  These trails wander all through Sea Pines into nature trails, the Baynard Ruins, the beach clubs, the front gate, the communities and the marinas.
8. It has cool stables!  Lawton Stables is home to 50+ American Saddlebred horses. Lawton Stables not only English riding lessons to residents and visitors, but also pony rides for children and guided tours through Sea Pines incredible natural Forest Preserve.
9. It has great Architecture!  The look blends 1960’s Modern, California Modern, Japanese Architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Aldbrass house, and the local vernacular style, or “Low Country Architecture” together and it feels good. It is categorized by large overhangs, screen porches, low roof slopes, earth tone colors, and landscape with native plants rather than formal southern plantings. The desired effect is to blend the house into nature rather than to stand out.
10. It has great Tennis!  With over 100 Tennis Courts and The Sea Pines Racquet Club which boasts 23 clay courts and offers private and semi-private lessons with a center court and all past whispers of past Family Circle Tennis Tournaments.

The great real estate opportunities include:
Homes              $349,000 to $8,500,000

                    Villas                  $225,000 t0 $2,170,000

                    Home-sites      $194,000 to $3,895,000

               Please enjoy these virtual tours in Sea Pines that my company offers:

12 Evergreen Lane          
17 Oyster Catcher         

Jonesville Road Communities

1. It has great water access.  Jonesville Road has two partial deep-watercreeks running down each side.  On the right is Jarvis Creek with its view of Calibogue Sound and unspoiled Shoreline.   On the other side is Old House Creek which is a tidal creek that offers access to the inter-coastal waterways.  Both creeks offer boating, crabbing, fishing and exploring.  Homeowners along the creek put in docks and boat lifts to enjoy these waters.
2. It has a great new communities. The new developments include The Paddocks, Shearwater, Graham Lane The Barn, Wayward Cove and Jonesville.  This was the last area to get water on sewer on Hilton Head and it is a place time forgot.  It offers a relaxed feeling with architecture that is Southern Vernacular at its best, blurring the lines between indoors and out.   Jonesville offers a sanctuary on the Island for a vanishing way of life.
3. It has a great location.  Convenient to both the South End and the North End of Hilton head Island Jonesville is located off Spanish Wells Road  home-sites. Follow Spanish Wells Road to Jonesville Rd. Turn onto Jonesville Rd – The Paddocks is .7 mile on right.  Although it’s a secluded refuge, it’s just one minute from the Cross Island Parkway, which puts you close to dining, shopping, schools and beaches.
4. It has great fishing and crabbing.  The docks for The Barn or the town crabbing dock on Jonesville are a great place to take the kids(grand-kids?) or a special friend to spend an afternoon an hour before or after high tide which is called “slack tide”.  All you really need is a chicken neck a string and a net. Get ready to belly laugh when you finally try to get them in the cooler.  Oh be sure to bring tongs as you do not want to get pinched!  It is easier to let them go!
5. It has great stables.  The stables of Sandy Creek will take you back in time.  It is 8 acres with 32 stalls, tack room, feed room, wash rack, and rest rooms.  Residents and guests are greeted by these gentle giants as they spend time in there paddocks.  They offer up to one hour trails that loop back through the low country.
6. It has great neighbors.  The neighbors have either lived here all their life or built a new home and moved here.  You will find that these neighbors share their love for the outdoors here.  You will see them boating, walking, jumping off a dock, kayaking and biking.  Many have moved from the larger communities to discover an intimate lifestyle.
7. It has a sunny dirt road.  Although Miller Road is the dirt road that connects Spanish Wells and Jonesville, this road is symbolic for the life-style you will find down these roads.  It represents a trip through time where neighborhoods flow together like the tides and where nothing is a hurry. 
8. It has a Hilton Head zipcode.  Although this community has a “Bluffton Feel” this community is located on the Island and offers convenience to everything on Hilton Head Island including the beach, shopping and dining. 
9. It has great natural beauty.  The marshes come to life with tree swallows, rails, hawks, crickets and crabs making marsh music throughout the 4 seasons.  The sunsets over Jarvis Creek is a long smooth drink of calm and is to be enjoyed on the crabbing dock off Spanish Wells.  The homes, communities and natural beauty are to be enjoyed by all.  Come visit, you do not need a gate pass. 
10. It has room to grow.  If you are looking for value and bang for your buck, come see these great homes and properties.  As new residents move into or build the neighborhood will grow!

Here are the price ranges of all properties in the Jonesville Area:

                               Home               $325,000 to $1,270,000

                              Home-sites     $  84,000  t0 $1,700,000

                           Please visit these virtual tours and properties in Jonesville:

                                                  212 Jonesville Road 
                                                  219 Jonesville Road

                                                  201 Jonesville Road

We hope you enjoy these benefit lists.  If you would like a complete ownership package that includes map and best buys please let us know.  Be sure to visit our website to see all of our great listings.  We stand ready to open these doors for you anytime.  Thanks to our great sellers and buyers that are turning this economy around.  Good Job, Good Job! 

Happy Summer Days on an Island….
Robbie Bunting & Jane Hyers
800-932-3652
islandrealtor@hargray.com

Dear Friends, Clients and Fellow Associates~
 
This week will be spotlighting the Top Ten Reasons to buy property in Hilton Head Plantation with its 4,000 acres and its wonderful lifestyle.  In addition, we will be spotlighting the Top Ten Reasons to buy property in Forest Beach with its 3 miles of beautiful beach and the community that surrounds it. 

Hilton Head Plantation

1. It has a great location.  Hilton Head Plantation is located on the north end of Hilton Head Island with convenience to the Islanders Beach Park, schools, shopping, dining, hospital, airport and library. 
2. It has open and natural beauty.  Hilton Head Plantation is 4,000 acres with 4,086 properties, 2 conservancies(Whooping Crane and the Cypress Conservancy) and acres of unspoiled land and lagoons.  The roadways and front gate are maintained beautifully by the association.
3. It has great parks inside the gates.  Hilton Head Plantation offers three parks including Dolphin Head Recreation center, Spring Lake Pavilion and The Surrey Lane Ball Fields.
4. It has great security.  Hilton Head Plantation offers private roads with 24 hour security and courteous and friendly guards at the front gate.
5. It has great golf courses.  Hilton Head Plantation offers four Golf Courses including Dolphin Head, Bear Creek, Oyster Reef and The Country Club of Hilton Head.  Each offer a separate membership program.
6. It has great amenities.  Hilton Head Plantation offers 12 Har tru tennis courts, 2 Bocce ball courts, and 3 shuffle board.  It also offers the Spring Lake Pool, the Spring Lake Pavilion, the Dolphin Head Recreation Center and the Plantation house.
7. It has a great beach.  Two miles of walking beach along the Port Royal Sound are enjoyed by residents and guests.  Parking, playground, picnic tables are located at the Dolphin Head Recreational Center. 
8. It has great management.  Hilton Head Plantation has an Architectural Review Board and an Owners Association ensuring residential integrity that has a plan for now and the future. 
9. It has a great marina.  Located in Hilton Head Plantation is Skull Creek Marina on the inter coastal waterway.  It offers slips for sale and rental slips. 
10. It has a great neighborhoods.  Although one of the largest communities on Hilton Head Island, this community offers smaller more intimate neighborhoods within the gates. 

Please vist these properties for sale in Hilton Head Plantation:

73 Skull Creek Village (dock sold separately)

10 Seabrook Landing (pending)

#2 Old Fort Lane

#3 Winged Arrow

Forest Beach Top 10 List for Buying Property

1. It has a great beach.  Forest Beach is a beach town offering three miles of  sandy beaches reaching from the Sea Pines Resort ocean gate to the Crown Plaza Resort in Shipyard Plantation. 
2. It offers great neightborhoods.  Forest Beach offers two neighborhoods which include North Forest Beach a 1.5 mile stretch from Coligny Circle to Shipyard and South Forest Beach which stretches 1.5 miles form Sea Pines Gate to Coligny Circle
3. It has a great blend of residential and resort properties.  North and  South Forest Beach offer waterfront hotels, inns, villas and quiet residential neighborhoods.
4. It has a beach feeling.  Forest Beach homes range from older quaint beach homes to new beachfront manors. Many longtime Forest Beach homeowners have renovated and updated existing older homes to quaint seaside cottages. 
5. It is a great beach town.  Forest Beach has been referred to as “downtown Hilton Head” because it is in the heart of the Islands Beach with dining, shopping and beach in one central area. 
6. It has a great shopping.  Coligny Circle offers over 60+ shops and 50+ restaurants.  It is named after the Admiral Gaspar de Coligny, a French admiral who led two excursions to our shores in the late 1500’s.  It also features the Beach Market, Heritage Plaza and several others.
7. It has great tennis.  The Van Der Meer Tennis Center is located in the heart of South Forest Beach with 17 hard courts and 4 covered and lit courts.
8. It has great bike paths.  Forest Beach offers bike paths weaving throughout the communities and into great shopping, dining and the beach.
9. It has a great beach park.  The Newest Oceanfront Beach Park is located at Coligny Circle at Pope Avenue and South Forest Beach Drive. This is Hilton Head island’s most popular beach. There are volleyball nets and a bar located just off the beach at the Holiday Inn. There are rest rooms, changing rooms, water fountains, sand showers, a playground, and other amenities. This beach is also wheelchair accessible.  Parking is available at the town parking lot behind the Smokehouse restaurant.
10. It has a great community feeling.  Forest Beach is a beach community located on the southern end of Hilton Head Island and is a wonderful place to live or visit.

Links to Forest Beach Homes For Sale:

#6 Robin (3rd Home from the Beach)

128 Dune Lane (2nd from the Beach)

121 Dune Lane (New Oceanfront)

We hope you enjoy these benefit lists.  If you would like a complete ownership package that includes maps, best buys and membership information (for any of the clubs mentioned above) please let us know.  Our buyers are being rewarded!

Our best to you,

Robbie Bunting & Jane Hyers
P.S.  We have several special situations in the market right now including an unbelievable 3 bedroom ocean oriented villa in short sale and a seller looking to trade up for a home or villa(be creative.)  We appreciate the referrals and calls for the past 25 years on Hilton Head.  Thank YOU.

Dear Friends, Clients and Fellow Associates~

When you buy on Hilton Head Island, you buy a lifestyle.   Each community on Hilton Head is unique offering varying lifestysles.  The amentities these communities offer include world class golf, marinas, championship tennis, beautiful clubhouses, and fitness paths to name a few.  This week on Hilton Head Island we have included the Top 10 Benefit Lists for Palmetto Hall and Palmetto Dunes.  Next week we will be focusing on Forest Beach and Hilton Head Plantation.  Below are the top ten lists:

Palmetto Hall Plantation’s ~ Top Ten Benefit List

1. Palmetto Hall is located on the north end of Hilton Head Island with convenience to the Islanders Beach Park, schools, shopping, dining, hospital, airport and library.  This location offers the advantage of everything the Island offers just minutes away saving time. 
2. Palmetto Hall offers 750 acres with 523 single family residential properties, 20 acres of stocked lagoons and 100 acres of forest preserve.  Palmetto Hall offers a park  like setting and overall open feeling from the front gate and throughout the community.
3. Palmetto Hall offers private roads and security with access for club visitors outside the gates.  Owners may operate their own golf carts on the roadways.  The benefit is that our community is private and secure with only owners and their guests traveling into the community.  
4. All Palmetto Hall property owners are members to the club at either a Social or Full Golf level.  The benefit is that memberships can be custumized for the member.
5. Palmetto Hall’s Clubhouse, Tennis Courts, Swimming Pool, Practice Greeen and Clubhouse are in the Heart of the community.  The benefit is all property owners are members to the same club(although they may be different levels of use) and therefore get to know each by first names rather than mailbox names.
6. Palmetto Hall’s architecture style is Southern Classical Architecture which includes styles that embrace living in the south with large sweeping porches and decks.  The benefit is this style open the home to the neighbors and community.  Visit this home for sale on Stonewall Circle to see true southern architecture
7. Palmetto Hall is completely sold out by the developer and offers a sense of community with over 350 families living within the gates.  The benefit is that as a resident you will enjoy living in this community now with great neighbors.  Visit this home site for sale if you dream of living here someday(we have a few others we would like to share with you if you have a preferred view)
8. Palmetto Hall has an Architectural Review Board and an Owners Association.  The benefit to these associations include ensuring residential integrity and having a plan for now and the future.  Visit this new home for sale on Ellis Court to see how the review board ensures residential integrity.
9. Palmetto Hall offers two eighteen hole golf courses which are rotated on a daily basis for the membership.  The real benefit is the members have the variety of two great golf courses without the cost associtated to operate both.  Visit this great home on Fort Howell for sale to see a great home on a golf green.
10. Palmetto Hall offers a true neighborhood defined by its size,  a flexible membership and its location 

Palmetto Dunes ~  Top Ten Benefit List

1.  Palmettto Dunes is conveniently located mid Island on Hilton Head.   This location offers convenience to the north or south end of the Island and you are literally minutes, not not miles away from shopping, dining and all Hilton Head offers.
2. Palmetto Dunes offers 2,000 acres and is designed with a resort core that includes the Marriott Oceanfront Resort, The Palmetto Dunes Tennis Center, The Robert Trent Jones Golf Course, PD Outfitters, Alexanders and the General Store in a central and convenient just outside the gates for everyone to enjoy.  The benefit is the roadways 
    and nieghborhoods are only accesible by guests, owners and visitors
3. Palmetto Dunes offer 4 distinct neighborhoods offering something for everyone.  These communities include:
              *  Shelter Cove ~ A community designed around an inland marina
              *  Leamington ~ Located on Ocean Lane.  Visit this Leamington home for sale 
              *  Mariners Section ~ Located within the north gate(residential & villas)
              *  Inverness Section ~ Located just in the south gate(residential & villas
4. Palmetto Dunes offers an 11 mile river lagoon system that is the centerpiece of the community.  This waterway offers natural beauty and provides the community with excellent drainage.  Please visit this waterfront home site that offers over 300 feet overlooking the lagoon on Heath Court West.
5. Palmetto Dunes offers three championship golf courses.  The benefit includes flexible play and membership programs to the guests and owners in Palmetto Dunes.
6.  Palmetto Dunes resort core offers resort villas with convenience to the ocean within the gates of the community.  Here are some great villas we offer for sale including an oceanfront villa, a near ocean villa, and a resort villa.
7. Palmetto Dunes offers membership to the Palmetto Dunes Club located within the south gate of Palmetto Dune.  The Palmetto Dunes Club is a wonderful place to meet your neighbors, share common interests and activities, and establish lasting friendships.
8. Palmetto Dunes Golf, Tennis, Outfitters and rental company are owned and operated by Greenwood Development.  This company has taken care of these amenities for years.
9. Palmetto Dunes and Leamington have an Architectural Review Board(ARB) to ensure residential integrity and protect property values.  As homes are built or remodeled, approval must come from these boards.  See this recently remodeled home in Leamington that is offered for sale for only $649,000.
10. Palmetto Dunes offers the perfect blend of resort and residential living on Hilton Head Island.   
     

We hope you enjoy these benefit lists.  If you would like a complete ownership package that includes maps, property and membership information on either of the above communities, please let us know.  We have found that our market currently offers historically low prices, incredible properties and low interest rates right now and while it may take some time to locate the right area and proeprty, our buyers are being rewarded! 

Robbie Bunting & Jane Hyers

I just saw it on CNN.com: Hilton Head by water: A marina-by-marina guide