5101 Hampton Place is Open Sunday July 20 from 1- 4.

The newest oceanfront vacation complex in Palmetto Dunes.  Two oceanfront swimming pools, fitness center and pure luxury.  Please visit with our agent on duty this Sunday from 1-4pm.  This villa is awesome and we will also have a pass out with a map of all the properties for sale in the area including Palmetto Dunes homes and villas.  Pull into Hampton Place and go to the right.  Take the staircase to the far right and this villa is on the first landing.  Call us at (843)785-7111 or email us if you would like directions or additional information. Thank  you.

We complete the Hilton Head Island Market Research below every month.  We use this as our guide in explaining the market to Hilton Heads buyers and sellers.  We have made some notes of the most obvious patterns that occurred.  If you would like to receive these monthly reports via email, please send me an email at Robbie@robbiebunting.com .  As well, if you would like to discuss the market, please feel free to call me at (843)785-7111 ext. 1.  Please click the trend below for a printable copy of this market report.  Thank you.

It’s certainly a headline we like to see around here: “US Home Purchase Contracts Have Seen a Significant Increase.”

And in fact, that’s exactly what The Associated Press recently reported.

This is great news, especially given that – so far this year – the pace of buying is slower than in 2013. A lot of this can be attributed to the harsh winter that kept many home buyers inside.

But as the recent report indicates, spring and summer sales activity may ultimately compensate for those sluggish winter months.

It’s Not Just Sales Contracts Enjoying Favorable Conditions

Here’s a full report of what the National Association of Realtors recently revealed:

• Its seasonally adjusted pending home sales index increased 6.1 percent to 103.9 in May.
• That marks the sharpest month-over-month gain since April 2010.
• The index is still, however, 5.2 percent below the level it was at a year ago.
• Experts believe that lower mortgage rates and an increased home inventory drove much of May’s gains.
• All four U.S. regions (the Northeast, Midwest, South and West) saw increases in signed purchase contracts

Meanwhile, in a different report released by the Association, completed sales of existing homes increased 4.9 percent in May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.89 million homes.

Still, it’s worth noting that sales are down 5 percent year over year.

The association predicts that sales of existing homes will decrease 2.8 percent this year to 4.95 million. That’s compared to 5.1 million in 2013.

In terms of new homes, sales increased 18.6 percent in May to an annual rate of 504,000. That’s the highest level since May 2008.

Why Are Things Showing Improvement Now?

Of course, it helps that we’re still in the spring and summer home buying market.

But another key factor is the removal of two previous obstacles: Rising mortgage rates and a low supply of available homes for sale.

Average rates for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages fell to 4.17 percent recently. Before, it had been at 4.20 percent and higher. Still, rates are roughly 0.25 percent higher than they were at this time last year.

Meanwhile, the supply of homes has increased. By 2.2 percent in May to 2.28 million. That’s 6 percent higher than a year ago, helping to fuel increased activity on the market!

How Can You Expect This to Affect You?

If you’re a home seller, the recent flurry of activity should give you confidence that you too will be able to sell your property and in a reasonable amount of time as well.  But one things that will decide that is working with an experienced real estate agent who knows the ins and outs of the market.

And if you’re a home buyer purchasing a property on the local housing market, the recent activity suggests that you’re in good company – with more and more people entering the market to invest in property!

Always Here To Give You The National Real Estate 411!

What other valuable information would you like to learn about the real estate market in order to make your transaction easier? We will be happy to supply you with all of the insight you need!

Contact us today for valuable real estate advice today!

And make sure to check back to our website soon for more pertinent information that affects you!

Sea Turtle Update March 3, 2015

Dear 2014 Sea Turtle Adopters,

Many of you are shivering, as winter sends a continuous blast to much of the country.  But while we are dealing with all kinds of weather here on land, our mother loggerhead sea turtles are happily swimming in the Sargasso Sea, resting up and bulking up for their summer expedition to our  beaches where they will lay their eggs. Our job is to protect this endangered species.

Since the Hilton Head Island Sea Turtle Protection Project began more than 25 years ago, we believe that we are now seeing the results of protecting those eggs all those years ago:  many of them are mother turtles who are returning to our beaches in record numbers.  We hope the trend continues this year!

Although the first turtles will not arrive until May, we are now taking applications for the adoption of 2015 Hilton Head Island turtle nests.  Many of you have already sent yours in (thank youJ).  For the others, attached is the application for 2015 – just fill it out and send it in.  BE SURE to let me know if you have any location preference…. (ie Port Royal beach, Palmetto Dunes, or near marker 100) so that we can assign you a nest that you can easily visit, if you wish

This year, we have specially designed green shirts that are only available to nest adopters – it is the same one that our turtle patrol staff wears.  Here is a picture of Amber Kuehn, HHI Sea Turtle Protection Project Manager, wearing one.

If you would like a shirt, mark the appropriate size on this Sea Turtle Adopt application 2015.  Adoptions help to fund the non-profit Coastal Discovery Museum (which operates the Hilton Head Island Sea Turtle Protection Program) – and also help to educate and entertain adopters with the comings and goings of the sea turtles.

We truly thank you for your continued support!

Andrea

Andrea B. Siebold

Sea Turtle Nest Adoption Coordinator

Hilton Head Island Sea Turtle Protection Project

Sea Turtle Update 10/16/14

Dear Hilton Head Island Sea Turtle Nest Adopter,

Fall is here and the Hilton Head Island Sea Turtle season is over……The beaches are bare of the nest markingsand the hatchlings are swimming way out in the distant seas,  but what a year this has been!  Here is a summary:

*  131 Sea Turtle Nests were identified on Hilton Head Island

–  126 on the ocean and 5 on Dolphin Head and Hickory Forest Beaches.

–  This is a 61% decrease from last season – reasons still unknown for sure.

*  42 % of the nests had to be relocated to higher, safer ground.

– Interestingly, more of the relocated nests were successful (91%) than the nests that were not moved (80%).

*  There were 70 false crawls (keeping our turtle team very busy!)

*  From the DNA analysis, we know that 49 different females laid the nests on the island.

– Only 2 turtles laid only one nest.

– One mother laid her eggs on 4 different beaches

– One mother laid 6 different nests (see map):  4 of them were at the very heel of the island in Port Royal Plantation and she laid her 2^nd and 4^th nests directly across Port Royal Sound on Bay Point Island.  I guess she needed a little swim between nest layings.

*  All the turtles nesting on Hilton Head Island this year were loggerhead turtles – except for one Green Sea Turtle – with 99 hatchlings!

Thanks to our wonderful Hilton Head Island Sea Turtle Protection Project Team, led by Amber Kuehn!  (Here is Amber receiving an award from the State for her work with stranded turtles – Congratulations, Amber!)

These devoted people are truly making a difference in the preservation of the endangered Sea Turtles!  In the spring, I will send you an email with a little update to prepare you for the 2015 sea turtle nest adoption season.  In the meantime, many, many thanks for your interest, your support and your enthusiasm for saving the Hilton Head Island Sea Turtles!

Andrea

Andrea B. Siebold

Sea Turtle Nest Adoption Coordinator

Hilton Head Island Sea Turtle Protection Project

Sea Turtle Update 8/5/14

Wow – yesterday, beachgoers on Hilton Head were treated to a view of a Green Turtle nesting on the north end of Hilton Head Island – just up from the Westin in Port Royal Plantation!  We don’t see Green Turtles too often here (almost all of ours are Loggerhead turtles) so it is a treat when one selects our island for laying her eggs.  (It is Nest # 126.)  They are also very much an endangered species.  Here is what she looked like

Green Turtles not actually green on the outside but have a green “skin” under their shell. They are larger than Loggerheads and have a different “walk”, leaving different tracks in the sand – that was the first clue that one was here:  Greens walk with both flippers simultaneously vs. the Loggerhead which has an alternating gait.

Another clue was the nest – Green Turtles make multiple body pits and it looks like bombs went off where they nested.  It would be hard to miss these pits on the beach yesterday.

Sea Turtle Update 7/19/14

While we are waiting for the first nests to hatch (should be any day now!), following are answers to a couple of questions that some of you have been asking:

What kinds of sea turtles do we have on Hilton Head Island? 

Of course there are many turtles that live on the island in the lagoons and creeks – these are not the endangered sea turtles.  We are protecting mainly the loggerhead sea turtles which nest here – they weigh between 250 and 1000 pounds!  Here are two loggerhead turtle pictures –

This is a momma swimming along the ocean floor (I actually saw one like this in the Australian Great Barrier Reef last month!!J).

Usually the mothers come ashore at night but occasionally one is found still working her way back to the ocean after the sun comes up.

Why are some nests moved by the Turtle Patrol? 

If the mother has laid her eggs too close to the water, the nest must be moved to higher ground to prevent drowning of the eggs during a high tide.  When this happens, our trained turtle patrol very carefully digs up the eggs and moves them in a very delicate process: with gloved hands, they gently remove every egg and place them in a bucket for safekeeping during the transfer.  Then they dig a hole in a very similar shape to the original hole – and place the eggs in the new hole, one at a time, in almost exactly the same position that they were in before.  They cover up the nest, mark it, and let the eggs settle in for their 45-60 day incubation.  Amazingly, as of today, out of our 112 nests, 49 have had to be relocated – that is 43.7% – a lot of work for our Turtle Patrol!

Here is a picture of our team moving a nest –notice the mother’s tracks to and from the nest.

More later –

Andrea

Andrea B. Siebold

Sea Turtle Nest Adoption Coordinator

Hilton Head Island Sea Turtle Protection Project

By Andrea B. Siebold

A little later than usual, but the mother turtles finally began laying their eggs on the Hilton Head beaches and now there are more and more nests appearing on the beach.  During the dark night, the mother turtle comes ashore and slowly drags herself onto the sand to find a dry spot on the beach to lay her eggs.

This is very hard for her because she is VERY large (around 300 pounds!) and she is not used to being out of the water (she has been swimming in the ocean for 25 years since she was born).  After she finds a good spot, she spends a long time digging a hole with her back flippers and lays her eggs (usually about 120 of them) in the hole.  She then covers the eggs with sand and slowly returns to the ocean. Read the rest of this entry

One month of positive real estate sales is encouraging, but sometimes it can be a fluke.

That’s why we’re always so thrilled when positive numbers one month carry over into the next month.

And that’s just what we saw with the recent release of May sales numbers.

According to a recent USA Today article, existing home sales increased for the second straight month in May, increasing to their strongest rate since the fall.

More Details Emerge About the Current State of the US Housing Market

Here’s what the most recent data from the National Association of Realtors revealed: Sales of existing single-family homes, townhomes, condos and co-ops reached a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.89 million, which marks a 4.9 percent increase from April’s rate of 4.66 million.

This was the highest monthly percentage gain since August 2011!

And this wasn’t the only indicator that the market is improving. In fact, metrics across the board hinted at growth on the national housing market:

• Sales prices also showed marked increases. Specifically, the median existing home price was $213,400 in May, up 5.1 percent from a year earlier.
• Meanwhile, sales of homes priced at $1 million and above increased everywhere but the Midwest
• Total housing inventory at the end of May increased 2.2 percent to 2.28 million existing homes available for sale. That’s 6 percent higher than a year ago.
• At May’s sales rate, there’s a 5.6-month supply of homes for sale, which is close to the 6-month inventory that’s considered a balanced market between buyers and sellers.

Of course, some obstacles still remain on the market.

For instance, sales are still weaker than they were a year ago, when the annualized sales rate was 5.15 million.
And through May, sales were down 8.2 percent from the first five months of last year.

What’s more, the market continues to be difficult for those home buyers with modest financial resources, particularly first-time buyers. Consequently, these home buyers’ share of sales decreased to 27 percent in May, down 2 percent from April 2013.

And although single-family home sales rose 5.7 percent from April, they’re also down 5.7 percent from a year ago.

Still, real estate experts across the country remain optimistic.

They agree that at least three factors will continue to encourage growth and improvement on the national housing market:

• More homes are being listed on the market
• Home prices are rising more slowly than in 2013
• Mortgage rates have declined recently

All of these factors will drive more and more home buyers to the market, further encouraging a healthy and stable real estate market.

Count on Us for Reliable National Real Estate Data!

We hope you ‘ve learned something useful about recent  national real estate trends and how they may affect you locally.

Check back here on July 15 as we continue to provide you with useful and up-to-date housing market information that is relevant to you!

There is new legislation allowing property owners that live on or near the beach on Hilton Head Island to rent their homes for 72 days each year, while still paying the lower tax rate applied to owner-occupied property.  If you have ever dreamed of traveling for June, July and August next year, please email Darcey Sundling for a rental proforma on your primary residence and to discuss the possibilities (some properties may not qualify).

Darcey Sundling is the awesome property manager for HiltonHeadPropertiesRandR.com and can be reached toll free at (854)482-2244.

The homes and villas below represent some of the best locations and properties in Palmetto Dunes.  These properties can be used for second home, rental or permanent residences.  Palmetto Dunes features private beach access, 3 miles of beachfront, 3 championship 18 hole golf courses, 26 Tennis Courts, a deep water marina, boutiques and fabulous restaurants.  Let us know if you would like to see these properties!  Thank you

1103 Newport …Big Views 2 – $379,000 Please click photo below for visual tour.

 

21 Ocean Lane – 422 Captains Walk  $825,000 Please click photo below for visual tour.

 

 

 

76 Ocean Lane 7627 Huntington $449,000 Please click photo below for visual tour.

 

 

32 Full Sweep  $1,229,000  Please click photo below for visual tour.

 

 

42 Off Shore $599,000  Please click photo below for visual tour.

 

 

20 Carnoustie Road –  7812 CentreCourt $299,900 Please click photo below for visual tour.

 

 

 

10 Mooring Buoy – 45 The Moorings  $359,000  Please click photo below for visual tour.

 

 

 

47 Ocean Lane – 5101 Hampton Place $499,000 Please click photo below for visual tour.

 

 

10 Mooring Buoy  41 The Moorings $349,700  Please click photo below for visual tour.

 

 

8 Cottage Court   $799,900  Please click photo below for visual tour.

 

 

21 Ocean Lane 441 Captains Walk  $995,000  Please click photo below for visual tour.

 

 

191 Mooring Buoy  $999,000  Please click photo below for visual tour.

 

 

 

50 Ocean Lane 114 Abbington $721,000 Please click photo below for visual tour.

7577 Ocean Lane – 602 Barrington Park $569,000  Please click photo below for visual tour.

167 Mooring Buoy  $1,349,000  Please click photo below for visual tour.

Check them Out Visually Above and Schedule A Showing Today

These properties offer some of the best locations and conditions in the Palmetto Dunes Community.  We would love to share with you the scoop on any of these properties.  Just email us at info@HiltonHeadProperties.Biz for the expenses, rental history, flyer and list of features.  Thank you.

Darcey Sundling is the property manager for HiltonHeadPropertiesRandR.com and is doing a great job with the big and little things.  She stops by and visits with guests, brings donuts and introduces herself and her husband Terry with AbsenteebytheSea.com.  The guest feel comfortable knowing that they are standing by if they are needed.

Every Little Detail by Hilton Head Properties R and R

Everything from arranging for bike rentals, to flowers celebrating a 50th Wedding Anniversary(see above), to having a chef prepared meal at a Hilton Head rental property are a few of the very special things Darcey can do for your visit.  Have you ever heard of this level of concierge service?  Call Darcey at (855)482-2244 or email darcey@hhprandr.com if you would like to stay in one of her properties or have her manage your rental property.  Below is recent note from one of her Raving Fans! Thank you.

“It’s All About Home!”

“It’s All About Home!” is a 40 page Low Country Guide that includes maps, community information, local weather, areas of interest, real estate and resorts in the Hilton Head, Bluffton and Daufuskie areas.  This magazine also includes residential and resort properties available for purchase or rental. 

A few Articles

• Hilton Head’s Guardian Angel – The gulf stream protects the Hilton Head Area.
• 14 Day Test for Vacation Properties – Learn about vacation property ownership.
• Transfer Fees and Membership Costs – Find out about fees and membership costs.

Do you still owe more than what your property is worth?  If you have been trying to wait this out and are now just ready to move on we do have a possible solution.  Our short sale negotiator is tops. He knows how to negotiate short sales and has had a high success rate.  Most of the sellers that we have worked with are just ready to move on in their lives and are tired of throwing good money after bad.  While it is not guaranteed that he can help you, it is worth the conversation. Read the rest of this entry