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

The top 15 reasons to buy real estate on Hilton Head!

1.  Hilton Head is a driving market from almost anywhere!

2.  Money is cheap right now and everyone needs a home or a place to recharge!

3.  Short selling allows you to short buy in this market.

4.  You will find great locations.

5.  Your kids will thank you someday.

6. Real Estate is not as volatile as stocks.

7.  You can Vacation in your second home investment. 

8.  Real estate loans ARE available.

9. A new baby boomer turns 60 every 7 seconds   (approx. 8,000 a day).

10.  Real estate is temporarily on sale.

11.  Buy when it’s low and be happy.

12.  Sellers are reading the same thing buyers are!

13.  The country needs you to!

14.  High Supply gets you the best pick!

15.  Real Estate always leads us out of tough times!

Your business is truly appreciated.  We thank you for continued trust, your business and the referrals.   

Respectfully,

Robbie Bunting & Jane Hyers

Dear Clients, Friends and Fellow Associates~
 
We would like to share our monthly market trend reports with you.  This crystal ball or trend report tells us where the most robust (busiest) price segments of the market are.  It will show us the active number of listings and the sales that occur each month in each pricing segment.  It also give us an actual listing to sale price, the days on the market and the number of months of inventory.
 
The most critical information that a Market Trend Report will convey is what we call the “Big Three”.  The Big Three are the 3 most vital statistics for any market place in any price range.  The big three statistics are as follows:

1.  Average number of listings taken vs. Average number of sales in a given period which will give us the number of months of inventory that we have.  

2.  Average Days on the Market for properties that do sell when they are correct in price.  

3.  Average List price to Average Sales Price which is an indication of negotiation and the firmness of the market.   

We thought the following packing list and a few cool things happening in the next few weeks would be helpful…

Fun Stuff:

1. Summer Savings Package…Book before 6/8/09 & receive 10-30% off all   daily or weekly rentals through 8/31/09(email us for more information.)
2.  HEADLINERS at Tunes & Brews Wednesday – June 10, 2009~ 5-8 pm at the Shops at Sea Pines Center
3.  Beach Bum Triathlon at Hilton Head Island – June 13, 2009

4.  Menopause the Musical…June 9-July 26, 2009 (Arts Center)
5.  Average Air Temperature 86 ~ Ocean Temperature 82 FULL MOON –    Sunday June 7th

6.  Email us and we will send more ideas!

Beach Packing List

Light colored swimsuits ~ It makes your skin appear tanner!
Camera~ bring zip lock plastic bags to protect them at the beach

Sunglasses that are polarized…Wal-Mart fishing section has the best!

Sunscreen ~  every two hours or after swimming/strenuous activity.

Flip flops ~ the cheaper the better…

Sneakers or tennis shoes depending on where you’re from
Sweat pants/sweatshirt(cold movie theaters)

Towels, buy them here, they are cheaper!

Lip Balm ~ No one likes chapped lips
Jam Box or IPOD for the beach.

Bring along some detergent (packing light is cool)

Bring a tiny flash light so you can find your way on the dark bike paths

Beach Umbrella, Folding chairs, Sand toys for kids are cheaper here!

A large mesh beach bag is good to haul all this stuff to and from the beach

Lastly, put together a beach first-aid kit. It should include things such as Aloe Vera cream, sunburn reliever, band aids and anti-bacterial ointments. Don’t forget the over the counter pain relievers and be sure to add any prescription medications that your family may need while they are traveling. 

Have fun at the beach, but be sure to take a look at real estate.  2009 will go down in the books!  Right now, we are selling some of the best real estate we have ever seen.  Buyers are being rewarded for making offers in this market. 

 
The real estate links below are interesting and can be very helpful.  By the way, if you need wireless internet access while you are on the Island, just pop by my office(#6 Queens Folly Road at the front entrance to Palmetto Dunes). Let the receptionist know you do not need any help, Robbie said it was O.K.

Cyber Homes   Click here to get some cool information about your property or the property you are looking at by simply adding your address of your current property.

Annual Credit Report   Are you ready to buy?  This service is free with Equifax, TransUnion or Experian.

All the best…Robbie Bunting and Jane Hyers

Dear Clients, Friends & Fellow Associates ~

I love being a “tourist for a day” on Hilton Head Island when friends and family visit.  There are so many exciting things to do and see.  They make me remember all the great things we have here as we rediscover the Island together.  As you make your plans this summer, feel free to contact us for maps, ideas and information about the area.  We have put together a list of ideas for fun including “local favorites”.  Keep in mind, this offer is not exclusively for tourists(locals may participate in the fun too)!

·     Kayaking ~ Outside Hilton Head 686-6996 Located in Shelter Cove Marina or Hudson’s off Squire Pope.  All kayak guides are trained Naturalist.  You will love the Tuesday Night Firework “Kayak Tour”

·     Historical Tours ~ Bluffton, Beaufort, Savannah & Charleston Sign up for a horse drawn carriage tour or we will arrange a small family guided tour with advance notice.  We can email easy directions to these historic cities.

·     Rent some bikes ~ Palmetto Dunes Outfitters 785-2449 Inside Palmetto Dunes across from the General Store.  You can explore 26 miles of bike paths from this central location  *Brand New Bikes… 10% off for families

·     Fireworks ~ Every Tuesday Night in Shelter Cove 6:30 – 9:30  Vendors including arts and crafts before the display June 3 – Aug 26  Go to “Up the Creek Pub” off Marshland Road at Broad Creek Marina. Enjoy the fireworks & cookout from this vantage point.

·     Coastal Discovery Museum- North Hwy 278 / Cross Island 689-6767  Take a 2 ½ hour red trolley tour w/ a stop at Harbour Town!  Tuesday and Thursday Nights at 8 pm take a loggerhead tour and talk (sightings not guaranteed) reserve. 689-6767 ext. 223

·     Lighthouse ~ Harbour Town in Sea Pines   Make the most of this trip.  Leave after lunch, go to Harbour Town and climb the lighthouse and play ground.  Take your rollerblades or bikes and visit South Beach to get a cool drink and a Salty Dog T-Shirt then dinner at Truffles in Sea Pines Center.  Keep your pass that you purchased at the gate and if you spend $100 or more in Sea Pines, the $5.00 is credited by that merchant

·     Shop ~ Tangar Outlet malls off Island or Unique Boutiques   Village of Wexford, Coligny Plaza, Harbour Town, Shelter Cove or Sea Pines Center… the shopping is fantastic.  Hit the shops early and on nice days as later in the week and especially on weather days the shops and restaurants are busy.

·     Daufuskie Island ~ Broad Creek Marina 342-8687  Rent a golf cart and check out all the Beach, Marshside Mamas Art Galleries on Daufuskie.  $23.00 Round trip ferry trips per person ~ Rent a 4 passenger golf-cart for $50.00 for the day and explore  $3.00 off per person Coupon in Where to Go Magazine!

·     Real Estate Tours ~ These tours will be informative and educational  and include exciting new opportunities around the Island.  Rainy days are not always the best for the beach, but they are the best days to preview our real estate! (if it looks good on a rainy day, you will love it on a sunny one!)

Our tours will take you into gated communities and into homes and villas that match the price point you are looking for. We have several tours a week(Mon-Sat and Sunday by Appt.) with price ranges as follows:            

             Tour 1 ~ Under $400,000
             Tour 2 ~ $400,000-$700,000
             Tour 3 ~ $700,000-$1,000,0000
             Tour 4 ~ Over 1 million

Let us know which tour you will be interested in.  On the tour you will receive a free Real Estate Information and Negotiation Package  which will include a list of current mortgage rates, a sample contract,  the top ten best buys on the Island, common addendums, a complete list of the foreclosures in the area and our very best listings for sale.   Island Real Estate Packages can be emailed or mailed to you before, after or during your visit.  Tours are not a requirement to request a package.  Thank you.

 Enjoy your summer!  Feel free to e-mail or call us to sign up for a tour or for maps to the Historic Cities above.  Our direct line is 800-932-3652 and our email is islandrealtor@hargray.com . Thank you.

~Happy Summer~

Robbie Bunting & Jane Hyers

Dear Clients, Friends and Fellow Associates~

We have been tracking the market for two years now by compiling a Monthly Market Trend Report.  This report is exactly what its name implies; it’s an “at a glance” report of current Home, Villa and lot trends for Hilton Head Island. 

This trend tells us where the most robust (busiest) price segments of the market are – i.e. it will tell us where the activity is and where it is not.  It will show us the active number of listings and the sales that occur each month in each pricing segment.  It will give us an actual listing to sale price, the days on the market and the number of months of inventory.

The most critical information that a Market Trend Report will convey is what we call the “Big Three”.  The Big Three are the 3 most vital statistics for any market place in any price range.  The big three statistics are as follows:

1.  Average number of listings taken vs. Average number of sales in a given period which will give us the number of months of inventory that we have. 

2.  Average Days on the Market for properties that do sell when they are correct in price. 

3.  Average List price to Average Sales Price which is an indication of negotiation and the firmness of the market. 

This information is a snapshot of how the market place has performed in the recent past, which is often a good predictor of future market performance. 

If you would like to receive a monthly report via email, plese email us today.  This is not only a good map of where we have been, it points to where we may be going.

All the best,

Robbie Bunting & Jane Hyers

Market Conditions

The latest report from the National Association of Realtors reports that pending home sales rose 3.2 percent in March.

NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth, said the increase in buying power is quite remarkable. “Compared to a year ago, the typical family can pay much less in mortgage costs for the same home, or buy a better home without necessarily increasing their monthly payment,” he said. “For buyers who’ve been on the sidelines and have good jobs, the market has never looked more favorable. Homeownership has always offered immediate benefits and long-term value, but the advantages in today’s market are unique.”

Regionally, the South saw the best outcome in pending home sales, rising 8.5 percent.

The biggest decrease was seen in the Northeast, dropping 5.7 percent.

Written by Realty Times Staff
May 5, 2009 

10 Ways to Make Your House More Saleable

1.      Get rid of clutter. Throw out or file stacks of newspapers and magazines. Pack away most of your small decorative items. Store out-of-season clothing to make closets seem roomier. Clean out the garage.

2.      Wash your windows and screens to let more light into the interior.

3.      Keep everything extra clean. Wash fingerprints from light switch plates. Mop and wax floors. Clean the stove and refrigerator. A clean house makes a better first impression and convinces buyers that the home has been well cared for.

4.      Get rid of smells. Clean carpeting and drapes to eliminate cooking odors, smoke, and pet smells. Open the windows.

5.      Put higher wattage bulbs in light sockets to make rooms seem brighter, especially basements and other dark rooms. Replace any burnt-out bulbs.

6.      Make minor repairs that can create a bad impression. Small problems such as sticky doors, torn screens, cracked caulking, or a dripping faucet may seem trivial, but they’ll give buyers the impression that the house isn’t well maintained.

7.      Tidy your yard. Cut the grass, rake the leaves, trim the bushes, and edge the walks. Put a pot or two of bright flowers near the entryway.

8.      Patch holes in your driveway and reapply sealant, if applicable.

9.      Clean your gutters.

10.  Polish your front doorknob and door numbers.

5 Things to Do Before You Sell

1.      Get estimates from a reliable repairperson on items that need to be replaced soon, a roof or worn carpeting, for example. In this way, buyers will have a better sense of how much these needed repairs will affect their costs.

2.      Have a termite inspection to prove to buyers that the property is not infested.

3.      Get a pre-sale home inspection so you’ll be able to make repairs before buyers become concerned and cancel a contract.

4.      Gather together warranties and guarantees on the furnace, appliances, and other items that will remain with the house.

5.      Fill out a disclosure form provided by your sales associate. Take the time to be sure that you don’t forget problems, however minor, that might create liability for you after the sale.

5 Ways to Speed up Your Sale

1.      Price it right. Set a price at the lower end of your property’s realistic price range.

2.      Get your house market ready for at least two weeks before you begin showing it.

3.      Be flexible about showings. It’s often disruptive to have a house ready to show on the spur of the moment, but the more often someone can see your home, the sooner you’ll find a seller.

4.      Be ready for the offers. Decide in advance what price and terms you’ll find acceptable.

5.      Don’t refuse to drop the price. If your home has been on the market for more than 30 days without an offer, be prepared to lower your asking price.

© 2005 – 2007 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®