“Sail Around” is a large powder coated steel sculpture measuring 16 feet tall, 4 feet wide and 6 feet deep. “Sail Around” was part of the 2013 Public Art Exhibition at Honey Horn; however, it was not selected as the winner of the exhibition. The artist donated this piece to the Town’s public art collection at the conclusion of the exhibition.  The powder-coated steel structure sets up a dynamic series of implied movements between its independent parts while its title “Sail Around” makes clear connections to the element of nautical discovery part of Hilton Head Island’s past and present.

The aerial photo drone is a game changer in marketing resort real estate.  Selling resort real estate is not just about marketing property, it’s about selling lifestyle and amenities.  High resolution aerial photography shows the location to nearby value builders including the beach, golf, tennis, marinas, marshes and lagoons.  We are now using aerial photography in all of our Hilton Head listings as it helps us sell the sizzle.  Read the rest of this entry

Real estate experts all across the country were thrilled to hear the latest numbers on the national housing market recently.

That’s because sales of existing U.S. homes showed a slight increase between March and April, reversing a 12-month trend in which home purchases had been dropping.

This wasn’t the only good news that the National Association of Realtors had to share, either.

Experts Encouraged By Recent Sales Data for National Housing Market

Here are some of the highlights of the recent report from the National Association of Realtors:

• Home sales increased 1.3 percent from March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.65 million.
• The purchase of homes over the last 12 months had dropped 6.8 percent before April’s numbers were released.
• The majority of gains were concentrated in the condominium market, which saw 7.3 percent growth.
• Meanwhile, sales of single-family homes were up 0.5 percent during the month of April.
• Still, home buying is significantly below its 2013 rate, which is when 5.1 million existing homes were purchased. And that’s still far below the 5.5 million rate that usually indicates a healthy market.
• Median home prices increased 5.2 percent to $201,700 in April, which was the slowest increase since March 2012.
• Home buying increased in the West and the South, although they mostly decreased in the Midwest and remained flat in the Northeast.
• Home sales continued to decrease for homes priced below $250,000, although they continued to increase for those homes priced above $750,000.
• First time home buyers represented 29 percent of all sales, which is far below the historical average of 40 percent.
• Average rates for fixed, 30-year mortgages were around 4.2 percent recently, compared to 3.51 percent a year ago.

Experts say that sales may have been higher had it not been for a few confounding factors, such as snowstorms and brutal cold weather in the Midwest and Northeast during the first couple of months of 2014.

Other factors include higher home prices and rising interest rates.

Still, experts remain optimistic. For instance, the April report indicated that more home sellers are listing their properties on the market. In fact, the market has a 5.9 month supply of homes right now, which is up from 5.2 a year ago.

Keeping You Informed on National Developments

We love getting the opportunity to share some positive news about the national housing market with you and we hope you’re as encouraged by the recent data as we are.

Check back here soon for more updates on the current state of the national housing market and how it may impact your efforts as a buyer or seller.

We have put together a chart of the Hilton Head Area communities, their POA fees(association costs), whether membership is required or optional, their location and what their transfer fees are(if any).  We will be updating this on a regular basis.  Please let us know if you have any questions or updated information.

We have done our best to verify these fees and charges, but they are subject to verification by all parties. The communities and golf courses listed here have been hyperlinked to their official website. This will make it easier to review these communities from your community. If you are planning to visit the area, please note that many of the properties in the Hilton Head Area are located in private communities behind security gates and can only be accessed with a Realtor.  If you find a great Hilton Head Property, please contact one of our agents or your Realtor to make arrangements today.

View has a big impact on the ultimate market time and selling price of Hilton Head Real Estate.  That’s because Hilton Head buyers determine value based on the view out the back door.   The bigger the view, the bigger the price.  This can make identical villas in the same community vary in value by thousands of dollars and is typically factored in when buying or selling a Hilton Head Property.

Determining View Value on Hilton Head

View value on Hilton Head can be determined by comps, past histories, market research or a knowledgeable local Realtor.  One way to determine view value is to “shop” or compare similar properties in the neighborhood with equal views.  Because the value of Hilton Head real estate is based on view, values on Zillow and Trulia are usually off.  If you are wondering what the true view value is, shoot me an email, call me at (843)785-71111 or pop in anytime.  Thank  you.

Frankly, it’s hard not to feel encouraged and optimistic about the real estate market these days.

Everywhere you look, positive real estate trends are popping up, further emphasizing that the worst days of the economic recession are in the rear view mirror now.

And here’s another recent nugget of good news: Home prices all across the country increased 11.1 percent in March 2014 when compared to the same time last year. And that’s including distressed sales.

More Relevant Data for US Home Sellers

According to the latest published data, the 11 percent home price increase in March represents 25 months of consecutive year-over-year increases in national home prices.

That’s incredible. That means that the housing market has been in the process of recovering for more than two years.

Here’s what else you should know about recent activity on the real estate market:

• Between February and March, national home prices (including distressed sales) increased 1.4 percent.
• When you exclude distressed sales, national home prices increased 9.5 percent from March 2013 to March 2014.
• And month-to-month (from February to March), home prices increased 0.9 percent when you excluded distressed sales.
• Experts say that when they included distressed sales, home prices were still 16 percent below peak levels. When you exclude distressed sales, prices were down 11.6 percent from the peak.

Experts say that there continues to be an imbalance of home buyers and sellers. Specifically, there are more interested home buyers than there are available homes.

This will continue to drive up home prices, they say.

Those States with Best, Worst Real Estate Trends

Experts also identified those states that saw the greatest home price increases when they included distressed sales:

• California: Up 17.2 percent from March 2013
• Nevada: Up 15.5 percent during that same period

Meanwhile, when it came to home price changes from February to March, 42 states and the District of Columbia showed increases. In that instance, Mississippi saw the largest month-over-month gains with 3.2 percent, followed by Alaska with a 2.3 percent month-over-month home price increase.

Experts also reported that Colorado, the District of Columbia, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming all climbed to new peaks in home prices. And Louisiana is approaching peak index levels also.

On the other hand, the state that remained farthest away from its peak values was Nevada, which remained at 39.9 percent below its 2006 peak despite recent gains. Florida followed at 36.3 percent below peak values.

Providing You With All the Real Estate Updates You Need

Check back here soon for further updates on the current state of the national housing market, which will help you determine how recent activity may affect you as a home seller.

We are happy to provide this useful data to help make navigating the market as easy as possible for you and your family!

1.  The town charges a quarter of one percent transfer fee.  The transfer fee is typically paid for by the purchaser and is used to purchase lands that have been turned into parks or green space.  The town has now accumulated over 1000 acres.  The fee is collected by Beaufort County and turned over to the town.

2.  Many of the Hilton Head Island communities charge a transfer fee.  While this fee can be paid by the buyer or seller in negotiation, many of the communities are using this fee to update their infrastructure.  You can review the community transfer fees  and contact the appropriate manager for more information.

3.  Buyers Agency.  Buyers can get representation in a real estate transaction and the agent will paid by the published co-op offered by the seller.  Buyers benefit working with knowledgeable agents with buyer representation when it comes time to negotiate, contingencies, market insights and getting the property to closing.

4.   Closings require an attorney for both the buyer and seller.  South Carolina does not offer title companies or round table closings with everyone at the same table.  Purchasers and sellers choose an attorney for closing.  The attorneys will than do the work necessary to close the property and arrange the exchange of the monies and keys after all the documents are signed and delivered.

5.  Hilton Head Market Trends are local.  How much negotiation can you expect on a villa over 1 million.  How long should it take to sell your home if it is properly priced?  These answers are not that difficult to answer with our Monthly Market Trend Report.  This market research gives a snapshot of the market and helps guide a buyer or seller when they are negotiating.

6.  Hilton Head Property Taxes.  Taxes are always billed in arrears and the seller will be crediting the buyer for the time that they have owned the property on the settlement statement based on their status of resident(4%) or non-resident(6%).  These taxes are based on millage and can be computed here.

Happy May Days From Hilton Head Island!  May offers less rain than any other month and temperatures hover in the 80’s.   Perfect weather for the many outdoor events including the Windmill Harbour Boat Show, The Annual Dog Walk on Coligny Beach, Mothers Day, The Annual Bluffton Village Festival, The Shelter Cove Farmers Market, Kiwanis Rib Burnoff, The 6th Annual Hilton Head Arts Festival, Gregg Russell, and to kick summer officially off, Memorial Day on Hilton Head’s Beaches.

The numbers don’t lie: Americans are growing increasingly confident about the overall health of the national real estate market, according to a recent report.

Evidently, a recent Gallup poll showed that 56 percent of Americans expect average home prices in their area to increase, which is up 33 percent from just two years ago.

And it’s markedly increased from the low point of 21 percent in January 2011.

How The Recent Poll Was Conducted

Gallup conducted interviews between April 3 and 6 with a random sample of 1,026 adults, ages 18 and older.

These respondents lived in all fifty states as well as the District of Columbia.

These telephone interviews were conducted on cell phones and landlines and were conducted in English and Spanish.

What Do The Numbers Show About American Perceptions of the Market?

The latest poll numbers from Gallup’s annual Economy and Personal Finance poll indicate that Americans are feeling increasingly confident about the market.

Here are some of the highlights of the poll results:

• Between 2008 and 2011, Americans were more likely to expect local home values to decrease rather than increase.
• Then, in April 2012, optimism about home values started to outweigh pessimism 33 percent to 23 percent.
• Now, more than five times as many citizens believe home values will increase compared to decrease (56 percent to 10 percent).
• People living out west are most likely to think home values will increase, with 72 percent of respondents.
• Comparatively, about 44 percent of Americans living in the East expect home prices to increase.
• These figures are compared to 54 percent of Southerners and 53 percent of Midwestern residents believing that home prices will increase.
• The poll also showed that 64 percent of Americans are homeowners, with 74 of those people saying that their home is now worth more than when they bought it.
• Still, these numbers aren’t as high as they were during the real estate peak in 2006 and 2007, when 90 percent of home owners said their home value exceeded purchase price.
• 74 percent of Americans say it’s a good time to purchase a home, compared with 24 percent who say it’s a bad time.
• The poll also showed that homeowners are more likely than renters to say it’s a good time to buy a house, with 81 percent of home owners and 60 percent of renters saying that.

Experts are encouraged by the recent data because it suggests that fewer home owners are underwater and more people are interested in entering the market and investing in property. This has long-term benefits to the overall health of the market.

Your Epicenter for National Real Estate News

We believe that providing up-to-date information to buyers and sellers is paramount to ensuring them a successful outcome on the real estate market.

Check back here in a couple of weeks for more relevant updates on the current state of the national housing market and to learn what kind of effects that activity is likely to have on buyers and sellers.

 One shot at a great first impression – Buyers no longer jump in the car to check out a property.  In fact, over 90% of all real estate searches start on the internet.  Therefore, just as important as mowing the lawn and painting the front door in anticipation of the buyer are high quality photos and content on the internet.   We all have passed over the listing with dark photos and “Great House” in the remarks looking for something better.  The first impression makes a difference more than ever on the internet. Read the rest of this entry