Rick Saba - Hilton Head Island Real Estate

Hilton Head Real Estate Statistics For Sea Pines Plantation Villas

admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:06:48 +0000

Sea Pines Plantation was the first of the modern Hilton Head Island communities and served as the model for the other communities which were to follow. It is the largest of all the Hilton Head Island communities, and boasts two marinas, four miles of beaches, the Sea Pines Racquet Club—home to some of the best tennis training programs in the nation—and Harbour Town Golf Links, where you can play on the same course used by the pros during the PGA tour.

Seemingly endless amenities include the Sea Pines Racquet Club, South Beach Marina, 605 acres of forest preserve, miles of bike paths, Lawton Stables Equestrian Center, numerous pools and miles of Atlantic Ocean beaches. This is the plantation for everyone to enjoy. Sea Pines is a true paradise for the occasional visitor or cherished permanent resident.

STAT OF THE WEEK: SEA PINES VILLA MARKET
ACTIVE LISTINGS: 114 Villas from $174,900 to $2,000,000

PENDING OR CONTINGENT: 34 Villas from $199,000 to $1,000,000

SOLDS: 34 Closed Villas from $95,000 to $800,000, high sale, 1468 Sound Villas

When you’re ready to make your dream of owning a Hilton Head Island home a reality, call Rick Saba, at (843) 683-4701 or email me, I exhaust the marketplace to find the property that fits your personal lifestyle.

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Weekly Government Updates – Beaufort County and Hilton Head, SC

admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 10:49:30 +0000

Government Update: Government Affairs Report Week Ending 5/4/12

Town of Bluffton Affordable Housing Committee
5/1/12

The Town of Bluffton is the recipient of the Palmetto Housing Foundation Award. The Town received the award because they had the only Affordable Housing Project that produced single family homes.

Town of Hilton Head Island Public Facilities Committee Meeting
5/1/12

Chaplin Linear Park:

The conceptual plans were reviewed for the Chaplin Linear Park. The park will be a mile and a half long and run through all the Town owned parcels from Burkes Beach to the new riverfront park at Shelter Cove. The plans include a reconfiguration of Chaplin Park, a three-part garden that will feature public art, a food and beverage campus, and an outdoor education area with interpretive panels. Also planned is a state of the art playground for children. The Chaplin Linear park is predicted to become a centrally located destination for locals as well as tourists. The Town estimates the cost of this project to be 10 to 12 million dollars.

Town of Hilton Head Island Town Council Meeting
5/1/12

Proclamations:

Mayor Drew Laughlin proclaimed May 2012 as Bike Month. Also, Mayor Drew Laughlin proclaimed the week of May 6-12, 2012 Public Service Recognition Week.

Reports from Members of Council:

George Williams, Chairman of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee, asked that the Hardeeville Casino be placed on the next Town Council Meeting Agenda for discussion and to consider taking a position on the plans.

Bill Ferguson, Chairman of the Planning and Development Standards Committee, reported the committees vote to deny recommendation to Town Council of the proposed changes to the Town’s sign regulations. Councilmen Bill Harkins and Ken Heitzke voted to not recommend and Councilman Bill

Ferguson voted to recommend approval of the ordinance. The proposed ordinance included many positive changes to sign regulations for REALTORS® . For example, Residential For Sale signs may now display a company’s actual logo and color. Currently, a REALTOR is limited in the colors and graphics acceptable. Information tubes may now be attached to a Residential For Sale Sign to help REALTORS get as much information to a potential client as possible. Another change includes no longer restricting the content (copy) on a sign. Currently, you may only have 2 phone numbers or an email address and 1 phone number and are only allowed to use a limited amount of words to adequately advertise the property. Other changes to the Town’s sign regulations included many positive changes for business owners as well. Town Council will hear the First Reading of the proposed ordinance on May 15, 2012 at the Town Council Meeting.

** The HHAAOR’s Legislative Committee voted to recommend to the HHAAOR’s Board of Directors a position letter be written to the Mayor and Town Council in support of the new ordinance as proposed, as well as a Call To Action be initiated by the committee.

Town of Hilton Head Island Planning Commission Meeting
5/2/12

The Planning Commission considered a recommendation on updates to the Population, Housing, and Community Facilities Elements of the Comprehensive Plan. This part of the Comprehensive plan was not updated before because the Town needed to wait for the census information report. Some of the new census information reported was:

1. The population of Hilton Head has increased. In 2000 it was 33,000. In 2010 it was 37,000.

2. The median age of the residents has increased. In 2000 it was 46. In 2010 it was 51.

3. The median income of the residents has increased. In 2000 it was $60,000. In 2010 it was $67,995.

4. The number of single family homes has increased from 15,000 to 17,000.

5. The number of rental units has increased from 7,360 to 9,767.

6 Hilton Head High School will be at capacity by 2017.

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HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY

admin — Sat, 12 May 2012 23:55:53 +0000

Looking for a great way to spend Mother’s Day with the family and that special mom, the Low Country offers up more than you share of choices!

In our family, I asked my wife what the perfect day would be and more importantly……….what she wants to do on Mother’s Day. The perfect day for her was church with the family, then brunch, and then the beach. There are so many things to do on and off Island, that the choices really are endless! Some close friends of ours are spending the day in Savannah with their moms, another colleague is taking a boat from Moss Creek to the Black Marlin Grille with his mom, and my neighbor is playing golf with his mom at the Heron Course in Sea Pines.

Whatever your Mother’s Day will bring, thank your mom and if you are in the Low Country, just have fun!

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Weekly Government Updates – Beaufort County and Hilton Head, SC

admin — Sat, 05 May 2012 10:57:40 +0000

Government Affairs Report Week Ending 4/13/12

County Council of Beaufort County
4/9/12

County Administrator’s Report:
Update/US 278 Widening/Hampton Parkway Intersection: After several weeks of public comments and concerns regarding the plans to eliminate the deceleration lane at Hampton Parkway and US 278, the SCDOT has agreed to put the lane in without added cost.

Hilton Head High School is the top High School in the state:
*Selling Point: The Hilton Head High School was the recipient the Palmetto’s Finest Award. Only one high school in the state of South Carolina receives this award. The application was very rigorous and the school was highly scrutinized over a period of time.

$15,000,000 SCDOT Highway Commission Grant Accepted:
The grant is from the Federal match program for the construction of the Bluffton Parkway 5A Flyover Project. Mayor Drew Laughlin and Mayor Lisa Sulka successfully advocated for the understanding that: (1) the Town of Hilton Head and the County will make an effort to investigate possible aesthetic improvements for the flyover through architectural detail and landscaping; and (2) that the State, Town of Hilton Head, and County coordinate flyover construction as to not impede traffic flow at Windmill Harbour’s entrance.

Town of Hilton Head Special Planning Commission Meeting
4/10/12

Public Hearing:
A request from Joe Ryan, on behalf of several property owners, proposing to amend the official zoning map by changing the zoning designation of five properties located on William Hilton Parkway and Regency Parkway was passed. The parcels were designated OL (Office Institutional Low Density) and the request was for them to be rezoned CC (Commercial Center). The Planning and Development Standards Committee will now review it on 4/25/12.

Committee Reports:
The LMO Rewrite Committee received the first report from the Consultants (Clarendon). They were disappointed with the first draft and have met to come up with better ways to communicate the expectations of the committee with the consultants.

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Hilton Head Real Estate Statistics for On Island Vacant Lots

admin — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:05:02 +0000

Whether you live on Hilton Head Island or are visiting as a guest, each Hilton Head Island community has something special to offer. You won’t find any street lights, buildings more than five stories tall, or neon signs on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, which includes 12 miles of unspoiled beaches, rolling golf greens and swaying palmetto trees. What you will find on your Hilton Head Island vacation is an eco-friendly paradise and a culture steeped in African-influenced Gullah history. As the second biggest Barrier Island on the East Coast of the United States, Hilton Head Island has earned a much-deserved reputation as a haven for luxury vacations.

STAT OF THE WEEK: ON ISLAND VACANT LOT ACTIVITY

ACTIVE LISTINGS: 344 Vacant Lots available from $18,999 to $27,000,000

PENDING OR CONTINGENT: 25 Vacant Lots available from $29,900 to $549,995

SOLDS: 5 CLOSED LOTS from $15,000 to $2,400,000, highest sale 12 Calibogue Cay Road

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Low-Ball Offers…Are They A Thing Of The Past?

admin — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:55:50 +0000

I read a recent article from the National Association of Realtors® magazine on Low-Ball Offers and how things are starting to change. Last year, 10 percent of REALTORS® complained about receiving low-ball offers on listed homes, offer typically submitted by the buyer for 25% or more below the list price, according to a National Association of REALTORS® survey of its members, but recently that number has dropped drastically. According to a survey March of this year of 4,500 agents and brokers, no REALTORS® complained about low-ball offers. The main problem nowadays: The sudden drop in inventory of for-sale homes has led to fewer homes available to sell.

Here in the Hilton Head real estate market, I am seeing less low-ball offers this year than the past few years all across the board and in every price segment of the market. There are a lot of buyers out here right now in our market place and the good buys are getting scooped up, not to mention sellers that have had properties on the market for a long time are finally seeing solid activity and finally getting offers. We are still in a buyers’ market and I don’t see that changing this year, but if you are a buyer, more than likely the property that you are looking to make a run at, has a few more people eyeing it too!

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Weekly Government Updates – Beaufort County and Hardeeville

admin — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 14:36:35 +0000

Week Ending 4/20/12

Beaufort County Airports Board Meeting
4/19/12

Background: Airport officials have stated that Hilton Head Island’s airport runway is the shortest for commercial service in the continental United States. Last month the board voted for consultants to study a faster way to be able to put plans to extend the Hilton Head Airport’s runway into action.

The airport could get a longer runway at least one year earlier than projected. Currently, it is expected to take 4 years to get the runway extended to 5,ooo feet. If Beaufort County can make some new land purchases at the South end and Northwest corner of the runway quickly, it may be possible to speed up the completion time of the Phase 1 runway extension. The phase 2 extension is not scheduled to start for at least 5 years. Phase 2 will extend the runway to 5400 ft. Delta and US Airways have both indicated that they are more likely to remain as carriers if these extensions are completed.

The next BC Airports Board meeting will be 5/17/12 at 1:30 pm in Beaufort County Council Chambers.

City of Hardeeville City Council Meeting
4/19/12

Camp Lake Jasper RV Resort:

The first reading of the Planned Development District for Camp Lake Jasper RV Resort located along Red Dam Rd. to be rezoned from multi-family residential (mfr) to planned development district (pdd) in the City Of Hardeeville was done. The City Council voted unanimously in favor of the rezoning. Also, the first reading of the Master Plan for the RV Resort was done. The City Council voted in favor of the master plan unanimously.

The RV Resort proposed will have 120 RV spaces, a pool, and a general store. It is intended to be upscale and for seasonal, nightly, and weekend travelers only. The Resort is expected to generate $75,ooo a year revenues in Accommodation tax & Ad Valorem Tax collections.

If you are a City of Hardeeville resident and registered voter please do not forget that Tuesday, May 8, 2012 is Election Day. Please go vote for your Mayor and City Councilmen on that day.

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Bloomberg Reporting That Short Sales Have Surpassed Foreclosures

admin — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:58:41 +0000

Bloomberg reports that for the first time, Short Sales have surpassed Foreclosure Deals, accounting for 23.9% of home purchases in January. Short Sales don’t require the same lengthy process as a foreclosure and may also help declining home prices. Due in part to the Federal Housing Finance Agency ordering loan services to respond to all short-sale offers within 30 days in an effort “to prevent foreclosure, keep homes occupied and help maintain stable communities,” and some banks are giving cash incentives and debt forgiveness on short sales and deeds in lieu of foreclosure to assist in reducing their losses from deliquent mortgages.
Click here to read the full report: Short Sales Surpass Foreclosures as Banks Agree to Deals.

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Hilton Head Real Estate Statistics for Windmill Harbour

admin — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:36:02 +0000

After crossing the bridge onto Hilton Head, the community of Windmill Harbour is visible on the right side of Highway 278, along the Intracoastal Waterway. Windmill Harbour is the ideal destination for boating and water sports enthusiasts, offering direct access to the famous Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The community’s premier coastal location has 350 homes and 70 villas, with 80% of them having water views. This 172-acre private community exhibits true southern architecture with its brightly colored homes. Windmill Harbour is home to the South Carolina Yacht Club and a 15.5-acre marina with 260 boat slips and a locked harbor system that serves as a direct link to the Intracoastal Waterway.

STAT OF THE WEEK: Windmill Harbour Homes

HOMES:

ACTIVE LISTINGS: 24 Homes from $449,000 to $1,999,999

PENDING OR CONTINGENT: 4 Homes from $385,000 to $1,590,000

SOLDS: 5 Closed Homes from $440,000 to $1,100,000, high sale, 149 Harbour Passage

Housing Overview March from the Hilton Head Area Association of Realtors®
http://www.hhrealtor.com/odd/Hilton-Head_HSO.pdf

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2013 Beaufort County Budget: no tax hikes………

admin — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:58:00 +0000

Beaufort County’s budget plan will address three main objectives: an increase in county employees’ pay, addressing higher fuel costs, and continuing to not increase property taxes. Not increasing taxes and giving county employees a raise were voted as two of County Council’s top 10 priorities during its annual retreat in February.

Council members will review recommendations and present a final budget by June 30 to take effect July 1.

Click here to read the full Island Packet Article Pay raises, no tax hikes take budgetary priority, county officials say.

Contact Rick Saba at 843-683-4701 or email me for information and assistance if you are buying or selling a home in the Hilton Head or Bluffton area and let me put my experience as a South Carolina real estate agent to work for you.

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