Use these distinctions to create a shortlist, then compare individual homes within each community.

Hampton Lake: Start With the Setting Hampton Lake centers its identity on freshwater lakes and surrounding natural areas. Buyers can explore homes and property options with different relationships to the water, making the specific homesite an important part of the decision. Explore Hampton Lake real estate. If lakeside living interests you, ask how you would actually enjoy the water from each property. Confirm available access, permitted activities, and any requirements affecting docks or shoreline improvements. Compare the outdoor living areas as carefully as the interior. A shaded porch, usable backyard, or appealing view may influence how often you…

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A one-year population increase of about 4,700 people has landed the combined Hilton Head Island, Bluffton and Beaufort area on a list of fastest-growing metropolitan areas from 2013 to 2014.

The region's population grew 2.4 percent, ranking its growth 13th in the country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, which released the July 1, 2013, to July 1, 2014, population estimates Thursday.

The Myrtle Beach area was ranked second in the country for overall growth -- just after Florida's The Villages -- with a 3.2 percent spike. Charleston-North Charleston, the only other metropolitan area to make the cut in South Carolina, ranked 17th.

A steady stream of new residents is nothing new to the Lowcountry.

Last year, the statistical area composed of…

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Have you thought about selling your Hilton Head Island or Bluffton home, but aren’t quite ready to make the leap? Here are some things to consider when deciding if it’s the right time to sell.

  1. Motivation. “Let’s see how much we can get for it…” Before you test the Bluffton Real Estate market by leaping into a listing, ask for a free home valuation from a Foundation Realty Agent. This is quicker than listing and can even help you choose the right agent when you decide to sell.
  2. Changing family. One of the biggest motivations for selling is when your family changes size. If your family is growing, or if the children are finally out of the nest, you may consider selling and relocating to a home the right size for your family. Or you may have…

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Starting in 2007, foreclosures and short sales rocked the real estate market across the country. The flooded our areas and seemed to drive our real estate prices down. Rumors began to spread that foreclosures would only increase year after year. Since 2007, we have seen many misconceptions come and go but a few myths still float around on a regular basis.

 1. There is going to be a flood of new foreclosures to the market.

This rumor has appeared every year since 2008 and has been routinely debunked. The idea was that the foreclosure cork was now out of the bottle. Soon to follow will be a flood of REO’s inundating the marketplace. Don’t hold your breath! We have seen the influx of foreclosures decrease our local prices but we are now seeing the market…

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Exceptional in every way, this Bluffton home has just hit the market and is ready for a buyer. Spacious 3BR/2.5BA Charleston style home in Bluffton Park. This home features a formal dining room, study/office,  eat-in kitchen with double hung oak cabinetry, 2-car garage and fenced in yard. Above the 2-car garage is the bonus room including a full bathroom and kitchen and has its own private entry.  Great for an in-law suite. This home is near the Oscar Fraser Park which includes sports fields, a community center and a playground. Just minutes away, you'll find all the shops and restaurants of Downtown Bluffton.

Contact us if you or anyone you know is looking for a large home in Bluffton. This one won't last long.

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Until recently, it was a fine line separating a buyer’s agent from a seller’s agent. Typically a traditional buyer's agent (also called a sub-agent of the seller) has more legal obligation to the individual selling than the one buying a property. We have seen a new breed of buyer agent emerge, committed exclusively to the buyer’s best interests. But a new breed of agent has appeared on the market over the past several years, one committed exclusively to the best interests of the buyer.

The New Breed of Buyer’s Agent

Usually paid a percentage of commission (but sometimes paid a fee) this new buyer’s agent is contractually bound helping clients find, realize the best price, and negotiate the best possible terms when purchasing real estate. The traditional…

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What’s the difference?

There is so much confusion in the mortgage business that many consumers assume that “mortgage companies” are banks that lend their own money.  But in fact, a financial company that you deal with may be either a mortgage banker or a mortgage broker. If you’re confused, let me try and give you some direct answers.

Mortgage bankers (there are a lot here in South Carolina) are direct lenders; the bank lends you its own money - although it often sells the loan to the secondary market. Mortgage bankers retain servicing rights as well. In my opinion, you get more personalized service but sometimes not the best rates, as they tend to be more selective in the mortgage application process.

Mortgage brokers are middlemen; they shop…

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Each year the REALTORS® Association chooses one among them as their Realtor® of the Year.  It is not an easy task, and the recipient must meet the following criteria:

This Realtor® should be a member in good standing for the past three years, a full-time licensed active broker or sales licensee working day-to-day in the real estate field, who has demonstrated the following behaviors:

  • Is actively involved in civic or community affairs
  • Promotes a positive image of the Association and our industry publicly throughout our community
  • Demonstrates leadership, earning the respect of fellow Realtors through professional business practices
  • Is honest and trustworthy, displaying the highest degree of unquestionable integrity and moral character with…

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As a Realtor and Hilton Head Island resident of forty years, it amazes me the variance in price on a lot of home related services. One would expect a variance of perhaps 20% but the list below often has variance's in price that sometimes are in the 40% plus range. Clearly, it pays to get at least two estimates and check references as "cheapest is rarely best"

Roofing.  30 year asphalt shingles by a known manufacturer such as GAF or Owens Corning are pretty much the same. Yet estimates for re-roofing our house, apples to apples went from $12,000 to almost $17,000.

Air Conditioning replacement. 13 SEER 4 ton Carrier....... apples to apples. $4200 vs $7,000? Try to get it done in the Fall or Spring when they are least busy. Also, "big name company" …

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Another reason Hilton Head Island is Special, those little green signs. You can't travel too far on Hilton Head without seeing one. About four feet high and always saying the same thing: "This (insert #) acre site is protected from commercial development by the Town of Hilton Head Island" Sometimes the parcels are only three or four acres; sometimes close to 100 acres. In total, in the last 15 years close to 1000 acres of prime commercially zoned land has been purchased by the Town and left in its natural state or developed into parks. Much of this land is right along the "main drag", HWY 278. So what could have been a gas station or a shopping complex remains: "a bunch of trees". What could have been near ocean condos or homes is now soccer fields and…

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