Welcome! Happy New Year! It's hard to believe that Christmas was just 3 1/2 weeks ago, and we are already full-force into 2006. Here's hoping you are off to a great start in the new year...call or email us whenever we can be of assistance. Happy reading!
26 Flagship
$799,900
Consider this charming 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath home situated on a gorgeous, full-size lagoon -to-golf view lot on one of Hilton Head Plantation's nicest residential streets. Now with major renovations/updates just completed, this home now features an all-new bedroom with full bathroom over the garage, a wonderfully-expanded master suite with gorgeous all-new bathroom, and all the new appointments and finishes you would expect for a home of this caliber.
As a means of exposing you to different areas of Hilton Head Island / Bluffton, we present this interesting and entertaining section of our email newsletter. Below, you will see photographs taken of a very specific location in our area...and all you have to do is guess where it is! Well, actually, we tell you at THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE NEWSLETTER, so don't get too frustrated if you can't figure it out. Have fun with it...and good guessing!)

State of the Market
2005 ended up to be another record year of sales, although the year ended in a bit of a fizzle. The traditionally-strong Fall market faded away in light of the Gulf Coast hurricanes, elevated gas prices, and a climbing real estate inventory. Regardless, some segments of the market posted appreciation levels as high as 27%! As we have started the new year, there is renewed enthusiasm in the market, activity is up and sales are beginning to take off. For those of you who are seeking “good-buys,” consider getting into the market now while some sellers are eager for a contract and the future of the market is very strong! Call or email us about your dream Island property today.

Lawton Station
Lawton Station will be a gated community just off of Hwy 170 midway between Hwy 278 and Hwy 46 with 500 homes priced from the low $200's to the high $400's. The amenities package will include a clubhouse, playground, park, recreation complex with pool and fitness facility.

Within Lawton Station, there will be three different product lines:
Available Now -
• Avondale - Priced from the low $200's and will feature the most popular Wyngate at Woodbridge floor plans. Home sites will average a quarter acre. Construction will begin in February 2006 with the first homes closing in mid Summer 2006.
And Soon to be Released
• Bellmeade - Priced in the high $300's and will feature life style homes that emphasize outdoor living. Home sites will average a third acre.
• Cambridge - Prices and floor plans are still in development. Home sites will average a half acre.

Barton's Run
Attention investors! This might be worth checking out… This newly established residential development is located at the corner of Hwy 46 and the Buckwalter Parkway in Bluffton. It is being geared up to hold 70 homesites form 1 to 5 acres with prices starting in the mid-$100K’s! These estate-sized homesites will offer privacy as well as room for outbuildings or a pool with a minimum of restrictions. Boat and RV storage will be offered as a community amenity along with several stocked lagoons. Call or email us if you would be interested in getting

in on the ground-floor of this ideally-located new development. Thanks!

Competitive Marketplace
Our growing marketplace now includes 175 real estate firms with over 1,400 agent-members in our local Multiple Listing Service!!! Given this amazingly high level of involvement in our local market, we are very proud of our continued growth and outstanding track-record for professional service. We recognize that clients have a choice, and we are always extremely grateful for the opportunity to serve each and every one of our satisfied clients. Additionally, our MLS market-area now includes 8 (yes, 8) counties, including Beaufort, Jasper, Allendale, Colleton, Bamberg, Barnwell, Hampton and Orangeburg!

Hampton Hall Update
Hampton Hall has just released their last home sites. Great values range from $149,000 to $210,000 for wooded, lagoon and golf lots. These are the best values in the county. 11 sites are under $150,000. That’s not going to happen in this area again! Look at all that’s going

on here. Hampton Lake, the Intrawest village, the theater complex, May River Tech Park, four laneing of the Buckwalter Parkway and the Bluffton Parkway starting; there is a lot of capital investment adding value in the area. No place has the wide range of amenities that Hampton Hall has. If you are interested in more information, please give us a call.

We hope that you find the following tip on home maintenance, etc. to be helpful. If so, feel free to pass it along to a friend.

This Month's Tip
Bleach And Water Can Be Your Best Friends: The Lowcountry is a warm, moist environment, ideal for mildew growth in areas that do not get much air circulation and/or sun exposure. If you have mildew growth around your home, consider tackling it with a solution of water and bleach as your first line of defense. Mix a 1:4 ratio of bleach to water into a pump sprayer and test a small area first. If effective, the mixture will quickly “kill” the mildew while not damaging the surface. This can be effective along walkways, siding, etc. on the exterior of your home. Be cautious about pressure-washing as sometimes the force is more harmful to the surface than it needs to be in order to solve the mildew problem.

Across the Country
In order to help put our local market into perspective, we have provided some nationwide real estate news that we hope you will find interesting. Just click on the USA map to the right to access this section of our newsletter...and be sure to let us know if you have any questions or comments.

Hilton Head Airport
There is nothing like flying directly on & off the Island – it is so convenient and the scenery is unmatched. The Hilton Head Airport continues to be serviced by commercial airliner USAirways with daily direct flights to Charlotte, NC; however, if you might be interested in tapping into a different service, consider Wings Air. They provide charter service to Atlanta (Gwinnett Airport), Myrtle Beach, Nashville, Biloxi, Orlando, Disney World and Charlotte. You can reach Wings Air at 1-877-SKIP-ATL (754-7285) or www.FlyWingsAir.com. Happy flying!

Hwy 278 Widening
Thanks to the diligent work (at night) by the road crews along Hwy 278 in Bluffton, we are now starting to see evidence of what the added-third-lanes will look and feel like in Bluffton. This much-needed project will help handle heavy morning and late-afternoon traffic through the rapidly-growing area of Bluffton. The road crews have been working exclusively at night in order to minimize day-time delays from the road construction.

Truffles Trifecta
Price and Karen Beall, owners of Truffles Café(s) located in Sea Pines Center and in Belfair Towne Village, are planning to open a third Truffles Café in the location of the recently-closed Hofbrauhaus in the Pope Avenue Executive Circle area. With renovations scheduled for this Spring, the Bealls hope to open the new restaurant sometime in May. This outstanding restaurant has become a “staple” for locals and visitors alike with its wonderful cuisine, excellent service and warm, cozy environment. Keep your eyes out for the new sign as you travel along Pope Avenue later this Spring.

Congratulations are in order for our December E-mail
Newsletter Drawing Winner

Tony and Arlene Endieveri of Camillus, NY

As a recipient of this e-mail newsletter, you are automatically entered into our drawing for next month's giveaway. Good Luck...and don't forget to pass this along to a friend so they can sign up to be a recipient of the newsletter and an entry in our drawing! Thanks! Simply click here to enter.

Haig Point Ferry: This ferry is one of the 3 three that leaves from Hilton Head to Daufuskie Island. The ferry is located near Palmetto Bay marina, and is private for Haig Point property owners.