Hilton Head Island Real Estate - Collins Group Realty

New Sea Pines Market Report:
For those of you particularly interested in tracking the market in Sea Pines Plantation, check out Sea Pines Listings on www.CollinsGroupRealty.com where we have posted a PDF Reader version of this report that has not even made it off the printing-press yet! All questions and comments are welcomed…

Failed Edgewater Development for Sale:
The result of several years of up’s and down’s at the Edgewater villa development along the Broad Creek on Marshland Road is now the bankruptcy sale of an uncompleted 27-unit building and 16-acres of surrounding property. One of the buildings, featuring 23-units, was successfully completed and sold out prior to the bankruptcy. The bankruptcy came out of cash-flow issues, and not necessarily a lack of interest in the complex. For more information on this unique purchase opportunity, please contact us today…

Great Time to Buy a Lot:
Homesites have been hardest hit by the market slowdown, as many buyers have elected to pursue good deals on existing homes. As a result, the very limited amount of traffic on homesites has produced an abundance of opportunities for buyers. Many sellers have a lower basis on homesites, allowing them to be more flexible in their pricing or other terms. Given the high percentage of build-out on the Island, it seems highly likely that future demand on the relatively-limited-supply of homesites will ultimately push these prices back up. Make sense? If so, let us know so we can help you secure the best deal on a lot today…

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 - Tech Ideas!
This month we thought we would address a few “techy” ideas that can really come in handy. First – Telephones. If you’re under 30, there’s a good chance that this won’t apply, since you likely use your cell phone as your exclusive telephone device. However, for the rest of us, “land-lines” and home-based phones are still a convenient component of a house. With the evolution of cordless telephones, the positioning of phone outlets in the house has become less critical. Even better, though, and this is the tip, most of the major manufacturers now package cordless telephones with multiple handsets. This allows you to plug the base-unit into a central location (i.e., kitchen, family room, etc.) while enabling you to set up several other locations throughout the house to install a stand for secondary cordless handsets. With pricing now pretty attractive on these, it is now easier than ever to establish phone-mobility in your home (not to mention out in the yard, driveway, etc.). Might make a great Christmas present! Second – Alarm Systems. Along the same concept as the telephones, alarm systems are now much easier to install and operate than ever before. It used to be that alarm systems involved intricate and cumbersome wiring-installations where “hard-wiring” was required to connect the panel with sensors throughout the house. Most systems now work off of battery-powered sensors that are installed in just minutes on windows and doors throughout the property, all of which send remote signals back to the panel when activated. These systems are very flexible, easy to test/repair, and are now much more reasonably priced. Most insurance companies provide a discount on homes that feature a security system, so the cost of installation/maintenance of the system might soon be fully covered by savings in your annual insurance premiums. Worth investigating, for sure!

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.

Click here

2007 Sales Up!
We are proud to announce that our 2007 YTD sales are up by over 45% from the same point in 2006, a feat unrivaled in our market where sales on a whole are down by over 17%. As always, we are so very grateful to have the opportunity to assist each and every one of our clients, and it is very rewarding to know that our commitment to quality systems and professional service is paying off in an otherwise “slow” market. Thank you!!!

Back Home!
Chip, Carrie and their girls (Sallie and Martha-Preston) are now all moved back into their home on Calibogue Cay Road in Sea Pines after a 3-month renovation of their “cottage on the creek.” The girls are now enjoying bunking-up in their pink bedroom with its new bath, while Chip and Carrie are enjoying relaxing in the evenings on the new screened porch. If you are in the neighborhood, stop by #38 – we’d love to see you!

Cayman Cruiser:
We are glad to welcome back Jeff Prekop from his vacation to the Cayman Islands. Jeff won a week-long trip in a real estate drawing this summer, and had a terrific time with his wife Jen, cruising the beaches of the Caymans, enjoying the local flavours and swimming with the stingrays at the world famous Stingray City - an absolute must if you make it to Grand Cayman…

Hilton Head Island/Bluffton Chamber of Commerce Celebrates 50 Years!
Tickets are now on sale for the 18th annual Taste of the Season, which is a culinary celebration hosted by the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce with more than 30 restaurants participating. The event will be held from 6-9p.m. on Friday, November 16 at the Sea Pines Country Club. This event always sells out, so be sure to get your $35 tickets ASAP at www.hiltonheadisland.org

Coastal Discovery Museum Moving to Honey Horn:
Through a generous arrangement by the Town of Hilton Head Island, the popular Coastal Discover Museum will be moving to the 69-acre Honey Horn Plantation site on the north end of Hilton Head Island. Currently located on the second floor of the Hilton Head Welcome Center just east of Windmill Harbour, the museum will proudly set up shop on one of the largest undeveloped tracts on the island. This move enables the museum to grow from a small operation with programs scattered all around the island to become an unparalleled resource and natural classroom for historical and environmental education. The opening ceremonies will be held this weekend.

Robust, Growing Community Announces More Schools:
It seems that the projections for population growth in Bluffton were a little shy on their estimates. In fact, due to the large surge of children in the community, the Beaufort County School System has just announced their ground-breaking (May 2008) of a $30 Million new middle-school situated on a 41-acre parcel in Bluffton. The school will feature over 142,000 square-feet and will hold 950 children. The school is scheduled to open sometime during the 2009-2010 school year.

As part of an informal series of stories, we’d like to take time every once in a while to share some of our experiences about what makes living on Hilton Head Island so enjoyable. This month…

The Redneck Riviera!
Most locals know exactly what this is – namely the sand-bar located just south of Myrtle Island in Bluffton along the May River. If you love going to the beach, and also love some added privacy – then going to the sand-bar might be just your thing. Accessible only by boat, this particular location is especially popular with Blufftonians who otherwise face a drive onto the Island to go to the beach. At low-tide, the long and wide sand bar turns into its own island, creating the perfect place for sunbathing, bocce ball, BBQ’s, etc…, and the kids love to wade into the gradual water that surrounds the sandbar on all sides. The serious Rivierans know exactly where the highest point of the sandbar is and stake out their spot early so that they enjoy the longest period of dry-land as the tide ultimately rises to completely cover the sandbar twice a day. Admission is free, the sunsets are incredible, and this is definitely a great and unique example of island-living…

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

David Ruckno of Hilton Head Island

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