Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers continue to go out to those affected by Hurricane Katrina and its path of devastation. The Hilton Head Island community, as always, has seen an outpouring of assistance and financial aid, and there are groups working right now on establishing housing for dozens of families headed this way. As a coastal community, we are all fully aware of the vulnerability we face with nature’s unpredictability…and it causes each of us to do what we can to help others in need.

58 Heritage Road
$1,650,000
WOW! This is truly an incredible home situated in the heart of beautiful Sea Pines Plantation! Don’t miss out…click on the link for a detailed description, photos, and virtual tours.

The BEST of Sea Pines! Consider this spectacular home situated on a private cul-de-sac-location full-size lot with commanding views over the 12th hole of the famed Harbour Town Golf Links. Essentially 100% brand-new construction, this 4,000 SF home exudes charm and quality throughout, from its cedar-shake shingle siding to its upper-tier stainless steel appliances to its thoughtfully customized cabinetry. There is truly no other home like it, and it is available immediately, ready for decorating/furnishing and moving in as an ideal primary or secondary residence.
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!)

General Update
Early September always presents a slight slow-down in our marketplace as people are focused on “back-to-school.” Yet, the market continues to be very active with many properties still selling quickly throughout the market area. Villa inventories are on the climb, followed by home inventories, both of which are likely more of a result from an increase in interested sellers than from a decrease in buyers. With prices up so sharply in 2005, it is not surprising to see more property owners interested in taking advantage of the strong market.

Not So Much Lots of Lots
If you have ever dreamed of building your own custom home on Hilton Head Island, please consider accelerating your plans to purchase a lot. The availability of vacant homesites is dwindling everyday, resulting in a steady increase in lot prices. If you act now, you’ll be glad you did down the line. Call or email us for a list of lots currently available on the market!!!

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:
Termites can represent a costly surprise if you are not careful and diligent about protecting your home from them. And, as the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Along those lines, always maintain a generous separation between wooden members of your home and the surrounding ground (i.e., have no soil-to-wood contact). Termites are most dangerous if they can travel directly from the ground into a piece of wood on your property – otherwise, they are forced to build “tubes” to travel between them, which are inherently much easier to detect and treat upon regular inspections. Pinestraw, leaves, etc. all ultimately contribute to the build-up around the foundations of homes in our area, so it is a good idea to perform regular inspections and keep even these materials away from wood on your home, since they promote and hold moisture. And, of course, treatment and repair warranties as well as colony-elimination systems are always worth discussing with your preferred termite/pest vendor.

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.
Habitat for Humanity Build
Each year in mid-September, the Hilton Head Area Association of Realtors sponsor the construction of 1-2 new homes in the Habitat for Humanity community named Brendan Woods in Bluffton. This year, in addition to monetary donations, five of our Team members worked swinging hammers on the first day of construction of the homes. Hats off to Jeff Prekop, Christian Marocco, Joan Weaver, Ann Eden and Chip Collins for their efforts in making these new dream homes a reality for two very deserving families.

Bluffton Office
Collins Group Realty is proud to announce the expansion of their company into a new, additional office space located in Bluffton. The 1,600 SF office space is located in the Westbury Park office park at Suite 101 The Professional Center, establishing an outstanding central location along Hwy 278 about half-way between Sun City and the bridge to Hilton Head Island. The office space should be ready for occupancy next month, and we will update you in our next email newsletter.

Triathlon Teamwork
Some of you noted that last month Chip Collins had narrowly missed taking home a prize in the Beach Bum triathlon…well, by invoking the power of teamwork, Chip along with friends Matt Webster and Edmond Hopper took 3rd place among all male relay teams in the final triathlon of the year. Congrats!

Gulf Aid Concert
High Tide Concerts once again stepped up and acted quickly in the wake of a national disaster to coordinate and produce a local fundraising concert to benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Raising over $50,000 in one evening, the concert-goers enjoyed picture-perfect weather as they relaxed to local and regional musical artists at the Shelter Cove Community Park two Saturday evenings ago.

New Traffic Circles Planned
For years, Matthews Drive (mid-Island) has been a popular thruway/short-cut for Hwy 278 travelers. The problem has always been congestion along the 2-lane road. This week the Town of Hilton Head unveiled its proposed plans for improvements along Matthews Drive that will include the construction of three traffic circles as well as a third lane. The expected cost of the improvements is around $5.2 Million, and plans cannot be finalized until the town successfully negotiates easements with neighboring property owners.

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

John Raines of Rutherford, NJ

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.

Sea Pines Country Club clubhouse. This beautiful building is tucked away in within the Club Course neighborhood in Sea Pines. The building features the pro shop, a bar and grill, a gym, and a large formal dining area with sweeping marsh views all the way to Point Comfort. There is also an on site pool, tennis courts, and an 18 hole golf course.