March 2011

Anyone who has ever read a Pat Conroy novel has probably imagined what it would be like to live in Beaufort, SC -- The smell of the marsh, gentle tidal creeks meandering throughout the area, quiet summer evenings, heron gliding overhead, fishing opportunities galore.

Conroy, who still owns a home on Fripp Island, tells the story of his childhood through the fictional characters of The Prince of Tides, The Water Is Wide, The Great Santini  and Beach Music. All of these stories take place in Beaufort, although Conroy always changed the name of the town.

In Red Bluff Estates on Lady's Island, you can enjoy the quintessential Beaufort lifestyle from your back yard. 18 East River Drive sits on a tidal creek, and has just been reduced from $449,000, from

I just sent off a listing agreement a short while ago, and I am very excited about my new listing, right here in Beaufort, SC. As I was typing instructions to the out-of-town seller, to ensure he was crystal clear on the terms of our listing agreement, I got to thinking about the concept of Dual Agency, which is a component of South Carolina listing agreements.

Dual Agency is probably one of those real estate terms that long-time agents take for granted. It bears explaining, though, because all prospective buyers and sellers should be very aware of and comfortable with the term before proceeding with a Realtor.

When you enlist a real estate agent to help you buy a house, that agent will serve as your buyer's agent. Your Realtor's job is to

On Monday, one of my favorite houses in Olde Tabby Park, a neighborhood on Cat Island, was listed for sale.  11 Governors Trace hit the market priced at $417,000. I am excited as this is one of the best homes on Cat Island, and the listing agent did a great job pricing the house.  

So what makes this home so special?  To name a couple:  layout, curb appeal, 3000+ square footage, and quality of build.  Something else to mention, that will really sell this house, is the lot  and the location of the lot.  The lot itself is unique because it is large, well-maintained and is draped with magnificent oaks.  It is located in a private portion of Olde Tabby Park and overlooks the fairway and lake.  Across the street are protected wetlands, which will forever give

Are you in a position to buy a home? Not sure? Well, you are not alone, if you are unaware of your home purchasing power.

We receive calls each week from folks looking to rent. And, while we are in the business of selling homes, we are always happy to help point potential tenants in the right direction.

But, we are also always sure to ask if the person has ever thought about buying a home. The most common response is uncertainty on the part of the caller. They just don't know if they are in a position to buy a home.

If you are moving to the Beaufort, SC region, and have not given any thought to buying a home, you need to know that the affordability index in Beaufort County is going through the roof, according to information recently released by the

I was contacted recently by a buyer interested in St. Helena Island. If you are not familiar with St. Helena Island, it is some of the most diverse real estate you'll find in the Beaufort area.

If you are looking for a large, private waterfront homesite on which to build your dream home, St. Helena Island could be the ticket. Large waterfront tracts are available, and, as you might guess, prices are as affordable as they have been for years.

If you are looking for a gated community with stellar amenities, St. Helena has that as well.  Although largely rural, St. Helena Island is home to some of the finest planned communities in Beaufort County -- Dataw Island, Polawana Island, and Bermuda Bluff, to name a few.

St. Helena is renowned for its waterfront

Going With the Highest Bidder...

I understand why sellers would want to list their home an agent, because that agent happens to be the one who provides the highest recommended list price. After all, who doesn't want to maximize their investments? Going with the "highest bidder" is not sound selling strategy, though.

A year and a half ago, I went on a listing appointment at an older home on Lady's Island, one of Beaufort's great residential areas.

I will dispense with all the details, and just say I told this gentleman that $229,000 would be an optimistic asking price for his house. I based my recommendation on the competition at the time, and recent sales. Well, he listed with another agent, for $279,000, which was way too high. Predictably, the home

Why do you need a Realtor? Look no further than listing #120424 in the Beaufort Multiple Listing Service. It is a homesite on Dataw Island, one of the premier country club communities in South Carolina. The homesite is listed for $10,000. It sounds like an incredible opportunity.

We received an inquiry about this property the other day. Dataw Island, for those of you living outside of the Lowcountry, was developed in the 1980s by Alcoa, which did a great job with the planning and construction of this community, built around two Pete Dye golf courses. Dataw is just a few minutes east of historic Beaufort, SC, and has one of the best marinas in South Carolina.

So what's not to like about a $10,000 in a piece of property in a nice golf community? Well,

Wander through Historic Downtown Beaufort, and you are walking some of the most hallowed historical ground in America. Ask anyone who lives in the Historic District, and they will likely tell you they would live nowhere else.  There are few places like downtown Beaufort, with its spectacular mansions, incredible oaks, and historical significance.

Many prospective home buyers drive through Beaufort's Old Point and dream of living downtown, the land of Pat Conroy, one of Beaufort's best-known native sons. We dreamed of being able to walk downtown for dinner at the shops and restaurants of Bay Street, Beaufort's best-known thoroughfare. The Old Point, which sits in a bend in the Beaufort River, is at the heart of Beaufort's Historic District, is perhaps

Beaufort County has some wonderful country club communities available for those looking for a home on or near the greens and fairways of South Carolina.

For those looking for a well-groomed, country club lifestyle, both Dataw Island and Callawassie Island are worthy of consideration.  Dataw is located just minutes east of downtown Beaufort, on St. Helena Island. There are currently  120 homes on the market on Dataw, with asking prices ranging from $159,000 up to $2.4 million.  In addition to two beautiful Pete Dye golf courses, Dataw Island features some of the best waterfront property available in Beaufort.

Callawassie Island features 27 holes of Tom Fazio-designed golf, and sits between Beaufort and Hilton Head. There are currently 16 homes on the

Because I have so many clients ask are past market statistics, here we are going to give a retrospective view on October 2010 vs 2009.  Here goes the wayback real estate machine.

Opportunities continue to abound for buyers interested in the Beaufort, SC real estate market, but October saw many of these buyers refuse to get off the fence.

Despite the continuing combination of low interest rates, and a very high affordability index in the Beaufort area, October was a month of frustration for many involved with the Beaufort, SC, real estate market. Compared with sales figures from October 2009, sales and pending contracts were down in October 2010, according to statistics provided by the Beaufort County Association of Realtors (BCAR).

The Beaufort