Archive for the ‘Hilton Head Gated Communities’ Category

Jim Chaffin speaks at the dedication of the Charles Fraser Statute 'Walking the Alligator' at Compass Rose Park, Hilton Head Island

The Charles Fraser bronze statue ‘Walking the Alligator’ was dedicated at the Compass Rose Park on Hilton Head Island to an audience of about 250 people on Heritage weekend, 10:oo am, April 17, 2010.   Mr. Fraser founded the Sea Pines Company in 1956.  In March,1962 a picture of him at age 26 was published in the Saturday Evening Post walking beside an alligator and the photograph created great publicity for the new development.  In 2002, Mr. Fraser died in a boating accident.    

The statue was produced by the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry and by private donations to the Public Art Fund.  The statue is just over six feet tall and was sculpted by Susie Chisolm of Savannah, Georgia.  The alligator measures ten feet and was sculpted by Darrell Davis of Texas.     

One of several speakers at the dedication worked with Mr. Fraser for ten years as a Senior Manager at Sea Pines Plantation.  Jim Chaffin  is now a Partner of Chaffin/Light, an internationally-recognized community development company.  His comments are presented here in full.     

It was a beautiful morning on Hilton Head Island for the dedication.

“Well, it looks like Charles is still in charge of the weather for Heritage Week, doesn’t it?   

I’ve been asked to share a few reflections on the life and personality of the iconic man whose likeness we will dedicate today.  It is a daunting task….not because of difficulty in finding enough to say…but figuring out what to leave out – so that we are not here at sundown!   

A sampling of descriptive adjectives from former Sea Pines Company associates and friends includes:   

  Larger than life
  Pioneer
  Brilliant
  Inquisitive
  Challenging
  Visionary
  Friend, mentor, advocate
  Innovator, transformer, catalyst
  Dreamer, optimist
  Courageous
  Persistent   

  ……Most newspaper and network obituaries of Charles Fraser described him as a brilliant visionary.   

 Brilliant?  Yes.  But not just intellectual depth and weight, but also breadth – and that voracious appetite for knowledge.  He was a virtual data and idea sponge!   Is there anything he wasn’t curious about….except perhaps small talk?!  You got a taste of Charles’ mind if you were talking about boring, mundane superficial subjects….’cause he flat left you – mentally, and sometimes physically.  Anyone out there have that experience?   

Visionary?  No doubt.  He so often saw what others didn’t see.   

 But, how easy it is to assume that his brilliance and his vision defines the man.  Not to me.  He gave us other gifts.  Few of us can be brilliant…. fewer still, I submit, can be truly visionary.  But we can learn from and try to emulate his courage, persistence, philanthropy, faith, humor, ….and an insatiable thirst for new ideas and the sheer joy of sharing them.   

 • He was a passionate student of human nature and particularly how they pleasured themselves – both historical and contemporary leisure pursuits.  It was not just the master plan and architecture (which he was passionate about) but it was the software, the experience of being in a place…thus the rocking chairs, the treehouse and playground and Greg Russell singing in Harbour Town.
• He loved to say it was smart to be “second, first” or to have the intelligence and “moxy” to copy a great idea – - - 
• He did however dare many times to be first – in what at the time was a cultural and economic “backwater” environment.  Consider:
o protective covenants and deed restrictions that controlled what people could and could not do on their homesites
o approving what trees could and could not be removed
o controlling the size and mass of homes and requiring landscape blending colors
o pushing the main road back (i.e. Sea Pines Drive) 4 or 5 lots deep from the ocean
o walkways every 500 ft of beach to connect all residents to the beach (36 walkway easements at 50 ft each or 1850 cumulative beach front – how much would 20 oceanfront lots in Sea Pines be worth today…..)
o setting aside a “managed” nature preserve
o first condominium regime in South Carolina
o created Camp Sea Pines – so children became a major motivation for vacationing here (or as our marketing tag line proclaimed, “allowing families to take separate vacations together”)
o bike trails in late 60’s – [The property owners thought Charles was irrationally eccentric on this issue – yet today there are three times as many residents and guests riding bikes as there are playing golf!!]
o A major PGA tour stop on this small isolated island? There were less than 3000 people living here that Thanksgiving when the first Heritage Classic was played (It and the lighthouse were labeled Frasers follies by smaller minded detractors)
o Nationally televised tennis tournaments? …same audacity to dream that!
o European chefs and flambe’ carts in Carolina Low Country?  How many of you fellow old-timers had your first bananas foster or cherries jubilee at the Plantation Club?
o First Montessori school in South Carolina (Mary Fraser – you deserve the credit for that idea)
o And who else would have a budget line item labeled “fun and sizzle”?
o on and on..   

….a combination of vision, courage and persistence.   

But, most of all, and especially during the last 18 months of economic challenges, I have remembered Charles’ confidence in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.  His unbridled optimism, no matter what he was going through, particularly in difficult times.   

I never heard him complain about difficulty or set-backs.   

He is the mentor that taught us all the simple Chinese philosophy:  knock down nine times, get up ten.   

And I never heard him gossip about others who may have been more economically successful.   

He simply always had a new idea, a new concept – another dream to follow.   And I would submit that Charles lived as George Bernard Shaw suggested; “ I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live.  I rejoice in life for its own sake.  Life is no “brief candle” to me.  It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”  

 And — hand it on he did!  I would say to you that Charles’ legacy is not just these magnificent human settlements, these natural places that are easy to photograph and document, but rather the future generations he mentored to carry on his vision and his dreams —In fact no one in the land use or development industry – no one – “peopled” the industry more than Charles.  But most of all, it was his challenge – sometimes his cajoling — his fervent hope for us that we create our own visions, and dream our own dreams and have the courage and tenacity to follow them wherever they lead us.  

 May this wonderful statue send the same message to Hilton Head Islanders for generations to come.  Don’t ask what Charles Fraser would want for this community.  Create your own visions, dream your own dreams about what Hilton Head should be and live like today….and 20, 30, 50 years from now…and have the courage, tenacity, and passion to make the vision reality.   

That is the legacy Charles Fraser would cherish! ”

Richard Kadesch, Owner/Broker-in-Charge The Gated Community Specialist ® Go Gated Realty ® Hilton Head Island, South Carolina Rich@gogated.com www.GoGated.com 1-800-333-5025, Cell 843-684-2933 Read Some of My Clients’ Success Stories

Foreclosures Continue in the Best Hilton Head Communities 

Sea Pines has two lots and two villas in foreclosure today.

Today most every gated community on Hilton Head Island and Bluffton has at least one home, villa or lot in foreclosure for sale.  The communities include the best: Sea Pines (2 homes, 2 villas), Wexford (2 lots), Long Cove (2 homes, 2 lots), Shipyard (2 villas), Forest Beach (12 villas), Hilton Head Plantation (3 homes, 3 lots) , Indigo Run 2 homes, 3 lots), Palmetto Dunes (1 home, 1 villa), Folly Field (1 villa, 2 lots) and Palmetto Hall (2 lots).  Off-Island, they include  Colleton River, Belfair, Berkeley Hall, Moss Creek, Rose Hill, Hampton Hall, Hampton Lake, Buckwalter communities and more. 

The latest statistics about foreclosures from the Hilton Head Multiple Listing Service* are:

• Homes- today 3.3% of all homes in the Hilton Head area for sale are foreclosures, 81 homes of 2,445 total.  In June, there were 2.9% foreclosures for sale, 80 of 2,779.   On Hilton Head Island alone, foreclosures for sale are only 2.2% of the total, just 22 of 1,000 homes.  
• Villas – today 3.2% of all villas for sale are foreclosures, 37 of the 1,146 total for sale.  In June, 4.3% of all villas for sale were foreclosures, 55 of 1,279.  On Hilton Head Island only, excluding Bluffton, Hardeeville and other areas across the bridge from the Island, 3.0% of villas for sale are foreclosures, 31 of 1,030 total.  
• Lots – today3.8% of all lots for sale are foreclosures, 65 of 1,722 for sale.  On Hilton Head Island, 6.3% of all lots for sale are foreclosures, 26 of 412.  I did not report the statistics for lot foreclosures in June.  

Remember that a great deal is not always a foreclosure!  Look at all properties that meet your needs and have good prices.   To find these properties, search them on gogated.com and gather the information that you want, then connect with a good and experience agent who can help you with your search, answer your questions and advise you about your concerns and set you up with the  Buyer’s Advantage™ system, the best way to monitor the market and find a bargain. 

To get a super-bargain, you must know about it right away and that is what a good agent and Buyer’s Advantage™ does.  There is no better way to monitor the market.  To receive the Buyer’s Advantage™ system without cost or obligation and for more information about foreclosures and good deals of all kinds, please contact me, the Hilton Head Gated Communities Specialist® today!

*The MLS of Hilton Head Island requires this disclaimer: “The statistical data contained herein has not been verified by the Multiple Listing Service of Hilton Head Island, Inc. and the publication of information hereof is not a representation or warranty of any fact whatsoever.”

Richard Kadesch, Owner and Broker-in-Charge The Gated Community Specialist ® Go Gated Realty ® Hilton Head Island, South Carolina Rich@gogated.com www.GoGated.com 1-800-333-5025 Read Some of My Clients’ Success Stories

Sold Unfurnished Near The Beach For $72,500

Bargains seem to be everywhere today and at all prices.  Of course, we all want a luxury bargain on Hilton Head Island and to get one, why not buy an inexpensive property and fix it up to be as luxurious as you want?  You can buy a one-bedroom ocean view condo on Hilton Head Island today from about $100,000 and a two-bedroom ocean view condo from about $140,000.  Others near the beach and without ocean views cost less than $100,000.

I have fixed up an inexpensive condo myself and this is one reason that I can recommend it to you.  Years ago, I bought a bargain ocean view condo at the Hilton Head Resort, fixed it up, rented it out and even moved into it for awhile.   When I built the house where I live now, I sold the villa and made a good profit.  I made and saved money on that inexpensive villa and when I lived there beneath my means and invested the money that I saved elsewhere.   You may not want to rule out this option because it is there if you want it:  small but good, inexpensive, practical, comfortable - and fun!  

Use The Go Gated Buyer’s Advantage™ 

One of my buyer-clients went this economy route recently and bought a super-bargain at the Hilton Head Resort with the help of The Go Gated Buyer’s Advantage™ system.  I highly recommend this system to any serious buyer and to get it, please contact me.  There’s no cost or obligation and it can be worth thousands of dollars to you. 

After my client visited Hilton Head Island and saw the villas that he wanted to see, he went home and monitored the market – for months.  He wanted an economy villa near the beach with two bedrooms.  While he was here, he saw one at the Hilton Head Resort for $99,000 that he liked a lot, a short sale that had been purchased for about $155,000 by the seller at the top of the market in 2006. 

Then one day my buyer called to say that the villa that he saw when he was here had been re-listed as a foreclosure @ $65,000.  We agreed that it was priced very low and we immediately made an offer.  My client out-bid five other buyers and he got the villa for $72,500, cash.   The buyer used funds from his retirement account to make this purchase and the villa is now in his retirement account.  Very cool!

Three Reasons Why This Villa Was Under-Priced

• The location within the Hilton Head Resort is close to the beach.
• The floor plan has a private balcony that some other villas at the Hilton Head Resort do not have.
• The villa had many expensive upgrades like a tiled floors, tiled showers, new bathroom cabinets and fixtures, new kitchen cabinets, stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops and a clothes washer and dryer.  

 Teamwork With Buyer And Agent Means Success

My buyer did his homework and took the time to get a focus on what he wanted.  His determination and my help combined for our success.  This is an example of another super-bargain that will be hard to beat anytime soon and maybe never, despite the fact that the market continues sideways to down and even as other foreclosures come available – and others are still available.  Some deals are just this good. 

Have Fun and Save Money: Fix Up An Inexpensive Condo Near The Beach

At closing, the buyer came to Hilton Head Island, bought great rental furniture locally and made this  economy villa into a comfortable second home.  I don’t know what they paid for the furniture but it was surely less than $5,000 total and so their total cost including furniture must be less than $80,000! 

I took pictures of the newly furnished villa just a few days ago.  This is clearly a super-bargain.  It’s not in Sea Pines but it is next to Palmetto Dunes and with direct walking access to the beach.  The recreational amenities at the Hilton Head Resort where this villa is located include indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts, racketball courts, spa, exercise center and indoor track.  There is under-building parking, a wi-fi zone in indoor building three and a 24-hour manned security gate. 

For A Super-Bargain, Call Go Gated Realty® 

You don’t have to break the bank to have a second home or vacation villa on Hilton Head Island.   Good ones are for sale for less than $100,000 right now and am happy to show them to you by email or in person at any time.  For more information about the Hilton Head lifestyle on a economy budget and to discuss your real estate plans for Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, please call me, the Hilton Head Gated Communities Specialist® today!  My cell number is 843-684-2933.

Richard Kadesch, Owner and Broker-in-Charge The Gated Community Specialist ® Go Gated Realty ® Hilton Head Island, South Carolina Rich@gogated.com www.GoGated.com 1-800-333-5025 Read Some of My Clients’ Success Stories

New Listing: Lot 22 Sterling Point Drive in Oak View, Hilton Head Island

The Old House Creek and marsh front view of lot 22 Sterling Point, Oak View

Go Gated Realty has Just listed marsh front lot 22 Sterling Point in Oak View for $179,900.  The lot views Old House Creek and the surrounding marshes and is slightly less than a tenth of an acre, ideal for a free standing townhouse-style home.   The building lot is within steps of the Old House Creek Pier, a public fishing pier owned by the Town of Hilton Head Island, a valuable amenity for the right owner.  

The Old House Creek Fishing Pier	The Oak View Community Swimming Pool

Marsh view building sites are among the most valued locations on Hilton Head Island.because of their beautiful views, the way the light plays on the marsh grass at all times of the day, the marsh breezes and the live oak and palm trees that grow beside the marshes.  Lot 22 Sterling Point has all of these things and is a bargain compared to other marsh view lots that have an average listed price on Hilton Head Island today of $464,000!  The next lowest-priced marsh front lot listed on Sterling Point Drive today costs $297,500 - over $100,000 more! 

Lot 22 is highlighted in yellow	Oak View is a community with just 40 acres

Lot 22 Sterling Point in Oak View could be for you if you want to:

• Save money on a high quality, marsh front building lot on Hilton Head Island.
• Built your home and save money instead of buying a resale home.
• Have a house built to your specifications and have exactly what you want. 
• Have a building site for your home and build when you are ready.

More About Oak View Lots and Homes

End of the Old House Creek Fishing Pier	Build a custom house like this one next door to lot 22 Sterling Point in Oak View.

Oak View is a relatively newer residential community on Hilton Head Island with just 40 acres located just off Spanish Wells Road near the entrance to the Cross Island Expressway.  Oak View has three sub-areas: 

1. Sterling Point, with just 17 marsh front home sites and quick access to the Old House Creek Fishing Pier.  Lots are listed from #22 @ $179,900 to $345,000 today.  One home is for sale, at $579,000.
2. Silver Oak, a gated street with 27 marsh view and wooded home sites and community swimming pool.  Four lots are for sale today from $179,500-$249,900 and two homes are for sale for $575,000 and $579,000. 
3. Gold Oak, 76 traditional style two-story homes with a community swimming pool shared with owners on Sterling Point.  There are no lots for sale in Gold Oak today but there are nine houses for sale from $259,000-$389,000. 

Call the Gated Communities Specialist® About Hilton Head Building Sites and Your Plans

To explore building your home on any home site on Hilton Head Island or nearby and to discuss your real estate ideas, please call me today, Richard Kadesch, the Hilton Head Island Gated Communities Specialist® with Go Gated Realty®.  I am also a former licensed South Carolina Home Builder and I would love to compare building sites, communities and to discuss building plans with you. 

Richard Kadesch, Owner and Broker-in-Charge The Gated Community Specialist ® Go Gated Realty ® Hilton Head Island, South Carolina Rich@gogated.com www.GoGated.com 1-800-333-5025 Read Some of My Clients’ Success Stories

Economical Luxury, Just Listed for $359,000 in Hampton Hall  

8 Ashford Place in Hampton Hall was just listed witih Go Gated Realty for $359,000.

Hampton Hall Has Fitness, Indoor Swimming, Tennis and Optional Private Golf

Hampton Hall is one of Hilton Head’s best gated private golf communities, located just eight miles from Hilton Head Island in Bluffton, South Carolina.  It has a Pete Dye championship golf course, clay and hard tennis courts, a heated indoor swimming pool and a large outdoor pool, a spacious fitness center with fitness staff, a 22,000 SF community clubhouse that opened in 2007, two security gated entrances and affordable luxury and custom homes from the bargain price of $289,900.   Hampton Hall is a new community that opened in 2005.  

#8 Ashford Place Was Just Listed with Go Gated Realty @ $359,000.

Go Gated Realty has just listed #8 Ashford Place, a Carolina Home in Hampton Hall for $359,000.  The home has a lake view and brick facing on the front.  it is ideal for anyone who wants a ground level home with no steps with 2,300 square feet of living space, three bedrooms plus a den, two bathrooms, large screened back porch and a two-car garage.  It has a wood foyer and hallway and tiled kitchen and bathroom floors.

The home has a large screened porch.	Lake views from most rooms of the house.

The master bedroom is plenty big enough for a king bed and two end tables and the master bathroom has dual vanities with granite counter tops, a separate soaking tub and shower with cultured surround and a walk-in closet. 

The kitchen has custom cabinetry, granite counter tops and an eat in breakfast area.  The dining room is open to the living area with a tray ceiling and custom trim. 

Call The Gated Communities Specialist® To Search and Compare

You cannot duplicate this home for the price.  To compare this luxury home it to all others in Hampton Hall or other communities, please call me today!  My cell phone is 843-684-2933.

Richard Kadesch, Owner and Broker-in-Charge The Gated Community Specialist ® Go Gated Realty ® Hilton Head Island, South Carolina Rich@gogated.com www.GoGated.com 1-800-333-5025 Read Some of My Clients’ Success Stories

The Only Foreclosure Lot In Indigo Run Today

The entrance to Berwick Green	The subject lot is a foreclosure @ $99,900.

Indigo Run is a Jack Nicklaus gated golf community on Hilton Head Island with two 18-hole championship golf courses and Berwick Green is single street enclave within Indigo Run is walking distance to both the Golf Club and the Golden Bear club houses; Berwick Green also has its own neighborhood swimming pool.  

Lot 48 Berwick Green is a .35 acre pie-shaped lot with a wooded and partial golf view located at the end of Berwick Green Drive that has no through traffic, on the cul de sac immediately next to the Berwick Green neighborhood swimming pool.  Behind lot #48 is a ‘green belt’ of community-owned land.

The Berwick Green community pool	Leaving Berwick Green on Berwick Drive

Foreclosure lot #48 listed with Go Gated Realty for $99,900, formerly listed  for $135,000 with another agency before it went into foreclosure.   The lowest price lot for sale in Indigo Run was $129,000 and the price on it has now been lowered to $99,000 – determined to be the low price.   One foreclosure can make a difference; in this case an asking price of 36% less for foreclosure lot #48 and 30% less for the other lot. *

These two lots are the only lots for sale in Indigo Run today for less than $100,000 and after one other lot for sale at $139,000, there are 29 other lots for sale in Indigo Run today with prices from $159,000 to $999,000 for an average asking price of $316,000.  Two lots sold in Indigo Run in the last 90 days for $200,000 and $250,000.   There are very few lots for sale for less than $150,000 for on Hilton Head Island today.  By several measures, foreclosure lot #48 Berwick Green is a real bargain.

Build Your Custom, Luxury Home in Indigo Run

Meet the neighbors.  This home has 3,381 sf and is for sale for $799,000.	Immediately next to foreclosure lot #48, this home has 3,111 sf and is for sale today for $639,500.

Two homes are listed for sale today in Berwick Green, at $639,5000 and $799,000.   One of these homes is immediately next door to the Indigo Run foreclosure lot #48 and the other house is a few doors away.   If you would like to build a home like either of these that have 3,111 square feet and 3,381 square feet of living space, you could save about $64,000-$180,000 respectively and have a brand new home built to your specifications, with the latest building materials and appliances.   I am a former licensed South Carolina Home Builder and I will be happy to walk you through the building process and connect you with excellent builders who build at low prices.

But what if you cannot buy a home now because you have to sell the one that you have first?  It may be that you cannot afford to have two homes at one time but perhaps you can afford to buy a lot and build later when you sell the house that you must sell first.   A low-priced lot like Indigo Run foreclosure lot #48 makes this very attractive, locking in your savings forever.

To see and compare the foreclosure lot #48 in Berwick Green, Indigo Run, please call on my cell phone at 843-684-2933 or email rich@rkrealty.com. 

*These numbers were taken from the Multiple Listing Service of Hilton Head Island that requires this disclaimer:  “The statistical data contained herein has not been verified by the Multiple Listing Service of Hilton Head Island, Inc. and the publication of information hereof is not a representation or warranty of any fact whatsoever.”

Richard Kadesch, Owner and Broker-in-Charge The Gated Community Specialist ® Go Gated Realty ® Hilton Head Island, South Carolina Rich@gogated.com www.GoGated.com 1-800-333-5025 Read Some of My Clients’ Success Stories

 Save Big Money When You Build Your Hilton Head Custom Home

Buy a resale home listed for $799,000 like this one in Indigo Run with 3,381 sf.	Or buy this Indigo Run foreclosure lot for $99,000 and build a custom home @ $155/sf and save $175,000.

Everyone knows that  low priced Hilton Head homes and villas are outstanding values now, but even greater savings are possible when you buy a low-priced building lot and build your custom, luxury home.  It’s an option that you may want to consider, especially if you want a new house, designed and built to your own specification with new appliances and the latest building materials.  

You may not be able to buy a home now on Hilton Head but you may be able to afford to buy a lot, locking in some good savings when you build at a later time.  And, lots have traditionally been very good investments based on their high demand and diminishing supply.  

You Can Save $50,000 And More When You Build

• The prices of many Hilton Head building lots have fallen drastically in the last two years.  Among the low-priced lots are foreclosures, short sales and lots that just must be sold.
• The same things that have inhibited more sales of real estate have brought the slow sales of lots.  These include the economy generally and the low demand for building.
• Low demand for building means that Hilton Head home builders are eager for work and their prices are much lower than they used to be.  Quotes of $225/sf are not commonly seen as $180/sf and some builders will build at about $150/sf. 

Big savings are not a sure thing when you build a house but it can be an attractive option that can save you some big money but you have to know about the possibility.  Of course, some people (like me) would prefer to design and build a new house and get exactly what you want.  Today, despite the low prices of many Hilton Head homes, including foreclosures, you can save $50,000 or more when you build rather than buy a resale home.   

Lot Prices and Sales Decline From March 2007 to March 2009

Let’s take a quick look at the downward trend in Hilton Head lot prices.  The chart below compares the numbers from March of 2009 and compares them to March of 2008 and March of 2007.  The numbers in the chart were taken from Hilton Head Multiple Listing Service statistics* and they show a substantial decline in home site prices by half in just the last two years and a decline in the the number of lots that have sold by 75%! 

These numbers are just averages; while the average price of $163,000 is very good compared to previous years when similar lots were selling for $350,000 and more, we want a bargain, a lot that costs less than the average of $163,000 and even as low as $17,500!   We want some pay dirt!

Some Hilton Head gated communities with building lots for sale for less than $150,000

• Belfair with 39 lots for sale for less than $150,000 and with lots from $17,600.
• Berkeley Hall with 19 lots for sale and with lots from $19,500.
• Colleton River with 37 lots for sale for less than $150,000, with lots from $30,000.
• Folly Field with 2 ocean-oriented lots for sale for less than $150,000..
• Hampton Hall with  58 lots (!) for less than $150,000, with lots from $29,900.
• Hampton Lake with 9 lots for less than $150,000, with lots from 98,000.
• Hilton Head Plantation with 2 lots for ale for less than $150,000.
• Indigo Run with 3 lots for sale for less than $150,000 with lots from $99,000.
• Palmetto Hall with 3 lots for sale for less than $150,000.

As I said before, having options is good and you want to work with a real estate agent who can help you to compare communities, resale homes within these gated communities and others and compare building lots,  building costs and builders if the alternative is right for you. 

Savings Can Begin With A Low-Priced Building Lot

Here are some possible savings when building instead of buying a resale home:

• A home in Belfair with 2,861 sf for sale today @ $569,000 lot can be built @ $155/sf = $443,500, plus $17,500 for the lot = $461,000.  Let’s assume that the house can be bought for $550,000; the savings would be $89,000, or 16% less.  
• A home for sale in Indigo Run with 3,111 sf is listed for $639,500 right next to a foreclosure lot that was just listed with Go Gated Realty for $99,900.  Assume that the house can be bought for $625,000, consider building a new house instead with 3,111 sf on the lot next door @ $155/sf = $482,200, plus $95,000 for the lot for a total of $577,200 and a savings of about $62,300, or 10% less.
• A home in Hampton Hall is for sale @ $579,000 with 4,200 sf.  Even at $150/sf, the cost to build would be $630,000 and then you have to buy a lot, so in a case like this, buy – don’t build.  You achieve a substantial savings when you buy resale on this home.

Go Gated Realty is the Hilton Head Gated Communities Specialist®

For anyone who is interested in getting the best deal for a custom home in one of Hilton Head’s outstanding gated communities, please call me at the contact information below or on my cell number, 843-684-2933.  I am a former licensed South Carolina Home Builder who loves to compare homes, lots and communities.  We will find the home that you want or build one, even if it will be built in the future and save you money!

*This disclaimer is required by the Multiple Listing Service of Hilton Head Island:  “The statistical data contained herein has not been verified by the Multiple Listing Service of Hilton Head Island, Inc. and the publication of information hereof is not a representation or warranty of any fact whatsoever.”

Richard Kadesch, Owner and Broker-in-Charge The Gated Community Specialist ® Go Gated Realty ® Hilton Head Island, South Carolina Rich@gogated.com www.GoGated.com 1-800-333-5025 Read Some of My Clients’ Success Stories

Buyer’s Advantage™  Keeps You Informed

Everyone knows that real estate on Hilton Head Island is a bargain hunter’s paradise these days but still, you have to be ready for opportunity because others are on the hunt for bargains too!  To know about great new listings or large price reductions immediately, you need the Buyer’s Advantage™.  The system costs nothing but it can deliver valuable information to you fast.  I recommend Buyer’s Advantage™ to all of my clients and many use it to monitor their real estate watch lists like a pro! 

How Buyer’s Advantage™ Works 

1. You describe the kind of property you want and based on your preferences, you receive a list of all of the properties for sale on Hilton Head with all MLS companies that match.  Your inventory will be what you want it to be and it will be held in a private web site dedicated to your search. 
2. At your personal site, you can determine your favorite properties and discard the others.  You can sort the listings by price or newest listings.  You can make notes about the properties and I can read them and comment as well as make my own recommendations for you to consider and tell you why one property may be better than another for you.
3. Then, your personal inventory is updated with new listings automatically or when there are price or status changes.  New and changed listings will always come to the top of your list so you can’t miss them.
4. You will have all of the information you need to make an offer on the property of your choice when you are ready. 

Buyer’s Advantage™ Works Well for All Properties

• Hilton Head foreclosures. 
• Hilton Head luxury homes and villas.
• Economical homes for sale on Hilton Head Island, in Bluffton, Hardeeville and Ridgeland.
• Hilton Head retirement properties.
• Hilton Head investment properties.

There’s No Cost or Obligation

There is no cost or obligation for this service.  All that you need to do is to let me know what kind of property you want and the Buyer’s Advantage™ will deliver it to you.  The description of the property you want should include details about:  

A.   Home or villa
B.   Primary home or vacation home
C.  Personal use only, vacation rental or long-term rental
D.  Price range
E.   Number of bedrooms
F.   Location
G.  What you will do with the property i.e. rent to vacationers, live in it, etc. 

Buyer’s Advantage™ works well and it is easy to use.  On many occasions my clients who use Buyer’s Advantage™ come to Hilton Head Island with their first, second and third choice properties already picked out!   Our work is done on the Internet before they visit and that means that they will spend less time shopping for the property that they have always wanted and more time with their family on the beach, playing golf and other kinds of shopping when they are here!

Some clients use Buyer’s Advantage™ to make offers over the phone for properties that they know well; sometimes they know about a new listing before I do and that’s perfectly okay because when my clients use this technology, we both win.   No agent can monitor every client’s wish list as well as an automated system and the Buyer’s Advantage ™ is as good as it gets.  Knowledge is power and foreknowledge is even more powerful!  

 Of course, you are welcome to search all Hilton Head MLS listings at any time on your own at gogated.com but to get the information that you need with automatic updates please tell me about the bargain that you have always wanted and we’ll get started.   The Buyer’s Advantage™ gives you a personal inventory with important and valuable updates to help you find and track Hilton Head foreclosures and other properties like a pro!

Richard Kadesch, Owner and Broker-in-Charge The Gated Community Specialist ® Go Gated Realty ® Hilton Head Island, South Carolina Rich@gogated.com www.GoGated.com 1-800-333-5025 Read Some of My Clients’ Success Stories

This Southern style Tilton Group Signature Home at 73 Hampton Lake Drive in Hampton Lake became the Designer’s Show House in May, 2009 to benefit the Hilton Head Alzheimer’s and STARS charities.

Hilton Head Alzheimer’s and STARS Charities

The Designer’ Show House at Hampton Lake in Bluffton, South Carolina was open from May 8-24 to raise funds and increase awareness of two important Hilton Head non-profit organizations:  Alzheimer’s Respite & Resource and STARS (syncope trust and reflex anoxic seizures).  Tilton Signature Homes and ten talented Hilton Head interior designers worked together to transform a new Tilton Group Signature Home into a Designers’ Show House, exhibit their talents and discuss varying facets of casual southern elegance and the latest trends in interior design and home decor. 

The living room has a high ceiling with a high window and it is open to the foyer, dining room and kitchen.

Alzheimer’s Respite and Resource

Alzheimer’s Respite & Resource was established in 1997 offering a social day program for those suffering from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, operating one day a week.  Today, recognizing the unmet need in the community to help both the patient and the caregiver, AR&R offers a high quality social day program five days a week and over 7,500 hours of respite care each year.  Alzheimer’s Respite & Resource strives to be a center of excellence for persons with Alzheimer’s and their families by providing daycare programs and education in a compassionate and dignified manner.  For more information visit www.alzheimersrr.org or call 843-842-6688

The kitchen has a pine floor, bead-board island, PaperStone counter tops, stainless steel appliances and it is open to the living room and a breakfast area unseen in this picture, to the right (back of house).

STARS (Syncope Trust and Reflex Anoxic Seisures)

STARS (syncope trust and reflex anoxic seizures) was founded 16 years ago in England by Trudie Lobban after her daughter was diagnosed with reflex anoxic seizures, a form of syncope.  Due to the overwhelming response from United States sufferers, STARS-US was established.  Syncope is a medical term for fainting that is caused by a sudden lack of blood supply to the brain.  This loss of consciousness happens when a drop in blood pressure occurs or a sudden change in heart rhythm decreases the amount of blood that the heart pumps throughout the body.  When the blood supply slowly tapers off or when blood pressure falls significantly, several warning signs appear before loss of consciousness including:

• lightheadedness
• fading of vision
• buzzing in the ears
• In some cases, when the brain is deprived of oxygen due to decreased blood flow, epileptic like symptoms may occur, such as stiffening and spasms.

Syncope affects a million and a half people each year. Tragically, more than 40% are misdiagnosed or go undiagnosed.  STARS a national nonprofit organization is committed to improving the quality of life for individuals and their families that are coping with a syncope condition. The main focus is educating and supporting sufferers, their families, the medical community and the general public by offering a support system where they can get a better understanding of these conditions.  For more information about syncope and STARS visit www.stars-us.org or call 843-785-4101

The master bathroom with dual vanities, custom cabinets, limestone floor and shower and spa tub.

 The Tilton Group Signature Home

Tilton Group President Steve Tilton said, “The event was able to expose people to this unique style of building and interior design while raising money for two very worthy charities.”  Tilton grew up in the Hilton Head lowcountry and has been building custom homes since 1994 with a philosophy of building dream homes that offer each homeowner with today’s lifestyle the traditional lowcountry experience of spending of spending casual and quality time with family and friends. 

Tilton Director of Operations Ron Bushaw said that the home was designed using Southern vernacular construction with a big back porch and a bead board ceiling, with many quality reclaimed materials like pine floors and PaperStone™ counter tops.   The house is an EarthCraft certified green home, energy star compliant and it has a smart panel for multimedia.  Some other details are:

• 3,300 heated square feet with everything is on one floor except the guest suite over the garage
• The guest suite can be used as a 4th bedroom, game room, office, studio or fitness area.  
• Four and a half bathrooms.
• ‘Split’ first floor plan with the master, 2nd and 3rd bedrooms separated by the center home areas: the foyer, dining room, living room, kitchen and breakfast area.
• The living room has a high ceiling with high window.
• The master bathroom has dual vanities, custom cabinets, a spa tub and limestone shower and floor.  
• The large back screened porch has a fireplace, barbecue and stone floor for luxurious outdoor living.  
• The exterior of the home has hardiplank siding, wood trim and the windows have wood casing. 
• The home has a two-car garage.
• Located on a .42 acre lot.

• The home may be purchased for $799,000. 

The back porch opens from the living room and offers luxury outdoor living.

The Hilton Head Interior Designers

Ten interior designers from six Hilton Head interior design firms participated in the Designer’s Show House at Hampton Lake:

• John Kilmer and Jennifer Kirkland, Beverly Hall Interiors.
• Suzie Dixon, Casual Living.
• Bob Cooksey and the design team at Ethan Allen.
• Michelle Wood, Fine Furniture Galleries/Coastal Living Interiors.
• Kay Merclean and An Pickhardt, Georgia Furniture and Interiors.
• Michelle Pearson, Interior Motives.

During the two-week duration of the Show House, these designers and others scheduled talks at the house about interesting topics. 

• Mike Woodall of Kravet and Lee Sofa Fabrics and Furniture spoke about “The Latest Trends in Color and Fashion for Exclusive Quality Homes and the Discerning Consumer”. 
• Jennifer Kirkland of Beverly Hall Interiors spoke about “Window Treatments #101″. 
• Bud Martin of Southern Palmetto Landscapes discussed “Going green with water conservation and native plants”.
• Gerardo Alvarex of Divine Touch, “Decorating with Paint and Faux Finishes”.
• Bob Cooksey of Ethan Allen talked about “All Phases of Down Sizing” and “What you always wanted to ask and Interior Designer”.
• Laurel Greif of Le Cookery spoke about “In the Kitchen – Easy Party Foods”. 

Each of the four bedrooms were decorated differently and by different designers.

The Hampton Lake Community and Real Estate

The private freshwater lake community located in Bluffton, South Carolina opened in 2006 and in 2008 was awarded the “Best Community in America” award by the National Association of Home Builders.  The location, quality of the residences the amenities has made Hampton Lake one of the most popular new gated communities in the Hilton Head and Bluffton area. 

Hampton Lake is located on the Bluffton Parkway just 9 miles from Hilton Head Island in Bluffton, South Carolina, 21 miles from Beaufort, 30 miles from Savannah and 98 miles from Charleston.   Hampton Lake’s location The community has 906 total acres that include 345 preserved for nature and a 165-acre lake with a depth of about 8 feet, 7 miles of navigable waterways and 15 miles of shoreline.  The community will have approximately 900 residences that include both custom homes and villa homes.  There is a top-quality model home program with many builder-participants.  

 Hampton Lake’s amenity village is called “Lakeside” and includes:

• “Fitness Central”, a state-of-the-art spa and fitness center.
• “Adventure Lagoon”, a family-oriented, resort style swimming pool with a ‘river.’
• “The Cool Pool”, a separate area with cabanas for adults only.
• “Lakeside Courts”, four clay tennis courts.
• “The Lakehouse” with Blackwater Bill’s Restaurant.
• “Sandi Point”, a lakefront beach area with tiki huts for shade.
• “Doc’s” community boathouse featuring boats for members’ use and “The Tackle Box” bait, tackle and convenience store.
• “The Racks” canoe and kayak storage.
• “Reunion Field”, a picnic area.

Today, the prices of villas and patio homes at Hampton Lake begin at about $315,000, custom home prices start at about $700,000 and building lot prices start at about $145,000.  For more information about the custom home featured in this article, Hampton Lake or any other Hilton Head area real estate, please call the Hilton Head Gated Communities Specialist® today!

Richard Kadesch, Owner and Broker-in-Charge The Gated Community Specialist ® Go Gated Realty ® Hilton Head Island, South Carolina Rich@gogated.com www.GoGated.com 1-800-333-5025 Read Some of My Clients’ Success Stories

This house is for sale for $6,975,000 and it is the most expensive foreclosure on Hilton Head Island today.  It has approximately 18,000 heated square feet, eight bedrooms, ten full bathrooms, 4 half bathrooms, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a five-car garage, private boat dock and water views of Broad Creek and the Calibogue Sound.  Foreclosures start for less than $100,000.  For information about all foreclosures, contact Richard Kadesch.

•  About 3% of all Hilton Head homes for sale today are foreclosures (80 of 2,779 total).   

• About 4% of all Hilton Head villas for sale today are foreclosures (55 of 1,279 total). 

These numbers are for foreclosed proeperties that are for sale.  Most Hilton Head homes and villas are not for sale and the number foreclosures compared to all homes and villas on Hilton Head today is much less than two or three per cent.   

Foreclosures Are Often The Lowest Prices

When Hilton Head foreclosures are listed for sale they typically are the lowest priced properties for sale in their neighborhoods.  Higher-priced properties cannot always compete with foreclosures but this is not always true; foreclosures affect some communities more than others.   

• Hilton Head custom homes vary greatly by price, size, features and floor plans.  Because they are so different from one another, one custom home may be nothing like what a buyer wants even if it is a foreclosure.  In addition, communities with custom homes have the fewest foreclosures.     
• More ’cookie cutter’ homes are foreclosures than custom homes and ‘cookie cutter’ communities are effected more by them.  The homes are so similar to each other that a low foreclosure price can often be the best buy.
• Condominiums have more foreclosures than homes, are generally similar to one another and  banks have the tightest lending requirements on condominiums.  These issues make condominium  foreclosures a problem for other condominium sellers and for their homeowner association that has less income from regime fees when there are too many foreclosures.   

Monitor Foreclosures Like a Professional

Foreclosures can be a golden buying opportunity.  More people are buying foreclosures now and if you would like to receive a list of all foreclosures on Hilton Head Island or Bluffton with no cost or obligation, please let me know.  I can provide any list of properties to you, including foreclosures that can be sorted by location, price and other features as you want.  For Hilton Head foreclosures or any real estate on Hilton Head Island, call Richard today!

Richard Kadesch, Owner and Broker-in-Charge The Gated Community Specialist ® Go Gated Realty ® Hilton Head Island, South Carolina Rich@gogated.com www.GoGated.com 1-800-333-5025 Read Some of My Clients’ Success Stories