Grab an oceanfront home in Sea Pines for under $3,500,000.  Arguably the best views on the coast of South Carolina. The home can be lived in and/or rented short/long term for some additional income.  Add some updates and make it your own, but they don't make view like this anymore.   Click here for more photos and info.  Call Lorri Lewis at 843-422-6448 to view.

Oceanfront home in prestigious Sea Pines.  Direct Oceanfront 4 Bedroom, 5 Bath plus den home on walkway lot. Huge 2 story living room opens to screen porch overlooking big pool and spa. This 2 level stucco home has a detached 2 car garage and open kitchen/family room with s Savannah brick entry and heart pine floors throughout home. Big deck, 14 FT elevation.

Every once in a while as a Realtor, you come across a deal that stands out.  This one takes the cake.  16 Indigo Plantation in the riverfront community of Oldfield has everything.  5841sf in the main house PLUS two twin car garages with apartments above each.  The master plus a second bedroom is on the first floor.  The home sits on the golf course and, in addition to golf, Oldfield offers Equestrian facilities, a sports complex with fitness, tennis and swimming, boat storage, trails, Outfitters center for fishing and boating, deep water dock and so much more.  The owner is ready to move and has priced this home WELL below the comparable homes in Oldfield.  

Click Here for More Pictures and Details on 16 Indigo Plantation

The Sea Pines Resort is undergoing a transformation and a rebirth of sorts.  Started back in the 1960's, this plantation was beginning to look a little tired.  But, no more.

With the $50 million cash investment from the Riverstone Group to rebuild the key amenities, the property owners are starting to catch the fever.  Homes are being torn down and rebuilt, lots that have sat empty since the opening of the resort decades ago are being purchased, and many improvements are underway to existing homes.  It's about time.

With my office strategically positioned at the Sea Pines Beach Club (yes, it is so hard to go work at the beach every day), I get to talk to folks all the time who are coming down for the first time in a year and in some cases several years.  Their reaction is almost uniformly a WOW.

I've talked a lot about the amenities in the past, but it's the homes I want to focus on today.  If you have dismissed Sea Pines in the past due to the older homes, it's time to take another look.  Case in point, 1 Belted Kingfisher.  This beach oriented home in the South Beach area was built and sold this year by our team.  With a premium location and rental projections well in excess of $100,000 annually, it was a great snag for the lucky buyer.

If you want to buy or sell real estate in Sea Pines or in the Hilton Head/Bluffton area, call me.  843-422-6448.

Ok...so not everything is about Real Estate.  If you have kids, you have to admit that somewhere deep down inside you have (at least once) performed a happy dance when it was back to school time.  There used to be a Staples commercial where the Dad was dancing and leaping down the aisle pushing the shopping cart for school supplies while the kids had these grief stricken expressions on their faces.  I'm that guy (er, girl).

This is one of my favorite times of the year on Hilton Head.  Not just because the kids are in school but because of the postcard perfect weather and the real estate (you knew I would put that in somewhere).

It's true.  Fall brings some of the most serious real estate buyers to Hilton Head.  These are the buyers that plan ahead.  They've been thinking about it, have done some serious research on their own, have usually already contacted an agent to nail down a game plan, and they arrive ready to buy assuming they find the property that meets their criteria.

If you've been thinking about buying a piece of Hilton Head Island to call your own, now is the perfect time.  "Someday" can be today if you want it to be.  Give me a call today at 843-422-6448.

I know, I know...it's not real estate.  BUT...it's another reason to live here.  

Just two days from now, on Wednesday July 30th, the new Whole Foods will finally open on Hilton Head Island.  We've been waiting patiently, watching the new building come together.   I'm impressed with the work they've done to transform the former Piggly Wiggly in Shelter Cove to make this new store that has been nothing but a dream for many of us over the past few years.

Hilton Head is undergoing quite a transformation right now.  It's been fun for those of us who live here, but perhaps more exciting for the visitors who are in the middle of their annual summer trek to enjoy the island. The last year has seen the demolition of the shelter cove mall and its reconstruction into an upscale, outdoor mall.  An incredibly large Kroger is anchoring the complex and I'm told is the busiest Kroger in the region.

The Shipyard resort has undergone a face lift with the new Sonesta while Port Royal's Westin has had a makeover of its own. 

Perhaps the largest plantation renewal has come at the Sea Pines Resort which I've documented in this blog. The full demolition and reconstruction of both the Plantation Club and the Beach Club along with the construction of the new Harbour Town Golf Club (presently underway) has proven to everyone that Sea Pines will always be the crown jewel of Hilton Head Island.  50 Million Dollars CASH has been spent so far to reset and update this beautiful place...and that's just the beginning.

If you're not here, get here.  Life is short.  Hit the reset button.  Call me to start looking for property.  843-422-6448.

By Dan Burley, Island Packet Newspaper

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More private insurers are selling wind coverage to coastal property owners in Beaufort County, leading to a decline in the number of homeowners in the state wind pool.

The increase in private insurers could mean lower rates for customers, insurance agents said Tuesday.

"There's a big difference between having to go to the wind pool and having five companies willing to take your business," said Russ Dubisky, director of the S.C. Insurance News Service, which represents insurance companies that write policies in the state.

"As a customer, I get to figure out what the right price point is for me."

In the past three years, nearly 25 percent of property owners in Beaufort County have left the wind pool, a state-chartered insurer of last resort for homeowners and business owners who can't get coverage in the private insurance market. The service is offered for coastal properties, including those on Hilton Head, St. Helena and Lady's islands.

About 10,000 Beaufort County residents were insured by the wind pool in 2011, according to Smitty Harrison, executive director of the S.C. Wind and Hail Underwriting Association. Now that number hovers around 7,600, he said.

Much of the shift stems from private carriers entering the coastal market. As many as 25 companies have started offering wind coverage in the past few years, Harrison said.

Some prefer $300,000 homes near golf communities, while others -- such as Lloyd's of London -- want "the big homes, the big exposure and the big premiums," he said.

Other national insurers like State Farm have started including wind insurance in some of their homeowner's policies, he said.

Companies differ in their reasons for expanding.

Ray Craver, owner of Seacoast Insurance on Hilton Head, said insurers that previously thought wind coverage along the coast was too risky started selling more policies in the interior of the state to spread out their exposure.

"I don't think they thought they could make a profit with wind and hail because of the proximity with potential to disaster (such as a hurricane)," he said. "But once they understood there was a way to make a profit, it helped."

Jay Taylor, a partner at Kinghorn Insurance of Beaufort, said many firms realized the area is seldom hit by hurricanes compared to other places along the Southeastern coast.

"The lack of catastrophic hurricane activity, in the Lowcountry specifically, has led to a flood of private insurers in the market," he said.

Beaufort County residents and state legislators have argued that the area's insurance rates are disproportionately high compared to other places with more frequent hurricanes.

State Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, worked this spring to pass a bill that, in part, calls for the state insurance director to develop a model on which rates are based, to better reflect South Carolina's hurricane risk.

Another way to lower those rates is to increase competition, insurance experts argue.

The expanded private market will eventually do that, they say.

"It makes us able to offer a product that is more inclusive and more competitively priced," said Dubisky.

Well, well, well...as it turns out, I have not quite hit ALL the little eateries on this gorgeous island.  My husband and I have learned to stick with our favorites for a reliable good meal, but today I ventured out to try something new.  New to me, that is.  A quick look online showed all of these incredible reviews.  Could it be possible?  Southern cooking right here on the island?  Slightly skeptical, I walked in starving to comfortable southern decor and a welcoming smile by Mark.

To sum it up, not only was the food incredible...but the serving sizes are huge (I took a "to go" box for my leftovers) and the prices were very reasonable.  I left there feeling like I got the best bang for my buck, it's not often that I'm simultaneously stuffed while still having money left in my pocket.   I enjoyed the pulled BBQ chicken with mac and cheese while my hubby dove into a plate of catfish on cheese grits smothered with gravy and sausage.  My fork wandered his way a few times when he wasn't looking.

Check this place out.  It's tucked away at the corner of Arrow Road and Target Road in a little shopping plaza on the south end.   Very close to Sea Pines, Shipyard and Forest Beach.  Maybe 10 minutes from Shelter Cove/Palmetto Dunes area.