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Featured Property
Hilton Head Island |  | |
15 S. Live Oak Road
$2,599,000
MLS# 305063
6 Bed, 6 Bath 2 Half Bath
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Featured Property
Bluffton |  | |
87 Concession Oak Drive
$324,900
MLS# 305495
3 Bed, 2 Bath
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Here's hoping you had a fantastic Valentine's Day and are looking forward to Spring! Now is the perfect time to start planning your trip to Hilton Head Island to see the Heritage tournament and enjoy our beautiful springtime weather! Be sure to stop in and say hello if you're in the neighborhood...we'd love to see you! |
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Real Estate News
Local Market Showing Signs of Recovery
If you've been waiting for the market to hit "bottom" before purchasing your first or next Lowcountry property, you may want to act fast. According to the South Carolina Realtors association, sales of homes and condos were up 16.1% in the Hilton Head Island market and 21.7% in the Beaufort area. These were the biggest increases in all of the 15 markets tracked by the association!.
Palmetto Bluff Sales Up
Sales in the renowned and exclusive community of Palmetto Bluff rose dramatically in 2010 - rising 42% over 2009 with over half of sales occurring in the fourth quarter. Custom home building is also on the rise in Palmetto Bluff which is home to The Inn at Palmetto Bluff, a top resort that is consistently rated among the best in the nation by major publications including Travel + Leisure. Boasting some of the area's most unique and desirable amenities, Palmetto Bluff currently offers resale homes ranging in price from $800,000 to $2,000,000 with lots ranging from $180,000 to $1,900,000.
Market for Vacation Homes on the Rise
The Wall Street Journal recently published an article about the rise in the market for vacation homes and Hilton Head Island was mentioned alongside Cape Cod, Palm Beach and Mercer Island, WA. If you'd like to read the article, please click here: Market for Vacation Homes is on the Rise.
Possible Errors in Personal Property Tax Bills In January, many second homeowners received a personal property tax bill from Beaufort County. If your home was and continues to be a second home and IS NOT on the rental market, you may have been charged in error. Please look back to see if you received a personal property tax bill in the last month from Beaufort County, and contact them if this was an error. If you have paid the bill, you will be reimbursed. If your home IS on the rental market, you are to be charged a personal property tax, however it should be based on the value of the furniture. Because of a new internal system in the County, a Rental Residential Return questionnaire was not sent to all six-percent residential property owners prior to the tax bill, and a formula based on the building value of your home was used. The amount charged may not have truly reflected the value of your furnishings. For any questions about the tax bills, please contact the Beaufort County Auditor's office at 843-255-2500. |
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Where Is It?
Below you will see a photograph taken of a very specific place appearing in our area... and all you have to do is guess what 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!
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Team News
RealtorŪ Service Award Recipients
Congratulations to Hilton Head Island Buyer Specialists Andrea Albright, Serena Crisan, Ann Eden, Carl Girth, and Joan Weaver who were all recently awarded the RealtorŪ Service Award! Each year, the Hilton Head Area Association of REALTORSŪ recognizes those members who throughout the past year have achieved high levels of continuing education, professional development, Association involvement and leadership, as well as serving our community by volunteering their time, talent and financial support. Only a small percentage of the REALTORŪ Association is eligible for this distinction, which honors well rounded professionals who demonstrate passion for their industry and community, while adhering to the strict RealtorŪ Code of Ethics. Congrats team!
Happy Birthday Anne!
Happy Birthday to our Client Care Manager, Anne Barrett, who celebrates on February 20th!
Congratulations Anne!
Anne completed the Hilton Head Half Marathon on February 12th... way to go Anne!
 Welcome New Team MemberWe're happy to announce a new four-legged member to our team! Hilton Head Island Buyer Specialist Ann Eden recently became "mom" to an incredibly adorable American Eskimo puppy who she named Cassie. Congrats, Ann! |
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Local News
Bluffton Self Help Needs Food Donations
Bluffton Self Help is running extremely low on non-perishable food and is asking the Lowcountry for help feeding the less fortunate among us...The charity is in dire need of canned meat (including beef stew, tuna, salmon, chicken, ham Spam, and corned beef hash), canned fruits in juice or light syrup, canned vegetables, high-protein dried or canned beans, canned soups, grains (including pasta, rice, macaroni and cheese), 100% fruit juice, cereal, instant boxed potatoes, peanut butter, jellies/jams, pasta sauce and canned pasta dishes (ie: spaghetti-o's). Please give generously if you are able. Bluffton Self Help accepts donations Monday through Friday from 10am to 4pm at their location in downtown Bluffton (1264 May River Road). For more information, please contact BSH at 843-757-8000. "Extreme Makeover" of Beaufort Home Complete 
As mentioned last month, ABC's hit show "Extreme Makeover - Home Edition" recently shot an episode in Beaufort County. The lucky winners were the Dickinson family of Beaufort. Chosen from hundreds of applicants, the military-family was treated to a vacation at Disney while local volunteers tore down their old property and built a charming new home in its place! Check out the before and after photos above! Congratulations Dickinson family! Tanger 1 Outlet Mall to Reopen
After being torn down late last year, the Tanger 1 shopping center has been rebuilt and is slated to reopen on March 31st. Most of the stores that occupied space at the first of the two Tanger Outlets will return to the center when it reopens along with numerous new shops and restaurants including Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, Panera Bread, Saks Off 5th, Talbots, Bare Escentuals and White House Black Market. |
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House Tip of the Month
Everyone has heard that first impressions are lasting impressions and that is never truer than in real estate. Curb appeal can make or break a house, but if you're considering making some improvements you may wonder what updates will provide the biggest bang for your buck. According to Remodeling magazine's annual Cost vs. Value Report, the following are the top five projects that will pay you back at closing...
- Entry Door Replacement. Average cost to replace an existing door and lockset with a new steel door and lock is $1,218. Resale Value: $1,243. Cost Recouped: 102.1%
- Garage Door Replacement. Average cost to replace an existing garage door with a 4-section door on new galvanized steel tracks is $1,291. Resale Value: $1,033. Cost Recouped: 83.9%
- Siding Replacement. Average cost to replace 1,250 square feet of existing siding with new fiber cement siding and required trim is $13,382. Resale Value: $10,707. Cost Recouped: 80.0%
- Minor Kitchen Remodel. Average cost to replace cabinet fronts and hardware, wall oven and cooktop, laminate countertops, sink and faucet, flooring and to paint the trim and walls is $21,695. Resale Value: $15,790. Cost Recouped: 72.8%
- Deck Addition. Average cost to add a 16' x 20' wood deck, complete with three stairs and railing system is $10,973. Resale Value: $7,986. Cost Recouped: 72.8%
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Ask the Expert...
Q: Do foreclosure sales affect values in your neighborhood?
A: The bottom line is that it goes down in the stats as a sale, regardless of foreclosure status, and appraisers and buyers don't have to discount/ignore it. They see it as an open-market transaction. That being said, if the property sells quickly, there can be an argument that it was undervalued. Just because it is a foreclosure - no, that doesn't mean it gets ignored, but if it sells quickly then it warrants some examination and special treatment as a "comp" in your neighborhood.
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Featured Video
Chip and a team of local cyclists recently rode across the state of South Carolina to raise awareness and funds for the Heritage tournament. Local television station WHHI interviewed Chip about the ride (click the image below to watch).
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Island Living
Happy Spring!
Okay, that's a stretch I recognize...but we've all endured what has felt like an interminable "winter." The snowfall accumulation in some of the areas where we see our highest traffic from to Hilton Head Island has been unbelievable. Heck, it even snowed in Bluffton twice so far this year...no accumulation, of course, but still the white stuff even touched the southern tip of South Carolina!
This week, we're enjoying bright blue skies and temperatures in the upper-60's. Runners, beach-walkers, cyclists, tennis players, golfers, convertibles - we're seeing them in droves, taking in the opportunity to hopefully put winter behind us once and for all. I think I even saw pine-pollen the other day - a true sign of "Spring" for everyone that has experienced it here on the Island.
Last Summer was a very successful vacation season with people coming from all over (including some who changed their plans due to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico) to enjoy what HHI has to offer. We had great weather, and many people took advantage of up-front discounts to re-book for the Summer of 2011. As a result, we are expecting another great vacation season that is generally kicked off at the time of the Heritage Golf Tournament. Additionally, the Spring is marked with great food/fun festivals seemingly every weekend, making HHI a really robust, community-based destination from this point moving forward.
Here's hoping you've done well to survive the Winter...and that we'll spy you out and about on HHI very soon! |
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Answer to...
Where is it? Answer: It's the nearly re-built Tanger 1 Outlet shopping center in Bluffton. See Local News for more information on the grand re-opening!
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Start Spreadin' the News!
You may be surprised to learn that, through our vast network, we can connect you with an agent in any corner of the United States and parts of Canada! If you need to buy or sell real estate outside of the greater Hilton Head Island/Bluffton area and are in need of a qualified real estate professional, please don't hesitate to give us a call at 800-823-7516 or drop us a line at Info@CollinsGroupRealty.com. We are more than happy to put you in touch with an agent in your marketplace!
Also, if you're a satisfied past client please keep us in mind when speaking with your friends, family and business associates about the real estate business. We would love the opportunity to earn their business as well and share with them our Client for Life philosophy! |
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