A guide to Hilton Head Island and Bluffton area real estate, rentals and lifestyle
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For many, buying a home on an island is where dreams come true! Sipping delicious cocktails, mocktails, or iced tea in a hammock, listening to the lapping of the waves, or getting out on the water to do a little fi shing may be the picture of the perfect island lifestyle. Finding the Island beat is a more than just shortening the drive to the sand. Like any major purchase, buying a home on an island takes knowledge of what you can aff ord, with all variables considered, coupled with the research of the island's municipal ordinances, requirements, and, yes – island customs. There are often diff erent factors that don't need consideration when buying a home on the mainland. Here are a few things to think about when considering buying a home on an island. 1. Visit. Stay awhile. Repeat. It may not be too diffi cult to convince yourself to stay on the island where you'd like to buy a home, but it's essential. The pictures portraying, let's say Hilton Head Island, are beautiful. The sunrises, the palm trees, boating on area waterways and the comfort of lounging on a beach chair are all real images, but frankly may not be a part of your daily routine. The lifestyle on one side of the island may diff er from another. Traffi c density during the summer months may diff er from traffi c in the winter, and so does the local vibe. Visit your island at diff erent times of the year. Once you discover for yourself that island life is for you, rent for a while, scope out a few properties on HHIMLS.com, and talk with a real estate agent or Realtor® about the properties that fi t the area you want to live in and one that fi ts your budget. 2. Be smart about your insurance policy. The insurance policy you had at your previous home may not be enough for your new investment. The reality of owning a home on an island comes with the responsibility of supplemental hurricane coverage and fl ood policy. Knowing your fl ood zone may be essential to knowing what you can really aff ord. Your new property may be prone to a separate windstorm policy, as well. Explore all policies that will protect your investment in an island property. 3. Calculate all added expenses. With those new insurance coverage policies come added expenses. Continuously keep in mind that the cost of living on an island is more expensive than living on the mainland. Though the big-ticket items like insurance policies are evident, simple things like property taxes, utilities, HOA fees, leisure expenses, and even groceries can add up. And when it comes to HOA fees, be sure to know what those include. Make sure to ask about one-time contribution fees, beach access fees, club fees, etc. Buying a home on the island next to the wide-open space of a golf course may seem very appealing, but do the fees include a membership to the course? And, if so, do you even golf enough to take advantage of the amenity you're paying for? Do thorough homework on all your expenses before signing the papers to buy your perfect island home. 4. Research local and state laws before buying. Some can get lost in the dream of living on an island, but owning a home on the island comes with much more thought than deciding to spend a week here. Are there additions you'll want to make to the home? Maybe a deck or a fence? Maybe your plans are more complex than that. Knowing ahead of time what those plans are and exploring the laws pertaining to those plans will save you a lot of headaches and maybe even some heartache when you fi nd out later in the game that your plans don't comply with local regulations. What about your pampered pet… does Fido have to abide by some rules too? Be sure to understand the leash laws, so that everyone in the household is living the dream. 5. Choose a real estate agent who lives on the island or works on the island. Your most knowledgeable partner when buying a home on an island is a licensed real estate agent. They not only know the common local laws that new homebuyers have questions about, but they have the experience of selling to those who lived on the mainland and want to make the transition to buying a home on an island. They've helped thousands of homebuyers through the years with many of the questions addressed in this article. The best professionals who can bring you to the dream of owning a home on Hilton Head Island can be found at HHIMLS.com. So what are you waiting for? Owning a home on an island can have its challenges, but it also comes with so many perks. Do your homework beforehand to acquire the home of your dreams – it will make your backyard hammock, pina colada, you're your newfound island beat, so much sweeter in paradise! 21 Considering a move to the Hilton Head, Beaufort or Jasper area? Our Members access the latest Real Estate data services, inventory, and tracking to help you fi nd your place in the Lowcountry. We enable a smooth and simple process for buyers and sellers. Find an HHIMLS Agent on our APP and make South Carolina your home today! www.HiltonHeadMLS.com Colette Stevenson, CEO MLS of Hilton Head Island, Inc. and CMLX3 Certifi ed Council of MLS Leader HHIMLS serves Agents & Realtors® representing properties in SC and GA Buying a Home on An Island Means Finding Your Own Beat. (www.onlyinyourstate.com/south-carolina/sc-is-best-state-in-the-us/) gave tled "13 Ways South Carolina Has Quietly Become The Coolest State In America." scenery, stunning beaches, an endless variety of outdoor ac vi es, friendly pe ople, 5 FARMER'S MARKETS In South Carolina fresh foods and flowers are available during months when cold weather is se ng in up north. Through December 28, Farmers Market of Blu on features local produce, plants, nuts, herbs, flowers, honey, cheese, milk, eggs, beef, pork, lamb, seafood and more. 6 WE SPECIALIZE IN THE UNIQUE The longer you're in Hilton Head, the more you'll discover unusual and intriguing experiences. Foot golf requires you to kick a soccer ball into a 21-inch cup in as few kicks as possible. Players of all ages can enjoy the 9-hole, foot golf course on Planter's Row at the Port Royal Golf Club. Or take the alligator, wine and cheese tour with H2O sports in a riverboat in the freshwater lakes of the Sea Pines Resort Forest Preserve. Visit the King Neptune Sundial standing guard at the Shelter Cove Harbour and enjoy the sunset and breezes off the marina. We have restaurants that you won't find anywhere else like Claude & Uli's Bistro, where the escargot and other fare is made with European flair, and Hudson's Seafood House where seafood is prepared fresh from the boat each day. 7 HISTORY IS ON DISPLAY Hilton Head is full of history. There are Gullah heritage tours that show how enslaved people preserved their rich culture and express it today. Visit Mitchelville, the first freedmen's town in America, and take a drive down Beach City Road, past the original churches, homes and a school building s ll standing there today. Stop at Mitchelville Freedom Park on your way for a view of the site of the Ba le of Port Royal and visit historical markers spotligh ng area history. Four forts were built on Hilton Head during the Civil War, and the remains of two earthen embankment forts, Fort Mitchel and Fort Howell, s ll fascinate Civil War buffs. Fort Walker was one of the targets of the largest naval ba le ever in U.S. waters. Cole e Stevenson is the CEO of MLS of Hilton Head Island, Inc. and a CMLX3 Cer fied Council of MLS Leader. HHIMLS Serves Licensed Agents & Realtors® from the en re state of SC, as well as GA and If you're considering a move to the Hilton Head area, contact an HHIMLS agent. We have access to the latest data, inventory, and tracking trends to help you find your perfect piece of the Lowcountry. With the most advanced pla orms to make the process smooth and sim- ple, we're ready to help buy- ers and sellers. Turn to HHIMLS to make Hilton Head your home today. www.HiltonHeadMLS.com