real estate agent – Nut and Squirrel LLC
Real Estate Market Report
Real Estate Market Report for Hilton Head and Bluffton SC for July 2020
The Hilton Head Area Association of Realtors has released their real estate market report for the Month of July. This is a look back on real estate activity in Hilton Head and Bluffton SC for the month of June 2020.
This has been a crazy month for real estate and for us Realtors. The homes under contract for the month of June is up by 80%. My option is that all the activity that was delayed in April and May, is all taking place in June and July. Our adsorption rate has shifted to a Sellers Market with 3.8 months worth of inventory for sale. Our inventory has shrunk 25% as well. This means there are less homes for sale on the Market today than there were homes for sale at the same time last year.
I would love to talk to you and help you with any real estate. Call me at 917-449-3461 or send me an email at pamela.brown@exprealty.com http://localhomes.town Join our facebook group about Hilton Head and Bluffton https://bit.ly/HHIhappy
Get a free valuation of your Hilton Head or Bluffton home https://bit.ly/v2lu2tion
Check out Hilton Head and Bluffton golf course homes http://bit.ly/HHIgolf
Homes on Hilton Head that dropped in price http://bit.ly/HHIPriceDrop
Homes in Bluffton that dropped in price http://bit.ly/BlufftonPriceDrop
Royalty-free music by bensound.com thanks Ben #HiltonHead #LoveBluffton #PamelaBrownRealEstate
Where is Hilton Head
AND THE TOP FIVE REASONS TO RETIRE ON HILTON HEAD.
Where is Hilton Head and the Top five reasons to retire on Hilton Head.
In 2015 I moved out of New York City down to the Hilton head area. As I was getting ready to leave New York I told plenty of people I’m moving to Hilton Head. I was shocked to hear that they had no idea where Hilton Head was. I have been coming to Hilton Head since the 80s. My dad, Charlie Brown I did a bunch of research on where to retire and my parents picked Hilton Head.
Hi I’m Pamela Brown Real estate agent and Hilton Head and Bluffton area I love living here And I want to help you fall in love with Hilton Head and Bluffton too.
Now if you were thinking of leaving New York City or the tri state area you can just take Charlie Brown’s advice and check out Hilton Head. And I’m going to share with you the top five reasons why Hilton Head is a great place to retire.
Number one reason to retire in the Hilton Head Area
The weather. Our annual average high temperature is 75 degrees and our average annual low is 57 degrees. Now we’re talking averages, so the extreme temperatures are 42 degrees to 90 degrees. Our average annual rainfall is 50 inches per year. Many of the trees in the region are evergreen such as pine and palm trees but we do have some trees that change color and drop their leaves in the fall. As someone from up North, this makes me very happy to not miss fall foliage. In fact, my front yard has a tree that turns bright red every fall. It’s gorgeous.
The number two reason to retire to Hilton Head area.
The abundance of leisure activities. We have over 40 golf courses, and 12 miles of beach. There are multiple marinas and we sit on the intercoastal waterway. There is plenty of tennis and pickleball. We have hundreds of clubs as the communities organized activities for the residences. We have multiple art gallery’s in both Hilton Head and Bluffton. We have theater music, there is no lack of a Fine Arts culture here. As someone with a Fine Arts background it is important to me to live in an area with an active art culture. I have seen some beautiful artwork by local residences.
The number three reason the retire to Hilton Head area.
Hilton Head and Bluffton share a robust restaurant culture. We have high end restaurants and casual dining. We have several award-winning chefs and several fantastic restaurants to choose from. The Farm is just one of my favorites.
The number four reason the retire to Hilton Head area.
We have a huge variation in the price of our homes. There is a tremendous variety in ways to live and the Hilton head and Bluffton area As of today the day I’m recording this The lowest price property for sale is it one bedroom condo in Hilton Head for $95,000 and the-highest priced property in the area is for over $8,000,000. I’m sure there’s something in that price range that would work for you! A huge plus and owning a home in Hilton Head and Bluffton is our property tax is very very low; full-time residences pay 4% property tax.
The fifth reason for retiring in the Hilton head and Bluffton area.
This place is beautiful, and all indicators point to it staying that way. Our two towns of Hilton Head and Bluffton are both very mindful of quality of life, density of population and adhering to cohesive look and feel.
So that’s 1 weather 2 fun 3 food 4 Price 5 beauty.
What more could you want?
When I was leaving New York, people asked me where is Hilton Head. It is in South Carolina, but I often hear people thinking it’s in Georgia. That’s understandable because I can see Georgia from the beach and we’re only 45 minutes from Savannah but no we are in South Carolina. I told my friends as I left New York take a direct flight to the Savannah airport And I will come pick you up and you will come visit me. And you will see for yourself what a beautiful community you could be living in. And if you want to you can fly into Hilton Head, we have an airport on the island as well.
The quality of life here is delightful. If you want to learn more keep watching my videos as I love to share everything about Hilton Head and Bluffton. I love living here And I want to help you fall in love with it too.
Types of mortgage loans
Types of mortgage loans
What are the first time homebuyers loan requirements?
How to get a mortgage with low income?
What is a USDA mortgage?
USDA loans versus RHA Which one is right
can you get a mortgage with No Down Payment?
These questions, and many many more cross the minds of first time homebuyers. I always notice when a home buyer is nervous about having the conversation about financing. It is as if I asked them to have a root canal. But you don’t know what you don’t know. And what you don’t know is that any problems with your credit that arise will also have a solution. But you need to know how your credit is and having this conversation with a mortgage lender will get you on the right path 2 financial solvency and home ownership. The best part of all this conversation is free. You can ask questions, find out where you stand, and learn about the best path for buying a home. During this interview Linda Johnston of movement mortgage and I discuss different types of mortgages, USDA mortgages FHA mortgages and conventional loans.
Home ownership is one of the best ways to build wealth for your family. If you are paying rent you are building wealth for someone else. When you pay for a mortgage you are buying back piece by piece your home with interest. Historically speaking buy real estate investment is one of the best investments as property values increase overtime.
Linda and I both understand how evaluating your finances can be very scary. But the good news is that once you have that conversation you’ll be armed with more knowledge of how to increase your personal wealth. That knowledge is well worth leaping over that anxiety hurdle and sending you on the path to financial security. Don’t overthink it just do it . Call today.
Call Linda Johnston mobile 412-638-7433 or start the process online at www.movement.com/linda.johnston
Real Estate Market Trends
The Hilton Head real estate market analysis
In Mid June 2020 the stats looking back on the month of May 2020 have been released by the Hilton Head Area Association of Realtors.
Last month (May 2020) we saw an increase of homes going under contract by 11.3%. In June 2020 that number continues to rise. With the interest rate continuing to decrease, buyers are looking for homes in the sales market is heating up.
Interest rates are LOW as is inventory.
On the day I shot this video the 30 year fixed rate is 3.33% and a 15 year fixed rate is 2.82. As of the day I am recording this video. In Hilton head Bluffton area we have seen a decrease in the number of listings as an effect of Covid.
Hilton Head and Bluffton SC real estate available
There are just under 3000 properties for sale and as I mentioned earlier the real estate market analysis shows an increase in the number of properties coming on the contract. That is going to shift our real estate market from balanced to a sellers market. To get an accurate read on the absorption rate I will need to wait till the end of the month to get all the data in to do the math.
The monthly Real Estate Market trends stats for May 2020 are:
- The average sales price for the month of May has increased by 11% when compared to May in 2019.
- The absorption rate decreased to 4.6 tipping towards a sellers market.
- Inventory is down by 15.9% year-over-year And the list to price ratio is at 97%.
- The price range with the largest gain in sales was the 650,000 and above range where it increased by 24.6%.
If you are looking to buy a home these interest rates are very compelling it is a great time to buy a home. Equally if you are looking to sell a home Great time to sell. buyers are out there wanting to buy in the Hilton Head and Bluffton area and with a decrease in inventory you stand a solid chance of selling your home quickly.
Old Town Bluffton & Alljoy
Alljoy Beach in Old Town Bluffton and Why We Love It!
Along the shore of the May River we have Bluffton Beach also known as Alljoy Beach, or is it Brighton Beach? Whatever you want to call it, it is our town only public beach access.
The May River is a large estuary with creeks, vast salt marsh, plenty of spartina grass and oyster reefs. At low tide you can see many of those oyster reefs from all points of the shoreline. While it is wonderful to have a river teeming with life, those oyster shells are razor sharp and not something you want to have underfoot.
And while our little beachfront does not have a lot of sand on the shore, it does have a lot of sand in the river making it a perfect place to wade into the water and cool off on a hot summer’s day.
I don’t know if this patch of sand is by design by human or nature, either way I appreciate it all the same. As does Homer who can’t pass up an opportunity to waddle in the Water.
On occasion you’ll see people fishing from the docs in the river, and if you’re into boating as your boat on the intercoastal you’ll see quite a few crab pots. If boating is your thing our next video is about the boat ramps in dock on the May River.
May River Boat Ramps
In Bluffton we have three public boat ramps one is on the Colleton River and two are on the May River. So this series of videos I’m doing or about Alljoy and Old Town Bluffton so we will be checking out the two boat ramps and the public dock along the May River. In our last video I showed you Alljoy Beach which is located just steps away from the Alljoy boat ramp. This is an easy place to drop into the river and there are two lanes in and out of the water. The parking lot has an entrance and a separate exit which is good to notice because the road changes from two-way to one-way so you don’t want to get caught up. There are no amenities here other than the steamy Porta potty so yeah no amenities here.
Our other boat ramp is located in the Bluffton Oyster Factory Park. This is a great park with a two lane boat ramp and in recent years the parking lot was reconfigured to accommodate more spots. The Bluffton Oyster Factory Park does have bathroom and you can tie your boat off at the dock and take a quick trip to use the bathroom. This park also has a pavilion and a fire pit and is host to many events in the town of Bluffton. It is also the home of the historic home known as the Garvey Garvin home,
as well as the Oyster Factory itself. In my opinion this park is also an unofficial dog park. I have always taken Homer here since we moved to Bluffton and have met many other dog owners who come down to enjoy the breeze on the bluff. You’ll see plenty of people here in golf carts with dogs hanging about and enjoying the breeze and a beautiful sunset.
So what is with all the golf carts? That’s our next video in the series of what makes all joy and old town Bluffton so special.
Golf Cart lifestyle
A golf cart community unlike any other! Do you want to tool around in a street legal golf cart?
So what’s with the golf carts in Old Town Bluffton? Much of Alljoy and Old Town Bluffton have a speed limit of 35 mph or less and in the state of South Carolina roads under 35 mph can be accessed by golf carts in the daytime.
Of course, the golf cart has to be registered and a sticker displayed as well; just as you would with a car. So what makes living in Old Town Bluffton and Alljoy so special is that you can access the parks stores and the restaurants in town on your golf cart. Many of the restaurants have golf cart parking. Golf carts are a familiar sight!
Old Town Bluffton and the Alljoy area are not the only neighborhoods with street legal golf carts. Many golf communities in Bluffton allow street use for golf carts. Most golf communities in Bluffton are gated and some are set near shopping centers where you can ride your golf cart to the store.
If you don’t live in Bluffton you might think that drivers would conflict with golf carts but that doesn’t happen. People just slow down around the golf cart. I guess it’s just the Bluffton state of mind where people are chill. People move Bluffton to relax or to retire or to get out of urban areas. I myself moved here from New York City, the land of pushy shovzies! And once you get here, you will eventually chill out and turn into a laid-back local, if you do it right of course.
In Old Town Bluffton in the heart of Alljoy is an adorable cottage with a long history significant to Bluffton SC. This home has a nice view of the May River and is just a few steps from the Alljoy boat ramp and the Alljoy Beach which is our fine towns only public beach access.
From this home you can access Old Town Bluffton on a golf cart and tool around many of the local streets as well. As long as the speed limit is 35 mph and under a golf cart is welcome and a frequent sight in Bluffton. If boating is your thing than you can trailer your boat on your land without any restriction and drop into the Intercoastal Waterway which is right outside your doorstep.
Every Thursday I release a new video on YouTube at 4 o’clock about Hilton Head and Bluffton. Please subscribe to my YouTube channel so you can see each new release. I love living in Hilton head and Bluffton area and I hope to help you fall in love with it too. If you want to see some homes have some questions, I just know I just find out what’s going on down here, I’d be happy to answer any questions for you.
Sea Pines Beach Club and Tower Beach
Sea Pines Beach Club
Sea Pines Beach club is one of my favorite locations on Hilton head Island I’m going to give you a tour of why it’s so special. The outdoor bar is my number 1 reason why this place is so special. Who wouldn’t want to have a drink here? It is so stunning.
You can also have food at Coast restaurant that has outdoor seating. It is super beautiful. If you want something more casual to eat, just pop on over to the snack bar. Sea Pines Beach Club also has a surf shop so if you forget to bring your flip-flops you can easily pick up a pair.
There are:
- bathrooms
- changing stalls
- outdoor showers
- plenty of bike rack available for people.
Hilton head Island has beautiful beaches so let’s go take a closer look. People are not the only ones who get to enjoy Sea Pines beach on Hilton Head. We are very dog friendly in fact I just did a video describing the ins and outs of dog friendly beaches and Hilton Head Island and you can check it out I’m a YouTube channel.
But dogs and people aren’t the only creatures on the beach. In fact on this day I saw two loggerhead turtle nests on Sea Pines beach. The Turtle Trackers are the heroes of Hilton Head Island. They mark out and protect the turtle nests so the hatchlings have a better chance at survival. This is the main reason why it is so important to fill holes on the beach.
Those holes can kill the hatchlings and the mother to lay the eggs. Your average oceanfront home in Hilton head we go for about $5 million and you can check out everything that’s for sale in Sea Pines
But check out the view that this Turtle nest has right in front of the multi-million dollar home. These turtles have a great view, and I’d say they have dibs since I’ve been nesting on this island for centuries.
Tower Beach
My other favorite beach in Sea Pines is Tower Beach but it’s much different from Sea Pines Beach Club. Tower Beach is much more rustic than Sea Pines Beach Club. There is no restaurant, but it has:
- bathrooms
- changing area
- outdoor showers
- picnic tables
- BBQ’s.
The view is spectacular. There is a long boardwalk to the ocean that meanders over the dunes. You can expect to find some loggerhead turtle nests here as well. The great thing about this location is there is a pavilion available. You could rent the pavilion or just hang out there. On the day I’ve visited someone was using it as their office. How brilliant is that.
Every Thursday I release a new video on YouTube at 4 o’clock about Hilton Head and Bluffton. Please subscribe to my YouTube channel so you can see each new release. I love living in Hilton head and Bluffton area and I hope to help you fall in love with it too. If you want to see some homes have some questions, I just know I just find out what’s going on down here, I’d be happy to answer any questions for you.
Hilton Head Dog Friendly beaches
Hilton Head Island and Bluffton are very 𝐝𝐨𝐠-𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐲 and our beaches are no exception 🐬 let’s dig in to when dogs are allowed on the beach 🤿🐶 Homer is my adorable dog and he loves the beach, getting covered in sand and wading in the shallows 💖 Dogs are welcome on the beach most of the year and the times they are not allowed are likely to be too hot for dogs anyway.
Hilton Head Beaches
This sign is posted at all the Hilton Head beaches so you’d think it would be easy-peasy to know when dogs are allowed on the beach and it appears to be very dog friendly. Well, maybe it is just me but I find the sign confusing. I mean, look at it…
Dogs allowed on the Beach
In our peak season, our summer months when we have many tourists in town and tons of kids on the beach, dogs are not allowed during the busiest hours; between 10:00 and 5:00. All other times dogs are allowed on the beach , and that is pretty much the rules!
Yes there are times for on the leash or off the leash and times of year but that is where this sign gets super confusing. Right? It’s not just me? Yes it is dog friendly but I AM confused!
Hey, I am going to hold on to this “confusion” as my out. I take my dog to the beach often when it is not peak summer months let him go off leash. And if anyone reprimanded me for having him off leash I’d claim confusion but so far NOBODY has! But it really could just be Homer! Look at him! He is an old baby, with tiny little legs and we now have to get around in this stroller.
Hilton Head Beaches – Public or Private Access.
These dog friendly rules apply to all Hilton Head Beaches, because they are all public beaches. It is the access to the beach that can be public or private as I mentioned in this video on my YouTube channel. The beach is public from the ocean to the high watermark. If you’d like to know more about Hilton Head beaches checkout this link.
Hilton Head Best Beach
Public access on Hilton Head Island
Hilton Head has beautiful beaches, but what is the best beach on Hilton Head?
Did you know that all of the Hilton Head beaches are public however the access to the beach is not always public. The public beach is from the ocean to the high watermark and we have several public access points to the beach.
Hi I’m Pamela Brown real estate agent in Hilton head in Bluffton area. I add new videos each week to discuss all the wonderful things about living in Hilton Head and Bluffton and I’d love for you to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you can fall in love with the area too!
I’d love to know what your favorite feature on Hilton Head is public or otherwise. Please share in the comments below and let us know what is your favorite.
Beach access on Port Royal Sound
There are several public beaches access on the island. On Port Royal sound, Fish Haul Beach Park provide natural, rustic settings and is located on Mitchellville Road. This beach has an untouched feel and is a great place to take photographs.
Beach access along the ocean
As we drive down 278 the next beach we come to is Islanders Beach Park off of Folly Field Road. This beach has a playground a picnic area bathroom and shower to rinse off and a boardwalk with a mat provided providing easy access to the beach
Our next beach is Folly Field Beach located at 55 Starfish Dr. this too has a boardwalk and a mat for easy access to the beach. There are bathrooms and showers to rinse the sand off. The parking is limited here so be prepared.
Next is Driessen beach park with a large 200 space parking lot your parking stress level should be manageable at this park. There are picnic tables any playgrounds available as well as outdoor showers to rinse off at and restroom facilities
As we continue to head south our next stop is Chaplin community Park. This is a big park with beach access to Burkes Beach. This is a great facility for the community with playing fields and a dog run there are tennis courts available as well as basketball The stroll from Chaplin community Park to the beach is breathtaking and you’ll certainly want to stop and turn 360° to take it all in.
Our next stop is Coligny Beach Park. This is the heart of Hilton head Island with easy access to parking in the ocean. The area is surrounded with restaurants shops in my favorite the Tiki hut. What a great place to watch bands while you stick your bare feet in the sand what’s better than that?
Our final public access Beach is Alder Lane which is a family favorite.
This has been our families Destination for about 30 years as we have timeshare at the Marriott next-door. Giving us access to pools beach and of course the Loggerhead landing which is a great place to come get a snack or a drink and rinse off after walking along the ocean.
For those who live on Hilton Head Island parking passes are available to purchase for Driessen Beach Park and Islanders Beach Park there are meters at most of the beaches but Coligny beach in Mitchellville Beach Park are free parking.
I often describe living in Hilton Head and Bluffton as living in a bubble. It is a wonderful happy beautiful place inside this bubble. Check out this next video to see even more information about living in the bubble. And please subscribe.
The town of Hilton Head has some great information on their website. Dig into the details here .
And if you’d like to see more videos, check out this video about Tower Beach in Sea Pines.
Hilton Head Real Estate
YEAR END REAL ESTATE MARKET REPORT!!!
Things are good in real estate and if you are planning on moving to the Hilton Head area, you may have an advantage. See why in the video above.
This Market Report provides the latest statistic from the National Association of Realtors and the Hilton Head Association of Realtors as well as analysis for a local real estate professional.
If you are thinking about buying or selling in the Hilton Head Bluffton area you may have a lot of questions. I would be happy to answer any of your questions so feel free to email me at pamela.brown@exprealty.com. But to get you started you may find what you need in the links below. I’ve added links to home valuations. This is a quick algorithm that will give you a number instantly. It is by no mean always correct. That will need a deeper analysis and all you need to do to get a deeper dive is include your contact info on the valuation page (in the link)
Here’s what I mean
And here are a massive amount of links mentioned in the first video to see what homes are for sale in various price points and location, as well a Home Valuation!
What’s My Hilton Head Home Worth?
What’s My Bluffton Home Worth?
Homes Townhomes and Condos in Bluffton
Price of homes ranging from 100K – 250K
Price of homes ranging from 250K – 350K
Price of homes ranging from 350K – 450K
Price of homes ranging from 450K – 550K
Price of homes ranging from 550K – 650K
Price of homes ranging from 650K – 750K
Price of homes ranging from 750K – 1 Mil
Price of homes ranging from 1 Million+
Homes Townhomes and Condos on Hilton Head Island
Price of homes ranging from 100k – 250K
Price of homes ranging from 250K – 350K
Price of homes ranging from 350K – 450K
Price of homes ranging from 450K – 550K
Price of homes ranging from 550K – 650K
Price of homes ranging from 650K – 750K
Price of homes ranging from 750K – 850K
The Roasting Room of Bluffton SC
Upcoming shows for early 2020
Culture, live entertainment, fine art and fine dining are abundant in the Hilton Head / Bluffton area. And there is nothing quite as energizing as seeing live music. There is something truly magical about the energy in a room filled with great music and an appreciative audience.
Living in Bluffton we are lucky to have one of the best venues to see live bands. The Roasting Room, which is directly above the Corner Perk on May River Rd in Bluffton. The Roasting Room’s mission is to showcase bands performing original music, they steer away from cover bands and present musicians who are truly gifted at their craft. The room is an intimate setting with a capacity of 85 audience members. This provides an experience that is rare. And The Roasting Room is able to steadily book top notch talent.
I sat down for a conversation with Jordan of The Roasting Room. Jordan books the entertainment and manages the production of all the live performances. We discussed the history of The Roasting Room and the upcoming acts over the next 2 months.
Who’s playing
Upcoming shows includes The Brevet, an indie rock band performing on January 30th. This performance will actually be acoustic and I for one am looking forward to it. I saw The Brevet last time they came to the roasting room and I was blown away by their performance.
The following day January 31st the front man for The Whigs, Parker Gispert will be performing.
On February 19th Jimbo Mathis of Squirrel Nut Zippers will be performing. Another highlight will be Dar Williams appearing at The Roasting Room on Saturday March 14th.
This is an abbreviated list of upcoming shows at The Roasting Room. Check out their website to see the full lineup. If you are unfamiliar with these acts, you can see what genre they perform in and a link to a video is available. Their website makes it very easy to purchase tickets. My favorite aspect is that all tickets are held in Will Call so all you need to do is show up and give them your name and you’re admitted.
