Laura Dahl

These are in no particular order by the way.

Having moved here from Norfolk, Virginia and not necessarily having chosen Beaufort on our own (Thank you U.S. Navy!), we came to Beaufort completely mesmerized by its beauty and charm. As most people do, we were instantly smitten with the lowcountry charm and picturesque scenery that was to be our new home. What I have compiled here are a few of my favorite things that I have grown to absolutely LOVE about Beaufort South Carolina. As I was compiling this list, I discovered there was no way I could chose only 10 things that I love about Beaufort so I imagine I will have to amend this post to include future parts along the way. So here it goes....

1) NO STARBUCKS ALLOWED! I know many of you readers will ask yourselves "How can anyone live without Starbucks and who would want to?" Well, I for one can and I do. I used to frequent Starbucks frequently and like many sit and read and drink my one cup of coffee. When we moved here, I could not believe that there was no Starbucks. To my amazement, I love the fact that all of the coffee shops we have are independently owned mom and pop kind of shops and I wouldn't want it any other way. You can sit in any of these coffee shops (my personal favorite is The Coffee Haus in Port Royal) and watch a community come and go and the interactions that take place in a small town where everyone greets each other and finds out the happenings of the previous day. I hear that someone has tried a few different times to bring Starbucks to Beaufort. My only hope is that enough people frequent the mom and pops enough to stay open and keep warding off the little green circle with the girl.

2) SHRIMP AND OYSTERS FROM THE CREEK FRESH OFF THE BOAT THAT DAY! I personally have not yet had the pleasure of throwing a cast net or filling a bucket up with fresh oysters in Beaufort, but I have friends who bring me these treasured goods. Growing up so close to the Chesapeake Bay I have certainly had my share of oysters and shrimp, but they taste differently when they come straight out of the river that day. I also never bought shrimp with the heads on until I moved here. Some may think that the heads are disgusting, but I think they are YUM-O!

3) SALTUS RIVER GRILL! This is by far my most favorite restaurant on Bay Street. The atmosphere is comfortable but elegant. When you dine here, you will find locals in flip flops bellied up to the active bar next to women in semi formal wear. Locals and tourists alike seem to navigate towards Saltus. One can see why when you taste their Hilo Maki sushi or the Black Cherry martinis. A must try!

4) HENRY C. CHAMBERS WATERFRONT PARK! One of my favorite things to do is to go downtown sit on a swinging bench and look out over the Beaufort River. I love to sit and watch the sailboats come in and out under the Woods Memorial Bridge and listen to the children play at the waterfront park. You can sit on one of these benches and enjoy a coffee from Common Ground coffee shop or eat Gelato from Paninis or just watch the traffic come and go over that bridge and imagine where all of the people are going. It almost seems as though time stops when I am sitting on one of these swings and I can't imagine Beaufort without this space.

5) PARRIS ISLAND, MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT AND NAVAL HOSPITAL BEAUFORT! We are so very fortunate to have these three military commands here. The economic impact alone is so vital to Beaufort. More importantly to me though, I am a Navy spouse and many of my friends and neighbors work at one of these bases and I am glad that we have so many military people here as I think it gives Beaufort an opportunity to learn and grow from individuals with vast experiences and knowledge of other places. At Parris Island they make Marines and it is fascinating to see how they take a 17 or 18 year old kid and mold him into a man his Mom and Dad are so proud of. Every Friday you can watch this transformation take place and even if you don't know any of the recruits becoming Marines, it is emotional to watch the growth of these young men and women that takes place on that drill field on any given Friday. Along with making Marines we are blessed to have Fightertown USA at MCAS Beaufort. I have had the privilege of working with or becoming friends with some of the best Marine Corps pilots right here. Lastly, my husband works at Naval Hospital Beaufort (this week he does anyway). We are fortunate to have a staff of highly training medical professionals to take care of our service members and their families.

6) STEVE BROWN'S COOKIES! Sometimes when I have had a hard day or just need a pick me up I head over to Steve Brown's catering on Ribault Road. If you have never had one of these cookies you must get there soon and try some. They are pricey at a little over $1 a piece, but oh so worth it! He usually offers a chocolate cookie filled with peanut butter that puts a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup to shame. I also love the Toffee Crunch and the Oatmeal Raisin. These cookies will definitely cheer you up no matter how bad it is. :) I highly recommend buying at least a dozen at a time and share them with someone in the park. Yeah, this is that kind of town.

7) HUNTING ISLAND STATE PARK! Have you seen the part of the movie Forrest Gump where Forrest runs back into the trees to save Bubba and Lt. Dan? Well that was filmed at Hunting Island State Park. This state park is one of the most fascinating places I have ever seen. When you enter the state park it appears as though you are entering a jungle complete with thick foliage and palms. As you wind to and fro through the road eventually the trees break and the Atlantic Ocean appears. It is amazing to stand on the beach and look back at the park and see the large palm trees lined up along the sand line. I love to come here with my children all year long and walk on the beach, collect shells, and just watch the dolphins, seagulls and pelicans. This is truly an amazing spot to get away to.

8) SUNSETS OVER THE BEAUFORT RIVER! Now, I am quite aware that there are many places in the world that some claim have the most gorgeous sunsets, but until you have seen the sun set over the Beaufort River, you haven't seen the best there is to offer. God mixes the most delightful palette of orange, reds, and yellows and paints a picture in the sky that is often reproduced in one of many art galleries on Bay Street. When you see the sun shine on the tidal creeks and marshes and you get to watch the Blue Heron fly over the Beaufort River just as the sun is resting on a blanket of water, you too will be amazed.

9) PRINCE OF TIDES ICE CREAM FROM BERRY ISLAND CAFE! Yes that movie was filmed here too! Obviously Hollywood thinks this is a pretty awesome place too! Prince of Tides ice cream is the most delectable flavor of ice cream imaginable. It is a wonderful collection of coffee ice cream w/ almonds and fudge swirl. Two scoops please! Berry Island is also run by my good friend Charlie Nolette. This is not only a great place to stop for ice cream, but a great little place to have lunch or coffee too!

10) GOLF, GOLF, AND MORE GOLF! If you have ever looked at a topographical map of the lowcountry you will see lots and lots of green. That green would be the beautifully landscaped golf courses where many Beaufort golfers spend their free time. I am quite fond of Legends on Parris Island. It is a great course with pure beauty. I also am a fan of Lady's Island Country Club in Royal Pines. This course is long and narrow (not too forgiving for amateur golfers), but great neighborhood golf course. South Carolina National is a favorite of many locals as well as visitors.

As you can tell, I love Beaufort and am very fortunate that this is my home. I will be back soon to give you part 2 of 10 more things I love about Beaufort.

A recent news story revealed many active duty Marines and Sailors reporting to and currently residing in the Beaufort County area will be pleased to see that BAH rates are going up for our area. Last year, BAH rates actually went down almost $100 so to see that they have actually caught up with market prices and rental rates for the Beaufort area is a blessing. With many area BAH rates rising an average 7.3% next month, many Marine families will now recognize that their BAH is actually more than a modest house payment in our area. You can view the new BAH rate table here: http://perdiem.hqda.pentagon.mil/perdiem/bah.html. If you know of an active duty Marine or Sailor relocating to the Beaufort area, send them to Advanced Real Estate Company where our military relocation specialists can help.

So I have this client who wrote an offer on a property and who was in mid process of getting a loan from Navy Federal Credit Union. The bank orders an appraisal and the client is on the way to his 100% loan when we hit a major speed bump. I receive a phone call from my client saying that because of some language in the appraisal that the lender is now requiring 3% down. This home appraised for the sales price needed for the loan, but the appraiser decided that this particular neighborhood was "over saturated" and therefore NFCU initiated their policy in response to such language. So I advised my client to call the lender back and contest the appraisal and if need be, offer to pay for another appraisal. In the meantime, the processor said we could contest the appraisal by providing data to the contrary of this appraiser's statement. So I look up this particular neighborhood of over 271 homes only to find that there are are a total of 25 homes for sale ranging in price from 259,000 up to 2.8 million. In my professional opinion less than 10% of homes in this neighborhood for sale is NOT over saturation. I asked the lender, is there a magic number that constitutes over saturation? The lender replied with no, it is a matter of opinion. So a client who has EXCELLENT credit and along the way to his new home with his 100% loan is blindsided by an appraiser who happened to opine that this neighborhood is over saturated. I won't even get into the fact that when price ranges go from 259K to over 2 million, that there is clearly a diverse range of homes for sale. I mention this situation in this blog because given the current status of the market, everyone is a little panicked about how the credit crisis is affecting real estate sales. I am not sure that this appraiser is aware of the "power" he or she has, but I pass along a warning that if you are planning on getting a 100% loan, an appraiser's personal opinion could derail that plan. I am also certain that NFCU just lost a loan and a customer of over 20 plus years!