John Robinson, Hilton Head Island, SC REALTOR

I had a client ask me this today and I thought I would share the answer with you.

On Hilton Head Island, South Carolina there are approximately 339 pended listings as of this writing. Of the pended listings, 242 are homes with an average price of $710,198, 56 are villas with an average price of $368,549, and 41 are lots with an average price of $404,129.

Because of this statistic, we can expect in the next 30-45 days there will be 339 more homes SOLD!

Today's buyer is savvy, smart and confident. They know the rule to ‘buy low and sell high'. Some people on the other hand know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

These new buyers are educated on both cost and VALUE. They know that Hilton Head Island historically has some of the lowest priced oceanfront real estate on the east coast. They know that the town has protected over 1100 acres from development and they know that it cost the town $144,000,000. This new buyer knows when to take advantage of a great deal while selection is still inviting.

These buyers might be your neighbors, co-worker, clients, or family. This new buyer could be a couple preparing to retire, a young couple or family seeking to build wealth for their future and their family's future, while creating memories that will last a lifetime.

They are the people at the party that talk about what they have done in their lives, their experiences and travels. These new buyers would rather listen to a story about Spanish Moss and moon beams before a story about a stock certificate hidden away in a safe deposit box.

I guess a better question is, "Are you one of these people"?

There has never been a better time to be a buyer.

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Here are a few reasons why 39,000 residents call Hilton Head home and countless others have made it their primary destination to vacation and relax.

Did you know:

1) Hilton head was one of the first "eco-planned" communities in the country. Charles Fraser, the visionary developer of Sea Pines Resort, set the stage with his very aggressive approach to preserving nature for the entire Island.

2) 70% of our population is under the age of 60 years of age. The largest segment of our population (18.2%) is under 18 years of age and the median age on the Island is 35.4 years. Hilton Head is much more than a retirement community.

3) We have one of the best climates on the east coast. We have a semi-tropical climate with an average daytime temperature of 75 degrees and an average evening temperature of only 55 degrees. Our winters last only a few weeks.

4) Nearly 100,000,000 potential visitors live within only a 15 hour drive to Hilton Head and more than 1,000,000 enplanements and deplanements happen at the Savannah Hilton Head International airport.

5) You can get to everything you need including schools, hardware stores, restaurants, hospitals, theaters, dry cleaners and more in 15 minutes or less from anywhere on the Island.

Do you know why people come to Hilton Head Island:

1) 23 golf courses that are meticulously maintained including the famed Harbour Town Golf Links, home of the PGA's Heritage Golf Tournament.

2) We have hundreds of tennis courts. Four of our tennis resorts are listed annually in Tennis Magazine's Top-50 Resorts.

3) We have 12 miles of white sandy beaches.

4) Or maybe it is one of our many marinas on the Island.

5) Our Island has been preserved with the town purchasing and protecting nearly 1,168 acres at a cost of $144,000,000 or eliminating 4,000,000 square feet of commercial development and 1,365 hotel rooms and 4,210 residential and timeshare units.

6) We have 7 beach parks, 6 recreational parks, and 8 community parks. How many places do you know that have 21 parks for 39,000 residents?

7) Maybe it is because of the 100 miles of bike paths that encircle the island.

I guess the answer to "WHY" will be different for all of us but the place will certainly be the same HILTON HEAD.

Here is to Spanish Moss and moon beams!

Hope to see you soon!

Well...here goes...

I moved to Hilton Head almost 19 years ago when I was hired as a tennis pro at the Sea Pines Racquet Club right after college. As a tennis pro, Hilton Head Island was (and is) the premiere location in the United States as there are over 300 tennis courts with 4 tennis resorts included in Tennis Magazine's Top-50 Resorts list each year.

The ambiance of the Island coupled with the fact that so many happy people reside and vacation here make life on the Island very appealing. Aside from the miles of incredible beaches, the purest green fairways you can imagine, and the thousands of tennis balls smacked back and forth, one of my greatest and most comforting pleasures of being a resident is when I see a friend, customer, past tennis student, or acquaintance at the grocery store or post office. To live in a "big city" means rarely seeing folks that you know out and about, but on Hilton Head Island, it often feels like the small town of Mayberry with an international magnetism.

After 14 years as a tennis pro, I decided to take the next step in my life to pursue a career in residential real estate on Hilton Head Island, Daufuskie Island, Bluffton, Hardeeville, and Ridgeland, South Carolina.
Hilton Head Island is truly the gem of South Carolina while Daufuskie Island is our version of Gilligan's Island with its unpaved roads, lush tropical climate and surroundings, and a unique exclusivity due to the fact that you can only get to Daufuskie Island by boat. You would be amazed at the oceanfront opportunities you'll find on Daufuskie Island!

Bluffton is a fast-growing small town which offers a tremendous variety of community styles, homesites, townhomes, villas, and new communities such as Tradition, Mill Creek, Hilton Head Lakes, and Abbey Glen just to name a few. Bluffton is also the proud host of several very exclusive gated country club communities such as Colleton River Plantation, Belfair Plantation, Berkeley Hall Plantation, Hampton Hall Plantation, Hampton Lake, and Hampton Pointe.

Hardeeville and Ridgeland are two sleepy small towns with healthy growth planned over the next several years and offer opportunities for large parcels of land at minimal pricing. This is appealing to many buyers as these two towns are within 25 miles of the coastline!

Over the past several years as a REALTOR, I have researched and learned a tremendous amount of vital information pertaining to Hilton Head Island and the Lowcountry including coastal insurance, property taxes, rental issues, construction materials, quality builders, and of course the ebb and flow of our local real estate market.

As a young tennis pro, many of my tennis students asked me "Where do you go on vacation"? My response has always been the same: my vacation is on-going and is part of every day on Hilton Head Island. If you have a tennis racquet and a can of balls, a set of golf clubs, a pair of walking or running shoes, a beach chair and sunscreen, a pair of sunglasses, a love for boating & fine dining, and an interest in experiencing the great outdoors, then Hilton Head will offer you a lifetime of vacation memories every day you wake up.

Because of my infatuation for all things Hilton Head, I feel very lucky to be a realtor on Hilton Head Island where my job requires me to assist future residents and/or investors in choosing their dream home.

I'd love to hear other stories of Hilton Head Island and what the Island means to you!

I had the pleasure and opportunity to attend the Floyd Wickman Program this fall on Hilton Head Island.

My broker at Dunes Marketing Group organized for a Floyd Wickman trainer (Robyn) to give our group of 100+ agents a presentation highlighting the Floyd Wickman Program. After the presentation, several agents and I registered for the course.

WHAT DOES THE FLOYD WICKMAN TEAM DO?

They help brokers and their agents increase sales by causing them to:

1. Master the art of Listing and selling real estate.
2. Build and maintain a Salable Book of Business.
3. Become and stay organized.
4. Value the benefits of Teamwork and Mentoring.
5. Live by 5 client- and company-friendly Core Values.

S.M.A.R.T. PROGRAM: 7 weekly sessions teaches agents how to prospect their sphere of influence and FSBO's; generate referrals; control the complete listing appointment; price the listing so it is salable in the toughest of markets; service the listing; convert incoming and Internet inquiries into office appointments; sell more properties; create a business plan and focus for achieving that plan; work as part of a mentor group.

Includes:

1. 8 CD's

2. 1 DVD

3. Course Manual

4. Online resources

CORE VALUES CLUB: 1 year follow-up to the S.M.A.R.T. program (no additional charge) designed to help the agent fine tune all of the listing and selling skills taught during the 7 weekly sessions; and, to master the personal success characteristics necessary to achieve long range success.

Includes:

1. 12 monthly audio messages

2. Online resources

THE MASTER SALES EVENT: A 3 day event during January, limited to Floyd Wickman graduates designed to recognize achievement and to create a business plan for the New Year. To help agents achieve at a higher level.

Includes:

1. National speakers

2. Added value workshops

3. Referral sharing

4. Higher level skills