Randy Smith's Hilton Head Island Real Estate Search

Hilton Head Island Real Estate is a great buy today. When you purchase Hilton Head Real Estate you are purchasing more than a piece of land or a house, you are buying an opportunity to build a wonderful lifetime of great memories. Hilton Head Island has so many great things to take advantage of. Miles of white sandy beaches, great golf courses, tennis, boating, kayaking are only a few of the obvious activities.

There are many hidden jewels around the area and the Low country. You can start by learning about the wildlife. Just by walking around a golf course or even driving through our neighborhoods, you can encounter many different species of beautiful birds or the always fascinating Dolphin. Salt and fresh water fishing are popular activities in the many lagoons and estuaries. Explore the ruins around the Island, starting with the Stoney- Baynard Ruins in Sea Pines. You can go shrimping or crabbing and catch your dinner. Learn about the Gullah culture. This is only the tip of the iceberg of all of the exciting things to explore and share with your family on Hilton Head.

Check out the prices of Hilton Head Real estate today! You can find some really great deals on that golf view lot or waterfront home. Besides Hilton Head Short Sales and Hilton Head Foreclosures, there are many well priced Homes, Villas and Lots. When you take into consideration the numerous amenities available on Hilton Head Island I’m sure you will agree that it really is a great time to buy Hilton Head Island Real Estate.

Hilton Head Island Real Estate is a great opportunity for those looking for a permanent home, a rental property or a vacation retreat. Hilton Head has something to offer everyone within a resort community. It is truly the best of both worlds for families, retirees and any walk of life.

Hilton Head Island has some of the best beaches on the East Coast as well as golf courses, tennis courts, water activities and everything you can imagine for the perfect vacation. But Hilton Head Island is so much more.

For families, there are great schools in both the private and public sector along with many extracurricular opportunities including an abundance of sporting activities, to cultural and educational organizations. There are many inviting opportunities for the students to be involved in community service that allow them to take pride and ownership of their Island. While Hilton Head offers the normalcy of small town USA, you also have the ability to sneak away and pretend you are on vacation at the drop of a hat.

Retirees have an abundance of opportunities to get involved in their communities. Every neighborhood has many clubs for all types of interests. Outside of the community there are a massive amount of Island wide organizations to enjoy and meet like-minded people. They have a choice to get involved in the community or be on vacation full time!

For the career minded, Hilton Head Island always has availability in the Resort Industry as well as Medical, Legal and Financial. What better place to work than a resort community that offers everything imaginable.

Hilton Head Island real estate is on sale right now. There are many bargains available, from Hilton Head Foreclosures to homes that are priced to sell. If you are tired of the hustle and bustle, soon to be cold weather or just ready for a nice change, please take a look at our Island. Now is a great time to buy Hilton Head Island Real Estate.

Back in 1978, after graduating from The University of Tennessee, I made a decision to move to Hilton Head Island and practice Real Estate. Thirty Three years later, I can reflect on that decision and realize that Real Estate was the perfect career choice as it has allowed me to enjoy a lifestyle that most people dream about.

Real Estate has taken me all over the Lowcountry of South Carolina where I’ve experienced beautiful beaches, marshlands and bountiful wildlife. Just recently, I was camping with friends at a nearby Island where we enjoyed fishing, crabbing and the surrounding natural habitat.

One morning, David Stegmeir, a good friend and professional photographer from Beaufort South Carolina stopped by our Island for an early breakfast. Since it was a Blue Sky day in October, we decided to capture the surrounding scenery in photographs. Our trip started with photographs of Snowy Egrets, Ring Billed Gulls, pods of Dolphin, oysters and the surrounding marshes.

Then, just before Low Tide, we came across a site few rarely see; Pods of Dolphin were Strand Feeding! According to National Geographic, “the marshes and estuaries surrounding Hilton Head Island are one of the few areas in the world where Dolphin practice this unique way of feeding”. David was able to photograph the event from start to finish.

First, the dolphin start by rounding up bait into a ball.

Next, they herd the bait up to a muddy marsh bank and flip the fish onto shore with their tails.

Finally, they breech themselves onto shore and while lying on their side, they enjoy the catch. After Dinner, they slide back into the water.

Practicing Real Estate on Hilton Head Island has allowed me to enjoy most of the wonderful activities, sports, hobbies and events that this beautiful Island has to offer. By capturing these events in still photography, clients and would be travelers can enjoy the natural surroundings as well. I often post these adventures to Hilton Head’s number one Real Estate website, However, I’ve found that posting to Active Rain creates the most comments and questions. Hilton Head Island: Come for a week, Stay for a Lifetime!

Living on Hilton Head Island and practicing Real Estate for over 33 years has given me the opportunity to experience most all of the amenities, activities, sports and hobbies that the Lowcountry has to offer. Besides golf, tennis, kayaking, fishing, biking and enjoying the beach, Hilton Head Island is an outstanding place to hone your photography skills. Just recently, I was able to capture a beautiful sunrise in North Forest Beach on a Sunday in September.

Although I have spent many early weekend mornings shooting sunrise at Sea Pines Beach Club, Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Pavilion and Forest Beach at Coligny Beach Park, Silhouettes at Sunrise on a Sunday in September is one of my favorites. I usually arrive an hour before sunrise when I only have Ring Billed Gulls, Piping Plovers and Pelicans for company. I head out about 15 feet from the tideline and set up a tripod while accessing the ambient light conditions.

When the sunrise is 15 minutes away, the beach starts to populate with residents, vacationers and an assortment of pets, with Black Labradors being the most popular. At this time, I start manipulating the settings until I see the photo that I want, start to form in the viewfinder. I’ve found that AV mode with a shade setting often produces the best results. If my goal is to stop motion on the incoming tide, I work with the settings until I’m shooting with a minimum of 1/250 of a second.

Instead of using a remote shutter release, I often set the timer on the camera for a 2 second delay. This works to alleviate “camera shake”. When setting up for this shot, I was concentrating on the beauty of the sunrise and the reflection off of the Atlantic. After I pushed the shutter release, a couple strolled into the viewfinder. Thinking that this shot was ruined, I continued to shoot additional photos. It wasn’t until I returned home and started reviewing the mornings photos, did I discover what would turn out to be one of my favorites. Many of my best shots could be labeled as “Lucky”.

In 33 years of practicing real estate on Hilton Head Island, I’ve experienced most of the activities and amenities this Lowcountry Gem has to offer. One of my favorites is photography. Whether it involves photographing homes and villas for sale, the abundance of wildlife, or allowing others to view how kind nature has been to our area, photography is a way to share with clients, friends and family. One option I enjoy most is to share through my blogs. While I post many to my Hilton Head Website, Facebook and Twitter, I’ve found that posting to Active Rain reaches the largest audience. Many times I’ve received telephone calls and emails with comments on the photography in my Active Rain posts.

Whether you are just getting started, or a pro photographer, you may be surprised at how sharing your work will create clients, make friends and possibly lead to a sale.

Hilton Head Realtors have been rallying for the Point of Sale tax reform. On Monday Governor Nikki Haley ceremoniously signed the new property tax break into law. This bill will allow businesses and second home owners the opportunity to pay 25 % less in property taxes or the fair market value in taxes on the property, instead of paying taxes on the sale price of the property.

With the great prices on Hilton Head Real Estate, a continuance of low interest rates and this new property tax reform, now is definitely a great time to buy. Call me today to discuss or start your smart search today. Being a Hilton Head Realtor and a State Director for South Carolina Realtors, I am proud that these efforts have paid off for second home and rental property owners.