Sea Pines Life In A Vacation Paradise

Have You Ever Dreamed Of Living In Paradise? Whether you’re looking to purchase a place to call home for a lifetime or just for a week or two at a time, Sea Pines Plantation on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, is as close to heaven as you’ll find on earth. The unique, 5,000-acre resort and residential community lies between the Atlantic Ocean and Calibogue Sound on the island’s southern shore.

For 50 years, upscale amenities nestled in the unsurpassed beauty of ocean-front acres and maritime forest have drawn guests from all over the world and offered Sea Pines residents a lifestyle that makes every day seem like a vacation.

“Sea Pines has stood the test of time,” says Rob Reichel, sales executive with Sea Pines Real Estate. “Now there’s a second generation of family buyers who are realizing how special Sea Pines is.”

“It’s unlike any other community,” Director of Real Estate Marketing David Warren ex­plains. “It’s for people who like the excitement of a resort. The amenities have been designed for resort purposes, and residents have access to them right at their back door.”

“ Prices are as advantageous as they’ll ever be,” says Warren.

Sea Pines is the site of the prestigious Harbour Town Golf Links, an award-winning course consistently ranked among the best in the nation and home of the Verizon Heritage Classic PGA Tournament. Two other distinc­tive courses, the Ocean Course and Sea Marsh, as well as a private country club, also provide challenging play for golfers of all levels. They can take advantage of multiple driving ranges, practice areas and pro shops staffed with PGA-certified professionals. Sea Pines also boasts world-class tennis facilities, including the 23-court Sea Pines Racquet Club–whose programs are ranked first in the country by Tennis magazine–and the nationally-recognized Smith-Sterns Tennis Academy.

White sand beaches stretching for five miles surround Sea Pines, providing private areas to soak in the sun and access to water sports such as kayaking, water and jet skiing, para­sailing, surfing and sailing. Anglers can enjoy offshore deep-sea fishing, fly-fishing in tidal basins or freshwater angling in more than 50 lakes and lagoons.

“Unlike other communities, we also have thriving commercial areas,” says Warren.

The hub of Sea Pines is Harbour Town, a deep-water yacht basin cen­tered around the famous candy cane-striped lighthouse and Liberty Oak Tree. Other commercial areas include the popular South Beach Marina, reminiscent of a New England-style village, with gaslights and weathered buildings, and the more contempo­rary Sea Pines Plantation Center. Each of these areas features dozens of inter­esting shops, ranging from eclectic art galleries to beach souvenir stores to upscale boutiques, as well as diverse dining options offering everything from elegant continental and classic American cuisine to regional seafood and Lowcountry fare.

Sea Pines residents are blessed with an abundance of natural beauty, and they are dedicated to keeping it that way. Ancient moss-draped oaks, tower­ing pines, lush palmettos and fragrant magnolias stand amid tranquil lagoons, winding tidal creeks and salt marshes.

Both land and water teem with an array of coastal wildlife. Dolphins and sea turtles swim in the warm Atlantic waves, deer peek through verdant thickets of brush and trees and egrets and other herons swoop overhead. The scenery is punctuated by picturesque images of the Low­country’s past–shrimp boats return­ing from the day’s catch, a 4,000-year-old Indian shell ring and the Stoney Baynard ruins, the remnants of an 18th century plantation.

More than 600 acres of dense, draping forest, flora and fauna indigenous to the Lowcountry are protected in the Sea Pines Forest Preserve. Miles of trails and board­walks that meander through old rice fields, cypress swamps, rookeries and a wildflower meadow can be en­joyed on foot, horseback or hayride through the Lawton Stables.

“Twenty-five percent of this commu­nity is protected from future develop­ment,” Warren stresses. “To have that amount of land never be developed is exceptional. It speaks volumes about Charles Fraser’s vision for Sea Pines.”

Sea Pines was the first of the renowned Fraser’s developments, and preserving the natural environ­ment was a priority from the start. The first eco-planned resort in the world, only natural materials and colors of muted grays and browns are used for buildings and signs, and architecture must complement the native surroundings. The standards set by Sea Pines for its Architectural Review Board, its covenants and its community planning, have served as a template for other developments.

“So much of what Sea Pines has done has become the model for communities throughout the world,” says Warren, adding that Sea Pines has been named the Best Large Scale Recreational Project by the Urban Land Institute and a Silver Medal Resort by Golf magazine.

Sea Pines is a community in which the resort and the residential com­munity get equal weight—a formula that benefits residents by providing recreational opportunities and a rock-solid financial investment. Ocean-front property is always in demand, espe­cially at Sea Pines. In the last five years, properties in Sea Pines have appreciated more than 60 percent. In 2002, the average home price was $600,000; today that number is more than $1 million.

“It’s a strong invest­ment appreciation,” says Reichel. “I tell people if they own it for at least three to five years, they’ll make money.”

Appreciation isn’t the only benefit of own­ing a Sea Pines home. Owners who choose not to occupy their property can get an instant return on their money by renting it.

Both short- and long-term rentals are available throughout the Plantation, and the resort guarantees that Sea Pines rentals are always in demand.

“One of the big differentiating points in Sea Pines is the rental opportunity,” says Warren. “It adds another reason to buy.”

Whether you’re looking for a villa, bungalow, patio home or ocean-front estate, you’ll find it in Sea Pines. Own­ership options start as low as $450,000 and climb well into the millions.

“Prices are as advantageous as they’ll ever be,” says Warren. “There’s also a higher inventory. Buyers have the choice of the type of property they want. Now is the time to put the two together.”

“But Sea Pines is about much more than a financial investment,” he adds. “It’s an investment in your family and having a place to create the memories that become part of your family’s history.”