Kiawah Island, SC for 2nd property

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To helpful pp: what are tips for best times to drive to KI and how do you break up the trip?
Also, we’ve only visited off season, does the traffic back up on the island or is it not too over crowded high season?

We’ve found the best time to drive down is on Sundays off season. In the summer weekdays are a little better if you leave early, before the commuters. Coming back is probably better on Saturdays. Of course, each trip is different. We do not break up the trip except to get a quick lunch and pit stops, if needed.

We have never found the traffic to back up getting onto the island or on it except if there is an accident or road repair - or, leaving the island at the end of the day when all the contractors are heading off the island.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just sold a beach condo in South Florida I inherited. It was very difficult to sell even with it being across the road from Atlantic Ocean with private beach access. It became a money pit with all the assessments of living in an HOA community. If I were you and your sister, I’d sell sooner than later. We waited 4 years after my mom died and it was the most stressful real estate experience I have had and I’ve done many real estate transactions in an affluent area. I could never imagine it taking over a year to sell a luxury property, which sold for under $500K. We went in thinking we could get $600K and the property just sat. It is a tremendous relief to be done and have that money sitting in a managed brokerage account.

On what planet is that a luxury property??

Everything is relative on this planet, Earth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just sold a beach condo in South Florida I inherited. It was very difficult to sell even with it being across the road from Atlantic Ocean with private beach access. It became a money pit with all the assessments of living in an HOA community. If I were you and your sister, I’d sell sooner than later. We waited 4 years after my mom died and it was the most stressful real estate experience I have had and I’ve done many real estate transactions in an affluent area. I could never imagine it taking over a year to sell a luxury property, which sold for under $500K. We went in thinking we could get $600K and the property just sat. It is a tremendous relief to be done and have that money sitting in a managed brokerage account.

On what planet is that a luxury property??

Everything is relative on this planet, Earth.

Uhh, the planet of Florida. Strange alien species inhabit the place, and beachfront property is a bargain.

[Anonymous]

For Kiawah dwellers: how easy/hard is it to get things like groceries, good fresh seafood or to go to a movie theater or a mall (of course food planning is much more important). We’ve been to the Sanctuary a few times and I’ve never seen a commercial property on KI. Or is non built up what people love about KI?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just sold a beach condo in South Florida I inherited. It was very difficult to sell even with it being across the road from Atlantic Ocean with private beach access. It became a money pit with all the assessments of living in an HOA community. If I were you and your sister, I’d sell sooner than later. We waited 4 years after my mom died and it was the most stressful real estate experience I have had and I’ve done many real estate transactions in an affluent area. I could never imagine it taking over a year to sell a luxury property, which sold for under $500K. We went in thinking we could get $600K and the property just sat. It is a tremendous relief to be done and have that money sitting in a managed brokerage account.

On what planet is that a luxury property??

Everything is relative on this planet, Earth.

Uhh, the planet of Florida. Strange alien species inhabit the place, and beachfront property is a bargain.

Yes but not just Florida. It was just meant to be a snobby comment but there are luxury properties all over the world that are dirt cheap by the price standards of major cities.

[Anonymous]

Freshfields Village is a couple minutes outside the Kiawah gate. It has a Harris Teeter grocery, shops and restaurants. There is also a medical clinic there for minor problems. The Citadel Mall is about 30 minutes or more away, depending on where you are on the island. There is a movie theater there, as well as shops. Many other stores are near to it. On route 7.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Freshfields Village is a couple minutes outside the Kiawah gate. It has a Harris Teeter grocery, shops and restaurants. There is also a medical clinic there for minor problems. The Citadel Mall is about 30 minutes or more away, depending on where you are on the island. There is a movie theater there, as well as shops. Many other stores are near to it. On route 7.

Thanks. This is about how I feel living in far out McLean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would sell it. Climate change is going to ruin it.

We just sold a property in Isle of Palms (just north if Kiawah) and I kind of agree. The house was definitely cash flow positive, the insurance sky high, for good reason. The upkeep was tremendous, as the sea air so harsh.

However, we are in the minority. The market is hot hot hot down there. Lots of new construction, lots of money pouring in. I do think much of it will wash away. Those barrier islands are so delicate and the buildup and the erosion has left the land so exposed and vulnerable to hurricanes.

BTW, Kiawah is a barrier island. barrier islands are meant to take the brunt force trauma of a hurricane and storm. So just keep in mind your property is nothing but a wall designed to be hit by a battering ram.

[Anonymous]

Is sure seems like NC is in bad weather’s path much more than SC. Maybe because we have several friends and family in NC and we pay close attention to all the weather news.

[Anonymous]

Can anyone comment on the need or desirability of using and outside realtor/MLS vs KI RE for home purchase? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I am the Kiawah property owner. I would definitely start with Kiawah as they have, by far, the most properties. But, you can also check the multilist and call a multilist realtor to see one of those properties, if you’re interested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is sure seems like NC is in bad weather’s path much more than SC. Maybe because we have several friends and family in NC and we pay close attention to all the weather news.

It's true. If you look at a map showing the track of hurricanes historically, Wilmington, NC is the bull's eye. The coast of SC is recessed, and further away from the Gulf Stream, so it simply doesn't get as many hurricanes and those that hit tend to have weakened a bit by the time they hit the coast. Of course, there are always exceptions (Hugo). The tides are very extreme on the SC coast, as well (8 feet in some places), so the storm surge from a hurricane that hits at low tide is not likely to cause damage. There was a major hurricane that hit the SC coast in the 50's that hit at low tide and caused no flooding damage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone comment on the need or desirability of using and outside realtor/MLS vs KI RE for home purchase? Thanks!

I've been told that one real estate agency has a monopoly on listing on Seabrook and Kiawah, so maybe that agency is KI RE?

And so many climate change drama queens on this thread

[Anonymous]

That is not correct. Kiawah Island Real Estate, which has the largest number of listings, does not handle Seabrook. Recently, Kiawah Partners announced that they would allow multilist agents access to their listings, which they had never permitted before. I don’t know whether this has been implemented yet or not. Multilist agents have always had their own, separate listings on Kiawah - not sure what, if any, impact Kiawah Partner’s announcement will have on the heretofore separate listings on the multilist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That is not correct. Kiawah Island Real Estate, which has the largest number of listings, does not handle Seabrook. Recently, Kiawah Partners announced that they would allow multilist agents access to their listings, which they had never permitted before. I don’t know whether this has been implemented yet or not. Multilist agents have always had their own, separate listings on Kiawah - not sure what, if any, impact Kiawah Partner’s announcement will have on the heretofore separate listings on the multilist.

Can you comment on the pro/con of using KIRE or an outside realtor for a KI home search/purchase?