June LIBPA Newsletter

Island Notes: New Principal for Lady’s Island Elementary School. As previously announced Mr. Terry Bennett, the present Principal for LIES will become the Principal for Lady’s Island Middle School on July 1. The new principal at LIES will be Mr. Terry Dingle who is presently an assistant principal at Broad River Elementary School. We welcome Mr. Dingle and look forward to working with him. Just because you asked. If Representative Ceips wins the upcoming election to become the Beaufort County State Senator, on the day she officially resigns her present seat as District 124 Representative an election would be necessary to select a replacement. In theory, the primary for that election would be held on September 11 followed by a run off election (if necessary) on September 25 and the general election on a date during the October 30 to November 6 time frame. Certainly these dates could change but are provided as a general guide. Butler Marine receives initial approval of building plan. The Northern Corridor Review Board recently approved the conceptual design for the 16,500 square foot building which will be located opposite the Lady’s Island Marina on Sea Island Parkway. A final review of the plan is required prior to authorization to begin construction. Change in Coastal Conservation League leadership. Ms. Tara McGrath, who has served as the Director of the Coastal Conservation League’s South Coast Office in Beaufort since 2005 has been replaced by Mr. Patrick Moore. Mr. Moore is a lawyer (USC Law School) with a Masters Degree in environmental law. Ms. McGrath and her husband, Marine Captain Doug Hatch, are relocating to his next duty station (Camp Pendleton, California). We, in LIBPA, look forward to working with Mr. Moore and to Ms. McGrath we offer our best wishes for her future endeavors and our appreciation for her contribution to our community. Lady’s Island Business Pamphlet. Just a reminder that if you are a LIBPA member and desire that your business be included in the Lady’s Island Business Pamphlet presently being designed, please contact Ms. Judy Smith at 522-0066 for details. The price is only $25 and a short description of your business provided for inclusion in the pamphlet.

Community Preservation Committee Report:  The Lady’s Island Community Preservation Committee met on May 14, 2007 in the conference room of the Lady’s Island Airport. Attending the meeting were representatives of the Beaufort County and City of Beaufort planning departments, some Lady’s Island builders and developers plus Lady’s Island County Councilman Paul Sommerville. The following items were included as agenda items. - A discussion of the concept of controlling growth on Lady’s Island by limiting the number of building permits as a method to avoid future traffic problems. After a through evaluation by members of the committee and listening to the opinions of others in attendance the committee voted to not support the concept of limiting building permits on Lady’s Island via use of a lottery or other similar means and instead encourage alternative solutions to traffic problems be evaluated and expedited where feasible. - Jane Fredrick and Merritt Patterson were nominated to represent Lady’s Island in the joint Beaufort County and City of Beaufort “Connectivity Study” scheduled to search for ways to reduce future traffic problems on the portion of Sea Island Parkway from Wood’s Memorial Bridge to the Publix intersection. - Received a request to change the present zoning in the Village Center to allow truck rental. The Committee voted to recommend disapproval of the request.

A Barbershop On Lady's Island: To preclude facing the traffic problem involved with leaving the island it has been said, somewhat in jest, that the only service not available on Lady’s Island is a barbershop. That problem has been corrected. Ms. Hatsuko Douglass has recently opened a 4 chair barbershop, Specialty Cuts, in the commercial center directly across from the entrance to New Point on Sams Point Road. It even has a barber pole. Ms. Douglass has 17 years of experience as a barber and for the last 4 years owned and operated a barbershop in Hilton Head. Her long range planes include the possibility of joining with a beautician to expand the types of services available. In an effort to determine the preferred hours by the Lady’s Island market the present hours of operation are 9AM to 5PM every day including Sunday. At $12 per haircut the price is very reasonable and like most barbershops it is first come first served. Ms. Douglass requested that we pass the word that she has space for additional barbers who might care to join her new business.

Congratulations Representative Ceips!: We congratulate Representative Catherine Ceips on her recent victory in the Republican Primary election (and following run off). The general election on June 19 will see Representative Ceips (R), Terry Thomas (D) and Greg Graziani (L) competing for the Senate seat vacated by former Senator Scott Richardson. Although it is the policy of LIBPA to not support or oppose any individual political candidate, you can’t help but be proud of the fact that two of the candidates to represent Beaufort County in the State Senate are from our general area - Lady’s Island (Mr. Thomas) and Beaufort (Representative Ceips).

Final Notices For Delinquent Members: by Gail Clark, Membership A letter was recently mailed advising those that have failed to renew their membership that, with regret, we must remove their names from the role of active LIBPA members. As a courtesy, we will attempt to make a final personal phone call or visit to each member prior to deleting them from the LIBPA membership roster and the LIBPA website. Over the past few years our membership increases by approximately 20% and we lose about 10% for an overall growth rate of 10%. We are very proud of this very healthy growth rate. The reasons for the membership loss includes new businesses which fail, older established business which relocate, residents who move away and in some cases the real or perceived failure of LIBPA to provide the services or benefits anticipated by the member. Seldom is it the cost of the annual dues. Starting in July we will begin our annual new membership drive. LIBPA, on behalf of the Lady’s Island community, is involved in an exceptionally large number of projects at the present time and like any organization we are only as effective as the strength of membership. Please take a minute to tell your neighbors, friends and business associates about LIBPA and invite them to attend one of our meetings. If you need additional copies of the monthly newsletter to share with a potential member or desire that we send one to them – just let us know.

From The Editor - Thanks Mr. Marlow:  In February 2003, I started searching for a realtor who could assist me, as editor of the LIBPA newsletter, with real estate statistics and help our members better understand what was occurring in the local real estate market. I went to the Beaufort County Association of Realtors with my plea for help and Mrs. Jean Wood, the Executive Director informed me that no one had better historical data or understanding of the market than the Association’s President, Mr. Jerry Marlow. In addition to being President of the Beaufort County Association of Realtors he was also Broker in Charge of Coldwell Banker/Keyserling Real Estate. A very gracious gentleman, he responded to my request for help by providing his first article for the March 2003 issue of the LIBPA newsletter. It was a statistical review of the changes in the Lady’s Island real estate market over the preceding 8 years. For the next 4 years it was my privilege to work with Jerry as, each month, through his articles in the LIBPA newsletter, he shared his knowledge of the real estate market. In 2006 he retired from his position as Broker in Charge and assumed the role of President of the Success Plus School of Real Estate and continued to write his monthly article. His article in this month’s newsletter is his final contribution. On behalf of our members and those in the community who enjoyed his monthly article we express our appreciation for his significant contribution. On a personal basis he has demonstrated exceptional patience in dealing with my many questions, my desire to play with words in his articles and in all cases he was a gentleman. Thank you for your help, your professional friendship and contribution to LIBPA.

Dennis O. Green - A Man Of Vision And Patience:  In 2001 when the Celadon community on Sams Point Road was originally planned by developer Dennis O. Green, he envisioned a part of the project would be a “first class” activity center. The 5,750 square foot center, presently under construction, will include a fully equipped state of the art fitness center, yoga/pilates/aerobics/community room, youth room, pool baths, men and ladies locker rooms with shower and steam rooms, spa with wet and dry treatment rooms and a tower library/reading room. An upstairs deck for relaxing after a massage overlooks the 75 foot swimming pool and spa, which is a short walk from the adjoining tennis court, Bocce ball court and outdoor terraced performance area. There will also be an 800 square foot member’s lounge and fireplace in the pavilion for relaxation and cards and an outdoor plaza with it own fireplace for family gatherings and picnics. The present plans are for the center to be in operation by September 2007 and to be managed by a nationally known fitness consultant and management company. To Mr. Green’s credit the Celadon project, designed by Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company, has been “first class” in every respect and a compliment to our community. Thank you for your high standards of development and your patience.

New Corporate Hanger For Lady's Island Airport?:  Doug Carmody, LIBPA member and President of Executive Flight Training and Sensible Car Rental, both located at the Lady’s Island Airport, is proposing construction of a 20,000 square foot hangar as part of a Public/Private venture. He would fund the cost of construction and it would be located on Beaufort County airport property. A percentage of the revenue derived from the hangar would be paid to the county for the privilege of operating a business on public property. The new hangar would have the capability to hold up to 10 corporate aircraft and provide facilities for both Executive Flight Training and Sensible Car Rental. This move would then increase the available space in the airport main building. The Beaufort County Aviation Advisory Board has reviewed the project and recommended approval. The final decision must be made by County Council. Approval of this project would appear to be a win for both the County and for Mr. Carmody.

Is A Northern Bridge For Lady's Island A Realistic Solution?: With the damaged McTeer Bridge able to provide only limited service in regard to entering or exiting Lady’s Island the construction of a bridge from the vicinity of the Marine Corps Air Station to the end of Brickyard Point Road has been a popular subject of conversation. It is not a new subject and has been discussed for many decades. However, over the last decade it has been the focus of a good number of official studies. Following is a brief summary of some of these studies and their results. 1997 - The Beaufort County Comprehensive Plan included a study of a possible bypass from the Broad River Bridge to Highway 21 in the vicinity of the Air Station and then from there across the river to the northern end of Lady’s Island but stated at that time the data did not support such a bridge. 2001 - When the county was promoting the use of impact fees to pay for infrastructure as a result of growth and specifically transportation impact fees, the City of Beaufort and Town of Port Royal declined to participate indicating that additional information was needed regarding a third bridge to Lady’s Island before any transportation impact fee should be instituted. In response to the request for more information about a third bridge to Lady’s Island the county hired the firm of Wilbur Smith Associates to “evaluate the effectiveness of a new road way facility to be known as the Beaufort Bypass.” 2002 – The Wilbur Smith Study defined the Beaufort Bypass as a new road way extending from (1) SC 170 (just after coming off the Broad River Bridge) to Highway 21 in the vicinity of the Air Station (estimated cost $42 million), (2) then from US 21 across the Beaufort River north of the Air Station at Jack’s Island to Lady’s Island on to a three lane Brickyard Point Road up Middle Road to Sams Point Road (estimated cost $148.5 million). There is little question this could overwhelm Sams Point Road. A possible solution to overwhelming Sams Point Road was to direct St. Helena, Dataw, Fripp and Hunting Island traffic down Springfield Road onto Sams Point Road down to Coosa Island across the Morgan River along a new road to Eddings Point terminating at US 21. This concept requires 2 new bridges (upgrade of the present Coosaw Island Bridge and a new bridge over the Morgan River) and a good bit of new roadway (estimated cost $101 million). A quick look was given to routing the road from Highway 21 through a portion of the Marine Corps Air Station which would significantly reduce the length of the bridge across the Beaufort River and thus could reduce the cost as much as 50%. Reportedly, this has been discussed, in general terms, and has not been ruled out as a possibility. It should be noted none of the estimated cost (all in 2001 dollars) include purchase of right of way, utility relocation or permitting cost but at the time they were presented were deemed to be high estimates provided for general planning purposes. At the time of the study it was estimated that the northern bridge would handle an estimated 9,300 trips per day. 2006 – Origin and Destination Study. Beaufort County contracted for a study to determine where the cars crossing the Wood’s Memorial Bridge and McTeer Bridge were going to and coming from in an effort to improve the accuracy of the data in the computer transportation model utilized for planning by the county. This study is commonly referred to as the “Origin and Destination” study and consisted of taking pictures of license plates and comparing them with vehicles which traveled along other roads such as Highway 21 at the Air Station and the Broad River Bridge. In the end the study found that 70% of the vehicles leaving Lady’s Island, regardless of which bridge they used, remained in the general City of Beaufort or Town of Port Royal area and return the same day. Using that data there would be 3,658 trips over the northern bridge going to the Air Station or further north. It has been said that if a northern bridge existed some of the residents on the northern end of the island would utilize it to visit Beaufort and Port Royal and this would increase the amount of traffic using the bridge. That most certainly is true but the number is impossible to estimate. 2006 – Beaufort County voters approved, as part of the 1% sales tax referendum, construction of another bridge parallel to the McTeer Bridge and widening of Lady’s Island Drive plus a $6 million study of the northern by pass. There is no specific date scheduled for the study except to conduct it prior to end of the period for the 1% sales tax (2012). 2007 – Northern Regional Plan transportation study recommends that the previously approved “Third Crossing of the Beaufort River” study include “analysis of the mobility, economic and community/environmental impacts and benefits of various alignment options.” So after many studies, conducted over a decade, the simple truth is there is not clear irrefutable justification for the construction of a very expensive northern bridge from Lady’s Island. It would be nice to have if we could avoid overwhelming Sams Point Road. Some may be convinced of the need for the bridge while others have honest reservations. Hopefully, the study scheduled to be conducted will settle once and for all the question of justification for a northern Lady’s Island Bridge and if validated define a proposed route to avoid future growth rising to block it before it can be built.

The Real Impact Of Budget Cuts:  Mr. Terry Bennett, Principal of Lady’s Island Elementary School, has reviewed the budget for Lady’s Island Elementary next year and, when combined with other restraints, has been forced to make some tough decisions regarding the next school year (2007/8). According to Mr. Bennett, these decisions, which were not made easily or lightly include: - Reduction of classroom teachers by one position. - Eliminating the Pre Kindergarten/Kindergarten program. - Elimination of one teaching assistant position. - Internal reassignment of 8 teachers. - Reduction in the number of “out of zone” students accepted. At this time no new students in grades 1, 2 & 4 are being accepted from “out of zone” for next year. Those “out of zone” students applying for these grades or kindergarten will be placed on a waiting list. Returning out of zone students will be accepted if (A) they have completed the form and returned it to the district and (B) there are no attendance (excessive incidents of being tardy, early dismissals or absences) issues. It should be noted that the above information, in much greater detail regarding teacher reassignment, has been provided directly to each parent of all children presently enrolled in Lady’s Island Elementary. Sadly, this is most likely not the end but only the beginning of the actions necessary to cope with reduced State funding for our schools due to our county being deemed a “wealthy” county.

A Window Of Opportunity: by Bob Stoothoff, Past President of LIBPA and Pathways Connect With the recent bridge problem has come an increased use of bikes and walking as a way to get where we, on Lady’s Island, desire to go. Thank goodness LIBPA pushed for and got the sidewalks on Sams Point Road moved back from the road when the project was being designed. In that same line, even though it took a really long time (5 years) to become a reality the walk/ ride path on Sunset Boulevard continues to experience more and more use. You only have to drive on either of these roads to see children walking or riding their bikes to school, mothers with children and strollers, individuals coming back from the grocery store or walking/jogging. With gas at an all time high and one of our two bridges damaged it does not take a survey to see these two sidewalks and trails are very popular and we need similar facilities along other roads. Just as the best time to locate the sidewalk away from the highway on Sams Point Road was while it was being designed now is the time for LIBPA and the community to become involved in several projects scheduled for Lady’s Island. Each of these projects provides an opportunity for additional walking and bike riding pathways. Following are general descriptions of some of these projects: - Crystal Lake Park. This 17 acre lake and passive (meaning no ball fields) park is scheduled to have walkways around the lake and a children’s playground. Final design has not been approved and the Community Preservation Committee is working with the County and the firm (LandPlan) hired to design the park. - Widening of Lady’s Island Drive. The contract to design the widening of Lady’s Island Drive to 4 lanes has recently been awarded and this provides an opportunity to insure appropriate pathways or sidewalks on each side.  - Highway 21/SC 802 Connector Road. This project is still in the design phase (scheduled to begin construction in 2008) and will include a multi-use biking, jogging, walking paved pathway on one side of the road. Hopefully, this will connect the sidewalk on Highway 21/Sea Island Parkway with a pathway along the newly widened Lady’s Island Drive. - Pathway along Meridian Road. At the present this falls in the desired and needed category. Matt Trumps has taken the lead in attempting to insure “right of way” would be available for such a pathway if (and this is a big if) adequate funding can be located. - Connectivity Study. Beaufort County has recently issued a contract for a “connectivity study” of the area from the intersection at Publix to the Woods’ Memorial Bridge, then down Meridian Road to Lady’s Island Drive and then from the McTeer Bridge back to the Publix intersection. The purpose of this study is to determine what steps can be taken to obtain the optimum traffic management for the entire area. Jane Frederick and Merritt Patterson will represent LIBPA and the community for this project. It does not take a traffic engineer to determine we have the makings of a very serious traffic problem (even with a good McTeer Bridge) when you combine the normal traffic across the Wood’s Memorial Bridge, 1600 high school students, approximately 200 residential units as part of the Whitehall development, 40 condominiums presently under construction as part of Hampton Village, a new boat dealership scheduled to locate across from the Marina, additional 4 story houses along the waterfront where Ollie’s Restaurant was formerly operated and hopefully new businesses in the future. One thing is for sure, there are no magic solutions to the traffic problems but with the County, the City of Beaufort and LIBPA working together hopefully we can find answers to diminish the severity of the potential problem. One of the obvious answers is to ensure the existence of adequate and safe walkways and pathways. So whether you are bike enthusiast or enjoy a daily walk or jog, the next few months will provide us a window of opportunity to influence the availability of pathways and bikeways in the general vicinity of the Lady’s Island Village Center. LIBPA will certainly be involved with these projects, as will Pathways Connect which promotes bike and walking pathways, but with the potential traffic problems we face obtaining adequate walking and biking trails is a matter for the entire community.

How Important Is It...Really????:  by Paul Sommerville, District 7, Beaufort County Council Representative The Beaufort County Planning Department has just held a series of public seminars to provide background to the general public on our collective efforts to produce a new comprehensive plan later this year. As many of you know, the Southern Beaufort County Regional Plan has been completed and the Northern Beaufort County Regional Plan is in its final stages. The seminar series was called “Building on What We Treasure The Most” and dealt in broad terms with our natural resources, our communities and our people. Some of you attended as I did and were impressed with the various presenters and their message. One of the speakers was Ed McMahon of the Urban Land Institute. No, not that Ed McMahon, but equally entertaining and many times more knowledgeable about land use. A point he made was that growth is inevitable (we already knew that) but that our communities should endeavor to protect their character, uniqueness and treasures. He used all sorts of examples of old buildings that were converted to more modern and practical uses rather than being torn down. He also used numerous examples of how developers were made to protect and develop around trees rather than cut them down. The point I took from all of this is that we should look around us at the many precious assets in our community, identify them, catalog them and protect them at all costs. Which brings me to the title of this article – How Important is it… Really??? What is it about our beautiful islands that we would lay down on the tracks to protect? What often happens is that we awaken one morning to the sound of bulldozers and chain saws and discover that what we had taken for granted is now gone – forever. Looking back over my 61+ years here I don’t have to think very long to come up with a list of the treasures that fell by the wayside during my lifetime that I still mourn. Ribaut Road was widened in the late 1960’s and countless centuries old live oaks fell to the chain saws and bulldozers. I can still recall the majestic canopy of oak limbs and Spanish moss that extended from Highway 21 (Boundary Street) to Port Royal. True, a small amount of canopy has returned but it will never have the beauty it once had nor provide the awe and security it provided to our residents for centuries. Another treasure that bit the dust about the same time was Burckmyer Beach. Until the Harbor Island Bridge was built by depression era work gangs (CCC & WPA), the only public beaches accessible by land were Burckmyer Beach and Laurel Bay. Many a Sunday afternoon family outing of swimming and picnicking took place at these two lovely spots. Laurel Bay fell first to become a “Capehart” for military housing and is now known, once again, simply as Laurel Bay. Burckmyer Beach survived until about 1970 when it suddenly and quietly was sold to developers. Some of you will recall that there were bathhouses, picnic tables and a lovely, lovely gathering place for our citizens. Many a high school, family and private party took place there. In fact, my 2nd birthday party was held there. So why do I wax on about treasures lost? Because not all of our treasures have been lost. We as a community need to decide now what we must protect and as development and infill proceed we must insist that they remain sacrosanct. What specifically are these treasures? As we proceed with the regional and comprehensive plans and their ultimate implementation, these questions must be answered. So consider what these treasures are for you as you drive, walk or bike around our little piece of heaven. Make your feelings known to your representatives and fellow citizens. Begin the dialogue. Put an exclamation point after your thoughts. Let us not allow the bulldozers and chain saws to make these decisions for us. How important it is… really??? Paul Sommerville Home- 521-0827 Office – 379-7114 Cell – 575-0827

Why I Am Running To Be The District 46 Senator: by Terry Thomas, Candidate For SC Senator, District 46 The reasons why I decided to seek the SC Senate seat in district 46 are countless and driven by the repetitive rhetoric of unfulfilled talking points by candidates at election and/or reelection time. The serious agendas are, by and large, left alone because they will not lead to an extended political career. I became a Democrat when I realized that the Republican elected officials were going to continue the latter path and be unresponsive to the needs of our county and our state. It has led to less and less of our tax dollars returned to our county and has caused the necessity to pass a bond referenda and add local taxes to build our own roads, run our schools and extend our utility systems. I want to see a change in this inequity. Quoting Abraham Maslow; “If the only tool you have is a hammer, then you tend to see every problem as a nail.” The culmination of my 4+ decades in doing business globally and my 3 years in teaching and coaching baseball and football, in Beaufort County, is that I have accumulated a complete set of tools to accomplish all the tasks for the residents of Beaufort County and the State of South Carolina. I do not have any conflict of attention since the only interest group to which I need to be accountable are the citizens of Beaufort County and the State of South Carolina. The most serious issues our county and state face are the core or tasks of my campaign, Education, the Economy and the Environment. These are multi-layered therefore I will only highlight a few of the important points within each. South Carolina ranks third in the United States with National Certified teachers yet we are 49th in SAT scores and at the bottom in achievement. This alone tells you the system is broken. It needs to be repaired thereby producing a better educated work force wherein we can attract sophisticated businesses such as software companies. Our new Superintendent has made the same observation and is underway tackling the situation. I look forward to assisting him since we are on the same page. In terms of funding, we need to return to the past using the formula of funding per child and based upon that child’s needs, plus place 5% of our tax money scheduled for schools into an infrastructure account. At least $1.4 million of the recent tax increase on cigarettes needs to replace this amount the Federal government took away from Medicaid to teach Autistic children. The remainder of this tax amount should filter into an emergency Medicaid fund. Next, a simple reply concerning a voucher system, NO!!! Economy. Beaufort County is currently in a crisis which we can no longer ignore or accept. We are not getting our fair share return of our tax dollars. The assumption of the people in Columbia is that we are a rich county and we should be happy with the 10% return to us. This lack of our fair share has caused us to impose a 1% sales tax to pay for new roads. I plan to form a coalition with the other coastal counties to speak and act on the issue of a greater return. Unfortunately our current and most recent legislators have been unable or unwilling to get the state funding for our needs, I plan to return to those days, in the counties past, when more effective and powerful leaders got roads and bridges built and fair funding for schools. Our personal property taxes need to be adjusted to relieve the strain on single parents, seniors and low income families. We all realize that the DOT needs reforming however I will not stop there. I plan to spear head a review of all agencies to be a more efficient government to serve our county and state. I will utilize the concept of lean management. Simply put, this a 5 step program of a systematic approach to identifying and eliminating waste through continuous improvement in pursuit of perfection. This will lead to a general reduction and/or potential elimination of personal property tax on our homes, vehicles and boats. Most certainly this will permit me to introduce legislation to eliminate tax on food. Another issue that should be tackled ASAP is that of our outrageous over growth and development. I have a South Carolina real estate license and have dealt with the out dated annexation laws, the coastal council, building on imparity land, impact fees etc. in Horry County and plan to do my best to slow things down in Beaufort County. If we don’t, the county will be faced with many exaggerated problems of deficient infrastructure and property equities will slide backwards. Environment. For the sake of brevity, I’ll note some of the issues in short sentences. The Barnwell nuclear waste dump needs to be closed to protect our water supply. I will insist that the new port have on-site clean up people to handle any spillage immediately and on-site patrol personnel to deter unwanted people and drugs. Return the DNR to full strength safety, protection of our wet lands and fishing programs. Construct a break water reef protecting the shore line of Hunting Island. The concrete from the Broad River project and McTeer bridge could be used. No off shore drilling. Utilize underwater turbines to harness the tides in each of our sounds and off shore gulf stream. This will generate clean and efficient electrical power. In conclusion, I want to invite all who have the right and privilege to vote, to carefully review how we candidates stand on the real issues that affect us all. In addition to the latter, I hope the voters reflect if they have been getting the representation they deserve. I changed from being a republican to a democrat and have stepped forward to run for the senate to actively accomplish the important issues that are now affecting us and those that will affect us in the future. I do have the experience, drive, knowledge and focus to not just talk the talk but walk the walk. As Winston Churchill put it; “change is the price of survival,” and its now time for a change to a democrat senator for Beaufort County. Editor’s Note: Mr. Thomas is a member of LIBPA and a resident of Lady’s Island and for this reason was requested to share his reasons and qualifications for running for SC Senator, District 46. Representative Ceips was also invited to submit an article for the same reason. Information regarding Mr. Greg Graziani, also a candidate, can be found at his website (www.Greggraziani.com).

Lady's Island Real Estate Market In Perspective: by Jerry Marlow, President, Success Plus School Of Real Estate & Broker with Coldwell Banker Keyserling Real Estate Without providing the specific data by each area allow me to report that for the general area of Beaufort County, north of the Broad River, the overall inventory of single family homes for sale in the 5 major areas (Beaufort, Port Royal, Burton and Lady’s Island) continues to increase. The total number of homes on the market now (May 21) is 816 as compared to749 on April 12, 2007. Lady’s Island presently has 327 homes on the market as compared to 311 in April. Properties that have gone under contract so far this year number 259 compared to 382 for the same period of 2006 (down 32%). Lady’s Island has sold 100 homes to date in 2007 versus 167 for the same period in 2006 (down 40%). Depending on the length of time it takes to repair the bridge, I fear Lady’s Island real estate market may continue to suffer. As can be seen, the local real estate market is struggling to cope with a steadily increasing inventory and a decreasing number of potential buyers. Home owners are struggling with the question of holding out for additional profit and possibly longer time on the market or reduce the price and hope to attract a buyer in a shorter time. Perhaps it is time to pause and look at the last decade in regard to the Lady’s Island real estate market. Following is a statistical look at the last 10 years of real estate on Lady’s Island.                          As can be seen from the chart, in 2006 there was a combined reduction in both volume (-9.7%) and the number of units sold (-19%) and yet the average selling price increased (+12%). The last time this occurred on Lady’s Island was in 1997 (exactly 10 years ago) when the volume dropped (-11%), the number of units sold dropped (18%) and the average selling price increased (8.6%). The following decade would see a 159% increase in the number of units sold, a 341% increase in volume and a 111% increase in the average selling price of a home. Is this to say the same thing will occur in the next 10 years? Naturally, no one can predict the real estate market. But, what the last 10 years does tell us is that we in northern Beaufort County have great location, a lot of people who want to live here and that although we will experience corrections in the market, such as the nation is presently experiencing, the long term outlook is very healthy. SPECIAL NOTICE: As some of you may know, I retired last year from a full time, active role in real estate. Over the past few years I have enjoyed the opportunity, through my monthly article in the newsletter, to share my thoughts and experience regarding the real estate market with LIBPA members and the Lady’s Island community in general. However, at this time, I feel it is more appropriate that an active realtor serve as the source of the monthly article. Accordingly, this is my final article. I have enjoyed my relationship with LIBPA and wish you all the best of luck in your endeavors for the community.