October LIBPA Newsletter
Island Notes:
Movie Theater Closes! With a touch of sadness we note the closing of the Lady’s Island Cinema. Hopefully, the School District will give serious consideration to Beaufort County High School Principal Dan Durbin’s past recommendation to provide the theater for use of the high school. It may not solve his overcrowding problem, but it would help.

Fitness Center under new ownership and management. There has been a recent change of ownership of the FIT Health and Fitness Center which is located directly to the rear of the Video Warehouse on Sams Point Road. Gary Sullivan, former owner of Steamers and present owner of Omni Health Center on Salem Road in Beaufort has purchased the Lady’s Island center. Anne Gallant will be one of the primary managers of the center. Anne indicates that the present intention is to continue to provide the same services and benefits as were available under the previous management. However, there will be increased opportunities for individually designed and assisted fitness programs plus membership now includes access to either the Beaufort or Lady’s Island facility.

Welcome to Dr. Jason Bailey, OD who has recently relocated his business “The Eyeglass Place” from its former location on Charles Street to it new location in the Palmetto Park behind the BB&T Bank on Lady’s Island Drive.

Community Preservation Report:
In view of the scheduled widening of Lady’s Island Drive the Lady’s Island Community Preservation Committee met on September 10, 2007 for the purpose of reviewing the zoning for the areas immediately adjoining that road. Lady’s Island Drive is the portion of SC 802 from Publix intersection to the McTeer Bridge which is scheduled to be widened to 4 lanes and connected to a by-pass connector road in the general vicinity of the Sea Island Presbyterian Church. In addition to the widening of the road there will be a second 2 lane bridge built parallel to the McTeer Bridge.

These projects are presently under design and actual work is scheduled to begin in 2009. Along the road is some undeveloped property. The present zoning, which is Professional Office District, is intended to allow less intense commercial development than in the Village Center. The purpose of the review is to insure that commercial uses that would slow traffic coming on and off of the island are not permitted. Examples of such uses are gas stations and car dealerships. An additional objective of the review is to promote interconnectivity of both present and future developments along the road. A great deal of tax payers money will be spent to widen Lady’s Island Drive and increase the bridge capacity. If, as a result of poor planning, we allow commercial development of the nature that overloads the new road – shame on us.

Editor’s Note: The Lady’s Island Community Preservation Committee conducts its monthly meetings at the Lady’s Island Airport conference room at 10 AM on the second Monday of each month if there are matters which merit the attention of the committee. The public is always welcome.

Why Did The Cost Of Insuring Your Home Go Up?: 
Many of our members have related horror stories of being told by their insurance provider that the company would no longer offer coverage for their home. This shocking news is followed by the nightmare of searching for a company willing to provide replacement insurance. Even our former state senator and present state Insurance Commissioner Scott Richardson has experienced being dropped by his insurance company. In some cases, their present insurance company was willing to continue to insure their home, but at a breath taking cost. So what happened to make the insurance industry rethink the entire concept of insuring homes located in Beaufort? Is it simply corporate greed or is there more to the story?

Following are some basic information facts regarding the insurance picture along the southeastern coast of the United States.
• In Florida and Louisiana, more than 600,000 homeowners’ policies, which include wind coverage, were canceled in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
• Four of South Carolina’s largest property insurers have indicated they wouldn’t renew homeowners’ coverage for about 20,000 policies along the South Carolina coast.
• Of the 10 costliest U. S. hurricanes only one – Hurricane Hugo, in 1989 – hit South Carolina (six struck Florida during 2004-2005)
• The cost of damage from Hurricane Katrina was approximately $80 billion of which insurance companies paid approximately $40 billion. The remaining $40 billion bill went to the government, businesses and individuals.
• Reinsurers (global companies that insure the insurance companies) paid $20 billion of the $40 billion cost to insurance companies for Katrina. .
• After the 2005 Atlantic storm season, reinsurers took another look at the risk involved in covering companies that insured homes along the coast to include South Carolina and raised their premiums to insurance companies by as much as 300%.

Insurers and reinsurers look to one of the 3 catastrophe modelers in the United States to advise them as to the probability of future disasters. The data provided by these modelers are based on computer simulations by area of future storm damage risk. That insurance companies utilize such guidance to decide how many policies to sell in a particular area and to justify increases in the cost of insurance is not new. What is new is the method utilized to predict future hurricanes and the resulting damage. For example, one of the major catastrophe modelers Risk Management Solutions (RMS) has, in the past, utilized historical averages for the last 100 years as the basis for their predictions and risk assessments. In 2006 they began using, as the key basis for their computer models, data from the period 1995 to the present. It is no surprise to anyone that this period has a much higher frequency of intense hurricanes and a warmer sea surface temperature than the 100 year average. With this new method RMS estimates that for the period 2007 to 2011 annual insured hurricane losses in most of the U. S. Southeast including South Carolina will be 40% higher than was experienced in the last century.

Another factor adding to the challenge of insuring your home, if you live along the south eastern coast, is that rating agencies, such as A. M. Best, have instructed insurers and reinsurers to reduce their U. S. coastal exposures and to hold larger financial reserves. Since the financial reputation of the individual insurance company is based on its rating you can rest assured these companies will listen and comply with the rating agencies instructions.

In the 1960’s South Carolina faced a similar problem with insurance companies attempting to reduce their risk by either totally leaving the state or withdrawing coverage of coastal homes. The solution, at that time, was the passage of the 1971 South Carolina law which established the South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association, commonly known as the “Wind Pool”. The “Wind Pool” is a private, tax paying association which offers wind damage insurance for homes in high risk areas (coastal islands, beach front and barrier islands). All insurers, regulated by South Carolina, are required to be members of the “Wind Pool” and provide a fair share of the total coverage. This allows the participating companies to spread their financial risk and yet makes insurance for wind damage available for home owners in high risk locations. As a result, since 1971, South Carolina home owners in high risk areas get their regular home insurance from private companies and wind insurance from the “Wind Pool”.

As can be seen, this is not the first time coastal home owners have faced the challenge of adequately insuring their homes. Also, the present problem is not simply due to greedy insurance companies but rather a combination of factors. In response to what has all of the makings of a crisis for many South Carolina home owners, the legislature in Columbia passed and Governor Sanford signed Coastal Insurance Bill H 382. Among other things this new law gives state tax breaks for insurance companies which will provide full insurance for homes along the coast, low income families (family of 3 making less than $43,925) who pay more than 5% of their total income for home insurance and for individuals who desire to set up a personal savings account in lieu of insurance or as part a policy with large deductibles. It is not a solution to the problem but it is a step in the right direction.

Editors Note: The data contained in the above article is taken directly from Mr. John H. Tibbetts’ article “Will Climate Change Devastate Coastal Property Insurance” and the article “Wind Pool Moves Inland” in the summer 2007 edition of Coastal Heritage which is published by the S. C. Sea Grant Consortium. Mr. Tibbetts is the editor of Coastal Heritage and these excellent articles can be read at www.scseagrant.org. Also, a special thanks to LIBPA member Bob Holmquist, who shared his 30 years of experience in the insurance industry by reviewing this article.

When Changing Rural Zoning - Go Very Carefully: by Jim Hicks, Lady's Island Representative, Beaufort County  Planning Commission
One part of developing a Northern Regional Plan was establishing boundaries for the future (next 20 years) growth of municipalities in northern Beaufort County. These boundaries have now been agreed to, by both the county and the municipalities. The land outside these boundaries is zoned either rural or community preservation and constitutes 61 % (55,228 acres) of the property north of the Broad River. Beaufort County is in the process of reviewing and rewriting their comprehensive plan. This will require answering the question “What, if anything, needs to be changed in the present rural zoning regulations?”

Rural zoning, as established by the Beaufort County Comprehensive Plane in 1997, has been the source of great controversy. To prevent residential sprawl from covering the entire county, development in rural areas was limited to 1 house per 3 acres versus the much higher density allowed in municipalities and community preservation areas. It has been alleged that this limitation on density in the rural areas (1) drove land owners into the municipalities via annexation in order to obtain greater value for their land, (2) denied owners of small amounts of land (less than 3 acres) in the rural area a fair market for their land and (3) denied large land owners who could not annex into a municipality an opportunity to sell their property at best value. There is an element of truth in each of the allegations.

Most of the property, south of the Broad River, zoned rural in 1997 consisted of large tracts of undeveloped, sparsely populated land, primarily owned by lumber companies for the purpose of growing pine trees. The corporate decision to no longer raise pine trees and sell their land to developers, combined with the willingness of a municipality (Bluffton) to annex the property and allow intense development resulted in only 10% of the property south of the Broad River remaining in a rural status.

North of the Broad River the undeveloped land zoned rural in 1997 consisted primarily of large farms, smaller farms or family homes sites. Although there were then and still are today a few family farms with large tracts of land, much of the northern rural property is owned by individuals with less than 20 acres.

There are some really tough problems involved when attempting to determine the appropriate zoning for rural areas of Beaufort County and especially those in northern Beaufort County. One thing is certain; simply authorizing more houses on small pieces of land will not in itself solve the following problems.

• Poverty. Throughout the United States poverty is more severe in the rural areas than the urban or suburban areas. Beaufort County is no different in this respect. How to promote economic development and elevate the economic status of rural residents involves more than an adjustment to the present zoning.

• Protection of existing rural culture. The rural life style, regardless of ethnicity, has traditionally consisted of a lower density of homes and fewer regulations as to life style. To retain the rural quality of life, protect the environment and still allow economic growth requires special solutions for special problems.

• Gentrification. The rural quality of life will, over time, attract a large number of affluent home owners resulting in the poorer section of the society being displaced. There are no “book” solutions to avoiding this problem.

• Affordable housing. The terms affordable housing and high growth areas simply do not go together. As a result the rural area often becomes the most “affordable” area for the less affluent to live.

• Transition from an agricultural base. Making a living on family farms, regardless of size, is becoming increasingly difficult resulting in more farmland being placed on the development market. As a result we are, as a nation, losing 1.2 million acres of rural property each year to development. There must be a system to provide a fair value to the property owner without allowing so much residential development that paying for the necessary infrastructure overwhelms both the individual tax payer and the environment.

The Northern Regional Plan predicts that even with a very conservative growth rate and the rural area remaining at a gross density of one house per three acres some of our roads and bridges will still be overwhelmed. The cost of providing and maintaining the necessary infrastructure (not including schools) to support this growth will cost $236 million more than is anticipated to be received in revenue. So what may be desired as rural zoning by some individuals and what the county taxpayer can afford may not be the same thing. In the next few months we, the residents of Beaufort County, must make some very hard and very important decisions regarding the zoning of 61% of the property in northern Beaufort County. There are no easy, simple or quick answers. Please take the time to be a part of the search for the type of rural zoning which is fairest to everyone, including future generations.

Where Should The Next Elementary School And Park Be Located?:
The recently completed Kelley Carey study which was conducted to determine the school district facility needs for the next 5 years recommended that land on Lady’s Island for a new elementary school be purchased now, the school be located in the northern part of the island and have a target opening date of 2010.

It does not take a great deal of analysis to figure out that an elementary school centrally located to Coosaw Point, which is planned for 450 homes, Coosaw River Estate (located in the Marsh Hawk complex off of Springfield Road) approved for 190 homes and other existing communities such as Christine Place and Royal Pines would be more convenient to the children in those communities, significantly reduce the overloading of Coosa Elementary School and reduce traffic on Sams Point Road. Finding the necessary 15 acres, at a price which the tax payers can afford, is another matter.

In addition to recommending a new elementary school on Lady’s Island the Kelley Carey study recommended that, when possible, recreational facilities such as tennis courts, running tracks and ball fields be located adjacent to schools and their use be shared between the students and the public. Beaufort County has, for the last 10 years, searched for 25 acres on Lady’s Island for an active park.

In keeping with the recommendation to collocate public schools and county recreational facilities perhaps a close look should be directed at changing the future of the 90 acres of undeveloped property adjacent to Coosa Elementary School. This property is presently approved for 218 single family homes and 96 multifamily units. Coosa Elementary School, with its 10 mobile classrooms, could certainly use a little more breathing room and a portion of the remaining property would serve the community well if transformed into athletic fields and facilities such as tennis courts and walking trails. How much of the facilities could or should be joint school/public use is a question that would take some study and discussion. The owner of the property, Mr. Fred Trask, may not choose to sell the land or the price may not be realistic for government purchase. As always, it would be about money but a joint (school district and county) effort should, at least, be made. It could turn out to be cheaper to purchase the property than to build the additional schools and roads necessary to support the 314 new families and the community would finally have a great park.

Lady's Island Facts:
Property Taxes: Out of every $100 of property tax paid to Beaufort County $78.50 comes from south of the Broad River and $21.50 comes from north of the Broad River. Of the $21.50 coming from north of the Broad River $7.00 (1/3) comes from the Lady’s Island and St. Helena area. The largest single payer of Beaufort County property taxes is the town of Hilton Head which accounts for $57.90 of property taxes out of every $100 collected.

St. Peter's Catholic Church: St. Peter’s Catholic Church began in the small chapel in downtown Beaufort in 1846 and is one of the oldest churches in Beaufort, The chapel seats approximately 180 people and is 1700 square feet. The Brick wall which encloses the adjoining graveyard was built in 1857. The present church on Lady’s Island was built in 1988 with a capacity of about 450 people. The new church is 23,711 square fee and capable of accommodating 1300 people. The bell tower, which is the tallest structure on Lady’s Island at the present time, is 130 feet tall. Also located on the 35 acres which compose the St. Peter’s grounds is the St. Peter’s Catholic School which offers grades K-4 through 8 and has an enrollment of approximately 215 students.

Schools: With 2 Montessori preschools, 2 private schools and 4 public schools on Lady’s Island education is an important part of the community. Each and every day over 4000 students attend school on Lady’s Island. One of the great things about being a resident of the island is that your child can go from preschool through high school and never be required to travel more than 15 minutes from home to school. The high quality of education available in both private and public schools is often the deciding factor in many families’ decision to make Lady’s Island their home.

Is It Really Too Late?: 
If I were Queen of Lady’s Island, I would open up the land uses widely all around the water spots, encourage vista sharing and dining and imbibing outside. I would allow greater height and density up and down the corridors while stepping back the levels to retain light. I would require closing in all the street face gaps with charming buildings or walls or gardens and get away from over zoning the uses and encourage mixed uses. Stores with balconied living spaces on 2nd and 3rd floors would be OK!

I would sponsor “charm design” competitions and allow Vespas and scooters all over the island. I would let this happen
up Sam’s Point also to include the commercial face of New Point. Parking would be all over but hidden in lanes and in “greened” spaces. Bikes and motorbikes would have safe and stylish docking sites. Traffic for cars would be slow, but so be it. Any future “big box” stores would be broken into smaller articulated parts. Large flat boring sides of buildings could be used for hand painted advertisements or flower boxes and trellis.

Don’t allow the connectivity traffic study to be just another study, get some interesting design suggestions. Look around the world for what has made some other water based destinations great. St. Tropez, Barcelona, Lisbon, Marseilles, Naples are all crowded but great destinations for visitors and locals alike.

Imagine, having a wonderfully southern urban experience in the Village Center, a gathering spot for all ages, and great for just hanging out to see everyone, while sipping a mint tea. Then peddling or driving home to one of the wonderful southern living dream locations so abundant on Lady’s Island and taking fresh bakery, flowers and beverages all acquired in the Village Center.

Is it really too late for such a vision?

Editor’s Note: The above article was received in the form of an e-mail sent to me in my role as Lady’s Island representative to the Beaufort County Planning Commission and started out with the words, “This is just for you”. The author, who asked to remain anonymous, has agreed to allow me to share her thoughts with our members. Though you may not agree with some of the ideas or question the realistic ability to achieve all of the concepts, it is a pleasure to see such a fresh vision for Lady’s Island. The connectivity study referred to in her article is the study presently under way to find ways to reduce the projected traffic congestion from the Publix intersection to the Wood’s Memorial Bridge.

The Unpleasant News:
Most of us are aware that the local and national real estate market is struggling to find a balance between price and buyers. What is not as well known is the sad personal impact of the market downturn when combined with less than desirable mortgages. In Beaufort County there are presently 40 homes in foreclosure status and 12 of these are located north of the Broad River. This is an increase of only 1 home in the last month on the foreclosure list for the area north of the Broad River. Bankruptcy is another story. At the present time there are 99 homes involved as part of bankruptcy proceedings and 65 of these are located north of the Broad River. This is a decrease from the previous month which had 128 homes involved in bankruptcy proceedings with 98 of those being north of the Broad River. Hopefully, the number will continue to decrease in the future.

Editor’s Note: The data in this article is taken from www.foreclosures.com.

Who Should Receive The Lady's Island 2007 Spirit Award?: 
Each year LIBPA selects an individual or business to receive the Lady’s Island Spirit award in recognition of their contribution to our community. As part of the selection process we are made aware of the many generous contributions to our community by individuals and businesses. Some unsolicited nominations have already been received. During October please take the time to let us hear about the individual or business that in your opinion has made a significant contribution to the Lady’s Island community and deserves to be recognized as the recipient of the 2007 Spirit Award.

Past recipients have included former State Representative Edie Rogers for her years of public service, Dr. Pratt for placing over 600 acres under a conservation easement, Mr. Bobby Tillman for excellence in developing the Telfair Community and U. S. Group for the community sensitive manner in which it widened Sams Point Road. Please give some consideration as to who should be the 2007 recipient. You may make your nomination, along with a few words as to the reason for the nomination, to any member of the LIBPA Board of Directors.

Another Development On Sams Point Road:
The Beaufort County Development Review Team has reviewed a request by Mr. David Polk to develop the 10 acres directly adjacent to the last median on Sams Point Road (on the right) prior to reaching the intersection with Holly Hall Road. The proposal is for development of a project similar to the Cottage Walk subdivision next to Beaufort Academy. This proposed subdivision would consist of 21 homes and be named Cottage Bluff. At this point in the review process, the Development Review Board is requesting the developer to redesign the project in such a manner as to not have a situation similar to Cottage Walk, where cars exiting the project can only turn right due to the median and then make a U-turn which is sometimes difficult, not to mention dangerous. A special thanks to the members of the Development Review Board and especially the County Traffic Engineer, Colin Kinton, for not allowing another development on Sams Point Road which generates a need for vehicles to make U-turns at one of the busiest intersections on the island.

Thought For Today: 
While developing the transportation portion of the Northern Regional Plan, the Transportation Consultant, Rod Wilburn estimated we, on Lady’s Island, could reduce our bridge traffic by 15% if we:

• Reduce the need to go “off island” for purchases and recreation by promoting the location of key businesses “on island”.

• Stagger the starting and closing hours of the schools and major employers.

• Synchronize the stop lights.

• Share rides to and from work when feasible.

• Through increased availability of sidewalks and bike and pedestrian paths promote the concept of a “walkable” and a bicycle friendly community in the Village Center portion of the island.

• Improve and use mass transit.

Before you say that (a) some or all of these approaches won’t work or (b) even if they did it would not make a real difference, please remember that 15% of the 34,200 daily vehicle trips predicted for Lady’s Island Drive by 2025 would
be a reduction of 5,130 trips. We may not succeed in reducing the number of trips by 15% but any reduction would be a help and to not make the effort would be a disservice to the future of our island.

A Look At Lady's Island Voters:  
The recent special “run off” election provided District 124 with a new Representative to the South Carolina House of Representatives. It also provided us an opportunity to take a close look at the most influential individuals in our community – those who register and on election day go to the polls and vote. There are 6,924 registered voters on Lady’s Island, which is a 713 voter increase since the general election in 2004. In the recent election 23.3% of them went to the polls compared to the 19.9% of the registered voters in all of District 124. As to race, 80% of the register voters on Lady’s Island are white with 20% being non white. Women constitute 56% of the Lady’s Island registered voters and 44% are men. As to age, 69% of them fall into the 22 to 64 years of age range with one of every 4 being over 65. In the recent election the best voting precinct on Lady’s Island was LI 3.B (Factory Creek) with 29% of those registered actually going to the poll and voting. They were followed closely by Lady’s Island 1.A (East side of Sams point Road and Lucy Creek) with 28% of those registered going to the polls. As to the other Lady’s Island precincts the voting record was LI 2.A (24%), LI 3.A (20%), LI 1.B (19%), and LI 2.B (23%). As to how Lady’s Island voted in regard to the candidates the island vote mirrored the entire District 124 vote with 46% going for Mr. Randy Bates and 54% for Ms. Shannon Erickson.

It is nice to know the above information about our voting community but the one thing that does stand out from all of the data is that the residents of Lady’s Island vote and vote in large numbers.

Editor’s Note: The majority of the data contained in this article was obtained from the S. C. Election Commission web site.

Congratulations Ms. Erickson:  
We offer a very sincere “thank you” to each of the candidates in the recent campaign and elections to fill the District 124 seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives. We were privileged to have an opportunity to vote for our choice of three well qualified individuals. To Mr. Randy Bates and Ms. Diane Dewitt thank you for being willing to serve our community. To Ms. Shannon Erickson congratulations and we look forward to working with you on the tough issues faced by our community, county and state. To the voters in District 124, since state law requires there be an election on October 23, please take the time to cast your ballot as vote of confidence for Ms. Erickson; who will be the only candidate on the ballot.

To All Lady's Island Teachers - Thanks:  
Last spring grades 3 through 8, in our public schools, took the state mandated Palmetto Achievement Test (PACT) which evaluates our students in the areas of language, math, science and social studies. Some of the classes did well, some less well as did some of our schools. For those classes and schools which did well we offer our congratulations. For all of the teachers and administrators of our public schools on Lady’s Island please know that as we start another school year we, as a community, fully appreciate, that the results of such test as the PACT involve many factors (social, economic, cultural, societal and especially parental and community support). On Lady’s Island, we are privileged to have some of the best public and private schools in Beaufort County. We do hope that together, we can do a better job of educating our children this year and every year thereafter. But please know that we do not expect the administrators and teachers to do it all. The education of our children really is a community, parent, educator team effort and we do so appreciate the contribution of our teachers and administrators.

My View Of Today's Real Estate Market:  by Billy Keyserling, Owner & Broker, Coldwell Banker Platinum Partners Real Estate
Some wonder why the real estate market in Beaufort stalled and if it will ever come back? The answer to both questions is yes: the market has stalled and it will come back. My guess is that it will take up to a year and a half to “come back” if we all do our part to bring it back.

There are a number of reasons the market fell apart.
1. We out-priced the local market, which means it is more difficult for those who live here to move up, as incomes have not kept up with the cost of housing.
2. Most of the established communities are no longer investing in national advertising, which, up until about two years ago, brought people to the area.
3. The markets in areas from which people would normally come here for second or retirement homes are also flat which means it is more difficult to bring the equity they need.
4. The mortgage markets are unstable. The sub prime fiasco, which in relative terms is small but was compounded largely by Wall Street manipulators, has created problems throughout the industry.
5. The military market has almost vanished as prices outpaced what is provided to compensate a family for living off base and new construction at our local facilities is a very attractive option.

While there are a number of actions we can take (locally) to turn the situation around, some of the answers are beyond our control, which means we must be patient. Let’s look at the local situation and what we can do.

Reduce Prices: Prices in the Beaufort area, described as east of the Broad River to the ocean, rose at a record level of about ten percent a year from 1994 through 2004. With the number or Realtors and mortgage brokers nearly doubling, investors flocking to the area looking for “deals” and lots of optimism about real estate as an investment, 2005 became a banner year with prices rising about twenty-five percent in a twelve-month period.

The reality is this banner year actually burst the golden egg and that is where the troubles began. In 2006 the market cooled, sales slowed to a snails pace and prices began to fall. But they have not yet fallen enough to make a difference.

If we want to get the market going, sellers must have the courage to lower prices as much as twenty-five percent, back to 2004 levels, or take their properties off the market as inventory is building very rapidly, which is an open invitation to bottom fishers who simply linger until they see blood in the water. So to sellers, if you do not want to accept the reality of falling prices in today’s market, take your house off the market and wait it out. For serious buyers, lower your prices and your property will sell.

Cooperate in National Advertising: While independent real estate brokers cannot afford to invest substantially in national advertising, we could, in concert with the Board of Realtors and the Chambers of Commerce, develop a coordinated advertising campaign to promote the community in areas from which people have been historically attracted to Beaufort.

Look Carefully at Mortgage Opportunities: I believe that news media coverage of the “mortgage crisis” has blown the situation out of proportion. In fact, there are some very good “deals” being offered by banks and other established lenders. No doubt the industry needs to clean up its act, but there are strong lenders offering reasonable loans. One just needs to scrutinize the “deals” and get the best possible financing.

Turning around the real estate market in Beaufort, and for that matter elsewhere, is like a large ship turning at sea. It takes time and will not happen over night. That said Beaufort is a wonderful place to live, to work and to raise families.

When we get our prices right, begin working together marketing as a community and as an industry, I know it will begin to turn around. That said, it will be a long, long time before we see another banner year like 2005. But then again, 2005 is where the problem began.

A Snapshot Of Today's Real Estate Market:  by Billy Keyserling, Owner & Broker, Coldwell Banker Platinum Partners Real Estate
To present a statistical picture of today’s real estate market, north of the Broad River, the following data, derived from the Beaufort Board of Realtors’ Multiple Listing Service, is provided and is current as of September 24, 2007.

Quantity Class/Type of Real Estate (All Classes) Absorption Rate
2952 Total listings all classes Bft MLS (2.45 years)
2171 Total listings all classes Bft MLS St Helena to Whale Branch (2.30 years)
701 Total listings all classes Bft MLS Lady’s Island (2.50 years)
301 Total sales all classes Bft MLS  
236 Total sales all classes Bft MLS St Helena to WBR  
70 Total sales all classes Bft MLS Lady’s Island  
Quantity Class/Type of Real Estate (Residential) Absorption Rate
1517 Residential listings Bft MLS (1.63 years)
1092 Residential listings Bft MLS St Helena to WBR (1.46 years)
347 Residential listings Bft MLS Lady’s Island (1.52 years)
233 Residential sales last 3 months Bft MLS  
187 Residential sales last 3 months Bft MLS St Helena to WBR  
57 Residential sales last 3 months Bft MLS Lady’s Island  

* All Classes include Residential, Unimproved Land and Commercial listings.
** Sales calculated over the last 90 days from 24 June 2007 to 24 September 2007.
*** Absorption Rate is how long it would take for the present available inventory to be sold, if NO new listings came on the market (Listings/sales over 12 months).