Realtor Diane Bell's Hilton Head and Bluffton Real Estate Blog

Hilton Head and Bluffton has fast become a mecca for thrifters traveling here from far and away.  Below is a list of thrift shops in the area that offer a wide and interesting array of merchandise. Happy Thrifting!

THE BARGAIN BOX, HILTON HEAD'S OLDEST THRIFT SHOP   546 WM HILTON PARKWAY, M,W,F 1-4  S,9-12

BARGAINS AND TREASURES, 88 ARROW ROAD, OPEN DAILY

CALHOUN STATION, BLUFFTON MUNICIPAL BUILDING, OPEN DAILY

CHURCH MOUSE, 50 POPE AVENUE, HILTON HEAD,  OPEN DAILY

GOOD WILL INDUSTRIES, 95 MATTHEWS DRIVE,  OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY RETAIL STORE, 184-B BLUFFTON ROAD, BLUFFTON, OPEN DAILY

HOSPICE COMMUNITY THRIFT, 3-A MATTHEWS DR., OPEN TUES, WED, FRI AND SAT.

LITTER BOX, ALL PROCEEDS DONATED TO THE HUMANE SOCIETY, OPEN M, W, T, F, AND S, 46 WILD HORSE ROAD, HILTON HEAD

ST. FRANCIS THRIFT SHOP 6-A SOUTHWOOD PARK, HILTON HEAD, OPEN W, T, F, S

SALVATION ARMY FAMILY STORE, 1316 FORDING ISLAND, BLUFFTON, OPEN DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAY

Spring has Sprung in Hilton Head so what in the world does a person do if they're not die hard golfers?  With the 39th Annual Verizon Heritage golf tournament fast approaching, it almost seems that golf is the only sport on this beloved island.  Well think again!

April brings some of the best island weather for activities such as biking, kayaking, fishing, sailing and hiking.  It's a great time to investigate "off the beaten" areas of the island.  Many guides offer dolphin watching trips, kayaking tours that give you an up close view of the environment.  For instance, check out the website for Outside Hilton Head, http://www.outsidehiltonhead.com/ for a vast array of interesting day trips and excursions.

April 20-22 ushers in the 3rd annual David Carmines Tennis Tournament, a level four adult and level three junior USTA sanctioned event.  It's a very important event to the tennis community and folks come from all over the country to attend and participate.

Love the arts?  The Hilton Head Choral Society will celebrate "Americana" with songs from the heartland.  Fiddler On the Roof will play at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, http://www.artshhi.com/  What a fabulous website this is.  I invite you to visit for a thrill to your senses!

Yes, there are tons of activities for you here in Hilton Head, EVEN if you don't golf!

Some additional websites that offer a myriad of things to do in Hilton Head:

http://www.coastaldiscoverry.org/

http://www.hhal.org/

http://www.hhsolive.org/

http://www.hiltonheadchoralsociety.org/

http://www.lowcountryliteracy.org/

http://www.msyt.org/

http://www.outsidehiltonhead.com/

Visit my website:  http://www.dianebell.com/  for complete information about the Hilton Head and Bluffton areas.

The 5th Annual Art Market will be held on Hilton Head Island from Saturday, April 28 to Sunday, April 29.

Anyone who has visited the beautiful Lowcountry  of Hilton Head, knows that the area is famous for its beautiful natural beauty, certainly a haven for artists. The Coastal Discovery Museum extends invitations to artists from all over the world to come to Hilton Head each year  for a week long juried art and fine craft exhibit and sale, thereby showing off the natural beauty of the area to artists from all over the country.

 This year, over 80 artists will converge on Honey Horn, a pristine park consisting of 69 acres at the juncture of the Cross Island Parkway.  Honey Horn has a rich history and is one of the last undeveloped open spaces located on the island.  The area is rich in natural flora including fine species of oaks, open fields and salt marshes.

Artists will display their works in a variety of mediums including jewelry, watercolors, pottery, photography, pastels and much more. 

Additionally, there will be many local performing groups providing entertainment throughout the weekend.  This event provides an exceptional opportunity for the arts to come alive on Hilton Head and certainly one that shouldn't be missed if you're visiting the Hilton Head area or a full-time resident. 

Admission is nominal....$5 per car parking donation to benefit the museum.   

Yesterday was a very interesting day for me.  I had a property close that had been listed with me for a short while.  The agent that sold the property was pleasant to work with but largely had no communication with me through the process. And I mean NO COMMUNICATION!   Some of you may recall that I had written about this transaction previously. 

I stopped by the house to pick up the lockbox and the new owner met me in the driveway  somewhat distraught.  Seems she was putting up a fence for her dogs when the neighbor came over to let her know her backyard was about 1/4 of the size she thought it was.  Her Buyer's Agent had indicated a property line to her that was incorrect.   I asked her if she had a plot plan.  She said no.  Apparently the Buyer's Agent neglected to provide a plot plan to her that would clearly have shown the layout of the lot and something that is readily available to us in our selling resources. 

What does this story tell us?  As buyer's agents, we must never let our guard down.......we have fiduciary obligations to those buyer's and they deserve better than this type of representation. 

For information about Hilton Head and Bluffton, SC, visit my website:  www.dianebell.com

For those of you living in more of a major rental market, help is at hand if you think your rent may be too high.  Check out this website:  www.rentometer.com.  Originally conceived by a New England investment firm, this can be a handy tool if your rental complex is located in a major rental market. 

Once you access the site, type in your rental address with a few other pertinent details, click on "Analyze my Property" and the site will compare rates to other complexes in the area. 

One of the drawbacks to this site is that it doesn't have the ability to perceive locational differences within your complex.  Say you live on a top floor with a unit that has sweeping vista views, the site won't be able to discern the difference.  Rentometer is a work in progress but who knows whether it will ultimately be successful?  

The Preserve at Indigo Run

Located at the north end of Hilton Head Island, The Preserve offers tremendous opportunities for home owners desirous of living on Hilton Head Island.   Originally sold as an apartment to villa conversion, this complex is completely sold out and offers resales in a variety of 6 floor plans ranging from 927 to 1812 square feet with each building architecturally designed in the Tuscan style, stucco exterios and lush landscaping.  Prices for this complex range from the low $300,000's to the mid $400,000 price point. 

This is one of those weeks that I prefer to put in the history books!  Literally! 

 It started out with out of town buyers who wanted various ameneties in a property that are totally impopssible to deliver.  Living and selling real estate on Hilton Head Island, has its own set of challenges.  Being an ever optimistic person, I worked with these folks for 3 whole days while they endeavored to get their head around our local market.  I suggested off-island real estate where they would have broader options but that was not to be.  Alas, they went home on Thursday in an effort to regroup.  Okay, that's pretty normal for out of town buyers in our area.  They'll come back and next time it will be a little easier as they'll be a little wiser.  Plus they were fantastic people and a joy to work with.  Sure makes a difference.

Off to the next set of buyers-----These are out of towners from a northern state who have been sitting on the sidelines for months now just waiting for the real estate market in Hilton Head to fall apart.  Well folks, it hasn't and isn't going to happen.  Sure we have more inventory than usual and buyers are in a more advantageous position but do you really think you can buy a $1.5 ocean oriented property for $500,000 off the price?  Yep, that's what they suggested today.  So, I suggested they write a contract and they totally back tracked.  What does that tell me?  They just went from a B to a C buyer for me.   

Moving on to a a delayed closing where the buyer's agent told me she had no obligation to keep me in the loop.  Duh, I've been doing that for 30 years now and just thought this was what it was all about.  Professionalism among Realtors----has it disappeared?  No, just for some.  So what did I do?  I showered her with phone calls to keep HER in the loop.  Maybe she'll catch the message. 

Oh and one last peeve---this has nothing to do with buyers or agents:  Fellow sellers.....If you're putting your house on the market, could you just make sure your locks are either replaced or in proper working condition?  Nothing like trying to get rusted locks to work when you're trying to show a home. 

In light of Elizabeth Edwards' news conference yesterday, this was just a blip on the horizon.  All in all, life is good for us so why should I complain.........Just not worth it.  A Happy Weekend to all!  I hope you all make it very special. 

One of the most interesting and exciting fund raisers of the year will soon take place on world class Hilton Head Island.  Chefs from all over the country as well as wine makers will converge on the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina's Wine Auction and Celebration next weekend.

Taking place during the week of March 23,  the fundraiser features a slate of private dinners, seminars and wine tastings. Chefs will cook small dinners in private homes paired with complementary wines. Vintners will share their expertise during tasting seminars.

The week ends at the Wine Auction Gala with a gourmet dinner and a bevy of items to be auctioned off including trips to various wine making areas such as Napa Valley and top vinter wines up for auction.

The fundraiser is wildly popular and has been a huge draw for the arts center, raising over $200,000.

The biennial fundraiser is the largest for the arts center, raising more than $200,000 for arts education and outreach programs. The intent is to raise money for  the local arts.

So what's the draw to lure chefs from all over the country?  The life of a chef is certainly stressful and this opportunity affords them oceanfront homes to stay in and many other expenses are underwritten by sponsors of the auction.  The chefs get away from it all to a beautiful resort island and get to spend quality time with other chefs, forge new relationships, both personal and business.

And the locals as well as tourists love the event--it gives them the opportunity to interact with some of the nation's foremost chefs and vintners.  So if you're slated to be in the Hilton Head/Bluffton area, check out this link for further information:  http://artshhi.com/