Hilton Head Area Pending Sales Up 30% for 2020

Welcome New Residents

According to our annual 2020 end-of-year market report, 6781 residential transactions closed, a record-breaking year. That number represents many new residents to the Lowcountry, and we would like to welcome you and share a little about living in the Lowcountry.  We hope by now you have settled into your home.  Moving during a pandemic is far different than any other time and we want to help you get acquainted.   

Having grown up and lived in Connecticut for over forty years, moving to the south was a dream come true.  Do not get me wrong Connecticut is a beautiful state, but way too long of a winter.  Our first year on Hilton Head Island we hung Christmas lights in shorts!  That would never happen in New England.   And by the way, your blood thins, after living here for about three years 55 degrees is freezing.

Living In A Resort Community
In more traditional suburban areas, the population of your town likely remained the same throughout the year. But living in the Lowcountry we share our towns, amenities, festivals, and its beauty with tourists who come to take a break from day-to-day routines and spend quality time with family and friends.  Perhaps you were once a visitor to the area.  Living here requires patience for our guests who may not know their way around and are driving slowly to find the villa or house they rented for the week.  Our restaurants, grocery stores, waterways and beaches become busier. But my favorite part of our tourists, is seeing smiles on faces, couples holding hands and families riding bikes together.   Now that you are a “local” think of yourself as an ambassador and be welcoming.  Remember tourism is the number one economic driver to the region.  

Our Proud Military
In Beaufort County we have a long history of military and their families in our county.  It would not be unusual when I would fly home from a business trip into the Savannah Airport to see a class of recruits on the plane heading to Parris Island.  It melts your heart to see these young men and women proudly going to serve our country.  Also, in Beaufort County you may hear rumbles in the sky, that is the “sound of freedom” as the members of the U.S Air Station practice their maneuvers above.  We stand tall and proud aside our military in Beaufort County and thank them for their service.

Our Environment
All of God’s creatures have a place in the choir and in the Lowcountry we live in concert with our natural environment. When visiting friends in Florida, we were out on their boat for the day.  The first thing I noticed was the view from the water to the land, it was filled with high rise buildings and all you saw was cement.  We are blessed to have some of the most pristine waterways in the country, and our view from the water to the land looks back to the beauty that surrounds us with trees, plants, and greenery.  Have you noticed the roads in many of our gated communities have twists purposely designed by the planners for you to enjoy the environment?  When your family and friends come to visit, they will ask to see an alligator, or you may point to a dolphin swimming not far offshore or share stories about the sea turtle nests on the beach.  Love where you live and be a good steward of our environment.

Our Rich History
There is so much more to our region than beaches and golf.  Go and learn about our history.  It will amaze you and you will think differently when you walk on the land where slaves became free or sights of battle during the Civil War.  Meet and talk with our Gullah Geechee neighbors who are descendants of Africans enslaved right here in the Lowcountry.  They share stories of growing up here, what their parents and grandparents endured, and their rich culture which is imbedded into our community.  Did you know electricity did not arrive on Hilton Head Island until 1951?  You can start your journey by visiting the Heritage Library, the Penn Center or go on a Gullah Geechee bus tour.

This is an amazing place to live and pinch yourself you are really here!  We all cannot wait to get this pandemic behind us and get to meet you and shake your hand, however in the Lowcountry we greet each other with a hug!  Welcome!

Hilton Head Area REALTORS is the largest real estate trade association in the region serving over 1500 members.  REALTOR® is a federally registered collective membership trademark which identifies a real estate licensee who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict written Code of Ethics.

Article Provided by Jean Beck Hilton Head Area Association of Realtors Executive Officer