Kiawah Island, SC: Waterfront homes pace recovery.
Recent traffic trends on the GolfCourseHome Network show that golf communities that also offer waterfront homes, waterfront property and waterfront real estate are enjoying a resurgence in sales.
Communities in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia have been active in touting their 2012 activity which has shown a healthy rebound in general along with excellent sales numbers versus 2011. See below on sales activity trends based on information supplied by the communities and their agents.
> Kiawah Island, SC Kiawah Island Real Estate (KIRE) reports that that the company has closed on more than $50 million in sales in 2012—a 52% increase over 2011. More than 50 buyers took part.
In addition, 14 of 21 single-family homes that closed during this time period closed for $1 million or more. Increased sales means fewer homes for sale and as a result, interest in homesites has risen with 14 homesite sales in 2012–a 75 percent jump from the same time last year.
> St. James Plantation, Southport NC has recorded 50 closings on homes and lots in 2012 for a total property value of $8,328,504. The sales represent a 92 percent increase in real estate sales versus the first quarter of 2011. All sales activity was independently verified through the MORE Report, a market analysis firm.
> Daniel Island, Charleston, SC April was a busy month at Daniel Island Real Estate between the Family Circle Cup, great weather and eager buyers. Sales activity was strong with 13 single-family homes going under contract during the month. Since the beginning of the year, Daniel Island Real Estate participated in either the listing or the selling side on all seven sales on the island that were above $1 million.
The active 2012 follows an improving 2011 in which sales were up 20 percent over the previous year. Inventory of available properties also returned to healthy levels. Condominium sales were up 30 percent in 2011 with 26 new units sold.
> Hampton Lake, Bluffton SC registered a strong 2011 in the face of the sluggish economy with 123 transactions overall, including 43 new housing starts. Thirty homes are currently under construction, creating a pent-up demand for newly developed homesites.
In response the community “is releasing 19 estate-sized homesites, plus 36 ideally-located 80’ homesites,” says Pratt Reed, Hampton Lake’s sales manager.
The half-acre estate-sized lots are mostly lakeside with excellent water views and are the largest homesites ever offered at the community,” says Reed. They are priced from $159,000 and up depending on specific location and views.
The new 80’ homesites start at $66,000 and will be adjacent to the community’s Lakeside Amenity Village. Pratt noted that neither group of homesites will have a time requirement of when a buyer must build.
> The Landings on Skidaway Island, GA, which is marking its 40th anniversary this year, has a lot to celebrate. The Georgia waterfront community’s closed-real-estate transactions for the first four months of 2012 jumped 60 percent in dollar volume over the same period last year. According to Savannah Board of Realtors data, the community closed 67 home transactions between Jan. 1 and April 30.
“The half-acre, estate-sized lots are mostly lakeside with excellent water views and are the largest homesites ever offered in our community.” They are being priced from $159,000 and up depending on specific location and views. The 80-foot homesites, start at $66,000 will be adjacent to the community’s Lakeside Amenity Village.
Does Sailing Need an Annual Super Event that Can Capture Fans and Casual Observers?
By David Lott, WaterViewHome Publisher
Does sailing need its own super bowl--its own annual event that captures the attention of sailors and non-sailors alike?
Given the nature of the sport of sailing and its ever-in-flux components of wind and water, no playing field is ever the same. Courses change, the boat lengths vary, the players change, even the definition of the competitions are at a wide variance.
I think the public needs to be presented a consistent and understandable competition in order to be engaged in the sport. Most major sporting events benefit from the attention of casual observers--they serve to introduce the sport to possible converts. And the core participants love to rally around their sport's showcase event. Sailing should have one or major events per year as well.
Major Competitions
Baseball has the World Series, football the Super Bowl, tennis Wimbledon and the US Open, bicycling the Tour de France, golf the Masters and US Open. These competitions focus on the best the sport has to offer and happen every year in the same time period.
Their predictability and well-televised schedule make them easy to follow, bringing in the casual fan, and thus greatly expanding the viewing public and sponsor value. The America’s Cup, post-Dennis Conner, has yet to present itself in such a manner that I can remember.
Perhaps there could be city sailing teams, open to any sailor who lives in the area.
Local, National, Maybe International
The event would be open, and a local competition would determine the city representatives. Then an elimination tournament—playoffs and a Sailing Super Bowl--would be held the same week every summer to determine a national champion.
A standard boat would be selected as the boat of choice for all competitors. The event would create great opportunities for sponsors while exposing sailing to the casual fan. There might even be a design competition to create a new ‘city sailboat’--great PR for the sport and shipyards involved. Eventually, the competition could culminate into a world sailing event.
Stats Engage the Public
The other key ingredient(s) that brings in fans are stats. What stats does anyone remember from any America’s Cup other than the name of the winning country? What’s the fastest speed overall, fastest mile, course record, Cup MVP, coolest tactical move, best offensive maneuver, best defensive maneuver, memorable moment, etc? Fans love stats and there seems to be none for sailing.
Iconic moments are important, too, and push a sport beyond the realm of the avid fan. The image of the exultant Cassius Clay standing defiantly over Sonny Liston lying prostrate on the canvas is a sports moment that will live forever.
Does sailing have a moment like that? Could it?
An annual super sailing event might start to create them.
What do you think? Send us your comments and we'll forward them to the Editor of SailingWorld magazine.
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