With home sales on Daniel Island up 20% last year, and inquiries about island property increasing in frequency, 2012 is shaping up to be a busy year here at Daniel Island Real Estate. The inventory of available properties on Daniel Island has returned to a level associated with a healthy market, and it appears buyers are taking note. To date this January, we have closed five sales and written contracts on twelve additional properties – a much higher level of activity than is typical for this time of year!

Fueling some of this momentum is continued demand for property in Smythe Park, where homes are increasingly selling before construction is complete. In Daniel Island Park, families are now moving into the newest homes overlooking the Ralston Creek golf course on Ithecaw Creek Street, and construction on additional new homes in this area will begin soon. Even condominium sales – flat in most markets around the country – remain active on Daniel Island: 26 new units sold in 2011, up 30% over 2010. Just a handful of new condominium homes remain available island-wide, along with a diverse selection of resale units.

The Golf Course Home Network has included Daniel Island on its 2011 “Best of the Best” golf community rankings as a “Community of Distinction.” This annual compendium of rankings takes into account all major media rankings and accolades received by golf communities and their amenities during the course of the year.

Daniel Island’s accolades as a Top 50 Master Planned Community (Where to Retire magazine) and rankings from Golf Digest for the Rees Jones-designed Ralston Creek course are among the awards that counted towards this designation.

“GolfCourseHome leverages the value of all existing rankings to create a full-scale compilation you won’t find anywhere else,” says GolfCourseHome Network Publisher David Lott. “The best (communities) rise to the top, riding the wave of repeated accolades from a wide variety of sources. We’ve identified these superior communities for our readers and they are, indeed, the best of the best.”

A team of Daniel Island Real Estate sales associates will be hitting the road this winter to meet potential buyers who are interested in moving south. The Ideal Living Resort & Retirement Expo – a series of traveling real estate shows designed to introduce retirees to the wide array of communities and relocation destinations in the southeast – takes place in Greenwich, Connecticut February 11-12 and in Northern Virginia March 3-4. Daniel Island Real Estate sales associates will be attending both shows to introduce Daniel Island and the diverse array of island property listings to hundreds of potential new buyers in these areas.

“The Resort & Retirement Expo presents an excellent opportunity to reach out to individuals who are actively seeking retirement and relocation opportunities in the southeast,” says Rick Vale, Broker in Charge at Daniel Island Real Estate. “It’s winter and it’s cold up there – a good time to show off our milder climate and island lifestyle.”

The company will be setting up shop in a newly designed Daniel Island booth, and sales associates plan to bring plenty of photography, video and stories about Daniel Island to share with show attendees. The team also plans to host smaller, private receptions during the show’s off hours to connect with their prospects in these areas.

“A significant percentage of our buyers are from the northeast area, so these shows really work in two ways,” says Vale. “It’s a way for us to get face to face with some of the people we’ve been communicating with from afar, but also an opportunity to meet potential new buyers who are there to shop their options, and may not be familiar with Daniel Island.”

Island residents who are from the Greenwich or greater Washington D.C. area are invited to spread the word about the Resort and Retirement Expo to their friends in these areas.

“We’ll be sending out invitations to the show and the private receptions in the next couple of weeks – residents are welcome to contact us if they have friends in the area they think might want to attend,” Vale said.

For more information about the Resort & Retirement Expo, contact Daniel Island Real Estate or visit www.livesouthshows.com

The PGA Tour’s Nationwide Tour comes to its annual pressure-packed conclusion October 27-30 on the Daniel Island Club’s Ralston Creek course where the season’s top sixty money winners will compete in the Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island. The tournament’s $1 million purse includes a first prize of $180,000, but the big  prize on the players’ minds are the 25 PGA Tour cards that will be awarded to the season’s final top earners following the tournament’s conclusion.

This is the third year the Nationwide Tour has concluded its season at Daniel Island. Owned and operated by the PGA TOUR, the Nationwide Tour identifies those players who are ready to compete and win on golf’s greatest stage. Each year, immediately following the conclusion of the Championship tournament, the season’s final top 25 money winners are presented with their PGA Tour cards for the following year. Two-thirds of the current PGA TOUR membership played on the Nationwide Tour, and five rookie players who received their cards at last year’s Nationwide Tour Championship won big on the PGA TOUR this  year, including the 2011 PGA Championship winner, Keegan Bradley.

Broadcast live on The Golf Channel each year, the tournament’s Daniel Island location has drawn praise from players, the media and fans, who enjoy watching the high-level competition unfold amongst the Lowcountry scenery and the club’s friendly and intimate setting.

In addition to nail-biting competition, the event also brings live music and entertainment to the back of the clubhouse all week long. This year’s tournament features a Celebrity Pro Am Tournament and “Pro Am Jam” on Tuesday, October 25th, featuring Mark Bryan and Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish, Branford Marsalis, Pat Green, Johnny Lee and other special surprise guests. Fans and players also enjoy the 19th Hole Happy Hour and live music following play each day of the tournament.

The Nationwide Tour Championship is presented by the Student Transportation of America Education Foundation, which advances education opportunities available to high school seniors in Charleston and throughout the country. In addition to raising funds for this notable cause, the tournament raises money for dozens of area non-profit organizations through its TICKETS Fore CHARITY program.

The private Daniel Island Club is located in Charleston, S.C. on Daniel Island, an award-winning master-planned community that is a preferred choice for Charleston real estate. The Club is home to nationally-ranked golf courses designed by Tom Fazio and Rees Jones. The Nationwide Tour Championship will be played on the Jones-designed Ralston Creek course, a par-72 layout that stretches to 7,446 yards and features a breathtaking Lowcountry setting.

Since September first, sales associates at Daniel Island Real Estate have written contracts on 22 island properties representing a total of $17.2 million in volume. From condominiums priced in the $100,000s to a $3.375 million waterfront home in the golf neighborhood of Daniel Island Park (a market record for the year), this recent activity represents a wide range of properties and is a further indication that interest in real estate within this award-winning master planned community remains strong. Single-family home sales on Daniel Island are up 13% for the year compared to 2012, and island condominium sales – despite remaining flat nationwide – are up 22%.

The inventory of available resale properties on Daniel Island is down substantially compared to last year. With 33% fewer resale homes and 47% fewer resale condominiums available compared to last year at this time, construction activity is beginning to increase. Several new homes in the golf neighborhood of Daniel Island Park are nearing completion (one is already under contract), and construction will soon begin on additional golf homes, cottages and townhomes.

With a month-long lineup of home tours and festivals, concerts and road races, October is the month that Daniel Island and Charleston area residents join together in Charleston’s island town to show their support for many of the non-profit organizations that serve the region.

“Every year, through the growing array of charity-oriented initiatives that occur on Daniel Island, we estimate Daniel Island residents, businesses and organizations are involved in raising almost $2 million for area charitable organizations,” says Matt Sloan, President of the Daniel Island Company, the island’s master developer. “And October really is the highlight – multiple fundraising events occur here every weekend of the month. It’s hard to live or work here and not get caught up in the spirit of giving back.”

Sloan’s company was among the first to bring fundraising initiatives to the island, which is conveniently located in the center of the Charleston region. In 2000, the company established Park Day on Daniel Island, a community festival that has evolved as one of Charleston’s most diverse fundraising events.

“Park Day showcased the island’s parks and outdoor amenities and offered a family-friendly festival for island and area residents to enjoy,” says Sloan. “But it also provided an opportunity for a wide array of non-profit organizations to showcase their services and generate donations. It still takes place every October and is one of the community’s most popular annual traditions.”

Park Day led the way for the Lowcountry Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation to relocate the Komen Lowcountry Race for the Cure from downtown Charleston to Daniel Island in 2002, a move that has now resulted in ten years of growth for the affiliate’s primary fundraising effort of the year. Race participation has increased from barely 800 participants in 1994 for the inaugural Race in downtown Charleston, to more than 10,000 participants on Daniel Island in 2010. Island residents and businesses are preparing for even more participants at this year’s event, which takes place Saturday, October 15.

Other October fundraising events on Daniel Island include the Harvest Tour of Homes, a benefit for the Daniel Island Library; the Buddy Walk, benefiting the Down Syndrome Association of the Lowcountry, Charleston Oktoberfest at Blackbaud Stadium, benefiting Debi’s Kids and Meals on Wheels; and the Nationwide Tour Championship golf tournament at the Daniel Island Club, which raises money for scholarships offered by the Student Transportation of America Education Foundation, as well as funds for 30 area non-profit organizations through the tournament’s “Tickets Fore Charity” program.

Daniel Island Real Estate recently welcomed Meryl Cromarty – a former top sales associate for the company – back to its offices. A seasoned Charleston real estate expert, Cromarty was a top sales associate on Daniel Island from 2000-2006. She has spent the past five years in south Florida working in the real estate investment and insurance sectors. The opportunity to return to the Daniel Island Real Estate team brought her back to Charleston, where she is already busy serving clients looking to buy and sell property on Daniel Island.

“I am so grateful to be back home,” Cromarty commented.  “I am passionate about Daniel Island and Charleston and feel so lucky to have the opportunity to live and work in such a wonderful place. My goal is to help others find the perfect home within our wonderful community.”

A graduate of Boston College and a native of Long Island, Cromarty is known locally for her exceptional work ethic and passion for helping others. She consistently qualified as a member of Charleston’s “Top Producers Club” and earned the prestigious “Charleston Realtor of Distinction” designation many times over during her former stint at Daniel Island Real Estate.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have Meryl back as part of our sales team,” said Rick Vale, Broker-in-Charge at Daniel Island Real Estate. “She already has proven to be an outstanding addition to our team of Daniel Island’s top producing sales associates.”

Daniel Island Real Estate welcomed South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley on August 15 for the ceremonial signing of a new point-of-sale real estate law designed to limit tax increases on second homes, commercial and investment properties. As the center for real estate sales on Daniel Island, the riverfront Sales Center was an appropriate and scenic backdrop for the signing of House Bill 3713, which provides tax relief for purchasers of some properties. The new law applies to properties taxed at 6 percent and caps the amount that a property value can increase when a sales transaction occurs.

With legislators on-hand – including Rep. Jim Merrill of Daniel Island, who was the primary sponsor of the Bill – the ceremony marked what many hope will be the beginning of further  tax reform and a boost to the state’s economy.

“It’s good for real estate, and particularly second home buyers,” said Daniel Island Real Estate Broker-In-Charge Rick Vale, who said he was honored to host the ceremony at his office. “I think just the symbolism of this bill is significant, and hopefully the message will trickle down and have a positive impact not only for real estate sales, but for the state’s economy as a whole.”

While the national media continues to report news of a depressed real estate market, things are looking much brighter on Daniel Island. June was the most active month of the year here so far, with the highest number of single-family home sales recorded for 2011. Single-family home inventory on the island is also moving in the right direction: As of the end of June, a seven–month inventory brought Daniel Island back in-line with what is nationally considered an indicator of a healthy market.

Meanwhile, construction activity has been picking up. Builders appear to be encouraged by continued signs of improvement and there have been more new home starts on the island in the past several months than we’ve seen in several years.

The increased activity and decreasing inventory recorded in June are strong indicators that prices are beginning the process of stabilization. This is good news for sellers because it creates a sense of urgency for buyers who have been waiting for the right time to make a purchase.

For buyers interested in purchasing a home on Daniel Island, there is still a good supply of attractively priced homes, homesites, townhomes and condominiums available, but as supply continues to decline, prices will not stay where they have been for long.

Where to Retire magazine has recognized Daniel Island among “The Short List: 50 Best Master-Planned Communities in the United States” in the bimonthly magazine’s July/August issue. Research began nearly a year ago when the magazine’s editors gathered information on more than 150 communities across the nation and eventually zeroed in on those that are amenity-rich, with clubhouses, recreation and activities to help residents stay fully engaged.

As reported in the announcement, “Retirees today have their sights set on a dynamic and fulfilling retirement lifestyle, seeking out communities with friendly neighbors and amenities to keep their minds and bodies active.”

Daniel Island certainly fits the bill and is no stranger to this list. This is the fourth consecutive time Charleston’s Island Town has landed on this national round-up of top communities.

Sales are up, inventory levels are down and prices appear to have stabilized on Daniel Island. Here at Daniel Island Real Estate, our first quarter 2011 results show the most promising indicators to date that Charleston real estate on Daniel Island is well on its way to returning to a healthy market. In the first quarter of this year, closed transactions for single-family homes on Daniel Island were up 20% compared to last year’s first quarter. In March alone, 2011 sales were up 36% compared to March 2010.

“Signs of economic activity and growth are all around in Charleston, and they are really starting to translate to a noticeable increase in real estate activity, particularly on Daniel Island,” said Rick Vale, Broker in Charge at Daniel Island Real Estate. “Daniel Island has maintained its appeal as a top residential choice in Charleston, and people appear to be feeling confident enough to start making buying decisions again.”

Meanwhile, inventory levels on the island are shrinking: We’re seeing a 33% reduction in the number of new listings for all property types compared to last year. Overall, current inventory levels nearly 30% lower than last year. And while reduced inventory typically suggests that price stabilization is on the horizon, on Daniel Island it appears to already be taking place: The average sale price for single-family homes is up 5% over the first quarter of last year.

“We’re definitely seeing the demand,” said Vale. “For the first time in nearly three years, we’re nearing a shortage of newly-built homes on Daniel Island. Fortunately builders are becoming active again, construction activity is increasing and we have a great selection of golf and waterfront homesites for people to choose from on which to design and build a custom home.”

One of the country’s largest homebuilders is building its first homes on Daniel Island! Pulte Homes is building its first two island homes in the popular Smythe Park neighborhood, within walking distance to island schools, parks and amenities. At 2,131 and 2,650 sq. ft., the homes are priced at $518,400 and $551,860 and include features such as granite counter tops, KitchenAid stainless steel appliances, gas fireplaces and spacious porches. Each home also includes professional landscaping.

“Our national builders have been doing particularly well on Daniel Island the past couple of years. The addition of Pulte to the island will help meet the demand for quality, newly built homes in our popular Smythe Park neighborhood,” said Rick Vale, Vice President of Sales for Daniel Island Real Estate. “We’re pleased to welcome Pulte to the island,” he added.

Since its founding in 1950, Pulte has been providing the American Dream of homeownership while maintaining a steady focus on quality and customer satisfaction, delivering homes to more than 500,000 buyers across the United States. The company offers homes for every lifestyle and for people at all stages of life, designed and outfitted with superior industry-leading materials and features.

“Daniel Island is regarded as one of the premier residential communities in the Charleston area,” said Will Cutler, Division President of Pulte’s Coastal Carolinas Division. “With Pulte being recognized nationally as a builder of high quality homes, we feel it is a perfect fit for the two to come together. We are excited about the opportunity to be a part of this world class island town.”

The committee that oversees the Daniel Island Company’s Employee Advised Fund (EAF) reports that it distributed more than $40,000 to 17 mostly local charitable initiatives in 2010. Funded through voluntary payroll deductions from employees of the Daniel Island Company, Daniel Island Real Estate, Daniel Island Club and the Daniel Island Property Owners Association, the EAF is an employee-led charitable contribution program. The Daniel Island Company matches employee contributions dollar-for-dollar, and a committee of employees guides the Fund’s giving activities.

“Our goal is to direct the majority of our financial support towards local charitable organizations that our employees personally support,” says Bill McKenzie, Vice President of Development for the Daniel Island Company and Chair of the EAF Committee. “Employees are encouraged to nominate organizations for support, and to submit a request for matching funds whenever they make a charitable contribution. It’s a great way to get everyone involved in the distribution process and to maximize the impact of our employees’ personal charitable commitments.”

Highlights from the EAF’s 2010 distributions include:

• $11,490 to locally-based Water Missions International, representing the final two installments of a four-year commitment (expedited due to needs arising from last January’s earthquake in Haiti) and matching contributions for individual donations made by company employees.
• $2,640 to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, representing matching funds for two separate employee-led fundraising initiatives for this organization.
• $1,600 to the Komen Foundation of the Lowcountry, a match for the money raised by the POA’s Race for the Cure team.
• $2,500 to the Roper St. Francis Foundation, in honor of a Company employee who is currently battling cancer.
• $10,000 to the Post & Courier’s Good Cheer Fund, an initiative that supports six local agencies that aid the less fortunate in the Lowcountry during the holidays.
• $1,600 to provide gifts and household essentials for a family of seven in North Charleston in conjunction with the community’s HALOs holiday initiative.

Other organizations supported by the EAF in 2010 included Abby’s Friends, Charleston Basket Brigade, Charleston Habitat for Humanity, Daniel Island School PTA, Dragon Boat Charleston, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Lowcountry Food Bank, National MS Society, National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation, Operation Christmas Child and Share Our Suzy.

Within a year, Daniel Island will have a brand-new park on the Wando River to add to its diverse collection of parks and open spaces. Work began earlier this month on Governor’s Park following a groundbreaking ceremony attended by Charleston Mayor Joe Riley and other city officials.

When complete, the $4 million city park will be a wonderful new venue for residents and visitors. Set on a 40-acre site on the banks of the Wando River next to the Family Circle Tennis Center, the park will incorporate a Grand Lawn area, stage, soccer and baseball fields (lit for evening play), a crabbing dock, picnic areas and an enclosed dog run area. The City of Charleston’s recreation department has plans to use the new park as a venue to expand its offering of recreational programs for all ages. Governor’s Park will also be a wonderful setting for concerts, festivals and other special events.

Completion of Governor’s Park is expected by next fall. This is just the latest addition to Daniel Island’s offering of hundreds of acres of parks and open greenspace. Located throughout the island within walking distance to all neighborhoods, the island’s parks provide residents with a vast array of recreational opportunities, from sports and active play to picnics, fishing, running, walking and relaxing

Stay tuned for more information on the opening of Governor’s Park next year!

The Milken Institute, an independent economic think tank, has ranked the Charleston region among the nation’s top 20 large cities in its 2010 “Best Performing Cities” index (up from #30 in 2009). This index is widely known as an objective measure of which U.S. metropolitan areas are most successful in terms of quality job creation, job retention and overall economic performance.

According to the report, Charleston’s “well-balanced industry mix helped carry it through much of the (economic) downturn,” and “its emerging aerospace industry added more than 1,000 jobs from 2004 to 2009, contributing to Charleston’s coming in 19th in high-tech output for that period….”

Contributing in part to Charleston’s impressive performance is the addition of Boeing to the region’s economy. For the past year, the Charleston business community has been abuzz with news of the aerospace giant’s pending arrival. The company’s facility is rapidly taking shape in North Charleston on a site directly next to Charleston International Airport, where it will assemble its 787 Dreamliner. The facility, which is scheduled to be complete next year, is expected to employ 3,800 people.

The Milken Institute report forecasts that growth in Charleston will continue well into the future: “As the economy rebounds, increased inbound cargo activity at the Port of Charleston should help sustain long-term growth.”

For more information on the Milken Institute rankings, click here.