Sea Pines: The Strength of Real Estate

People love to ask me about the Sea Pines real estate market. Are villas selling? How many lots are available? Are prices going up? Should I buy in Sea Pines? Don’t tourists hurt the market? And my favorite... why does Sea Pines Real Estate Co. send me so many post cards? These questions all come back to one thing; what’s the strength of the Sea Pines real estate market? One of the first home sites that sold by Sea Pines Real Estate Company was on the ocean on Canvasback. The price was $25,000. Today the same lot is worth in excess of $3.5 million. The "if I had only bought..." stories are commonplace.

The real estate market in Sea Pines has always been strong and even in the slower sales periods the prices have not dropped. This strength in the market is due to several things. First is the scarcity of product. There are only a finite number of home sites, homes and villas in Sea Pines. Still considered one of the Island’s most respected addresses, the lack of product has kept the demand high. The second reason for the increase is the character of the community.

The incredible master plan and tight Architectural Review Board have preserved the unique character of Sea Pines. When Charles Fraser first conceived this community the final "look" of Sea Pines was, for the most part, in his mind. Fifty years later and at virtual build out, this "look" is now available for us all to see. The muted colors, setbacks and number of trees have preserved the character of the land. Sea Pines today looks very similar to the Sea Pines of twenty or thirty years ago.

The nature market itself has also had a big effect on real estate values. In the early days Sea Pines appealed to those individuals of adventurous spirit. It took a hearty sole to be one of the original pioneers. The golf boom fueled the 70s and 80s as the sport grew dramatically; and so did the demand for golf communities. Sea Pines was the perfect choice for the avid golfer. The baby boomers took over the market in the late 1990s and should continue to spike demand until the mid-2020s. The baby boomers are starting to retire but even before that they have been buying second homes for 10 years in preparation for their retirement years.

The biggest factor affecting property values, however, is the resort component of the community. The option of having your property available for rent to resort guests has single-handedly supported the values in Sea Pines. Golf courses, tennis centers, tournaments, beaches, restaurants, and shopping all drive visitors that drive rentals which drive real estate prices.

Finally, the real estate sales community has been a key. Property for sale will never be sold if there is no industry ready to put buyers and sellers together. Since its inception, The Sea Pines Real Estate Company has lead sales in Sea Pines. Today, they still lead in the resale of homes and villas in the community. Having an active market place is essential to the high values found here. So the answer is that the Sea Pines Real estate market is strong and I expect it to continue well into the future.

⮜ Back to Articles | ⮝ Back to Top