August - Lady`s Island Business Professionals Association

2013 BOARD
OF DIRECTORS
Jim Rowan—President
W: 815-4747 C: 441-1298
[email protected]
**
Kevin Dukes—Vice President
W: 524-3109
[email protected]
**
Jennifer Bihl
Planning Commission
C: 843-637-9187
[email protected]
**
Pat Harvey Palmer – Treasurer
Fire & Safety
W: 522-0066
[email protected]
**
Mark Weeks - Secretary
525-8439
[email protected]
**
Bill Evans - School Board
301-6858
[email protected]
**
Paul Sommerville
County Council
H: 521-0827 or C: 575-0827
[email protected]
**
Jim Hicks
(Newsletter)
H: 522-3988
[email protected]
**
Donnie Beer
City of Beaufort Council
(H) 379-6099 ( W ) 379-2750
[email protected]
**
Peggy Allard
Friends of Crystal Lake
W: 271-7298
[email protected]
**
Judy Smith - Newsletter Publisher
W: 522-0066
[email protected]
[email protected]
**
Steve Thompson
LIBPA Webmaster
W: 521-4985
[email protected]
LIBPA website: www.libpa.org
IBPA
LADY'S ISLAND BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION
LIBPA Website: www.libpa.org
August 2013
GUEST SPEAKER FOR AUGUST
SENATOR GEORGE “CHIP” CAMPSEN
State Senator Chip Campsen, who
represents District 43, will be the guest
speaker at the Tuesday, August 13
meeting of the Lady’s Island Business
and Professional Association. With
political redistricting as a result of the
2010 Census Senator Campsen replaced
Senator Tom Davis as Lady’s Island representative for
District 43 in the State Senate. Senator Campsen resides
on the Isle of Palms and has served as a member of the
State House of Representatives from 1996 to 2002 at
which time he became the co-chair and spokesperson for
Governor Mark Sanford’s transition team. In 2004 he
was elected to the State Senate, reelected in 2008 and
2012. He presently serves on the following committees
Fish, Game and Forestry, Invitations, Judiciary, Rules
and Transportation. He received his BS from Furman
University, MS from the University of South Carolina
where he also received his Juris Doctorate. He is a
practicing attorney and a businessman. He has his
captain’s license and is vice president of Fort Sumter
WINNER OF THE MOST PATIENT BUSINESS
COUPLE AWARD
Hopefully, as you read this the Beaufort
Bread Company located in the Lady’s Island
Shopping Center is open and struggling to
meet the desires of an almost overwhelming number of customers. For almost 2
years Lady’s Island residents Rick Stone and
his wife Deborah have been struggling to
overcome one obstacle after another to
realize their dream of opening a bakery and
café offering artisan style breads, pastries
and house made pastas plus a breakfast
and lunch menu. A note on their door and
also their web site recently reported another couple of challenges (leaky roof and
air conditioner problem) had arisen requiring another delay to the opening of their
doors. You have to admire the patience
and endurance of the Stones. If there really
was an award for the most patient business
couple attempting to start up a new business in spite of repeated stumbling blocks
Rick and Deborah would certainly be the
recipients.
Tours Inc. He also works as a commercial real estate
broker. Senator Campsen has been requested to include
in his discussion with our members the following
subjects:
Was the lack of 2013 legislative accomplishments due
to the challenging nature of the problems?
What are the successes of the 2013 legislative session?
What are the key items remaining to be addressed in
2014?
What are the most critical areas which need attention in
District 43?
Was progress made in solving the state funding
problem for Beaufort County schools?
Meeting: Tuesday, August 13, 8 AM
Beaufort Realtor’s Association Headquarters
Palmetto Business Park, Lady’s Island Drive
22 Kemmerlin Lane
Invite your friends and neighbors
WELCOME DR. JEFFERY MOSS, BEAUFORT
COUNTY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT
Dr. Moss, who recently assumed the office of Superintendent of the Beaufort County School District, arrives
at his new job with 30 years of experience in the field of
education. He began his career in Hoke County, North
Carolina where he worked as a teacher, director of vocational and technical education and associate superintendent for curriculum and technology. His experience as a
superintendent includes five years as superintendent of
Beaufort County schools (Washington, North Carolina),
three years as superintendent of Stanly County
(Albemarle, North Carolina) and superintendent of Lee
County, North Carolina school district since January
2009. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting
from Pembroke State University, a Master’s Degree
from North Carolina A&T University and a PhD in Education Administration from South Carolina State University. With approximately 4000 students attending the
4 public schools and 3 private schools on Lady’s Island
and 2 out of every 10 jobs on the island related to education the Lady’s Island Business and Professional Association has a significant stake in the success of schools
(both public and private) on the island. We welcome Dr.
Moss and his family to Beaufort County and look forward to supporting him in his role of school superintendent.
Page 2
BIG CHANGES IN THE FLOOD INSURANCE WORLD
As the 54,000 residents and business owners
of Beaufort County who have flood insurance renew their policies there is a very real
potential for “sticker shock” when they receive the bill. The national flood insurance
program has been reorganized in an effort to
make it self-supporting and to no longer
require the taxpayer to subsidize the premiums for those that reside on the coast and
other flood prone areas. Following is a summary of how these changes came about and
what type of changes can be expected.
occurred and as the law is implemented
others will be implemented in the coming months. Key provisions of the legislation will include the National Flood
Insurance Program raising rates to reflect true flood risk, making the program
more financially stable and changing
how the Flood Insurance Rate Map updates impact policy holders. The
changes will mean premium rate increase for some but not all policy holders.”
In 1968, with passage of the National Flood
Insurance Act, the federal government entered the business of insuring private homes
and businesses in areas of high risk for flooding. To encourage participation some premiums were subsidized. In 1973 the law was
amended to make flood insurance mandatory for all houses in high flood risk areas to
obtain a mortgage. To identify where these
high risk areas were, a program was established to map and identify the flood plains
along the coast. The original concept was for
the insurance program to be 100% self- supporting but by 2003 it was requiring almost
200 million taxpayer dollars each year to pay
claims. Since 1978 the program has paid $38
billion in claims (40% of which were in Louisiana). This continued loss of money resulted in the members of Congress developing an increasing reluctance to extend financial support for the program. This reluctance reached the point of requiring 17 short
term extensions to keep the program from
expiring and twice allowing it to completely
expire leaving approximately 5 million
homes in 21,000 communities without flood
insurance for short periods of time. Each
time Congress reluctantly renewed the program it has directed that a method be found
to allow national flood insurance to continue
to exist but to be self- supporting.
A key factor in the operation of the program and the cost of your flood insurance is the flood insurance rate map
(FIRM) which is prepared and maintained by a branch of FEMA. This is the
official map of a community on which
FEMA has delineated the 100 year flood
plain (1 % chance of flooding during any
year) and special hazard areas within
this area. This map also establishes risk
premium zones within these special
hazard areas. The present flood insurance rate map for Beaufort County was
completed in 1986 and is available for
viewing on the FEMA internet website.
As part of a project to digitize all of the
flood plain maps Beaufort County was
scheduled to receive a new map on May
9, 2014 with an effective date of September 2015. However, FEMA indicates
the Beaufort County portion of the project is experiencing delays and there is
no projected completion date, at this
time, for a new FIRM map for Beaufort
County.
In response to this continued demand by
congress that the flood insurance program
pay for itself the Biggert – Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 was passed last
year. This new law, according to the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),
“calls for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other agencies to
make a number of changes as to the way the
National Flood Insurance Program is run.
Some of the required changes have already
With all of these changes (new law for
federal flood insurance effective July 1,
2012 and a new flood map on the way)
what will be the effect on the Beaufort
County home and business owners?
Following, according to FEMA, are just a
few impacts of the new law.
- Owners of non-primary/secondary
residences in a Special Flood Hazard
Area (SFHA) will see a 25% increase annually until rates reflect true risk – began January 1, 2013.
- Owners of property which has experienced severe or repeated flooding will
see a 25 % rate increase annually until
rates reflect true risk – beginning October 1, 2013.
- Owners of business properties in a
Special Flood Hazard Area will see a
25% rate increase annually until
rates reflect true risk – beginning
October 1, 2013.
- Owners of primary residences in
Special Flood Hazard Areas will be
able to keep their subsidized rates
unless or until:
 You sell your property.
 You allow your flood insurance
policy to lapse.
 You suffer severe, repeated flood
losses; or
 You purchase a new policy.
The new version of flood insurance is
extremely complicated and very difficult for the individual property
owner to understand. Insurance
agents are attending extensive professional training on the subject and
receiving updates on the new regulations almost daily. A talk with your
insurance agent can provide a better
picture of how the new flood insurance law may affect the flood insurance rate for your home or business.
Robbie Holmquist, Producer/Broker
with Tubeville Insurance Agency
stated “Regardless of construction or
flood policy purchase date, flood
insurance rates will go up for everyone in the near future and continue
to climb. In Beaufort County the policies which will be affected the most
will be for those homes built “slab on
grade” that were constructed prior
to 1977 with a flood policy purchased or transferred July 2012 or
later. Those homes will now require
an elevation certificate for future
rating and will have a year to provide
one. This elevation certificate will
correctly identify the dwelling’s elevation. If the elevation is 13 feet or
higher the home owner may be able
to receive a lower rate, if the home
is at a negative elevation (below 13
feet) the rate will be significantly
higher in the years to come. Following are two examples of the impact
Continued on page 3
Page 3
Flood Insurance continued from
page 2
of elevation on the premium for a
second home.
Example #1 -- 2nd home,
$250,000 on dwelling, $100,000
on contents at 13 ft. elevation,
$1500 annual premium.
Example #2 -- 2nd home,
$250,000 on dwelling, $100,000
on contents at 10 ft. elevation,
$5000 annual premium.”
There is no question that the federal flood insurance program
should be put on a sound financial footing and should not require taxpayer subsidy. However,
it does have the potential to decrease the attractiveness of some
high risk coastal properties by
significantly increasing the cost of
ownership. Just how painful the
process of achieving financial
independence for the program is
going to be for those of us who
enjoy living on the coast remains
to be seen.
Editor’s Note. A special thank
you is extended to LIBPA member
Robbie Holmquist of Tubeville Insurance Agency (524-4500) for his
assistance and guidance in the
preparation of this article. The information contained in the above article was derived from many FEMA
documents on the subject.
IS THE NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION MARKET GAINING STRENGTH?
Accepting that it is only a matter of time until there is a need for additional housing as a
result of an increasing population LIBPA keeps a close watch on the number of building
permits issued for single family homes in northern Beaufort County, with specific attention to Lady’s Island. To determine if the data provides a basis for a trend, a comparison
is made of the same period for the past few years. Following is the data for the period
January through June 2013.
Lady’s Island Single Family Building Permits
Year
Mid-Year
End of Year
2005
111
204
2006
93
159
2007
30
73
2008
22
52
2009
16
21
2010
7
20
2011
22
30
2012
25
44
2013
47
83 (projected)
During the period January through June 2013 Beaufort County issued building permits
for construction of 126 single family residential homes. During the first half of 2013
one third of all the single family homes that were permitted for construction in the
unincorporated portion of Beaufort County were located on Lady’s Island.
Following is a 4 year review of the City of Beaufort and Town of Port Royal single family
building permits issued at the mid-year point.
Municipal Single Family Building Permits
Jan – June
Municipality
2010
2011
2012 2013
City of Beaufort
9
19
17
19
Town of Port Royal 29
29
40
52
In 2005 the Beaufort County housing construction boom
reached its peak with 3,996 building permits being issued
for construction of single family homes in the unincorporated portion of the county. We are not even close to that
point of demand for new homes but there is every indication that as the health of the national economy improves
and the excess inventory of homes is reduced there will be
a growing demand for new homes in Beaufort County.
WELCOME BEAUFORT CYCLES
SITE PREPARATION FOR NEW FIRE STATION UNDERWAY
Luke and Stephanie Wood, owners and operators of Beaufort
Cycles (263-1436) have relocated their business, which services
and repairs Harley Davidson motorcycles, from their former location on Robert Smalls Parkway where they have been for the past
7 years to their new site at 12 Fairfield Road in the business complex next to the Tiger Express Convenience Store on Sams Point
Road. We welcome them to Lady’s Island and thank them for
choosing the island as home for their business.
The contract for preparation of the site for the construction of the new Lady’s Island – St. Helena Fire Station on
Lady’s Island Drive (across from BB&T) has been awarded
to Lather Construction and work on the site is underway.
Completion of construction of the new fire station building is scheduled for the first part of 2014. The new station
will replace the present facility located near the entrance
to the Lady’s Island Airport.
Page 4
COMMON CORE CURRICULUM – GOOD OR BAD?
In 1996 the states’ governors joined with corporate leaders to form
a nonpartisan organization called Achieve Inc. designed to provide
guidance as to how the nation’s public schools could be improved.
In 2004, a study was done by Achieve indicating high school graduates were not prepared with the necessary education and skills to
enter the job market. The recommended solution was to establish
common educational standards to ensure that a South Carolina high
school diploma represented the same thing as a California high
school diploma. In 2006 the Governor’s Association hired the president of the College Board which designs the SAT and Advanced
Placement Test to develop common standards for math and literacy
instruction. The resulting standards and supporting curriculum have
been adopted by 46 states and are in the process of being integrated
into the school systems. The states which have not adopted the standards are Alaska, Nebraska, Texas and Virginia (Minnesota adopted
the English standards but not the math standards). South Carolina
adopted these standards in 2010 under former Governor Mark Sanford and State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex.
During the upcoming school year Beaufort County public schools
from kindergarten through 12th grade will integrate this Common
Core curriculum into the math and English language arts classes.
The previous two school years were designated as transition years
for the introduction of the curriculum, 2013 -14 is a “bridge year”
and 2014 -15 will see full implementation of the curriculum.
Use of this set of common standards is not without controversy. In
South Carolina there is Senate bill (S300) and House bill (H3943)
that would void the state’s adoption of common core standards and
prohibit its implementation. Governor Haley has indicated that she
would support a bill blocking implementation of the common core
standards in South Carolina. State Superintendent Mick Zais has
said that although he opposes the standards he does plan to implement them. Some elected officials have expressed concern that the
standards were adopted by the State Board of Education and the
State Education Oversight Committee both of which are comprised
of individuals appointed by lawmakers and the governor. Some
groups of the Tea Party have expressed opposition based on a fear
of federal intervention in local school systems. It should be remembered that common core standards evolved as a result of state governors’ initiative and is not federally sponsored or required. A wide
variety of educational and business organizations support the use of
a common set of standards.
Education would appear to be similar to sports in that it has a large
number of Monday morning quarterbacks offering advice as to how
it should be done. The Common Core standards came into being as
a result of the state governors, the state school superintendents and
corporate leaders recognizing the need for high school graduates to
be better prepared for meaningful employment, additional training
or higher education. It is doubtful that these common core standards
and supporting curriculum will be perfect and most likely will be a
work in progress for a good number of years. However, if we really
desire to improve our national educational system and provide our
children with the best education possible perhaps we should listen
more to educators and less to politicians.
THINGS ARE HAPPENING AT CRYSTAL
LAKE PARK
By Peggy Allard, President of Friends of Crystal Lake
Crystal Lake, on Lady’s Island, is a first for Beaufort
County. It is the first property purchased as part of
the Rural and Critical Land Program that will be developed as a passive park and open to the public.
Transforming the property and lake, with its many
unique natural features, into a public park without
negatively imposing on the environment poses unique
challenges. After months of work by so many, the first
real steps to develop the property into a park are underway. Some of the more significant upcoming milestones include:
August – November 2013 - Construction by O’Quinn
Marine is underway on a 660-foot boardwalk from the
parking lot to the lake, a 24-foot pier head, and handicap parking and fencing.
August –December 2013 – Design and permitting
approval (review by Corridor Review Board and approval by Design Review Board) for renovation of
former Butler Marine Building to serve as part of the
park and as a possible home for the Soil and Water
Conservation District Beaufort Headquarters, Friends
of Crystal Lake, and County Park employees.
January – June 2014 – (1) Issue a Request for Proposal and award a contract to renovate the former Butler Marine building. (2) Design and award of contract
for extension of walkway around lake.
Hopefully, by December 2013 Lady’s Island schools
and possibly others can use the new boardwalk and
pier to incorporate the park into their science curriculum and visitors can reach the lake without wading
through the marsh. As work continues to develop both
the property next to the boat landing on Sea Island
Parkway and the Crystal Lake Park, it makes you
proud to be part of a community and county that appreciates the natural beauty of our island and is taking
steps to protect it for future generations.
Page 5
COOSAW POINT WHERE DREAMS COME TRUE
By Robert Gallant Jr., Principle, Coosaw Point, LLC
Back in the mid-thirties a very loving mother gave her youngest son his first “real” book. It was a hardback, with grown-up writing about life in the Lowcountry, and with photographs that showed the slow and easy ways of some of its people. The little boy
was fascinated by the rules of hunting and fishing along the great Santee River, but most of all, he was in awe of the description of
groves of tall, straight pines and photographs of giant live oaks that seemed to guard everything around.
The book was “Home by the River” by Archibald Rutledge, the Poet Laureate of South Carolina. It told the story of Hampton, his
ancestral home on the Santee, and of his work to restore it. The boy, who was so fascinated by this his first book, was Robert Gallant Sr. and his home was in the foothills of the Blue Ridge, far removed and a far cry from the seemingly idyllic life enjoyed by
the author. Rutledge’s tales of life along the Santee set up in the little boy a life- long dream of owning his home by the river.
The dream was nurtured during the ensuing years by his visits to Beaufort during high school and college, and through marriage
and years of family building that included summer vacations on Fripp Island. The dream grew for some sixty years until, in 1997,
the little boy, by then almost seventy years old, was able to buy Coosaw point … and realize the dream.
The river was not the powerful Santee but instead the beautiful and moving Coosaw, flowing out to meet the tides of St. Helena
Sound. Although it was a different river, the same soldier-straight pines and centuries-old live oaks filled the maritime forest of
Coosaw. The deer were there in great numbers, the ducks flew into the wetlands at nightfall and out the next morning, the raccoons poked along the wooded fringes of the sandy roads …it was just a great place to be.
Some years earlier, Coosaw Point had been the dream of another man who sought the beauty and solace provided by this magic
mixture of river and forest. He is still there, and always will be … the sole occupant of a beautiful small, white mausoleum. He
had it built on the edge of his favorite wetland where he and his dog loved to hunt or just sit, watching the evening arrival of
ducks. He commissioned beautiful stained glass windows depicting the deer and ducks and raccoons and other Coosaw Point wildlife that had meant so much to him. He will be in their good company forever.
Both owners saw Coosaw Point as a place to be maintained and cherished in its natural state, to be a source of pleasure and inspiration for one person or one family. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on one’s perspective, the Gallants discovered soon
after buying Coosaw point that new and extremely restrictive zoning rules were to be adopted that would make future development
virtually impossible from an economic standpoint. With four children and numerous grandchildren to be considered, not all of
whom might share in “the dream”, Gallant decided to move forward with development of the property while it still could be done
under the older zoning rules. This would have allowed 1,600 homes to be built on the almost four hundred acres. Instead Gallant
chose to have J. K. Tiller & Associates draw up a plan that would significantly reduce (by almost 75%) the authorized number of
homes while preserving the natural bounties of the property and not limiting it to only one family as was the case of Hampton for
the Rutledges.
As a result of this vision, today it can be the fulfillment of the dreams of many families (with lots of little boys and girls) who will
have the opportunity to enjoy wildlife and the pines and magnificent old live oaks, and watch the Coosaw move out to meet the
tides of St. Helena … and the Atlantic. They can enjoy watching the sunrise and sunset from the verandahs of a 10,000 square foot
clubhouse overlooking the marshes of the Coosaw and the mile wide river. They can crab from the docks in the old canal through
the edge of the marsh, and they can cook up Frogmore Stew in the old crab-packing house that remains at the end of the canal.
They can launch their boat from the well-protected community dock that gives quick access to the water highways to Charleston
and Savannah. They can walk and jog along the tree shaded streets and paths of Coosaw; they can play horseshoes and hopscotch
and ride bicycles and cook out and … enjoy their own “Home by the River.” Indicative of the quality of life available in the
Coosaw Point community is its recent selection by Real Estate Scorecard as the happiest community of the 197 master planned
communities evaluated in 2013. Real Estate Scorecard is an industry leader of online real estate which provides in-depth information about the most popular master planned communities in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
Today Coosaw Point is a thriving and growing community of almost
100 homes and continues to be developed under the direction of Robert
Gallant, Jr. Sales and marketing are handled by Todd McDaniel and
Christian Sherbert of Island Realty. If you would care for additional
information in regard to the Coosaw Point Community please call 5220041 or visit www.coosawpoint.com.
Editor’s Note: The basic article above was first published in the
LIBPA newsletter in June 2003 as one of a series of articles highlighting
the history of the major developments on Lady’s Island. A special thank
you is extended to Mr. Gallant for providing and updating the article.
Page 6
LADY’S ISLAND – A VERY SAFE PLACE TO LIVE?
TWO BUSINESSES ONE LOCATION
On an average, for every 10 times a Beaufort County Deputy responds to a call for service
on Lady’s Island there will be one situation of sufficient seriousness to merit an official
incident report. Last year there were 1,891 such reports filed as a result of incidents on
Lady’s Island. Sheriff’s Deputies responded to approximately 50 calls for service each day
in 2012. The following chart provides a comparison of the more serious types of incidents
reported as occurring on Lady’s Island in the first 6 months of this year as compared to the
same period last year.
Lady’s Island Incident Reports
(Comparison 2013 to 2012 Period Jan 1 –June 30)
Offense Description
2012
Vehicle Accidents (All Types)
72
Assault (All Types)
44
Burglary
28
Breaking and Entering a Vehicle
9
Domestic Non Violent
27
Cocaine Involvement
2
Criminal Sexual Conduct
2
Criminal Sexual Conduct w/minor
2
DUI (Alcohol)
23
Grand Larceny
15
Marijuana Involvement
31
Robbery
6
Shoplifting
11
Forgery
6
Total Incidents (All Types)
948
2013
61
48
30
30
40
1
2
3
20
15
24
0
14
5
934
% Change
- 15%
- 9%
+ 2%
+ 233%
+ 48%
- 50%
+ 50%
- 13%
- 23%
- 100%
- 27%
-17%
- 1%
The number of incidents of criminal activity on Lady’s Island continues to decline. Worthy of note is the rise in breaking and entering into vehicles. Of the total number of incidents which occurred in northern Beaufort County during the designated time frame the
following percentage occurred on Lady’s Island:
31% of all vehicle accidents
38% of all breaking and entering into vehicles
45% of all shoplifting incidents
We, who live on Lady’s Island, are very aware of the great job
Sheriff Tanner and his officers do each day and sincerely appreciate it. However, the magnitude of the task of law enforcement
in Beaufort County is often overlooked. For example, during
the first 6 months of 2013 the officers of the Sheriff’s Office reported 10,438 incidents of
significance which included 516 investigations of suspicious activity, 520 incidents of
assault and battery, 906 cases of petit larceny and 889 vehicle accidents. To Sheriff Tanner and all of the members of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office – thank you.
Editor’s Note: A special thank you is extended to Ms. Natalie Johnston, Executive Assistance to the Sheriff for her assistance in compiling the statistical data used in the above
article.
Welcome new member:
Garrett Wreden with Kinghorn Insurance of Beaufort
Mike Weaver, owner and operator of Take it for Granite
(formerly Port Royal Stone
Works) which specializes in
natural stone fabrication, installation and design has relocated
from his previous location on
Sea Island Parkway across from
the entrance to the Lady’s Island Middle School to 343 Sea
Island Parkway (the building
next to Lady’s Island Feed and
Seed). In the near future Ana
Rodriguez-Weaver (Mike’s
wife) owner and operator of
Airport Tire and Service on Sea
Island Parkway (across from
the entrance Lady’s Island Airport) plans to move that business to co-locate with Take it
for Granite at 343 Sea Island
Parkway. Renovations are presently underway to allow the
facility to support operation of
the two businesses at the single
site. A special thank you is
extended to Mr. and Mrs.
Weaver for continuing to
choose Lady’s Island as home
for their businesses and to wish
them ever success in their new
location.
LOCAL BUSINESS
RELOCATES
Ms. Kitty Ellis, owner and manager of the Terra Cotta, presently
located on West Street in Beaufort,
is in the process of relocating the
business to the building next to
Dockside on Lady’s Island (former
home of the Running Company).
The Terra Cotta offers a wide variety of products ranging from pots,
seeds, plant hangers, UB blocking
parasols, books, lotions, food and
knick-knacks. Ms. Ellis, who is a
landscape designer, indicates she
hopes to have the Lady’s Island
store up and ready for business by
August 15. We welcome Terra
Cotta to Lady’s Island and wish
Ms. Ellis every success in the new
location.
Page 7
FIRST HALF 2013 REAL ESTATE REVIEW
By Everett Ballenger, Owner/B.I.C. Ballenger Realty. Former President Beaufort County Association of Realtors.
The first quarter of 2013 showed signs of continued strengthening for sales of single family homes in the five areas we normally cover – Beaufort, Mossy Oaks, Port Royal, Burton and Lady’s Island. Many were concerned as to whether we would
see continued improvement throughout the second quarter? Looking at the numbers below – we can say yes and no! Certainly
some areas have done very well in the first half of 2013. Beaufort and Port Royal did especially well in actual sales. Other
areas did not see a sales pickup, but did see sales prices move upwards. The following chart provides a comparison of the local real estate picture for the first six months of 2012 as compared to the first six months of 2013.
Sales Area
Volume
(Millions)
Units Sold
Average
Price
Median Price
Active
Inventory
(7/15)
Beaufort ( 2012)
$7.9
31
$256,205
$199,900
88
2013
Change +/-
$9.3
+17%
34
+9%
$292,091
+14%
$261,750
+30%
81
-8%
Mossy Oaks
(2012)
$6.9
30
$251,757
$165,750
35
2013
Change +/-
$6.1
-12%
33
+10%
$186,042
-25%
$134,000
-20%
35
-
Port Royal
(2012)
$3.4
21
$165,700
$180,000
49
2013
Change +/-
$6.1
+79%
40
+90%
$154,055
-7%
$144,000
-20%
35
-71%
Burton (2012)
2013
Change +/-
$18.9
$22.3
+18%
93
97
+4%
$203,246
$230,625
+13%
$192,066
$184,900
-4%
167
142
-15%
Lady’s Island
(2012)
$19.0
75
$254,282
$195,000
211
2013
Change +/-
$12.6
-34%
Beaufort City did very
well in all areas. The
number of units sold was
up 9%, and every other
column saw some very
nice increases indeed. It
is encouraging to see both
average and median sales
prices move upwards.
The City of Beaufort has
enjoyed a very strong first
half of the year.
Mossy Oaks did not fare
so well. They did see a
10% increase in unit sales,
but other than that all of
the other numbers were in
negative territory, except
for inventory which was
static. All of the other
areas which we watch
were down.
Port Royal had an excellent first half. Sales volume up 79% and units
sold up some 90%! It’s
Total Northern
Beaufort
County
hard to beat those num(2012)
$57.5
250
$225,468
$187,000
550
bers. Strangely as strong
2013
$76.2
323
$236,126
$185,500
482
as Port Royals sales were,
Change -/+
+32%
+29%
+4.6%
-0.8%
-12%
selling prices slipped
down 7% for the average
and -20% for median prices. Couple that with the 71% reduction in inventory, one would have thought Port Royal would have
seen an uptick in home values. We need to remember that Port Royal now covers such a wide and diverse geographical area,
there must be some parts that do very well, and others where sales are still on the slow side. It will be interesting to see how
Port Royal does in the third quarter.
46
-39%
$275,132
+8%
$230,975
+18%
164
-23%
Burton did not do nearly as well overall as Port Royal which is a little surprising, as Burton also covers a wide and diverse
area. Burton did boast sales figure increases of +8% for the average and a -4% for the median numbers. Also, Burton did see
the second highest reduction in inventory.
Lady’s Island was almost the opposite of Port Royal. Sales figures were down for the volume and actual units sold. This was
a surprise to me, after a fairly strong first quarter. Sales prices did improve though with + 8% for the average, and +18% median sales. Again, inventory is well down on Lady’s Island, so it can only be a matter of time before we see home prices move
to an upward trend.
Over all, I feel quite pleased with the first half of 2013. We saw increases in almost every category except median sales prices
and overall inventories. It seems like the improving real estate market in the five areas we normally cover, continues its steady
but determined move upwards.
LIBPA MEMBERSHIP
As part of the annual membership drive the Lady’s Island Business and Professional Association extends a special invitation for membership to
residents and businesses on Lady’s Island. You are eligible to be a member if you live on Lady’s Island, work on Lady’s Island or simply care about
the future of Lady’s Island. You should consider membership if you desire to stay informed about what is happening or going to happen on our
island and want to have a voice in the direction our community is going.
WHAT DOES LIBPA DO? LIBPA serves as the voice of Lady’s Island. As such, it maintains an active community information web site
(www.libpa.org), publishes a monthly newsletter, conducts a monthly meeting with guest speakers of community interest and represents
Lady’s Island on numerous committees and at various governmental meetings. In the past, LIBPA developed and sponsored the present
zoning for Lady’s Island and currently monitors all requests for major new development.
WHAT ARE LIBPA’S PRESENT PROJECTS. To promote the development of Crystal Lake as a community park, encourage excellence in
the public and private schools on the island, guide the use of form based code into Lady’s Island present zoning, support efforts to attract new
businesses to the island and assist existing businesses.
YOU CAN JOIN BY FILLING OUT THE FOLLOWING FORM AND RETURNING IT WITH YOUR MEMBERSHIP FEE ($45)
OR JOIN THROUGH OUR WEB SITE AND WE WILL BILL YOU. YOUR NEW MEMBER’S FEE COVERS YOUR DUES
FOR FOR THE REMAINDER OF 2013 AND ALL OF 2014.
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Name/Company: ________________________________________________________________________________________
Attn: __________________________________________________________________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________________________________________________________
Phone: ________________________________________ Web Site ________________________________________________
Newsletter preference: U. S. Mail ____ E-Mail _____ E-mail Address:______________________________________________
Type of membership: Business _____ Residential _____ Civic Org. _____
Business category for directory ____________________________________________________________________________
Please mail along with your membership fee of $45 to:
LIBPA
182-D Sea Island Parkway
Lady’s Island, S. C. 29907
The Lady‘s Island Business and Professional Association, organized in 1981, is a state charted, civic organization with the objective of promoting the
planned, orderly development and growth of Lady‘s Island. It also will sponsor such projects and events that contribute to the general welfare of the island, its residents, its businesses and its professional offices. Membership eligibility embraces businesses, professional practices, island residents and
other such individuals having an interest in the welfare of Lady‘s Island. Annual dues are $45. All correspondence should be forwarded to LIBPA, 182-D
Sea Island Pkwy, Lady‘s Island, SC.29907. You can now join through our web site at www.LIBPA.org. Comments regarding the content of this newsletter
should be forwarded to Jim Hicks at [email protected].
LADY’S ISLAND BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION
182-D Sea Island Parkway
Lady’s Island, SC 29907
LIBPA Website: www.libpa.org