A Second Home in the American South
Four private enclaves on the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia offer Southern charm, a sense of history and a lovely landscape of salt marshes and tidal rivers.
By Jamie Marshall
The South's storied Low Country, that section of Atlantic coast running roughly from Charleston to Savannah, is an increasingly popular vacation-home destination as younger buyers look beyond the usual resort areas to private communities that offer tradition and recreational diversity. They are drawn to the region's fabled landscape, which is rife with the potential for adventure. "People are seeking a wider range of appeal," says Peter Pollak, a partner in Dolan, Pollak & Schram Development Company. "There's a real focus on the outdoors." We've singled out four outstanding enclaves in South Carolina and Georgia, several of which are managed by individuals who cut their teeth at nearby Hilton Head and Sea Pines some thirty years ago. All want to preserve the fragile Low Country landscape for future generations while providing a home for those who love to be immersed in natural beauty.
Palmetto Bluff - Bluffton, South Carolina
Lay of the Land Less than a year old, this residential resort development near the historic town of Beaufort covers 20,000 acres. The entire complex, including a 6,500-acre woodland preserve, will be interconnected by trails and waterways.
The Big Picture The first phase of the master plan calls for a total of just 500 residences—on the water, in the woods, along the golf course—including a riverfront village. Since it began, 100 village lots have been sold, with 29 homes under way. Eight of the ten fourteen- to thirty-acre family compounds have also been sold.
Right For Multigenerational families.
The Appeal The intensely beautiful Low? Country landscape: all high river bluffs, salt marshes and freshwater lagoons.
Prices From $200,000 for a quarter of an acre in the village to $2.5 million for four acres in the May River area. Homeowners pay yearly dues of $4,200 for recreational activities; the onetime initiation fee for optional golf club membership is $60,000.
Where to Stay While Looking The new Inn at Palmetto Bluff, managed by Auberge Resorts. Rooms and cottages from $450.
Contact 843-757-3333; palmetto-bluff.com.
The Ford Plantation - Richmond Hill, Georgia
Lay of the Land Just eighteen miles southwest of Savannah on the banks of the Ogeechee River, this former rice plantation and winter retreat of automobile mogul Henry Ford has been transformed into a private 1,800-acre sporting community. Pecan orchards, stately live oaks, native grasses and plantation-style landscaping evoke the region's gracious antebellum heritage.
The Big Picture Development is limited to 400 homes. About two-thirds of the sites have been sold, with 125 homes built or currently under construction.
Right For Active families and couples.
The Appeal The refined country-club atmosphere and excellent amenities, which include a Pete Dye–designed golf course, riding stables, a spa, fishing, tennis and a sixty-slip marina.
Prices Homes run between $800,000 and $4 million, and lots go for $200,000 for one acre to $2 million for fifteen acres. Buyers pay a onetime fee of $115,000. Club dues are $11,000 a year.
Where to Stay While Looking Rooms in Henry Ford's original Georgian-style home or in cottages go for $175.
Contact 877-735-8367; fordplantation.com.
Kiawah - Kiawah, South Carolina
Lay of the Land This 10,000-acre barrier island, 21 miles south of Charleston, has it all: gorgeous homes, a 10-mile-long beach, superb golf on seven courses (two are private), family programs, nature trails, shops and restaurants. Since 1988 the island has been owned and operated by two separate entities: Kiawah Island Golf Resort, which oversees the day-to-day operations, and Kiawah Development Partners, which focuses on real estate.
The Big Picture Nearly 3,000 residences are spread among several neighborhoods in this gated community. Plans call for a maximum of 5,600 residences to be built over the next 20-plus years. About fifty new home sites are released annually; typically the lots are snapped up in a matter of hours.
Right For Busy executives, golf fanatics and sun worshippers.
The Appeal The dramatic oceanfront setting and barefoot lifestyle.
Prices Lots are priced from $189,000 for a wooded view to $5.3 million for an ocean view, and homes go from $259,000 to $29 million. In the new Cassique area, on a separate island with its own eighteen-hole golf course, a lot with a marsh view costs about $2 million. The onetime initiation fee for membership in the posh Kiawah Island Club is $135,000. Monthly dues are $700.
Where to Stay While Looking The superb new 255-room Sanctuary at Kiawah Island. Rooms from $240, including breakfast.
Contact 843-768-3400; kiawahisland.com.
Brays Island Plantation - Sheldon, South Carolina
Lay of the Land About forty miles from Charleston, Brays was a working plantation until 1989. Today just 6 percent of its 5,500 or so acres is deeded for private residential use. The rest is designated common space, with miles of fields and marshland for hunting, fishing and riding.
The Big Picture Development is restricted to 325 one-acre home sites, which are spread over 1,500 acres. So far, 126 homes have been built, with 22 in the planning or construction stages.
Right For Serious sports aficionados.
The Appeal The traditional plantation lifestyle. Some 3,500 acres are set aside as a wildlife and hunting preserve. The quail and partridge shooting are world renowned. There's a gun club with a sporting-clays course, a kennel, riding stables, sixty miles of trails and cross-country jumps, freshwater and saltwater fishing, access to deep-sea fishing, and an eighteen-hole golf course.
Prices One-acre lots cost from $165,000 to $925,000, homes from $650,000 to $3 million. Property owners pay monthly dues of $1,435.
Where to Stay While Looking Rooms in the original plantation home, called the Inn, or the adjacent carriage house (bird dogs welcome) cost $160, including three meals.
Contact 843-846-3170; braysisland.com.
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