Home and Garden

H2 Builders helps NY couple build Lowcountry house of their dreams

Gary and Gail Neumen are “100 percent” certain they’ll be moving into their new home in Bluffton in January, leaving behind their main residence, careers and life on Long Island, New York.

They will be trading Long Island’s south shore for other bodies of water — the 28-acre lake at Hampton Hall, plus the kidney-shaped swimming pool in the backyard of their new home. After buying and selling one lot in the community in 2015, the couple is finally ready to settling into the home they’ve built on the .45-acre lakeside lot hugging the 10th hole fairway of Pete Dye’s signature course that they bought in 2009.

LOWCOUNTRY REAL ESTATE DELEGATION VISITS D.C.
Led by Daniel Moskowitz, president of Hilton Head Area Association of Realtors, a delegation representing the local real estate industry met with lawmakers in Washington the week of May 15. Moskowitz, four other Hilton Head Area Realtors, and Hilton Head Area Association of Realtors officials Jocelyn Staigar and Jean Beck met with Senator Tim Scott, Senator Lindsey Graham and Congressman Mark Sanford to discuss issues affecting homebuyers and consumers of commercial real estate.

The group stressed the need for a multi-year reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program, which expires Sept. 30. Additionally, the Realtors advocated for tax reform, responsible reform of the secondary mortgage market, prohibiting the use of guarantee fees for any purposes other than creditrisk management, and improving consumer protections for energyefficiency improvement loans. The real estate industry maintains that federal tax reform should not include elimination of the mortgage interest deduction.

THINK OF YOUR HOME AS A PRODUCT TO BE MARKETED AND SOLD

Everyone selling a home wants a quick sale at a good price. It’s not luck that makes this happen. Advance planning and knowing how to professionally prep your home can lead to a higher sale price and fewer days on the market. Here are some ways sellers can increase their odds:

Island life is a different kind of living. The relaxed pace, natural environment, and consistent ocean breeze keep residents here and entice tourists from all around the world. While the easy feel of island life in Lowcountry neighborhoods might seem like it just fell into place; it’s actually a result of careful planning.

ENGEL & VÖLKERS introduces exclusive real estate technology to the Promenade in Bluffton. The inter-active touch screen, seen in the centre panel in this photograph, has a direct feed to the Hilton Head and BLuffton MLS. People on the busy Promenade can search for all homes for sale in the MLS by simply touching the buttons on the window.

In the good old days, interior cooling and heating were limited to a specific room or portion of a building with localized units. That worked out just fine, so long as the entire family didn’t mind camping out in the living room. Some could afford more than one unit. Most could not.

Sophisticated homeowners in the Lowcountry have never been beholden to the latest kitchen and bathroom trends. We know what we like, pure and simple. If it happens to be trendy, so be it.

Interestingly, the Hilton Head area has either been a trend-setter ahead of the national curve or behind it by a few years…if ever. Our trends with sustained traction either originate in Hilton Head or trickle down from Atlanta or other cities up and down the seaboard to our inviting shores.

ENGEL & VÖLKERS Hilton Head— Bluffton recently announced that home buyers and sellers served in the Hilton Head and Bluffton markets will now have access to a new way to view properties in the palm of their hand. This is part of Engel & Völkers North America’s recently launched network-wide initiative to introduce industry-leading technology that will enhance home buyers and sellers’ experiences. “Our company and Real Estate Advisors are committed to providing the best customer experience that matches the on-demand economy that consumers expect,” said Rick Turner, President Engel & Völkers Hilton Head – Bluffton.

THE INTEGRATION OF MANMADE HARDSCAPES AND NATURE’S NATURAL LANDSCAPING HAS BEEN TRANSFORMING LOWCOUNTRY OUTDOOR LIVING FOR MANY YEARS.

We have been moving our indoor comforts and amenities outdoors in rising numbers while watching the value of our homes increase, thanks to outdoor upgrades.