HILTON HEAD ISLAND SC Accolade from Travel & Leisure Magazine OK - so everybody thinks their beach is the best, or their island is best, but the jury is in! Today Travel & Leisure Magazine has just named Hilton Head Island, SC as "The Best Island in the Continental U.S." Don't just take my word for it - CLICK HERE for the full article! (Yes, this is a real picture that I took on one of our 'crowded' beaches - right in the heart of Coligny Plaza - and NO it wasn't in the dead of winter - late summer, yes, but winter, no - just another example of why Hilton Head won #1!Pretty neat to be named in such other notable company as Nantucket,  The San Juan Islands in Washington State - but it's oh so nice to be ranked higher than our GA "cousins" on the Golden Isle (Jekyll, St, Simons, and Littl... 07/06/2016

  May 2016 Hilton Head Art Fest The beauty of the lowcountry is all around us and this weekend will give art lovers a great way to view - and purchase - all kinds of art from paintings, jewelry, sculpture, and much more!  When: Saturday, May 28, 2016 and Sunday, May 29, 2016 Where: Shelter Cove Harbour and Marina Hours: 10:00AM - 5:00PMWhat: 8th Annual Hilton Head Art FestivalCost: FREE!!!     What is going on? An art festival, and the opportunity to stroll around Shelter Cove Harbour and Marina and watch the boats and paddleboarders go by.  Don't forget all the terrific restaurants; San Miguel's is a popular place with great margaritas, Ela's Blue Water Grill at the end of the harbour has fresh fresh fresh seafood options and great martinis, Mediterranean Harbour Bar and Grill has a ni... 05/27/2016

  2016 Beer, Bacon & Music Festival on Hilton Head Island, SC Save those calories, and come on out and enjoy the 2nd Annual Beer, Bacon & Music Festival on Hilton Head organized by the Island Recreation Center!   When: Saturday, May 7, 2016 Where: Shelter Cove Community Park Hours: 11:00A - 5:00PWhat: Bacon-themed block partyCost: $6 per person for entry, Kids 10 & under are free! Cost for concessions from booths vary Contact: Island Recreation  Center   What is going on? A festival to 'get down' and enjoy the beauty of the island and, most importantly, BACON. An event for bacon lovers - bacon cupcakes, cocktails featuring bacon, bacon sampling, and, did I mention, BACON EVERYTHING! I should mention that as well as the star attraction, there will be a live performances from some of the ... 05/03/2016

HOW TO DECIDE? Live in Bluffton, SC or Hilton Head Island, SC   PART I DECISIONS RELATIVE TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC This seems to be quite the dilemma for folks coming from other parts of the country. Hilton Head Island, I would say has many characteristics of any other beach or resort-oriented town; however, there are some aspects that make it stand out: 1.     LOW or NO lighting along the main streets at night. The first thing people notice is that even along William Hilton Parkway, there are either no lights or if there are, the lamp posts have special hoods so that the light is diffused. Why? the general idea was/is that we protect the sea turtles along the beach - but along the main roadway? That's really a holdover to the vision that Charles Fraser had of the island being more nat... 04/30/2016

2016 Heritage Golf Tournament on Hilton Head Island, SC Insider’s Guide   It’s nearly here! The highly anticipated event on Hilton Head Island! The RBC Heritage Golf Tournament is the only PGA tour event in South Carolina so we’ll have to be excused if we’re a bit excited! It’s probably easiest to just do a WHO WHAT WHY WHEN since there’s just so much to learn about with this event. WHO: Heritage Foundation, RBC Bank and Boeing sponsor this tournament and the Heritage Foundation is one of the largest benefactors on the island. After having other sponsors, RBC Bank continues its contract with the island. Boeing goes without saying has brought a tremendous economic boost to South Carolina; albeit more to the Charleston area, but is ever present as well – including the exciting fly over by... 04/10/2016

1st Quarter – Hilton Head Island, SC - Palmetto Dunes Market ReportIt’s time to take a look at what’s happening in a little corner of the Hilton Head Island, SC market. Palmetto Dunes is divided by William Hilton Parkway, the major thoroughfare of the island. On one side is Shelter Cove (on the Broad Creek with a marina and harbor) and on the other side is Palmetto Dunes with direct ocean access.The properties that will be highlighted in this market report are relative to the villas in both Palmetto Dunes as well as across the street in Shelter Cove. There are differences in price range for the obvious reasons of size and location but the constant is that whether you buy on the Palmetto Dunes side or the Shelter Cove side, you have the use of all of the resources and amenities of the en... 04/09/2016

2016 Hilton Head Boat Show   Ahoy Matey! well, perhaps that greeting is best suited for the island pirate cruise but still.....   When: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, April 22-24, 2016 Where: Windmill Harbour Hours: Varying times according to the dayWhat: 12th Annual Hilton Head Boat ShowCost: $12 per person in advance, $15 per person at the door (children 12 and under free)    What is going on? The Hilton Head Boat Show is one of the loveliest spring events and it's a great way to come inside the gates of Windmill Harbour and get a view of yachts, speed boats, wooden boats, kayaks, and everything in between. If you've never been to an 'in the water boat show' (ala Ft. Lauderdale or Miami, FL), this is a great way to view these beauties in their natural habitat and envisioning yourself a... 04/08/2016

2016 WING FEST on Hilton Head Island, SCYUUUMMMMMMM!!!! It's spring on Hilton Head so what better way to usher it in than by attending the annual wing fest! Get ready for mouth - and eye - watering treats at the 21st (and 'winging it') Annual Wing Fest hosted by the Island Recreation Association.When: Saturday, March 19, 2016Where: Shelter Cove Community ParkHours: 11:00A - 6:00PWhat: All you can eat chicken wings!Cost: $6 per person (plus $1/ticket)Contact:Island Rec Center (843-681-7273)What is going on?This fun event is a great way to greet spring in the lowcountry AND to benefit a good cause - the Island Recreation Association Children's Scholarship Fund.AND By the way, if you want to make this a great weekend extravaganza come to the LASER LIGHT SHOW on Friday Night!!Admission $6 (... 03/10/2016

Palmetto Dunes/Shelter Cove Market Report February 2016In a word, rocky. Not as in Balboa, or images of Philadelphia and the famous steps, but rocky lower case "r". The Hilton Head Island, SC market seems to be bouncing around. I'm still optimistic of course, since I'm professional, a full-time Realtor and am working diligently for my sellers and with the buyers but there seems to still be a bit of a coolness to the ocean breeze.The charts below are not meant to be gibberish but for visual readers, hopefully it will be helpful to illustrate what I'm feeling.To clarify this location, Palmetto Dunes is an upscale community divided by William Hilton Parkway with beautiful proximity to the Atlantic Ocean on the east and Shelter Cove and Broad Creek on the west side. This particular report i... 03/01/2016

Sea Pines, Hilton Head, SC WATER VIEW Home For SaleSea Pines is one of the most popular communities on Hilton Head Island. With the tremendous amount of amenities as well as the numerous places to go and view the ocean, the marshes, and water in general, Sea Pines basically has it all! For a year-end 2015 overview of the Sea Pines market, CLICK HERE.6 Black Duck Road would easily make your dreams of living on the ocean a reality. Located nearly on the toe of the foot-shaped Hilton Head Island, this home with over 6000 square feet is truly a dream come true.From the moment you enter into the foyer with voluminous ceilings and elegant finishes, you'll be drawn to the outside either to enjoy the pool with spa and waterfall, or beyond to the ocean. The location of 6 Black Duck makes the vie... 02/10/2016

HHI BUYERS -Not ready to buy yet - OF COURSE I'll still help you! There's pretty much not a day that doesn't go by when new folks to my website, or even that I meet for that matter, say that they don't want to 'bother' me or 'waste' my time since they 'aren't ready to buy yet. Sometimes it is a protective mechanism since I'm guessing they may have had a bad experience with an agent or Realtor who hounded them until they couldn't stand it, or emailed them to death, or were constantly sending them listings and properties that were either way out of their price point, or didn't bear any resemblance to what remotely might be interesting.Let me just say that on one level I appreciate the thought that you don't want to 'waste my time,' but if you truly are not ready to buy yet - I understand.... 02/04/2016

2015 Year End - Sea Pines Resort, Hilton Head Island, SC As goes Sea Pines Resort with sales, so usually goes the entire Hilton Head Island market. Because Sea Pines Resort is the largest community on the island with wide-ranging price points, it usually is a great indicator for how healthy the market is in general. To understand the critical nature of this to our island economy, you'll have to understand the wonderful amenities and features of the community that covers the 'toe' of Hilton Head.Most people's introduction is through national television coverage when Sea Pines Resort hosts the RBC Heritage every year. The famous candy-striped lighthouse (not really a lighthouse but a creation of the visionary for the entire island and Sea Pines in particular, Charles Fraser) serves as a b... 01/27/2016

SPOTLIGHT on Shelter Cove, Hilton Head Island, SC There are plenty of lovely communities to live in on this island that is shaped like a foot, but one of the loveliest neighborhoods is Shelter Cove - a part of Palmetto Dunes - which is basically right in the middle of the island, or in the arch if you like the foot analogy.With access to Broad Creek and then the Intracoastal via the Shelter Cove Marina, or across the street, the Atlantic Ocean, Shelter Cove has loads of property options.The Shelter Cove marina area is a great place to meet and with the charming shops and restaurants right along the harbour, provides a picturesque view of the kayaking or paddle boarding tours, fishing boat charters, dolphin watch tours, or dinner cruises.Harbourside I and II are right along the water and... 01/26/2016

Coligny Theatre - a Local Institution on Hilton Head Island, SCIt may seem strange to feature a theater when I speak about local attractions, but little Coligny Theatre is really an exception. It's located at 1 Forest Beach Drive, Suite 1-5 on Hilton Head Island within the Coligny Plaza shopping center. The south end of the island is really the enter of what Hilton Head was and what the Town envisions for the future.Opening in 1972, the theater was originally called The Island Theater and was the only movie theater on Hilton Head Island. With the advent of VCRs, cable, and the demands by movie studios for theaters to upgrade equipment, the owners tried to keep the little theater open, but as the theater and its equipment deteriorated, after 25 years, in 1997, the Island Theater closed i... 01/22/2016

Weather Preparedness Award for Hilton Head Island Just like the motto for the Boy Scouts of America 'Be Prepared,' The Town of Hilton Head received the Storm Ready® designation from the National Weather Service last week at a Town Council meeting. This program was developed by the National Weather Service to bring the concept of storm readiness across the country.  Storm managers are given clear directions on how to improve severe weather circumstances.Presenting this award was Ron Morales, Warning Coordination Meteorologist from the National Weather Service in Charleston to Mayor David Bennett and Emergency Management Coordinator Tom Dunn.The guidelines are strict and the Town has been working on this for quite a while. Among the requirements are having a 24 hour weather monitoring sta... 11/23/2015

Flood and Elevation Considerations on Hiton Head Island, SCEvery time I show property on Hilton Head Island - or when people are searching for locations, I often get the question, will this property flood, or what is the elevation, or will I need flood insurance?First of all, I can't answer the first question since I'm not really a weather person and Hilton Head Island, is indeed a barrier island, and could we have flooding, yes, probably.The what is the elevation is a bit easier to answer since Beaufort County indeed does have flood maps - we also have FEMA maps available, and I can pretty much respond in general what an elevation might be. The only way to be totally assured of the elevation is to ask for an elevation certificate that has been prepared by a surveyor.As far as flood ins... 11/07/2015

HHI + Cars + Luxury = 2015 ConcoursOne of the most eagerly awaited events of the winter season begins this weekend. Its formal, fancy name is The Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival and Concours d'Elegance!Here's an overview of the prime events!      FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23RD THROUGH SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2015 - Savannah, Georgia the Savannah Speed Classic. this is the place to hear the whine of the engines as they tear around a track over on Hutchinson Island across the river from downtown Savannah. If you have the need for speed' and love to watch beautiful cars and their drivers navigate hairpin turns! FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 7PM - 10PM This year, the festival has added a special function; the Flights of Fancy Aeroport Gala. Celebrating 'the history and future of aviation' it benefits the fest... 10/21/2015

2015 Kiwanis Chili Cookoff Hilton Head Island Get ready for mouth - and eye - watering treats at the 30th Annual Chili Cookoff hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Hilton Head!When: Saturday, October 22, 2015Where: Coastal Discovery Museum, Honey Horn PlantationHours: 11:30A - 3:30PWhat: Chili cookoff contestCost: $12 per person FOR ALL THE CHILI YOU CARE TO EATContact: Jerry GladdEmail: glassmw33@aol.com What is going on?This fun event ushers in our fall season of feativals and is a great time for professional and amateur cooks both to show how creative and HOW HOT they can make their chili entries. You'll have all kinds of choices from chicken to beef to alligator, with beans, without beans, vegetarian, vegan, and everything in between. Kiwanis expects about 30 entrants and this event has a... 10/07/2015

Asher Benrubi -- better known as "The Smash" -- not only co-wrote and vocalized the song "Fed Gator's A Dead Gator (The Ballad of Alligator Joe)", he did his rendition of The Tonight Show with his own Jack Hanna.  Who?  Alligator Joe Maffo himself, the subject of the popular Hilton Head SC song is here in the studio with his grandson protege Joey.  Watch how Asher hosts this show as if he, himself had just sat in with The Roots singing this song, and now he's all Jimmy Fallon, interviewing Joe and Joey.  And where does this Charlotte Real Estate agent named Roger Holloway fit in this picture?  Well, I'm the originator of the song, as well as a co-writer, and one of the drummers!  So there. Real the story about this song on the band site, Groovenicity>.Watch the Hilton Head Island music ... 09/14/2015

FED GATOR'S A DEAD GATOR  (The Ballad of Alligator Joe) >Here is the Groovenicity original version right here and now. The backstory is that when I lived on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina for several years, I became friends with the local alligator trapper, Joe Maffo.  Shot a few educational videos for my hyper-local online news rag, The Hilton Head News. All about "Don't feed the gators because you make them dependent on you for food, and no wonder when they react to your hand movements."  Real truth here, folks. Some of that footage is included here in our music video "Fed Gator's A Dead Gator (The Ballad of Alligator Joe)".So when Joe told me that he might get a TV reality show, my lifelong friend and comrade Asher Benrubi and I set out to write the theme song. We met young Dante... 09/11/2015