It’s an inescapable fact that we’ve heard buyers lament and sellers rejoice over in the past few years: Property values are sky-high in the Lowcountry.
It’s a testament to the quiet beauty and indelible charm we’ve cultivated in our little corner of the South, pairing the sublime elegance of Southern living with the coastal splendor of our watery surroundings. The world is waking up to the Lowcountry’s beauty and flocking to our shores by the thousands.
This surge in interest has driven prices to new heights, as any homeowner will tell you with a slight gleam in their eye.
And just as the rising tide has lifted the pleasure craft of the average home, it has also elevated the mega yachts of the area’s already opulent manor homes. From the sandy shores of Sea Pines to the bucolic bowers of Palmetto Bluff, these homes are shattering records even as they ignite our property envy.
Even if they are just a touch outside our price range, we can still gaze on these spectacular properties with aspirational wonder, carefully guarding our jealousy of the lucky buyer who might one day call them home.
Back River Photography/Wayne C. Moore
40 Canvasback Road: $9,399,000
With some homes, it’s about what you get. Ocean views. Exquisitely crafted interiors. Airy living spaces that engender a beautiful sense of space. With this home, you get all that.
But what may be even more spectacular is what you don’t get: neighbors.
Back River Photography/Wayne C. Moore
“This lot is one of only four in Sea Pines that adjoins to a private green space,” said listing agent Mark Devers. “The effect of it is, when you go out on that second-floor balcony, it’s a tremendously wide open ocean view all the way across.”
Back River Photography/Wayne C. Moore
That unfettered view is one of the main draws to this beachfront home, but it’s far from the only one. Recent renovations have blown out the ceilings inside the home, creating a sense of grandeur and drawing in that view, while crafting an outdoor oasis that lets you entertain right at the water’s edge.
Listing Agent: Mark Devers, The Ocean Broker. (843) 384-2888
69 North Calibogue Cay: $8,499,000
Eagle-eyed readers might have spotted the elegant trappings of this Sea Pines home in a previous issue of CH2, when it served as the appropriately eye-catching backdrop to our November 2023 “Calibogue Couture” feature. The stately Southern architecture, relaxed Lowcountry beauty, and stellar scenery nearly stole the show from the high-fashion runway-ready looks, igniting interest in one of the island’s most stunning properties.
“This house is the absolute pinnacle of that ‘Spanish moss and moonbeams’ lifestyle,” said listing agent Jeff Hunt. “It’s one of the most unique settings on the whole island because it’s an acre and a quarter lot that gives you a 180-degree view of the water from left to right. It’s unique in that it’s protected by marsh but has deep water.”
And on that exquisite lot, where dolphins swim toward postcard-worthy sunsets, the home itself captures the imagination with its lofty spiral staircase, brick paver beauty, and bountiful outdoor living with Calibogue Sound as an inspiring backdrop.
Listing Agent: Jeff Hunt, Dunes Real Estate. (843) 842-1111
50 Marsh Island Road: $11,500,000
Photography by KeenEye Marketing
With a mesmerizing setting on a natural hammock of high ground set among tranquil marshlands that stretch to the horizon, this architecturally stunning home strikes a dramatically beautiful profile at the center of a vast eight-acre estate. The main home’s Cape Cod stylings cast a delightful contrast to the typical Sea Pines home, but a dive into its history shows that its Lowcountry roots run deep.
Photography by KeenEye Marketing
Sea Pines founder Charles Fraser once lived in the carriage house above the garage, while the views of Audubon Pond, Calibogue Sound and Gull Point testify to the beauty that drew him here in the first place. Those views surround acreage that encompasses a family compound, with an entire buildable lot still available on the property.
“The amount of acreage here, you just don’t see that anywhere on Hilton Head. And being in Sea Pines, you have the lifestyle and you have the beach, with amazing privacy,” said listing agent Lindy Maxey. “You’re on your own little island. The home was built to host company retreats, but it could be a family compound, a rental – there are endless options.”
Photography by KeenEye Marketing
Surrounded by views on all sides and infused with opulent additions from outdoor living to a full wine cellar, this home lives up to the honorific bestowed on it by Maxey. “It is one of a kind.”
Listing Agent: Lindy and Nickey Maxey, Christie’s International Real Estate. (843) 247-0001
15 Bald Eagle Road: $15,999,000
With a price tag like this, you might expect this stunning Sea Pines property to represent the very best of the best. The most desirable lot, the best builders, the most sophisticated craftsmanship. You would expect all of these things, and you’d get them. And yet this magnificent property would still have surprises in store for you.
“It’s the whole package,” said listing agent Tristan O’Grady. “This is that rare offering of a brand-new oceanfront home in Sea Pines, and where else could you find a home that affords this kind of lifestyle?”
Still under construction, this home soaks in ocean views that are perfectly captured by the inspired work of JYR Architects, brilliantly realized by builder Mike Gump and lavishly layered in upscale chic by Kelly Caron Designs. It’s an all-star team that has created a showstopping home.
From the massive cathedral ceiling of the great room to the elegant stonework of the outdoor areas, it’s a treasure trove of details, with outdoor living spaces and soaring interiors that create an endless sea of possibilities.
Presented by COAST brokered by EXP with Coast Professionals Brokered by EXP Realty. (843) 203-8192
70 Brams Point: $8,000,000
Photography by KeenEye Marketing
A testament to the singular beauty of Lowcountry living, this majestic property takes everything that made our area renowned for stunning homes and elevates it to new heights. Take, for example, that quintessential element of a Lowcountry home – the water view. This property’s unique positioning on the Brams Point peninsula gives it not one but two inspiring vistas across the water.
Photography by KeenEye Marketing
“In some waterfront homes, you’re living by the water. But here, you’re truly living on the water,” said listing agent Catherine Casalicchio. “You see water from literally every window, and the fact that it’s new construction in the Spanish Wells community is spectacular.”
Between those views is a home that puts a premium on inspired design details, from the Moroccan chandeliers soaring above the foyer to the grand double balconies front and back. Named Calibogue Villa, it exults in its location with a deepwater dock just beyond an expansive outdoor living space. Boasting a 17-foot elevation and steel I-beam construction, it’s as much a marvel of engineering as it is a masterfully designed work of art and a love letter to the Lowcountry’s inimitable beauty.
Photography by KeenEye Marketing
Listing Agent: Catherine Casalicchio, Daniel Ravenel Sotheby’s International Realty. (631) 678-8929
18 Armada: $7,995,000
Photography by KeenEye Marketing
Towering above captivating ocean views, this sophisticated oceanfront manor takes all the grandeur and elegance of classic Southern architecture and reimagines it as a thoroughly modern luxury home. The towering dual porches of the dramatic entryway evoke the stately beauty of the Old South, while the sprawling sun-drenched outdoor spaces echo the hospitable beauty of a five-star resort.
Photography by KeenEye Marketing
“The architecture of this home gives it such presence; it’s almost Georgian,” said listing agent Sara Kurtz. “And there aren’t many homes in Palmetto Dunes that have such a big outdoor area with a pool and outdoor bar.”
Photography by KeenEye Marketing
In between, homebuilding brilliance has imbued the elements of the old world – grand winding staircases, dramatic open spaces and soaring arched doors – with the subtle sophistication of modern design. The net result is a home offering the best of both worlds, soaking in elegant scenery through wide windows or boasting a sprawling garage perfect for keeping a dream car collection in pristine comfort.
Listing Agent: Sara Kurtz, The Alliance Group. (843) 422-5931
28 Seven Oaks Drive: $13,500,000
Setting a new standard for Colleton River elegance, this majestic compound offers a wealth of features and details that set it apart from anywhere else in the world.
Start with the sheer size of it: 9.75 acres with 400 feet of Colleton River frontage boasting unbelievable views. As a resident of Colleton River, the new owner will have access to the finest amenities on earth, but for the owner of this special property, there are just as many reasons to stay home.
“It’s like you’re in your own little enclave,” said listing agent Linda Rudd with Turner & Rudd. “You can feel like there’s not another soul for miles, but you can still enjoy everything Colleton River has to offer. It’s the best of both worlds.”
Encompassing a 1.5-acre private lake (with amazing fishing), the true jewels of this magnificent property can be found throughout its main home. Here, old-world construction techniques evoke the sense of a historic chalet, while inspired updates have created a sense of generational change. Whether it’s the panels in the billiards room, originally installed in the Hungarian embassy in Paris, or the glass dome in the solarium saved from the wrecking ball of a grand Chicago hotel, there’s a magnificent story in every room.
Listing agent: Linda Rudd, Turner & Rudd. (843) 816-5522
