This week’s Hilton Head real estate spotlight focuses on Hilton Head Plantation. Hilton Head Plantation, often referred to as HHP, is a private golf community located on the mainland and it is totally residential. It has excellent amenities and is convenient to both island and mainland activities.
My Favorite Things about Hilton Head Plantation…
Again, I have asked some good friends to assist me in presenting this article. The first couple is Shirlene and Neal Post who moved to the area in 2010 and quickly acclimated to island life. The second couple is Jim and Marcia Collett who purchased in 2001. Jim and I have served on the orchestra board together for a number of years and they are very involved in many aspects of the community.
Shirlene and Neal: We chose Hilton Head Plantation as our retirement home and love the community for the following reasons:
- The natural environment that is maintained in HHP soothes the soul after living in a large metropolitan area with all the accompanying traffic and high level of stress.
- The extensive network of leisure trails in the community offers many opportunities for exercise and observation of the birds and wildlife. The trails are varied with paths in the woods, water and marine life.
- HHP is a multi-dimensional community. The resident population includes families with children, people in the workforce and retirees.
- HHP is well managed and maintained. The POA fee is very reasonable considering the level of service and amenities that we receive as residents. We have outstanding security that keeps our community safe.
- The plantation offers numerous clubs and activities that appeal to many interests and ages. Additionally, there is a full-service semi-private club, one of four golf clubs, and a fine dining restaurant on the Intra-Coastal waterway within the gates of the plantation. Just outside the plantation, there are numerous fun restaurants close by.
- HHP’s location on the north end of the island provides easy access to unique local shops as well as to the mainland where many big box stores are located.
- The island and the surrounding area have an abundance of entertainment opportunities including the symphony and chamber music, a performing arts center that has a schedule of different art forms, and many festivals that celebrate food, music and the arts. Again, our location is central to both the island and the mainland. There is so much to do, if you’re bored it’s your own fault!
Jim and Marcia: We have never had a moment’s regret with our decision to locate on Hilton Head Island and specifically to Hilton Head Plantation. We have made so many friends since we have been here. As our circle grows it is a fun challenge to keep up with everyone.
My wife and I moved to Hilton Head Plantation 14 years ago from Annapolis, Maryland. We bought a lot in Hilton Head Plantation on our first trip to the Island. Like many, it was love at first sight. We bought in Hilton Head Plantation because of its reputation for having a very high percentage of full time residents.
We later sold the lot and purchased a house that had a beautiful lagoon view with a putting green beyond. When we moved here, we learned how big the Plantation really is. It has 4,000 houses with a great diversity of homes ranging from under $250,000 to well over $2,500,000. The abundance of homes with sound and marsh views can compete with any gated community on the Island.
Like many locations on (and around) the Island, it is a really beautiful place. There are four golf courses with optional membership, plus a number of community tennis courts and fields for all kinds of outdoor activities. There is a huge nature conservancy and an extensive systems of walkways including one on a walking beach and another along the sound on the bluff.
Hilton Head Plantation has been at the forefront of improving cell phone reception for its residents. It also benefits from its size in terms of the annual assessment for security, maintenance and social programs. At approximately $1,000 per year, the fees are extremely low and to my knowledge there has never been a special assessment.
The Plantation also works to keep its amenities competitive while keeping a strong financial position. The POA built a beautiful new facility for social events and other activities three years ago, financed entirely through reserves that have now been replenished. Soon construction will begin on a lazy river addition to our pool complex.
There is a long list of clubs and activities available year round. Free outdoor concerts are a delightful summer addition. Because of the large number of families with children, the plantation offers a Kid’s Kamp in the summer and a great 4th of July parade and celebration that can be enjoyed by everyone.
The peak season for island tourism is in July. My wife and I really don’t go to the South End of the Island very much in the summer because everything we need is close at hand. The rest of the year we benefit from the tourist trade by dining at outstanding restaurants, largely here because of our many seasonal guests.
It is also hard to overstate the value of living in a community where most of your neighbors are full time residents. Although we have lived in numerous places, living here has led to a larger network of friends than we have ever had in previous locations.