This mid-year newsletter is very late, thanks to my business being extremely brisk this summer. I did not have the time to do the analysis that I do myself, in order to write this, until now. Better late than never, I hope? Good news is Hilton Head’s total sales are up 11%, a gain of over $45.5 million from mid-year 2015. The gains came from increases of $26.5+ million in Home sales & 22.5+ million in villa sales. Lot sales were down $4 million and over 60% of Lots sold on the island were under $200,000. Although homes sales were up in $dollars & #numbers, median price was down. At this time, not an indication of prices slipping, but rather, of what is selling. Read on............

HILTON HEAD ISLAND $$$ 2016 Mid-Year Review $$$

(Jan.-June year to year) 2015 2016 HOMES Homes Sold............….. 434...........…..…….450 Average Price.............$640,454.......… ...$676,732. Median price………...$533,000.……......$512,000. Total Home Sales..…$277,957,024..….$304,529,359. VILLAS Villas Sold.............…….466.............…..…..474 Average Price..............$236,444.........…..$282,647. Median Price………...$207,750................$225,000. Total Villa Sales.......$111,182,801…….$133,753,729. LOTS Lots Sold...................…...81..........................53. Average Price...............$266,513..........…$319,979. Median Price…………$132,500………..$165,000. Total Lot Sales...........$21,587,566..……$16,958,900.

$$$ TOTAL TRANSACTIONS $$$ for Residential Homes, Lots, & Villas, Jan.-June, 2015: $409,727,391. 2016: $455,241,988.

Figures reported by Multiple Listing Service of Hilton Head

Island for sales ending June 30, 2016. The data contained herein has not been verified by the Multiple Listing Service

of Hilton Head, but is believed to be accurate.

2016 Mid-Year Newsletter

from Felice LaMarca

toll free (877)671-6702 *local (843)671-6702

email:Felice@FeliceLaMarca.com *visit me on line @www.FeliceLaMarca.com

“your source for exceptional homes”

Located near Shelter Cove Town Center *23C Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head, SC 29928

450 Home Sales Jan.-June 30, 2016, price analysis: Since 2010, 60-67% of home sales have been under $600,000 on Hilton Head Island. Same goes for 2016. 285 homes, or 63%, sold were under $600,000. The leading price range is still $400,000-$600,000 with $200,000-$400,000 close behind. However, this year, 7 more homes have sold over $1 million with 3 of them over $4 million. 1 in Palmetto Dunes for $4 million, 1 in Wexford for $5 million, & 1 in Sea Pines for $6.5 million. 2015 mid-year sales had none sell over $4 million. These sales skew the numbers up & is the reason Average price was way up. What caused Median price to decrease was that 20 more homes sold in the $400,000-$600,000 price range. That number does affect median price. Remember, Median price drops out the highest & lowest price & more accurately tells the story. Home Sales by Community: (ranked by $ volume)

Broker Associate

Villa Sales by Community: (ranked by $ volume)

Monthly tracking of Villa Sales Villa sales mirrored Home sales in that April & May were also the strong selling months, making up the numbers for other months losses in villa sales as well.

474 Villa Sales Jan.-June, 2016 price analysis: Villa sales increased over $22.5 million the first half of this year. That is a 20% increase over last year. Both Median & Average prices were up. 80% of all villa sales are under $400,000 with the majority, 67%, in the $100,000-$400,000 price ranges. 9 villas sold over $1 million which is 5 more than last mid-year. 6 sales were in Palmetto Dunes, 2 in Sea Pines & 1 in Forest Beach. The highest prices paid this year for villas were: 1 in Sea Pines at Turtle Lane Club for $1,650,000 & 1 in Palmetto Dunes at Somerset for $1,795,000. Note: Villas have been selling an average of 95% of their list price. Villa Sales By Complex : Hilton Head Beach & Tennis Resort in Folly Field

with 34 villas sold, The Preserve at Indigo Run with 27 villas sold, Hilton Head Resort mid-island with 16 villas sold, The Spa on Port Royal Sound with 15 villas sold, Fiddler’s Cove in Folly Field with 14 villas sold, Queen’s Grant in Palmetto Dunes with 11 villas sold, Breaker’s in Forest Beach with 10 villas sold, Marsh Side on North end & St. Andrews Common

in Palmetto Dunes, each with 9 villas sold.

This information is based on data provided by Multiple Listing Service of Hilton Head Island, Inc. (“HHIMLS”) for the period January 1, 2016 through June 30th, 2016. HHIMLS does not guarantee and is not in any way responsible for its accuracy.

Data provided by HHIMLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.

***The average Sales price to list price on Hilton Head is 95%. Looking at each community individually, the average is a low of 90% to a high of 96%. That is a move up of 2%. 2016 Current Home inventory is flat to mid-year 2015. We currently have 661 homes on the market on the Island. To put that number in perspective, remember that in 2008 there were 1141 homes for sale on Hilton Head Island alone. So, 661 homes for sale, is actually down 58% from the high in 2008. And, the supply of foreclosures & short sales has decreased to the current .03%, yes, that is 3/10’s of 1%. Hooray!

Monthly Tracking of Home Sales Shows that April & May were the strong selling months that made up the increase in sales over last year. The monthly tracking also shows us that the upward trend in sales is sporadic at best.

Bluffton saw a 22% increase in 2016 sales, showing a gain of over $59 million over mid-year 2015. But the

big wow factor is that if you look at the numbers compared to 2014, it is a 50% gain in just 2 years. This year all of the gain, ($59 million,) was from home sales. Villa & Lot sales decreased. Median prices were up in all sales, while average price was up only in home sales. Homes sold an average of 97.5% of their list price! The Villa complex that sold the most was Plantation Point off 278 near Belfair Towne Village. The most Lots were sold in Hampton Lakes, with 35 sold & Hilton Head Lakes, with 25 sold.

BLUFFTON

(excluding Dataw, Daufuskie, Callawassie & Spring Islands)

$$$ 2016 Mid-Year Review $$$ (Jan.-June year to year)

2015 2016 HOMES Homes Sold …………..778..............….....…940. Average Price.............$309,012…….........$322,963 Median Price………..$254,950…...……...$275,000. Total Home Sales... $240,411,638....…$303,585,342. VILLAS Villas Sold.............……..51............……..…..41. Average Price.............$148,106..........…....$115,927. Median Price……….....$85,000…………. $102,000. Total Villa Sales........$7,553,415,………$4,753,009.

LOTS Lots Sold...................….143.............................157. Average Price..............$132,109...............…$111,602. Median Price………….$77,552……………$90,000. Total Lot Sales............$18,231,090……...$17,075,058.

$$$ TOTAL TRANSACTIONS $$$ for Residential Homes, Lots, & Villas, Jan.-June, 2015:...$266,196,143. 2016:...$325,413,409.

Sales Figures as reported by Multiple Listing Service of Hilton Head Island, June 30, 2016. The data contained

herein has not been verified by the Multiple Listing Service of Hilton Head, but is believed to be accurate.

If you need information specific to your community, please call me: 843-384-6702,

or email me: Felice@FeliceLaMarca.com www.FeliceLaMarca.com

940 Home Sales Jan.-June 2016, price analysis: 57% of all homes in Bluffton sold under $300,000. 81% sold under $400,000 & 99% of all homes sold were under $1 million. 10 homes sold over $1 million. That is 3 more than last mid-year. 3 were in Palmetto Bluff , 2 were in Colleton River, 2 were in Oldfield, 1 was in Moss Creek, 1 was in Belfair & 1 was in Gascoigne Bluff in Bluffton. The least expensive home sold was on Stoney Hill Loop for $58,250 & the most expensive home sold was in Colleton River for $3,100,000. There are currently 692 homes for sale in Bluffton. That is a 23% increase in home inventory. 380 homes, or 55%, are under $400,000. 61(9%) are over $1million. With the economy improving, so has the building industry as they report healthy gains this year in new homes. Home Sales By Community:

This information is based on data provided by Multiple Listing Service of Hilton Head Island, Inc. (“HHIMLS”) for the period January 1, 2016 through June 30th, 2016. HHIMLS does not guarantee and is not in any way responsible for its accuracy.

Data provided by HHIMLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.

3 Things Pet Lovers Look for in a Home DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 2016

Sure, your clients may think a particular listing is perfect, but what does Fido think? It's a question becoming more commonplace these days, as more Americans than ever are pet owners.

In fact, 79 million U.S households ( 6 5 % ) currently own a pet, and 83% of pet owners think of

their pet as a member of their family. When this group of buyers starts a house hunt, it's

important to think about not just the needs of the clients, but

of their pets as well. The New York Times asked pet owners

what features & amenities they look for when choosing a

new place to rent or own.

***Here are some of their main concerns:

Location

Whether your clients are in an urban walkable city like New York or in the suburbs, pet owners will want to close to parks and have access to safe walking trails where their pets can exercise and run around. Living in a neighborhood with access to dog walkers and dog daycare options are also important considerations for dog owners, particularly those in urban areas. Some pets are overwhelmed by loud noises or other pets, so living in high-traffic areas or areas with pets in close proximity might not be the best fit. • Owners with talkative animals like birds will also have to consider location in their home

search, especially if considering condo or apartment living. Layout For owners with older pets in particular, a home's layout is an important consideration. A home featuring a lot of stairs may not be the best situation for an elderly dog. On the other hand, a small home without an open floorplan may not be the best fit for a rambunctious puppy to run around. • Dog owners will also want a home with easy access to the backyard.

Features

Housing options with separate laundry rooms that include pet-washing stations are becoming more desirable. Many condos, for instance, now offer dog-walking services and pet grooming on-site. Pet owners are also likely to be attracted to listings that already have plenty of hard-surfaced flooring that makes cleaning up after pets easy. Your clients will also want to consider if a home has an area for a cat's litter box and an area where pets can eat without getting in the way of family traffic patterns.

Source: "When the Dog Decides Where You Live," The New York Times (Aug. 19, 2016)

If your property is currently listed with a real estate broker, please disregard. It is not my intention to solicit the offerings of other real estate brokers. I am happy to work with them and cooperate fully.