SperlingViews - Hilton_Head_Island, South_carolina

After many years in the northeast and a short stint in Atlanta, we moved to Hilton Head in 2007 and have not regretted it for a moment. We did not move here to retire, but to start our virtual company. The diverse population, the generous spirit of the residents, the natural beauty and temperate climate are just a few of the features we enjoy most about living here. We have no regrets![read more...]

I remember in the early '70s living on Martha's Vineyard that the natives would say in the Summer, "Here comes the onslaught of the damn Pilgrims". Hilton Head Island traffic now looks like a medium size city rather than a paradise to escape to. A cash register has an insatiable desire to ring. At some point, it becomes deafening. Time to move. [read more...]

Expensive, racist, rude, extremely high crime rates, terrible schools ... honestly, I've never been so disappointed in a place I've lived. There are WAY too many grumpy old people, but at least they're smart enough to stay within the comfy confines of their retirement communities. All the really wealthy people live in gated communities and leave their compounds in their Escalades to mingle with the common man only when forced to. Then you have extreme poverty -- lots of dilapidated mobile homes everywhere you look. Now, the place is gorgeous -- love the history, love the culture, love the surroundings. But you can get your fill of that in about a week -- then it's time to get back to reality. The locals who work in the stores are very poorly educated, so service is really bad and they're really, really lazy. Walk through the aisles of Target, Wal-Mart, Kroger and you smell pot on a lot of them. Not a ton of ambition in these parts, but hey, that's the south and they don't pretend to be anything different, so you gotta at least appreciate that. But there are WAY too many pushy northeasterners who have relocated here and they're just rude. Savannah is a nice escape, but try not to find yourself there after dark. Charleston is wonderful, but it's a 90-minute drive. Hilton Head's chamber of commerce works FEVERISHLY to hide the poverty, the shark attacks, the crime rates -- give them credit, they're very, very good at painting a certain picture of this place. But I've had my fill after only 3 years -- time to move back to civility.[read more...]

Living in Hilton Head is great, but very expensive. Time was when the tourists left in the winter that prices tended to fall or discounts for locals became available. No more. The island is crowded, the mainland is even worse. We're thinking it's time to go. Still, we remember what someone said to us this summer when we visited a town in Massachusetts where we used to live - "How many dress shops and restaurants does a town of 14,000 people need?"[read more...]

Lush, green, wide sandy beaches....what's not to love? It's like being on vacation 24/7. A more serene, beautiful place I've not yet found.[read more...]

Bought on home on Hilton Head Island after 40 years in Virginia and I gotta tell ya, it's heaven on earth. Ten minute bike ride to the beach (on paths, not roadways where you're fighting with traffic), signage and lighting tucked into the trees to blend in with nature, more than 200 restaurants of all levels, excellent libraries, symphony, golf. Could go on and on. We're comfortable but not rich, yet feel totally at home here. Summer is HOT and when it rains, the mosquitos love the island, but hey--it's Low Country! Utilities are low (they're co-ops); taxes reasonable. We love it here.[read more...]

Find out "actual" crime frequency. Live only in gated community. Hospital errors significant. Almost daily accidents Bluffton to Hilton Head. Bugs, alligator, snake troubles. Things to do other than water activities and restaurants gets old. Most of the grass turns brown off season and is not pretty. Savannah much worse crime yet. Moved back to Pa after 4 years.[read more...]

Hilton Head Island is one of the most beautiful places on earth. As a commercial pilot, having traveled the world, this is not my opinion, it is a fact. The schools are top-notch, and the government is the way our founding fathers intended it to be...small. The people who inhabit the island are friendly and educated. The people range from the Gullas to industry magnates (the founder of Home Depot, Rock Stars, and various politically significant figures). Insofar as crime is concerned, violent crime is virtually non-existent. Due to the expansive wealth which is prevalent EVERYWHERE, property crime does take place. If you believe in things like welfare, and government handouts, it is likely that you will NOT enjoy living on HHI. There is a Wal-Mart (God Bless Sam and Bud Walton!), as well as a Subway. There are also the upscale french restuarants, and everything in-between. The summer tourists season brings throngs of families that increase the traffic to an almost obscene level. The rest of the year means that one can get around with expeditiously little effort. The island boasts "plantations" sich as Sea Pines and Indigo. These plantations have their own state certified and armed police forces that essentially protect residents in a way that most assume (or wish) their municipal police departments would or could (but do not). The Beaufort County Sheriff's Department along with the assistance of the US Marine Corps do the rest. Thugs, scumbags and drug addicts will not find comfort on this island. The fact is this, there are very few places for these types to congregate. There is virtually NO "night life" in the form of loud thumping clubs with flashing lights. That said, this is a place of natural beauty and tranquility. If one does not enjoy Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, it is indicative of that person's character. I love it there, and will be relocating back to the island in the near future.[read more...]

If you like driving a car, playing golf, swatting mosquitos and being around conservative Republicans, Hilton Head is for you[read more...]

Overwhelmingly conservative, unfriendly, expensive, and narrow-minded. Hilton Head attracts a certain type of people-the kind that only want to be around their own kind, and do it behind gated "faux plantations" or whilst sitting in HumVees and Escalades in the endless dense traffic of lost tourists from Ohio in minivans. The quality of the local government(s) and public schools is just plain appalling. Nearby Savannah, GA, is enchanting and makes living in HH almost bearable, if and when you can get through or survive the traffic to get there.[read more...]

Disregard the semi-literate blather of "AL" when he bemoans the real estate climate on Hilton Head. More than a year later, 8-2006, the housing bubble here is sorting out and some values are starting to appear. The practice of realtor flipping has actually subsided since late 2004. I agree however, it is better to purchase an owner occupied home rather than a realtor “rehab.” Unless someone is lying to me, the actual vacancy rate for homes is supposedly much less than the “40%” shown on this web site. You have to remember, lots of owners rent their homes as seasonal playpens to out of town folks who in turn avoid marked-up hotel rates. Local chamber of commerce folks I talk to have the actual vacant homes number lower – at about 20%. That is still higher than national averages, but reflects the current resolution of previously unsustainable increases in the Hilton Head housing market. By contrast – be VERY careful of the burgeoning “affordable” tract housing springing up in adjacent county and town areas (Beaufort County, Bluffton Township). This is because there is rampant sub-standard construction everywhere, and the developers (who are raking in record profits) are not being required to pay appropriate impact fees to support the new infrastructure of this booming region. Very weak county and town governments are bending over both ways to development interests, while citizens fume in sprawl-petrified traffic off the Island. As far as claims of high crime are concerned, most of the Hilton Head Island crime is of the non-violent “property” nature as may be expected of upscale resort areas. Many out of towner’s are victims of their own stupidity; like parking at the beach and leaving attractive goodies exposed in shiny SUV’s with out of state plates. There have been some added muggings, but these turned out to be African American youths preying on the immigrant Hispanic population, often un-banked, who carry lots of cash. Local municipalities are staffing up their police and fire units. Remember, as far as home safety is concerned, much of Hilton Head is divided up into gated communities with private security teams that are pretty effective (Hilton Head Plantation is one example). Finally, concerning real cities – “AL” is totally goofed up. Savannah, Georgia is 45 minutes away with a historic district, excellent cultural and educational opportunities, more shopping than anyone really needs, and so forth. Another historic south[read more...]

If you are a Democrat, especially a liberal Democrat, HHI is a challenging place to live.[read more...]

The Low Coauntry of South Carolina is a great place to raise a family. Hilton HEad Island is a small town with great amminities including schools, sports and culture.[read more...]

I think our licence plate says it all! Everywhere you go you run into people who are either on vacation(happy group of people) or people who have CHOSEN to live here(even happier group). Because of a great preplanning the natural beauty of the island is protected by law. A great visionary saw it as a paradise and made sure it would remain in tact. It is gorgeous here, Life is Good.[read more...]

A horrible place to live no body can afford a home the prices are 4 times as much as our last home in Florida. The schools are full of rough children one child was lilled in the middle school and children are threatened everyday. Ther eis a lock down at the middle school on a regular basis. It is hard to make friends or live comfortably. Even if you make over 100,000 a year. The average 3/2 is 6-800,000. For 3-500,000 you are getting an apartment sized house. this is place for wealthy. Many movie stars live here to get away from crowded cities. It is truly a place where one can afford to pay over a million for a home. The homes that cost a million still do not compare to my home in Florida that we purchased 3 years ago for 315.000[read more...]

Why is there a high level of vacant housing on Hilton Head? Does this mean second homes? or homes that aren't sold and for sale? [read more...]