After Christmas Sales and Foreclosures?
So……. I’ve been doing some thinking lately about After-Christmas Sales, and how they compare to real estate foreclosures.
The obvious positive correlation is all about price. Duh. Of course if a buyer chooses to buy a foreclosure, he is going to get a great price on a piece of real estate. And if he’s looking to clean it up and flip it down the road, well that’s even better.
Similarly, if I choose to spend my hard-earned money on an article of clothing that is on sale after Christmas, I will save money, and will get instant gratification that I got a deal I can brag about to my friends! But will I actually get what I want?

Will I actually wear that purple sweater with the pair of pants it almost matches, that I had a tug-o-war over with that other lady (and I use that term loosely) at an After-Christmas Sale last year, that still has the tag on them, and don’t even fit any more?

Or would I be better off waiting until the new Spring lines come out in a month or so and invest in a matching outfit that actually looks good?
Similarly, should the real estate buyer who is in the market for a home, buy something that almost works for his family, simply because it’s a great deal? Or should he stay the course, and after negotiating the best price (which he can do because it is still a spectacular buyer’s market), purchase the home of his dreams that works perfectly for his family.

Bottom line…..Mr. and Mrs. Buyer, don’t just look for foreclosures and distressed properties. Don't buy that ugly purple sweater, or that ugly foreclosure. Look for a great value that gives you exactly what you want and negotiate the best possible price.

For example, the real estate featured on this page is representative of homes currently on the DeBordieu market at great prices, but you will not find them on a foreclosure list. They are simply great values. Click on the pictures for detailed information about each.
There has never been a better time to consider a purchase at DeBordieu.

Easy as Pie...."Derby-Dieu" Pie!
Savvy Realtors up and down the coast have realized that it is wise to bring their Luxury Buyer Clients to DeBordieu, the private, oceanfront, golf community just south of Pawleys Island, South Carolina. And I have so much fun encouraging them to do just that, particularly around the holidays!
Last week I loaded up my car with delicious “Derby-Dieu” pies, home-made by my very own elf, Sharon Shirer, who works in the DeBordieu Rental Department. I delivered these pies to local real estate agencies in the Pawleys Island area to remind the realtors that bringing their clients to DeBordieu was as easy as PIE!
The note said “In 2011, lets shoot for the sky, but in the mean time enjoy this “Derby-Dieu” Pie. They all know I’m a big corn-ball, so they got a kick out of the thought, as well as the melt-in-your mouth pie!

Then on Friday I attended the big Coastal Carolina Association of Realtors Holiday Luncheon at Pawleys Plantation.

My friend/colleague, Leigh Reid Hope, of First Trust Mortgage was doing a promotional drawing for a weekend at her beautiful Fairway Oaks Villa at DeBordieu. Congratulations to Mr. Dave Alexander, for winning the weekend!

This is actually one of the 3BR villas we use in our guest program, where we make the villa available for a couple of nights, at a nominal fee, to prospective buyers interested in purchasing real estate at DeBordieu.

It is also for sale! CLICK HERE on or the picture for details and a virtual tour.
There has never been a better time to consider a purchase at DeBordieu!

Cold Air – Hot Market! Why the Christmas Season is a GREAT time to buy real estate!
It’s not much fun looking at real estate when it’s cold outside, but the upcoming holidays provide a perfect time to consider a real estate purchase at DeBordieu, just south of Pawleys Island, South Carolina, for a number of reasons.

If it’s a deal you’re looking for, please know that when sellers keep their homes on the market during the Christmas season, it's an indication that they may be very motivated. If the seller can contract by the end of the year, they just might be significantly more negotiable on the price. Once the winter months pass, and the promise of Spring, and our biggest selling season, is upon us, sellers tend to dig in a bit more.
If you are the kind of buyer that enjoys “quality time” with your agent, lenders, inspectors and others who assist in the home-buying process, know that they will typically have more time to spend with you during the holidays.


Also, during the Winter, you will have less competition from other buyers in the market. If you are looking for a second or vacation rental home or villa, occupancy rates are typically lower this season, making showings easier to schedule.
Perhaps one of the biggest reasons to purchase a home or villa at DeBordieu this season is that you will have plenty of time before Spring comes to unpack and make it your own.

The homes featured on this page are currently for sale at DeBordieu. Please CLICK ON THE PICTURE to be linked to detailed information or browse the website at www.DeBordieu.com.
Whether you choose a house, or a villa, on the island or on DeBordieu’s mainland,
there has never been a better SEASON to consider a purchase at DeBordieu!
Merry Christmas!!!

Santa Visits DeBordieu!
He arrived by fire truck, listened to everyone’s Christmas wishes, and witnessed the lighting of the beautiful tree at DeBordieu’s Pavilion Rec Center, just south of Pawleys Island, South Carolina.
The delicious buffet featured everything from Roast Beast to Shrimp ‘n Grits.
The blazing fire provided warmth and perfectly roasted marshmallows for yummy S ‘mores, enjoyed by children of all ages.
To see more pictures of tree-lighting participants, visit my DeBordieu FACEBOOK page...the link is over there on the right.
There’s never been a better time to celebrate Christmas at DeBordieu!

DeBordieu Oceanfront Lot 11

My First Video!
"Ya gotta start somewhere!" I shot this video this morning of Lot 11, the oceanfront, back flag lot on DeBordieu's north end that is on the market for $1,899,000. It's a really bad video, but it's a really great lot! I shot it with my phone....planning to redo it next week, but in the mean time, I've posted it. Let me know what you think, but please, be kind.

DeCember at DeBordieu!
Members of DeBordieu Club, just south of Pawleys Island, SC are going to have the opportunity to participate in many festive, holiday events this month, starting this Saturday, December 4, with the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting at the DeBordieu’s Pavilion Rec Center. Always a favorite among DeBordieu Club Members of all ages, this year’s menu includes everything from Beef Tenderloin to S’mores!

DeBordieu Club Members tell me all me all the time how wonderful it is to be part of a community that has regularly scheduled events, as well as special activities.

The Winter Awards Ceremonies are also this weekend…..the Golf Awards Banquet is Friday, December 3, and the Tennis Awards Party and Luncheon is Saturday, December 4.

Monday, December 6th will be a busy day for DeBordieu Club. In addition to the Celebrity Golf Tournament to Benefit Cystic Fibrosis, the DeBordieu Garden Club will meet at the oceanfront Beach Club and create holiday centerpieces. The WSCGA will have Ladies State Day at DeBordieu on Tuesday, December 14.

The monthly Birthday Luncheon is Thursday December 16th at the Beach Club where gifts for “Toys For Tots” will be collected. That evening, it’s Men’s Card Night at the Golf Clubhouse….but I don’t think they’re collecting toys. (Cigars for Tots, maybe? Just kidding.)

There has never been a better time to be a club member at DeBordieu! Happy Holidays!

What Happens in the Kitchen, STAYS in the Kitchen…or does it?
It's Thanksgiving, a time when the KITCHEN plays a very important role.

At DeBordieu, just south of Pawleys Island, South Carolina, there are some gorgeous, yet extremely functional kitchens of all kinds.

The kitchen is a place where a huge array of work is done, particularly during the holidays. It’s the place where the meal is prepared, and in many cases, served.

Some families prefer a kitchen that’s open to the dining area. Families with formal dining rooms enjoy the fact that what happens in the kitchen, stays in the kitchen.



Just as the scrumptious creations that are produced in the kitchen are subject to the unique taste of the individual, so are kitchen designs.

Whether your taste lends itself to the galley, the L Shaped, U Shaped or Island Shaped, the kitchen, many times, is the heart of the home, the centerpiece. Because every member of the family is bound to be found in the kitchen at various times in the day, it’s a place where each member can connect.

Because my favorite thing to make for dinner is reservations….this doesn’t really apply to me, but in most cases, the kitchen is where the typical homemaker spends most of her (or his) time. That is why it is very important that the kitchen space is efficient, convenient, and comfortable.

Each one of the kitchens featured on this page can be found in homes currently for sale at DeBordieu. Click on each picture and you’ll be linked to information about the home.


As you enjoy your Thanksgiving with your friends and family….I hope your time, in the kitchen is happy and blessed.
Oh, and BTW, there has never been a better time to purchase a KITCHEN at DeBordieu!

DeBordieu is “Literally” a Great Place to Live.
There are all sorts of ways to get involved in different activities and get to know your neighbors at DeBordieu, just south of Pawleys Island, South Carolina.
While having lunch last week at the DeBordieu Clubhouse, I ran into my friend Sue Canna and her fellow book club members. They call themselves “The Wild Bores” and meet on the second Thursday of the month in the conference room at the clubhouse. After the meeting, they adjourn to the grill room for lunch.
The members consist of about 20 DeBordieu residents, some of whom have been reading together for about 9 years. The books they read cover a broad spectrum of historical novels, mysteries, anthologies, other cultures, and occasionally a good “chick” book.
“Mostly we are a group who enjoys each others company and a book club is a good excuse to read, have lunch and visit.”
I’m so glad I ran into Sue and her friends. It reminded me that golf, tennis, boating and beach walking aren’t the only things DeBordieu residents enjoy. For more information, feel free to contact me or browse the website at www.DeBordieu.com.
There has never been a better time to consider a purchase at DeBordieu.

DeBordieu Fabulous Feature #4 – Private Golf!
DeBordieu Club features a fabulous, private, championship 18-Hole golf course designed by Pete and P.B. Dye. Noted as one of Pete and P.B. Dyes favorite designs, the links style course at DeBordieu, just south of Pawleys Island, has been consistently ranked among the top 10 private clubs in South Carolina.

I consider myself to be very fortunate to have been on staff as DeBordieu’s Marketing Manager when the course opened in 1987. (I still remember the Scottish dude with the bagpipes sauntering down number 9 toward the Clubhouse.....what a picture!!!!)

The course features an outstanding mix of Pete Dye's design qualities to make it challenging, but not too many to make it exceedingly difficult (and no fun) to play. In fact, upon the opening of the golf course, one very witty golf writer referred to it as “Pete Dye without the whips and chains.”
Set in the beauty of the South Carolina Low Country and surrounded by an abundance of natural wildlife, DeBordieu Club offers one of the only private golf courses in the Pawleys Island area.

The highly regarded links course plays to more than 7,000 yards from the championship tees, and offers a set of tees to provide enjoyable golf for players of all abilities. The greens are planted in bent grass, the fairways are Bermuda, and the rough is Paspalum, all providing for an interesting round of golf!
Since its opening, DeBordieu Club has been host to many regional championships including the Carolinas Mid-Amateur, the South Carolina Women's Amateur and the Carolinas Senior Amateur. This December, DeBordieu Club will host the Inaugural DeBordieu Club Celebrity Pro-Am to benefit the South Carolina Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation!

Currently, there are a number of homes, villas and homesites available on the DeBordieu Golf Course. Click on each of the pictures to be linked to the corresponding property. For more information about Club Membership at DeBordieu, give me a call.

There has never been a better time to consider purchasing property at DeBordieu!

$665,000 Builds Your New DeBordieu Home AND Saves Your Marriage!
I’ve chatted with a few Pawleys Island area buyers lately who would love to purchase a brand new home in a private, oceanfront, gated, golf community like DeBordieu, but because of the perception that it’s a hassell to get a loan, and go through the process of building a house, they are hesitant. Well………hesitate no more!

DeBordieu Colony Real Estate is pleased to announce an innovative new opportunity for new home construction in DeBordieu. The Catalyst Collection by Catalyst Architects, LLC is a new and exciting opportunity to enjoy new custom home construction by combining the experience of long time DeBordieu custom home builders and the award winning talents of Wayne Rogers of Catalyst Architects. Wayne has been involved in the building or remodeling of over 175 homes in DeBordieu! Now you have the opportunity to select a unique Catalyst home design already priced by prequalified, reputable, DeBordieu building contractors and place the home in the DeBordieu location of your choice.

We have a small selection of spectacular “spec” homes currently on the market, but none under that $1million range. Because the Catalyst Collection Homes will be priced in the range of $525,000 to $595,000, and DeBordieu Homesites currently range from $130,000 and up, you could easily be in your new DeBordieu home for as little as $665,000. We’re delighted to be able to provide this segment of our market the product they want, at an attractive price. Click here to view the Catalyst Collection.

Click on each of these front elevations to see the matching floorplans.
Now...... I’m told the building process actually keeps some marriage counselors in business! And that many couples don’t want to go through the process of making all the different decisions necessary. The nice thing about the Catalyst program is that most of the decisions have already been made for you. Yet, you still have the opportunity to choose the fixtures and finishes that will make your new home even more uniquely yours. This economical package includes architectural fees, surveying costs, ARB submission fees and a landscaping allowance!

Another reason buying a lot and building a home has gotten complicated is that many lending institutions have quit loaning money to speculative builders, and many others have quit providing financing to consumers purchasing lots. However, according to Mortgage Broker Leigh Reid, of First Trust Mortgage in Pawleys Island SC and Charlotte NC, “I have access to quite a few lenders who will be all too happy to take a consumer from lot loan to construction loan, and on to a permanent mortgage. And the rates have never been better!” For details, contact Leigh at (843) 235-8681.

What is also really perfect about the timing of this program is that there has never been the kind of selection and value available in homesites in DeBordieu. EVER. Whether your desire is to be next to a nature preserve, overlooking a serene pond, on the golf course, or within walking distance to the beach, let me know and I’ll be happy to send you a selection of available lots for sale in your price range. OR, visit the website at www.DeBordieu.com.

We are delighted to be working with Catalyst to provide our clients with the opportunity to build a new DeBordieu home with ease…..AND to save their marriages!

There has never been a better time to build a new home at DeBordieu!

DeBordieu Fabulous Feature #3 - the Creek!
Legend has it that when the Marquis de Lafayette sailed into North Inlet during the American Revolution, and gazed upon the land that is now DeBordieu, he was so enthralled by the natural beauty, he proclaimed that it must surely be the “borderland of God”, D’abord Dieu.
DeBordieu is a truly unique oceanfront community located just south of Pawleys Island, South Carolina featuring private golf and tennis, saltwater creek access to the ocean, a manned security gate, and luxury homes and villas surrounded by hundreds of acres of wildlife and nature preserves.
One of the most fabulous features DeBordieu offers is access to North Inlet, via the private boat landing available to DeBordieu property owners. Because of this boat landing, DeBordieu residents do not have to live right on the creek to enjoy boating and fishing in one of North America’s most pristine estuaries.
Now, if you would like to keep your boat in the creek behind your back yard, DeBordieu has a number of properties available that would allow you to do just that. Please click on the picture of the homes featured here for more details, or visit www.DeBordieu.com for a complete list of creek front homes.
There has never been a better time to consider purchasing property at DeBordieu.

Fabulous Feature #2 - The Beach

DeBordieu’s Fabulous Feature #2 – The Beach!
We’re talking about the BENEFITS that come with each of DeBordieu’s unique features. Today, DeBordieu’s, beautiful beach!

Whether you walk on it, sit on it, or just like to look at it, living in a community that has access to a beach is very important to many people who choose South Carolina for their permanent residence, or second home.

The beach at DeBordieu stretches from Pawleys Inlet to North Inlet. It’s six and a half miles long, uncrowded and gorgeous. You really have to see it to appreciate just how special it is.

DeBordieu fronts 2 miles of this oceanfront land, has access to two miles to the north, in front of Arcadia Plantation and Prince George, and two and a half miles to the south, in front of Hobcaw Barony, the nature preserve next door, which will never be developed. When you walk on this particular part of the beach, there are no homes.

In fact, there is not another oceanfront home for 60 miles until you get down to Charleston due to all of the protected barrier islands south of DeBordieu.

While many folks choose to live right on the beach, like those in the homes featured on this page, it’s nice that at DeBordieu, you don’t have to live directly ON the beach to enjoy it. In addition to the number of beach accesses on the island, DeBordieu Club features a 10-acre beach club devoted to fun and merrymaking. Many DeBordieu residents enjoy hopping on their golf cart, and following the nature trail to the beach club where they can spend time with their family building a sand castle on the beach, swimming at one of the pools, sipping a cocktail at the Tiki Hut Bar, or dining overlooking the ocean. (Click on the pics with arrows for information on ocean front homes available for sale.)

The beach at DeBordieu will play a big part in the economic recovery of the local real estate market that is underway. It’s been said that communities that feature natural amenities, like the beaches at DeBordieu, Pawleys Island and Litchfield will recover more quickly than some of the other communities that are seen as more risky options. We’re seeing that recovery beginning to happen now, but it’s still a “Buyer’s Market.” Even though we’ve seen an increase in interest levels, prices remain stable and have not started increasing ……………….YET.

There has never been a better time to consider a purchase at DeBordieu!

DeBordieu's Fabulous Feature #1 - LOCATION

This week I’m going to talk about the BENEFITS of the FEATURES that make DeBordieu Colony one of South Carolina’s most-loved, oceanfront, golf communities.
DeBordieu Fabulous Feature #1 – LOCATION
DeBordieu is located 7 miles south of Pawleys Island, South Carolina, a charming beach community with plenty of shopping, dining, and entertainment opportunities, which means that from your home in DeBordieu, you won’t have to travel very far to get groceries, gas for your boat, or a new beach chair to take with you on the beach.
DeBordieu is just 3 miles north of Georgetown, an historic seaport community that offers tours of historic homes dating back to the 1700s, picturesque riverfront dining, and a great hospital, which means you will have the security of knowing that when you or a member of your family is in need of medical assistance, it’s just right down the street.
Romantic Charleston, with its exceptional assortment of restaurants, shopping, historic sites and cultural events, is just an hour and a half south of DeBordieu’s main gate. Many DeBordieu residents think nothing of zipping down to Charleston for an exciting day of shopping or an evening dinner and show.
Myrtle Beach and its convenient airport, is about 45 minutes north of DeBordieu offering its own amazing array of dining establishments, shopping, nightlife, live entertainment theaters and more than 100 championship golf courses. Many flights in and out of Myrtle Beach offer discounted airfares to major metropolitan areas in the northeast.
Between these two very different coastal cities you’ll find quiet fishing villages, pristine beaches, a national forest and seashore, dozens of antebellum plantations, the largest outdoor sculpture garden in America and, most importantly, DeBordieu.
As wonderfully secluded and quiet as DeBordieu is, when you own a home here, you will not run short of things to do and see. The location is perfect! Click on the pictures for details about the homes.
There has never been a better time to consider purchasing property at DeBordieu.