Live oak trees covered in Spanish moss, miles of pristine Atlantic coastline, and wet grass that turns golden in winter and lush green in the heat of summer. This is Kiawah Island, a charming and upscale enclave just outside of Charleston, South Carolina.
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Kiawah is a world-class golf destination with seven private and public courses, making it a no-brainer for lovers of the sport. Even for those who don’t participate, it offers an escape to the natural world, with south-facing beaches, more than 30 miles of walking and biking trails, and a master plan focused on preserving the natural environment.
“When you cross that little bridge over the Kiawah River, you feel like someone swooped down and took all your worries and problems away,” says Pam Harrington of local real estate firm Pam Harrington Exclusives. ” he said. “This is a really, really special place.”
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Located about 34 miles south of Charleston, Kiawah is a 13-square-mile barrier island with abundant oceanfront and wetland views. The Kiawah Island Parkway is the main road into and out of town, crossing the Kiawah River, which forms the island’s northern border with the mainland.
The island’s location is a boon, with the beach front facing south rather than east like many barrier islands along the Atlantic Ocean.
“We call this the Kiawah bubble,” said Dan Whalen, president of Kiawah Island Real Estate, which handles about 80% of the island’s transactions. “We’re very, very fortunate” when it comes to avoiding major storms and their damage, Whalen said.
Price range
Kiawah homes range from small condo-like residences called villas to spacious single-family homes.
“From a low-end perspective, as far as villas go, efficiency for a small one-bedroom is in the low $400,000s,” said KIRE real estate agent Daniel Whitson. “And we run the gamut all the way up to single-family homes priced just under $19 million.”
Of the roughly 140 island properties listed on Redfin, prices reflect what Whitson said, with some developable land priced in the mid-$400,000s. The most expensive home on the market right now is an 8,400-square-foot home built in 2020 with five bedrooms, six and a half bathrooms, and ocean views. The requested amount ranges from $20.8 million to $18.7 million.
Kiawah Island prices have been steadily increasing since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The median price in 2019 was $1.2 million, rising to $2 million in 2021 and $3 million by the end of 2023, Whalen said.
housing stock
Residential development on Kiawah began in earnest in the mid-1970s, when the island was purchased by the Kuwait Investment Company for $17 million. Harrington said KIC created the master plan for the island.
Everyone has continued to follow the 1970s master plan, even though the island has changed hands several times since then, including South Street Partners acquiring master developer Kiawah Partners in 2013. As such, the island’s housing stock is not very old and respects the Master Plan’s commitment to preserving the island’s natural beauty.
“When you drive down the main parkway, you don’t get any sense that it’s occupied,” Harrington said. “You can see the beautiful trees and flowers. It’s a heavenly place.”
The island’s Architectural Review Board ensures that the homes meet standards set to preserve the island’s natural beauty as well as the integrity of its seven golf courses.
“We are very careful about the location of the pool, the height of the pool and how it integrates with the back of the house so that it does not interfere with the golf course experience,” Whitson said. .
Island homes tend to lean toward the Lowcountry Southern style, “with cedar shake siding, cedar shake roofs, and large columns,” Whalen said. “However, over the years we have started to see other architecture introduced to the island. Today, in an area called Ocean Park on the far eastern edge, modern architecture is very much It’s widespread.”
What makes it unique?
Sure, people come to Kiawa for the Atlantic Coast’s 10 miles of pristine shoreline and 30 miles of biking and walking trails, but the real crown jewels are the seven privately owned and A public golf course and associated facilities.
Among those courses are the Tom Watson-designed Cacique and the Tom Fazio-designed River Course, both of which are exclusive to Kiawah Island Club members and their guests. His five additional courses, operated by Kiawah Island Golf Resort, a separate entity from Kiawah Island Club, are open to the public.
In addition to soaking up the scenery while walking or cycling, Harrington said homebuyers value views of the island’s wetlands.
“These are very long, beautiful views that can overlook several bodies of water,” she said. “The ocean is lovely, so many people who start out there end up going back to the marshes, and that’s the reality. On the other hand, the colors and the bird life in the marshes are constantly changing.”
luxury amenities
Kiawah Island Club membership is the ultimate amenity here, but it’s not easily purchased.
Membership is obtained by purchasing a previously unsold residential lot or resale property from a member of the Kiawah Island Club, which offers membership on home sales.
There are three tiers of club membership: Social, Sports (members must pay green fees), and Golf (includes green fees). Each member pays an initial deposit of $85,000, $125,000, and $150,000, but monthly dues vary.
Members who opt out of membership will receive a 50% refund of their initial deposit, but note that whether or not a property for sale is offered with club membership can have a significant impact on the sale price. You need to be careful.
“This has a huge impact,” Whitson said, adding that trading without membership could reduce a property’s value by “$200,000 to $400,000.”
In addition to access to the golf course, membership includes admission to a beach club designed by renowned architect Robert A. M. Stern, a boat concierge to manage the maintenance and docking of members’ vessels, and access to a 10,000-square-foot spa and salon. Includes admission. There are many other perks as well.
Even if you don’t have a club membership, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the island, including visits to sanctuaries, luxury beach resort hotels with spas, fine dining, and shopping.
people living there
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Kiawah is home to approximately 2,000 people, with a median income of $214,250 and an employment rate of 31%. During peak season, the population swells to about 11,000 people, Whalen said.
Mr Whitson said there was a wide variety of people living on or visiting the island. “We have everything from young families to full-time owners who are retired empty nesters and whose children enjoy bringing their grandchildren to the island,” Mr Whitson said. “This is an intergenerational community and it’s all about family.”
notable residents
Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is one of the island’s well-known residents. Whitson said other politicians and prominent retired athletes also live on the island, although he declined to name them.
“The really great thing about Kiawah is that you come here to get away from it all,” she added.
Outlook
Like many communities with abundant access to outdoor amenities, Kiawah real estate has experienced significant growth during the pandemic.
“Values have increased significantly over the last three years. Our market has been a real battleground,” Harrington said. “Once something gets listed, you’re going to get multiple offers. We’re still in that market to some extent, but things are slowing down a little bit.”
Harrington said there were enough homes on the market in 2019 to keep buyers happy for three years, but the pandemic rush wiped that out, and the number of homes on the market is still small and still unsold. He pointed out that prices remain high.
