Palmetto Bluff is touting a banner year, with real estate sales topping $61 million.
That breaks down to 142 transactions in 2012, more than 80 percent of which were lot sales. The rest were new and custom homes.
"(It's) the strongest since 2006," said Bryan Byrne, broker-in-charge for the high-end community in Bluffton. "And I believe it can be attributed largely to our commitment to the original vision of Palmetto Bluff being 'a place' rather than a planned development."
High-end residential sales are making a post-recession comeback, particularly in communities like Palmetto Bluff, where buyers can pick their lots and build to suit their tastes, according to Beaufort County real estate agents and builders. And Palmetto Bluff apparently is selling property at a faster clip than surrounding communities.
Here's why:
Susan Treut, who learned of the community in a magazine, said they love the natural scenery, golf course and well-built homes where neighbors are friendly and the choice of lots is abundant. And it doesn't hurt it's far away from the Massachusetts winters they now endure.
"We really liked that if you wanted to be in a neighborhood where the houses are close, they've got that. If you want something where they're farther apart, they've got that," she said. "We wanted something in between, and they had that, too."
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