Eighth Annual LightHouse Awards recognize the best of the best

The builders of the Lowcountry’s most beautiful homes got their chance to shine last week at the annual gala hosted by the Hilton Head Area Home Builders Association and SunTrust Bank.

About 300 people attended the eighth annual LightHouse Awards ceremony at the Westin Resort, said Ashley Feaster, the association’s executive officer.

“This was our biggest crowd ever,” she said.

The LightHouse Awards, created in 1999, are presented annually to builder members of the Hilton Head Area Home Builders Association for quality craftsmanship and design excellence.

Twenty-eight builders, including remodelers, custom builders and national builders, submitted a record 84 entries and competed for five construction awards: best bath, best kitchen, best exterior, best detail feature and best overall home or remodel.

The cost of homes entered ranged from $300,000 to more than $5 million, and each award was subdivided into categories so that homes in similar price ranges and construction types competed against each other.

Nine judges came to the Hilton Head Island area to visit each home. The 2007 LightHouse Award judging panel included builders, remodelers, architects and other industry professionals from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Split into three teams, the judges spent three days visiting the entries.

The majority of the homes are occupied and the owners graciously allowed strangers to roam through their homes with a critical eye. Many of the homeowners commented to the judges how proud they are of their residences and the builders who constructed them.

Monty Jett was the master of ceremonies for the evening, while Timeline Productions and Brodie Media of Okatie presented a slide show of the entries, sponsors, subcontractors and suppliers.

Winners received marble obelisk trophies representing lighthouses.

The many skilled subcontractors and suppliers who participated in the design and construction of the competing homes also were recognized at the gala.

In almost all of the categories, the separation between the runner-up and winner was only one or two points, stated Dan Monroe, chairman of the 2007 LightHouse Awards.

This year’s awards saw a tie for the best overall and best feature in one category. Additionally, two judges’ awards were presented to builders who the judges felt deserved to be recognized for creative use of materials and space.

In addition to SunTrust, the title sponsor, many others worked hard to make the Lighthouse Awards happen this year, including: Dan Monroe, chairman, LowCountry Homes Magazine; Ellen Arrington, Sea Pines Real Estate; Ed McCollough, Second Nature Landscaping; Deborah Monroe, LowCountry Home Magazine; Ed Pitoniak, SunTrust Bank; Bill Robertson, Hilton Head Exterminators; Kim Tortorice, Bonded Builders Warranty Group.

Other sponsors included Bluffton Today, Cleland Site Prep, Hilton Head Exterminators, Louis Sterling, LowCountry Home Magazine, Second Nature Landscaping, Sea Pines Real Estate Company, StoneWorks and Palmetto Electric Cooperative. A special thanks also goes to Hilton Head Automotive, Custom Audio Video, Deborah Karambelas, Brodie Media and Timeline Productions.