HHI 2007 Christmas Tour of Homes

My wife and I went to the Hilton Head Choral Society's 23rd Annual Christmas Tour of Homes on Sunday, December 3rd. It's usually held on the first Sunday of December. This is the second time we've gone and have enjoyed both tours immensely. A totally different group of homes were on the tour this year and 3 were off island on Rose Hill Plantation in Bluffton.

Six homes were part of the tour - one was the Stella Del Mare Manor which is beachfront and located just north of the Marriott Surf Watch property and just south of Dreissen Beach. The home is currently for sale - a mere 5.6 million - views were to die for. The home was relatively narrow from front to back and had 3 stories - not my cup of tea but my wife liked it. We had seen the home being built over the last several years while we walked on the beach. So it was fun to be able to tour the inside.

Two homes were on Hilton Head Plantation - one a huge 3-bedroom condominium overlooking Skull Creek and Skull Creek Marina. This was the home of a retired Captain in the U.S. Merchant Marines and was beautifully decorated with furniture and objects collected from all over the world on his various trips.

Our favorite was a Rose Hill Plantation home built in the French Country Chateau style. Not only was it beautifully decorated and furnished but had awesome marsh and Colleton River views.

The tour also included two concerts at the Country Club of Hilton Head - holiday carols by the Hilton Head Choral Society's Adult ensemble and another concert by the Children's Choir. We didn't go to the concerts because of time constraints - the tour was from noon till 5pm - and our primary goal was to tour the homes.

The money raised by the tour goes to support the Choral Society. Another benefit to us has been the opportunity to visit parts of HHI and the surrounding communitiy (Rose Hill Plantation) that we ordinarily wouldn't see.

Happy Holidays,

Richard

Richard,
Thanks for posting this. I had asked about before as it is something I would enjoy very much.

Richard,
This is something I'd enjoy very much, so your post has been printed out and saved in our "Maybe Someday..." Hilton Head folder.

My gosh, that Stella del Mare Manor is gorgeous from the beach, isn't it? On our last trip I took more than twenty photos of it - every time I took the camera out on the beach the light hit that home differently and I couldn't resist snapping. One of the photos will eventually end up poster-size in a frame, and that's the nearest I'll get to "owning" it!

A quick check of the HH Choral Society's website only has a few pics of the Christmas tour - do you know if there are any photos online?

thanks,
Susan

Susan,

The tour brochure stessed No Cameras and No pictures - so I'm not aware that you'll find any pics online. I was bummed by the No Pic policy because I was hoping to snap some.

Re the Stella del Mare Manor - I think they had an asking price decrease - I happened to see their property advertised in a HHI Real Estate Homes for Sale magazine - asking price in the magazine was 6.4 million. Since there was a For Sale sign on the property while doing the tour, I inquired and was told 5.6 million. Now, if I hit the lottery, I'll make an offer.

If you get a chance to do the tour in the future, I highly recommend it.

Richard

Oh well. As much I'd love to see the inside all decorated for Christmas, I can understand why an owner wouldn't want just anyone traipsing through their home being able to shoot photos - that would be an ideal way for "bad guys" to remember a home's layout, huh?

We were chatting with another couple walking the beach last September and they were the ones who told us the property was on the market. Of course from there the conversation continued to, "if we win the lottery..." Ha, maybe someday!

Susan

If someone gave me the big houses furnished, maids included, taxex and insurance covered, I'm still not sure they would be for me. I'm a beach bum so a little shack with water view would satisfy me. Unfortunately I don't have anyone to pay the insurance and taxes for a "little shack" by the sea. At this point in my life, God, family, friendships and health are the most important things to me. I've met several folks who live in these mansions and they talk about how neighbors are never there(2nd homes), there are no neighborhood activities, etc. I'm very thankful for a home where I can have friends visit and a life style that includes volunteering for community projects, church activites and more neighborhood activities than I can have time to participate. I love the tours but we have to be careful not to turn green as we see them.