spring island

Last fall we checked out a home on Tidal Creek in Spring Island, South Carolina. That home is still on the market (with a price cut from $2.75 million to $2.4 million) but today we're checking out the home next door which is also for sale. This home is nicely positioned amid four large live oak trees in Spring Island's three-thousand acres of nature preserve. The lowcountry golf community is 25 minutes from Hilton Head and Beaufort, and 30 minutes by boat from Port Royal Sound and the open Atlantic Ocean.

The 4,700 sq. ft. home on 3.88 acres curves along the arc of its circular driveway. It has a standing seam copper roof, custom steel windows and salvaged antique heart pine beams. The home is backed by the marsh making for privacy and tranquil views and extensive decks, walkways, provide plenty of outdoor space. The grounds also include a three-car garage and 800 sq. ft. guest house. The home itself has a laid-back feel with beamed ceilings, skylights and large windows. A sitting room with a peaked roof offers a particularly nice spot for casual entertaining. This home is listed at $2.995 million.

With a name like road name like Tidal Creek you know this one is going to have water views. In fact, the low country compound on the west side of Spring Island in South Carolina is surrounded by water on three sides during high tide. The 5.42 acre property has a private boat dock makes fishing or cruising convenient whenever the mood strikes and a small brick terrace near the marsh is ideal for watching the tides and the local wildlife and catching the amazing sunsets.

The main home has a cozy living room with a fireplace and built-in bookcases. A separate den also has a fireplace. The kitchen has hand-painted tiles of native birds, a walk-in pantry, and a center island. A screened porch also has a wood burning fireplace and extra wide plank floors. The room over the garage has a full bath is currently used as an office but could be put into use as a guest suite or game room. The second floor master bedroom has a covered porch overlooking the marsh and the Colleton River. There is also a first floor bedroom that is also suitable as an owner's suite. The home comes with a separate two-bedroom guest house with a wood burning fireplace and custom built-ins. It has its own private screened porch and a kitchen and an artist studio with full bath is attached to the guest house along with a large climate controlled workroom. This home is listed at $2.75 million.

Today's home takes us back to Spring Island, South Carolina. Two lots were joined together to created a 2.83 acre estate with live oaks and 279 feet of frontage with deepwater dock on the Colleton River. The 8,000 square foot compound includes a main home and guest cottage with wide open views of the Colleton River. There are three bedrooms in the main home and three bedrooms in the guest cottage, one having three sets of bunk beds to accommodate the family reunion. The home is designed for relaxation and enjoyment with a home theater room, large office, in-ground spa, and fireplace on the screen porch. A long dock stretches out into the water. This home is listed at $4.495 million.

Today's estate takes us to back to South Carolina community of Spring Island, where life is a little bit slower. The community includes a golf course, fitness center, restaurants, equestrian programs and more. Today's home is a 6.83 acre family compound with views of the marsh and the 16th and 17th holes of Old Tabby Links.

This home is designed around a live oak tree. The compound includes a two-bedroom, two-bath guest house and a five-car garage with a studio office, full bath and mini kitchen on the upper level. The main house's master suite has three large cedar closets and an adjoining library/movie room. The lower level of the home also has an exercise room, workshop, 1,500-bottle wine cellar, and entertainment room with a pool table.

In the living room the vaulted ceilings are framed by 150 year old heart maple beams and the floor has floors from an old tobacco farm. The gourmet kitchen is next to a keeping room with a gas log fireplace and the nearby butler's pantry serves as a second bar and wine storage area. The kitchen opens to a screened porch with a wood burning fireplace. The upper floor of the home has a 60 foot long art gallery and a guest suite with a walk out porch.

The grounds include a swimming pool, a fenced garden and potting shed, and a fishing camp on a small private pond. This home is listed at $4 million.

We've been to Spring Island, South Carolina before to check out Bank of America chief exec Ken Lewis's getaway home (still on the market and the price keeps dropping). Today's estate is in the same area and belongs to former Proctor and Gamble executive Tom Laco. The property consists of two separate lots, the 3.48 acre lot the house is on and a 3.13 acre lot directly across the pond from the house which provides privacy and serves as an ample nesting area for local birds.

The five-bedroom home sits high above Rice Gate Pond and offers a panoramic view of the pond and a thousand acres of Spring Island marshes. The home's master bedroom is on the main floor of the residence and two guest rooms are located in a separate wing with two additional bedrooms on the upper level of this bi-level home. The living room, study, dining room, sunroom, office and three bedrooms all have views of the pond and salt water marsh. The three car garage is currently configured to accommodate two automobiles, a golf cart and a work shop. The home has over 1,600 square feet of porches and terraces and there is a freestanding greenhouse and a rose garden. This home is listed at $2.75 million.

Last month, the Wall Street Journal mentioned that Bank of America chief executive Kenneth D. Lewis was having trouble selling his vacation home in South Carolina. Today with Lewis in the news for his testimony in Washington D.C. it's a good time to revisit this charming summer home. Mr. Lewis bought the home with Dennis Thompson, founder and CEO of Charlotte, N.C.-based restaurant operator Firebirds International in 2002 for $3 million.

The charming home was designed by Mark P. Finlay and featured in the June 2000 issue of Architectural Digest. It has three bedrooms and 5,734 square feet of space. It includes antique heart pine and English limestone flooring, a large screening room and a two-car garage with office and security system. The home is located adjacent to a 400-acre nature preserve and has a deepwater dock. It went on the market last year then was pulled off the market but now it is back on and the price was recently cut to $3.3 million meaning that this home likely won't offer much of a return on his investment for Lewis.

UPDATE: As of November 2009, this home is listed at $2.975 million.