Hampton Lakes or Hilton Head Plantation

[m1a1mg]

Originally Posted by 912904

Fair enough. Some free advice: You won't find many locals here and those who purport to be usually aren't.

Good luck to you.

Amazing that someone with 40 some odd posts is already an expert. But I suspect another re-start of a former user. Happens a lot around here.

[CaseyB]

I'm not a local, but we do own a house on Hilton Head (I'm on the island right now) and I've been following the school issue for a while. I'll give you my 2 cents:

1. If you plan on using private schools, you may prefer the island. Nicer atmosphere, Hilton Head Plantation has something
like 4,000 residents and a lot of the younger families live there.

2. For public, my understanding is some of the Bluffton schools are ok and some are not. You would have to do the
research yourself. Look up listings for the homes in Hampton Lake and you'll see the schools asigned to that area. Then
look them up on Great Schools or another school rating site. Do not expect to receive accurate information from a real
estate agent.

My daughter and SIL bought a house in Bluffton last spring. I was a nag about the schools for the whole process. They don't have kids yet, but it is still importand to know because the value of your property will depend on it. She has a friend who has since moved, but she taught at one of the Bluffton elementary schools. That school was one of the not-so-good ones.

Please send me a direct message for more information that I don't really feel comfortable including here.

Good luck in your search.

[thatdesertdude]

I agree to check great schools or research the attendance boundaries for homes that you're interested in. You should be able to find that info out online or with a simple phone call. Depending on the state, realtors are not legally allowed to discuss schools with clients.

[Caroline_Cooke]

We live in and love HHP. It has the best amenities, especially for a young family. The HOA is well managed and extremely reasonable. Lots of fun things always going on.

The schools are great here. They are smaller, but mostly bc there are a lot of geriatrics here. The one good this is school tax on your property tax bill is very low.

One thing I would like to highlight about house hunting in this region, and especially in Hilton Head, is that many homes in this region are plumbed with polybutylene piping. Learn about it before you start house hunting. My agent (Ive known him for 5 years and thought he was an Ace) never mentioned it, my seller never disclosed it and my "home inspector" missed it. And my insurance didn't cover my massive replacement expense, bc it was polybutylene. It's bad and a dirty little secret in Hilton Head and the southeast. My expense was well over $100K to fix my damage. It wouldn't be so bad if I knew before the water lines leaked. Most of the homes built between 1980-1995 are built with Polybutylene, and Hilton Head had A LOT of growth during those years. There is only one home inspector I would trust on this island and Beaufort, after my experience, and that is Brad Thoran Horizon Home Inspection. If you need a plumber, contact Pines Plumbing....they have replaced miles of polybutylene and have a superb reputation.

Good luck finding your home. We've lived in many of the neighborhoods here, but recently bought in HHP. HHP has reciprocity with Sea Pines, so you don't have to pay the $10 fee to visit Sea Pines, and their tourism is crazy especially in high season and during the Heritage golf tournament. HHP doesn't allow short term rental so thats another plus.

Sorry, can recommend a real estate agent in HH. All of them seem crooked, unethical and cheats. I'm shocked how bad they are. Best of luck to you.

Feel free to ask any other questions. I wish I knew someone like me before I bought my house.

[FLmom77]

We live in Bluffton and picked it over Hilton Head based on the schools and the sense of community. Simply put, Bluffton's public schools are better than Hilton Head. Do your research- its widely available. Hampton Lake is zoned to some of the better Bluffton schools and some of the best in the whole Beaufort County district. Bluffton is full of young families that are very involved in the community and while people complain about traffic, its certainly better here than any other major metro area I have ever lived in. We have been here ten years and love it. Good luck in your search.