These are some of the most sought after on the East Coast. The barrier island location has such a great history and careful commercial controls that it maintains a very family oriented feel, as well as an upscale yet charming beach community in Charleston.
Sullivan's Island occupies a very small 3 square miles of the East Coast. This 3 square miles makes up a very major percentage of the high end real estate market in Charleston, as the quality of life, and low supply of homes, versus high demand, keeps real estate values up for homeowners.
The history of the area began back during the American Revolutionary War at Fort Sullivan on June 28, 1776. Now called Fort Moultrie, and used today as a museum commemorating the efforts of General William Moultrie, this fort was built surrounded with Palmetto logs to protect in an effort to protect the control of Charleston harbor.
Though the troops were far out numbered, the resilience of these spongy logs withstood many bombs, tired out the enemies and warded off attackers. This dramatic battle stacked against all odds of winning, inspired the SC flag with it’s crescent moon (from a button on the General’s jacket) and of course the palmetto tree, symbolic of the logs.
The makeup of the island changed drastically after Hurricane Hugo of 1989. While the storm was devastating, it also brought quite a bit of insurance monies dedicated to the rebuilding of the many homes lost on island. While the area was hit quite hard and many homes severely damaged or worse, the result 20 years later are newer homes rebuilt to today’s hurricane standards, while a careful design to keep the charm of yesteryear remaining at the forefront.
The lifestyle on the island offers a relaxed pace and, as mentioned above, there have been careful controls put on the commercialization of the area. As a result, only a small percentage of homes on Sullivan's Island (those of which are grandfathered in) are allowed to cater to the short term rental market. For this reason, the small town family atmosphere remains without too much transient rental traffic occurring each week.
These properties start in price at about $900,000 and can move up much higher based on the lot and homes. Many of these charming beach houses are actually quite large, and boast incredible views of downtown Charleston on the south end near Fort Moultrie, panoramic Atlantic Ocean views along the beach and even deep water creek access on the back side of the island.
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