Seaside Farms vs. Daniel Island (Mount Pleasant: real estate, HOA fees, home owners insurance)

[ASanders]

We're torn between buying a townhouse or condo in Seaside Farms or Daniel Island. Both have a lot to offer for us (no kids but a golden retriever), so we're down to weighing the following:

1. Property taxes
2. Storm vulnerability
3. Insurance costs and requirements
4. Friendly neighbors
5. Local ammenities: restaurants, shopping, pool conditions, biking and walking

Who wins in each category?

Tx

[DJShymansky]

1. Mount Pleasant
2. Daniel Island
3. Daniel Island (Seaside Farms is smack dab in the middle of the wind/flood zone)
4. It's a toss-up, Daniel Island was built to increase socialization among neighbors, but Seaside Farms has a great atmosphere throughout. I think Daniel Island does win this category though.
5. Seaside Farms, simply because of it's proximity to IOP beach, and all that Mt. Pleasant has to offer in addition to the actual neighborhood shops and restaurants. Daniel Island is great and has plenty of local amenities, parks, events and walking/biking but once those amenities don't quite satisfy, you're back to trekking into Mt. Pleasant.

[Theresejenkins]

IMO - I would say the location of Seaside Farms is unbeatable if you like to be near the beach (to walk your golden in the mornings!!) and for local shopping/restaurants....

Taxes are less in MtP, but insurance is a bit higher - but that depends on the monthly regime of where you are purchasing....

[beachme]

Funny you should ask... I just ratified a contract for a condo on DI. My Clients are buying a second home from up north. They liked Long Grove@ Seaside Farms and Daniels Landing. The chose a unit in Daniels landing. The HOA fees were the same, amentities also similar. I think they liked the resort feel of Daniel Island, but they did like the closeness to the beach and more shopping in Long Grove.
Good Luck! Remember if your buying a condo the insurance (exterior) is usually covered by the regime fee anyway so in this case it made no difference. There seemed to be more social functions at Daniels Landing.

[2dogsmom]

Originally Posted by DJShymansky

1. Mount Pleasant
2. Daniel Island
3. Daniel Island (Seaside Farms is smack dab in the middle of the wind/flood zone)
4. It's a toss-up, Daniel Island was built to increase socialization among neighbors, but Seaside Farms has a great atmosphere throughout. I think Daniel Island does win this category though.
5. Seaside Farms, simply because of it's proximity to IOP beach, and all that Mt. Pleasant has to offer in addition to the actual neighborhood shops and restaurants. Daniel Island is great and has plenty of local amenities, parks, events and walking/biking but once those amenities don't quite satisfy, you're back to trekking into Mt. Pleasant.

We are also currently considering either Seaside Farms or Daniel's island, however, not a condo, but a house. We are both a young 50 yrs old, active (take spin class 5 times a week, run,ect.) very social couple, kids are grown, we have 2 "4 legged" kids. We currently live in Coosaw Creek Country Club, but find that we are too far from the beaches and resturants and we don't play golf so Coosaw is becoming less and less appealing.The biggest draw back we find at Coosaw is the lack of social participation among residents, it seems most people do not want to know their neighbors. Does anyone have an opinion and or experience in comparing the pros and cons of both Seaside Farms and DI for couples who don't have small children, but are not mentally or physically "middle aged"? Also, what are the HOA fees for each neighboorhood?

[USCJoe]

HOA fees are about $730 on Daniel Island and about $550 in Seaside Farms. You will also have a 1/2% transfer fee paid by the buyer on Daniel Island. Home Owners Insurance may be somewhat higher in Seaside Farms than on Daniel Island, but real estate taxes on Daniel Island should be substantially higher on Daniel Island than in Seaside Farms. A home assessed at about $500,000 in Seaside Farms will be about $1900 while the same house on Daniel Island about $3200. I think the social atmosphere would be about the same in Seaside Farms as on Daniel Island.

Originally Posted by 2dogsmom

We are also currently considering either Seaside Farms or Daniel's island, however, not a condo, but a house. We are both a young 50 yrs old, active (take spin class 5 times a week, run,ect.) very social couple, kids are grown, we have 2 "4 legged" kids. We currently live in Coosaw Creek Country Club, but find that we are too far from the beaches and resturants and we don't play golf so Coosaw is becoming less and less appealing.The biggest draw back we find at Coosaw is the lack of social participation among residents, it seems most people do not want to know their neighbors. Does anyone have an opinion and or experience in comparing the pros and cons of both Seaside Farms and DI for couples who don't have small children, but are not mentally or physically "middle aged"? Also, what are the HOA fees for each neighboorhood?

[2dogsmom]

Hi,
Thanks for the info. The figures for HOA you listed, are they monthly or yearly? I hope that's yearly!! I live on a golf course, gated community and our yearly is around $750 for HOA, so I was hoping that a neighboorhood without a golf course would be less expensive.

[USCJoe]

Yearly

Originally Posted by 2dogsmom

Hi,
Thanks for the info. The figures for HOA you listed, are they monthly or yearly? I hope that's yearly!! I live on a golf course, gated community and our yearly is around $750 for HOA, so I was hoping that a neighboorhood without a golf course would be less expensive.

[moneill]

Okay -- not a professional view point but my opinion on Seaside. Lots of not so older older couples without children.

I love the location of Seaside but for me the house styles just don't work. No matter how much I tell myself I would be so close to the beach.

[USCJoe]

Dependent upon the price range in which you might have an interest, if you want similar home styles in Mt. Pleasant as you will find on Daniel Island, I would strongly consider Hamlin Plantation. A little further from the beach, but not a great deal further in terms of driving time.