St. James Plantation vs The Landings on Skidaway Island - The Big Debate

There are only a handful of golf communities on the east coast who have more than two private golf courses behind their gated entrance. Today, we are comparing two Low Country real estate developments who do that we feel are the most similar. In Savannah, The Landings on Skidaway Island has six championship golf courses and in Southport, St. James Plantation has four. For the avid golfer, having multiple golf courses to choose from in their own neighborhood spices things up and is very appealing but both of these coastal golf communities offer so much more. We thought we’d help you during your search for where to retire, by closely comparing their features and annual costs.

ST. JAMES PLANTATION - SOUTHPORT NORTH CAROLINA

GOLF COURSES - There are four Signature designed golf courses at St. James Plantation:

• The Reserve Club, a Jack Nicklaus design
• The Founders Club, a P.B. Dye design
• The Members Club, a Hale Irwin design
• The Players Club, a Tim Cate design

All four golf courses are Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary courses and with the courses come beautiful golf clubhouses, to retreat back to at the end of the day. The Reserve is the newest of the four clubhouses at St. James Plantation and it is the first LEED certified clubhouse built in Southeastern North Carolina.

BOATING AND BEACHES - St. James Planation is located 28 miles south of downtown Wilmington and 2.5 miles west of Oak Island. In 2012, USA Today named Oak Island Best Beach in North Carolina for its small town feel and mellow beach atmosphere. The attractive St. James Beach Club is a private oceanfront beach club and is just one of the many resort-style amenities at this North Carolina coastal community. The centerpiece of the beach club is its Jr Olympic size swimming pool overlooking miles of unspoiled beaches. Showers and private parking make it easy for property owners to enjoy a day at the beach on Oak Island. St. James Plantation has four more swimming pools, a tennis club, fitness centers and a full service spa on property.

Salt water boaters can navigate a short distance from the St. James Plantation Marina and reach the Intracoastal Waterway. The ICW then quickly connects with Cape Fear Inlet, the closest passage way to the Atlantic Ocean. The Cape Fear River is a large protected body of waterway due west of the barrier islands. A day of boating can be as relaxing or exciting as one desires it to be. Boaters can beach themselves on shallow sandbars, dine at delicious waterfront restaurants or adventure out to sea and catch dinner. The St. James Plantation Marina is a full service marina with 155 wet boat slips, 320 dry boat slips, a marina store and fuel station. We believe St James Plantation delivers a big bang for the buck when it comes to amenities: Club membership costs for these amenities:

• Full golf privileges $ 6,000 a year, initiation fee $30,000
• Social club $ 1,260 a year, initiation fee zero

HOME PRICES - The average sold home price last year at this North Carolina coastal community was in the low $300K’s. Seaside is one of the new neighborhoods where you’ll find small footprint model homes starting at $225K. HarborWalk condos are steps from the marina and are priced in the $300K’s. Low maintenance cottage homes in the Regency Lakes neighborhood begin in the mid $200K’s. St. James offers a variety of new home options. 2,200 homes have been built to date of the 4,000 homes planned. St. James Plantation HOA fees are approximately $790 per year, depending on the home style. St. James Plantation real estate taxes are low at approximately .004 per $100.

PROXIMITY TO PLACES OF INTEREST - Both St. James Plantation and The Landings at Skidaway Island are about an equal distance from culturally rich historic downtowns and modern conveniences of a big city.

THE LANDINGS ON SKIDAWAY ISLAND - SAVANNAH GEORGIA

GOLF COURSES - There are six Signature designed golf courses at The Landings on Skidaway Island:

• Deer Creek designed by Tom Fazio
• Magnolia designed by Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay
• Marshwood designed by Arnold Palmer
• Oakridge designed by Arthur Hills
• Palmetto designed by Arthur Hills
• Plantation - a links-style course designed by William Byrd

The Landings on Skidaway Island hosts more than 300 golf events each year. This Savannah neighborhood's four golf clubhouses offer a variety of dining choices. Junior Golf and Women’s Golf are tailored programs encouraging a family golf lifestyle. Membership costs are similar to St. James Plantation:

• Full golf privileges are $6,784 per year, initiation fee $30,000
• Sports privileges $3,461 per year, initiation fee $10,500
• Social club dues $2,282 per year, initiation fee $7,000

LOWCOUNTRY LIFESTYLE - Endless marsh views, Spanish moss draped trees and fascinating bird life naturally compliments each of the Savannah neighborhoods at The Landings. This Low Country real estate development began in the early 1970’s. There are more than 40 miles of walking trails and The Landings has its own dog park. Two deep water marinas provide easy access to the Intracoastal Waterway and Atlantic Ocean. Between the Landings Harbor and Delegal Creek Marina, property owners have access to 276 dry boat slips, 74 wet boat slips and a fueling station. The deepwater marinas cater to all types of boaters. Rhodes 19 Sailing Club is one of the many social clubs at The Landings.

TENNIS - With a 500 seat stadium, 34 tennis courts and 3 tennis centers, it’s easy to understand why The Landings is Savannah’s Award Winning Tennis Community. The Lowcountry weather allows for year round outdoor play. The three tennis centers are Franklin Creek, Marshwood and Oakridge. The Landings has two tennis pro’s on staff. Programs include mixed doubles, tennis tournaments and League Play.

HOME PRICES - Last year, the average sold home prices at The Landings were in the mid $400K’s, in part because of the number of waterfront homes. Here you’ll find re-sales more common verses new home construction. Approximately 4,400 homes have been built to date of the 4,600 planned at this Savannah neighborhood. The Landings on Skidaway Island HOA fees are low at around $1,500, depending on the home style you choose. The Landings real estate taxes are higher in Savannah at .012 per $100 or 3 to 1.

In our opinion, both of these best master planned communities are financially stable limiting the risk to buyers. Both coastal communities are extremely friendly, something important to transplants from other states. We’ve spent years searching for the most knowledgeable brokers at these two coastal golf communities and we’ve found them. Our five star rated brokers are happy to send you more information and share their secrets with you. Just ask us to introduce you by writing info@communityfinder.com or call us toll free at 866.384.1799.

We suggest you visit both Low Country real estate developments.