Dewees Island Tour
Dewees Island is a hidden gem of real estate situated between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean just off the coast of Charleston. It's a private community built on respect for resources, wildlife, waterways, the land, and neighbors.
We were able to get an exclusive tour and took the private ferry over to spend a beautiful October day exploring the island's rustic, remote beauty.
Who lives on Dewees? Nature lovers, young families, owners in their 80s, retirees from high profile careers who want to unplug. Many of the residences are 2nd homes but half are full time residents. There are even families with school-aged children who ferry them to the mainland daily. We met Judy Fairchild who is a full time resident who raised her kids on the island. She sent them to school on a boat every day and now hosts nature tours. Many of the recent island buyers have come from Nashville and Knoxville TN.
Is it expensive? The resale houses are inexpensive compared to the Isle of Palms, but the carrying costs are not. There's an annual fee of $28,000. Splitting ownership with other families would be the most economical way to own on Dewees. You can have max 4 families in a partnership. Most of those partnership shares don’t come on the market because they trade internally, so don't hold your breath. You can get insurance, but it's expensive because there's no bridge to the island. As you can imagine, building is challenging since all materials have to be ferried over and construction equipment has to come on a barge. The cost to build is at least $200 more per sqft than on the mainland. $1,000/sqft would get you a very modest, basic house. The oldest house on the island was built in 1994. There are only 70 total homes with 4 more currently under construction. There are 150 total lots but the property owners association owns 30 of them. Some aren’t buildable and will stay green space. Others are quite valuable and won't be sold unless the price is right. Houses must be built 19’ above sea level There's no minimum sqft, but the building rules cap interior sqft at 5,000 and exterior at 7,500 ft with porches included. The key is indoor/outdoor living. All existing residences are ensconced in porches, decks, adult treehouses, and even beachfront cabanas. Even though you can purchase a Dewees lot for as little as $10,000 - you can't camp on it and you would still be responsible for the hefty annual dues, so it's hard to make the numbers work as a hold for investment.
Can you short term rent? There's a 30 day minimum rentals. The ability to short term rent went away in 2018. The majority of residents want to be able to rent their places out and they are working to get the ability which would allow them 56 rental nights max/year.
What does life on the island look like? It's a tight knit community where you take care of each other. Everyone knows each other. There's no going back to the mainland for a forgotten ingredient, so you better be friendly to your neighbors! It's a lot easier to get supplies these days thanks to Instacart and Shipped, which are delivered to the ferry landing for pick up. The islanders have Friday night happy hour, weekly yoga classes, ice cream socials, and art shows.
What is there to do? There are 6 community paths to a beach that is pristine, raw and untouched. Even at the height of the summer you're unlikely to encounter anyone else on the beach because there's so much beach available for so few residents. Boating is an obvious choice! There are three community docks on the island and a dedicated marina on Isle of Palms. There's great fishing on the island which is known for clams, but they hide in hidden spots where only the locals know to find them. Dewees is a bird nerd's paradise with rosette spoonbills, yellow butted warblers, painted buntings, and even arctic pelicans. You can check out the WW2 viewing tower that is one of only 2 in the country and was used to look for UBoats. The only alleged sighting turned out to be a whale. You can have your own pool but no one does. There's a nice community pool, tennis/pickleball courts, bocce, and commercial kitchen/venue that can host weddings for up to 100 guests.
What about emergencies? There is a helicopter landing field that also serves as central high ground for residents to bring their golf carts if flooding is predicted. There is a firehouse and 2 fire trucks. Fire safety is a big deal and interior sprinklers are required in all homes. There's a slew of staff on the island including an island manager, fire department, and a biologist who maintains the nature center where they have turtles and a full alligator skeleton.
Is it "off the grid?" No, you have to tie in to one of the 4 wells on the island. There's a sewer/septic hybrid system with a sewer leech field. There are propane filling stations and reverse osmosis for drinking water. Dewees may seem like the perfect spot for a doomsday prepper because it's remote, but there's a real sense of community on the island and a dependence on communal resources. Note: you can’t discharge a firearm on the island and can’t carry guns on the ferry.
