All posts by Donny Grover

Invitational Tickets on Sale Oct. 7
The 2015 Reebok CrossFit Invitational will be held at the Caja Mágica in Madrid from 4-6 p.m. CET on Sunday, Dec. 6.
Tickets cost €50, and will go on sale to the public this Wednesday, Oct. 7, through Games.CrossFit.com. The tickets will be released around 7 p.m. CET (10 a.m. PT).

Learn more here.

“I just adore a penthouse view.”

Set within a three-acre grove of majestic oaks and sable palms, the Maritime luxury villa community enjoys privacy and seclusion—all within walking distance to Kiawah’s 10-mile beach, the Sanctuary Hotel, Roy Barth Tennis Center, and Turtle Point golf course.

One of the Island’s newer communities, residents here revel in exquisite single-story living that provides all the space and comforts of a traditional home, while ensuring a carefree, zero-maintenance lifestyle that is conducive to relaxing and connecting to family, friends, and Kiawah’s natural environment.

Sophisticated, classical interior design elements include expansive windows and glass doors, beamed and coffered ceilings, handsome built-ins and moldings, warm fireplaces, professional grade kitchens, and spacious bedrooms and en suite baths.

Open-air and screened-in porches—accessible from nearly every room—extend the villa’s year-round living space to the outdoors.

Modern and light-filled, Maritime’s open floor plans are suited to a variety of families. Each unit includes two private parking spaces, wide exterior stairways, and convenient elevator access.

A superb example: 6005 Green Dolphin Way

Surrounded by lush Island foliage, 6005 Green Dolphin Way offers an expansive 2,700 square foot floor plan that enjoys privacy and seclusion, verandas overlooking the lagoon and pool, and a penthouse observation deck with ocean views.

“I just adore a penthouse view.”

Set within a three-acre grove of majestic oaks and sable palms, the Maritime luxury villa community enjoys privacy and seclusion—all within walking distance to Kiawah’s 10-mile beach, the Sanctuary Hotel, Roy Barth Tennis Center, and Turtle Point golf course.

One of the Island’s newer communities, residents here revel in exquisite one-level living that provides all the space and comforts of a traditional home, while ensuring a care-free, zero-maintenance lifestyle that is conducive to relaxing and connecting to family, friends, and Kiawah’s natural environment.

The private community pool area is meticulously landscaped and features an outdoor kitchen with grill and wet bar. A beautiful brick fireplace serves as a perfect backdrop to celebrate summer evenings.

Sophisticated, classical interior design elements include expansive windows and glass doors, beamed and coffered ceilings, handsome built-ins and moldings, warm fireplaces, professional grade kitchens, spacious bedrooms, and spa-inspired en suites.

Multiple open air and screened-in porches—accessible from nearly every room—serve to expand the year-round living space, while graceful spiral staircases lead to rooftop observation decks with ocean views.

Modern and light-filled, Maritime’s open floor plans are suited to a variety of families. Each unit includes four bedrooms with private bathrooms, two private parking spaces (one garage and one street level), wide exterior stairways, and convenient elevator access.

A superb example: 6005 Green Dolphin Way.

“There is nothing I can create that is as wonderful as a tree.” – Mitch Laplante

The Cottages at Cypress Point is not your typical Kiawah Island neighborhood.

Yes, like other Island enclaves, these luxury cottages enjoy golf course views, serene lagoons, and a central Island location that’s close to the beach. But the essence here is different.

A community of people happily immersed into the environment that flourishes in Kiawah’s grand trees, the development is the embodiment of responsible building—and one that left the landscape “better than we found it,” according to architect and developer Mitch Laplante.

Before breaking ground, Cypress Point’s natural setting included an amazing overstory of treetop canopies filled with birdlife. Yet little was happening in the understory below. A self-confessed tree-hugger, Laplante worked with the Kiawah Island Nature Conservancy to create a residential level that ensured the habitat for native animals was better than what existed pre-development.

The end result: sophisticated, small footprint homes that have turned the dream of living in a tree house into a smart idea. Maintenance-free exteriors include hurricane-rated windows, pressure treated wood trims, and standing seam copper roofs warranted for 200 years. Interior materials include select ipe flooring, hand-scraped Caribbean pine doors, hand hewn wrought iron railings, and sculptural walls that evoke an English cottage feel.

A superb example: 5550 Cypress Cottage Lane

Built around a noble oak, 5550 Cypress Cottage Lane is a remarkable home that celebrates this connection to the trees and to nature from every room, every window, and every outdoor space.

“There is nothing I can create that is as beautiful as a tree.” – Mitch Laplante

The Cottages at Cypress Point is not your typical Kiawah Island neighborhood.

Yes, like other Island enclaves, these luxury cottages enjoy golf course views, serene lagoons, and a central Island location that’s close to the beach. But the essence here is different.

A community of people happily immersed into the environment that flourishes in Kiawah’s grand trees, the development is the embodiment of responsible building—and one that left the landscape “better than we found it,” according to architect Mitch Laplante.

Before breaking ground, Cypress Point’s natural setting included an amazing overstory of treetop canopies filled with birdlife. Yet little was happening in the understory below. A self-confessed tree-hugger, Laplante worked with the Kiawah Island Nature Conservancy to create a residential level that ensured the habitat for animals was better than what existed pre-construction.

The end result: sophisticated, small footprint homes that have turned the dream of living in a tree house into a smart idea. Maintenance-free exteriors include hurricane-rated windows, pressure treated wood trims, and a standing seam copper roof warranted for 200 years. Interior materials include select ipe flooring, hand-scraped Caribbean pine doors, hand hewn wrought iron railings, and sculptural walls that evoke an English cottage feel.

Built around a noble oak, 5550 Cypress Court is a remarkable home that celebrates this connection to the trees and to nature from every room, every window, and every outdoor space.

Luxury Real Estate Isn’t Surviving—It’s Thriving
Kiawah Island Property Report

The second quarter of 2015 saw a luxury real estate boom, with sales of homes priced $1 million or more up by 14% and homes priced $5 million plus jumping a full 20% over sales in the same quarter last year, according to the CNBC Luxury Real Estate Report.

Most impressively, these boosts were attained following record numbers in 2014. Of course, not all luxury real estate markets kept pace with the trend. Let’s take a deeper look at one that exceeded it.