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The Johns Islander

Curated by Mike Olson · eXp Realty

Online · Johns Island, SC · Seabrook · Kiawah

Weathered wooden walkover crossing the dunes to the beach on Kiawah Island

True cost

What this house really costs — before and after closing

Last verified

Photo by lorimcm on Unsplash

Put in a price and where it is. You get the buyer’s side of closing and the first year of owning, line by line, every number from a fee in the ledger with its source and how sure we are. Property tax uses Charleston County’s own method: 4% for a legal residence, 6%for anything else.

Where
Will it be your legal residence?
A home or a lot?
$30,300
At closing — the buyer’s side, from the ledger
$24,793
First year of owning — taxes, dues, base utilities

At closing · Seabrook Island

SIPOA transfer assessment (0.5%)Secondary$5,000
SIPOA transfer feeSecondary$250
Seabrook Island Club Capital Fee — NeighborhoodRequired for owners who bought on or after Jan 1, 2005.Confirmed$25,000
Water/sewer account (SIUC)Confirmed$35
Recording the deedConfirmed$15
Total$30,300

The first year

Property tax (6% second home, 246.1 mills)Before any credit — the county doesn't say whether a second home gets one.Confirmed$14,766
SIPOA annual assessmentConfirmed$3,133
Club dues — Neighborhood (12 months)Confirmed$5,532
Club service fee (12 months)$20 a month for members living outside 29455.Confirmed$240
Water base fee (12 months, before usage)Confirmed$295
Sewer (12 months)Confirmed$677
County solid-waste feeConfirmed$150
Total$24,793

Coming later

Club 2027 Master Plan assessment (billed quarterly in 2027)Confirmed$750

On the seller's side

Deed recording fee ("deed stamps")The seller's by statute; a contract can shift it.Confirmed$3,700

Not in these numbers

  • Attorney, title insurance, lender and inspection costs — ask your closing attorney and lender for quotes.
  • Insurance premiums (wind, flood, home) — they depend on the house; check the flood zone first.
  • Water and sewer usage beyond the base charges, electricity, internet.
  • Prorations at closing (dues and taxes split by date).

Every fee here names its source and the date we last checked it. Associations change fees; confirm with the association and your closing attorney before you close. This is an estimate from published fees, not a closing statement or tax advice.

Lagoon edged with marsh grass and maritime forest on Kiawah Island

Photo: JulDer Wiki, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized)

Two ways in

Talk it through with Mike, or ask Val — the guide’s AI assistant, answering from this site’s sourced facts.