Kiawah Island is a private residential resort community 21 miles south of Charleston. This 10,000-acre barrier island, just 1.5 miles across at its widest point, has more than 10 miles of beachfront.
Approximately 4,000 properties some within 13 neighborhood villages and 28 regime associations make up the island. Several neighborhoods offer Kiawah Island fractional homes. Most regimes (some are known as homeowners associations or sub-associations) are governed by their own covenants and boards of directors. Independent management companies administer the business requirements of these properties including Kiawah Island fractional homes. Click Here to Access Kiawah Island Fractional Home MLS Listings!
Named for the Kiawah Indians who inhabited the island into the 1600s and deeded to George Raynor in 1699 by the Lords Proprietors (Charleston's founding fathers), the island has changed hands only four times since then.
The Vanderhorst legacy ended in 1951 when C.C. Royal, a lumberman, purchased Kiawah Island for $125,000. Just 23 years later, his heirs sold the same piece of property to a resort developer for $18.2 million and the land was developed into a world-class resort and residential area.
In 1993, the current ownership purchased the portions of Kiawah Island that compose the Resort, its most prominent residential feature.
There are more than 3,300 homes on Kiawah Island, and nearly 400 families make it their year-round home. Many families have discovered the benefits offered by Kiawah Island fractional home ownership.
The Town of Kiawah Island takes an active role in managing the natural resources on the island. From the wooded uplands to the beaches, animals thrive in the rich natural environment. Deer, bobcats, gray foxes, raccoons, river otters and ospreys are just a few of the many animals that Kiawah visitors might see.
Kiawah Island fractional homes bring all these wonderful amenities into reach for families looking for a valuable alternative to second home ownership.