I was on the treadmill at workout again this morning and CNN was reporting on the bad weather in the northeast and Midwest and all the problems with snow and people left with no power. 

I thought back to my first year in real estate; the winter of 1982 was one of the worst winter seasons we had ever had.  Everyone we called about real estate said that they had to figure out a way to get to Hilton Head and out of the cold.

It looks like that is happening again this winter. 

Changes in technology have really benefited the real estate market in the southeast.  Using email and fax, many people who once worked in the northeast have decided to relocate to the better climate, beaches and lifestyle of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. 

I recently had some clients who lived in northern New Jersey that sold their house there and purchased a house on Hilton Head Island.  The husband rented an apartment near his company and he would fly up on Monday mornings and fly home on Thursday nights.  The wife said that even though they missed him for a couple of days, the Hilton Head lifestyle was superior to the lifestyle they had in the north. 

We are seeing more and more people take early retirement, work part time and commute to enjoy the amenities of the south.