The Pylants Discover the Benefits of Building

Rick and Linda Pylant can’t wait until June. That’s when the finishing touches will be complete on their brand new home in Daniel Island Park and they’ll conclude their three-year quest to settle into a new home in a warmer climate.

Originally from Pittsburgh, the Pylants learned about Daniel Island when they attended a wedding in Charleston in 2007. The bride and groom owned a homesite on Daniel Island and found time to give Rick and Linda a quick tour. “We immediately fell in love with the community,” says Linda. “It offered what we were looking for, including great school options for our daughter, Riley (now 5 years old).”

With three older daughters off at college, the Pylants no longer felt they needed a huge house to take care of with lots of empty rooms, so they began a search for a homesite that would be appropriate for a “long and narrow,” one-story home. They found and purchased the perfect site in Daniel Island Park overlooking the third fairway of the Tom Fazio-designed Beresford Creek golf course.

But it turns out the Pylants weren’t the only ones heading south. “We got cold feet when the economy tanked and we debated whether or not we should wait to build, or even start looking for a pre-built home,” Rick explains. Ready for the move, they rented a home on the island to buy some time while they decided what to do.

In the end, the changes in the economy worked in their favor. “We discovered building was actually more cost-effective than buying an existing home,” says Rick.

“It’s been fun participating in the process,” says Linda, adding that building a new home isn’t as scary as some people think. “The great thing about building is you get exactly what you want,” she says. “There are so many great lots available now, it’s really worth looking into. And the building process here is much shorter than up north because of the weather.”

Along with their Daniel Island Park home comes a membership to the Daniel Island Club, a benefit the Pylant family has been taking advantage of since they closed on their lot. They’re particularly excited about living within walking distance to the club’s Park Club facility, where Rick regularly plays tennis, Rick and Linda work out and the entire family enjoys the resort-style swimming pools.

“The club has done a great job of incorporating both family and adult activities,” says Linda. “Riley loves the pools, and our older daughters always use the club kayaks when they come to visit. Rick and I enjoy dining on the screened porch at the Grill Room and taking in the spectacular views. It’s a great place to entertain family and guests when they’re in town.”

Island Residents Help Make Family Circle Cup a Success

Pulling off a week-long tennis tournament that attracts players and visitors from around the world is not an easy task. Each year approximately 550 volunteers sign up to assist with everything from ticket sales, guest services and transportation to assisting players, maintaining the Family Circle Tennis Center’s 17 courts and providing assistance to the media. The ball crew alone consists of 200 specially-trained volunteers!

A good portion of the tournament’s pool of volunteers and temporary staff are island residents, who are proud to have this world-class event take place in their hometown and take pride in the fact that their contributions go a long way towards making the tournament a success. Despite long hours and some late nights, they enjoy the experience and many come back year after year. We caught up with a few of them to learn about their experience. You can meet some of them below: