Yacht Harbor Court, Wild Dunes

Yacht Harbor Court is a marina-front townhome community on the soundside of Wild Dunes, Isle of Palms. Built in 1986 and rebuilt after Hurricane Hugo, the ~15 whole-ownership units sit directly on Morgan Creek Harbor with Intracoastal Waterway views. Whole-ownership units range from ~$800K to $960K. The only VA-accepted condo on Isle of Palms.

• Location: Wild Dunes Resort, soundside on Morgan Creek Harbor
• Address: Yacht Harbor Ct, Isle of Palms, SC 29451
• Total units: ~15 whole-ownership in Yacht Harbor Villas regime (plus fractional-share units)
• Unit types: 2BR/2BA (1,268-1,357 sqft), 3BR/3BA (1,577-1,746 sqft), 4BR/3.5BA (2,020 sqft)
• Price range: ~$800K-$960K (whole ownership)
• Year built: 1986 (rebuilt 1990-1991 after Hugo)
• Construction: Stucco exterior, architectural shingle roof, raised foundation (pilings)
• Regime fee: ~$5,142/quarter (~$1,714/month, 2026)
• Morgan Creek fee: ~$430/quarter
• WDCA master assessment: $983/year (2026)
• Flood zone: AE, BFE 10 ft
• Parking: 2-3 spaces per unit
• Pool: Private community pool with hot tub (seasonal, Villas regime only)
• STR eligible: Yes — 8-10 units actively rented across multiple managers
• Gated: Yes — Wild Dunes three-gate security system
• VA accepted: Yes (only IOP condo with VA acceptance)

The name "Yacht Harbor Court" causes more confusion than any other address in Wild Dunes. Three separate legal entities share the same street — built in three different waves over a decade — each with different governance, fees, and ownership structures.

Yacht Harbor Villas (300- and 400-series addresses) are the townhome-style condos governed by the Yacht Harbor Villas Horizontal Property Regime, filed by Wild Dunes Yacht Harbor, Inc. and managed by Sentry Management. The Villas were the first residential construction on the street, built in 1986 during the same expansion phase that produced the Harbor Course. The 400-series units are whole-ownership condos. The 300-series addresses are platted for fractional ownership (1/4 shares granting 13 weeks per year). The regime has its own pool, pays its own quarterly regime fee, and operates under a separate Master Deed.

Yacht Harbor Court standalone homes (single-digit and low-number addresses) are fee-simple single-family houses not subject to the Villas regime. These lots were platted after Hurricane Hugo, with early sales activity in the early 1990s as Wild Dunes resumed residential development. They include larger 3-5 bedroom homes with up to ~3,200 sqft. They carry no regime fee and no access to the Villas pool. They pay only the shared community-level fees (WDCA and Morgan Creek).

The Moorings (500-series addresses) is a completely separate condo regime — 12 units built in 1997 under its own Horizontal Property Regime Master Deed. The Moorings was the last residential development on the street.

All three communities share two fee layers: the Wild Dunes Community Association master assessment ($983/year) and the Morgan Creek Harbor Association quarterly fee (~$430). But that is where the overlap ends. If you are evaluating a property on Yacht Harbor Court, the first thing to establish is which legal entity it belongs to, because the cost structure, governance, and amenities are entirely different.

This guide covers the Yacht Harbor Villas townhome condos (300- and 400-series) — the regime with the quarterly HOA, the community pool, and the VA acceptance.

Yacht Harbor Villas was three years old when Hurricane Hugo made Category 4 landfall on Isle of Palms the night of September 21-22, 1989. Storm surge reached ~15.5 feet above mean sea level along the beachfront and ~12.5 feet on the back side of the island.

The raised piling foundations held. But at ground level, the surge destroyed breakaway walls, parking infrastructure, and utility connections. The 140 mph winds stripped the architectural shingle roofs, compromised the stucco exterior, and blew out windows. Rain intrusion required interiors to be gutted to the studs. The adjacent Morgan Creek marina infrastructure — docks, electrical lines, water lines, and bulkhead — was destroyed.

The buildings were not demolished. Core structures were salvaged, and the community went through extensive rehabilitation from 1990 to 1991, with all structural repairs permitted under updated post-Hugo wind-load and flood-zone requirements. Wild Dunes itself was closed for nine months after the storm, and Hugo stopped residential development across Wild Dunes for almost two years — which is why the fee-simple lots and The Moorings came later. By 1993, when the Isle of Palms Connector bridge opened, Yacht Harbor Villas and the marina were fully operational.

Roof-to-wall connections, window standards, and utility elevations were all upgraded during the post-Hugo reconstruction. Recent capital projects — roof replacement in 2021, pool resurfacing in 2023, gutter replacement in 2024 — were all funded from operating reserves without special assessments.

Whole-ownership units at Yacht Harbor Villas are priced from ~$800K to $960K. The range reflects unit size and renovation level.

Fractional-ownership listings (1/4 shares providing 13 weeks per year) are priced at ~$235K-$299K. These are cash-only purchases — traditional lenders do not finance fractional interests.

The two active 2BR listings have sat for 8-13 months. The 3BR under contract at $960K moved in ~47 days after an extensive renovation.

The most recent closed sale: a 3BR unit sold for $825,000 ($473/sqft) in May 2025. That same unit had previously sold for $458,000 in January 2016. A 2BR unit sold for $700,000 ($552/sqft) in December 2022.

At ~$550-$650/sqft, Yacht Harbor trades well below the Isle of Palms median (~$986/sqft) and Wild Dunes median (~$1.8M). The discount reflects the soundside location, pre-Hugo construction era, and the highest regime fees in Wild Dunes.

Yacht Harbor Villas units are 1-2 story townhomes with stucco exteriors on raised piling foundations. Three configurations exist in the regime:

2BR / 2BA (1,268-1,357 sqft): End units on a single level. These are the entry point for whole ownership at ~$800K-$825K.

3BR / 3-3.5BA (1,577-1,746 sqft): Two-story layouts with marina views from upper units. The current under-contract unit at $960K was extensively renovated.

4BR / 3.5BA (2,020 sqft): The largest configuration in the regime, with vaulted ceilings. Currently available only as a fractional share (~$299K for 13 weeks/year).

Interior finishes vary significantly unit to unit — some have been renovated with hardwood floors, granite counters, and stainless appliances, while others retain original or partially updated interiors.

Yacht Harbor Villas carries the highest regime fee in Wild Dunes, and the total annual cost stack adds up fast.

~$5,142/quarter (~$1,714/month, ~$20,570/year). This is the regime-level assessment covering:

• Master insurance: Hazard, wind/hail, flood (RCBAP), and general liability for common areas
• Exterior building maintenance: Stucco, painting, roofs, balconies
• Reserve fund contributions
• Pool and grounds: Private community pool and hot tub, landscaping, common area upkeep
• Utilities: Community water/sewer, trash removal, common area electricity, pest control/termite bonding

Owners still need individual HO-6 policies for interior coverage and personal property.

~$430/quarter (~$1,720/year). A separate fee paid by all properties on the harbor — both Villas and standalone homes. It covers marina bulkhead and seawall maintenance and harbor dredging. It does not convey any marina slip rights or priority access.

$983/year (2026). Covers roads, security gates, lagoons, bike paths, and community infrastructure. A $100 STR access fee applies for properties used as short-term rentals.

At ~$1,714/month, Yacht Harbor Villas' regime fee exceeds every other Wild Dunes sub-community. For comparison:

Note: Some regimes bill master insurance separately from the monthly fee. Verify insurance billing structure in the resale package when comparing across communities.

The primary driver is the small unit count. With ~15-20 units, fixed costs that larger communities spread across 50-100+ units are concentrated into far fewer assessments. Master insurance on a coastal barrier-island property is expensive regardless of building size — but dividing that cost among 15-20 units instead of 100 produces a dramatically higher per-unit fee.

The tradeoff: high quarterly fees have generated enough cash flow to fund three major capital projects (roof, pool, gutters) over four years without levying a single special assessment. Larger communities with lower monthly fees sometimes face six-figure per-unit special assessments when deferred maintenance catches up.

For a whole-ownership, non-primary-residence unit at the current average price (~$860K):

The WDCA charges a 1% Real Estate Transfer Fee at closing (~$8,600 at the average purchase price). Verify whether the Yacht Harbor Villas regime charges an additional transfer fee in the resale package.

Individual HO-6 insurance and electricity are additional owner costs.

No regime-level special assessments have been levied in the past decade. Recent capital projects were funded from reserves.

At the WDCA level, all Wild Dunes property owners share exposure to community-wide beach nourishment assessments. Historical precedent: $1,500 per dwelling in 2008, estimated ~$2,340 per dwelling in 2017-2018. A 2026-2027 nourishment project estimated at $25-30M is actively in the bidding phase, with per-dwelling assessment exposure estimated at $2,000-$7,000 depending on grant availability.

Short-term rentals are permitted and active across Yacht Harbor Court. At least 8-10 distinct units are in the active rental inventory across multiple platforms and management companies.

Three management companies operate on Yacht Harbor Court:

• CoralTree Residence Collection: The official Wild Dunes resort manager. Guests booked through CoralTree receive full resort amenity access (pools, fitness center, transportation).
• AvantStay (Beachside Vacations): Tech-enabled manager with minimum guest age of 25 and smart-lock entry.
• Sweetgrass Properties: Independent local manager.

Guests booked through independent managers (not CoralTree) do not receive resort amenity access. Owners can purchase a Sportscard (~$2,000+/year) to provide limited amenity access for guests at independently managed properties. Management fees typically run 15-25% of gross rental income depending on the company and service level.

2026 nightly rates for a 4BR unit:

Rates for smaller units range from ~$186/night (3BR, shoulder season) to ~$625/night (3BR, peak). Demand follows the island's sharp seasonal curve — estimated occupancy runs ~75-90% in summer, drops to ~45-65% in the spring shoulder and ~40-60% in fall, and bottoms out at ~25-45% in winter. That seasonality means the investment outcome depends heavily on maximizing spring and summer bookings.

Non-oceanfront Wild Dunes condos span a wide income band depending on size, interior quality, and how many weeks the owner blocks for personal use.

For a 3BR soundside townhome — the configuration closest to Yacht Harbor Villas' primary inventory — a reasonable underwriting range is ~$90K-$105K gross annually as a base case. A conservative downside is ~$70K-$85K; strong execution with minimal owner blocking can push into the ~$115K-$130K range. These figures are gross revenue before management fees (typically 15-25%), the ~$35,600 annual cost stack, mortgage, HO-6, and maintenance.

The island-wide baseline for a 3BR is ~$86K gross. A non-oceanfront 3BR in the Village at Wild Dunes grossed ~$139K in 2023 — the highest non-oceanfront comp in Wild Dunes — though that unit benefits from resort-core positioning that Yacht Harbor's marina-side location does not share. A standalone home at 14 Yacht Harbor Court has reportedly grossed over $100K, but that is a fee-simple house, not a Villas regime townhome.

2BR units produce lower income. The island-wide baseline for a 2BR is ~$50K-$65K gross conservatively, with well-positioned non-oceanfront units reaching ~$65K-$85K. A non-oceanfront Village at Wild Dunes 2BR grossed ~$108K in 2025, though that unit's flexible rental configuration is not standard.

Request actual performance data from your management company when underwriting a specific unit.

Isle of Palms requires a rental business license. License fees start at $450 for the first $2,000 of gross income plus $4.60 per additional $1,000. A 14% combined lodging tax applies to all short-term rentals.

Properties rented more than 72 days per year are assessed at 6% (non-owner-occupied) with full millage of 236.2 mills. At the average whole-ownership price of ~$860K, that produces ~$12,200/year in property taxes. Owner-occupied properties (rented fewer than 72 days) qualify for the 4% assessment with school-ops exemption, reducing the tax bill to ~$3,200/year — a ~$9,000 annual difference.

• Pets: Prohibited in all short-term rentals (under 30 days) per WDCA community-wide rules. Owners may have pets — verify breed/weight limits in the regime bylaws through Sentry Management.
• E-bikes: Prohibited for short-term rental guests within Wild Dunes.
• Guest age minimums: Set by individual management companies, not the regime.
• Gate access: Rental guests must obtain passes from their management company. The Main Gate cannot issue day passes to guests of rental guests.
• Occupancy: Isle of Palms limits overnight occupancy to 2 persons per bedroom plus 2, capped at 12 persons.

Yacht Harbor Court sits in FEMA Zone AE with a Base Flood Elevation of 10 feet (NAVD 88). The entire building footprint carries uniform AE coverage with no VE (velocity wave action) zone exposure. The absence of VE designation is consistent with the soundside/Intracoastal location — VE zones apply to the oceanfront side of the island.

Flood insurance is mandatory for any federally backed mortgage in Zone AE. The regime carries an RCBAP (Residential Condominium Building Association Policy) covering the building structure under the master insurance included in regime fees. Individual owners should carry HO-6 policies for interior coverage and personal property.

The building is on raised pilings with living spaces elevated above ground level. For units with living areas well above BFE, individual flood contents coverage is optional — the primary exposure scenario is catastrophic storm surge exceeding the building's first-floor living elevation.

Isle of Palms participates in FEMA's Community Rating System, providing a 25% discount on NFIP flood insurance premiums. The City requires a Design Flood Elevation of BFE + 1 foot or 13 feet MSL (whichever is higher) for any new construction or substantial improvements.

Buyers should review the current FIRM panel for their specific parcel.

South Carolina coastal properties carry named-storm deductibles, typically 2-5% of insured value. The SC Wind and Hail Underwriting Association (Wind Pool) has a $1.3M coverage cap and has received rate increases of 21.3% (June 2024) and 8.0% (February 2026). Master condo policies face the same premium pressure. Private flood insurance from carriers like Wright National, Neptune, and Aon Edge offers limits up to $2-4M as an alternative or supplement to NFIP coverage.

• Pool and hot tub: Private to the Villas regime (standalone homes and Moorings do not have access). Seasonal operation, May through September, unheated. Resurfaced in 2023. Two grilling stations at the pool area.
• Parking: 2-3 spaces per unit, depending on configuration.
• Construction: Stucco exterior, architectural shingle roof (replaced 2021), raised pilings.

The Wild Dunes Yacht Harbor Marina on Morgan Creek has 102+ dock slips with cable, electricity, water, and bathroom facilities. Slips are individually deeded "dockominiums" — purchased and sold on the open market, not assigned by the resort or HOA. Slip prices range widely.

The Morgan Creek quarterly fee (~$430) does not convey any slip rights or priority access. Yacht Harbor residents must purchase or privately lease a slip on the open market like any other buyer.

For paddlecraft, the Isle of Palms Public Dock at 50 41st Avenue is nearby and free for kayak and paddleboard launching. Coastal Expeditions operates an outpost at the marina with kayak rentals and guided tours.

Wild Dunes is a gated community with 24/7 security. Resort amenities include two Tom Fazio championship golf courses (Links and Harbor), nine dining venues, tennis courts, spa, fitness center, and a shuttle service. Restaurants, the spa, and the marina are open to the general public. Golf courses offer public daily rates.

Property ownership does not convey resort amenity access. Club membership is separate and optional:

Memberships are non-refundable, non-transferable, and do not convey with property sales.

The Property Owners' Beach House is available exclusively to property owners and their personal guests — rental guests do not have access.

Yacht Harbor Court is on the soundside of Wild Dunes, facing Morgan Creek Harbor and the Intracoastal Waterway rather than the ocean. The beach is ~half a mile away, about 10-12 minutes on foot to the 46th Avenue beach access. Paved bike paths connect the community to the beach and other resort amenities.

Drive times from Yacht Harbor Court:

• Sullivan's Island: ~2 miles
• Mount Pleasant: ~4 miles
• Charleston International Airport: ~25 minutes
• Downtown Charleston: ~30 minutes

Yacht Harbor Court attracts three buyer profiles: second-home owners who want marina proximity and Intracoastal views without the premium of an oceanfront address, vacation rental investors drawn to the strong STR activity and VA-accepted financing, and boaters who want to live steps from Morgan Creek Harbor (though the marina fee does not include a slip).

• You want Wild Dunes at a lower price point than oceanfront. Whole-ownership units in the $800K-$960K range are well below the Wild Dunes median of ~$1.8M. The tradeoff is soundside rather than oceanfront.
• VA financing matters. Yacht Harbor Villas is the only VA-accepted condo on Isle of Palms — a genuine advantage for eligible buyers.
• You value a well-capitalized regime over low monthly fees. The high quarterly fee has kept the building maintained and reserve-funded without special assessments through three major capital projects.

• You want beach steps from your front door. Yacht Harbor is ~half a mile from the ocean. Shipwatch, Port O'Call, or Seascape put you on the sand.
• The total cost stack exceeds your carrying budget. At ~$35,600/year in recurring fees and taxes alone (before mortgage and individual insurance), Yacht Harbor's annual carrying cost is among the highest in Wild Dunes for a sub-$1M property.
• You need FHA financing or want simpler conventional underwriting. The combination of fractional ownership units and active STR programs creates warrantability questions that some lenders will flag.

Yacht Harbor Villas' VA acceptance is its most distinctive financing advantage — and its most surprising. The combination of fractional ownership, active STR programs, and resort context would typically disqualify a community from government-backed lending. That it cleared VA review without conditions (as recently as January 2020) signals that the regime's financial documentation and governance have met federal scrutiny.

For conventional financing, the picture is more complex. Fractional/interval ownership, multiple management companies, and resort characteristics are all potential ineligibility triggers under Fannie Mae's warrantability standards — and Yacht Harbor has all three. Whether a conventional lender treats the project as warrantable depends on the governing documents — but buyers should expect additional underwriting scrutiny and potentially higher down payment requirements through portfolio lenders or DSCR loans.

The real financial story is the carrying cost. With ~$23,400/year in association fees, ~$12,200/year in property taxes (non-primary), and the 1% WDCA transfer fee at closing, total ownership costs are significant relative to the purchase price. A buyer paying ~$860K carries ~$35,600/year in recurring costs before mortgage, individual insurance, and maintenance — roughly ~4% of the purchase price annually in non-mortgage carrying costs alone.

For investors, that cost stack compresses net rental yields. A 3BR townhome base case of ~$90K-$105K gross sounds strong — but subtract 15-25% in management fees and the ~$35,600 cost stack, and the net margin narrows quickly. The math works at sustained gross income above ~$85K-$90K, but leaves little room for off-years or heavy owner blocking.

Regime fees may not be directly comparable — some communities bill master insurance separately from the monthly fee. Verify all-in costs in the resale package.

Yacht Harbor's position in Wild Dunes is unique: the only marina-adjacent condo regime, the only VA-accepted community, and the highest regime fee by a wide margin. Buyers choosing between Yacht Harbor and comparably priced options like Fairway Dunes or Port O'Call are really choosing between waterway views and beach proximity — two fundamentally different Isle of Palms experiences.

What are the HOA fees at Yacht Harbor Court?

Yacht Harbor Villas regime fees are ~$5,142/quarter (~$1,714/month) for whole-ownership units, covering master insurance, exterior maintenance, pool, reserves, water/sewer, trash, and pest control. The Morgan Creek Harbor Association charges an additional ~$430/quarter for marina bulkhead maintenance. The Wild Dunes Community Association adds $983/year. Total annual association costs run ~$23,400 before property taxes and individual insurance.

Can you rent Yacht Harbor Court on Airbnb or VRBO?

Yes. Short-term rentals are permitted and active, with at least 8-10 units listed across CoralTree, AvantStay, and Sweetgrass Properties. Isle of Palms has no STR cap. 2026 nightly rates for a 4BR unit range from ~$300 off-season to ~$1,070 peak summer. A 3BR soundside townhome base case is ~$90K-$105K gross annually before management fees and carrying costs. Pets are prohibited for rental guests under Wild Dunes community rules. A 14% combined lodging tax applies to all short-term rentals.

What flood zone is Yacht Harbor Court in?

FEMA Zone AE with a Base Flood Elevation of 10 feet. No VE (velocity wave action) exposure — consistent with the soundside location. Flood insurance is mandatory for federally backed mortgages. Isle of Palms participates in FEMA's Community Rating System, providing a 25% discount on NFIP premiums.

What is the average price per square foot at Yacht Harbor Court?

Active whole-ownership listings range from ~$550 to ~$651/sqft. The most recent closed sale was $473/sqft (3BR, May 2025). Yacht Harbor trades at roughly 55-65% of the Isle of Palms median price per square foot.

Is Yacht Harbor Court FHA or VA approved?

Yacht Harbor Villas is VA-accepted (Accepted Without Conditions, January 2020) — the only VA-accepted condo on Isle of Palms. It is not FHA-approved, and no Isle of Palms condo has ever received FHA project approval. FHA Single-Unit Approval is a theoretical pathway but unlikely given STR activity, fractional ownership, and resort characteristics.

What is Yacht Harbor Court like in the off-season?

The marina keeps the area active year-round. The community pool is seasonal (May through September). Wild Dunes remains gated with restaurants, golf, and marina services operating through winter. Off-season rental rates drop to ~$300/night for a 4BR unit, and the community is quieter than the oceanfront complexes. The soundside location means no direct beach erosion exposure at the property itself.