Simmons Pointe

Simmons Pointe is a gated waterfront community at the end of Ben Sawyer Boulevard in Mount Pleasant, just before the bridge to Sullivan's Island. Its 75 homes front Simmons Creek and the Intracoastal Waterway, with a deep-water community dock and marsh views toward Sullivan's Island. Buyers come for waterfront privacy, lock-and-leave convenience, and a short hop to both Shem Creek and the beach.

"Simmons Pointe" is one neighborhood name covering two legally separate associations. Phase I is 55 attached condo units run as a Horizontal Property Regime, where the HOA regime fees run about $1,183 a month. Phase II is roughly 20 detached fee-simple cottages under a separate owners association, with assessments near $937 to $1,038 a month. The whole community sits in FEMA flood zone AE, and it is not FHA or VA approved.

Which phase you buy decides your fee, your financing path, and which governing documents apply. Both phases require a minimum six-month lease, so short-term rentals are off the table. The 2009 shoreline trip wall moved the property out of the high-velocity wave zone and cut flood-insurance premiums sharply.

• Location: Ben Sawyer Boulevard corridor, near the Old Village, Mount Pleasant SC 29464
• Address: 1551 Ben Sawyer Blvd, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
• Total units: 75 (55 Phase I condos plus ~20 Phase II cottages)
• Unit types: Phase I 2BR–3BR attached townhouse-style condos; Phase II detached fee-simple cottages
• Price range: ~$673K – $1.18M
• Year built: Phase I condos 1988–1989; Phase II cottages ~1993; regime created 1986
• Construction: Raised/elevated; cement or vinyl siding; architectural roofs; elevators in some Phase I buildings
• Regime fee: Phase I ~$1,183/mo; Phase II ~$937–$1,038/mo plus a ~$650/yr dock assessment running 7 years
• Flood zone: Zone AE, base flood elevation 12 ft; high-velocity wave zone about 280–300 ft southeast at the marsh edge
• Gated: Yes
• Pool: Yes, with spa
• Amenities: Community deep-water dock, tennis courts, pavilion, multiple ponds
• Parking: Two assigned spaces per unit, at least one covered; cottages have garages; on-street parking restricted
• Pets: A formal pet policy applies, including a dog weight limit; verify terms in the governing documents
• STR eligible: No. Six-month minimum lease; short-term rentals not permitted
• FHA / VA approved: Neither

Simmons Pointe began as a legal idea before it was a finished community. Developer Dailey and Associates, Inc. recorded the Phase I master deed in January 1986, with unit plans by architect Talmadge Lewis. The original legal structure reserved the developer's right to add flats, townhouses, and detached single-family homes on adjacent land and fold them into the project later. That expansion structure eventually produced Phase II.

The condo buildings rose across the late 1980s, with Phase I units carrying build years of 1988 and 1989. The detached cottages came next, platted in December 1992 and built starting in 1993. This was a late-1980s-to-early-1990s phased waterfront build-out on a 1986 legal foundation, not a single 1986 completion.

Flood-insurance premiums fell roughly tenfold because of a single HOA decision made two decades after opening. In June 2009, the HOA hired Cape Romain Contractors to install a "trip wall" along the marsh-edge critical line: more than 1,000 feet of aluminum sheet piling driven to about 16 feet deep, engineered by Earthsource Engineering and CMI. The wall reduced wave load at the shoreline, which let the community pursue a FEMA map revision moving it from a high-velocity wave zone to a standard A zone.

The community presents as a small water-oriented enclave organized around creek-edge living and its shared dock, pool, tennis courts, and pavilion. The associations remain administratively active: Phase I master-deed amendments continue into late 2025, current rules date to early 2023, and both associations use a formal lender-closing process for estoppel and condo-questionnaire requests.

Prices run from about $673K to $1.18M, with a median near $940K. Units typically sell in about 24 days. Pricing clusters around three-bedroom configurations, which make up most of the transaction volume.

Two-bedroom units occupy the low end, in the high $600Ks to mid-$700Ks. Three-bedroom units span roughly $805K to $1.18M. At the high end, a 3BR unit at 1,823 square feet closed at $1.18M, or about $647 per square foot. Price per square foot runs from ~$405 to ~$647, averaging near $514. The wide spread reflects unit size: larger three-bedroom layouts with more floor area land at the lower end of the per-square-foot range.

Phase-specific pricing needs unit-level confirmation because the condo and cottage product types sit under the same neighborhood name. Request unit-level history through the listing agent before relying on neighborhood-level comps.

Phase I condos are three-level attached townhouse-style units in six buildings, with two, four, or six units per building. Layouts run from 2BR/2BA to 3BR/3BA, with square footage from roughly 1,328 to 2,530 square feet. Some Phase I buildings have elevators and others are stair-access only, so this is worth confirming building by building before touring, especially where step-free access matters.

Phase II cottages are detached single-family-style homes on their own fee-simple lots, separate in both legal form and physical structure from the attached condo buildings.

Both phases share the same waterfront amenity package: pool, tennis courts, dock, and pavilion. Views drive pricing. Marsh-facing and creek-facing units carry the premium pricing in the $1M-plus range, while interior-facing units sit lower. The grounds include multiple ponds and a bridge as landscape features.

The two associations carry different fee structures, so a buyer evaluates them separately.

Phase I: condominium regime

The Phase I regime fee runs about $1,183 a month. It covers water, common-area maintenance, the shared amenities (pool, tennis, dock, pavilion, elevators), trash, storage, and gate use. The Phase I regime also carries master property and master flood insurance on the condo buildings. Broad exterior upkeep, including roofing, siding, wood-rot repair, painting, power washing, porch replacement, and exterior storm damage, has historically run through the regime; confirm the exact current coverage scope in the resale package.

Reserve contributions are part of the Phase I assessment. Review the current reserve balance, annual contribution, and any reserve study in the resale package. South Carolina has no statewide condo reserve-study mandate.

Phase II: cottage assessment

Phase II assessments vary by unit, roughly $937 to $1,038 a month. Coverage includes exterior maintenance, landscaping, termite bond, water, trash, and full amenity access.

On top of the monthly assessment, Phase II cottages carry a seven-year special assessment of about $650 a year that funds the neighborhood dock.

What neither phase covers

Interior insurance, electricity, interior systems and appliances, and interior renovation are owner responsibilities under both associations. Beyond the active Phase II dock assessment, confirm the full special-assessment history for your phase in the resale package before closing.

Both phases require a minimum six-month lease, which puts short-term rentals (Airbnb and VRBO included) off the table. There is no on-site rental management program; leasing runs privately between owner and tenant. When a unit is leased, the owner's amenity access (pool, dock, tennis, pavilion) passes to the tenant for the lease term.

This makes Simmons Pointe a long-term rental community. Tight inventory and a waterfront location can support solid long-term rental demand, but income depends on monthly lease pricing, not nightly rates. Mount Pleasant's short-term rental rules do not change the picture here, because the six-month minimum already rules out nightly rentals. Confirm the current leasing policy in the governing documents and estoppel before closing.

Simmons Pointe sits in FEMA flood zone AE with a base flood elevation of 12 feet. The buildings sit well inside the AE zone; the high-velocity wave zone begins about 280 to 300 feet southeast, out at the marsh and creek edge, and does not reach the buildings.

The 2009 trip wall changed the flood-insurance profile. Before the wall, the community sat in a high-velocity wave zone, and flood-insurance premiums ran roughly $2,000 a quarter. After the wall enabled a FEMA map revision to Zone AE, premiums dropped to roughly $2,000 a year, about a tenfold cut. The wall runs along the marsh-edge critical line with a flood gate for waterfront access.

Mount Pleasant participates in FEMA's Community Rating System at Class 6, which earns a 20% National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) discount community-wide.

For Phase I condos, flood insurance is carried at the regime level through the master policy, so individual owners do not separately buy NFIP building coverage for the structure. Because the buildings sit well above the 12-foot base flood elevation, separate contents coverage for an individual owner is optional rather than required. Confirm the master policy structure and limits in the resale package.

Phase II cottage owners carry their own flood insurance. Confirm the flood-insurance requirement and current premium for the specific cottage.

Coastal insurance in South Carolina also carries named-storm and wind/hail deductibles, usually 2% to 5% of insured value. At this Intracoastal location, wind coverage falls under the South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association, the state's coastal insurer of last resort, known locally as the Wind Pool. The Wind Pool caps residential coverage at $1.3M, so a higher-value home needs excess wind coverage from a private carrier. Wind Pool base rates rose 21.3% in 2024 and 8% in 2026. With a federally backed mortgage in Zone AE, flood insurance is mandatory; private flood policies are an alternative to NFIP and can offer higher limits.

Simmons Pointe's amenities center on the water. The community dock gives deep-water access to the Intracoastal Waterway and out to the Atlantic, shared across both phases and available to owners and their tenants alike.

The pool is resort-style with a spa, and the tennis courts are shared. The pavilion is available for exclusive resident rental. Multiple ponds and a bridge run through the grounds as landscape features.

Some Phase I condo buildings have elevators and others do not; elevator presence is building-specific, not community-wide. Storage is included for at least some Phase I units. Parking is two assigned spaces per unit with at least one covered, cottages have attached garages, and on-street parking is restricted to keep the roads clear for fire access. Verify the parking arrangement for a specific unit in the resale package.

Entry is gated at the community perimeter. Both phases are run by a professional management company with a nearby office on Ben Sawyer Boulevard, which handles estoppel and questionnaire requests.

Simmons Pointe is at 1551 Ben Sawyer Boulevard, at the last turn before the Sullivan's Island bridge, on the edge of the Old Village area.

Sullivan's Island beach is about one to two miles away, close enough to bike or jog. Downtown Charleston is roughly eight miles, a 10-to-15-minute drive in normal traffic that can stretch toward half an hour during peak commute hours or summer bridge traffic.

Shem Creek's restaurant strip is a short drive north along Coleman Boulevard. Mount Pleasant's main retail and grocery corridor along US-17 is about ten minutes inland.

The Ben Sawyer Bridge to Sullivan's Island, directly adjacent to the community, closes when sustained winds top 35 mph. During tropical weather, that is a real consideration for evacuation timing.

Simmons Pointe is a genuinely unusual property: a gated waterfront community with real deep-water dock access inside one of Mount Pleasant's most walkable-to-the-beach corridors, at prices anchored below $1.2M. Governance is active, with current rules, a formal lender-closing process, and Phase I amendments continuing into late 2025.

The two-association architecture affects every diligence step. A buyer must pin down exactly which legal entity governs the property before running any numbers. Phase I condo fees and Phase II cottage assessments differ, the financing paths differ, and each phase has its own resale-document stack. The neighborhood name does not merge the two legal structures.

Both associations have reserve authority. Review the current budget, reserve study, balance figure, and annual contribution level in the resale package or condo questionnaire. South Carolina has no statewide reserve-study mandate, and lenders commonly require a fully executed condo questionnaire before proceeding.

Flood risk is comparatively favorable for an Intracoastal community. The 2009 trip wall enabled a reclassification that cut premiums roughly tenfold, and the community now sits solidly in Zone AE with the high-velocity wave zone well clear of the buildings. The 20% Community Rating System discount adds to that. The HOA also maintains standing hurricane-season protocols for owners and common areas.

A formal pet policy applies, including a dog weight limit that is stricter than many Mount Pleasant communities. Verify the current terms in the governing documents.

The community fits waterfront second-home buyers who want a lock-and-leave property with genuine dock access, owner-occupants drawn to the Old Village corridor and walkable beach proximity, and long-term investors holding for rental income under the six-month-minimum structure. The low-maintenance exterior ownership on the condo side suits buyers who would rather the regime handle roofing, siding, and exterior upkeep within a gated waterfront setting.

• You want gated waterfront ownership with real deep-water dock access in Mount Pleasant under $1.2M.
• Low-maintenance exterior ownership matters and you are comfortable with a ~$1,183/month Phase I regime fee funding it.
• You plan to hold as a primary residence or long-term rental and a six-month minimum lease fits your use.

• Short-term rental income is part of your underwriting. The six-month minimum rules out Airbnb and VRBO.
• You need FHA or VA financing. Neither program is approved here at the project level.
• A large dog is part of the household. A weight limit applies unless the board grants a waiver; verify the policy in the governing documents.
• Your lender requires a simplified limited review. Phase I condos typically need full documentation because of the two-association structure, coastal-insurance exposure, and reserve-documentation review.

Every number at Simmons Pointe (regime fee, governing rules, financing path, special assessments) splits by phase. Phase I is a condo regime; Phase II is an owners association over fee-simple cottages. Confirm the governing association before writing an offer, and request both the applicable estoppel and the full condo questionnaire as a condition of diligence.

Simmons Pointe lacks FHA and VA project-level approval in Charleston County. An FHA Single-Unit Approval is possible in theory for an individual unit, but no active project approval backs it.

Conventional financing is available for both condos and cottages, and the path differs by phase. Phase I condo units typically need a full lender documentation package because of the two-association structure, coastal-insurance exposure, and reserve-documentation review. Phase II fee-simple cottages tend to underwrite more like a single-family home that carries HOA obligations, though shared amenities, flood insurance, and the active dock assessment still draw lender review. In both cases the two associations are a documentation burden, not a disqualifier. Confirm the current requirements with your lender and through the estoppel and condo-questionnaire process.

Confirm current pricing and fees with a buyer's agent for every entry before comparing.

What are the HOA fees at Simmons Pointe?

The fee depends on which part of Simmons Pointe you buy. Phase I condo units carry a regime fee of about $1,183 a month, covering water, common-area maintenance, amenities, trash, and master property and flood insurance. Phase II detached cottages pay a separate assessment that varies by unit, with figures in the range of about $937 to $1,038 a month, plus a seven-year special assessment of about $650 a year for the neighborhood dock. Confirm current figures through the estoppel and condo-questionnaire process before closing.

Can you rent a Simmons Pointe condo on Airbnb or VRBO?

No. Both phases require a minimum six-month lease, so short-term rentals are not permitted. When a unit is leased long-term, the tenant receives the owner's amenity privileges, including pool, dock, tennis, and pavilion access.

What flood zone is Simmons Pointe in?

Zone AE, with a base flood elevation of 12 feet above sea level. The high-velocity wave zone begins about 280 to 300 feet southeast at the marsh edge and does not reach the buildings. A shoreline trip wall installed in 2009 moved the community out of the high-velocity wave zone, cutting flood-insurance premiums roughly tenfold. Mount Pleasant's Community Rating System Class 6 rating adds a 20% National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) discount on top of that.

What is the price per square foot at Simmons Pointe?

Price per square foot runs from about $405 to $647, averaging near $514. Larger three-bedroom units tend toward the lower end; smaller units with premium waterfront positioning tend toward the upper end.

Is Simmons Pointe FHA or VA approved?

No. Simmons Pointe lacks FHA and VA project-level approval in Charleston County. An FHA Single-Unit Approval is a possible but not guaranteed path for an individual unit. Conventional financing is available for both condos and cottages: Phase I condos typically need full-documentation review, while Phase II cottages underwrite more like a single-family home with HOA obligations.

What is the difference between the condos and the cottages at Simmons Pointe?

"Simmons Pointe" is one neighborhood name covering two legally distinct communities. Phase I is 55 attached condo units run as a Horizontal Property Regime under Simmons Pointe Homeowners Association, Inc. Phase II is roughly 20 detached fee-simple cottages under Simmons Pointe II Property Owners Association, Inc. The two have separate governing documents, different monthly costs, and different financing paths. Your rights, obligations, and costs depend on which association governs the unit, so confirm it through the deed, estoppel, and association questionnaire.