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Meet Keith & JoAnn Aspray

May 25, 2010

Dataw: When you first started thinking about retirement, and moving south, what were some of the amenities you considered in your search?

Keith & JoAnn: We had a couple of items we felt were essential: -- being near the beach, access to golf and boating, and, most importantly a sense of community and belonging. It is easy to find the physical amenities, but harder to move to a new place, develop new friendships and become involved.

D: How did you first find out about Dataw Island?

K & J: We were thinking about areas and one of the first trips we took south was to look along the
South Carolina, Georgia and northeast Florida coast. JoAnn & I did some basic research on the Internet and went to a couple of retirement "shows." If I recall correctly, I think we first located Dataw on the Web. After doing more online research, we decided to include a visit to Dataw on our coastal swing.

D: How do you picture life on Dataw Island?

K & J: Relaxing, beach, friendships - time to kick back and enjoy our life together. It has been a pretty hectic life and career having lived overseas three times now (the most recent being India and the Middle East). Now is the time to enjoy our time together and take it easier.

D: Of all the communities you toured in order to make such a vital decision on where to move, what made you ultimately decide on moving to Dataw Island?

K & J: It felt like home. We really liked the feel of the island - the place and the people. It was the complete package - community, shore, comforting, relaxing, amenities. Trudy Arthur did a very nice job of showing us the island, the facilities and introducing us to the people that really started our interest in Dataw. It was there that we met Silvia, who gave us a nice overview and we discussed the Dataw Experience package. The package was a great way for us to visit the island in more detail after our initial visit.

D: What is your impression of “Southern hospitality,” and how does it exemplify itself at Dataw Island?

K& J: To us it means people being friendly and wanting to help. It is about being genuine. While we may be Yankees by virtue of living so long up north (Chicago), Keith went to college in Atlanta and still remembers his time there in a very positive way. We remember taking the golf cart out late in the afternoons and touring Dataw -- people waving and saying hello. Meeting new people outside the villas. It is about having a dinner and drinks at the club with our hosts and golf partners.

D: Describe the perfect day on Dataw Island, and how you and your wife will enjoy it?

K & J: It is probably really about the perfect week. Up late for breakfast one day, watching the birds feed out the back window, and then going golfing - walking the dog. Then the next day maybe boating early in the morning with new friends, lunch out at Port Royal and then home for some reading. The next day - up late again, heading to the beach, lunch with friends and a community/service activity. We can think of a myriad of possibilities. Not one perfect day, but a series of them. There is the pool, Savannah, Charleston, Beaufort - a lot of options.

D: If someone asked you about retiring to Dataw Island, what would you tell them?

K & J: Give it a try - we see unlimited possibilities. If you want the big city every day, this may not be the place, but if a city fix is needed, head to Charleston or Savannah for at least a small slice of the bigger city. If you want a variety of activities at the pace you choose, this is the place for you.

D: What are the top three things about Dataw Island that you found nowhere else?

K & J: Sense of community in a beautiful setting (homes, layout, golf course) with a number of options to explore both on and off the island.

D: Talk specifically about the amenities at Dataw Island? What makes the offerings here better than others you saw in your search?

K & J: Dataw was not huge and overwhelming (like the Landings) - Dataw has a nicer community feel. The marina, clubhouse and golf courses all seemed much nicer, and then there is the feeling of security of being on an island. A lot of the original island's feel has been retained to this day. In addition, we are working with Steve Walker at IRC on building our own home - the first home we will have ever owned that we helped design / build from scratch. It has increased our sense of "this is our place". After moving around for so long, it is about time to have a place we can call our own.

D: What finally “sold” you on Dataw Island?

K & J: There was something that kept drawing us back - community, people, amenities. The ability to be a part of that feeling while buying a lot and building our own home.