Our Company

by John S. Wilkerson

In 1970, the Sea Pines Plantation Co. (The developer of Hilton Head, SC) purchased approximately 900 acres of land on the SC side of Lake Wylie and built a residential/resort community to serve the Charlotte NC area. The community was named River Hills Plantation and contains 950 home sites with 18-hole golf course, country club, 10 tennis courts and a 174 boat slip marina.

At this same time the Erwin Company also built a residential/resort community on the SC side of Lake Wylie and named it Tega Cay. It now contains approx 3,000 home sites, with a golf course, tennis courts, marina and clubhouse.

In 1977 when the development of River Hills was completed Sea Pines sold me the Real Estate company they had created, River Hills Plantation Realty Sales, the name has since been changed to First Properties of the Carolinas, Inc.

I built Real Estate offices at the entrance to both of these communities in the early 1980’s. At that time these were the only major communities around Lake Wylie. Since that time many other developments have occurred in that area. There have also been many homes built on the 325 mile shoreline that surrounds Lake Wylie. Our sales have expanded to serve this larger area, hence the name change.

In the 1990’s and early 2000’s Julie and Kent VanSlambrook became the #1 sales agents of homes on the NC side of Lake Wylie.

When I decided to sell my company in 2004, the VanSlambrooks were the natural ones to purchase it, for this would create a company that would be #1 in sales on the NC side and the SC side of Lake Wylie.

It can now be truly said if you want to live in Charlotte and would like to enjoy what the Lake Wylie area has to offer, then First Properties of the Carolinas, Inc. is the company for you. All of their agents have licenses in both states; they know the area and are qualified to show you any property that is in your best interest.