Forino Planting Roots
In South Carolina Lowcountry
Over the past 40 years, Forino has evolved from being a residential and commercial builder in Pennsylvania to now growing full speed ahead in their company’s second home base, the South Carolina Lowcountry. This full-service construction and property management firm began their investment in Jasper and Beaufort Counties more than ten years ago.
South Carolina natives and newcomers alike have come to know the Forino brand as the Lowcountry’s go-to, high value, residential builder. Forino’s current and future development projects in Beaufort and Jasper Counties now total more than a $300 million investment to our area. Ongoing Forino South Carolina developments currently include single-family communities in Hearthstone Lakes, Academy Park, Teal Bluff, and Coosaw Point with completed communities in Mossy Oaks and Ridgeland Lakes. Forino’s next projects include Shearwater at the Broad, a townhome community on the banks of the Broad River in Port Royal, Fox Chase, a conveniently located townhome community in Ridgeland, and Royal Oaks, a neighborhood consisting of townhomes and duplexes situated next to Royal Live Oaks Academy and Hardeeville’s brand new, state-of-the-art recreation center.
The company’s expansion into the Beaufort regional market is largely thanks to current Forino President, John Smith. Having originally started with the company in Pennsylvania over 26 years ago, Smith’s experience and expertise acted as a guiding force to the original team which began researching the Coastal South Carolina region back in 2005. In 2007, Forino took the proverbial plunge, purchasing a development off of Jasper Station Road in Hardeeville called Hearthstone Lakes. The 200-acre community features over 500 homesites and offers a blend of rural charm and suburban convenience. It was poised to become one of the area’s most desirable housing locations.
In 2014, Forino purchased their current office and gradually began hiring more employees to focus on expansion efforts. With the market trending upwards, Smith ultimately made the decision to relocate to South Carolina in 2018 to personally oversee the progress happening in the Lowcountry region. From that point forward, Forino has worked efficiently and aggressively in acquiring a diverse portfolio of properties to build townhomes, duplexes and single family homes. The following year, Smith spearheaded the purchase of Forino’s second commercial property. This acquisition commenced a chain reaction leading to Forino’s current success as one of Beaufort/Jasper Counties top residential real estate developers.
In February of 2021 continuing its commitment to the greater Beaufort area, Forino announced the acquisition of Coosaw Point, a 400-acre luxury-style community located along the Coosaw River with plans to be the developer for the neighborhood. Coosaw Point is now poised to be the company’s largest, most upscale development. Coosaw Point has more than 30 developed lots ready for new-home construction, as well as 180 current undeveloped lots for future development and more lots to be available in the future. Coosaw Point boasts a world-class River Club — an 8,000-square-foot clubhouse with a junior-Olympic-sized pool and fitness room offering incredible views overlooking the Coosaw River.
Forino has assembled a well curated builders guild for Coosaw Point. Future Coosaw Point homebuyers are now able to choose one of the preferred builders or select their own builder upon approval from Forino’s development team.
In a strategic move to increase exposure, Forino selected Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Bay Street Realty Group, the largest real estate firm serving both the South Carolina Lowcountry and Coastal Georgia, to serve as their local real estate brokerage. This partnership has greatly benefited both sides, paving the way for future collaboration.
“From the simplest of builds to the most complex custom homes, Forino has the resources to make sure your home is just as you dreamed it would be,” said BHHS BSRG Managing Broker Ken Willis. “It has been such a pleasure to work with John Smith and the entire Forino team. Both of our companies are committed to seeing intelligent growth for our beloved South Carolina Lowcountry. We are lucky to have Forino’s commitment to our area.”
“According to the National Association of Realtors, the median home price in South Carolina has risen by 30 percent in the last two years alone. America’s current housing shortage is a consequence of multiple factors, including post-pandemic supply chain issues, labor shortages, increased material costs and record-high inflation,” said Smith. “With prices on the rise and inventory dwindling, Forino’s diverse portfolio of townhouses, duplexes and single family homes is appealing to both first-time buyers and out-of-town transplants seeking a coastal haven. But the greatest part of investing in Beaufort and Jasper County are the wonderful people who are purchasing Forino homes and the amazing team of construction crews, builders, real estate developers and others who are now part of the Forino family. We are truly blessed beyond measure.”
While Forino Co. prefers to be modest, their numbers don’t lie. Forino is proud of the accomplishment of exceeding $1.2 billion in national gross sales since their inception, primarily from the 7,120+ homes built nationwide since first putting the shovel in the ground over 40 years ago. It is Forino’s hope this data gives new South Carolina home buyers the confidence in knowing they have been around quite a long time, having seen and done it all.
“Working with Forino creates a customer experience second to none in our area for both our homebuyers and their Realtors. Our custom builder app and personal attention to our customers creates a relationship that exceeds expectations. Their staff is really committed to a positive home building experience from the top down. And that means a lot in today’s market.” says Annette Bryant, broker at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Bay Street Realty Group.
For more information about Forino, visit www.forino.com.
