We interviewed Julie and Jan Sessor who have been Owners at Timbers Kiawah since we opened our doors!
Tell us about your family and where you are from.
We’re from Roanoke, Virginia, and we have a 14-year-old daughter and a 10-year-old son.
How long have you been coming to Kiawah Island?
We have been coming to Kiawah for about 12-14 years to vacation with our family and extended family. We had been looking for a place to call our own for many years, but we couldn’t find the right fit for our family.
How did you first hear about Timbers Kiawah?
We were on a sailboat in June 2017 in Annapolis, Maryland, and we saw an ad for Timbers Kiawah in Coastal Living Magazine. We called and quickly realized that this was exactly what we’ve been looking for. We loved Kiawah homes here, and we were working with a realtor, but we were looking for something high-end with great marsh or ocean views, but we also wanted to have a partner. Once we learned the system at Timbers and understood the concept, it was exactly what we had been trying to find; somewhere we could just show up and everything would be taken care of, and we’d be on the ocean. We called in June, came to visit in July and by August, we were signed.
Tell us about the first time you came to your new home at Timbers Kiawah.
We were the very first family at Timbers Kiawah. They joke and call us the “First Family.” And we actually were the very first family to ever check in. Our first stay as Owners was in October 2018, and we had the entire resort to ourselves, which was unique. We have had four full weeks since we became owners.
What’s the first thing you do when you arrive?
We hug all the people checking us in. They have become like family, and we’re so excited to see them all when we arrive. It’s like a family reunion when we return.
What are your kids’ favorite things to do at Timbers Kiawah?
Our 14-year-old daughter’s favorite thing is going to the Club House every morning for the complimentary breakfast, but she mostly loves going to go mingle with other Owners and meet new people. Our 10-year-old son loves the milkshakes at the Beach Club and the daily 3 o-clock treats. Whether it’s cookies, popsicles or watermelon, he always knows when it’s 3 o’clock.
What’s your favorite thing about Timbers Kiawah?
It’s so refreshing to get in the car with a suitcase and know you have everything you need waiting for you. We have a couple of tubs of personal items at Timbers Kiawah and all we have to pack are our clothes and show up and don’t have to worry about bringing bikes, paddleboards, or anything else. The fact that there is high-end equipment waiting for us makes it easy to just show up and enjoy the fun from the moment you walk through the door. It is a very nice value proposition.
What’s your favorite thing to order at the Beach Club restaurant?
Anything with their homemade pimento cheese!
Favorite thing about Kiawah Island life?
We love the pool and beach, and we like the fact that the island is secluded, safe and secure. We love biking. We bike to lunch and breakfast, and we feel very comfortable sending the kids out on their bikes and knowing that they’re safe.
Anything else you’d like to add about your experience with Timbers Kiawah?
We have had many visitors, and the comment that often comes up is: “Why do you keep coming back to same place? We like to try to different places.” And we’ve been to a lot of places, and there are beautiful beaches all over the world, but what keeps us coming back are the people. We have built relationships here because the people are so wonderful, and we feel like we’re coming home. Which sounds cheesy but it’s true. We have not been sorry for a minute about our decision.