People With A Passion For The Best Of Coastal Living



With more than 25 years of experience in real estate development and building residential communities in the Carolinas and Florida, Samuel Burns brought a broad range of attributes to the table when he established Dock Street Communities in 2005.

After graduating from Michigan State University with a BS in Urban Planning and the University of North Carolina with a Master of Regional Planning, Burns embarked upon a career that has included city planning, resort development and a 10-year stint as Regional President of a home building company with operations in Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston Salem and Charlotte. His interest in Traditional Neighborhood Design, led him to head up Inland Homes, a pioneer of TND townhomes and live/work townhomes in Charlotte, and later to found Meeting Street Homes with operations in both Charlotte and Charleston. A few of the TNDs Mr. Burns helped develop include Vermillion and Rosedale in Huntersville, NC and Eastfield Village in Charlotte.

In March 2005, Mr. Burns moved to coastal South Carolina to form Dock Street Communities, in conjunction with a local partner—David Stradinger of Winchester Development.  Shortly afterward, David Wilkes of Myrtle Beach, who shared a keen interest in TNDs, and offered extensive experience in local real estate and marketing, associated with Dock Street as consultant and Vice President of Operations.