Savannah Real Estate

Please take a minute to look at this podcast from WTOC News.  These are good friends and very special people.  If you have seen them or heard anything that might help investigators find them … please contact the Beaufort County Police Department immediately.If you have any information about what happened to John and Elizabeth Calvert, call the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office at 843.842.4111 ext. 258 or Beaufort County Dispatch at 843.524.2777 or your local police.

March is a busy time in Savannah, Georgia. Not only are the flowers blooming and the weather warming, but this is the time we begin to prepare for the festivities to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. One of this country’s largest parades, Savannah hosts a celebration to rival all others. This year’s parade in Savannah is the 184th parade of Irish Tradition to honor the patron Saint Patrick. Saint Patrick for whom this holiday was established, felt that he had a calling to convert pagans to Christianity. He was eventually appointed as second bishop to Ireland and was successful in winning converts despite being enslaved several times. He traveled all over Ireland setting up monasteries, schools and churches to support his work converting pagans. He died on March 17, in AD 461. From that point forward, the day was commemorated for St. Patrick. For Savannah, the celebration started in 1824 when the president of the local Hibernian Society called all local Irishmen to a mass and then invited them to parade down the streets of Savannah. A parade flourished from that first Hibernian invitation. In 1870, the first grand marshal (also a Hibernian president) was elected and bands were invited to join the procession. The party has grown ever since. The traditional events of this day in Savannah include Mass at St. John the Baptist Cathedral, pancake breakfasts, lots of drinking and plenty of visitors. We expect close to 400,000 visitors to the area this year. It is a spectacular sight when you walk all over the historic district in a sea of people and no one needs a car. The cars are parked outside of the historic district in every imaginable nook and cranny. The parade route is well established and families have for generations plotted their spot for the festivities. In the past, Savannahians and visitors would camp over night in the squares on the parade route to ensure the best front row spot. One of my favorite things to do is walk around downtown with my Bloddy Mary at 7 AM the morning of the parade and see all the people setting up lawn chairs, tables, coolers and blankets to enjoy the day. It is truly a spectacular time to be in Savannah.

If you have ever considered visiting Savannah to investigate retirement property or investment property this is the time of year to visit. You will not be disappointed in the weather, the flowers, the festivities or the hospitality. So, make plans to visit if not this year, next year but be sure to make hotel reservations early or find a friend with a home where you can be Irish for a day!

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Even though I grew up in the coastal area I only considered waterfront property as just another living option until I began to sell and buy property. Come to find out … there are several types of waterfront property. When you are looking for real estate in Savannah, you have some things to consider if you are a river rat. The types of waterfront property range depending on the way you want to spend time on the water. Are you a swimmer? A boater? A sunset watcher? All of these questions need to be considered while you are looking at waterfront property. It matters a great deal if you want water 24 hours a day or you are partial to low tides. I remember going to Hilton Head for summer vacation and we stayed in a condo on a tidal creek. We would go down to the little dock hoping the tide was low so we could watch the fiddler crabs and snails. But when the tide was coming in we would throw in our chicken meat on a string to catch blue crabs. We thought this was the best of both. It matters what you are looking for in your experience with waterfront. In Savannah, you can live on the beach, on deep water or on a tidal creek. Your view can include low tide fiddler crabs or water 24 hours a day with your boat always ready for spin around Georgia’s beautiful coast.  As you begin your search for the perfect water spot for you and your family, ask yourself questions about how you hope to enjoy the water in your new home. And visit these listings during low and high tides to understand what kind of water access you will have and how your view might change.

I know that you can trick or treat in apartment complexes and condos but owning a home is a different Halloween experience. It occurs to me when we are out every year on this festive holiday to dress up and ring doorbells for free candy, how important this sense of community has become to my children. They insist we visit certain neighbors, “mom, we can’t skip Mr. Bernie’s house!” The neighbors wait for my girls to show up … why? Because we have so few children in our cul-de-sac and surrounding houses. My children are adopted grandchildren and nieces for some of our neighbors. You can have this sense of community in an apartment complex surely; however, there is something about sitting on your front porch next to your jack-o-lantern and planning your trick-or-treat adventure in the neighborhood where you always celebrate this spooky holiday. My girls will grow up with a sense of permanence in this house. It will be a place where they know they can always return. You can’t do that in an apartment because apartments might sell or the rent may get too high or the landlord might throw you out! The investment in a house can settle even the spookiest creatures. It is more than financially fixing yourself to establish equity in property … sometimes it is about Mr. Bernie who saves a little extra candy for those little monsters in his life. And for those little monsters who one day can look back and remember fondly the years they went trick-or-treating in their neighborhood.

One of the great things about Savannah is the coastline. I love driving over the Turner’s Creek bridge onto Wilmington and Talahi islands and seeing the view … marsh, sprawling homes, great docks, boats, dolphins. The view winds around to finally end on Tybee Island, Savannah’s beach. These communities are great for raising children, vacationing or spending your golden years. You can drive over the bridge on a Friday afternoon and not leave the island until Monday morning heading back into work and school. There are lots of great things to do and see especially with children. Wilmington Island has several family friendly restaurants to choose from … there is Greek with great pizza at Basil’s or cold beer and delicious wings at Beef O’Brady’s and old faithful … Mexican cuisine at Cancun. Basil’s has a playroom complete with a flat screen tv and monitors so you can keep an eye on your little one while you enjoy your dinner. Beef O’Brady’s has a Tuesday night kids eat free special and sometimes at Cancun there are live mariachi players serenading your table. Beyond the eateries … the islands have great family fun spots. You can visit Fort Pulaski to see the old cannons, view the fort living areas and even treat your pooch to a visit because dogs are allowed on the fort grounds. Another favorite spot for everybody to visit is Oatland Island. You can go for as little as a few dollars a head and hike through beautiful marsh areas to view bison, black bears, wolves, deer, alligators, owls, hawks and even a small farm complete with donkey and cow. The Islands YMCA has a great walking track that is open to the public. Be sure to pack the jogging stroller and a bottle of water for fresh air and exercise.

It’s not all about the kids … island living offers adults many options to enjoy some down time. One neighborhood has streets lined with overhanging trees so all during the year you can jog or walk in the shade. There are a few marinas offering services including dock slips, seafood, local cruises and more if you are a boater. There is always the well kept secret of Dewey’s with spectacular pastas, a fat view and decent wine list. If you golf we have courses, if you play tennis we have courts… there is just about everything you need to relax and enjoy life on the islands of Savannah. At the end of the day you can ride down to Tybee and enjoy the beach at sunset or stroll to the pier and visit Tradewinds for a delicious night cap of homemade ice cream. Savannah is a special place with a great deal to offer it’s residents. These islands are just one area to choose from when you are shopping for area real estate. Keep it in mind the next time you visit … call me and I can show you and your family a few island highlights!

Famous Victory Drive has always been touted as the street to cruise when you visit Savannah. With its stately mansions lining the four lanes of road, draped with Spanish moss and low hanging oak tree limbs … completed by the palm trees lining the median. No better combination of the old plantation south and coastal ambiance stretching all the way to Tybee Island. Now Victory Drive is not the only must see street in Savannah … check out Bull Street. Bull Street cuts through Savannah’s Historic District wrapping around Johnson Square better known as the bank square because of each corner housing a different bank; Wright Square with the burial site of Tomochichi; Chippewa Square which houses a monument to James Oglethorpe: Savannah’s founder; Madison and Monterey Squares. When you cruise south down Bull Street, you will get one of the best views of the fountain in Forsyth Park. This is a stunning view of the oak trees, wide walkway and sparkling fountain everyone loves to visit.

Past Forsyth Park, on Bull you will come into one of Savannah’s trendier neighborhoods: the Starland District. Popping up are newly developed condos, refurbished cottages with a free dog park and outstanding bakery all in walking distance of each other. Bull Street has always been a major street for Savannah as it serves to split street’s east from west ends but now it is more. Now we have tourists visit Bull Street and make a day of walking through what it has to offer. Another reason to make Savannah your home … when you visit to look for your first home or retirement condo, call me and let me show you Savannah’s famous Bull Street.

It seems that most people purchase a house well before they have children in school. It is likely that buyers consider crossing street activity for safety reasons, how transient the neighbors seem for security purposes, and backyard space for play. But how many people really investigate the possible school options when they buy a house long before they have school age children? Do they contact the private schools in the area where they found their dream home and ask for information about the curriculum? Do they contact the board of education and ask what percentage of students in the school district are bused in from other neighborhoods? I didn’t. My first house had nothing to do with my future children. Buyers should seriously consider several things before children become school age. Do you want a private or public education? Do you want a school with religious affiliations? How much time do you want to spend in the car driving to and from school? It is important to remember when looking for a house you plan to make a home with children, what their educational plan is going to be.
There are so many obvious things a buyer considers when house hunting: space, neighborhood, resale value, quality of construction, location, price tag, cosmetic investment, etc … add to that list: school for the children. Really look into what their educational plan will be before the house purchase. It is complicated to make a change later when they become invested in the school. Find a Realtor who has had children in the local school system, maybe they can give you some resources for finding information. Contact private schools in the neighborhood where you are looking and ask for a tour of their campus and a description of their philosophies. Like other aspects of choosing the right home for your family, looking at long term educational plans are critical.