Spectacular Property–Nothing Like a Deep Water Lot

302 West Penrose Drive, Savannah GA

Can you imagine yourself settling back to gaze at the water and marsh?  Playing with water “toys?”  My pick for “home of the week” is 302 West Penrose Drive.  This Savannah property is between 2-3 acres on deep water at Richardson Creek.  It has been in the same family for decades and is now being sold as an estate sale.  The original bungalow could use a little work, but someone could live there while they build a dream home on the land.  The lot is so large, it could likely be subdivided and you could have the whole family on site.  A dock and small dock house are already there.  All you need is a fishing pole, a boat, or a jet ski.

Multiple outbuildings are also on site.  No restrictive covenants apply!

For more information on this property, please contact me at 912-667-6533!

Savannah Book Festival–Plan Now to Go

One of my favorite FREE festivals in Savannah is the annual Savannah Book Festival.  This showcase of both fiction and non-fiction authors is a great opportunity to get to know the writer behind the books that entertain, educate, or inspire you.  The list of 2014 festival authors has been published.  Each year I’m introduced to authors I haven’t read.  The Saturday presentations are free; the hard part is deciding who you want to hear.  There’s a lunch break, but you either need to plan to bring a lunch or go to one of the nearby cafes --- I always head to Roly Poly’s at 114 Barnard Street.

A few additional presentations, such as the opening and closing keynotes, require a ticket, but the cost of $15 is a bargain! 

Save the date for the 2014 Festival, taking place President’s Day weekend, February 13-16, in and around Telfair and Wright Squares.  This venue is a block from a parking garage, so it’s very convenient.

What Sold in 2013–Part 1

The Savannah area real estate market is roughly defined as Chatham, Bryan, and Effingham Counties.  Chatham County typically has the highest level of activity.  In 2013, a total of 3,749 Chatham homes were sold.  These sales reflected that the most popular areas  by total sales were West Chatham (predominantly Pooler), Southside Savannah, and Midtown (including both the Victorian District and Ardsley Park):

Area	Includes:	Total Sales	% Total
1	Historic District	179	4.8%
2	Victorian District, Eastside, Ardsley Park	738	19.7%
3	Southside, Highway 17 Corridor, Quacco Road	864	23.0%
4	Wilmington, Whitmarsh, Tybee, Isle of Hope, Dutch Island, & Burnside	686	18.3%
5	Landings	221	5.9%
6	Chatham County, Other	90	2.4%
8	West Chatham, Pooler, Southbridge, Westbrook	971	25.9%

The implication is that the opportunities available in new construction/newer homes has drawn buyers farther away from the core of Savannah.  Typically, where sales are strongest, the balance of power in negotiations tends to swing in favor of the seller.  These numbers for West Chatham, plus the low months’ supply of inventory in those areas, signals that buyers will need to work hard to get the terms they need.  It is critical that the Realtor involved in the transaction carefully develop a negotiating strategy based on market dynamics.  If you plan to buy in 2014, let me help!

Aire Flamenco Turns Up the Heat in Savannah–Part 2

For the benefit of those who weren’t able to attend the Flamenco exhibit at the Jepson, I wanted to share some of the dance:

The dancers were either from Spain or studied there

Speed and feeling are apparent in this demonstration

Aire Flamenco Turns Up the Heat in Savannah–Part 1

Aire Flamenco, a dance troupe from Atlanta, recently visited the Jepson Museum in conjunction with the focus on Spain this month and provided both flamenco lessons as well as a dance exhibition.  Woven in between the dances, a history of flamenco and the dance styles contained was given.  The exhibition was standing room only. 


The exhibition included dances from three different dancers, singing, and guitar solos.  I would make a bet that the steps were faster than those I saw in Riverdance.  Check out Part 2 for video to prove it.  Thanks to the Jepson for continuing to bring fascinating and entertaining programs and exhibits.

Savannah’s Best Christmas Event: The Journey

Who would have guessed that you could get to Bethlehem by way of Savannah GA?  Well, Savannah Christian Church has made that possible with a very life-like recreation of the little town where Christmas began.  The Journey is something that SCC has done for several years, but this year marks a first.  The new Bethlehem market place is phenomenal.  SCC event creators even got some pointers from Disney.

The Journey combines music (while you wait to leave for the Journey), a boat ride across the sea, encounters with Roman centurions, and multiple live-action drama vignettes that tell the story of Christmas. In addition, the kids will enjoy seeing camels, donkeys, goats, sheep, and more.  It is outside and there’s a lot of walking.  However, golf carts are on hand for special needs and elderly guests.  Over 1000 volunteers are needed to make The Journey a great experience.  My advice – Get there early!  Over 2000 guests enjoyed the opening night this week, including me!  SCC projects that as many as 20,000 people will make The Journey this year.   The cost is $5/person (or maximum of $20/family).  You can pay when you get there or buy tickets in advance from the SCC book store.  It's worth every penny and is guaranteed to get you ready for the holidays!


Photos taken by SCC Volunteers

2013 Holiday Boat Parade on Savannah River

The City of Savannah continues to develop great family opportunities.  The most recent was the 2013 Boat Parade along the Savannah River, complete with a variety of boats and motifs as well as fireworks.  It was great fun for all. 
(Photos by Lyndsey Mixon)