The Savannah area lends itself to one of the most beautiful coastal living experiences you can have. It makes me truly happy to welcome new people into the Savannah area to experience a lifestyle most folks dream about. Think laughing kids on baseball/soccer fields, think jet skis and boating, think good schools and great churches, annual events…we have it all, something for everyone!

To experience coastal living, there are a few places to consider in the Savannah area, all in Chatham County, each offering a laid-back environment, perfect for families, retired folks, and anyone who wants to live the coastal lifestyle.

The Isle of Hope is just a fifteen minute jump from Savannah. The sense of community that you’ll find there today is just like old times. Picture ringing the dinner bell and the kids come running in for lunch or dinner on a summer day. The houses you’ll find on the Isle of Hope are a mixture of cottages with white picket fences and mansions, all mingling together!

Skidaway Island is an area near Savannah where you’ll find upscale waterfront properties. This gated community appeals to retirees, mainly because of the golfing, tennis, marinas, clubhouses, and fitness center.

On Dutch Island, you’ll experience small community coastal living. Surrounded by salt water marsh and the inter-coastal waterway, including Skidaway River, Herb River, Wilmington River and Grimbal Creek, this private, gated community offers lagoons, ponds, a community deep water dock, swimming pools and tennis courts.

If you’re looking for wooded neighborhoods and a variety of recreational opportunities, Wilmington Island could be the area for you. Located between Thunderbolt and Tybee Island, you’ll find more people here than some of the smaller islands.

Savannah truly does have something for everyone, no matter your age or your interests, and if you’re thinking about retiring in Savannah and living the coastal lifestyle, you’re in for a treat!

Do you want to surround yourself with southern hospitality and experience coastal living in Savannah?

For any and all of your questions about the Richmond Hill and Savannah, Ga areas, as well as real estate questions and needs, please don’t hesitate to contact me, Teresa Cowart, as I am always happy to help!  You can also connect with me on my Facebook Page for area info and events, things to do, real estate news, home ownership tips, and so much more!

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Here are a few of the top events to look forward to this summer at the Savannah Civic Center.

• WWE Live at the Martin Luther King Jr. Arena on June 23, 2013.

• Disney Junior Live on Tour! Pirates and Princess Adventure at the Johnny Mercer Theatre on July 26, 2013.

• Bill Cosby at the Johnny Mercer Theatre on August 10, 2013.

• Derby Devils at the Martin Luther King Jr. Arena for the season.

10 Family Friendly Annual Events in Savannah

The Savannah Civic Center has been home to Walt Disney on Ice, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Best of Broadway Series presents Cats, and so much more over the years, I start to lose track! Just curious, what type of entertainment would make you visit Savannah to see it?

The Savannah Civic Center isn’t the only entertainment venue in the Savannah area. The Savannah International Convention Center hosts a variety of walks/runs, expos and shows.

A host of special events in Savannah take place in the City Market courtyards at various times throughout the year. A few popular events include Valentine’s Day Renewal of Vows Ceremony, Holiday Open House, St. Patrick’s Day Festival and their Annual New Year’s Eve Celebration. In addition to these events, daily entertainment is featured in the courtyard most days of the week – weather permitting.

For any and all of your questions about the Richmond Hill and Savannah, Ga areas, as well as real estate questions and needs, please don’t hesitate to contact me, Teresa Cowart, as I am always happy to help!  You can also connect with me on my Facebook Page for area info and events, things to do, real estate news, home ownership tips, and so much more!

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Your home may look completely different now than it did before you listed, but remember, it’s the first time ever that potential buyers are seeing it. You need to give them reasons to want to make your home theirs, and, while you may have already changed the kitchen cabinet hardware, it’s just not doing it for buyers.

At this point in time you need to really look at what kind of return on investment is important to you. Are you ready to invest in more upgrades, that you may not get 100% ROI on, but will sell it quicker OR are you ready to continue paying the mortgage month after month until it finally sells?

If your decision is to change your strategy and make a few upgrades to sell at last, there are a few things you need to consider before calling in the professionals.

• How much can I realistically invest?
• Look at your home to determine where you’re going to get the biggest bang for your buck.
• Consider the importance of making a good room great OR a great room absolutely wonderful.

Tips for Home Sellers

Kitchens and Bathrooms often times are a deciding factor when a buyer is comparing two homes, so those are probable starting points. If yours are only okay, that could be a reason why your neighbors house sold and yours is still available. The key is to make the largest visual impact to impress buyers.

• Paint a small bathroom with a bright color to make it feel larger.
• Purchase new appliances and fixtures that are energy-efficient.
• Add things that are unique like touch-less faucets, custom backsplash, and provide a unique pantry/storage.
• Update the flooring – outdated tile or laminate are not going to impress buyers, even if its clean.

Family and Living Rooms are places where you spend a lot of time. Wouldn’t you want it to be a place you’d want to be in and enjoy? An upgrade you can make here has to do with the fireplace. If you have one, think about what you could do to enhance its visual appeal.

• Replace the mantle.
• Build a custom surround.
• If yours has an insert, consider updating it to a more energy-efficient unit.

Don’t have a fireplace? Talk to your real estate agent to determine if the comparable homes had/have fireplaces. If they do, you want to make sure yours is a step above. If the other homes don’t, adding a fireplace could help to sell your home quicker.

Natural light is something that all buyers want to see in any home they are seeing. Increase the opportunity for more light by adding a skylight. A skylight will also make a small room, like a bathroom, feel larger.

Again, before you call in the professionals, talk to your real estate agent about what upgrades make sense in your home and take into consideration the points I mentioned at the beginning of this post.

What’s the largest upgrade you’ve ever made to your home?

For any and all of your questions about the Richmond Hill and Savannah, Ga areas, as well as real estate questions and needs, please don’t hesitate to contact me, Teresa Cowart, as I am always happy to help!  You can also connect with me on my Facebook Page for area info and events, things to do, real estate news, home ownership tips, and so much more!

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One of the reasons I love Savannah, and why I’m so proud to sell home’s here is because of the historical significance that can be found all across the area. That’s what makes this piece of Savannah news so exciting for me! It has been discovered that much more history is laying below the ground and will soon be seen for the first time.

Camp Lawton, a Civil War prison camp in Statesboro will be the site of an archeological dig by students and faculty of Georgia Southern University sometime this summer! The plans for the dig follow three years of fieldwork where researchers have found more than 600 artifacts.

Suspender buckles, railroad spikes, and forks and spoons are just a few of the items recovered at Camp Lawton, undisturbed since 1864. When Camp Lawton was built to replace the Confederate prison camp at Andersonville, it totaled more than 42 acres. It never became well known because just six weeks after it opened, it was abandoned to avoid the army of Union Gen. William T. Sherman. Because of all that was found in the last three years, an anthropology professor at the Statesboro campus, Lance Greene, said “It’s an incredible amount of material they’ve recovered so far, but I really do think it’s just scratching the surface.” “We think starting in the summer we’ll have a lot more artifacts coming into the lab.”

By late summer or early fall, the artifacts recovered over the last three years will be on display at a public museum that is still being created by the state Department of Natural Resources. It will be in Magnolia Springs State Park, where the prison camp was located.

It’s an exciting time for not only the students and faculty of GSU who will perform the dig, but all of us here that can’t wait to find out what other history will be found!

There’s much more to this story, you can read the full article here.

What are your favorite historical sites to visit in the Savannah area?

For any and all of your questions about the Richmond Hill and Savannah, Ga areas, as well as real estate questions and needs, please don’t hesitate to contact me, Teresa Cowart, as I am always happy to help!  You can also connect with me on my Facebook Page for area info and events, things to do, real estate news, home ownership tips, and so much more!

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In addition to the parks and playgrounds, our area has a variety of outdoor kid-friendly attractions that will bring out their adventurous side, keeping them happy and having fun.

Outdoor Kid-Friendly Attractions in Savannah

Oatland Island Wildlife Center
Located at 711 Sandtown Road, Savannah, GA 31410
You’ll see a variety of animals and wildlife native to our area at the Oatland Island Wildlife Center, including but certainly not limited to bobcats, alligators, wolves, sea and plant life, flying squirrels, and the list goes on! They also offer seasonal programs like summer camp and Toddler Tuesdays, and provide a great place to have birthday parties.

Dolphin Magic
Located next to the River St. Marketplace on the right side of the Hyatt Regency Hotel
You and your kids will enjoy a two-hour narrated cruise along Savannah’s historic waterways out towards Tybee Island with Dolphin Magic tours! You’ll see sights including Savannah’s historic waterfront, the Waving Girl, Fort Jackson, Fort Pulaski, Cockspur Island, the Cockspur Island Lighthouse, Tybee Island and the Tybee Island Lighthouse!

Savannah Riverboat Cruises

Captain Mike’s Dolphin Tours
Located just 20 minutes from Savannah in Tybee Island
Voted Best Adventure Tour on Tybee Island for 9 straight years and counting, Captain Mike’s Dolphin Tours is an attraction the entire family will enjoy! The tour lasts approximately an hour and a half and you’ll see an abundance of nature as you are traveling: hammocks, beaches and marshes; wildlife from sea turtles to birds; a friendly bottle-nosed dolphin, and much more! The boat passes by the Cockspur lighthouse, offering a view of historic Fort Pulaski, then a scenic view of the Tybee Lighthouse.

Tybee Island Water Adventures

Forsyth Park
Forsyth Park’s 30 acres is open year-round and is located in Savannah’s Historic District. This spectacular park offers a variety of ways to enjoy the day outdoors, from picnicking to the children’s play area. Take a look at some of the things to do in Forsyth Park.

5 More Kid-Friendly Attractions in Savannah

Savannah city officials are making great strides to promote the health and well being of children, helping them to get outdoors and stay active. In fact, in 2007, the national nonprofit KABOOM! created an award to encourage cities to dedicate more space for children to play outdoors, and it was this award that Savannah received for being designated a Playful City USA for the fourth straight year by the Humana Foundation!

We also recently had a bicycle block party that was free for families and featured games children played on their bikes, live music, fresh food from a local farmers market and healthy cooking demonstrations.

There really is so much for children to do outdoors here in Savannah to stay healthy and active, and it’s just another one of the reasons why I am so happy to call this area home for my family.

What are your children’s favorite ways to spend time outdoors in the Savannah area?

For any and all of your questions about the Richmond Hill and Savannah, Ga areas, as well as real estate questions and needs, please don’t hesitate to contact me, Teresa Cowart, as I am always happy to help!  You can also connect with me on my Facebook Page for area info and events, things to do, real estate news, home ownership tips, and so much more!

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Read: Benefits of Retiring in Savannah

Every day, Senior Citizens, Inc., the host of the 5K, delivers over 1,800 hot meals to homebound and needy seniors throughout coastal Georgia. The state of Georgia rates sixth in the United States on Meals on Wheels Association of America’s “Top 10 Hungry States” list. Not an accolade wished for, but one that can be alleviated with events such as the Miles for Meals 5K Run/Walk. Just $6 a day provides one meal to a senior citizen who also gets a quick visit and a smile to brighten their day. Make it a family event and come out and support Georgia’s seniors.

For any and all of your questions about the Richmond Hill and Savannah, Ga areas, as well as real estate questions and needs, please don’t hesitate to contact me, Teresa Cowart, as I am always happy to help!  You can also connect with me on my Facebook Page for area info and events, things to do, real estate news, home ownership tips, and so much more!

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If you’re selling your home in Richmond Hill, these tips will help you prepare your home for sale to give buyers what they are looking for in today’s real estate market — being able to move right in, simply switching your furniture and decor with their own.

In order to help give your home an edge over the competition, make sure each and every room has a clearly defined purpose, along with an attention to detail that won’t go unnoticed. If your home has an open floor plan, it can sometimes be difficult to determine how to create an individualized purpose and flow from space to space.

Flooring Can Define a Space
It can be quite easy to define certain spaces, like a social area from a dining area with the use of the initial flooring, then adding area rugs. In many new homes, builders have used hardwood angled in different directions to denote different living spaces. Inlaid borders and designs in the wood will also help to separate an open floor plan. Combined with the placement of your furniture, area rugs will help to anchor a space by clearly defining it.

Increase the Re-Sale Value of Your Home With These 5 DIY Improvements

Create Spaces Within Spaces
Room dividers, pocket doors, and decorative screens are simple and low-cost ways to create spaces within spaces. One  way to separate a space from the open feeling of “what would I do with this space” is to add open shelving. These are great because you are not actually closing off an area, or making it smaller, you are simply adding a defined purpose to a certain area. Multidimensional wall decor items are also a great way to draw attention to a certain area, while adding a focal point to the room.

Focus on Lighting
How you add lighting to a room can greatly help, or hurt, the way a home will show to potential buyers. For example, the third bedroom may be set up to show as a home office, but without the proper lighting, the function is less important. While creating a flow from space to space, keep these tips in mind: Subdued lighting creates an intimate reading area, while bright lights can highlight a hub of activity at the kitchen island. Dimmer switches can be a perfect addition to your lighting efforts, as they allow you to guide people to one area and away from another.

Which ‘Green’ Improvements Will Help Sell Your Home?

Ceiling as a Finishing Touch
Decorative ceiling details are a minimal expense that can dramatically change the look and feel of a space. Ceiling tiles, planks, or even a faux treatment with paint textures and stencils will add interest and definition, while in some cases actually causing the space to appear larger. You can add intimacy to a room by installing a coffered ceiling and using a contrasting paint color to help your great idea really stand out!

Paying attention to even the smallest of details will help give you a leg up on the competition. Making sure each space in your home has a clear purpose and function will help your home appeal to the largest number of potential buyers, as they will be able to picture their own belongings in place of your own, making the transition that much easier for the new homeowners.

What other changes have you made to your home to prepare it for sale?

For any and all of your questions about the Richmond Hill and Savannah, Ga areas, as well as real estate questions and needs, please don’t hesitate to contact me, Teresa Cowart, as I am always happy to help!  You can also connect with me on my Facebook Page for area info and events, things to do, real estate news, home ownership tips, and so much more!

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For anyone who is considering retiring in charming Savannah, you’ll have a lot to look forward to — Here’s a guide:

• Moderate Climate – Savannah’s coldest month is January when the average temperature overnight is 38.0°F. In July, the warmest month, the average day time temperature rises to 92.3°F, which makes our area a lovely place to live because it doesn’t get too cold or too hot.

• Furthering Education – Tuition at Savannah state colleges and universities is free for those 65 and older.

• Activities Galore – Savannah has a variety of annual events, places to golf and play tennis, outdoor recreation sites like our parks and squares, and a variety of tours that take place throughout the year to allow you to take in all that our beautiful area has to offer.

•  First-class Medical Services – Savannah boasts a variety of services available to seniors to provide help in any situation, whether you are living in your own home or not.

• Home of The Club at Senior Citizens – This activity center for seniors is one of three large-scale local programs that offer a variety of services geared toward keeping older adults healthy, socially active and well-informed.

• Home of Smart Senior – A program operated by the St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System, Smart Senior is the most comprehensive senior membership program in Southeast Georgia and the South Carolina Low Country for persons ages 55 years and older, providing seniors with medical screenings, health and educational seminars and other benefits.

• Continuing Your Spirituality – Savannah offers an abundance of houses of worship covering a wide spectrum of faiths.

Overall, Savannah is a place that values older adults, has an agreeable climate, offers first-class medical services and opportunities for enjoying an array of cultural, recreational and leisure-time activities. So what are you waiting for? Give me a call to discuss making Savannah your place to retire!

For any and all of your questions about the Richmond Hill and Savannah, Ga areas, as well as real estate questions and needs, please don’t hesitate to contact me, Teresa Cowart, as I am always happy to help!  You can also connect with me on my Facebook Page for area info and events, things to do, real estate news, home ownership tips, and so much more!

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Here are 3 Savannah Day Spas to check out:

Spa Bleu
A touch of the exotic combined with a variety of European and traditional, organic spa treatments will refine your experience of true ‘bleu’ southern comfort. Offers specials for Mom to be pampered on her own, with you, or with a friend.  Located at 101 Bull Street, 912-236-1490.

Savannah Day Spa
Aromatherapy massages and global therapies such as the Tibetan rolling stones massage and the Japanese sugar body brush. Offers 4 different Mother’s Day Specials.  Located at 18 E Oglethorpe Ave, 912-234-9100

Magnolia Spa
Experience  the finest European-style spa combined with the warmth of Southern Hospitality. Here you’ll find  an exquisite collection of personalized spa skin care with organic essential oils and plant extracts.  No need to be a guest to indulge. Located at Savannah Marriott Riverfront, General McIntosh Blvd, 912-373-2039

Read: Savannah Port Tours ~ Explore the Savannah River

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, so make your  trip something extra special with a spa visit that will leave you not wanting to leave.

For any and all of your questions about the Richmond Hill and Savannah, Ga areas, as well as real estate questions and needs, please don’t hesitate to contact me, Teresa Cowart, as I am always happy to help!  You can also connect with me on my Facebook Page for area info and events, things to do, real estate news, home ownership tips, and so much more!

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Don’t worry though, because there’s another tour for that! Savannah Port Tours gives you the opportunity to tour the East Coast’s fastest growing port in business class style and comfort aboard one of their private yachts! The tour departs from the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort on Hutchinson Island across the Savannah River from Historic River Street.

Each tour includes a professionally certified yacht captain with a working knowledge of the Savannah Port, adjacent wildlife refuge, and the scenic beauty of the Savannah River. Savannah Port Tours also offers other tours:

• Harbor Tours
• Golf Trips to Daufuskie Island
• Eco Tours
• Inshore & Offshore Fishing
• Island Hopping
• Overnight Cruises

I’m also very happy to report the following bit of news about the Savannah Port!

There are ancient live oak trees at the Port’s Garden City terminal that will be placed under protective governance, meaning they will be protected from harm! In fact, there will be a plaque placed at the foot of one of the oaks, estimated to be more than 360 years old. This is an Arbor Day promise by the Georgia Ports Authority!

Other popular tours you can take in Savannah include the Historic Savannah Tour, Savannah Food Tour, and the Savannah Movie Tour.

Have you ever taken one of the guided tours in Savannah? If so, which was your favorite? What others would you recommend?

For any and all of your questions about the Richmond Hill and Savannah, Ga areas, as well as real estate questions and needs, please don’t hesitate to contact me, Teresa Cowart, as I am always happy to help!  You can also connect with me on my Facebook Page for area info and events, things to do, real estate news, home ownership tips, and so much more!

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