mama_mia

We are looking to purchase a property that would offer a respite from the Northern winters, among other things. We have been to both Savannah and Charleston on short trips and like both towns. We would probably be looking to buy in a nearby beach community. We have stayed at both Kiawah and Hilton Head, but both seemed a long drive into town.

A walkable community –one where we would not have to get into a car to get a cup of coffee at a café—would be tops on our list. We like to walk, bike, fish and kayak. We would be going down in the winter for the next few years. We might rent out for the other months, so it would have to appeal to others.

We are making a scouting expedition this December, so we would appreciate any suggestions to narrow down our search. I have been checking the forums and other sites and have considered Isle of Palms, Tybee, even Beaufort, but I am still stumped. Thanks.

starrs

Tybee is the option closest to Savannah. It's okay. Not my favorite. If you are willing to go further from Savannah consider Jekyll Island or St. Simons Island. Perhaps even St Mary's so you can ferry or kayak to Cumberland Island.

I'll leave the SC suggestions to the others, although Hilton Head is not my favorite. Isle of Palms is nice but suewoo and others can give your better information.

qwovadis

Used to live in that area on a simlar journey

Atlantic Beaches are browner colder in winter and expensive.

Used to live on Savannah Tybee to far away marshy

Chalreston better vibe more expensive for better coatal

living might consider checking out

www.villagetannin.com

www.orangebeach.com


Great communuity vibe warm white sand perfect for retirement

Great prices now just bought $600K property for $40K myself

www.zillow.com property tax VERY low best values in US

right now for this for me... Nice condos on short slaes $20K

Happpy Hunting!

qwovadis

These folks are doing what you want there I am too...

"Obsession" an Eclectic Romantic Seaside Escape Homes, Village of Tannin, Orange Beach, Alabama Vacation Rental by Owner Listing 233953 www.vrbo.com/233953

Similar properties in seasidefl.com selling for MILLIONS

Best value/beachfront in the US I know of currently

Without those sky high florida property taxes.

suewoo

If you want to walk to local restaurants on IOP, you'll need to look at the homes close to the business area we call front beach. Many people buy and live in their beach homes in winter and rent them out weekly in summer. It's not inexpensive. Get a local real estate agent to take you around.

mama_mia

Thank you for your input.

Qwovadis, I had not considered Alabama, but I also have not been there and so to keep things focused I will have to stick to the coast I do know (at least, to a certain extent).

My concern with Jekyll and St. Simons is that they seem to be a bit of a distance from a major airport. My husband may have to fly out occasionally for work, so we are trying to be within hour of airport.

Any thoughts about Beaufort? People seem to rave about it, but is it someplace that draws people for weeklong stays? Also, near Charleston, would Daniel Island or Mt. Pleasant have appeal for short term stays? They seem like they would work well for our winter visits, but do not seem like rental possibilities.

We are considering the possibility of eventually retiring to the spot we choose, but it seems hard to reconcile vacation spot and long term locale.

Thanks.

starrs

You may want to look at a map. From Jekyll you are within an hour of TWO airports - Savannah and Jacksonville, and depending on the carrier flights from Jacksonville may be preferable (not having to fly through Atlanta).

suewoo

Beaufort is not a beach community. It's a nice little town, but most visitors do day trips from Savannah or Charleston. Daniel Island and Mt P. (where I live) are both nice but not at the beach either. You might be able to do weekly rentals in Mt. P if your neighborhood allows it and it has easy beach access. Mt. P. has the best schools in the state so it's more expensive than other suburbs of Charleston.

suewoo

You may want to visit in August. You need to understand SC summers before making a decision.

birgator

You need a good realtor in the Charleston area. Much will depend on the size of the property you are interested in (2 BR, 6 BR), the price and annual costs of the property, and potential rental income to offset that.

Some areas probably carry a premium rental but also a premium purchase price. You should weigh each against the other. What kinds of tenants do you want and what kind do you want to avoid? Families? Young professionals? Mature singles? Hip hop party crowd?

I'd look at Sullivan's Island -- most everything is within walking distance to your morning coffee. Love the beach, Shem Creek for cayaking is close by. A bit more sedate and old timey than Isle of Palms (homes, not condos or time shares) but also closer to Charleston and a whole strip of assorted stores and restaurants on the way. And Cooper Medical Center is a very good facility (you did say retirement, yes?) Airport within 30 minutes.

Summers can be brutal. But they can be brutal up north too. At least here you'll have the beach, and central air where ever you go.

I'm not fond of Hilton Head, too sterile and hard to get around. Beaufort is lovely, but not for potential rental income.

Savannahoaks

Tybee is small, but there are a lot of homes for sale and it is a buyer's market. Tybee is 13 miles from Savannah's City Hall. Tybee is at its best spring, winter and fall. Jekyll Island is state owned and there is no private property. As for kayaking, the Little Tybee Island complex is a rock throw across Tybee's Back River and is as beautiful and unspoiled as any place I know on the Georgia coast. With one difference: It is near Savannah. One can be a half mile as the crow flies from the South end of Tybee and have miles of beaches to yourself on any given day. Take a look at Tybee Island, Georgia on Google Earth and see for yourself.

starrs

"Jekyll Island is state owned and there is no private property"

What?!

Gretchen

The point made about health care (hospital) and airport are really good for retirement considerations. And be careful of bad info!!

Savannahoaks

I stand corrected. There is privately owned property at Jekyll. The majority is owned by the Jekyll Island Authority, an arm of the state. There are neighborhoods on the north island.

Savannahoaks

My wife corrected me. Back in the mid 1960s her family rented a Jekyll house for a family vacation. The five kids, their friends, mom and dad, went into the impressive house and started picking out bedrooms. My wife, 11 at the time, started rummaging through the refrigerator when her mom ordered everyone out of the house and back into the car. They had walked into the wrong house.

starrs

Half of the island = private homes. I love the place. I've been watching the real estate market there for over 20 years. It's where I want to buy a "beach" place - not ON the beach but within a few blocks. Beautiful residential area that is very walkable/bikeable. Total gain in island elevation is 4 feet.

Don't know the exact stats but something like 1/10 of the world's wealth was in Jekyll as the wealthiest from the NE spent their winters marshside in their "cottages".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jekyll_Island_Club

The island was privately owned and catered to wealthiest in the world limited to 100 memberships. From 1888–1942 the club opened every January, except a few because of Yellow Fever outbreaks, to accommodate some of the world's wealthiest people. Members and their families enjoyed activities such as biking, hunting, horseback riding, and tennis, and frequented the north beaches. Some of the more esteemed members built mansion-sized cottages that still stand in excellent condition today.

Since the 1950s the island has been geared toward the middle class and I think that's why I like it over St. Simons or Sea Island. Small brick ranches like ones you'd see in any suburb. A lack of ostentation, except for the historic "cottages". Hotels that were more functional than fancy. A great relaxed beach destination. My favorite - obviously.

According to this, it was 1/4 of the world's wealth represented in 1910 as a handful of the wealthist financiers gathered to create what is now the Federal Reserve.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jekyll_Island
Including an interesting excerpt from Forbes magazine.

Savannahoaks may be partial to Tybee and that's fine. Just be careful re misinformation as make your decision. You may think being close to Savannah is a big draw, but for many (and rental income) people may prefer other options.

Savannahoaks

Starrs,
I'm not partial to Tybee, Jekyll, or the Charleston area. I merely offered an opinion with comments regarding Tybee after one reply said Tybee was "marshy" and you stated it wasn't your favorite. You were correct and I was incorrect about Jekyll being totally state owned. That qualifies as "misinformation" which I previously acknowledged. Because they are seeking a place to winter, I am going to venture a guess that these folks are of retirement age and hopefully in good health. However, being closer to a metropolitan area such as Charleston or Savannah has the advantage of diversified medical practices and hospitals not available to locales such as Jekyll Island and the Golden Isles. I have friends from Brunswick and St. Simons who have to travel to Savannah for medical attention. Brunswick, the nearest town to Jekyll has limited medical services, but it does have a staffed ER at the local hospital. Jacksonville has excellent hospitals, including a Mayo Clinic, but Jacksonville is 75 miles away and Savannah, 93 miles. Savannah has 3 major hospitals, one of which is a Level 1 trauma center, the only one between Jacksonville and Charleston and it services not only southeast Georgia, but southern SC as well. Charleston has excellent facilities. None of this may be a factor in their consideration, but it may be for others, and would be for me.

starrs

Good points re the hospitals, Savannahoaks. I'm not aware of the Brunswick area hospitals but I know a lot of people who have chosen to retire to St. Simons, friend of friends who have lived on Jekyll for 20+ years and distant relatives who have lived in St. Mary's for over 40. Many retirees live 75 miles or more from a Level 1 trauma center. It's a mixed bag of variables one must consider.

One reason I like Jekyll much more than Tybee is that Jekyll is more pet friendly. Many snowbirds want to be able to bring their pets along. Hilton Head allows pets on the beach in the winter. Jekyll allows pets on the beach and although leash laws probably apply, you'll see the same locals and their dogs enjoying their morning walks on the beach (off leash). Tybee does not. Of course, that may be a plus to some.

I love the mix on Jekyll. The residential feel. The long stretch of beaches. Kayaking in the marsh. Biking around the island. Built-in sightseeing in the historic district and a peek back in time. Playing croquet on the lawn at the Jekyll Island Club. Decent golf (when I played golf). The look and the feel of a coastal island community. Tybee seems more commercial to me - the high rises on the beach. Tshirt shops. There's really not much about Tybee that I like, other than it's proximity to Savannah. On many work trips I do sneak away early for a morning walk on the beach and breakfast at the Breakfast Club. I can add the proximity to a Level 1 trauma center to that list now. But if I were looking to buy a place to "to walk, bike, fish and kayak", I'd still choose elsewhere - St. Simons, Jekyll or St. Mary's.

Savannahoaks

If the discussion is not limited to Savannah and Charleston, Fernandina Beach, FL, which 129 miles south of Savannah and just across the GA/FL line has appeal. It has the village feel of St. Simons, but with considerably more beach front available. Amelia Island has over 13 miles of wide beaches, and to the south, lies the State Park complex of Big and Little Talbot Islands. On the inshore sides of Amelia and the Talbots, there are kayakable waterways. There is excellent surffishing opportunity on these Florida beaches. In sight of the north end of Fernandina lies Cumberland Island, Ga, less than a half mile from Ft. Clinch on Amelia. It's been a few years since I've spent time on Jekyll, but I don't recall much dining opportunity or cafe life on the island itself. Perhaps that has changed or I just didn't know of any. For dining, we had to leave the island and go to Brunswick.

starrs

"For dining, we had to leave the island and go to Brunswick."

By contrast, I've gone for 20 years and never gone off island for a meal...except when someone wanted to go to Spanky's just over the bridge. There have always been a variety of options on Jekyll.

There will be even more in the future. Jekyll is in the midst of a revitalization and there will be a new beach village, the new convention center is well underway and there will be more/newer options to choose from. The contract originally went to the developer of Reynolds Plantation at Lake Oconee. They (Linger Longer) pulled out of the contract due to the recession and the new contracts have been issued to 3 new developers. Many of the south end hotels have been razed but there's a brand new Hampton Inn that is very nice. The north end hotels are still pretty much the same, which IMO is very good because I love one in particular. The Jekyll Island Club has several dining options with very fine dining in the Dining Room. Conventions have been moved to "tents" on the grounds of the Jekyll Island Club but they aren't the kind of tents you'd expect to see. Solid flooring, vaulted ceilings, skylights = a much better convention experience than the former convention center. The north end of the island remains residential - unchanged, which IMO is a very good thing as well.

Surf casting is allowed on the beaches of Jekyll but the better fishing is found at the fishing pier. Charter boats are available for marsh or ocean fishing.

I know I sound like a big fan. I am. Jekyll on the Atlantic and Indian Pass/Cape San Blas on the gulf are my favorite domestic beach locations - mainly because they are low key, not fancy, but wonderfully relaxed beach destinations. One negative for many is the color of the water at Jekyll. At times the water can have a brownish tinge to it. The water is not "dirty" but stained with tannic acid from the marsh. That's can be a turnoff for some.

I have no idea if the OP is still even reading, but if so here's a photo gallery that shows the beach and the water. This small hotel specializes in weddings (as does the Jekyll Island Club). I usually stay at the hotel next door and just love watching the wedding parties pose for the pictures on the lawn, bridge and beach.
http://www.beachviewweddings.com/

The beach is wide and long. The water is usually warm and welcoming. The stars are bright overhead. There are a few oceanfront homes, but the majority of the houses are within a few blocks of the beach. One day I'll own one of them...I hope.