Community Profile: Historic Downtown Savannah

Savannah's founder, General James Oglethorpe, had already planned the layout of Downtown Savannah when he arrived here in 1733. His progressive ideology involved an interactive mix of architecture and green space with the intent of blending peoples from all walks of life.

Per his plans, Historic Downtown Savannah is a blend of stately homes and townhouses along with a stock of commercial spaces all centered around the original squares. The famous squares of downtown Savannah are lush green spaces shaded by magnificent live oaks dripping Spanish moss. Benches set beneath the trees allow visitors and residents alike to witness the blur of activity. From horse drawn carriage tours to darting bicycle messengers modern day Downtown Savannah is a unique microcosm that serves to confirm its founder's original intent as a vibrant urban melting pot.

Perhaps ironically, Georgia's First City is also home to the most cutting-edge art school in America, Savannah College of Art and Design. It has called downtown Savannah home for 30 years and has grown in prestige from oddball upstart status to international acclaim, all along keeping its feet firmly planted in the heart of the city.

-- Savannah College of Art and Design
-- Streetscape
-- Squares
-- Unique old structures
-- Boutiques, restaurants and galleries
-- Forsyth Park

KW Cares Top 10 donors

Recently Keller Williams President Mary Tennant characterized the philosophy at Keller Williams as 'a culture of success' during her State of the Culture address at the Mega Leadership Camp, and “At the heart of our culture is our shared commitment to help those in need,” she said.

This commitment was the motivating passion of Chairman Mo Anderson whom in  2003 established KW Cares. A 501(c)(3)  public charity that raises money through Keller Williams offices across North America. Today it is supported by all KW associates. This charity is the heart of the Keller Williams Realty culture in action – finding and serving the higher purpose of business through charitable giving in the communities where our agents live and work.  KW Cares continues to support extraordinary personal challenges of Keller Williams associates and their families, in need during times of regional, national, and personal crisis.

2013 certainly saw it’s fair share of natural disasters and Keller Williams associates supported each other in big ways including the wildfires in Colorado and Hurricane Sandy in the Northeast. Every Keller Williams team has their own way of giving back to their communities, including those of the KW Cares that they are involved in. See The Don Callahan Team's community involvement. See Keller Williams top 10 donors at the video below:

Big Weekend with Savannah Events

This weekend in Savannah there are two big events that are a must go. Saturday from 11-6pm at Daffin Park WellFed hosts Food Day. Food Day is a nationwide celebration and a movement for healthy, affordable, and sustainable food. More than 4,500 events in all 50 states are happening to celebrate Food Day in 2013! Here in Savannah our event includes over 25 FREE workshops and classes with topics as organic gardening, cooking classes, sustainable living, nutrition, and more. This year, the festival is also partnering with the city of Savannah’s Play Streets event, making this two festivals in one. Play Streets will include free children’s fitness activities, such as bicycle courses, a skating rink, obstacle course and more. Read more at www.wellfedsavannah.com 

Also This weekend starting on Saturday is the week long Savannah Film Festival. The Savannah College of Art and Design presents the annual festival, filled with cinematic creativity from both award-winning professionals and emerging student filmmakers. Each year more than 40,000 people attend the eight day Savannah Film Festival. The festival is host to a wide variety of competition film screenings, special screenings, workshops, panels, and lectures. – See more at: http://filmfest.scad.edu/ and view this short video on what defines an artistfrom the 2011 Film Festival

Mortgages Rates Rising & QM Standards in 2014 are Loans Hard to Get?

An analysis of home loans showed that 1 in 5 current mortgages would not meet the qualified

mortgage safe harbor standard that goes into effect in January.

What the New Rule Means for Borrowers:

AOL Real Estate:  "Under a provision in the Dodd-Frank Act, lenders must verify a mortgage applicant's ability to repay the loan. A borrower's debt-to-income ratio must be 43 percent or lower, plus the mortgage rate needs to be close to the national average prime mortgage rate (within 1.5 percentage points for first-lien loans and within 3.5 percentage points for subordinate-lien loans).

The new QM thresholds take effect Jan. 10, 2014, which will not only impact lenders' liability, but also consumers' ability to qualify for home loans."
Read more: http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2013/10/23/dodd-frank-qualified-mortgage-standard/

Marketwatch: “The average credit score among borrowers who received a mortgage in September was 732, down from a peak of 750 a year prior…. To be sure, the bar to getting a mortgage remains high. Applicants who were denied a mortgage in September had an average FICO score of 696 …”
Read more: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/mortgage-lenders-ease-credit-score-standards-2013-10-16

The Toledo Blade: ”…the regulations also could have the unintended effect of making it more difficult for many working-class families to qualify for mortgage loans offered by major banks.”
Read more at http://www.toledoblade.com/Real-Estate/2013/10/13/Middle-class-buyers-may-feel-squeeze-of-new-mortgage-rules.html

How Are The Banks Doing? 

“SunTrust Banks said Tuesday it will eliminate 800 jobs nationwide, including in Charlotte, the result of a slowdown in its home-loan refinancing business.” “ … with mortgage rates rising this year, lenders have seen weakening demand for refinancing loans. That has led banks, including Charlotte-based Bank of America and San Francisco-based Wells Fargo, to trim the work force that processes those applications.”

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/10/15/4390442/suntrust-to-eliminate-charlotte.html#.UmfsWvkWKQA

Maybe now is the time to by before rates get higher and loan standards get tougher. Search the MLS for free here: http://www.realestateinsavannah.net/

Find Your Tribe

Gina Bianchini has been making a difference for women and entrepreneurs in helping them find their way to achieving their goals. Gina is the founder of Mightybell and co-founder of Leanin.org and Ning. Gina is all about helping others create communities where people of like minds can come together, learn and share in groups.

In this short video Gina talks about the mind of an entrepreneur and how creating or finding your own circle of interests can help in supporting you to achieving your dreams. 

http://www.inman.com/2013/10/21/gina-bianchini-has-started-3-companies-and-knows-how-to-think-like-an-entrepreneur/

Savannah,GA Well Known For Our Food

Travel & Leisure magazine just announced that Savannah GA is in the top 10 best cities to visit in the nation. This distinguished placement is based on ratings in six categories; culture, friendliness, atmosphere, restaurants, lodging, and shopping. 

With the famous Paula Deen and her culinary family hailing from Savannah, we are known for our great food. Among some fantastic restaurants we also have lots of festivals that either include or feature some mouth-watering eats.

Coming next weekend, Saturday Oct 26th is a nationwide celebration (the largest in the country), Savannah Food Day which will be held at Daffin Park, and it's free. There will be everything from a Farmers' Market, workshops, live 

music, and activities for the kids. Of course there will also be delicious treats from some of Savannah's favorite restaurants. Read about the workshops schedule, vendors, and more here: http://wellfedsavannah.com/foodday/

Ahh but there is still more to look forward to in the near future. There will be a week-long festival coming November 11- 17: The Savannah Food & Wine Festival which will feature James Beard Award winning chefs, and some of the historic city's best chefs. Pick up a delicious Crab Bisque recipe and read more about the festival here: http://blog.savannahvisit.com/what-is-hot-in-savannah/savfood-wine-november/

Our food is so good that we have the First Squares Food Tour. What is a food tour you ask? Here is a quote directly from their website: A food tour with Savannah Taste Experience is a 3-hour walking and tasting tour where you will enjoy a fun, one-of-a-kind culinary experience while strolling through the gardens and historic, cultural landmarks of the squares of Savannah, the Hostess City of the South. Read more about the tours here: http://www.savannahtasteexperience.com/

We also have several Savannah Cookbooks, some which are; Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House Cookbook, Paula Deen - The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook, and several books and editions of The Savannah Cookbook.

Quaint Bungalow For Sale in Savannah, GA

Listing Details

302 East 55th Street, Savannah, GA
Bedrooms: 3
Baths: 2.5
Year Built: 1950
Living Area 2,162 Sq. Ft.
Offered at: $330,000
MLS Number: 114959

Quaint and Cozy Bungalow

This fabulous Ardsley Park home is located on a quiet block within easy walking distance of Hull Park. The front porch has handsome iron railing, and there is a large, welcoming entrance foyer. All rooms are well-sized throughout the house. The living room is generously sized with a fireplace and tons of natural light. The separate dining room sits immediately adjacent to the living room for easy dinner parties. The sharp, galley style kitchen with built-in desk, has updated all stainless steel appliances including double ovens and gas cooktop. There is a large den/family room or an office with built-ins, a wet bar and beautiful French doors that led to the rear garden. On the same floor are three good-sized bedrooms and two baths. There is also a utility/mud room with access to the garage and yard. The home has been extremely well maintained and is in move-in ready condition.

Location Location Location

From the house it is an easy jaunt to red-hot Habersham Village with its bars, restaurants and shops including Barberito's burrito bar, TailsSpin pet store, Bikram yoga studio and Bella’s restaurant, and Deli Coffee cafe to name a few. In addition the property is close to two hospitals and convenient to the Truman Parkway and Abercorn St with all of its shopping plazas. Less than two miles to the new Whole Foods and the bustling Victory/Skidaway corridor. Ten minutes to the heart of Historic Savannah, this is a great location, an awesome house with the right price.

See more about this listing.

Couple promises $10 million to keep Head Start programs running

As the shutdown drags on my irritation rises, and my tolerance for over the top media coverage on the subject wanes at each passing day. So it is nice to see some good news surrounding the shutdown for a change. Maybe you heard this in the news; two philanthropists, Laura and John Arnold, donated up to $10 million to help keep National Head Start programs running during the shutdown.

Read a CBS article here and/or watch the short CBS video.


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Decorating Your Outdoor Living Space

Now that the weather is a bit cooler it is just delightful to be relaxing outside. I like to think of my backyard and patio as extended living space. Here a few ideas on how to decorate that extra room for relaxing and entertaining.

From Savannah’s Interior Design store 24e

24e Cypress Swing Bed 24 East Broughton Street

A step outside is how far away your new favorite destination could be. With a 24e Signature Line Cypress Swing Bed just outside your back door…

http://www.24estyle.com/products/24e-cyprus-swing-bed

Refined Rustic Back Porch Southern Living

Decorator Cindy Smith of Circa Interiors, Charlotte, NC, used purple accents in addition to wood, metal, and stone to create a refined, rustic back porch design. http://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/gardens/front-back-screen-porch-patio-00417000071944/page67.html 

Bungalow Porch
Southern Living

An extra-long porch swing anchors this porch space and, at 7 feet long, invites stretching out for long afternoon naps. The swing is hung the swing by ropes to give it a more natural look. A brightly patterned outdoor rug pops against neutral tones. http://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/gardens/front-back-screen-porch-patio-00417000071944/page3.html

Mansion For Sale: Swim In Your Living Room

A solar powered home with a grand foyer, hall with 24 ft walls that frame the pool in the living room. If this mansion in New Jersey is a bit much then look for historic homes in downtown Savannah GA, or quaint bungalows in the popular Ardsley park neighborhood, here.

How to Stop Condensation in the Crawl Space Under Your Home

If after all the rain we have had this summer you have developed some mold or condensation problem in the crawlspace under your home. Here are a few suggestions to help solve this problem.

Watch a one minute video from Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford plus a here a few more tips:

• Assess Damage: To get an idea of what you are going to have to do you need to check out the amount, and extent, of the mold problem. If you decide not to remove the wood completely these are your next steps. If you are concerned about having found some mold here is a video , from the National Mold Resource Center, that talks about physical symptoms of having been exposed to black mold.
•  Prepare For Mold Removal: It's important for you to wear a toxic chemical protective suit, and mask.
• Apply Mold Removal Chemicals: This is generally for a small mold outbreak. It will kill the mold, but you will still have to remove it from the surface with a scraper.
  
• Blast Mold: If the mold has been able to grow for some period of time before you noticed it then you will need to use a surface blaster.

If you want to stay away from all these problems, then have a mold inspection before buying a home. If you are a homeowner already then you should either inspect the home yourself or have a professional do it every few years. This will help you to eradicate an infestation at an early stage.

Prevention: Once you have gotten rid of the mold you have here are some steps towards prevention.

• Not Enough Vent Space: You may need more ventilation in the crawl space. The rule of thumb is to have at least one square foot of vent area for every 150 square feet of crawl space.
• Inadequate Cross Ventilation: You also need to have adequate cross ventilation with vents on all sides of your house, not just two.
• No Plastic Ground Cover: The plastic sheeting should be covering the ground of the crawl space, to keep moisture from coming up through the soil, not stapled beneath the insulation.
• Leaky or Un-insulated Ductwork: If you have ductwork for your HVAC system under your house, have it inspected for any air leaks, and to make sure it has enough insulation to prevent condensation on the outside of the ducts when the air conditioner is running during the summer.
• Add Fan Venting: If you’re still having problems, have a small fan installed on one of the vents with a humidistat set to turn the fan on at 70% relative humidity to remove excess moisture from your crawl space. Be careful that you have no mold in your crawlspace before installing fans. Other wise the fans will simply blow the mold spores onto other surfaces.

Real estate agents in Savannah come together to offer a Mid-Century Modern Home Tour!

On October 10th from 5-7 pm there will be some outstanding homes in Savannah open for agents and prospective buyers to tour.

For further details see the  website at: http://www.savannahmodernhome.com/ 

   

  

Join Us! Call Don Callahan @ Keller Williams Realty | 912-441-4416

Are You Stealing Time From Yourself?

"When you gamble with your time, you may be placing a bet you can't cover." ~Gary Keller

Deciding to Buy

Purchasing a property is most likely the biggest financial decision you will ever make. Whether this is your first purchase or you are an experienced buyer, this decision must be made carefully. Don talks briefly about how the real estate business works for buyers in Savannah, GA View Don's listing here.

Government Shutdown Hurting Our Industry?

Government Shutdown Won't Shutdown FHA – Inman News, Sep 30, 2013

Despite reports to the contrary, the Federal Housing Administration will not stop processing loan applications in the event of a government shutdown …
Read the article: http://www.inman.com/2013/09/30/government-shutdown-wont-shut-down-fha/

Government Shutdown Risks Hurting The Housing Recovery – Forbes, Oct. 1 2013

…. New loans will continue to push through most government agency pipelines. What will change is how long the process takes, as many agencies expect to experience delays. …

Read the article: http://www.forbes.com/sites/morganbrennan/2013/10/01/heres-how-the-government-shutdown-will-affect-housing/

10 Most Cities Most At Risk To A Government Shutdown - Forbes, Oct. 1 2013

…. Trulia chief economist Jed Kolko broke down the 10 cities that could be most affected, based on the percentage of total local wages that go to federal employees in the each of the 100 largest metro areas. ….

View the List with Photos http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mhj45efikd/introduction-62/

Get government shutdown updates from Realtor.com: http://www.realtor.org/articles/government-shutdown-updates