Happy Holidays & Online Book Resources

Posted on December 25, 2014 by Melanie Kramer Realtor

Happy Holidays!

Wishing you and yours the very best of the Holiday Season. Thank you for another great year. I look forward to serving you in the New Year!

Online Book Resources

I don’t know what it is about this time of year. After the presents are open and the special dinner plates cleaned and put away for next year, I love settling in with a good book. Of course now a days that could mean on a tablet or an audible too.

Whether you are looking to do a little reading over the holidays or waiting for the kids to get back to school, here are a few valuable and free online book resources to enjoy over winter break and beyond.

Library’s have long been a great resource for free books. The Live Oak Public Library system offers online magazines, ebooks, audibles and movies – all free with your library card. And if you’re looking for a book that isn’t available at your local library, but is available within the Live Oak system, you can order it and have it delivered to which ever library is most convenient for you. Check the Live Oak Library website for more details.

Google Books has a searchable library of books and magazines. Often you can download them in pdf form or in an epub form depending on how you like to enjoy your online reading.

The University of Pennsylvania has opened up their online collection to the general public. Search over 2 million online titles in their library.

The Georgia Download Destination offers a collection of downloadable public domain titles in epub format. If you need information about epub formats and readers please check out this great article from ePubBud.

Bartleby’s offers a collection of classic literature and reference as well as poems. Most are available to be read on which ever device you surf the net with.

Amazon Prime isn’t just free 2-day shipping. They also offer the Kindle Owners Lenders Library. The library works on all Kindle devices. Choose from more than 600,000 books. Borrow for free with no due dates and the list includes current and former best sellers! If you have a Kindle and you’re not on Prime, you can set up a 30 day free trial here.

If you’re on the go this holiday season you may find Audible offers a great way to catch up on some of your “reading” while cruising down the interstate or spending time navigating airports. Audible is an Amazon company and also offering a 30 day free trial!

On that note, podcasts about books is also a great way to find new titles and engage with an online community that may be into the same genre or author. Barnes & Noble shares a studio page with book recordings, this is especially fun with children’s books. They also showcase interviews with authors and general news about books.

Happy reading!

If you have any favorite online books resources please share them in the comments below. I’d love to add them to our list!

Melanie Kramer
Keller Williams Realty Coastal Area Partners
912-459-5001 Office
912-658-1390 Cell Direct

One Week Countdown to Holiday Events in the Coastal Empire

Posted on December 18, 2014 by Melanie Kramer Realtor

With one week left until Christmas and a few candles lit on the menorah I’m hoping you will find time to enjoy a few of these Holiday Events.

Whether you’re out doing a little last minute shopping or you’ve been organized since before Thanksgiving, the Savannah / Richmond Hill areas offers plenty of activities and Lights.

Christmas Tradition Show at The Savannah Theatre runs through, December 24th – including afternoon performances. The show runs 2-3 hours and delights people of all ages. The Savannah Theatre opened in 1818 which makes it one of the oldest of its kind still operating in the United States. The Art Deco style will transport you back to the 1940s and adds a certain level of magic to all the events held there.

The Savannah Harbor Foundation Festival of Lights & Winter Wonderland is great family fun! Running through December 28th the event features a drive through light show around the Hutchinson Island Road Course. You can even take a tour bus if you don’t feel like driving it yourself. There is a fun zone for the kids and the kids at heart in Bryan Square along with holiday food and drink vendors. A ferris wheel is up on the Riverfront Esplanade. Inside the hotel the annual gingerbread village competition is not to be missed – makes me hungry just thinking about it. And of course a holiday event wouldn’t be complete without a picture with Santa.

Discover a Victorian Christmas at the birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low. The home where the Girl Guides Founder spent her childhood is on the corner of Bull Street and Oglethorpe Avenue in Savannah’s historic district and is open for tours through December 30th. Not only will you tour this historic gem of a home, you will have the added bonus of experiencing Victorian holiday customs, games and decorations.

How about a little winter activity in the Martin Luther King Jr. Arena at the Savannah Civic Center. Enjoy an afternoon or evening on the ice under a the twinkling lights. Skatefest runs through January 3rd.

This year the Habersham YMCA is bringing the snow! The Winter Wonderland features real snow, hot chocolate and cookies, story time and dancing to favorite holiday classics. I hear Santa might even make an appearance. Winter Wonderland is one night only, Thursday December 18th.

Stop by the Forsyth Park Inn for a little holiday cheer. Enjoy the beautifully decorated parlor while treating yourself to fresh baked goodies and hot apple cider or hot chocolate. The open house runs noon -2 daily through January 2nd.

This is my favorite time of year to enjoy a carriage ride through Savannah’s historic district. Pick up a coffee or hot chocolate in City Market and enjoy a personal tour with historic stories and holiday lights.

New Years Eve brings another round of entertainment and parties. Both City Market and the Savannah River Front offer a festival like atmosphere with music and fireworks. Tybee Island offers holiday celebrations New Years Eve.

Wishing you and yours the very best of the holiday season!

Melanie Kramer
Keller Williams Realty Coastal Area Partners
912-459-5001 Office
912-658-1390 Cell Direct

Best Places to See Holiday Lights in The Coastal Empire

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Melanie Kramer Realtor

With all the holiday lights the Coastal Empire shines this time of year.

I love seeing homes and businesses in the Richmond Hill area where I live decked out for the holidays. Savannah and the surrounding communities offer many holiday light displays for your viewing pleasure.

Private Homes

A casual drive around the Coastal Empire will net a great show of holiday lights but Southern Mamas has compiled a growing list of private homes that go all out and have become a bit of a destination for the holiday light enthusiast.

And the holidays wouldn’t be complete without a little Clark Griswald action. The Peabody Light Show in Savannah is featured on the Tacky Light Tour. Here’s hoping we all get to toast with eggnog in moose head cups this year!

Holiday Lights Events

The Festival of Lights seems to grow every year. Located at the Westin on Hutchinson Island, the Festival of Lights and Winter Carnival features the not to be missed Gingerbread Village inside the hotel and a drive through light show around the road course. A Ferris wheel and other carnival rides are set up on Bryan Square.

Old Town Trolley Tours provides tours around the light show – a great way to allow everyone in your party to enjoy the holiday lights.

Looking for an evening stroll through a half a million sparkling lights? The December Nights & Holiday Lights at the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens showcase 10 acres with a self guided walking tour through themed gardens and the historic farm house. Most of the displays are stroller and wheelchair friendly.

The shops and restaurants in Richmond Hill participate in a friendly holiday decorating contest. Voting for Light up the Hill runs through December 18^th. Come by, support local and don’t forget to vote!

The Guido Gardens in Metter offer a FREE Night of Lights tour. Although the gardens are open 24 hours the lights are only on from 6-9 PM.

TMT Farms Christmas Lights Display in Statesboro is FREE to experience but they do accept non perishable food items to help those in need this holiday season.

Holiday Lights Road Trips

Shopping trips and visits to family often find us on the road this time year and there are amazing holiday light events that are worth the road trip.

Hilton Head is a great day trip from the Savannah area and offers two wonderful displays. The center piece of Harbour Town Lights features a 30 foot Christmas tree with activities and live entertainment. The Dove Street Festival of Lights at Shelter Cove Towne Centre has been a Hilton Head holiday tradition for 20 years.

The Holiday Festival of Lights at James Island County Park in Charleston features over two million lights!

The Atlanta area offers many beautiful light displays. The Garden Lights, Holiday Nights at the Atlanta Botanical Garden are simply amazing.

If you come across any holiday light displays you’d like to see on the list please drop me a line. I’d be happy to add them.

Wishing you and yours the very best of the holiday season!

Melanie Kramer
Keller Williams Realty Coastal Area Partners
912-459-5001 Office
912-658-1390 Cell Direct

25 Brisbon Hall Lane, Richmond Hill, GA 31324

Posted on December 8, 2014 by Melanie Kramer Realtor

CLICK HERE to take a virtual tour.

Low Country Living

Featuring a large master suite with a bonus space perfect for a sitting room, a nursery or a home office.

25 Brisbon Hall Lane is located in Bryan County in a convenient neighborhood – close to everything within the city limits! The private cul de sac home features two bedrooms downstairs and a kitchen with an island.

Do you have pets? The back yard is completely fenced in with gate access.

A termite bond in place and this property requires No Flood insurance!

This gem would make a great second home for anyone looking to enjoy a little southern coastal living.

Special Features at 25 Brisbon Hall Lane, Richmond Hill, GA 31324

MLS #: 123167
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2
Total Sq. Feet: 1,508
Dishwasher
Microwave
Refrigerator
Electric Stove
Double Vanities
High Ceilings
Laundry Room
Ceiling Fan
Hardwood Floors
Ceramic Tile

For more information about this property, please contact Melanie Kramer at 912-658-1390 or melaniekramer@kw.com.

For more listings in the Richmond Hill area please visit: www.melaniekramer.com

Melanie Kramer
Keller Williams Realty Coastal Area Partners
912-459-5001 Office
912-658-1390 Cell Direct

Selling Your Home During the Holidays

Posted on December 4, 2014 by Melanie Kramer Realtor

Believe it or not the Holidays are not a horrible time to sell your home.

Life happens – even in the middle of a busy family season! January is a popular time for relocations. Company’s often transfer people to start new jobs or positions the first of the new year. Children are on break in December and free to travel to help their parent’s house hunt.

And this time of year I find myself talking to southern living enthusiasts tired of the cold weather and ready for a warmer winter. Recently I spoke with a resident of New Jersey who has been hunting online for a home in the Savannah / Richmond Hill area. I’m always happy to help our friends that are “over the ice and snow” find the perfect home here in the Coastal Empire.

Buyers during this time of year:

tend to have more time to look for houses
are often serious and highly motivated

Sellers during this time of year:

have fewer houses to compete with
must be motivated to sell, the holidays are stressful enough

Tips for selling your home during the Holidays

Decorate your home but be careful not to overdo it. Homes often look their best during the holidays but it is important not to add clutter. Use smaller decorations and simple color schemes. Less is more.

Curb appeal is important this time of year. When the leaves fall and expose more of the home it’s a good idea to do a little fall cleaning when you’re hanging the wreath.

Flameless battery operated candles will create a warm and homey feel. Placed around the home they offer an extra glow that is both safe and welcoming. If you have a fireplace, these candles displayed in the hearth can make a beautiful impression.

Use scents sparingly, especially before a viewing. What smells great to you may not to another and allergies can also be a concern.

Using video to share your home is a great way to capture interest from those house hunters with limited time during the holidays or living out of state and hunting online. This is where I come in. I have a professional photography session for each of my listings and use the images to create a video to showcase your home.

Whether you’re a buyer or a seller, or maybe both, I can help lift the weight from your shoulders and make sure you have enough time to enjoy the season.

Please call or email me today for more information or questions about selling your home during the holidays.

Melanie Kramer
Keller Williams Realty Coastal Area Partners
912-459-5001 Office
912-658-1390 Cell Direct

Happy Thanksgiving

Posted on November 27, 2014 by Melanie Kramer Realtor

This is a great time of year to share my gratitude. I love living in Richmond Hill and as a Realtor, I love sharing the homes and quality of life the area offers.

Thank you for another great year! Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Life’s big events don’t tend to pay attention to the holiday calendar and that includes moving. Here are a few ideas that might help this holiday season.

Crock Pot Love

It’s hard to plan and pack when we should be basting the turkey. So how can you organize a move and still dress the table with something special? With the greatest invention for the perpetual multi-tasker – the crock pot!

Check out these 23 Thanksgiving Dishes You Can Make In A Crock Pot.

Move Your Body

Planning for a move can take up a lot of our free time. In the beginning we do it around our work and daily schedules and then it seems to take over.

It’s important to continue to exercise, even if just 10 minute sessions and especially on turkey day. Exercise reduces stress and keeps our heads clear for all the decisions a move requires.

Check out these 3 Thanksgiving Workouts

Treat Yourself

You’ll be forgiven if this year you don’t go all out. Many restaurants are open and will be happy to host a gathering. Save yourself the mess of cooking and cleaning up after and take the family out.

Yelp offers great suggestions and reviews for eating out during the holidays.

Happy Holidays!

Melanie Kramer
Keller Williams Realty Coastal Area Partners
912-459-5001 Office
912-658-1390 Cell Direct

1053 St. Catherine CR Richmond Hill, GA 31324

Posted on November 21, 2014 by Melanie Kramer Realtor

CLICK HERE to take a Virtual Tour

Join the many pleased owners of a RJ Reynolds home and live the lifestyle The Bluffs can offer with a 1.75 acre full brick Estate. Bring the outdoors in with screened living area with fireplace. Custom shelving, a laundry chute, and mudroom cubbies make life easier. The 6th bedroom is a bonus and the garage features a 3rd bay for the golf cart.

Special Features at 1053 St. Catherine CR Richmond Hill, GA 31324

MLS Number: 121952
Bedrooms: 6
Bathrooms: 4 full and 1 half
Approx. Sq. Ft.: 3500
R J Reynolds Construction Full Brick! with 3 Bay Garage on 1.75 Acre Lot
Community: Pool Community, Playground Community, Clubhouse, Street Lights & Sidewalks

For more information about this property, please contact Melanie Kramer at 912-658-1390 or melaniekramer@kw.com. You can also text 2435539 to 67299.

For more listings please visit: www.melaniekramer.com

Melanie Kramer
Keller Williams Realty Coastal Area Partners
912-459-5001 Office
912-658-1390 Cell Direct

Savannah Neighborhoods: from the Historic District to Tybee Island

Posted on November 21, 2014 by Melanie Kramer Realtor

The Savannah Richmond Hill area offer many residential communities with prices and amenities to fit your budget and lifestyle. Today we’ll explore Savannah Neighborhoods from the Historic District out to Tybee Island via Victory Drive.

The Historic District

The “Hostess City of the South”, established in 1733, is the heart of the Savannah area. For the most part the city has maintained its original plan and is a walkable community laid out around 22 park like squares shaded by live oaks and Spanish Moss.

The homes are stately, historic (the oldest buildings date back to the 1700’s) and offer a full range of architecture styles including an area of Victorian homes. Since the 1950s, there has been a focus to reclaim and restore homes within the historic district. Many of the interiors feature hand carved wooden accents and modern updates to spaces with historic significance.

Elegant condos and town homes seamlessly blend into the landscape of the historic district and offer the charm and convenience of living in town.

Thunderbolt

Thunderbolt is a small town that was once the shipping point for many of the local plantations making it a perfect spot for those looking for something close to water.

Incorporated in 1856, Thunderbolt offers both historic and new construction homes as well as condo communities.

Whitemarsh and Wilmington Islands

Located half way between the historic district and Tybee Island, these islands offer wonderful residential neighborhoods with the convenience of in town living. Most of the homes and condos are within a few minutes of shopping and doctor’s offices.

Here you can find new construction as well as homes dating back to the 1950’s.

Looking for water access? This area is rich with water ways that could take you just about anywhere you’d care to go. Homes on the marshes tend to offer floating docks that move in relation to the tides.

Tybee Island

Looking for a fun and funky beach house? Tybee Island is a relatively quiet beach community. The condos and homes that line the beach lean a little more toward rental properties, but less than a block from the beach you will find the locals. Most of the construction dates back to the 1920’s through the 1950’s, but you can still find new construction and active renovation projects.

What sounds like home to you? Please call or email me today for more information or questions about your relocation needs!

Melanie Kramer
Keller Williams Realty Coastal Area Partners
912-459-5001 Office
912-658-1390 Cell Direct

Haunted Homes in the Savannah Area

Posted on October 30, 2014 by Melanie Kramer Realtor

Stories of Haunted Homes in the Savannah area are as common as front porches. The number of successful ghost tour companies operating in the area are a testament to the number of people interested in hearing them. This time of year many people come in numbers to take an evening stroll, trolley, horse drawn carriage or even a hearse around town in hopes of catching a glimpse of Savannah’s haunted history.

Many homes, bed & breakfasts, hotels and restaurants share the tellings of paranormal experiences. It’s not surprising. Savannah’s history, with it’s massive fires, yellow fever epidemics and cemetery foundation is prime real estate for ghost stories.

“Sometimes you got to commune with the dead.” Or so says Minerva in ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’.

Haunted Homes in Savannah

Hampton Lillibridge House: 507 East St. Julian Street – Built in 1796

Jim Williams, of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil fame and a well-known Savannah restoration expert purchased the home in 1963 and had it moved to its current location. During the restoration process many of the workers reported hearing voices, laughing and footsteps. Although Jim reportedly dismissed the presence of any paranormal activity within a few weeks of moving in he had an exorcism performed on the house.

Sorrel Weed House: 6 W Harris St – Built 1836

The Sorrel Weed House is one of Savannah’s largest homes and like most homes on tour in the area comes with stories of figures in the windows and disembodies voices. My favorite is that of a women in black walking the courtyard. This home was also featured on Ghost Hunters during it’s first Halloween special on SyFy channel.

Laura’s Cottage: State Street

Laura’s cottage is a rustic vacation rental in Savannah’s historic district. I heard first hand from a couple about their experiences while staying there. Although they never felt nervous they were aware this was going to be a vacation like none other. Within a few hours of arriving, the couple were sitting on the sofa reading the stories of past visitors to the cabin when the deck of cards their young child had been playing with, cut it self, the top half hovering for a split second before hitting the floor. Throughout the month they would misplace small items only to have them show up somewhere unexpected. And one night they were woken by the voice of a women singing. Would they stay there again? “Absolutely” they said.

There are so many to choose from and haunted homes aren’t just located in the historic district of Savannah, Tybee Island, the Plantation in Richmond Hill and many of the surrounding areas are rich with hauntings and spirits.

So if you, like my friends visiting Laura’s Cottage, are looking for something a little extra special with your next home purchase I’d be happy to find it for you.

Melanie Kramer
Keller Williams Realty Coastal Area Partners
912-459-5001 Office
912-658-1390 Cell Direct

Exploring Film Locations in Savannah

Posted on October 23, 2014 by Melanie Kramer Realtor

With the Savannah Film Festival kicking off this weekend I got to thinking about some of our beautiful southern homes and locations that have graced the silver screen.

The film locations in Savannah can be a fun adventure for any film buff but is also a great way to see the area when visiting during a scouting trip for a relocation move.

You may be familiar with a couple of the most popular films shot here, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and Forrest Gump. Both were set and filmed in the Savannah area. But the list doesn’t start or stop there. There are so many, you can even take a 90 minute narrated tour of film locations.

Exploring Film Locations in Savannah

A few years ago Robert Redford transformed Savannah’s historic district into 1865 Washington, DC when he filmed The Conspirator.

The Harper Fowlkes House at 230 Barnard St is a Greek revival mansion built in 1842 is one of many homes open for tours.

Laura’s cottage, an old slave cabin on State Street was used as the lawyer’s home in the film and is also available as a vacation rental.

The Last Song used a variety of locations on Tybee Island and the Savannah Coast.

A running story line throughout the film was the burning of a community church. The church was built as a temporary set for the film, but ended up as a permanent structure. The church was moved to its current location on highway 80 just as you enter Tybee Island and is now used as a wedding chapel.

How about that scene in Something to Talk About where Julia Robert’s character tears Dennis Quaid a new one on the streets of Savannah?

The Six Pence Pub at 245 Bull Street is a true English Pub complete with an old red phone box out front. The food is great and the atmosphere fun. A great place for an afternoon stop.

Believe it or not, the set dressers of CBGB turned Congress St into New York City cir. 1973.

Congress St. is lined with pubs and shops and with a little imagination was transformed into the famous CBGB (which stands for Country, Blue Grass, and Blues) on the Bowery and Bleeker Streets in the East Village.

A tour of filming locations in Savannah wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Leapold’s Ice Cream shop on Broughton Street. It’s owner Stratton Leopold still produces movies and film memorabilia decorates the walls of the 1930s themed ice cream shop.

About the Savannah Film Festival

Each fall the Savannah College of Art and Design hosts the festival which presents a variety of competition film screenings, workshops, panels and lectures. More than 40,000 people attend and support the craft of filmmaking including award-wining professionals and emerging student filmmakers.

Please call or email me today for more information or questions about your relocation needs!

Melanie Kramer
Keller Williams Realty Coastal Area Partners
912-459-5001 Office
912-658-1390 Cell Direct