Local input on Richmond Hills neighborhoods? (Savannah, Brunswick: appointed, for sale, rentals)

[Michelle Tucker]

Relocating to the area and seeking some input from the locals.

We have tagged a few homes in the Richmond Hills area. Looking for some insight into these neighborhoods:

1. Waterford Landing
2. Mainstreet
3. Sterling Creek

We have also toyed with the idea of buying a condo (long term - a vacation home).

1. Mercer Point - Whitemarsh
2. Merritt - Whitemarsh


Any sugguestions, good or bad would be greatly appreciated. In addition if there is any other neighborhoods that would be a great place to raise a young child. HOA are not an issue and actually would prefer one.

Thank you in advance for your help/suggestions.


Michelle

[hmolah]

Hi Michelle-

I just relocated to the RH area a whole 2 weeks ago, but I can try to help with my limited knowledge!

I have heard great things about Waterford Landing, though I've never visited. We currently live off of 144 and like the area a lot. I can recommend 2 communities there that have an HOA and are very strict with great HOAs. The Cove is a housing community that is very nice. The Cove does have spacious homes with beautiful yards and lots of space. In fact, there are homes for sale in that community. If you'd like a condo in the RH area, I can definitely recommend River Oaks. That subdivision is very clean and offers a lot of ammenities. There are several condos for sale there as well. Also, River Oaks is a gated community. The only time the gate is open is during the hours of the model. The Cove is not gated. The Cove doesn't have a community center that I've observed, but River Oaks does. They have a gazebo, work-out community, pool, boat docks, and more. Since the Cove is homes, you have to live on the river itself to have a boat dock (I believe). I haven't observed any common area. Check out River Oaks at: www.riveroaksga.com I couldn't find a website for the Cove though.

I'm sorry, I don't have a lot more details to tell you. I can't comment on the other communities, but I can tell you that if you continue E/SE on 144 there are even more communities out there. We are still exploring the are ourselves! If you haven't yet, I'd go on a beautiful day like today and drive around. I've always heard to drive around a community at different times of the day/night to see how it is.

Good luck and feel free to PM me if you have anymore questions. I work with a couple of people that live there, in fact I know someone that lives in both communities and we're very close as well. They all say they love it!

Oh, and I hear the schools there (though we don't have children) are really good!

[Michelle Tucker]

hmolah: Thank you for the tips and suggestions. I am planning a trip next week to do some exploring and first hand previewing. We heard that Richmond Hills is a very desirable area for the schools.

I would love to hear from residents living in the neighborhoods, to see how involved the residents are. We would love to be in an area that has children. If you stumble on any great neighborhoods while out and about, keep me informed.

Thank you again for you input.

Michelle

[utennvolsfan]

Michelle-

We live in Richmond Hill as well, in a development called Richmond Hill Plantation. We're right off of 95 and 144, close to 17. It's a neighborhood still under development, so we don't have the community amenities a lot of places have yet. There's families, older residents (and by that I mean older than myself and my husband). It's quiet, but people are friendly and stop to chat -kids ride their bikes all over and play in the woods between houses.

I wouldn't say there are tremendous choices for dining out in RH, but you're close enough to Abercorn (RT 204), which has restaurants and shopping, and downtown Savannah.

The big disadvantage to Waterford Landing is access to the highway. We looked out there before we bought our house, but my husband is at Ft Stewart and I work in Brunswick. With no easy access to 95, getting to work for me would have been a huge pain (even more so than it is now ~ ).

I have been told by several people that the public schools in RH are listed as some of the best in Georgia.

Good luck with your search! And please feel free to drop me a PM if I can help at all!

[Michelle Tucker]

utennvolsfan - Thank you very much for the input.

I was able to get out to RH last weekend and explore the area a bit. A little disappointed with Main Street Community. The homes were your standard cookie cutter homes. It was a much bigger neighborhood than I was expecting. Many of the roads were straight aways, which concerns me with a speeding issue. I was also displeased at how many homeowners take no pride in their yards.

Otherwise, I like the easy access this neighborhood provided in reference to shopping, interstate and Hunter. I desire to be in an area that offers the walk-able community (shopping, grocery, etc) but I did not see that idea in the planning of RH.

I did stumble across a little neighborhood outside of Main Street called Parkside. It is ideal of what we are looking for. 10-20 homes on a culdesac. Yards maintained and beautfied. Does anyone know of any hidden neighborhoods like this?

Thank you to all for you help.

[gentlearts]

We are only looking, too, but we've focused in on a development called Buckhead. It looked very nice and seems just the sort of neighborhood we want..spacious lots, mature landscaping, good amenities.

[sarge11]

Not sure on the spelling,

[gpeach]

We looked for 3 years before finally buying a home. The schools are great, a few parks and is overall a nice place to live. As far as developments go what are you looking for? Yard, square footage, woods, amenitites..... What is your price range? I am not an agent just someone who took their good sweet time to make a choice and in a way knows way too much about all the developments out here.

Waterford Landing is beautiful golf community with affordable houses. Docks and marsh access. But it is about 15 miles from town and schools. And like the person above said not easy access to 95.

Mainstreet is the most convenient for schools. Kids can walk to school from there. There are some nice areas to it and a wide range of price ranges. Most convienient.

Sterling Creek I really don't like at all. There seem to be alot of homes that are rentals or people just not taking care of things. You can find some nice homes though here and there. But I personally just don't like it.

Here is a list of some that are 10-15 miles from town/95.

Buckhead - 10 miles out on 144. You can get a nice home on half an acre for around 219-239

Buckhead North - 10 miles out on 144. Those home are in the 350's and up.

Waterford Landing - Golfing, Fishing, Marsh, Boating but 15 miles from town. 175's and up

Jerico - A few miles closer to town. Larger lots and nice homes.

Belfast Kelly Road not a development but alot of homes on up to two acres. Around Jerico.

Dunham Marsh - Started as an upscale development still about 12 miles out. Now have some homes in the 250's up.

?? Right before Dunham. Can't remember name. - Homes in the 250's and up. Still building.

Some getting a little closer all right off of 144.

Oxford - Nice place. Larger yards and quiet. Normally around 250's but couple houses that recently sold for 190's.

Cove - Larger lots. Homes are about 10 years old. Prices in the 350's

Strathy Hall - Wide range of homes. Waterfront, older, newer, brand new..... It has four entrances.

Ford Plantation - Gated. 750's and up.

Richmond Hill Golf Plantation - New golf still very sparse and kinda ugly. Surely will be a very nice place in the future but just getting started. Right by Publix and few miles from town. 300's and up.

Sterling Woods: Waterfront and nice. 350's and up.

In town options:

Richmond Hill Plantation Cottages - 200's and up. Exisiting homes or build. They are filling up fast. Wooded, quiet and only a couple miles from the schools. 50 acre park across the street from entrance. Amenities will be done next around this time next year. The cottages are up to about 2600 sq ft.

Hickory Hill ( I think that is the name) Right near the cottage plantation above but has larger wooded lots. So far the homes are around 500's in there.

Turtle Hill. Right down the street. Nice cottage community. Pristine yards, trees. Was my second choice. Range from 200's to 235's. A 4bdm 2000 sq ft with a decent yard is higher end. The others 3 bdm with smaller yards.

Richmond Place : Most convient to 95. Wide range of homes and prices. Liked the neighborhood alot. Homes 200's and up. They are still building some.

Brisbon Hall: Cute small cottage development. Near RR tracks though. They have one cottage there for 165. Most in the 180-190 range.

Sterling Creek....... told you about that one. 120's and up
Piercefield Forest - Similar to Sterling Creek. 120's and up

Then there are some out past Buckhead. We have never gone out to them as they are farther out 144. Are nice and reasonable. Just too far. Bailey Plantation, Redbird Creek, Oak Pointe and some others.

Well hope that helps. If you search for remax richmond hill ga they have a nice website that when you search for homes it tells you the development and was a great help to me.

[Michelle Tucker]

gpeach: Thank you sooo much for input. You really covered alot. I was out there this past weekend and did some riding around. I visited some of the communities you mentioned. I think we are going to do your approach. Get a rental and spend some time really getting to know there subdivisions. Ideally we would love to be in a price range that would be able to rent if we get transferred, so I need to do some more research on the general neighborhoods.
Thank you again for your detailed list.

[outdoorman]

What ages are your kids? I moved here last year for the schools and lets just say the schools get carried away with enforcing rules. Children are generally pretty harshly penalized for breaking even the least of the rules. I didnt believe what I heard and read about the middle and high school until actually experiencing it. If you were like me and didnt believe reports until moving here with kids, you may be like me and others and expierience it first hand.