Funny story... I went to the BP gas station off Hwy 40 in St. Marys GA tonight and wanted to pay with quarters that I had gathered from our garage sale last weekend. The bill was $9.36. When I started putting my sets of 4 quarters down, I was told that they would NOT accept over $5 in quarters. WHAT??????? I smiled and sweet talked even though I could have just used my debit card. That wasn't the point. I should be able to pay in change no matter what the bill amount is. Now I could see if I tried to pay with 900 pennies (tee hee), but it was quarters. How ridiculous are vendors that they can actually be "picky" when it comes to someone wanting to pay in change??? I should've just walked. Anybody else run into this before? 07/14/2011

The St. Marys Police Department is pleased to announce an early start for fund raising efforts for the Badge of Benevolence.  The Badge of Benevolence program collects money, food, and clothing donations throughout the year in order to provide for families during the holidays. This program helped over thirty local families during this last Christmas holiday which provided each family Christmas dinner, gifts, clothing for the kids and family. The department is proud to give back to the community and we could not do it without the support of the local community.  So this year the department is hosting a 5K fun run, Dash for Donuts, Saturday April 16th beginning at 7:30 A.M. Registration is $20.00 per person through April 1, 2010; and $25.00 per person April 2nd through the day of the rac... 03/30/2011

I have several clients who have asked me  questions about RealtySoft.com and if these folks are worth it.  Let me preface this by saying these clients are Realtors who have been around for sometime but looking to save some money.  They have been told that RealtySoft.com is about $70 per month and they get a website, IDX, CRM and a print solution all for that price.  They are afraid to switch and are asking me for some advice.  So folks I am asking you  if you can tell me good or bad what your experiences have been.  I am looking into it now for one of my clients but wanted some input from you all.  Thanks for the help Wayne 03/30/2011

Yesterday in Waycross GA the National BBQ Festival held there 9th annual Smokin in the Swamp BBQ Competition.  Time restrictions did not allow us to enter the BBQ portion of the festival so we decided to enter the Apple Pie Competition because we only had to make a pie and drop it off and wait for the results. Nancy's apple pie recipe is in its third generation of existence.  Very little has changed over the years and the pie is pretty much the same.  So we decided it would be fun to enter this pie and see what happens.  Nancy was up against hundreds of professional BBQ'ers and many local folks so the competition was fierce.  Typically the professional BBQ'ers win the top 10 positions so we had little chance.   Nancy's Apple Pie was a 4th Place Winner and no one was more surprised than ... 11/07/2010

http://jacksonville.com/business/2010-08-08/story/first-coast-housing-market-battered-short-sales     08/08/2010

Saint Marys, GA - When we moved into our neighborhood 2 years ago, there was a home on the corner for sale...and it's still sitting there.  Come to find out from another neighbor that this home is a bank owned home and there is something wrong with the air conditioning and probably other things, however, the home is being sold with a home warranty (the sign for the warranty is usually down in the grass by the for sale sign though), but I guess the home warranty won't cover the air conditioner replacement???  So at what point should the bank be responsible for fixing what needs to be fixed in order for the home to sell?  I'm not saying they have to fix "everything." I know our HOA has been involved and sent notices for lawn maintenance among other things.  Meanwhile, it just sits bringin... 04/04/2010

Today is my wife's birthday and I could not pass up the opportunity to give her a big public HAPPY BIRTHDAY and tell her much I love her.  You deserve to have a restful and calm day Have a FANTASTIC DAY baby and stay away from those wrapped presents until I get home....     02/18/2010

Sad that this type of situation is all too common in this current economy! ST. MARYS, Ga. - Most of the 1,081 lots have been purchased at Cumberland Harbour, an upscale residential community in St. Marys. While some who purchased vacant lots at $60,000 to $1 million were speculators hoping to turn a quick profit, many others planned to build homes and live there. Then the economy tanked after only 41 homes were built at the development, including the 2004 Home & Garden Dream Home. While many property owners are waiting for the economy to improve before building, Carole Troia is not among them. She is ready to build now but can't.  The developer, Orlando-based Land Resource Co., declared bankruptcy in 2009 before water and sewer lines were built in a portion of the development where she ... 02/13/2010

This recently appeared in the Jacksonville Fl Times Union reported by Kevin Turner.   I thought it was very interesting article and worth repeating!  Here is the original link:http://jacksonville.com/business/2010-02-08/story/bill_watson_says_real_estate_recession_wont_last_forever   Who would have guessed that Marvin Gardens, Boardwalk, Park Place and Atlantic Avenue could lead to Girvin Road, Boardwalk Drive, Park Avenue and Atlantic Boulevard? But that's what happened for Bill Watson. While attending Stetson University in the late 1950s, his love for the classic Parker Brothers game "Monopoly" steered him away from a career track in the insurance industry toward real estate. He returned from college, did a stint in the military, and went right back to real estate upon his return to J... 02/07/2010

It looks like there are about 24 Real Estate Agents here in Camden County GA that are registered with Active Rain.  I think that is great but can't begin to tell you how many agents are in this county.  I was hoping there were more St Marys GA Real Estate Agents that keep up with their blogs here.  The few I have met are great people and seem to very professional and caring Agents. So my call out here is to all of the St Mary GA Real Estate Agents to blog here on ActiveRain or on WordPress. Every Agent should feel The Power of ActiveRain and The Power Of WordPress. 02/05/2010

ST. MARYS - Conservation groups are challenging in court the Navy's decision to build a $100 million undersea warfare training range 57 nautical miles off the Georgia and Florida coasts. Lawyers with the Southern Environmental Law Center filed a lawsuit Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia on behalf of 12 conservation groups, the Humane Society of the United States, Defenders of Wildlife and Natural Resources Defense Council among them. The suit claims the Navy and National Marine Fisheries Service failed to study the environmental impacts of building and operating a 500-square-mile sonar range off the South Georgia and North Florida coasts. All environmental impacts should be evaluated before building the range, not after, to determine the threat the ra... 01/31/2010

Yesterday my wife noticed a small amount of mold on a baseboard in our office behind a filing cabinet.   It did not look like much so I was not too worried.  I started cleaning the mold off when I noticed the baseboard had mold behind it as well.  Now I started to worry because there was more than just a small amount of mold. To make a long story short I was forced to open up the wall from the floor to the ceiling.  This was no easy task since we have 12 foot ceilings.  What I found was nasty.  The plywood sheathing was destroyed by moisture two feet across and 10 feet up from the floor.  There were also carpenter ants that had eaten away part of the 2X4 stud.  Not to mention that all of the wood was very wet. It looks like the water damage was due to the fact that the gutter in the out... 01/31/2010

Tonight we are suppose to get to a low of 20 degrees.  That will be a record and one of the coldest temperature for us in over 50 years.  It looks like allot of my plants are trees are going to die or at the least get some real cold damage done to them.   And to think we moved from the Midwest to enjoy the warmth of Northern Florida and Coastal GA.  Now where is that long underwear! 01/10/2010

St Marys, GA opens a brand new steakhouse in downtown historic area of the town. It is located in one of the very first grocery stores in downtown St Marys, Georgia and more recently was none as Sterlings Cafe which has now moved to its new location.The Silver Star Steakhouse is one of the finest steakhouses in the area. It is locally owned and operated (in fact, one of the gentleman's grandfather owned that very first grocery store the restauraunt is now located in). It is wonderful to see businesses that are family owned and have been around for generations.The menu is fully loaded and offers a large selection of dining for you and your friends and family. You can get seafood, steaks, salads, soups, and fresh baked bread, all prepared fresh for your enjoyment. Of course, they can sati... 06/08/2009

Home-equity snapshots paint a bright picture. Many Americans have taken a hit to their home equity over the past couple of years, and some may wonder if it's really the smartest financial decision to own a home. A recent analysis of Federal Reserve data by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® shows the answer is yes.  In comparison with renters, home owners have much greater household wealth, says NAR's April commentary on the Fed's Survey of Consumer Finances. Owners' wealth exceeds that of renters by a factor of 50-to-1: a median of $205,200 versus a median of $4,200. The main wealth difference between the two is home equity, of course. No news there. But even for households who've owned their home only since 2003, home equity gains are the rule rather than the exception-and in some ... 06/04/2009

St Marys, GA is getting a new elementary school in the downtown area of the city. The school is due to open in the fall or winter of 2009. The school is a much needed addition the area and will house a large number of students to accomodate the current and future growth of the area. St. Marys Elementary School Mr. Thomas McClendon, Principal     St. Marys Elementary School first begun in 1801 as St. Marys School in the basement of the Presbyterian Church.  The first school building, constructed near the waterfront, was destroyed by fire in 1943. In 1950, St. Marys Elementary School opened at its current location. The school has undergone renovations and expansions each decade since then.  Plans for a new design for a new St. Marys Elementary School have been approved by the Camden Count... 06/03/2009

Three homes have closed escrow in the month of March in Kingsland, St Marys and the rest of Camden County GA.  We currently have only 502 single-family homes on the market.  Our average DOM is only 185. We are fortunate to be way ahead of the curve under the current state of the union.  I attribute this to our exceptional climate, location to major international airports in Jacksonville Florida and Brunswick GA.  Our proximity to Federal law Enforcement Training Center and the NSB Kings Bay; which are consistently hiring and increasing employment.  We have a state of the art hospital complex, Camden Hospital and other hospitals such as the Mayo Clinic and Baptist Medical Center. With all of this at our disposal, it is of no wonder our real estate market is so strong.  Add to this the be... 03/10/2009

It was announced today by Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter that one of the nuclear carriers in the Atlantic fleet will be moving to the Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville, Florida.  This was great news for the Northeast Florida/Southeast Georgia area.  This will mean thousands of new jobs for the area as well as a boon to the real estate market.  These Navy men women not only will need homes and apartments but the local economy will get a nice boast.  The carrier yet to be named has an on board crew of over three thousand.  St. Marys, GA where I live has a Navy Sub Base and is only about 30 miles up the road from Mayport.    11/17/2008

The city of St. Marys will kick off the annual white lighting ceremony at dusk on November 27th.  Plan to spend the day touring the area and then join in the procession to light the white lights winding through the downtown area.  Activities are planned at the end of the stroll.  December 8th is the Historic Tour of Homes in downtown St. Marys.  The tour is from 5 pm to 9 pm and starts at the St. Marys Visitors and Tourism Building.  Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 the day of.These two events really showcase why a lot of people are moving to this area. Come on over and have a good time!  Feel free to contact me for more information.  See you later! 11/14/2007

St. Marys started a community market about three weeks ago in the parking lot of the Tribune and Georgian.  If you haven't been, GO!  I tried the Amish pasta sauce and pasta and both were incredibly good.  The vendors are interesting and you can find fresh produce, seafood and baked goods.  By the way, Habitat for Humanity of Camden County is sponsoring their first Women Build House.  If you've never participated in a build, call the Habitat office (912-673-1266) for directions.  I've been a volunteer, a board member, and a staff member with the organization.  Over 20 families have reached the American dream of home ownership right here in Camden County!    11/10/2007