Districts, review, and nineteenth-century houses

Savannah's Historic District is one of the largest and most strictly managed in the country, and the Victorian District, Thomas Square, and Cuyler-Brownville hold further concentrations of nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century housing. Exterior work in these areas is subject to review, which governs materials, windows, and alterations.

Combine that with the construction — wood frame, masonry, tabby, pier foundations, and roofs repaired many times — and a compliant restoration becomes expensive and slow. For an owner who cannot fund it, that is a genuine dead end and a real reason these houses trade as-is.

Termites are a structural issue here

Coastal Georgia has intense termite pressure, and Savannah has dealt with Formosan subterranean termites, which are far more destructive than native species. In old wood-frame houses that means damage to sills, floor joists, and framing — sometimes extensive and often not visible until something is opened up.

A termite letter is standard at a Georgia closing, and active infestation or prior structural damage will frequently end a financed sale because the lender wants the damage repaired and the treatment documented first. We buy with the damage in place.

Water, three ways

Savannah floods from tides on low-lying streets near the marsh and the river, from heavy rainfall overwhelming drainage built long before modern standards, and from storm surge — Matthew in 2016 and Irma in 2017 both drove water into the city and onto the islands.

For a house in a mapped flood zone, substantial-improvement rules can require a heavily repaired structure to be brought up to current floodplain standards, which on the coast can mean elevating it. That is often why a flood-affected Savannah house was never fully repaired. We buy at any stage.

Savannah property we buy

  • Nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century houses in the Historic and Victorian districts
  • Houses in Thomas Square, Cuyler-Brownville, and the Starland area
  • Structures with active termite infestation or prior structural termite damage
  • Property with tidal, rainfall, or surge flood history, repaired or not
  • Mid-century housing on the eastside and southside
  • Short-term rentals and rooming houses, occupied or vacant
  • Heirs' property in older Savannah neighborhoods
  • Houses with open code cases or unsafe-structure findings

Frequently asked questions

Will you buy a Savannah house with termite damage?

Yes, including active infestation and prior structural damage to sills and joists.

Do you buy houses in the Historic or Victorian districts?

Yes. Exterior design review is part of our assessment rather than an obstacle.

Do you buy houses that flooded from Matthew or Irma?

Yes, at any stage of repair, including properties that flooded more than once.

Will you buy a short-term rental?

Yes, occupied or vacant, including properties whose permit status is unclear.

Nobody probated my family's Savannah house. Can you buy it?

Often yes, once the chain of title is cleared. Start there — it is usually the longest step.