Need input on Saint Marys area (Kingsland: insurance, crime, house)

[finalmove]

My wife and I will be taking the AutoTrain to Florida July 2, then driving north to Fernandina Beach, Saint Marys, Kingsland, and several areas up to the North Carolina border. I can't explain why we've singled out the Saint Marys area. Maybe the HGTV Home planted the seed, but it seems to be in a great location as far as climate, mild winters, long boating season, unlikely hurricane target(?), and good value. We also want to live near the coast, and would like to be close to a marina, or find a lot on a river. I am going to semi-retire wherever we land, and take a year off to build our home. I have researched things like where the closest Home Depot is, and the choice of local restaurants. Saint Marys isn't exactly convenient to major shopping or medical, but there's some reason people are moving there! Retiring is a little scary, and I'm going to put a lot of energy (and money) into building our last home. There's anxiety about making certain that we've found the place we want to live the next 20-plus years. Any advice or recommendations about areas to check out would be greatly appreciated.

[esheroncreek]

Hi Finalmove
We are empty nesters and is planning to move to StMarys from Florida. We did a lot of research on the area as well as taxes and insurance and the savings we will save is unbelievable comparing to Florida. There is a Walmart on sr40 and some resturant. Home depot is in Florida and all the major shopping which is not too far. We just got a Walmart and Home depot where we live so it wont be long before one pops up near Walmart. We just sign our contract for our house in a new development and we are excited, It's hidden
still country, but we can get to the hospital in 5 min. The crime here is minimal, hope it does not change. If you need info on housing I'll be happy to pass it on. I'm a realtor so I did extensive reserarch.

[ptcgirl]

I personally like the way the historic area of St Mary's looks, but can't stand the rest of the place. There are lots of old rundown strip malls and tattoo/pawn shops. I wish they would fix up the rest of the area. Just my 2 cents!

[finalmove]

Thanks very much for the replies. I have a lady realtor in Kingsland that's going to show us around. We think that Saint Marys is positioned for growth because of its location along I-95 and also being on the coast. Run down strip centers can be bought cheap and renovated. I'll likely go back into construction wherever I move to, so I'll be contributing to the area with my skills. We've lived in small towns and outlying areas over the years that had the right combination for attracting people and commerce. It's only a matter of a few years and there will be a Lowes or Home Depot, or a Best Buy. Don't get me wrong. I'm getting the heck out of Northern Virginia because it's become unbearable. My house is now worth a fortune, but it's because of the demand for housing as the area booms. I'm 53 so I don't have but 20 or so years left, and want to enjoy life in a laid back area. I hope the Georgia or South Carolina coast will have what we are looking for in a town.

[WestVirginiaRebel]

My brother is considering moving to the St. Mary's area in about a years' time or so and has offered to help me find a place there. I'd also like any info on the area-stuff to do, shopping, communities, etc.