March 2010

I love homes, I love fixing up homes, I love talking about homes, I love renting out homes to our guests. I love the excitement when someone walks into one of our homes and just bursts into a big grin.

We had a situation yesterday where my phone rang @ 9AM ( on Sunday- but not un common since this is when most folks start the planning of their vacation home search). These were some folks who had checked into a place here on Tybee (not a Mermaid Cottages home) that was not at all what they had hoped. Not clean, not nearly enough of anything for a family of 6, just not happy. Despite the great ocean view and a pool, they really did not want to spend their time cleaning up a place. The Dad called me and I could tell there was a whole group of very un happy people. It just happened that we had one home available that would work and even though it was over their budget, I knew we could work out a price for them.

I took the whole family down to see Southern Cross, which is a new Mermaid Cottage which had been purchased by two of our regular guests, Joe and Sherry who had wanted a Tybee cottage for a long time. ( If you haven’t see how great this home is- be sure you check it out on the mermaid cottages website). This is a classic Tybee Raised Cottage, just like Dutton Waller Cottage, but there is s total of 4 bedrooms, plus a fire pit PLUS a dipping pool! The look of sheer joy on this families face was a pleasure to behold. The two little girls and I were out side and they both hugged and thanked me because as they said- Our dad works really hard and this is his only vacation a year. And we didn’t want him to be unhappy. Thx you Joe and Sherry for allowing us to share your home with our guests!

I also spent time on Friday helping out another of our home owners- Sharen, who owns Star Cottage. Sharen’s full time home is a jewel book of a house in downtown Historic Savannah on the corner of Lincoln and East Gordon. She was asked to be in the Savannah Tour of Homes this year which is a HUGE honor. The tour has been around for 75 years and is a major fund raiser. People come from all over the world and every year this 4 day tour sells out. Sharen’s home was built in 1865 and is very small- around 1000 square feet with a courtyard that should have books written about it’s beauty. The people that came thru on Friday all commented this was their favorite home and I completely agree. Another one of the volunteer’s for Sharen’s home as the owner of Old Love Cottage, another very charming Mermaid Cottage that had been featured on the Tybee Tour of Homes a few years ago- so I guess we all love homes equally as much being part of Mermaid Cottages.

Last but not least, Breeze Inn Cottage will be the featured poster child home for the Tybee Tour of Homes! We can now proudly say for the past 7 years at least one Mermaid Cottage has been on the Tybee Tour of Homes!