When you drop below the Mason-Dixon line and closer to the coast, things feel a bit different.
Joe Loehle Photography
Take your morning cup of coffee outside, put up your feet, and start your day with the sunlight creeping across the marsh.
It’s a little warmer. There’s a certain thickness to the air. Perhaps you catch a whiff of the marsh on the breeze. The light takes on a different cast as it filters through the Spanish moss. As you soak it all it, your soul feels a little lighter and your cares seem to drift away. There’s a slower pace here and you can find pockets of serenity and beauty all over the island. We find ourselves drawn to porches and patios and outdoor spaces and we celebrate life in the fresh air…
Sophisticated, Serene, … Quintessentially Southern
Photos by Joe Loehle
Nowhere is the beauty of the outdoors and of this island celebrated more than in the Frederica community on the north end of St. Simons Island. Golf, fishing, and boating are part of the lifestyle that makes Frederica the premier private club community in the Southeast. Homes are designed not only to enjoy the beauty of wooded and private settings in our unique maritime forest environment and to embrace views of lake, river, marsh, and rookery, but also to create thoughtful outdoor spaces that can be used practically year-round. Welcoming front porches and screened terraces that feel like an extension of the home are hallmarks of the design of Frederica homes. Where architects have traditionally designed to bring the outdoors in, now they are bringing the indoors out in such a way that the transition between the original lines of the home’s interior and their extension into the porches and outdoor space is seamless.
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Joe Loehle Photography
Sipping a sweet tea on the porch swing is the perfect way to while away an afternoon.
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Joe Loehle Photography
Take a picnic lunch out by the fountain under this vine-wrapped pergola for delightful dining al fresco.
From the iconic sweeping old-fashioned Southern sleeping porch with swings and rockers to summer kitchens, outdoor fireplaces, and brick or slate terraces, all with fantastic panoramic views, there is careful thought put into creating the perfect spot to embrace the coastal living climate. Summer breezes off the lake allow for wonderful evenings outside, and on a sunny winter day, there’s still the perfect ambiance with a football game on an outdoor TV and a fire in the fireplace. And these outside spaces aren’t like a deck added on as an afterthought; they are generally finished to the same level as the home, many with beamed ceilings and beautiful chandeliers. Large screen panels or phantom screens that disappear into the ceiling replace windows and air-conditioning vents. Al fresco dining is done with top of the line appliances. Outdoor fireplaces and televisions create an airy family room. Whether appointed with stone and richly stained beams or crisp white wood and tabby or tile, these areas easily become the heart of entertaining and activity in the home. That entertaining space can be drawn further out on the lawn with a fire pit overlooking the marsh or lakefront, sturdy Adirondack chairs, and a nearby stand of wood, promising a comfortable and casual end to the evening.
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Joe Loehle Photography
Of course a pool and a sun-drenched chaise is always helpful to draw guests outside on warmer days.
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Joe Loehle Photography
An all-season casual and inviting gathering place for friends and family allows the outdoors to come in with its full views of the surrounding maritime forest.
With homes that embrace outdoor living and the island lifestyle, it is no surprise that Frederica has experienced tremendous growth in the past several years. When the Club was purchased in 2010, there were 12 homes built. Since then, there have been 120 transactions in the community between home sites and home sales with 101 home sites and 19 homes. Frederica Realty has been involved in 89% of these transactions. Of the 116 residential home site sales between $300,000-700,000 on St. Simons Island and Sea Island since January 11, Frederica has accounted for 69 of those sales, with an average selling price of $434,000 for a home site. Many Frederica purchasers are new to the area and are coming here to plan the next chapter of their lives. They are a wonderful mix of young families and new empty nesters, with the average age of purchasers being in the mid-50s. Current owners are key in the process of welcoming these new neighbors and the guidance of local builders and architects about building and design on the island is paramount.
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Joe Loehle Photography
Comfortable wicker furniture in a sunny screenedsetting makes this an ideal spot to cozy up with a goodbook.
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Joe Loehle Photography
The warm ambiance of this private boathouse is theperfect place to relax and enjoy its picturesque views.
The testimony of Frederica purchasers’ belief in St. Simons Island and in Frederica has resulted in 46 of the new owners having previously owned elsewhere on St. Simons Island and Sea Island. Currently, there are 14 young families residing at Frederica or with homes under construction. And these homes are built to be used as vacation homes or rentals. Of the 78 homes (50 built, 21 under construction, 8 under architectural review or design), 42 house full-time residents and another 18 were designed to eventually be full-time homes for the purchasers. Homes built range from 3,800 conditioned square footage to more than 10,000 square feet. Buyers have come from 21 states, the UK and Bermuda. Most have a history of vacationing on St. Simons Island or Sea Island or have a family connection with the area. The community’s newest purchasers are from Portland, Oregon, and Northern California, with both families having ties to the East Coast and planning to reside at Frederica full-time.
Frederica’s sense of community and unparalleled private Club lifestyle attracts like-minded owners who have a long-term stake in the island. The Club’s Invitational Membership remains a strong source of their market of buyers, with 36% of the original Invitational Membership having purchased property at Frederica. The private Club community is welcoming and allows families from all over to transition easily to their new life at Frederica. Outdoor life doesn’t get any better than this. Visit FredericaLiving.com or call 912.634.1500 to learn more about living the Frederica experience.
Joe Loehle Photography
This spacious porch and rustic rockers beckon you to sit and stay a spell
