By Elyse Umlauf

In the forty-two years that Susan Hardwick has lived on St. Simons Island in Georgia, she's seen the island evolve from a retirement retreat to a vibrant, year-round community. Having grown up in Chicago, she's known both city and island living and opted for the gentility and calm of the southern island. This year, Hardwick, associate broker of Sea Palms Realty, celebrates her twenty-sixth year as a real estate practitioner. When the island was lauded by Money magazine in 2006, it didn't surprise her. After all, she says, "It has a great climate, sandy beaches, lush marshes , and the gorgeous live oaks are something to see." Though outsiders think of it as a vacation getaway, what they don't realize is that St. Simons offers a strong job base.

Hardwick points to an active port and a seafood industry as just two employment sources. Moreover, the island represents a relatively affordable alternative to pricier nearby venues. For instance, an appealing alternative to the full-tilt luxury property is the patio home option. The properties are smaller luxury homes situated in gated communities, and prices range from the mid- $300,000 to the mid-$400,000. The properties offer buyers all the pleasures of the island, such as golf, boating and beaching, along with tennis and swimming and fitness centers in gated environments. The upside for buyers is that the communities are secure and managed, so there's no maintenance. The concept is particularly appealing to the second homeowners. "These properties are such a great way to enjoy the community and the island without having to worry about the house, " comment Hardwick. There are, of course, an array of high-end homes. One such property, listed by Hardwick, features three bedrooms and three bathrooms and overlooks a marsh. The house, built in 2001, includes 2,081 square feet and an oversized garage that can house three cars. The asking price of $795,000 includes the membership entry fee into the Sea Palms Golf & Tennis Resort. The resort's primary draw is its twenty-seven golf holes on three newly renovated courses. Moreover, the views on the course, including lagoons and marshes and live oaks, are a bonus. The Sea Palms Golf & Tennis Resort isn't the only game in town for golf aficionados, however. The island offers more than two hundred golf holes scattered among private and public courses. Given the area's wealth of golf resources, it's no surprise to locals that St. Simons was chosen as the site for the McGladrey Classic, a PGA Tour event scheduled for October 7-10, 2010. As golf columnist Stan Awtrey put it in a story earlier this year, "...there's no question that the PGA TOUR has made a smart decision to bring an event to Sea Island. The rest of the world will learn in October what the rest of us have known for years. There's no better place in the world.

Find out more about St Simons Island, Georgia.