Vicksburg, Mississippi was selected this year as one of the top 50 best places to buy an old house by This Old House Magazine. And the reasons for that are clear. The city situated on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers offers small-town charm, a relaxing pace of life and some of the most well-preserved historic antebellum homes available in the South.

"We've been a well-kept secret for many years. People who find that secret don't want to leave," says Pam Powers, Realtor at BrokerSouth Properties, in Vicksburg and Oxford, Mississippi.

"That's why bed & breakfasts are so popular here; it's an easy way to live the lifestyle without having to invest millions of dollars to own a fabulous property. You immediately become part of a community of B&B owners, artists, musicians, history, culture."

Vicksburg's National Military Park and Civil War museum draws more than 1 million visitors per year. The city is also headquarters to the Army Corps of Engineers and other engineering research facilities and has the highest per capita of PhD's in the United States.

Powers represents "Annabelle" - afully restored, working B&B located at 501 Speed Street. It's being sold turnkey with antiques and has consistently rated in the top 2% of B&Bs in the South by Arrington Publisher's B&B Journal's Book of Lists. The Victorian-Italianate home was built in 1868 in the Historic Garden District. Annabelle features 7 bedrooms, 5 baths and also includes an 1881 guesthouse that overlooks a swimming pool and the river valley. Adjacent to the property is "Floweree," available for purchase, with potential to be combined with Annabelle to create a larger B&B business. Floweree is on the National Historic Register and has a rich pedigree.

"Living in these homes, knowing you're helping preserve part of history...it's really special," says Powers.