Buying a Home in Savannah
Buying in Savannah follows standard Georgia practice -- a negotiated due diligence period, an attorney-conducted closing (Georgia is one of roughly 22 states that require one), and a real estate transfer tax Texas buyers won't be used to -- layered on top of a Savannah-specific step that has no equivalent in most of this project's other markets: any exterior change to a Historic District property visible from a public right-of-way requires a Certificate of Appropriateness before it can proceed.
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Learn moreThe Due Diligence Period: Georgia's Buyer Protection Window
Georgia purchase contracts include a negotiated due diligence period, traditionally 10-14 business days, though it can run considerably shorter in a competitive listing. During this window, the buyer can terminate the contract for any reason and keep their earnest money. A separate due diligence fee -- typically nonrefundable, and paid directly to the seller rather than held in escrow -- compensates the seller for taking the property off market during the investigation. This is the practical window for inspections, including the Historic District-specific review noted below.
Attorney-Conducted Closings and Typical Costs
Georgia is one of roughly 22 states that require a licensed attorney to conduct a real estate closing -- preparing deeds and security instruments is treated as the practice of law under Georgia statute, unlike Texas, where a title company can close a transaction. Typical attorney closing fees run $500-$1,500, with fees in metro Atlanta tending toward the higher end and smaller markets like Savannah often landing lower. Overall buyer closing costs in Georgia typically run 2%-5% of the purchase price.
Buying in the Historic District: A Certificate of Appropriateness, Not Just an Inspection
A due-diligence step with no real equivalent in most of this project's other markets: any material exterior change to a property within Savannah's Historic District that is visible from a public right-of-way -- new construction, additions, demolition, exterior color changes, even some awnings and signage -- requires a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) reviewed by the city's Historic District Board of Review or Metropolitan Planning Commission staff, under design standards adopted as part of the zoning ordinance. Routine exterior maintenance and minor in-kind repairs are generally exempt, but any renovation plan for a Historic District property should be checked against COA requirements before closing, not after.
Flood Zone Due Diligence: An Active, Unfinished FEMA Process
Confirm the FEMA flood zone for the specific property, not the general area. FEMA's Region IV office has an active coastal flood study underway to update Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for coastal Chatham County and the City of Savannah -- a real, ongoing process, though no confirmed completion date was found this session; treat a property's current flood-zone status as subject to future revision rather than permanently settled. In FEMA's high-risk Special Flood Hazard Areas (Zones A, AE, or VE), a property carries at least a 1-in-4 chance of flooding over a 30-year mortgage, and flood insurance is mandatory with a federally backed loan. See the flood-hurricane-risk topic page for the fuller picture.
File for the Stephens-Day Homestead Exemption Promptly
After closing on an owner-occupied home, file for Chatham County's Stephens-Day homestead exemption by the April 1 deadline -- it freezes the home's taxable value near its purchase-year fair market value (plus any documented improvements) for as long as the same owner holds it, a real and meaningfully valuable local benefit distinct from Georgia's newer statewide exemption. See the property-taxes topic page for how this interacts with the state law Chatham County opted out of.
Key takeaways
- Georgia contracts use a negotiated due diligence period (typically 10-14 business days) during which a buyer can walk away for any reason and keep earnest money -- a separate, usually nonrefundable due diligence fee goes to the seller.
- Georgia requires an attorney to conduct closings (unlike Texas); typical attorney fees run $500-$1,500 and overall buyer closing costs run about 2%-5% of the purchase price.
- Buying a Historic District property adds a real, Savannah-specific step: any visible exterior change requires a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic District Board of Review -- check this before planning any renovation.
- FEMA is actively updating Chatham County's flood maps with no confirmed completion date found this session -- confirm current flood-zone status for the specific address and treat it as subject to revision.
- File for Chatham County's Stephens-Day homestead exemption by April 1 after closing -- it freezes taxable value near the purchase-year level, a real, distinct local benefit from Georgia's newer statewide exemption.
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