Augusta, GA
More Augusta homes available for Masters week rentals as homeowners rush to prepare
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – More homes are available for rent during Masters week this year compared to last year, with some homeowners scrambling to prepare their properties in the final weeks before the tournament.
Some homeowners have been preparing for months, while others are trying to complete renovations in the remaining weeks before the tournament.
Julia Quick, a homeowner, said her family has been working on improvements every night. Her husband handles repairs and projects, while she packs a room each evening after work. The family hired Carolina Carpentry and Construction to paint the house and brought in cleaners this week as a trial run for next week.
“We’ve got some landscapers come in Saturday, got pallets of sod and pine straw and mulch to be put out and some new plants,” Quick said.
More homeowners enter rental market
Quick said more people are renting their homes this year compared to last year.
“Everybody I talked to was talking about renting their house this year, and last year, most everybody was talking about not renting their house. So it seems that it’s more saturated,” Quick said.
Stacey Greenway, vice president of tournament housing, said she has never seen this many homes registering this late in the season.
“I definitely think that with Helene remodeling everything, it gave a lot of homeowners the opportunity to get into the rental market,” Greenway said.
Greenway said the number of homes registering has increased. In March, three to five homes typically register per week. Now three to five homes are registering daily.
“A lot of people are still not rented, so they’re starting to reach out to other agencies and list with those as well,” Greenway said.
Homeowners adjusting strategies
Some homeowners are lowering prices, booking vacations to leave Augusta or leaving keys with rental companies in hopes their properties will be rented while they are gone.
Quick said she has noticed less traffic on rental platforms.
“I noticed a lot less traffic because like with Airbnb when I went through there, I can see and have some conversations back and forth,” Quick said.
Quick said the increased supply could benefit visitors but may affect future rental decisions for homeowners.
“It’ll be great for people coming into town because that’s going to drive the price down. Might make it not as lucrative for us to rent our house out in the future because if I can’t, first we have to pay for the vacation and doing all the things because I’m not going to rent the house if it doesn’t look perfect for somebody to come stay in,” Quick said.
Rental companies said some homeowners are willing to accept lower prices this year and hope for better rates next year.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The 10th annual Juneteenth Augusta Festival brought families to the Augusta Fairgrounds on Friday despite the muggy heat.
Cultural and community-focused events, live music performances and food trucks were available at the celebration.
Tonia Hill, attending the Juneteenth celebration, said she loves the holiday and is supporting the community, though she acknowledged the weather conditions.
“I love Juneteenth. And I’m supporting everybody. It’s hot. It’s hot. It’s hot,” Hill said.
The festival runs until 10 p.m.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Augusta Dream Center is seeing more families turn to its food pantry this summer as children lose access to school lunches.
Organizations like the Augusta Dream Center see a surge in families who relied on school lunches during the academic year, according to Hallie Kohan, assistant director.
“We see a lot more families that have young kids who are in need that simply don’t have those meals they are normally getting,” Kohan said. “We see an influx of families that come through.”
Demand is up, but the food supply is not keeping pace.
“Right now we are having some food distribution issues so while we are seeing an increase in families, we are seeing a decrease in the amount of food coming through our doors,” Kohan said.
The center is asking the community to host food drives or donate kid-friendly items such as mac and cheese and oatmeal.
Every Sunday the Dream Center opens its doors for a hot meal, serving as many as 120 people.
“Families can come in and get their hot meal. They sit down, it’s dignified, it’s a diner,” Kohan said. “It’s a welcoming experience for kids to come in and not feel like they are in need.”
No paperwork is required to receive help.
“Just because you think someone is in a great situation, in today’s economy you never know,” Kohan said. “It could be your neighbor, mom, or best friend.”
The Augusta Dream Center food pantry is open Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to noon and Thursdays from 5 to 6 p.m. Hot meals are served Sundays from 5 to 6 p.m.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Construction continues on the James Brown Linear Park in downtown Augusta, with ceiling tiles now installed inside the park structures.
The tiles feature designs showcasing the Godfather of Soul from different years in his career.
According to the city, the completed park will include an interactive water feature that will “dance” to Brown’s greatest hits. A statue of the music icon will return to a new stage at the park.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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