Blairsville, GA

3243 Daisy Log Road 10+/- Acres Offered at $1,290,000

One of the last remaining large acreage lots on Lake Nottely adjoining acres of Forest Service land! The property features rolling meadows, complete privacy, mountain views plus a private floating dock, sea wall and boat ramp on the lake. This 10+/- acre parcel is nestled next to Forest Service acreage with a wild turkey enhancement area. Walk for miles around the lake on USFS maintained paths. Additional land is available. Modest restrictions will apply. This is a perfect property for a family compound!

I've always wanted my own fire engine. Not the kiddie car type, but a full size red fire engine with sirens, hoses, ladders...the whole works. So when I heard that there was a 1936 Maxim fire engine for sale in North Georgia, I hesitated only a short time before I gave into temptation and made it mine.

Now as all of you who have acquired fire engines know, the next big question is: what on earth am I going to do with it? Fortunately, I own a real estate company that will take any good publicity it can get. Suddenly my 1936 Maxim Fire Engine was slated to become a drawing card for Mike Kelly Realty.

Getting the fire engine ready to meet the public took a lot of work. The brakes didn't work, the choke had to be set just right before the engine would start and plumes of black smoke poured out of the exhaust. I and my riders - hesitant ones at that - jolted around and bounced up and down until I figured out how to work the clutch. And, since the fire engine, after all, was built in 1936, there was no power steering! Do you know how hard it is to get a fire engine to go where you want it to go without power steering?

Eventually, though, we took care of all the problems, polished up the brass and chrome, added a CD player and we were good to go.

Our debut onto the Blairsville scene took place at the Blairsville Memorial Day Parade a few years back. I drove the fire engine and members of our company sat in the back wearing fire hats and waving flags. It all went very smoothly, except for some overheating of the engine at the end of the parade.

Since then the fire engine has been a big hit in our town. On nice days, it sits in our parking lot, where passersby stop to examine it, sit in it, pretend to drive it, take pictures and even come into our office to ask if they can have a ride (generally, the answer is yes). I've been invited to take the fire engine to church festivals, grand openings, fund raisers and car rallies. I've even transported a whole birthday party to the local ice cream store!

The moral of this story is: if there is something you really want but can't justify getting it, figure out a way to make it work for you. That way you'll avoid the guilt!

A good friend and business associate Art Miller who is also a Realtor here at Blairsville Realty, has been heavily invested in writing an article for the Blairsville Union County Chamber of Commerce about the 10 Best Reasons To Retire in the North Georgia Mountains. I asked Art if he wouldn’t mind if I posted his thoughts here on The Porch so that you will know “Why You Should Retire in the North Georgia Mountains!”

Reason 1: Why You Should Retire In The North Georgia Mountains

Our Weather, Climate and Change of Seasons!

Union County ranges in elevation from 1,600 ft. to 4,784 ft. above sea level. Because of its unique topography, Union County offers residents Four Distinct Seasons. Winters are generally mild, with an occasional dusting of snow. The average annual snowfall is 3 inches. Spring brings new life to the Mountains in the form of vibrant yellow-green leaves and many colorful wild flowers. Summers are mostly comfortable, with cool evenings. Autumns bring vibrant colorful changes in the leaves, making the North Georgia Mountains and particularly Union County one of the most popular for leaf-watching. Union County’s average rainfall is approximately 65 inches.

Thank you so much Art for allowing me to share your information here on The Porch. This will make a great series of articles that I am sure will be a great benefit to those who visit.

Thanks so much to you for stopping by and visiting me here on The Porch. If you have any questions or concerns about Blairsville Georgia, or any of the surrounding areas here in the North Georgia Mountains, I would be happy to answer them for you. Although I have been fortunate enough to have been born and raised here in these Mountains, you can bet that it is still at the Top on My List on places I want to retire. Unfortunately it will be a few more years for me!

Come back tomorrow to find out Reason # 2 to Retire in The North Georgia Mountains.

Make it a GREAT day!

The retail price of gasoline is rising nationwide, now up 30 percent since the New Year.

It’s a similar run-up to what we’ve seen for retail gas prices in each of the last 5 Spring Seasons.

For people trying to time the mortgage markets bottom, clues about the future of mortgage rates may be at the local gas station.

Rising gas prices are indicative of the rising cost of energy and, indeed, crude oil is closing in on its 2009 high point. As these energy costs grow, so do inflationary pressures on the U.S. economy.

Inflation, of course, is awful for mortgage rates. When it’s present, mortgage markets deteriorate and rates tend to rise — often sharply and with little advance warning.

So, for today’s home buyers-in-process and would-be refinancers, prices at the pump may fore shadow bad news for the future of housing affordability. Even a modest, quarter-percent increase would have a palpable effect on payments, adding $372 in annual costs to a $200,000 home loan.

Since last week, gas prices are already up by 10 cents per gallon.

Here in the North Georgia Mountains, this unfortunately has a huge impact on the number of Home Buyer’s we have coming to the area. Since we are primarily a destination point and a Second Home Real Estate Market, when Gas Prices Rise I suppose folks are not as quick to jump in the car for a nice get-a-way to the Mountains. All we have to do is get you here, these North Georgia Mountains do all the selling for us!

If these Gas Prices don’t rise too much and you find yourself on I-75 heading North, please drop in and see me here at Blairsville Realty when you get into town. If you are just needing some information on the area, or you want to know a great place to eat, or just want to chat, I would be glad to assist you with any need you may have. We usually are solving the world’s problems in the foyer of the office anyway, so you might as well drop in and give us your two cents!

Make it a GREAT day!