Charlie Ragonesi Big Canoe Realestate Jasper,Ellijay,Ball Ground,Benttree

Many agents report activity picking up in the North Georgia Mountains. This is a good sign. I myself have a buyer and of the 3 homes we picked to see 2 went under contract. But aside from this type of information the AJC ( Atlanta Journal Constitution) did a big piece on Cousins properties. Cousins is a publicly traded company and a mega real estate management/development company. Cousins is buying properties at an increased rate in our area.

Cousins plus Warren Buffet , Trump and Ted Turner are all buying. What this means is the marekt in their opinion is probably as low as it is going to get. What does this mean for you?

If you are a small investor or looking to get into your first home this is a great time to buy. If you are investing here is some advice,

If you are thinking, I can flip a property in 6 months ask yourself what if I have to hold it 18 months? If you cannot hold it that long then do not buy it. That's right I am a Realtor advising you not to buy.

If you can pay cash for a lesser priced but good value property do so. You will save on closing costs and not have finance charges eat into your profits.

Take a lesson from the Crocodile. We have all seen the National Geographic films with a Croc leaping out of the water and snagging a Zebra or Wilde Beast. But the Croc started as a baby snagging dragon flies, grasshoppers and other unsuspecting little things in the water. As the Croc grew it snagged bigger things. Along the way it had to be careful not to get snagged itself. But as it grew there were less and less things that could harm it.

So learn from the beast Eat often, but eat (invest) with in your means. You will grow and be able to invest in bigger and bigger things as you grow your portfolio. Don't go after something too big or you might be the Eatee instead of the Eater !!!

For those of you who do not live in the North Georgia Mountains, Yeah there may be some of you on the waiting list, we have a radio show called the Mountain Real Estate Report. This show is stored on our web site at WWW.ALLMTNREALTY.COM Each show has a brief description of topics discussed.

Why this may be of interest to you or your clients is that it not a show just about listings. It is about real estate today and conditions unique to the mountains. We cover the pro's as well as the things to watch out for. So if you are looking to buy in our mountains this show will have information you may want to listen to.

If you are a Realtor thinking about referring a client. Listen to the show and know with confidence that the team at All Mountain Realty is who you want your good clients to work with. We store 10 shows so you may pick at choose. If you want to listen live we are simulcast on the web every Thursday around 11:05 EST at www.wyyzradio.net.

If you are lucky enough to live in the North Georgia Mountains you can hear us on 1490 am wyyz radio every Thursday at 11 or so A.M. Our show has been running for almost 2 years so tune in or make yourself comfortable with us. We cherish your referrals and thank you for your support

Ok Today I was in Marietta making a rare trip to "the big city" from the mountains. (I put big city in quotes as I was born and raised in the city of New York.) So I thought to my self what a nice time to meet my son for lunch. My son is 23 and just graduated college and of course is starting out working etc. and was looking for some fatherly advice.

We had a wonderful lunch and when it was over I reached for my credit card and my son said, "I have never bought you lunch. This lunch is on me." Well all 6 foot 4 inches and 250 plus pounds of me was a choked up speechless mass.

That's it. This is the strangest blog I have written. But it was a moment that touched me. And I thought as I was driving home even though the Whole Foods Market I went to especially after lunch did not have Char Su sauce it didn't matter! Remember a great moment if you are having a bad day.

No more blogs like this I promise !!!

Today I went to an open house for a community called Crystal Falls. They are on the Dawson County Reservoir which is 400 plus acres. The have a golf course and are a gated community. What makes them unique is that they plan to add tennis and Swimming. The Association fees are a very light 900 per year. Right now they are in phase one of selling. So there are a couple of spec homes and a good number of lots. The good news is the streets are in the power is run the golf course is completed.

The other interesting thing about this community is it is relatively flat. You do have mountain views in some areas. But if you are nervous about driving this may be the place for you. Lots are in the high 100,000s to start and go up from there. Homes will be in the 600k range. For more information please contact us at All Mountain Realty. 706 579 1098.

Whether you are looking for mountains or communities that skirt the North Georgia Mountains we at all mountain realty are your community experts.

We lost our way and our market came tumbling down. Oh yes we can blame sub-prime and easy credit. We can blame the economy . But these are all the results of losing our way.

We lost our way when our home became an investment. It was no longer a home anymore. It was no longer the place where you sat out side in the evening and watched children play in the street or the yard. The kids were after all inside on video games. And at least one parent was not home yet as they had to work to make the payments for the "investment"

So what do you do if an investment has gone bad. You sell at a loss. You walk away. After all you have more of a $$$ tie to the property than an emotional one. I have read post after tiring post and in the Q&A section of rain about people walking away. I have seen them all walk away on the news.

We walked away too. We walked away from the spiritual significance of the home. We walked away from the Thanksgiving table with family and took a cruise. We walked away from Family and sent the kids to summer camp while we worked even more. (Nothing wrong with summer camp if you couple it with a family vacation)

So we lost our way. We chased dollars instead of happiness and as a result we ended up with neither. I have thought a long time before posting this. Because I said how did we come to this? I believe we came to this because we lost our way. The value of the sticks and bricks and how fast could we flip them and how many could I possibly buy became more important than laughs and smiles. It became more important than the smell of cooking and more important than sitting on your porch and waiving to your neighbors after a day of work.

We have seen the price of oil retreat under 115 a barrel. We also have seen the stock market rebound a bit. In addition we have seen the dollar get stronger overseas. It is too early to call these events trends. But it is interesting to note them. Bottom line is if liquidity returns to the markets folks will have cash to spend.

Housing starts are at a low which puts pressure on prices on existing homes. So if you are looking to buy now is a good time. Make sure you buy with in your means. remember a fixed rate mortgage is a great hedge against inflation with the item that usually costs the most ( The roof over your head).

I believe we will see housing prices start to rise in 09 and may stabilize in 08. Interest rates and down payments may be the sneaky aspects of this market that surprise you. So if you have been sitting on the fence now is the time to get off. You home as an investment will bring you years of happiness and help you build your future next egg. As Warren Buffet said once, You are not truly rich unless you own real property. Who am I to argue with him !!

If you have read some of the blogs posted on Active rain that relate to Markets you will see that the Atlanta Market is one of the growing ones. What this means is that North Georgia is growing.

Now if you could have the advantages of a large city with living in the mountains wouldn't you. Given the ability to telecommute living in the mountains is becoming more and more a reality. Also as office space grows at a much faster rate out side Atlanta commuting becomes easier from the Mountains to the Northern office parks than from Atlanta out

Ecologically speaking counties are controlling growth i favor of the environment. SO at the end of the day if you want great climate ,great folks , and a return to a life that is simpler but still need to make a living. Consider the great North Georgia Mountains.

When you are considering the mountains you should consider working with THE mountain company All Mountain Realty.

Visit us on line at www.allmtnrealty.com. Or cal us at 706 579 1028

There are a couple of things I think people over look when deciding to buy or not to buy. There is fear in the market for sure. But Donald Trump and Ted Turner got there starts in markets like this. There is a school of thought on Wall Street that says since most people lose money in the Market you should do the opposite. So buy when others are selling etc .

Our housing market is a little different. We are all afraid and are having our savings eaten up by inflation. Usually the biggest check you write is for rent. So why not get a F I X E D rate mortgage. Even if we are not at the bottom of the market who cares? You have hedged against inflation with your biggest line item.You will receive the benefit of the home and they all over time appreciate. So what are you waiting for?

The other issue I want to post about is the state of our market. I think there have been 2 train wrecks. The first was sub prime and the speculation. We all know who is responsible so enough said. But that wreck has happened. We know about it. It is now starting to be cleared up. Are there new trains running on the track yet ? No But they will be. So we are, I think, at the bottom of this train wreck. The other train wreck unfortunately is just starting to happen and that is the Economy. The extend and depth of this wreck is not yet known. But we who are out there despite the man on the hill saying otherwise know it is happening. Now where we go with the economy I do not know. But the answer is buy wisely, buy with in your means, Buy in this great market, and enjoy your investment.

We at All Mountain Realty are uniquely able to help you find the right horse property. One of our agents is a long time horse owner and obviously involved in the business. Another of our agents works with her sister from time to time who has a working business with Dutch Warm Bloods.

I have recently completed the first credited course in Georgia given to train agents on Horse property. So contact us at 706 579 1098. Visit us on line at www.allmtnrealty.com or www.georgiasno1agent.com .

If you are selling a horse farm our experts will market your unique property the way it should be. We will use our knowledge to you advantage. We look forward to working with you whether you are buying selling or investing in the mountains. Referrals welcome, and well treated !

Many communities have amenities. Some are gated. Some have golf , some have pools and tennis. Some are loaded and some are not. In some cases you pay whether you use them or not. In other cases you are Ala Carte. The raging question is, What are the amenities worth?

This question usually rages around the time something needs to be paid for or if there is a proposal to add things that all are paying for.

In my opinion as long as the amenities provide value and do not price folks out of the market as it relates to association fees they are worth it. Do they increase the value of your home? Maybe . What they do for sure is attract traffic to them. That traffic sees your community. I believe in the NGEO theory of real estate. (Not National Geographic) Activity is Necessary. Offers are Great. Contracts are Excellent. Closings are Outstanding.

The first letter and the first part revolves around activity. So if your community has activity with folks coming in and out you are more apt to be seen and more apt to sell.

The price you can ask to reflect your amenities gets a little more tough to figure. But on balance Activity is necessary and amenities often provide that.