Mark Hendry : Blue Ridge Real Estate Pro in the North Georgia Mountains

As a real estate agent in the tri-state area (GA, TN, NC) I put a lot of mileage all over the countryside. In my travels throughout these beautiful Blue Ridge mountains, I run across a lot of old barns smattered across the countryside. They vary in shape and size, color and level of decrepidation, but all of them are beautiful to me.

Whenever I'm on my way out on a listing call, or sometimes, even showing property, I will stop to grab a shot of an old gray ghost. I just love the look of them...the history... the mystery. I love how at different times of day and in different weather, they can look so different, sometimes unrecognizable. Each season they take on the different surroundings like a chameleon, changing to reflect the world around them.

For me, they serve as a window to the past: a look back to a time when life was simpler, and needs were more basic, at least a lot less electronic. My favorites are the ones that are all but gone, yet the bones still reamain. You can see them being almost eaten up by the earth from which they were fashioned.

This photo is of the first barn I shot. It was for a listing in North Carolina that included a historic homestead, a 10-sided art gallery, an office, a workshop, a storage barn, and this old walnut barn, made from wood milled from trees right here on the property. The first time I shot the barn, it was early morning in the fall. Later, in the winter, on a rainy afternoon, I got this second shot, and the colors brought out by the wetness were just spectacular to me.

I will share some more of my shots in this blog from time to time, as I currently have over 100 barns, and I get more every day. I can't wait for spring, to check out the new fashions for barn wear this season. MGH

I want to thank Georgia Republican Senator Johnny Isakson for coming up with his amendment to stimulate the lull in the housing market. This week, the senate approved his plan for a $15,000 tax credit to be offered to all individuals who purchase a home in the coming year.

The idea is not new. It was used successfully by this country in the 1070s, when lax underwriting and easy credit caused a flood of new construction and slowed the economy. Of course, back then,it only took a $2000 tax credit to get things moving again. Now, because of inflation, and the level of severity of the economic slow down, it'll take a lot more to get things moving again, but I think it will work. There's nothing wrong with looking to the past to solve a problem in the future. That's what history is for, after all. As long as it works, why re-invent the wheel.

I, for one, love the idea of Isakson's stimulus tax credit. It not only targets the issue of encouraging buyers to act by giving them a financial incentive to break down and buy a home, it also tackles the issue if decreasing the surplus inventory that is causing a large part of the economic problems in the housing market today.

No one action is going to solve the problem facing todays economy, but more small steps like this amendment proposed by Senator Isakson, will really get us moving in the right direction. Once that happens, I still believe in this country and it's people enough to think that we will take the ball and run with it.

On Monday, three of my associates and I are travelling down to Amelia Island, Florida to participate in a seminar and obtain our NAR designation as GREEN Realtors. I have always been a fan of green building practices, but this level of study should give me a whole new insight in the Green movement.

The decision to get our Green designation was spurred on by our securing a new client who is establishing the first Green Community in the Blue Ridge Georgia area. It's called Toccoa Camp, and all residents there have access to the beautiful rushing waters of the Toccoa River. A huge draw for trout fishermen, this area boasts some of the best fly fishing in the country, but the idea of getting closer to nature is being taken 1 step further by this groups planners. The whole development is building homes certified "green" and great lengths are being taken to minimize the impact of the building on the surrounding environment.

When I tried to implement green building in my own home, I took over 100 of the logs that were cleared from the house site, and recycled them back into the house. That works when you are building a log home, but the work to hand prepare each log took over a year. It was a labor of love, but not one I recommend to everyone. We also incorporated additional insulation into the exterior walls, and have 3 heat sources, including a fireplace that works like a wood, burning furnace and heats the whole first floor. I had no idea the length to which Green methods have been incorporated into building today.

Although sometimes it feels like we are a bit ahead of our time with brining Green to Blue Ridge, I hear more and more often that we are going to be going more green as a country in the coming years. I am really looking forward to learning more about the green movement in home building. I am eager to report what new discoveries I learn, next week, upon my return.

When selling real estate today, buyers frequently ask me, Have you seen a lot of “great deals” in today's marketplace? I can honestly report, those deals you hear tell of are not just the stuff of legends; they really do exist, though not in unlimited numbers. I will point out, in most cases, the sales were usually before, during, or after a foreclosure circumstance. The question that follows my recount is always the same: How can we get one of those deals? My “boy scout” response is always the same: Be prepared.

Unless you’re a cash buyer, with liquid funds at your disposal, the first thing you will need to do, in order to get ready for obtaining a great deal in real estate, is secure your funding. Long before you concern yourself with finding the perfect property, you should know what lender you’re using, and how much they’re willing to lend you. The ease with which a homeowner can qualify for a mortgage is not what it once was. Guidelines are more stringent, and those who once had no problems at all obtaining credit are finding their lending sources have all but dried up. With most bank-owned properties, the seller will not even accept an offer if it does not include a pre-qualification letter guaranteeing funds. Make a note: Your credit score is your best friend these days, so before approaching any lenders, do your best to clear up any blemishes on your records.

You should also be aware that most foreclosed properties are sold As-Is. You can ask for an inspection or due diligence in your offer, but be forewarned that the banks have not been very forthcoming with those types of concessions for buyers. This does not mean the property has something wrong with it. It simply means the property is already priced at a significant discount, and the bank is not willing to put any further funds towards repairs, even if you find something wrong. Of course, when writing your offer, my motto is: It doesn’t hurt to try.

The next level of preparation, too often undervalued by buyers, is establishing a relationship with a good real estate agent. You should know your agent, and they should know you well enough to have a pretty good idea what type of property you are hoping to acquire. A good agent will stay abreast of developments in the market place on a daily basis, and be aware of deals as they appear on the horizon, or even before. Don’t be afraid to ask your agent questions, and if you cannot get a prompt response from them, move on, as timing plays an important part in today’s real estate transactions.

Now comes the time for the most important thing you will need to remember in order to obtain a great deal in today’s real estate marketplace: opportunity is not a lengthy visitor. If you have everything lined up and are all ready to buy, hesitating, even a day, can mean the difference between getting the opportunity to make an offer on a property, or missing it all together. This is not to suggest you must react rashly when an opportunity comes along; just be decisive. In any market, even this one, homes that are priced at a value will sell, and the speed at which they sell is commensurate with the level of value they offer. Simply put, when the homes are priced to sell, that’s usually what happens, and the better the price, the quicker they sell. I cannot emphasize enough how much time is of the essence in order to procure a “deal” in today’s real estate market.

It isn’t always a matter of another buyer getting there first. In this uncertain market, sellers are getting antsy, often opting for lease/purchase options to avoid the possibility of losing their investments. Just this week, I had two different sellers who got nervous, and signed lease/purchase contracts in order to rent out their properties, rather than risk the possibility of thier not selling. Later, this same week, I received offers from a serious buyer on both, but too late. Timing is everything.

Lastly, know yourself and your limitations. If you are the type of buyer who needs to find “The One” and have everything thoroughly checked out before you buy, then you will probably not be the stuff great deal legends are made of. The tales of people who snag the “super buys” have one common thread: when the opportunity presented itself, they were decisive and acted efficiently.

It all goes back to my pat response: Be prepared. I often recall an old adage, that Luck is just Preparation meeting Opportunity. So, my advice... get all your ducks in a row, and you’ll find it’s a lot easier to be a lucky duck in today’s real estate market.

Today, I started attending an educational program offered by the community Blue Ridge Chamber of Commerce, sponsored by the state of Georgia. It is entitled, LEADERSHIP FANNIN. The 24 members selected must be nominated by program graduates to gain admittance into the program. My broker is a graduate, and she came to me and suggested I consider attending this series of classes. She said it is good for getting to know the area better, and meeting some key people in the community. I would love to learn more about this beautiful area in which we live, as I am someone who sells this area and its attributes for a living. The more I know would only make me better at my job, but there is more to this program than that, I soon found out.

The purpose of this state program is to promote leadership amongst active members of the community. While we do learn all about our local area government and economic structures, we are also encouraged to get involved in and/or create local government and non-profit programs. The basic, not so subtle, message is, that with this training, comes a responsibility to take action in the community in some way. An example of that is several graduates of last years program are the ones who plan, and help host this years program. I imagine in the course of the 4 month session we will learn more about what specifically will be expected of each of us.

The group of participants create a diverse mix in ages, backgrounds and origins, but there is a good synergy amongst the members thus far. The atmosphere is supportive and non-judgmental, as we outlined in the impromptu guidelines we developed as a group at the onset of classes.

One exercise we participated in involved selecting an image from over 400 photos laid out in a room. We were to select the image that depicted what we feel it will take to be a successful leader in Fannin County. The image I selected was a man holding a baby’s hand. I explained that , to me, this image suggests it will take a gentle touch to bring the community together. Leaders that try to bull-doze their point of view across the community will just polarize the different sides of the issues, but a caring approach, that is mindful of the fragile nature of what we have here in this county that is worth preserving is necessary for success in any leadership endeavor.

Then we gave out picture to the person next to us in our group, and they told what they saw in our image. Likewise, we described what we saw in their image, as well.

One person chose a picture of an acupuncture needle inserted into a person. They felt a leader needed to have a thick skin. What I saw, at first, was sometimes it takes a prick to get things done, but then I said, actually, what at first glance may seem like a person is causing someone pain, on closer examination, is actually someone facilitating an act of healing. It was a very informative exercise, and the most interesting thing, to me, was that I realized that I actually do have an opinion on a lot of these issues, and I never knew that about myself.

I am very glad to be participating in this program. I am looking forward to finding out more about this area, and the inner workings of the local government and tourism industry. Mostly, I am just looking forward to see what unexpected places this journey takes me to, or should I say, where it leads me.