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

Last week, I was the agent for the biggest real estate sale I have assisted to date. Not only did I manage to sell the home in 3 months, but it had actually been on the market with several other agents for almost 5 years prior, so I should have been proud and down right exuberant, but I wasn’t. It was a bittersweet victory, because the property I managed to sell was that of my dear friend, Lissi Oland.

Lissi's property has been for sale as long as I have known her. She has had some interested parties look at it from time to time, but it’s hard to find a buyer for a historic homestead and 33 acres; especially with the price tag that had been placed on it.

For those who are familiar with the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina, Lissi’s homestead was the settling place of one of the schools founders; Marguerite Butler Bidstrup. Lissi had first come to Bidstrup Acres as a young exchange student, and made a life there that ended up with her becoming caretaker of the homestead and its owners in their latter years.

Maguerite bequeathed the property to Lissi in her will, and she has been caretaker of the place ever since. Now, nearing her own latter years, Lissi wishes to return to Europe, Denmark to be precise, to live out the rest of her days back in her homeland near family.

Four months ago, Lissi called to tell me the time had come for me to take a crack at listing her property. After doing some research, I suggested that the Highest and Best Use of the land and homestead would be to subdivide the acreage into parcels on the river, and mountain view lots, and sell the homestead with less than ½ the acreage for an adjusted price.

My suggestion turned out to be a valid one, because only 2 months later, we secured an offer on a river lot which evolved into an offer on the homestead, and we just closed the deal last week.

Now don’t get me wrong; it’s all good. Lissi was happier that day than I’ve ever seen her. She was very happy with the job I did for her, and is already searching for a home in Denmark with her daughter, but I am just sad for my own loss of easy access to a dear friend.

Lissi is the kind of person who is solid, honest and straight-forward; my favorite kind of friend. She provides a clear mirror of one's own possibilities at all times, and realistically knows that anything a person desires is possible if we just move in the direction of our desires. I feel clear minded and empowered when I am with her... a visit with Lissi can put all things in a proper perspective.

Until this closing, every meeting I have ever had with Lissi has been at her kitchen table, in a nook nestled in front of the kitchen fireplace, drinking tea and honey by candle light…I assumed it’s a European thing. Some homemade baked goodies, and a hard cheese usually accompanies the drink, and her apple laptop is always available for reference to whatever topic we manage to land on.

I am grateful for the time I have had with my special friend Lissi. And even though I am happy for her, and gladdened that I was able to be the agent that procured the sale of her home for her, so that she is able follow her desires, I will miss the special times we share.

Lissi has given me an open invitation to visit her in Denmark, and I sincerely hope I get to see the day when I sit and chat over tea in a new kitchen nook, and put my world in perspective once again. In fact, I can't wait.

In these economically challenging times, I find I want to work harder to compensate for the bad news I get on the market. I am a pro-active sort of fellow, and cannot stand being told "things are bad and there's nothing you can do about it."

I like to work to change the things in my life I don't like, and to a certain extent, I do. I am busy and the market here in Blue Ridge Georgia is picking up, or at worst, it is at least stablizing, but becasue there are fewer of us still in the business... we are indeed busier.

The problem with pouring myself into work is that I also need to remember that I have a family who needs my time and attention, too. As much as I love working to change the economic future "one real estate sale at a time," I also need to live in the present, where my wife misses me, and my kids nag that I'm always working. I have decided to focus on attaining better balance between my work and my personal time for family, after all, that is why we moved our family here to Blue Ridge in the first place.

Yesterday was so beautiful out. It's staying lighter later, so I called my wife and asked her to go with me for a sunset walk on our land. She was really delighted, and I was shocked at what a difference a little time with loved ones can make to the quality of one's life. Between taking time to be with my family more, working out every day, and limiting my "all night work sessions" and it all feels pretty do-able at this point.

I'm realizing that as I get more successful, there will always be work piling up, waiting for my attention, but on the other hand; my son will be leaving for college at the end of next year, and my little girl is not going to be little for much longer. I think balance is still the key for me in my life. Whether dancer or Realtor, I need to have a strong center and live in balance to achieve my highest goals in my career and more importantly, in my life.

The other morning, while I was out putting up a sign and lockbox on a new listing in Mountain High subdivision, I couldn't help but notice the beautiful layers of mountains draped in the misty morning fog. I always try to take advantage of a photo opportunity when I see one.

The mountain view encompasses three states worth of mountians; North Caprolina, Georgia & Tennessee. Here are a couple of the shots I took. It was even more breathtaking in person. Can you imagine waking up to this view every morning? And the Blue Ridge mountains are really that BLUE.

I had a listing call up in Turtletown Tennessee the other day. The house was am amazing prow front log cabin on a private lake with 20 rolling acres and a nice garage workshop.

In addition to getting the listing, I also got an unbelievable amount of barn photos. That, combined with the dusting of snow that stuck in the more northern elevations gave me some great shots.

I love old barns, and a sideline to my Real Estate activities has been photographing interesting old barns I see along the way. Well, I saw more barns in this short trip into Tennessee than I could begin to photograph.

These are just a few of the gray ghosts I snapped that day.

Why did the Chicken cross the road? (And how does he know to use the crosswalk?) The answer to this age-old question, and many others can be found in Blue Ridge, Georgia.

Not to be too cocky, but Blue Ridge is a town like no other that exists in this day and age, and residents like it that way. Though many city downtown areas are foul, only in Blue Ridge will you find such pride in the downtown area’s “fowl”ness. Sometimes, you just gotta “crow” about what makes you special, silly as it may be.

When you visit the Blue Ridge historic district, in addition to the historic railroad train depot, and all the unique shops and various bistros that populate the streets, you will find Blue Ridge’s most “fowl” and well known residents; the downtown Rooster and his Hen.

This couple strolls the entire downtown park area like they own the place. Talk about cock of the walk.

The exploits of our town rooster were even featured in the local newspaper for a time. You see, a dog attack rendered our rooster incapacitated. A good Samaritan took him to a local veterinarian, Doc Mitchell, who donated services to nurse the sick patient back to health.

Not long after he was returned to his home downtown, then someone added a hen into the mix, and the couple has been together ever since.

By the way, if you come to Blue Ridge, you’ll see…the reason the chicken is crossing the road is usually to get away from that pesky rooster.