Trent Cluley -- Pickens County Georgia Real Estate

One of the things that has made the area around Jasper and Big Canoe, GA, particularly appealing to commuters and retirees, permanent and part time residents alike, is its central position in North Georgia, which affords convenient access to the rivers, lakes and mountains of the north and east, and the city life of Atlanta to the south.

Some of the attractions of Atlanta are obvious, with museums, parks, music venues, shopping and restaurants to suit just about any taste. And of course there are the big draws like Six Flags over Georgia, and Atlanta's professional sports teams -- Hawks, Braves, Falcons, etc.

But, for those looking to avoid the large crowds and hefty prices at venues such as these, or perhaps something a little more "quaint" or different, there are other opportunities not too distant from Pickens County, GA, that can be taken advantage of in the summer months . . .

Each year in Jasper during the week of the Fourth of July, a small fair sets up in town at the Chamber of Commerce park, and includes rides, games and food, that is ideal for anyone with small children. An annual tradition looked forward to by many locals.

A little further afield, the minor league teams of the Rome Braves and Gwinnett Braves can be enjoyed for less than $20 per ticket, and most of the seats are pretty good compared to major league stadium seating. The games also have a whole different feel and personality than the big leagues, with a more personal feel for youngsters.

Beginning in August of each year, the Atlanta Falcons hold their training camp in Flowery Branch, GA, which is free and open to the public, and only about an hour from Jasper. Concessions are reasonably priced, and there are activities and giveaways for the kids, along with a chance to be at field level with the players and gather autopgraphs. Well worth the trip.

There are numerous other opportunities and activities in and around Pickens County, GA, but these are just some that come to mind as poignant at this time of year. Will post more later. (You can also read related posts on things to do in Jasper GA, on my other blog, CurbviewJasper.com.)

I will be glad to provide more info on these activities if needed.

Out of curiosity I pulled the numbers on home sales in Pickens County GA by neighborhood for the past year, to get a rough idea of which subdivisions, besides Bent Tree and Big Canoe, had seen the most activity for the time period.

Bent Tree and Big Canoe were excluded as the two largest neighborhoods in the county, and therefore likely to always hold the top slots. Combined the two account for around 44% of all current listing inventory, and approximately 26% of all home sales / pending sales over the past 12-months. So, outside of Big Canoe and Bent Tree, here is how the neighborhoods stacked up by overall number of sales:

1) MADISON RIDGE - 9
2) ARBOR HILLS - 8
SALACOA HIGHLANDS - 8
3) SADDLE RIDGE - 6
4) HUNTER'S RIDGE - 5
IVY RIDGE - 5
WHISPERING WATERS - 5
5) PHILADELPHIA HEIGHTS - 3
WILD TIMBER - 3
WINCHESTER OAKS - 3
CHIMNEY RIDGE - 3

All other communities had less than 3 sales each during this time period. How much these numbers are affected by neighborhood characteristics and popularity versus lower prices or affordability is open to speculation, but it is most likely some combination of the two. All areas experienced some level of foreclosure, short sale or other distress sale during this time, but, outside of Madison Ridge, most of these neighborhoods had solid sales activity prior to the price reductions that took place. The lower prices simply came as a bonus.

I expect to see the ranking hold or improve for some neighborhoods like Arbor Hills, Winchester Oaks, and Saddle Ridge, over the next 12-months, while others are likely to drop lower on the list, due more to reduced inventory than buyer demand. For example, Wild Timber and Madison Ridge have few homes left available for sale, relative to where they were a year or so ago (at least not at the prices buyers have gotten used to paying). Of course, this is subject to the direction of the foreclosure and short sale trend in the coming months, which is something yet to be seen . . .

The Village at Oak Creek adds to Pickens County Georgia's mix of neighborhoods with a touch of luxury.

While the average sale price of homes in Pickens County is below $200,000, homes for sale in The Village at Oak Creek have an entry level in the low $500's. These homes offer the size and style elements one would expect in the price range, with soaring ceilings, ornate cabinetry, elaborate trim and elegant stonework that makes each home a unique masterpiece for the discriminating buyer.

Few homes have made it to market -- only four have been listed in real estate to this point, ranging in price from $530,000 to $689,000. The lowest priced of these houses was a bank owned foreclosure home previously listed at $665,000, before being repossessed by the bank and placed back on the market. Individual lots are also available for buyers interested in building a home themselves.

Lot sizes are all from one acre to a little over two acres, with a gentle topography that ranges from level to rolling, and many of which benefit from pleasant mountain views.

Community amenities include sidewalks, a picturesque swimming pool with waterfall, a pavilion with fireplace, and lighted tennis courts -- one of the few subdivisions in the Pickens County area other than Big Canoe and Bent Tree to offer these types of features for residents. Underground utilities include electric, public water, septic tank, phone, cable, hi-speed Internet, and gas.

Among the advantages of The Village at Oak Creek is its very convenient location, just a couple of miles west of Jasper off Highway 53 -- close to town and Highway 515, with the advantage of acre-plus lots to ensure some level of privacy in this quiet community.

Although the price point is notably higher than for much of the sales in the county, for those intending a purchase in the range of $500,000 and up, The Village at Oak Creek allows luxury options outside of the larger gated communities.

For a complete email list of homes for sale in The Village at Oak Creek, more information on anyhomes or land for sale in Pickens County, GA, or daily email updates of price changes, foreclosures, and homes new to the market in The Village at Oak Creek, just send Send Us An Email with your request. You can also use the Property Search feature to search Jasper Georgia homes for sale by neighborhood.

For newer homes on the west end of Pickens County GA, Black Knob Falls is a neighborhood similar in size, style and price point to comparable communities like Bethany Moorings and Saddle Ridge, but closer to Ranger and Fairmount than these developments in South Pickens.

There have been few recent home sales in Black Knob Falls to provide up to date home sale price averages, but for the past couple of years, the average has been around $150,000. By contrast, the average list for the three homes currently on the market is only $147,600 (in a broad range from $130,000 to $179,900). Some foreclosure and short sale activity has been behind the downward movement in prices.

The homes were all built within the past six-years or so, and offer standard features found in most homes in this price range and style. Frame construction with vinyl siding (some with concrete siding), basements, a deck and/or porch, and acre-plus lots. Interiors include wall-to-wall carpeting, laminated countertops, master suite with private bath, laundry, fireplace and more. Several of the homes have the garage located on the main level and offer all main level living, versus the drive under garages, split level, and multi-story layout often found in other neighborhoods.

A homeowner's association, streetlights, and underground utilities are some of the benefits of the neighborhood, along with pleasant mountain views. Association dues were $100 a year, as of this writing. Utilities provided include electric, phone, cable, hi-speed Internet, public water and septic tank for sewer.

Situated on Black Knob Church Road, off Highway 53 West in the Hinton / Ranger area, Black Knob Falls is equally convenient to Jasper and Fairmount, in an area likely to see growth in years to come. Overall, an option to keep in mind for anyone looking to keep a home purchase under $170,000, in a quiet community, off the beaten path.

For a complete email list of homes for sale in Black Knob Falls, more information on anyhomes or land for sale in Pickens County, GA, or daily email updates of price changes, foreclosures, and homes new to the market in Black Knob Falls, just send Send Us An Email with your request. You can also use the Property Search feature to search Jasper Georgia homes for sale by neighborhood.

Following what appears to be a national trend, real estate sales in the Jasper GA area showed yet another year-on-year improvement for the month of June. June's 21 pending home sales in Pickens County GA, is a 16% increase over June 2008, but, as has been the case for monthly sales data throughout the year, it still falls well below 2007's numbers, which came in about 45% higher, at 38 homes sold. It also reflects a month-to-month decline from May, which had 24 sales.

The average list price for the houses under contract was near $177,000 -- in line with the lower selling prices that have defined the market this year, even in the face of improving volume. While the average sale price on those transactions already closed for June is just over $220,000, I anticipate the average sale price once all transactions are accounted for will fall below $170,000. This would be lower than last year's $186,000, and much lower than June 2007's average close price of $252,000.

No surprise that foreclosures once again played a significant role in real estate data for the month. Nine of the 21 pending sales (43%), were listed as bank-owned foreclosures. By comparison, 33% of sales in June 2008 were foreclosures, while in 2007, only 13% were foreclosed homes. The percentage of total home inventory that is bank owned continues to hold steady at around 7%

Overall number of houses for sale in Pickens County GA hasn't seen any significant gain over the past couple of months, which is good, but neither has there been any reduction . . . leaving inventory at an unfavorably high level for sellers.

It is hard to argue that several months of improved volume doesn't signify an improvement, even if prices aren't following this same track. Inventory reduction is essential to price support, as is greater economic stability, in both the job market and the mortgage industry (more available financing and an easing of the ongoing foreclosure and short sale crisis). Lower priced homes are likely to fare better locally than their higher-priced counterparts for some time.

Expect to see some more solid numbers posted in July, one of the peak months in real estate, which I believe will outpace both June 2009 and July 2008 by a good amount . . . leading into an even better August . . .