Marc Holton

I spend most of my blog time covering the constant growth and development changes for Cherokee county. That growth ignited many years ago when someone got the idea of cutting down the 1000 acre woods in Woodstock and developing a few homes in what is now called Towne Lake. Since that time Cherokee County has become a thriving part of Metro Atlanta. Several large developers and builders have staked a claim in the county to ride the growth into the foreseeable future. The list of successful neighborhoods is rather long Towne Lake Hills, Bradshaw Farms, Woodmont, Bridgemill, Falls of Cherokee, Waterford, Deer Run, Eagle Watch, Rivergreen, Harmony on the Lakes, Lake Arrowhead, and many more.

What I wanted to discuss today is the awesome recreational areas that are convenient to the county. First I would need to mention Lake Allatoona. This lake touches 4 counties and provides for fantastic boating, camping, hiking, and fishing. There is one State Park " Red Top Mountain " and several Army Corp. of Engineers boat launches, campgrounds and day use areas all on the lake.

Blankets Creek Mountain Bike Trails are located off of Sixes road and now have 5 bike trails totaling over 14 miles around the Allatoona area. People travel from all over the southeast to visit the trails.

Cherokee is also convenient to Helen, Blue Ridge, Elijay, Dahlonega, and many of the North Georgia mountain parks and recreational areas. Most can be reached in less than a 1½ hour drive from various locations in the county.

The county has 2 YMCA facilities, and a great parks and recreation department. Parks and ball fields can be found in all areas of the county.

Great news for Holly Springs and the Canton area. Holly Springs was awarded a grant for smart development by the Atlanta Regional Commission ARC. This grant will provide for a study to include the best approach for multi use trails and bicycle facilities in and around the downtown area. Holly Springs has experienced a re-birth over the last few years, as new businesses and new housing move into the area. Currently the downtown area roadway is under a major reconstruction that will ease congestion and simplify the main intersection. Once this work is complete, we should see further growth in retail shopping.

Holly Springs is located just north of Woodstock on Hwy 5 and has easy access to I-575. The downtown area is surrounded by a perfect mix of housing, new and resale, that stretch across many price points. There is also plenty of raw land in the area to allow for future growth. Home Depot has recently opened a new store at the corner of Hwy 5 and I-575 and business is booming. This sleepy little town will not stay a secret long as people watch the growth in the Woodstock downtown area they will be looking at Holly Springs to be the next big boom.

Cherokee county home sales have remained stronger than the Atlanta area average. Cherokee county continues to draw in new residents to all corners. Despite these strengths we must also face that home sales are down 30% Jan.- April for 2008. Expired and withdrawn listings are off the charts. The available inventory of homes for sale will take just under 15 months to sell at our current rate of closed transactions. The average days on the market has risen to 147 days and that does not account for previously expired listings that are re-listed. Prices are continuing to fall and I predict that we will see further declines. I write this not as a "doom and gloom" report, but as a reality check. This market has changed and it will continue to evolve over the next couple of years.

If you are planning to buy or sell a home, then selecting the right agent is more important than ever. There are thousands of agents and brokers to choose from and you may want to speak to several before making your decision. Don't let them sell you on who they are. Ask for the names and phone numbers of a few past clients. Find out what a past client thought of their work.

Cherokee county has exceeded the average for home sales in Georgia. If we look to the nation as a standard we will find that Cherokee county is one of the best places to live in the nation. New construction is still moving forward with well over one hundred new communities under development. With the addition of the new water reservoir in Canton and the plans for an updated airport, one can only predict a great future for residential and commercial development. Cherokee county tends to be ahead of the curve for planning of roadways and new development. School testing scores remain among the best and businesses are looking at this county as a new place to call home. Property taxes are among the lowest in metro Atlanta and we are seeing extreme growth in the retail sector. Major shopping centers are under development for Sixes Rd., Hwy 20 & I -575, and the Rope Mill area. These new centers will allow for many of the county residence to live and work in the same county, while also increasing the number of people looking for new housing in the area.

Although homes sales are struggling in the Cherokee area, commercial development seems to be growing at a record pace. The Cherokee Ledger News reported that a new Outlet Mall development is planned for Sixes Road. Prime Retail, the developer for the outlet mall in Calhoun, is planning for a 120-store outlet mall with 450,000 sq-ft . The development will be located at the intersection of I-575 and Sixes Rd. Home Depot has recently opened a store at the same intersection. The planned opening will be in 2010.

This should be a nice boost for the local economy and the county tax base. Hundreds of jobs will be created allowing for more of Cherokee's residents to work in the county they live in. With gas over four dollars a gallon many residents are looking for work closer to home. A development like this will draw consumers from several near by counties helping to secure a lift in sales tax revenues. This location will also prove to be very convenient for many of the larger communities in Cherokee county such as Towne Lake. Bridgemill, Falls of Cherokee, Governors Preserve, Woodmont, Bardshaw Farms, Harmony On The Lakes, just to name a few. This should also be a boost to new and resale home sales, as new employees move to the area.