You buy a cabin in the beautiful North Georgia mountains to escape from the stresses and worries of your life in the city. There are some simple steps you can take to make sure that your cabin is one step closer to being worry-free by cutting down on needlessly high energy costs. And almost all of them are easy enough that you can tackle them yourself in a weekend.
One of the biggest -- and simplest -- steps you can take is to invest in a programmable thermostat. You can set the thermostat so that the heat and air conditioning maintain minimum temperatures during the week, and then automatically adjust to the temperature you're most comfortable with at, say, 7 p.m. on Friday. You should easily be able to recoup your initial investment on a $100 Energy Star programmable thermostat within the first year. 
The next step is a little more labor intensive, but still easy enough. Feel for drafts around windows and doors and replace any caulking and weatherstripping around them that is cracked or broken. Also, be sure to check all ductwork, and plan on having your heating and cooling systems serviced once a year.
For those that have true log cabins, you will also want to check the caulking around the logs, as natural shifting takes place that can open up tiny cracks. This may be a project you choose to contract out.
A fireplace is an almost universal feature in a second home. If it is a wood-burning one, make sure that you close the flue when the fireplace is not in use, and most certainly before you leave the cabin for the week. Also, make sure to have it inspected and cleaned at the start of each season. This not only can help save energy, but is also important for safety reasons -- a fire is lovely in the fireplace, and in the fireplace only!
Next, turn the thermostat on your water heater down to 130, or ideally, 120, which is still hot enough for that nice hot shower.
Make sure to check the air filters for your heating and cooling system and replace them as 
needed.
The last -- and simplest -- step is to unplug stuff. Most appliances still use a considerable amount of energy on stand-by mode -- that's how they got the sinister nickname "vampire devices." By unplugging your TV, DVR, stereo and microwave before you leave the cabin for the week you can save a considerable amount of energy over the course of the year.
There you have it...A weekend's worth of work, and you've saved a bundle. I know, I know...the point of the cabin is so you don't have to work, but do this little bit and you won't have to work as hard at your 'day job' to pay for your energy bills. It'll be worth it.
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You can conduct your own energy audit, as well as find a wealth of energy saving tips on the nifty website EnergySavers.gov.
EnergyStarKids is a great kid-friendly environmental site.
North Georgia mountain's Gorilla Haven -- the only privately-owned gorilla sanctuary approved by the National Association of Zoos & Aquariums -- is in great financial need right now.
The above video shows one of Gorilla Haven's residents -- Oliver -- thoughtfully eating his apple snacks.
This amazing facilty, built and maintained by Jane & Steuart Dewar, offers a home to gorillas that were born and raised in zoos, but who were ultimately labeled 'misfits.' You can read more about Gorilla Haven in this great article from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "A Misfit's Sanctuary."
Please read this poignant letter from Jane Dewar and consider helping in some way:
Dear Gorilla Haven Friends and Supporters,
THANK YOU for your support after our first email appeal in December. We sincerely appreciate everyone who donated and even the supportive emails from people who couldn't afford to donate funds, but offered kind words. Both Steuart and I are working 7 days a week to make sure Gorilla Haven succeeds and we need your help now more than ever.
While we negotiate with the zoo world, which is struggling with their own economic crisis, our costs continue to rise as our income declines. Fund-raising is now a necessity if Gorilla Haven is to continue. We're asking for your help - whether you live locally or internationally, there's something you can do, if you're willing....
Here are some ideas:
Whatever you can do, it will be put to the best use here. With the world struggling, it may not seem that important to care about a couple of gorillas in North Georgia. But Gorilla Haven is so much more than that. With your help, we can continue to help save an endangered species, while showing the Power of One Person to make a difference.
Thank you!
Jane Dewar, Founder of Gorilla Haven
For more information, please visit: Gorilla-Haven.org
I'm battered, bruised, exhausted...but happy. Fannn County's Residential Market Analysis 
for February shows that you HAVE been paying attention after all! Me so proud!
When I first pulled the numbers, I was ecstatic -- the median sales price for February '09 was $248,000, compared with $179,825 in February of '08. That represents a 27% jump in the median sales price! WOW! The market's up, happy days are here again! I probably should have stopped there; ignorance, after all, is bliss.
But, I noticed that on the flip side, the total number of sales for the month were down over last year. In February '08, 28 residential units were sold, as opposed to 23 units this February, down 18%. That would indicate that the market is still not rebounding as much as we'd like.
Trying to make sense of the conflicting data, I further broke the sales data into price categories: $100,000 - $200,000, $201,000 - $300,000, etc. Here's what the data showed concerning number of units sold in each price range:
| Units Sold February 2009 - Total 23 | Units Sold February 2008 - Total 28 | |
| $0 - $100,000 | 2 | 3 |
| $101,000 - $200,000 | 4 | 16 |
| $201,000 - $300,000 | 12 | 6 |
| $301,000 - $400,000 | 3 | 2 |
| $401,000 - $500,000 | 2 | 1 |
The biggest jump in sales this year was in the upper price ranges - $201,000 and over. What does this mean? Buyers are realizing that there are AMAZING deals out there right now. They are able to buy fabulous cabins -- chock-full of luxurious upgrades -- in the $200K-$300K range that probably would have cost $50,000 - $100,000 more last year. Smart buyers!
Given that the number of sales is still down -- meaning the market is still sluggish -- we can expect to see continued downward pressure on prices. Which means the bargains will keep coming. Which means lots of golden opportunities for buyers.
At least now I feel like you're listening to me...Phew...
Joe and Oliver make two unlikely Cinderellas. After having spent the first part of their lives in zoos, Joe and Oliver were whisked away from unhappy lives by their 'fairy godparents,' Jane and Steuart Dewar, to Gorilla Haven, a 324-acre spread in the North Georgia Mountains, just outside of Blue Ridge. Here they are given space to roam and loving care to help heal the emotional scars of their past.
Unable to peacefully co-exist with his fellow gorillas, Joe was relegated to solitary confinement in a concrete cell for 10-years. Born at the Bronx Zoo in 1988, Oliver, who was born deaf, was unable to communicate with his fellow gorillas and had to be separated from the others for his own safety. At Gorilla Haven, both have finally found a life of peace.
The Dewar's have underwritten the cost of building the facility on their own, to the tune of millions of dollars. The state-of-the-art compound -- the only privately-owned gorilla sanctuary approved by the national Association of Zoos and Aquariums -- has 15-foot high concrete walls and 10,000-volt electric fences to ensure that the gorillas don't leave the compound. Not that they'd want to.
Gorilla Haven is normally closed to the public, but the facility will open its doors on select dates in 2009 for fundraising tours. Tours will be limited to 25 people, and the donation will be $50 per person, with family-plans available.
Here is the nformation about the tour:
For more information, please visit www.Gorilla-Haven.org.
| From | February 27, 2009 | Comedy / Marrying Walt |
| To | March 01, 2009 | Blue Ridge Community Theater |
| March 01, 2009 | Comedy / Marrying Walt | |
| Blue Ridge Community Theater | ||
| March 05, 2009 | Winter Pickn' | |
| The Pickin Coup | ||
| March 12, 2009 | Winter Pickn' | |
| The Pickin Coup | ||
| From | March 13, 2009 | Kid's Say the Darndest Things |
| To | March 15, 2009 | Blue Ridge Community Theater |
| March 19, 2009 | Winter Pickn' | |
| The Pickin Coup | ||
| From | March 20, 2009 | Kid's Say the Darndest Things |
| To | March 22, 2009 | Blue Ridge Community Theater |
| March 26, 2009 | Winter Pickn' | |
| The Pickin Coup | ||
| March 28, 2009 | Blue Ridge Writers Conference | |
| North Georgia Technical College | ||
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Covering the North Georgia mountains like the dew, I serve the communities of Blue Ridge, Ellijay, Suches, Mineral Bluff, East Ellijay, Cherry Log, Morganton, McCaysville, and Epworth.
My name is Kim Southern. After working in banking for many years, I decided to follow my passion and become a full-time real estate agent. My family and I moved to the North Georgia mountains several years ago, and it didn't take me long to recognize the exciting potential of this beautiful region to become a highly sought-after second home market. Little over an hour's drive from Atlanta, and less than a day's drive from all points in Florida, Blue Ridge and Ellijay are fast becoming a destination for folks looking for their own little piece of heaven.
Selling real estate is what I love to do. My desire to help people find the home of their dreams--as corny as that may sound--still drives and fulfills me.
I specialize in one thing--the finest in customer service. That may sound simple, but it means that I 
must have a mastery of:
We first met Kim a few years ago when we purchased our second piece of property in the beautiful North Georgia Mountains! We had already owned a 3 acre parcel in Blairsville, but not only couldn't we get our previous realtor to call us back, we could hardly get anyone to return a message or answer our questions. We finally stumbled across Kim Southern via her website and when we called, she actually answered her phone.
During our first conversation with her, we developed quite a bond. She was very nice to talk to and extremely helpful. It was obvious that she was very familiar with the North Georgia area. In our subsequent conversations, we developed a trust and a relationship with Kim that we had not previously experienced with other realtors.
When we finally went to Georgia to meet with her (we are from Florida), we tied her up all weekend long. She showed us everything we had spoken about and more. We decided on a piece of property in Ellijay and had her sell our land in Blairsville. We knew from our meetings that Kim is a very dependable and trustworthy realtor and a person of high ethical values. Although she did not make much money from our sale or purchase of land, she continually treated us as if we were very important clients.
After the sale, we began to build a cabin in Ellijay. Kim would voluntarily check on our property while we were building our cabin. Being 700 miles away, this was very much appreciated. She would constantly keep in touch with us and became our ‘eyes & ears' in Georgia.
We have since become good friends with Kim and her family and look forward to visiting whenever possible. I would sincerely recommend Kimberly Southern as a realtor that you can count on! She's the best!
Craig & Tiffany
Hi Kim-
When we decided to change our life direction, we never dreamed we'd find such a wonderful Realtor - & Friend - in Kim Southern! We purchased a couple alpacas to diversify our portfolio. Being an animal lover, I got tired of agisting them at someone else's farm. So I began looking for property to bring us all together. I searched the internet, newspapers & those little real estate books. I ran countless hours to "drive-by" the outside before I called my current at the time realtor, (not Kim), because she was too busy with her life to take me.
My husband happened across a property in the North GA Mountains...I called to set up a viewing with the listing agent which turned out to be Kim. I got lost on my way there, & unable to call Kim because my cell phone didn't work in that area, I had to find a pay phone. Kim just laughed & told me she'd see me when I got there. An hour later, I finally made it!
Turns out that property wasn't right for us...but with Kim's never-ending perserverence, we finally found the right one. Kim worked with us for nearly 2 years, looking at different properties in at least 8 counties, researching county ordinences, scouring the internet listings, even taking pictures of places that hadn't made it to the internet yet! She made this exhausting adventure a reality for us. She was always happy & eager to get out to walk the numerous acres with us...she knew if the land wasn't right, the house didn't matter...click & go next.
To say Kim is just our Realtor would be an understatement. Throughout this entire process, Kim became our friend as well! My husband used to joke with me about who was I going to talk to after we finally closed on our house? Little did he know...!
When we outgrow our new alpaca ranch, Kim will be the lady we'll call to help us take the next step, even if we have to get her licensed in another state! I recommend her highly to anyone who wants to find that perfect place to call home. I have confidence she will do everything in her power to get you to where you want to be.
Thank you, Kim, for everything you have done for us. You have been a very big part in making Circle C Alpacas what we are today. We wish you all the best!
Sincerely,
Tom & Lisa
Dear Kim,
We want to thank you for the excellent work and energy you demonstrated on sale of our cabin in Cherry Log. Obviously, this is a buyers market with an abundance of cabins for sale in the North Georgia market; however, you were able to sell our property in less than 8 weeks! Something we did not think could happen. I feel your website, local marketing techniques, and knowledge of the market all contributed to this quick sale. However, I feel your dedication and personal involvement with your clients was the part that made this transaction and our partnership a success.
We sincerely enjoyed working with you and Century 21 Realty. You displayed great professionalism at each step on this process. Your guidance and recommendations were always accurate and lead to a positive and successful association. If I can ever serve as a recommendation for you in the future, please advise, as it will be a great pleasure to recommend such a professional and ethical Real Estate person. Thank you, again, for all your efforts and dedication in selling our property.
Best Regards,
David & Tricia
Dear Kim,
Please accept my deepest appreciation for all the creative and time-consuming work you did to sell my cabin in Morganton, GA. You worked hard, and it showed. In an area where log cabins are so abundant, you helped mine stand out among the others. With good pricing and fabulous advertising (the virtual tour was awesome), it sold quickly.
As you recall, the buyer could only give me 30 days to find a new home, pack and move. You managed to set up both closings on the same day! We went from cabin to closing, moving, to the closing of the new house and in the new house within 12 hours!!!! What a day!!!
Your professionalism and warm personality are a pleasure in a world in turmoil. Your goal, "I just want everyone to be happy," is a not only said but acted out in a way that makes you unique. It was definitely my fortune to have been referred to you. I have and will continue to refer you to others.
Thank you again for all your great effort.
Sincerely,
Joan
Dear Kimberly:
It is the time of year to remember all the things we are thankful for and you are at the top of the list. I remember during the anticipating days and weeks after you listed our home in Ellijay. One Realtor had already "fired" us as a customer saying we were too fussy about our pictures. One thing about you Kim, is you don't let hurdles get in your way. I recall the day when you told me you and your husband were going to rent a scissor lift so you could get spectacular photos of our "up hill" mountain home that was sooooo hard to photograph. Needless to say between your "beyond the call of duty effort " in the beginning and at contract we were happy to see the house sold and move on to our new life.
We love your creative, sensible, thorough and willing approach to real estate and believe you will have a long line of people waiting for your services at any time of the year. If you need to have a prospective client call us we are more than willing to share the good news. May all be returned to you and more this coming year.
Best regards,
James and Glenda
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