Kim Southern - Blue Ridge Real Estate

Love 'em or hate 'em, it was hard to miss the "Boy Band" chapter in pop music that began in the late '90's.  Bands like *NSync and The Backstreet Boys dominated the music charts -- and the daydreams -- of countless 'tweens.'  

One inescapable tune was *NSync's "Bye Bye Bye," so catchy was it that even a fast-approaching middle-age gal like me couldn't help but belt out it's infectious refrain (in the privacy of my own car when I was sure no one was looking, of course.) 

Fast forward nine years, and as I do an analysis of Fannin County real estate for 2008l, I find the tune echoing in my head yet again, only this time with a twist: "Buy Buy Buy!"

The year showed an overall 18% decline in home prices over 2007's sales. Foreclosures are on the rise and home sellers are finally realizing that they need to come to terms with what the market is saying loud and clear: LOWER YOUR ASKING PRICE! These things, coupled with mortgage rates that are still at historic lows, mean that this is an incredible time of opportunity for home buyers.

There is no telling how much longer it will take the real estate market to rebound. Fingers crossed, the $819 billion stimulus package that was approved by the House today will also be passed by the Senate -- with some tweaking, of course -- and may be on President Obama's desk as early as February 13.

The Fed, in addition to leaving its key interest rate at essentially zero percent, has signaled that it is willing to act more aggressively in providing relief to a market that  has been knocked to the canvas. It is considering purchasing more mortgage-backed securities and long-term government bonds, which would help drive down interest rates on consumer loans.

What these measures add up to is an economy that may have yet have a fighting chance for a comeback in 2009, and increased market demand for consumer products like cars and houses. And with an increase in demand comes an increase in prices.

So, my advice is to make like a boy band and "Buy Buy Buy," now now now.

In a journey that began 75-years ago this month when Franklin Roosevelt ratified the 21st Amendment to the Constitution that overturned Prohibition, Fannin County commissioners voted to begin the process of enacting an ordinance "to permit consumption, on specific premises, of wines and malt beverages, and to authorize farm wineries and tasting rooms within unincorporated areas of Fannin County."

Allowing alcohol to be served in local restaurants has long been a contentious issue in Fannin County, becoming increasingly so as the area grew in stature as a second-home market. New residents from around the country loved the small-town country charm of the area, but were far less enamored by what most saw as a bizarrely anachronistic law that allowed beer and wine to be sold at grocery and convenience stores, but not in restaurants.

The subtext of the alcohol debate has been about two issues: religion and change. Fannin County's Southern Baptist roots grow deep, tracing back to the settlers who moved into the area generations ago. For most, it was a struggle to scratch out a living in the area. Breathtakingly beautiful though it may be, Fannin County did not have the rich soil to make farming an easy or profitable venture, nor did it have a diverse economy that would have many jobs to offer outside of agriculture. Life was, as a Fannin County road name suggests, "Hardscrabble."

Two great loves sustained those early settlers and the generations that ensued: their abiding love of God and of the land. Small Southern Baptist churches pepper the mountains -- you can hardly drive a mile without seeing at least one church -- serving as visible reminders of the centrality of the faith and its importance in the life of the region. Southern Baptism offered its followers many comforts, but alcohol was never one of them, having, as it does, strict rules requiring abstinence. As long as Fannin County stayed insulated from the outside world, this no-nonsense approach to drinking remained as firmly embedded in the region as the bedrock that makes farming so difficult. (We'll leave moonshiners for another blog.)

Ultimately, the outside world was drawn in, through the media, of course, but also by vastly improved roads that meant a trip up from Atlanta now took little over an hour-and-a-half. Seeing the amazing natural beauty of the area, Atlantans began to purchase weekend cabins in the North Georgia mountains, and Floridians were not far behind. This was good news to the the folks in Fannin County who -- while they may have been short of a lot of other things -- had no shortage of land to sell to the monied folks from the south. Families who had lived hand-to-mouth for generations were now finding themselves with money beyond their wildest dreams, particularly those who were lucky enough to own property along one of the rivers, or -- for those who really hit the jackpot -- on Lake Blue Ridge.

But, in an inevitably Faustian twist, the blessings that came with new money brought the curse of new people with new ideas who loved the beauty and small-town charm of Fannin County, but still wanted the amenities they enjoyed in the big city -- the ability to be able to enjoy a glass of wine with dinner out primary among them. This has set up a battle for what many old-time residents see as the soul, literally, of Fannin County.

At Tuesday's Fannin County commission meeting, one gentleman, who identified himself as a pastor, addressed the commissioners on the alcohol issue: "Has not God always took care of us? Has God not always blessed us in this county? Has not God always been on our side?" To which one of the commissioners responded, "I cannot legislate morality. I cannot tell you what's right and wrong because that's what you believe, that's not what everybody else believes." And with that, the commissioners voted to pass the ordinance to allow pouring licenses in the county. The ordinance still has one more hurdle to pass before it can be voted into law -- it must have one more public hearing which is scheduled for December 16. That should be an interesting meeting.

2008 -- What a year!! If years were fictional characters, 2008 would surely be the Grinch. Just like the Grinch, it slunk from home to home taking from everyone, the rich and the poor alike. No household was left untouched, in one way or another.

"Then he slithered and slunk, with a smile most unpleasant, Around the whole room, and he took every present! Pop guns! And bicycles! Roller skates! Drums! Checkerboards! Tricycles! Popcorn! And plums! And he stuffed them in bags. Then the Grinch, very nimbly, Stuffed all the bags, one by one, up the chimney!  

Then he slunk to the icebox. He took the Whos' feast! He took the Who-pudding! He took the roast beast! He cleaned out that icebox as quick as a flash. Why, that Grinch even took their last can of Who-hash! Then he stuffed all the food up the chimney with glee. "And NOW!" grinned the Grinch, "I will stuff up the tree!"  

- From "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," by Dr. Seuss

But, like the Whos down in Who-ville, we are proving resilient. I have noticed that I am hearing a word being used much more frequently than in years past, and that word is "gratitude."  It seems that most of us are emerging from the end of the long, dark tunnel that was 2008 changed in a very fundamental way.  We are taking stock of our lives and realizing that -- even without all the hooplah and trappings (or maybe in spite of them) -- we have so much to be grateful for.

I am extremely grateful for all the blessings that have come my way this year. Here are just a few:

• I am grateful for my good health and the health of my family
• I am grateful for the many good friends that I have. They continue to show me what true friendship means, and I hope that in some small way, I have done the same for them
• I am grateful to have a career that I love, one that makes me look forward to getting out of bed in the morning. I am grateful that despite difficult market conditions I have been able to grow my business this year, thanks to the support of all my clients and to my real estate partner, Dawn McGuire
• I am grateful for the beautiful area I live in -- the North Georgia mountains. I have been all over the world, but there is no place that I find as beautiful as this
• I am grateful for the fried pies at Merciers and the tomato basil soup at Cantarberry's

As 2008 draws to a close, I simply want to say "thank you" to all. I have truly learned the meaning of what it is to be grateful and I look forward to welcoming 2009 with all of you in the spirit of gratitude, grace and friendship.    

"Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small, Was singing! Without any presents at all! He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME! Somehow or other, it came just the same! And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow, Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so? It came without ribbons! It came without tags! "It came without packages, boxes or bags!" And he puzzled three hours, `till his puzzler was sore.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. "Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"

And what happened then...? Well...in Who-ville they say That the Grinch's small heart Grew three sizes that day!"

        - From "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," by Dr. Seuss

What are YOU grateful for?

An article in today's New York Times -- "Toasting the End of an Error" -- talks about the end of Prohibition which took place just about 75-years ago when FDR ratified the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, which did away with the 18th Amendment's ban on alcohol consumption.

The article points out that there are still "dry counties" in the United States -- places where the sale of alcohol remains prohibited. Fannin County, home to Blue Ridge, is one of those communities. You can buy beer and wine in Fannin County -- heck, the drive-thru Beer Barn boasts "the coldest beer in town" -- but it cannot be served 'by the drink.' And, most restaurants will allow you to bring your own wine and beer with you...and, let's face it, that actually makes it a less expensive meal.

The clamor to allow beer & wine by the drink has gotten stronger through the years as more folks move to the area from other parts of the country. But, whenever it comes up for a vote, it gets turned down -- a testament to the strong voting bloc of the Southern Baptists -- or the fact that folks for whom Blue Ridge is a second home are not able to vote on the matter, depending on how you choose to look at it. There is no end to the lively debate on the subject, both publicly and privately.

As for me, the matter is academic. I'm not much of a drinker -- I can usually count on one hand the number of times in a year that I'll have a drink. Sometimes I'll go to a party planning to have at least two drinks, by God, and after half of one, the thrill is gone and I move on to my real drink of choice -- sweet tea.

I knew Fannin County was a dry county when I moved here, and I'm not one of those folks who think that just because I moved here, folks who have lived in Fannin their whole lives -- and their parents, grandparents & great-grandparents before them -- need to change to suit my way of looking at things. I am quite content with Blue Ridge just the way it is.

However, in my estimation, there are two good reasons to be able to serve liquor by the drink: to bring more good restaurants to the area; and, by extension, for job creation. Like it or not, it is hard to attract top-notch dining establishments when one of the top revenue producers for them -- serving alcohol -- is not allowed. Don't get me wrong, we have a number of great places to dine out -- Repaz, Great Eats and Cucina Rustica are delighful! -- but a few more good restaurants would be nice, along with the jobs they would create.

I believe that it is only a matter of time before the ban on by the drink alcohol is overturned. The economics alone are compelling enough, but as more and more folks discover the magic of Blue Ridge and move in to the area full-time -- and can vote here -- the politics of a dry county will get diluted, so-to-speak.

And when that day comes, I'll be glad to hoist my sweet tea and say "Cheers."