Housing prices in Blue Ridge and surrounding communities continue their steady march downward. An analysis of year-to-date sales for 2008 shows that the median price for residential properties has dropped 17% over the same time period in 2007, while the total volume sold dropped nearly 35%.
There are currently 605 cabins on the market in Fannin County and many of these are a-MAZING deals! Cabins with amenities like jaw-dropping panoramic mountain views, river or creek frontage, luxe interiors, hot tubs and outdoor fireplaces are available at prices $100,000 to $200,000 less than comparable properties sold for just two years ago.
Cabin prices are not the only things that are declining -- interest rates are creeping downwards, as well. Credit-worthy buyers will find that it is still relatively easy to obtain financing with local lenders.
With a market this sweet, what are you waiting for? Go ahead, take a bite.
1/1/07 - 11/30/07 1/1/08 - 11/30/08 Variation Total Units Sold 378 311 -18% Avg. Days on Market 129 124 -4% Sold Price Average $313,292 $248,708 -21% Median $270,000 $225,000 -17% Total Volume $118,424,433 $77,348,091 -35%
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|
November 2007 |
November 2008 |
Variation |
|
Total Units Sold |
20 |
20 |
0 |
|
Avg. Days on Market |
86 |
102 |
16% |
|
Sold Price |
|
|
|
|
Average |
$285,016 |
$253,105 |
-11% |
|
Highest |
$275,000 |
$227,500 |
-17% |
|
Total Volume |
$5,700,312 |
$5,062,100 |
-11% |
The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?
---J. B. Priestley
Snow is the perfect guest in Blue Ridge: because it comes only a few times a year, you are always delighted to see it, and it doesn't overstay its welcome.
Our first snow came earlier than normal this year, lending a magical air to the beautiful downtown Christmas finery that bedecks Blue Ridge.
Joe and Oliver came to the mountains of North Georgia for the same reason so many of us do. Years of big-city living had taken its toll on them -- both psychologically and physically. Peace awaited them on a pristine 324-acre spread in Morganton, a small community just outside of Blue Ridge in the beautiful North Georgia mountains. A 324-acre spread surrounded by 10,000-volt electic fences, computerized gates and 15-foot high concrete walls.
Joe and Oliver are two of the inhabitants of Gorilla Haven, a primate heaven-on-earth compound. The labor of love of Jane and Steuart Dewar, Gorilla Haven was conceived to house gorillas that have been cast-aside by zoos. 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.
This remarkable facility -- not open to the public -- has been spotlighted in a wonderful article in today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution, A Misfit's Sanctuary.
It is cold in the North Georgia mountains tonight. A slender crescent moon is making its journey across the night sky with countless twinkling stars as companions.
My husband and I spent the evening in front of a crackling fire. Our three dogs sprawled in front of the hearth, luxuriating in the warmth every bit as much as we did. We keep a fire lit most nights once cold weather sets in. We don't use the fireplace to heat the house, but simply because we both find a crackling fire so peaceful and beautiful.
According to a recent article in The New York Times -- Warm, Cozy & Cleaner -- heating a home with a wood-burning stove or fireplace insert can save you a bundle on home heating costs.
Heating second homes here in the North Georgia mountains with a wood-burning stove or insert tends to be particularly inexpensive because we are smack in the middle of the Chattahoochee National Forest, where firewood is much more plentiful -- and by extension, much less expensive. The going price for a cord of wood here in the North Georgia mountains varies, but if you shop around you can usually get a pick-up truck full delivered to your door for $80.
Of course, for the more hardy souls, you can get all the free wood you need if you are willing to harvest it yourself. You can collect wood from your own or a willing neighbor's property, or get a permit from the US Forest Service to collect dead wood from the national forests.
The important thing to remember is that you will need to make sure the stove or insert is an energy-efficient model that generates far less smoke and allows far less heat to escape through the chimney. It is also important to have your chimney checked regularly -- depending on your usage -- to make sure that there is no residue in there that might create a fire hazard.
And -- most importantly -- to make sure that Santa has plenty of room to come down.
Christmas comes early in Blue Ridge -- November 29th to be exact. That is the date of the annual "Light Up Blue Ridge" festival, a day that local children look forward to with almost the same eager anticipation as they wait for Christmas morning itself.
On November 29th, beautiful downtown Blue Ridge will be abustle with carolers, horse-drawn carriages, stores bursting with wonderful items to make your holiday shopping a breeze.
The most important visitors to downtown that day will be the children eagerly waiting for Santa Claus, who, along with Mrs. Claus, will ride into town on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. Once Santa arrives, the children -- and the children at heart -- will know that the Christmas Season has truly come to Blue Ridge.
Santa and Mrs. Claus will spend the afternoon at the Gazebo making sure he knows what all the little boys and girls want for Christmas.
Santa won't be the only Christmas big-shot in town. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer will be on hand, as will the Gingerbread Man and his Gingerbread House.
Music will play a big part in the festivities, as musical guests will appear throughout the day on the Main Stage in the park.
The day's activities will be capped by the lighting of the Great Tree, when the bright Christmas lights will illuminate the winter night sky and the bright shiny faces of all the children.
Click here for more information.
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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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