Keith Kenner

North Georgia Real Estate

North Georgia real estate is moving, but, it is not moving like it did in the last several years. In 1996 CNN stated that a small town in the North Georgia Mountains, Hiawassee, Ga. would be one of the top ten retirement communities in the USA. This statement was made because of the natural beauty of the area. In Hiawassee, we have several amenities, Lake Chatuge, the Hiawassee River, the Georgia Mountain Fair and many festivals ... face it; our largest business is the tourist industry. We offer fishing, boating, hikeing, camping and a host of other outdoor activities As a result of the massive influx of visitors and potential home owners; the building industry exploded.

Over the course of the last three years housing sales in Towns County has dropped 16 % per year since our peak sales in 2005. In 2005 there were 300 homes sold in Towns County through the efforts of real estate professionals. In 2006 there were 253 homes and in 2007 there were 204 homes sold in Towns County. As you can see there is a significant drop in housing sales in this area.

Now, let's look at what is on the market. As of 03/26/08 there are 480 active listings of homes for sale on the market in Towns County. For the month for February there were 10 homes sold in Towns County. There have been a total of 36 houses sold in Towns County from the 1^st of the year to date. Is there competition with selling your home in this area? You bet!

In this market, if you plan to sell your house you will need to be:

•· Competitive on price

•· The house will need to be in great shape

•· The property must be clean (curb appeal is top on the list!)

•· The house should be easy to access for showing purposes

Everybody knows: "You only get one chance to make a great first impression!"

The above figures concerning home sales were derived form the local MLS and are accurate to the best of my knowledge.

Keith Kenner presents mountain homes, land and commercial properties as a REALTOR in HIAWASSEE,GA!

If you really want to know about Lake Chatuge Lake Levels in Hiawassee, Ga. , read this!

Construction of Lake Chatuge Dam North Georgia began in 1941 and was completed in 1942. Chatuge was originally built to store water to help prevent flooding downstream. A single hydropower generating unit was added in 1954.

The level of water in Lake Chatuge Reservoir varies about 9 feet during the course of a normal year. Chatuge Dam is 144 feet high and stretches 2,850 feet across the Hiwassee River. Chatuge has a flood-storage capacity of 62,619 acre-feet.

The generating capacity of Lake Chatuge Dam is 10,000 kilowatts of electricity. Chatuge is operated for many purposes, including flood control, power generation, and augmentation of water flows for navigation downstream.

Lake Chatuge Reservoir, located on the Hiwassee River in western North Carolina, is 13 miles long and extends southeast from the dam into north Georgia. The reservoir is named after a nearby Cherokee settlement.

Sport fishing is popular at Chatuge, both in the reservoir and in the Hiwassee River below the dam. Concrete weirs have been installed below the dam to provide a steady flow of water and to increase oxygen levels for fish and other aquatic animals. Wade fishing for trout is popular here since fish are attracted to the weirs, where food is abundant.

Water release schedules are updated periodically throughout the day. Next-day release schedules are usually available by 6 p.m. of the current day. Observed water levels also are updated periodically throughout the day. Predicted water levels are updated at least once a day, by 1 p.m. Eastern time, and may be updated more frequently when conditions warrant.

Facts About Lake Chatuge Lake Levels: 'All of these numbers refer to feet above sea level.'

1) Flood Level- 1927

2) Summer Level- 1925

3) March 15,2008- 1920.16

The T.V.A. states that the average inflow of water is about 300 cubic feet per second and the average out flow released is 100 cubic feet per second ( this will increase the lake lever about one tenth of a foot per day.) They will usually fluctuate the lake level 9 feet per year. Follow this link for actual predictions and levels.

Keith Kenner presents mountain homes, land and commercial properties as a REALTOR in HIAWASSEE,GA!

Hi there my name is Keith Kenner and I would like to share some information about the beautiful little town I live in; Hiawassee, Ga. When I moved to Hiawassee, Ga. in 1993 there were only three or four restaurants and two grocery store. The home building industry was moving at a normal and slow pace. Then in 1994 CNN made the statement that 'Hiawassee, Georgia' was slated to be one of the top ten retirement communities in the nation! The flood gates opened and the money and commerce was just gushing over the past several years. We now have between 10-15 restaurants and still have two grocery stores. Our population tripled and the housing market exploded. We have an abundance of new homes on the market and the market is expected to correct itself over the next year or so. The primary industry here is the health care industry, resort business, building, real estate and then retail stores. We did have a sewing plant that employed 200 people, but it closed about two months ago. The 65,000 sq-ft facility is still there with prospects of new business just around the corner. Hiawassee is a beautiful place with plenty of fresh air. The majority of the property here is held by the National Forestry Service(approximately 75%) which protects the area from being over built and harming our natural resources. We love to have visitors as long as they obey the local laws and don't leave a mess. Some folks come for the Georgia Mountain Fair a couple of times per year and others come in to camp out on our beautiful Lake Chatuge.

Keith Kenner presents mountain homes, land and commercial properties as a REALTOR in HIAWASSEE,GA!