Is the hustle and bustle of city life got you down? Do you spend half your day sitting in traffic? Life is short why spend it stressed out?

There are places in this country to live or vacation that are far away from the madness. Where the only traffic you'll have is when you get stuck behind the school bus. Where your neighbor not only knows your name but knows your whole family and most likely will stop to catch up when you run into them at the store. If you think places like this no longer exist think again. Hayesville North Carolina is one of those places, nestled between the Hiwassee River and the Tusquittee Mountains in the southern Appalachians.

Clay County North Carolina offers breathtaking scenery, a charming downtown square and a tight knit community steeped in traditional values. Just two hours away from five major cities, Atlanta, Asheville, Chattanooga, Greenville and Knoxville it is an ideal place to own a vacation home.

With a population of about 10,000, Clay county is among the five least populated counties in the state and offers one of the lowest property tax rates in North Carolina. With elevations ranging from 1,200 feet up to 5,498 there are plenty of lofty vistas to take in the view. And with 60% of the county being national forest there are plenty of hiking trails and waterfalls to occupy your time.

Although there are many townships in Clay County, including Brasstown, Warne, Fires Creek, Shooting Creek, Elf, and Tusquittee. There is only one 'town', Hayesville, which has a population of 380 residents.

Some people may feel the pace is too slow here but cultural opportunities abound here.You can enjoy community theater, concerts at John C. Campbell Folk School where you can attend free Friday-night concerts by groups with names like The Georgia Potlickers and The Dismembered Tennesseeans. The crafts shop at this internationally known folk school features the juried work of more than 300 local and regional artists. Let's not forget our many art studios, crafts, auctions, book stores, and our museums.

With rolling farmlands, beautiful Lake Chatuge, inviting mountains and friendly neighbors there is no place better to call home why would you want to live or vacation anywhere else ?

In the heart of the mountains of Western North Carolina,, lies an unusually "high valley" community named, Sims Valley. At the turn of the century this hidden valley was a homestead to one family. Its surrounding ridge lines look across 35-40 miles of beautiful vistas into the Great Smoky Mountains . Centrally located near the mountain communities of Cashiers and Highlands, Sims Valley is near everything you need or would want out of a mountain gated community.

The nearby town of Cashiers North Carolina has unique mountain plateaus not often seen in the Appalachians, with rock formations rising up to 5,000 feet. At 3485 feet above sea level, Cashiers offer an unequaled "feel" of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The higher elevation offers a cooler climate to escape the heat of summer, yet the winters are mild with perhaps a few snowy days to enjoy the beauty of winter without the hassles of long term snow and ice.

Highlands North Carolina is at an elevation of 4,118 feet,and boasts a range of biological diversity with scenic mountain vistas and abundant unpolluted watersheds. With over 250 waterfalls in the surrounding area nature is right out your back door. Some of Highlands most visited waterfalls are Bridal Veil, Dry Falls, Bust Your Butt, and Cullasaja which are located on Hwy. 64 between Highlands and Franklin. Then there is Glen Falls which is located on Hwy 106 toward Dillard.

Abound with cascading waterfalls, magnificent Lake Glenville, emerald green valleys and rock faced mountains, and the Nantahala National Forest, who wouldn't wat to call it home?

Enjoy the beauty and tranquility this valley has to offer. Sims Valley is for those who want to leave behind life as usual and experience the mountains for themselves in a delightful living environment.

Okay just for fun.

My son came home with a sheet of math problems the other night and he asked for some help. It was beginning algebra so I said sure no problem. As I started to work the problem he told me I was doing it wrong. I insisted I was not that he was being taught wrong. I took one of the problems to a retired teacher, and many friends about my age (in their 40's), and we all came up with the same answer. We called a meeting with the teacher about the math, who had the nerve to say we must not have attended very good schools when we both attended excellent schools. My wife's being the largest and oldest private school in the south east.

So here we go how would you answer this problem? You may show your work but don't tell why you chose to do the problem that way. Tomorrow I will give the answer and "WHY" it is the answer.

Don't cheat now .... do it like you were taught in school. (Those of you with kids in school and know the "NEW NEW" math may answer but again don't explain it.) I will do that once everyone has a chance to post.

Have fun! Here it goes.....

24 + 6 ÷ 3 = ?

Is your North Carolina mountain and Georgia land and suitable for Solar Energy? With going green being the hottest ticket, as of late, isn't it time to think about it?

The solar energy potential of a homesite becomes increasingly important as energy cost continue to rise. land on the south-facing slope of a mountain receives direct sunlight for many more hours each day than land on the north-facing slope. Houses on the south facing slopes are generally easier and less expensive to heat. They have the greatest potential for using solar energy for residential space and hot water heating. houses on the east and west facing slopes have less potential, and those on north facing slopes have minimal solar energy potential.

In addition, while trees and shrubbery can be beneficial for cooling in hot summers, tall trees on the south-facing side of a homesite can limit solar potential. The types of trees are important. Evergreens pose a year round obstacle to solar gain. But deciduous trees are without leaves in the late fall and winter, which allows for 30 to 40 percent of sunlight to get through. this enables the use of some solar applications, for space heating in particular. However the use of solar hot water and photovoltaic systems will start to be limited. For many sites particularly on heavily wooded steep slopes, the only option is to clear trees for a wide radius. This may downgrade the beauty of your site and ruin one of the reasons you chose to live in the mountains. Be sure to have a through solar site evaluation before you buy, if you have solar in mind for your house.

If your site is suitable for solar, North Carolina offers 40 percent solar tax credit, up to $1,500 for residential solar energy systems. If your site is not suitable for solar, you may also wish to check out the wind potential. Ideally, for wind, your site must provide a 500 feet radius of unobstructed landscape for a windmill that is raised about 100 feet in the air. In the mountains, some building sites enhance your home's potential for a wind energy system. In addition to this energy capability, the state of North Carolina provides a 10 percent wind energy tax credit.

While public water and sewer services have existed for centuries in our cities and in many suburban areas, these amenities are often not available in most of the rural areas of the North Georgia mountains and western North Carolina mountains.

The reason is simple: It is expensive for rural communities to install the necessary infrastructure and to pay operating costs. While large metropolitan areas can finance these costs, less populated areas have fewer residents to foot the bill. So they are left with well water and septic systems.

Before purchasing a home with a well or a septic system, be sure to have qualified experts test both. Depending on where you buy mountain land, this may mean hiring two different companies to do so.

Once you purchase a house,or mountain land your options will be limited. If there are well water or septic problems, you want to know before you close, not after you close.

If there are problems, you do not necessarily have to walk away from the deal. Sometimes a new well that is deeper, or in a different location, can fix the problem. Sometimes the problem will be cured with filtration devices or water treatment. In the case of a failing septic system, it is possible that the system can be either repaired or rebuilt.

But not every problem can be readily cured. Some areas could be polluted and the water is barely drinkable. This can especially be true if you purchase a lot in a subdivision where unscrupulous or uneducated developers try and squeeze too many houses on too little land and expect wells and septic's to be on each lot instead of planning a community well in a safer location to accommodate the growth as all lots become developed. This unfortunately is happening in the mountains of north Georgia and western North Carolina and the small counties unfortunately often do not enforced the state laws of their state.You may find your self owning a lot where even water treatment and filtration may not be enough. Do you really want that land to build your mountain home on?

Another issue could be land you can not build on because the county will not permit a septic tank.Or it could take 6 months to get a permit due to backlog at the health department. Some properties have poor soils that do not easily accommodate conventional septic systems. Although new innovations such as drip systems might solve the problem in this case, they can be expensive to install, and depending on the land, even that may not be good enough, leaving you with a worthless plot of land that you can't sell or build on.

Always check the area you plan to buy in, some water supplies may be impacted by neighboring sources, such as a leaking gasoline station or a nearby farm. While cures may be available, they may require costly litigation.

Do you want to buy a home or a lawsuit?

When these issues arise, be sure to seek out competent technical and legal advice. The time to clearly understand these issues and options is before you buy the house, or mountain land not afterwards. This is not a trivial issue. We all need to safe water to drink and a non polluting system to flush. Be sure you choose a knowledgeable realtor to help you find the best mountain land and property for your needs. Don't be left holding the bag.