Life in North Georgia, Real Estate in the Mountains

Last Friday and Saturday Governor Purdue and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs sponsored Business and Housing Expos at 6 locations across the state.  The purpose of the expositions was to inform citizens, non-profit organizations and state and local government agencies about programs available in Georgia that might be leveraged to gain the state and our communities a faster, stronger economic recovery.

I attended the northernmost expo on Saturday which was located at the Coosa Valley Technical College in Calhoun.  I was interested in finding out what was available both in my role as a Realtor ® with clients who might find the programs useful and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Pickens County Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the Chamber’s Business Council.  I found the trip worthwhile on many levels and I will be writing short articles over the next few days providing information on the new programs that I found or providing new information on existing programs.

Our hosts at Coosa Valley Technical College were gracious and helpful, but I couldn’t help but draw comparisons between their facility and our Appalachian Technical College (soon to be the Jasper campus of Chattahoochee Technical College).   Actually, there are no good comparisons as our Appalachian Tech campus is years ahead of its Calhoun counterpart and the new combined Chattahoochee Tech looks to become the strongest school in the entire state network of Technical Colleges.  Just another great reason to be  excited about the great place we live!

The articles from the conference will start tomorrow with the Georgia Weatherization Assistance Program.

See you ‘round the mountains,

Don

Suzanne Shull, the President of Jasper Muse, Inc, has just announced a Bonus Concert in the Casual Classics Series.    This is a free concert featuring local talent.  The Concert is June 1, 2009 at the New Lebanon Presbyterian Church on Bent Tree Drive.  For full details see my post on my Bent Tree Blog.  Just click on the following link:  Bent Tree Real Estate.

See you ’round the mountains,

Don

Its time to take a look at the market in Pickens County once again and so here is the Quarterly Report from the Broker and Owner of Torrey Mountain Properties, Inc., Ben L. Torrey.  Ben drafted this update for our clients, but they have had a few days to mull it over so now we’ll post it for the general public.  In the text of Ben’s report he invites clients to visit Realtor.com; I should point out that for Bent Tree, Big Canoe and Pickens County you can also search very effectively on my site http://bent-treerealestate.com

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about Ben’s report or if I can assist you in any real estate transaction.

See you ’round the Mountains,

Don

2009 FIRST QUARTER DELAYED MARKETING REPORT

This report was delayed while waiting to see what impact President Obama’s
Stimulus Package might have. It was a long time coming. However, there are signs
that the investment market is getting its act together. The DOW has been above
8,000 for the last twelve days. It may bounce up and down but as long as it stays
above 8,000 the consumer confidence of the general public will began to rise and
purchases will follow. Another good sign for the investment market is that the
S & P 500 index recently took a 36% up tick. Fortunately for this market the bad
news from the auto makers closing of dealerships and the attendant layoffs did not
impact the financial market as I first feared. We need to remember that the biggest
impact of that event will occur during the first quarter of 2010 when the dealer’s
contracts are not renewed. Hopefully the recovery will be well under way by that
time so the possible increase in unemployment will not create a major downturn.

Continue reading »

Executive Retreat on Private Lake

We just listed this spectacular executive retreat on 3.78 acres and I thought you might want to take a look at it.   The home is located just outside Bent Tree and only a few miles from Big Canoe so it is only about an hour North of I-285, but it is decades away from Atlanta.  The home overlooks its own 1.23 acre lake and looks up into Bent Tree towards Little Hendricks and Mole Mountains.  The home has been completely reworked by its current owners and it now has Brazilian Cherry floors and granite counters to go with its spacious rooms and warm inviting ambiance.

The Home Looks Over the Lake and up into the Mountains

The master suite has been doubled in size and now has a Master Closet large enough for a Board Meeting and spectacular new Master Bath with dual furniture style vanities and a stone and glass enclosed shower and tub with multiple shower heads - a real spa!

Huge Den with massive fire place and flat screen TV

The home has formal living and dining areas, a spacious kitchen and an enormous den that over looks the lake along with 3 guest bedrooms in addition to the master.

Glass, stone and lots of water sources!

The theater and arts community in North Georgia came a few steps closer to a permanent home for the Tater Patch Players last Saturday night as arts and theater supporters turned out in large numbers to support the Tater Patch “Auction Gala” on Saturday, March 21, 2009

Live Auction at the Tater Patch Fund Raiser

Photo Courtesy of Mari Livsey, Know Pickens.com

The festive crowd was treated to great food by local restaurants and got to rub shoulders with dozens of Tater Patch Characters from past performances. 

There was some spirited bidding on both the silent and live auction side of the house and the resulting bidding garnered several thousand dollars in new funds for the drive to raise $400,000 to purchase the building on Cove Road that the troupe currently has under contract to purchase.  

The fund raising highlight of the evening came fairly early as Don Russell representing the Pickens County Community Resource Association (PCCRA) presented a check for $20,000 as a grant towards purchasing the building.    The Players certainly hope that is the first of many significant grants to support the building project.

Hercule Poirot (aka Don Martin) on the Auction Block

 Photo Courtesy of Mari Livsey, Know Pickens.com

There were all kinds of art, products and even services auctioned off.  Your intrepid author and gated community expert, Don Martin appeared as Hercule Poirot, a role he has played at 3 dinner theater productions, and offered his services to act as Hercule acting as butler for the successful bidder’s cocktail party.  Don and his lovely wife, Regina, (who is not only lovely - but also a GREAT cook) also offered a fully butlered and catered cocktail party.  Bidding was lively on both and we will report later on how all that turns out!

If you would like to see more pictures of the Gala you can visit Know Pickens.com   and if you would like more information on the Tater Patch Players or you would like to make a contribution on-line please visit TaterPatchPlayers.org

Well that’s all for now.  Got to go out and earn some money.

See you ’round the mountains,

Don

The Computer is a Moron - Not Me!!

I am not on the Mountain today.  I am sitting in the Gwinnett Center attending the RE Tech South show.  About 425 Realtors from across the South are here trying to learn what tools are the best tools to assist our clients.   Social Networking is getting a lot of play as well as lots of interesting new tools.

We are already using two Multiple Listing Services, multiple websites, multiple blogs, bots that push our listings to dozens of sites, we have 800 Call Back Technology and just added TEXTMYMLS this past week.  However, there are lots of other great programs and ideas out there and we hope to bring some new ones back to help our buying and selling clients.  I will be back on the Mountain Saturday with a pocketful of new ideas.

See you round  the mountains,

Don

Don’t forget about the Tater Patch Fund Raising “GALA” at the Chamber of Commerce, Saturday night at 6:30 pm.   Only $10 Admission.  Lots of good food, drinks, costumed characters and Silent and Live Auctions.

Tater Patch Needs to Raise $400,000 for our new home and we need your help.

See you there!!

Don

Please mark your Calendars for two important local events.

Monday March 16, 2009

Casual Classics Concert

The 3nd Concert of the 2008-2009 Season will be held at New Lebanon Presbyterian Church on Monday Evening, March 16th at 7:00 PM.  The Riverside Chamber Players  will return this year and bring bass player Doug Summers so that they can perform the Divorak Quintet and a Rossini duo for bass and cello.  Last year’s Chamber appearance was a rousing success and this year’s performance promises even more.

Admission is FREE.  The Casual Concerts Series is sponsored by Jasper Muse, Inc.  A 501-c-3 non-profit organization dedicated to supporting music performances and music education in Pickens County.   New Lebanon Presbyterian Church is Located on Bent Tree Drive about 1/2 mile North of Cove Rd.

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Saturday, March 21, 2009

Tater Patch Players Fundraiser for the New Theater

The Tater Patch Players will host a huge fundraising GALA at the Chamber of Commerce Building from 7:00 pm to 9:00 PM on Saturday, March 21, 2009.  The Players are in the midst of a $400,000 fund raising campaign to purchase a new theater.  There will be plenty of food, costumed characters a silent auction and a live auction.  It promises to be a great evening and they need your support to make this new theater a reality.

Admission is $10.  The Pickens County Chamber of Commerce is located at 500 Stegall Drive adjacent Lee Newton Park just West of Downtown Jasper.  Please come out and support “The Best Little Theater in North Georgia.”

See you ’round the Mountains,

Don

One of the things that always happens in a market slow down is that owners decide to make improvements to their existing homes rather than purchase a new one.  There are dozens of books and thousands of articles that weigh the various advantages and disadvantages of just about every option you can imagine.

In the United States there is a pretty clear consensus that kitchens and bathrooms are the wisest places to make major investments.  Much to my surprise it appears that in Germany “His and Hers Closets” are at the top of the list.  I didn’t believe it at first and then I stumbled on this YouTube video that explains the apparent paradox.

Now I remember why I enjoyed my tour in Germany so much. They really have their priorities in the right place. I hope your friends and neighbors are just as excited about your next home improvement.

See you round the mountains,
Don

The sky did not fall in 2008, but we did have a pretty low ceiling for most of the year. 

Pickens County Georgia

According to REALIST, a national tax and real estate information service, overall sales in the county fell from 688 units in 2007 to 394 units in 2007.  That amounts to a decline of almost 43% year to year.  On the other hand the average sale only fell about 13%.  That includes foreclosure sales so the value of resale homes actually held up pretty well.  According to the First Multiple Listing Service (FMLS) one of the two major real estate services in this area and the one that most properties in PIckens County are listed on there were 257 listed single family homes sold in 2008 with lowest listing price of $49,999 and a highest of $2,295,000.  The average list price was $219,008 and the average sold price was $205,964.    Continue reading »