Life in North Georgia, Real Estate in the Mountains

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 »

As we venture into 2009, I wanted to take a moment to say THANK YOU for you support and your business in 2008.

I know that for many folks this has been a very challenging year and I certainly hope that 2009 will bring us some better news of all kinds.  Despite all the challenging events of 2008, a lot of good things have happened as well and I thought it only fair to take note of that.  Continue reading »