All across North Georgia important Corp of engineer lake levels are rising. Lake Lanier , thanks to Faye rose 2 feet. Other lakes are doing the same.

This is important for the savvy real estate buyer for a couple of reasons. Property on Corp lakes is depressed due in part to low water levels. Every body finally I think , "gets it". Conservation and planning are very important. So I believe once these lakes return to full measures will be in place to conserve the water.

Now is the time to buy if you are looking for property on Corp lakes. Buy while the lakes are dry.

If you are selling you have to be heartened by recent rain events. You will have to hold on a little longer for top dollar. As the levels rise so do the prices.In the end it is that tension between buyers and sellers that make the market prices.

If you are looking for lake property we at All Mountain rRealty have a team of experts that understand Corp lakes, and other lake issues. Contact us at 706 579 1098 or visit us on line at www.allmtnrealty.com

Yes contrary to popular belief there were humans alive with dinosaurs. I know because I feel like I was there. Now before Fran the man says, "Aw shucks I missed it!!" Rachael Welch was not there running around in a leopard skin.

Why do I feel this way ? Because something is lacking. It is called personalized  customer service. It is becoming a thing of the distant past. I was at a show in Atlanta and asked the exhibitor to call me.  I want to buy his product. Did he call me . No. He emailed me. If I had wanted to be emailed I would have asked to be emailed. Now I am not yet his customer so I figure this is as good as he is going to be to me. So a I going to do business with these guys??? Probably not.

Now I understand it is the age of call customer service for an American product and speak to some one in a foreign land. And I know if you get emails protocol dictates respond via email. But if I am old fashioned and want a phone call then YOU SHOULD CALL ME. If your product does not mean that much to you then it certainly doesn't mean much to me either . Customer Service that is what it is all about!!!!

I would like to continue this rant but a Tyrannosaurus is trying to get into my cave.

It would appear that Faye is finally leaving us. It was a major rain event. We needed some. Ouor lakes are full . The land is green. usually late rains like this make for great fall color. So if you are not going all the way to New England to see the leaves you might want to consider a trip a little closer to home. This is from last year. Pretty neat stuff,  The top picture shows the at the peak season. The bottom picture shows how it starts. No matter how you slice it it is really quite pretty.

A great deal of business in the North Georgia Mountains comes from our neighbors to the south, Florida. So a question that we are often asked is do you get Hurricanes in Georgia ? The answer is yes.

After all Georgia is a coastal state. Many of us remember Hugo which just missed us and ended up making Land Fall in South Carolina. So while it is rare it does happen that we get big storms. Now in the mountains those storms, like Faye now, are usually big rain events. We like the rain in the mountains. It keeps the trees green and the plants growing. It also lessens the danger of fire.

So for those of you who worry about hurricanes and the mountains I am writing this post. Many have RV lots or condos in the mountains just so they can get away from the gulf if needed. Visit us on line at www.allmtnrealty.com and let us help you find that RV lot or second home in our beautiful North Georgia Mountains.

One of the least expensive , peace of mind, things you can do when buying a home is to have an inspection. Now in Georgia unfortunately, you do not have to be licensed. But there are major associations and folks who have been working at this for a while. Your Realtor can help you in this area.

The inspection report usually has a caveat about being done on things visible. So what is invisible? Radon for example. If you are worried about mold that too. So remember the level you go to with inspecting a home is often up to you.

What the inspection report is not is an opportunity to get more money off the house. If there are legitimate concerns then so be it. But things like extending a down spout, ( a ten dollar item at home depot and 10 seconds to install, are not reasons to beat up a seller for concessions.

If you are concerned about a home or a home has some age consider asking for a home warranty. In this way you will be blanket protected and you will have peace of mind. If you are selling this is a good idea to offer up front.

Listen to your inspector. Read his reports. I have had 3 occasions when a buyer has ,after the fact, complained about an inspector. Yet in all three cases the items the buyer was complaining about were clearly noted in the inspection report !

All Mountain Realty will work with you through the whole process whether you are buying, selling, or investing. Visit us on line at www.allmtnrealty.com

Many agents report activity picking up in the North Georgia Mountains. This is a good sign. I myself have a buyer and of the 3 homes we picked to see 2 went under contract. But aside from this type of information the AJC ( Atlanta Journal Constitution) did a big piece on Cousins properties. Cousins is a publicly traded company and a mega real estate management/development company. Cousins is buying properties at an increased rate in our area.

Cousins plus Warren Buffet , Trump and Ted Turner are all buying. What this means is the marekt in their opinion is probably as low as it is going to get. What does this mean for you?

If you are a small investor or looking to get into your first home this is a great time to buy. If you are investing here is some advice,

If you are thinking, I can flip a property in 6 months ask yourself what if I have to hold it 18 months? If you cannot hold it that long then do not buy it. That's right I am a Realtor advising you not to buy.

If you can pay cash for a lesser priced but good value property do so. You will save on closing costs and not have finance charges eat into your profits.

Take a lesson from the Crocodile. We have all seen the National Geographic films with a Croc leaping out of the water and snagging a Zebra or Wilde Beast. But the Croc started as a baby snagging dragon flies, grasshoppers and other unsuspecting little things in the water. As the Croc grew it snagged bigger things. Along the way it had to be careful not to get snagged itself. But as it grew there were less and less things that could harm it.

So learn from the beast Eat often, but eat (invest) with in your means. You will grow and be able to invest in bigger and bigger things as you grow your portfolio. Don't go after something too big or you might be the Eatee instead of the Eater !!!

For those of you who do not live in the North Georgia Mountains, Yeah there may be some of you on the waiting list, we have a radio show called the Mountain Real Estate Report. This show is stored on our web site at WWW.ALLMTNREALTY.COM Each show has a brief description of topics discussed.

Why this may be of interest to you or your clients is that it not a show just about listings. It is about real estate today and conditions unique to the mountains. We cover the pro's as well as the things to watch out for. So if you are looking to buy in our mountains this show will have information you may want to listen to.

If you are a Realtor thinking about referring a client. Listen to the show and know with confidence that the team at All Mountain Realty is who you want your good clients to work with. We store 10 shows so you may pick at choose. If you want to listen live we are simulcast on the web every Thursday around 11:05 EST at www.wyyzradio.net.

If you are lucky enough to live in the North Georgia Mountains you can hear us on 1490 am  wyyz radio every Thursday at 11 or so A.M. Our show has been running for almost 2 years so tune in or make yourself comfortable with us. We cherish your referrals and thank you for your support

Ok Today I was in Marietta making a rare trip to "the big city" from the mountains. (I put big city in quotes as I was born and raised in the city of New York.) So I thought to my self what a nice time to meet my son for lunch. My son is 23 and just graduated college and of course is starting out working etc. and was looking for some fatherly advice.

We had a wonderful lunch and when it was over I reached for my credit card and my son said, "I have never bought you lunch. This lunch is on me." Well all 6 foot 4 inches and 250 plus pounds of me was a choked up speechless mass.

That's it. This is the strangest blog I have written. But it was a moment that touched me. And I thought as I was driving home even though the Whole Foods Market I went to especially after lunch did not have Char Su sauce it didn't matter! Remember a great moment if you are having a bad day.

No more blogs like this I promise !!!

This listing has not yet even been posted on FMLS. This is a great new listing on Lake Lanier. House is Clean as a whistle and ready to move in. It has a dock and water access. It is 3/2 with a lot of space. It has a gravel drive down to the dock. It is priced low at 389,000. Why is it so low? Because Lake Lanier is suffering from the Georgia drought, mistakes made by the Corp of engineers and tri state politics.

Lake Lanier is the largest man made Lake East of the Mississippi. So take advantage of this low offer while the water remains low. The dock is dry right now but a year ago there was over 4 feet of water under it. More will be posted on our web site www.georgiasno1agent.com by the weekend and the home will appear on Multiple listings. This is an early preview and a great opportunity

Today I went to an open house for a community called Crystal Falls. They are on the Dawson County Reservoir which is 400 plus acres. The have a golf course and are a gated community. What makes them unique is that they plan to add tennis and Swimming. The Association fees are a very light 900 per year. Right now they are in phase one of selling. So there are a couple of spec homes and a good number of lots. The good news is the streets are in the power is run the golf course is completed.

The other interesting thing about this community is it is relatively flat. You do have mountain views in some areas. But if you are nervous about driving this may be the place for you. Lots are in the high 100,000s to start and go up from there. Homes will be in the 600k range. For more information please contact us at All Mountain Realty. 706 579 1098.

Whether you are looking for mountains or communities that skirt the North Georgia Mountains we at all mountain realty are your community experts.