The Army Jazz band performed in the out door amphitheater here in Big Canoe. The concert was free. Donations were taken at the door for the USO. A great time was had by all.

As you can see it was a packed house. The band was great and there was singing as well. We were brought to our feet many times

As you can see the concert was enjoyed by young and old.

The concert went well into the evening. 2 weeks ago in the same venue we had Banks and Shane do their tribute to the Kingston Trio. Yes Big Canoe is full of wild life peace and quiet nestled in the North Georgia Mountains. But there are a lot of fun other things to do too. Discover the North Georgia Mountains with All Mountain Realty

On Independence day we celebrate our freedom and do remember those who make it possible. Some of those folks are you and me who must be vigilant. But does this have anything to do with Real Estate ? The answer is a surprising YES!

Prior to world War 2 The real estate market in this country was very different. Most people where renters. If you owned your own home chances are you were a farmer. If you wanted a mortgage you went to your local bank. The usual down payment was , are you ready, 50, not a type O, 50 percent!!!  The usual mortgage was for 10 -15 years. So what happened ?

The G.I. bill happened. Returning soldiers wanted homes. They lived in barracks and really communal living. They did not want to rent. They fought for freedom and wanted freedom in their living quarters. The G.I. bill set up the V.A. loan program. This program was novel in that it extended mortgages to a then unheard of 30 years. Also the massive down payment was waived. Lenders dealing with this program came up with the 80/20 we have today and the 30 year fixed.

From this change suburbia was created and the landscape that we have today was in large part influenced by the Bill.

So in our market we have a debt that we owe GI's on this Independence day. Have great fourth !!!

Last time I talked about relationships. This time I am going to talk about sales meetings. To me as a broker rah rah sales meetings are a waste of time. If you are not motivated find another career. Oops, did I just say that out loud? I do believe in acknowledging success and efforts and do so at the sales meeting

To me sales meetings have specific purposes

1 Learn something about our business that may keep you out of trouble later. We do a topic in each sales meeting. Sometimes it is RESPA sometimes it is contract issues, but you get it.

2 Gte every body together as there is more than one way to do business and we all run into different things. So sharing ideas is a big plus

3 Tell the associates what the company is doing for them and ask for their input and maybe even direction. You cannot be top down in this business . But at the same time you need to provide information and show why you are taking a cut of every deal. It seems only right.

So a sales meeting to me should never be more than 2.5 hours, always have at least one educational theme, acknowledge agents achievements, and an exchange of ideas. Save the rah rah stuff and the cliche's for the neophytes and the pyramid sales people.

One of my most favorite sales stories was a presenter at a company meeting going through a painful old hack of a presentation. In the end he did a magic trick. He told the people we had to do Magic tricks for our customers. He then asked my friend Carmine what magic he was going to perform. Without blinking an eye Carmine said, "I am going to make the buffet bar disappear at lunch"

Have a Great fourth

My Sister-in-law is here visiting us from England. She loves looking at homes. So while my wife is working I take her around with me as I preview homes and communities. It is interesting to note the observations of a visitor to our country.

1 Most of the homes here seem bigger to her. Yes we have all seen shows with stately mansion in PBS but they are the exception. So to her most homes here are a lot bigger than you see in England. Also the homes here have more Loo's (bathrooms) than they do there.

2 Prices for homes here tend to be less and the land you get with them tends to be more. Now this is very local as she is comparing North Georgia. But she is always remarking on how great the prices are and how big the yard is.

3 She asks about "Lease-hold"  That is something in their market when you can "Buy" a home for 99 years. Of course you can sell it along the way for the remainder of the lease. An interesting concept.

4 She also remarks on the numbers of folks that own homes. Again this is a country view as in the cities the numbers of renters would be higher. But even in the English country side there are a number of renters.

5 We have no old homes. When we look at some homes and I say wow this house is almost 100 years old or even older in rare cases she looks at me with a puzzled , So what is the big deal look on her face.

6 Constrcution is very different . In England there is alot more stone and brick work and a lot less wood work. Even the framing is different.

7 Lastly she is always impressed buy the open spaces and the animals and trees she sees.

It is interesting to look at our market through anothers eyes.

When we give our sellers a list of things to repair and the price for their home they are sometimes overwhelmed. I am starting a new pricing strategy. I am giving the sellers a list of things to do that require sweat equity. These would be the cleaning and uncluttered type of things. And then if there are repairs that are going to cost money I give them that list and the price I would put on their house.

So for excample if a house needs painting I would say X dollars without painting for a listing price x plus dollars with the house painted. In this way I am finding sellers are seeing not only the cost of the repair but also the potential return. So far so good. What think you all?

Well the Mountain Real Estate report did not win a GABBY. But heck we were submitted and nominated so we are very happy. Also thanks to those who sent us answers either in response to my blog or emailed directly about ideas for the show. You can hear the report tomorrow around noon EST on our web site at www.allmountainrealty.com. Just click current show when you get to the radio show page. 

Your  ideas got us thinking outside the box so we went with a show talking about things to do in the mountains here in North Georgia and just a little about Real Estate. So thanks for the ideas and if you have some time listen to our show. Keep the ideas coming

I was born and raised in the city of New York . I am used to landmarks . Things like the Statue of Liberty the Empire State Building, Times Square, etc etc where things I grew up with. So as i traveled and got older I was used to landmarks as a part of directions.

When we moved to North Georgia I was in for a surprise. I was going some where ,this is pre google maps, and asked for directions as I was new to the area. The person on the other end of the phone said . " Sure travel down X road for about 2 miles and turn right at the Big Chicken." "The Big Chicken ?" I said, thinking I must have misunderstood. "Yes the Big Chicken" the voice said as if I should know what the heck this was. Well that was 23 years ago so .....

Yes this is THE BIG CHICKEN. It is a Marietta landmark. It is also a piece of history. KFC's were often designed and looked this way. There are very few of these remaining. This one has been cared for over the years. Yes the eyes and the beak move ! Inside is chrome and stools just like you would expect. We all have our landmarks but if you are in Marietta asking for directions it is a good thing to know where the Big Chicken is.

The mountains are really beautiful this year.There are some things you should do to take care of yourself while traveling in them

1 Always walk in pairs. You may think if you twist and ankle on a wooded hike you can use your cell phone for help. I am here to tell despite what you see on TV with the guy in the Crowd Or C Z Jones coming to your do or there are a lot of dead spots.

2 Always carry water and some power bars. Hikes up and down hills over tough terrain take longer than you think.

3 Always where hiking shoes and carry a compass. It is a good idea if you know how to use one too.

4 Most of all be careful with fire. We have had a lot of rain this spring but in this kind of heat a cigarette butt or match can really cause a great deal of damage So have fun but use a little sense and enjoy Our great Mountains.

This photo was taken 15 years ago. My hair was dark then. My son and I went to a wedding of one of my cousins. It was his first time in a suit and his mother was not there. So we made a deal. In Feb in South Carolina we went to the pool so he could swim and burn of energy. Along the way I ended up burning off energy too. My Mother caught this photo of us.

The boy got dressed wore a suit and tie and even would not take his jacket off at the reception. Every body commented on how well behaved he was. So I guess it was worth the "Launch me Daddy" requests he made. For me this picture is in my office and is a great memory of me and my son. Happy Fathers day !!

Right now in the North Georgia Mountains it is breezy and warm. Further South it is just flat hot ! Banks and Shane were here in concert this weekend . What great fun. There are boating and party events all over the mountains. When you come to the mountains if you decide to buy consult your local Realtor at All Mountain Realty.

We will wokr with you and help you find the situation that is right for you. After all you are going to be our neighbors. Enjoy your visit and remember to call us at 706 579 1098 or visit us on line at www.allmountainrealty.com