Charlie Ragonesi Big Canoe Realestate's Blog

Thanksgiving

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:03:31 -0600

Thanksgiving is becoming a holiday that may be better called Reconnect day. It is a time to reconnect with family and friends . During the year we become involved in day to day. We often miss seeing family and friends. We have less dinners at the table. So Thanksgiving to me is a day , after the cooking is done and we all sit down together, to take a deep breath look around the table, smile and reconnect.

So I guess while ity is a day to reconnect it is also a time to give thanks for being part of the day. Have a happy holiday all

Mountain Real Estate Report

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:17:32 -0600

The Mountain Real Estate report is heard every Thursday on WYYZ Radio in North Georgia. It is broadcast over the web and stored on our web site , www.allmountainrealty.com This week Linda and I review some nuts and bolts about buying and selling. We talk about the appraisal and pricing for the selling side, and financing as well as credit scores for the buyer. We give some tips for both. Enjoy

Are you a private property advocate

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:42:43 -0600

I am a private property advocate. What does that mean? It means I support the bills that go through our state legislation that defend the rights of property owners. Property cannot move. So it is an easy target for those who want to raise money through taxes. This struggle goes back to the Doomsday book and probably even further.

So if you are a Realtor you must also be a private property advocate. Think about NAR being the largest ,member wise, lobby in the U.S. Do you think if your sellers and buyers saw you as a private property advocate you would look a lot better to them? I think so.

So get involved with your local boards. Stay current on issues and make your advocacy of private property known. When you do this be proud of the fact that you are a Realtor and ask for the business. People will see your value to their specific needs as well as your overall involvement with our great system. I am a Realtor . I am a private property advocate. I am proud of it !

The Mountain Conservation Trust on the Mountain Real Estate Report

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:59:52 -0600

The Mountain Real Estate Report is heard every Thursday on WYYZ Radio in North Georgia. This week we interviewed the President of the Mountain Conservation Trust. The trust is a non profit group aimed at preserving land. It is not just a green acres thing. The trust takes land use into consideration . There are also tax breaks for the owners. So if you are in North Georgia you may find this show of interest. Also as Trusts exist in most other states this show my make you investigate options local to you. As Realtors we are business people AND property owner advocates. We are members of the Trust here. Enjoy

Big Canoe Home update

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:06:24 -0600

If you are looking for a home in Big Canoe this is a great time to buy. Prices are really good right now. Yes you will have association fees but you do get a lot of things for your money.

As my wife and I drive and look at beautiful North Georgia scenes we always end up saying, "OK after we sit on the porch for a couple of days then what?" Many folks who live and want to live in the mountains end up making the this mistake. They buy out in the country. Now this is fine if you want to farm or have hobbies that need room. But at the end of the day social interaction is part of the human condition.

So you can be in a great mountain setting and if you wish, attend clubs, or play sports, or hike and fish and do tons of outdoor things then a community with amenities may be for you. Big Canoe is a unique mountain community. So if you are looking the folks at All Mountain Realty are what our name implies. We will work with you to find the perfect mountain retreat. Let us show you Big Canoe and other communities as well as the home in the woods.

We will see you in our stores and shops. We want to see you smiling and thankful that you worked with us. We are all Neighbors in the mountains so Check us out.

This is a great time to look for a home

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:33:30 -0600

If you are looking for a Mountain home or land now is the time to look. NOT because of the 8,000 credit. NOT because of the new 6500 existing home buyer credit. NOT because prices are very very good. NOT because interest rates are low.

NOW is the time to look because the leaves are off the trees! Now you will see your views that may have been hidden. Also you can get a really good look at the lay of the land. Also temperatures are wonderful for walking right now. So if you are looking in the North Georgia Mountains and think you need to be here in spring or summer. Not so. Now is the best time to look, especially if you are looking for land or views.

Why Can't I get my loan Modified ?

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:53:07 -0600

If you are looking for a loan modification and have been turned down you may wonder why. If your loan is commercial you will almost always be turned down. The question is why. After all weren't we all taught that 80 percent of something is better than 100 percent of nothing ?

Here is one answer. If your loan is through Fannie and Freddie then you stand a really good chance of getting a loan modification if you meet the criteria. But if your loan is held by private investors then your chances go way down. The reason is that the clauses that allow banks to change a loan are cloudy. So while a bank can usually modify a loan that is in the "best interest" of their investor, what best interest is, is debatable. And in this case you can substitute the words law suit for debatable. Yes that's right . If you go under the bank is not liable. But if they modify the loan then the holder of the note can sue the bank for their money.

Ain't life grand? This problem needs to be fixed going forward and lets hope banks are working with investors to be able to modify loans. You may think banks are being paranoid. But when asked, Willy Sutton said he robbed banks because that was where the money is. So banks are paranoid and investors will sue. Let's hope this problem can be worked through and potential foreclosures can be modified for the benefit of all

Mountain Real Estate report

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:57:43 -0600

This week on the Mountain real estate report we talk about the difference in flipping and investing. We also talk about investing models. We feature the gated community of talking rock creek. The mountain real estate report is heard every Thursday on WYYZ in Jasper Georgia.

All Mountain Realty Grows

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:48:27 -0600

The following was a press release we issued.

PRESS RELEASE

All Mountain Realty Acquires Ash-Car Realty

Charlie Ragonesi Broker for all Mountains Realty announced today that All Mountain Realty has acquired the assets and customer base of Ash-Car Realty. Ash-Car Realty has operated in the North Georgia Mountains for about 4 years. The focus of Ash-Car is on commercial property and developed lots.

“We are adding about 15 million dollars in listings along with a group of buyers” said Charlie Ragonesi. “It is a lot for us to bite off . But the acquisition of these commercial properties fits our model of seeking buyers for residential listings. After all these commercial folks that are moving into our North Georgia Mountains will need places to live. So through the acquisition of Ash-Car we will enhance our abilities to market houses to executives in Communities like Big Canoe.”

Asked if there were other acquisitions on the horizon Charlie would only say that, “other expansions will be forth coming in the next 6 months. We are very bullish about our market and will continue to grow and expand to serve the needs of our sellers and buyers.”

I have to say that many of the things I learned here at ActiveRain helped position us to acquire this company.

Fall In the Mountains

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:59:56 -0600

The North Georgia Mountains are pretty year round. This fall in the Big Canoe / Jasper area the rains came and washed away many of the leaves. But today in the sunshine as I was driving I managed to get these shots.

These pictures are from about 3000 feel up. The air was clear and the breeze was blowing. Temperature was in the 60's

It was pretty bright out but you get the idea. The North Georgia Mountains are Beautiful and a great place to live and raise a family. Contact us at All Mountain Realty . We would love to work with you.

Mountain Real Estate Report

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:04:04 -0500

The Mountain Real Estate report is heard every Thursday on WYYZ Radio in The North Georgia Mountains. We post it here on ActiveRain for your listening enjoyment. But more than listening we hope you contact the pros at All Mountain Realty . Whether you are buying selling or investing in our North Georgia Mountains we want to work with you.

Fall Photo and a little know fact about Fall

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:12:06 -0500

This Fall has been pretty wet . So the leaves are not as super as usual. But they still are great in our North Georgia Mountains

Did you ever notice that our British and other English speaking friends use the word Autumn instead of Fall? They would say we can always tell an American because they say Fall instead of Autumn. Well I am here to tell you Fall is Shakespearean English. It was the word used at the time of our colonization. We have not changed the word or replaced it with Autumn. So when a British person speaks in a condescending manner about our use of the language, you can politely tell them to stick it in their steak and kidney pie. What could be more English than Shakespearean English!

The Funky Chicken In Dawsonville

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:44:48 -0500

The Funky Chicken is NOT a dance people do who have had too much to drink at weddings. It is a great Art Gallery Between Big Canoe and Dalonega Georgia

The sign outside tells you you have arrived. The place is a great art gallery. Artists store their works their on consignment.

Much of the work is done in metal and can be out door art. The Pig on the left is made from an old gas canister that you use to cook and grill. The Funky Chicken is just one of the many surprises you can see in the North Georgia Mountains

Of course there are chickens roosters and other birds ranging from the barnyard to the exotic. So as you are traveling though our mountains you should stop at this great and unique gallery. You will be happy you did.

The Mountain Real Estate Report

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:10:46 -0500

The Mountain Real Estate Report is heard every Thursday on WYYZ in Jasper. This week we talk about the state of our economy and positive trends nationwide. We also focus on the growing need in today's complex market to use a Realtor. Future shows will include Realtors from other States . We present investment opportunities here and else where. Enjoy

Wordless Wed a day late I am speechless !!

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:01:06 -0500

I have posted a day like this before. But for those who have missed it I am posting sunrise today. No matter what you stop in the morning and say thank you for the day when it looks like this.

So as the sun comes over the mountains this is the view from our deck. The second photo is through one of the wholes in the canopy

This is Big Canoe and just one of the vistas. Homes start in the low 200's and work their way up. You can find some condos and "tree toppers " for under 200,000. So you know this view is from a house that today would be around 250 if you were to buy.

The Military and Housing

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:28:29 -0500

This is not a blog about base housing. Instead our current market today is greatly influenced by the military. Before the G.I. Bill after WW II the housing market was very different. People went to banks and sat down with a banker.

Usually they knew the banker. They usually put down 40 -50 percent. The loans were for 10 -15 years tops. The whole process was very dependent on your relationship with the banker. It was a very subjective process.

The G.I. Bill changed all that. The bill created the environment we are in today. It made for 30 year loans. It set the standard for 20 percent down. It introduced insurance on Mortgages. It created obviously the VA loan. In addition it started to create the standards for credit scores we use today

So as many changes in medicine and technology come out of military necessity and invention so did many of our current housing rules

Big Canoe Real Estate update

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:18:45 -0500

Big Canoe is a unique mountain community. It is now fall and activity slows. But if you are looking for mountain property NOW is a great time to see Big Canoe. You can see it with the leaves off the trees. So you will see the exactly out of things .

It is also a good time to buy as many folks who are here seasonally do not want to carry a home through the winter. So if you are looking for a mountain home with golf, tennis, hiking trails, theater, pools, boccie, fitness center, 1/3 set aside green space, in house fire and police, gated, , with deer, turkey ,bear, fox,eagles, and so much more consider Big Canoe. The pros here at All Mountain Realty are you community experts that will help you discover this great mountain treasure.

Temperature drops, leaves drop , day light drops, Fall is here

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:44:47 -0500

Fall has really roared in in our North Georgia Mountains. If you are thinking about a trip up this weekend to leaf peep bring some warm clothes. We expect temperature to start the day in the low 40's and not get much out of the low 60's.

If you are coming to leaf peep I think you are about a week away from full foliage. With the strange wet weather we have had it may be a wacky season. But I think in another week you will be fine.

The Ellijay Apple Festival is in it's last weekend. This is a must see. Also the Talking Rock Heritage festival will be going on this weekend. The fall in the mountains is a great time for festivals. I have posted about the Marble festival and Oktoberfest . Come up and enjoy but dress warmly .

I fouy fall in love with our mountains give the folks here at All Mountain Realty a call. We would love to work with you.

The Mountain Real Estate Report

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:07:03 -0500

The Mountain Real Estate report is heard every Thursday on WYYZ Radio broadcast out of Jasper Georgia. This weeks show focused on the changing Financial environment and the effect it has on mortgages. Now more than ever you need to work with professionals. The show is also stored on our web site www.allmountainrealty.com Enjoy the show

Lake levels AND a Notice

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:07:37 -0500

Georgia Lake levels are all up. Below is the report. Lake Lanier will be full today, as it is raining. This is amazing as a year ago they were talking about 60 days of water left. All the lakes look good for fall and winter. If you are coming to the North Georgia Mountains we are expecting a dry period to start this Friday. It will be fall weather for sure. We are about a -2 weeks away from peak leaf season I think.

But there is a big exceptioon to this. Lake Raburn in North East Georgia has had a dam problem due to the rain. This lake is empty right now according to some friends of mine and will not be re-filled until some time in December. So Be advised

Reservoir/Lake Station ID Flood Level
(feet) Summer Level
(feet) 7am Pool
Elev (ft) 24 Hour Change
(feet) 24 Hour Precip
(inches)
readings taken
between 1 am & 5 am.

LAKE ALLATOONA	CVLG1	860	840	844.16	2.48	1.27
LAKE BLACKSHEAR	WWCG1	239	237	236.87	-0.04	0.02
BLUE RIDGE LAKE	BRLG1	1691	1686	1677.68	0.42	-
LAKE BURTON	TIGG1	1867	1865	1864.74	-0.26	1.40
CARTERS LAKE	CTRG1	1099	1074	1077.25	0.74	-
CHATUGE LAKE	CHAN7	1927	1925	1921.49	0.05	1.06
GOAT ROCK LAKE	GRDG1	404	400	403.67	4.52	-
LAKE HARDING	CLBG1	-	520	514.44	-	1.75
LAKE HARTWELL	HRTG1	665	660	657.33	0.29	-
JACKSON LAKE	JKNG1	530	528	529.70	2.59	1.61
LAKE LANIER	CMMG1	1085	1071	1070.75	0.81	2.06
NOTTELY LAKE	NOTG1	1779	1775	1768.56	0.29	1.25
LAKE OCONEE	WDMG1	435	434	435.19	0.27	1.93
LAKE RABUN	TERG1	1690	-	-	-	-
LAKE RUSSELL	RBDS1	-	482	474.91	0.85	-
LAKE SEED	NACG1	1753	-	1751.11	-0.18	-
LAKE SINCLAIR	SNCG1	340	339	339.85	1.23	1.02
THURMOND LAKE	CHDS1	335	330	325.65	0.99	-
TUGALO LAKE	TUGG1	892	-	-	-	1.74
WEST POINT LAKE	WETG1	641	635	635.20	0.49	1.65
LAKE YONAH	YNHG1	745	743	741.88	0.05	1.62

Want to be a Mountain Realtor

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:13:57 -0500

We at All Mountain Realty are looking to expand. If you are in the North Georgia Mountains and are looking to be part of a team give us a call. If you are a new Realtor we will assign you a mentor and work with you to help you develop your skills. If you are thinking about becoming a Realtor ask us about our tuition free program. At All Mountain Realty we are looking for 2 possibly 3 at most people who want to roll up their sleeves and work in this business. You can call me at 706 579 1098 or email me at charlie@allmountainrealty.com. I would enjoy talking to you

Big Canoe Octoberfest

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:55:19 -0500

Octoberfest came to Big Canoe this weekend. There were 70 booths open for business. There was a live band and plenty of good food. The weather was a concerned , but aside from the passing sprinkle it was a good day

There were a lot of tents set up with great stuff to buy.

As it is fall the theme was set by displays in front of the festival. It was fun for young and old

I had booth duty . Big Canoe first response and fire had a booth. We have an adopt a fire hydrant program as well as explaining what goes on in Big Canoe. We are a great mountain community where people roll up their sleeves to help each other out as well as party at a great Octoberfest

The pendulum swings

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 10:43:52 -0500

The pendulum is swinging wildly in our market. We as Realtors and Mortgage folks are constant having to adjust to a barrage of new Government regulations and guide lines. The fact of the matter is it was the fault of those were were supposed to regulate that were snoozing at the wheel that caused this problem. Now they have had a pot of caffeinated coffee and are hyper.

One of the victims of this hyper activity is the Stated income Loan. This loan has lovingly been referred to by some as the "liars" loan. But here are the facts. NOBODY that got a W-2 should have been allowed to do a stated income loan.The stated income loan was meant for folks with good credit scores, a history of paying on time, who were in business for themselves. Many of these folks today are finding it hard to re-mortgage and keep up with their payments even though they want to.

I am the first to say that the greed cancer needs to be removed. But right now Congress is doing it with a meat ax and not a scapel. I hope the folks at NAR are working over time to assist our representatives in understanding that abuse in loans is not the same as a bad product. The stated income loan is just one casualty of the meat ax approach to the housing mess.

Georgia Lake Levels

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:55:01 -0500

Georgia Lake levels are up. But that is not the end of the good news. It appears that Lake Lanier, the largest lake East of the Mississippi will maintain higher lake levels in the future. We at all Mountain Realty have a great 3 bedroom 2 bathroom Home on the lake. It is in a cove and has a dock. It comes with a pontoon boat. Asking price is 349,900. Why so low. previous years have seen low lake levels and have depressed this market. You now have an opportunity to own on this great lake and have a clean and updated home. Contact us for more information

Reservoir/Lake Station ID Flood Level
(feet) Summer Level
(feet) 7am Pool
Elev (ft) 24 Hour Change
(feet) 24 Hour Precip
(inches)
readings taken
between 1 am & 5 am.

LAKE ALLATOONA	CVLG1	860	840	844.88	-1.01	0.00
LAKE BLACKSHEAR	WWCG1	239	237	236.91	0.00	0.00
BLUE RIDGE LAKE	BRLG1	1691	1686	1677.97	-0.13	-
LAKE BURTON	TIGG1	1867	1865	1865.21	0.19	0.02
CARTERS LAKE	CTRG1	1099	1074	1075.79	-1.32	-
CHATUGE LAKE	CHAN7	1927	1925	1921.61	-0.11	0.00
GOAT ROCK LAKE	GRDG1	404	400	402.90	1.58	-
LAKE HARDING	CLBG1	-	520	516.16	-2.37	0.00
LAKE HARTWELL	HRTG1	665	660	657.06	-0.18	0.00
JACKSON LAKE	JKNG1	530	528	527.40	0.11	0.00
LAKE LANIER	CMMG1	1085	1071	1069.65	0.02	0.00
NOTTELY LAKE	NOTG1	1779	1775	1768.64	-0.22	0.00
LAKE OCONEE	WDMG1	435	434	434.55	-0.23	0.00
LAKE RABUN	TERG1	1690	-	-	-	-
LAKE RUSSELL	RBDS1	-	482	473.56	0.25	-
LAKE SEED	NACG1	1753	-	1751.24	-0.03	-
LAKE SINCLAIR	SNCG1	340	339	339.14	0.24	0.00
THURMOND LAKE	CHDS1	335	330	324.89	0.07	-
TUGALO LAKE	TUGG1	892	-	889.56	-0.24	0.01
WEST POINT LAKE	WETG1	641	635	635.16	-0.46	0.00
LAKE YONAH	YNHG1	745	743	741.55	-0.41	0.03

North Georgia Mountain Real Estate Report

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:48:07 -0500

The Mountain real estate report is heard in Jasper, Big CanoeEllijay Ball Ground and through out the North Georgia Mountains. It is also on line at www.allmountainrealty.com This weeks shows centers on leases and lease purchases. This growing part of our business can be tricky for buyers sellers and Realtors. Enjoy