BEAR HAVEN~~Immaculate and inviting, spacious and soothing, this 4-bedroom, 3-bath warm all-wood cabin offers the best of Blue Ridge living at a sensible price point.
Take in the truly awe-inspiring mountain views from nearly every room and the sprawling screened-in decks on the main level, and the private screened deck off the upstairs bedroom. K
The heart of this great cabin is the large kitchen, dining area, Great Room, which features a huge rocked fireplace with a generous hearth.
The full-finished daylight walk-out basement has a luxurious entertainment area/game room, plus a large bedroom and full bath, plus plenty of storage space. A large hot tub -- in a full screened enclosure -- adds to the 'oomph' factor of this great home.
Nestled on a 1.54 acre lot, the cabin sits in the middle of a nice, level yard area, offering plenty of room for the kids and pets!
Shepherd's Ridge is a prestigious gated cabin community filled with luxurious cabins, underground utilities, and all paved access.
They say a picture paints a thousand words...Here are the beautiful flowers we received as a gesture of appreciation from two of our incredible customers after a closing we had last week. The cards read: "Kim, You are the best!" and "Dawn, You made this happen for us!"
It was such a lovely surprise to get these roses. We don't do this for the glory (God knows!!), but it is so heartwarming to 'feel the love' like this!
Thanks Jim & Maria! We are so happy to have helped make your dream come true!
The rain that fell Saturday evening did little to dampen the spirits of the hundreds of kids who visited downtown Blue Ridge's Halloween Safe-Zone. Witches and goblins, princesses and fairies shared Main Street as they Trick-or-Treated their way among all the shops. A spook-tacular time was had by all!
A view from my father's deck in Ellijay overlooking a pasture and the lovely mountains of North Georgia.
Visit my Website to find out more about the beautiful Mountains of North Georgia and the great home-buying opportunities that await you right now! Or, call me at 404-435-6470.
You may not have heard of E.B. Reece...yet. But, trust me, you will.
On Friday, the Gilmer Arts and Heritage Association (GAHA) hosted an evening with E.B., where, in a cozy intimate space, she performed songs from her new Nashville-produced CD, "Big Time Stuff." With the voice of an angel -- a face to match -- and a personality that lights up the room, E.B. enchanted the audience with her lovely performance.
The self-described "small town girl," a mere 19-years old, grew up in Ellijay. Her songs -- most of which she writes herself -- reflect an innocent sensibility shaded with humor, love, and angst. E.B.'s talent shimmers off of her like the spotlight off her long, blond hair and her determination to make it in the music business is palpable. Make no mistake, this "small town girl" is headed for "Big Time Stuff!"
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a great piece today on The Martyn House in Ellijay, about a 20-minute drive from Blue Ridge. It brought to mind the wonderful time I recently had at one of their amazing farm-to-table meals. The hosts -- Joann Adams and Rick Lucas -- couldn't have been more warm and welcoming, the food more divine, or the surroundings more enchanting.
I went on a balmy summer evening, and shared a table under the stars with about 50 other folks, a varied group that included local artists, gallery owners, civic leaders...and me (I could make out the whispers, "Who invited HER???"). Our food was cooked in front of us over a fire, and the menu included foods grown in the local community or in Georgia. We feasted on butternut squash soup, mixed greens, shrimp & grits, and strawberry shortcake. The long table was lit by candleabras, and candle chandeliers hung from tree limbs. Through the trees you could see the colorful Gypsy Faire Sleeping Tents lit up, inviting you to go visit them in all their 'Arabian Nights' splendor.
It was truly a magical evening, and I most certainly plan on continuing my visits to The Martyn House. Hope to meet you there!
I recently negotiated a contract for a beautiful home just outside of Blue Ridge. The home sits astride a small pristine lake surrounded by mountains and shared with only three other homes. Not only is the setting gorgeous, the house itself -- a luxurious 6-bedroom, 4.5-bath home -- is well-appointed and has been meticulously maintained.
Our buyers are a wonderful couple from Atlanta who are buying the home initially as a second-home, with plans to eventually retire here. They are positively giddy about the house -- they love everything about it and can't wait to call it their own.
The entire contract process has been going along swimmingly. The price negotiations went well, we were able to arrive at a fair price. The inspection turned up only minor issues that the sellers have been more than willing to address. We know our buyers have sterling credit and they are putting down 50 percent, so we figured we had nothing to worry about with the financing. Price: check. Inspection: check. Financing: check. Slam dunk!
Our buyers have banked at a neighborhood bank for years, so naturally, they felt most comfortable getting the loan through the folks they have a relationship with. Makes sense, right? Only one very big problem -- the in-house lender has only Atlanta-based appraisers on their vendor list.
So an Atlanta appraiser was sent to value a home completely outside of his market area, and the two markets couldn't be more different -- rural vs. urban, second-home vs. first-home, for starters. He made adjustments for things that don't typically command a premium in second homes, and didn't make adjustments for things that do (like water frontage...hello???). As a result, his appraisal -- while perfectly suited for Atlanta -- was pretty far off the mark for our area; it came in $50,000 low.
The bank approved the loan despite the appraisal -- in part, I'm sure because of the large down payment -- but I have appealed the appraisal anyway. I am appealing in part because I want to make sure my folks are getting a true snapshot of value. The other part, I admit, is because I don't want them to think I sold them short.
The moral of the story? When you are buying a second-home make sure your lender will use a local appraiser who is familiar with that market. Better yet, work with a local lender that uses local appraisers. That lessens the chances for nasty surprises.
Here is an article on the subject that appeared in today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
On a chilly, gray day, I welcomed the opportunity to step into Cowan's Book Nook. As warm and inviting as it's name, Book Nook celebrated it's grand opening on Friday.
Owners Barry and Melinda Cowan -- who also operate Cowan's Book Nook in Ellijay -- recognized the need for a top-notch bookstore in Blue Ridge. A great addition to the town's thriving downtown area, the shop is full of a large selection of books including fiction, non-fiction, and best-sellers. The store also features an impressive array of children's and Christian books. The space is light and airy, with sitting areas so that after you've browsed and chosen a book from the shelf, you can sit and relax and leaf through your selection. On hand to help celebrate the grand opening was cartoonist Don "Duck" Edwing. His cartoons have appeared in Playboy, Look, and The Saturday Evening Post, but Edwing is probably best-known for his work with Mad magazine, where he wrote the iconic Spy vs Spy comic strip for 12 years. A true character -- full of tales of his fascinating life and quick with a joke -- Edwing is in the process of making a move from Florida to Blue Ridge.
Also on hand for the celebration was author Jerry Roberts signing copies of his memoir entitled "My First Forty Years." Roberts didn't set out to publish a book, he just wanted to ensure that his children had a written account of his life. Once finished, he asked a friend who was in the publishing industry to give his manuscript a read, and the friend was very impressed with Roberts' writing, and encouraged him to publish the autobiography.
Stop in and visit Cowan's Book Nook in the downstairs plaza of the Mulberry Building at 576 E. Main Street, Suite C, in beautiful downtown Blue Ridge. 706-946-BOOK (2665)
Oh, the simple pleasures of living in the North Georgia mountains. I came across this actual legal description for a property today:
BEGINNING at the old house place, running southwest to a large Beech tree, continuing the same direction to the top of the mountain and a White Oak tree; thence northwest following high ground to the Stephens property line; thence following the Stephens property line due North to the corner; thence northeast to the branch; thence down branch to ford of branch; thence southeast, following an old road to the starting point, containing 30 acres, more or less
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
They say a picture paints a thousand words...Here are the beautiful flowers we received as a gesture of appreciation from two of our incredible customers after a closing we had last week. The cards read: "Kim, You are the best!" and "Dawn, You made this happen for us!"
these roses. We don't do this for the glory (God knows!!), but it is so heartwarming to 'feel the love' like this! 
The rain that fell Saturday evening did little to dampen the spirits of the hundreds of kids who visited downtown Blue Ridge's Halloween Safe-Zone. Witches and goblins, princesses and fairies shared 
Main Street as they Trick-or-Treated their way among all the shops. A spook-tacular time was had by all! 
You may not have heard of E.B. Reece...yet. But, trust me, you will. 
The self-described "small town girl," a mere 19-years old, grew up in Ellijay. Her songs -- most of which she writes herself -- reflect an innocent sensibility shaded with humor, love, and angst. E.B.'s talent shimmers off of her like the spotlight off her long, blond hair and her determination to make it in the music business is palpable. 
from Blue Ridge. It brought to mind the wonderful time I recently had 
butternut squash soup, mixed greens, shrimp & grits, and strawberry shortcake. The long table was lit by candleabras, and candle chandeliers hung from tree limbs. Through the trees you could see the colorful Gypsy Faire Sleeping Tents lit up, inviting you to go visit them in all their 'Arabian Nights' splendor. 
outside of Blue Ridge. The home sits astride a small pristine lake surrounded by mountains and shared with only three other homes. Not only is the setting gorgeous, the house itself -- a luxurious 6-bedroom, 4.5-bath home -- is well-appointed and has been meticulously maintained. 
On a chilly, gray day, I welcomed the opportunity to step into Cowan's Book Nook. As warm and inviting as it's name, Book Nook celebrated it's grand opening on Friday. 
Also on hand for the celebration was author Jerry Roberts signing copies of his memoir entitled 
Oh, the simple pleasures of living in the North Georgia mountains. I came across this actual legal description for a property today: 
;)
;)
