The Summer of 2011 is FINALLY over, I say this because I am not a fan of high temperatures and no football!

Let's see how Big Canoe in the North Georgia Mountains is doing TODAY, September 8, 2011.

• 283 Homes are for sale today on FMLS
• 15  of those are either Foreclosures or short sales.  A very modest 5%!
• 159 Homes sold in the last 12 months

            27 sold in Foreclosure or short sale,

            2 are pending that are in Foreclosure or Short Sale.

           Of these distressed properties, the average list price was $384K; average sold price was $307K which is 83% of Original List price

Of the TOTAL 159 sold Homes, the average Original List Price was $453K; Average Sold Price was $361K or 83% very close to the Foreclosure numbers.

Foreclosures are going down in Big Canoe, but almost 50% and we have about a one year inventory today of homes.  Those numbers are VERY healthy in today's challenging markets!

So Big Canoe can be thought as a bright spot for even more reasons than just gorgeous scenery, wonderful activities and friendly people!

The first question on everyone mind when you announce that you are running for an office is...
WHY???
Because everyone knows that it is extremely hard work and take an exorbitant amount of time...something we seem to have less of as we age.
Actually I was called by a Big Canoe Nominating Committee member and asked to run.  Why they called I do not know.  My first response was NO!!! I am not a captain of industry like so many of the past candidates were.  I have no real experience in leading a community. The committee member said that they felt differently and would I consider the opportunity? After carefull consideration, I decided that in fact I did have something to offer Big Canoe.
First: A woman's perspective. Being a woman is just a fluke of nature, but having been in this female skin for so many years, it has taught me to look at life differently than how I see the men I know look at life. I often find myself seeing the humanity in a problem that is not especially "bottom line" important, but none the less very important. I am not going to expound a great deal about the importance of my gender, but everyone know very important women who have had huge impacts on their lives and that should be enough said on the subject.
Second: I am a business person.  I have started a small business during very tough times and that business is still thriving, or at least has not gone under! Starting All Mountain Realty in an area that is already saturated with nationally known companies has been a rewarding challenge. I have learned, grown and had a terrific time while helping people fill their dream of either coming to or leaving this beautiful place in the North Georgia mountains.
Third:  I am a part of an interesting, challenging family.  I have moved over 10 times in my life and have enjoyed every place that I have lived.  My parents had to overcome huge obstacles to acheive their prosperity and provide such a rich life to my siblings and me. I remember walking in on my dad, his head in his hands at 3 am, not being able to sleep wondering how he was going to pay for three girls in college.  This was during the time that girls did not readily go to college, but of course HIS girls were going to go!  Well, he found the way, albeit on a shoestring, but we all graduated from Ohio State University and went on to carreers not possible even a decade before. Financial planning, strict budgeting and big dollops of hope and love was what I was brought up on, and it didn't matter what part of the country we were living in...the family message was always the same. We made what we had go a little bit further and enjoyed life a little bit more doing so.

So I think that I am very capable of adding to Big Canoe's rich heritage of physical beauty, financial strenght and welcoming, active people.

It's finally here! Bears on the Square 2011!  Dahlonega has that old time town square so prevalent in Georgia towns and it has not be obliterated by fast food or big box entities! The town is still charming, quaint and has wonderful, unique shopping and restaurants. Bears on the Square offers shopping from Kiosks and carnival type foods. Dahlonega's fabulous restaurants will be open for those of us preferring better cuisine, including the newly moved Back Porch Oyster Bar...which is no longer on the back porch but in a brand new building! I love the fresh fish available every day via Fed EX or the like!

What makes Bears on the Square stand out from all other faires is the music! The quality and quantity is amazing ang worth the sojourne up to the Georgia mountains! Below is the schedule for Saturday, April 16th venue.  Please come and enjoy!

Gated communities have their pros and cons but up here in the North Georgia Mountains I think that gating is essential for security and properties to hold their values. Security should be on every property owners mind and when you get out in the secluded forests police coverage is often minimal at best. That gate will never stop someone from entering the sub division but it does make it a little less inviting and that is the name of the game when it comes to security! Why go to any trouble when there are countless properties out there just ripe for the picking!

Holding property values is just as important...you don't want the bad guys to destroy your property and you certainly don't want the folks with bad taste to do likewise! People like to get out of Dodge and relax out in the country and I am afraid some feel that this also means shooting guns indiscriminately off their porches, letting the huntin' shack truly become a shack and never taking the household garbage to the dump! 

Talking Rock Creek Resort is a compromise to the gated/HOA or wide open spaces dilemmas that Buyers are often faced with. It does have a gate (actually THREE of them), HOA fees (very affordable $500 per YEAR) and restrictions....but those restrictions are rather loose. There are many different types of homes in this 4000+ acre resort community, many different types of lots available; mountain views, river edges, quiet wooded playgrounds. The people living there are also from every walk of life sharing one common attribute, friendliness!

Come visit this gem of the North Georgia Mountains and see if you can remember a better place!

Activity is picking up and I am noticing a new phenomenon .  I have been sending properties out to a number of "Just Looking" folks over the years and today had a rude awakening. I actually got a "Thank You" from one of my JL's for the help that I had been;  they just closed on a home and no longer need my service.  To bad I wasn't involved with the closing! I can no longer passively send out listings, leave voice mail messages and wait for prospects to contact me! I have to constantly ask for the business. In every communication I must give a call to action...action towards ME not any old agent! I am not going to blithely send homes that the prospect has a smattering of interest in without an opportunity to meet and actually establish a face to face relationship.  It's my New Year's Resolution, and this one I plan on sticking with!! Happy 2011!!!

One of the most important attribute of living in a gated community, here in the North Georgia Mountains, is the extra level of safety and value the gate gives your property. The gate affords more value because usual with the gate comes stricter CCR's or Homeowner's Association Rules. They govern, for the most part,  the style, quality and cohesiveness of the homes in the community. As for the safety, usually what goes on behind the gates is monitored by the community's own enforcement groups. County and State police certainly can and do protect the residence but the day to day sorting out of relationships fall upon the HOA.  If you are lucky enough to live in Big Canoe, you already understand the magnitude of the commitment of our Public Safety Officers. They come in ALL weather to put out fires, break up domestics, soothe party animals, rescue boaters, fish drivers out of the trees, apply CPR, help with air lifts for the really hurting and generally make life here in the mountains livable!  We have had 3 days THIS month of impassable streets, freezing temperatures and house bound folks and Big Canoe's Public Safety has seen us through it all. The streets are getting scrapped, gravel is being applied and soon all the white stuff will be gone. Some Big Canoer's will still be limping from ice mishaps, banged up cars and way too much TV but most are safe and still loving the place we call home.  Thanks Big Canoe Public Safety, we really do appreciate you!                                                    

BOYS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN IN BIG CANOE

When showing property up here in the North Georgia Mountains, the first thing that MUST be established is whether or not a view is important.  Some properties are nestled in a glen with creeks and plenty of privacy, some are alongside a golf course or lake, but some are perched on the mountain and offer stellar views of distant mountains or small towns.  Some properties in Jasper even have views of Atlanta, some 50 miles away! Any unique attribute that a location has to offer usually costs you, views, like beach front are limited, therefore, more exspensive.  The mountains offer lots of alternatives: Seasonal views (after the leaves have dropped), partial views, wooded views, north views, south views, views to a private backyard!  Decide what you want and be prepared to see lots of variations to your dream!  But  they are all good!

Well Jeff Underwood did it...he got the National Christmas Tree to Dahlonega, saw his family and helped throw a good party to start off the Christmas season here in the North Georgia Mountains. Even the weather cooperated! Slightly cool but a bright night, so scarfs were in order and hot chocolate a must! Jeff drove the tree from Wyoming to Washington DC with a slight detour to the North Georgia Mountain town of Dahlonega, which happens to be home for him.  We thank Jeff and his family for his community spirit, extra time on the open road and arranging this wonderful event. Come and visit our beautiful mountain village and enjoy good eats, great shopping and very warm, gracious people!