With tax time upon us, there are a few things that you can do to reduce your property tax liability.  Unfortunately all of them require a little time and effort on your part.  In order to qualify for the 3% cap on property tax assessments that was passed last November in Georgia, you must file an application at the County Tax Commissioner's office.  The Towns County Tax Assessors Office has indicated that you must claim Homestead exemption as well.  Again, you have to file a form before the prescribed deadline.  Be aware however, that you may already be receiving a better reduction if you have multiple homes and have filed for homestead exemption in another state.  With property values in decline, for the 1st time in my 20+ years in real estate, if you have a recent appraisal which is less than your assessed value, you can provide the tax assessor's office with a copy and request that they reduce the value, although there is no requirement that they do so.  Other exemptions are available, dependent upon use of the property.  You can find more information at  http://gaassessors.com/

Lake Chatuge, one of the most scenic lakes in the Tennessee Valley Authority system, is located on the border of Northeast Georgia and Southwestern North Carolina in the beautiful Appalachian mountains!  The 7200 acre reservoir is shared by Clay County, NC and Towns County, GA., with the damn being located near Hayesville, NC.  Lake Chatuge provides numerous recreational opportunities, including boating, swimming, skiing, camping, hiking and fishing. Thirty-two species of fish inhabit Lake Chatuge.  Smallmouth bass, large-mouth, spotted, white, and hybrids are stocked annually.  Like many other lakes in the Southeast, Lake Chatuge was drastically impacted by the drought of 2006 but the water levels appear to be rising nicely this Spring!  If you would like more information, maps, links, etc., visit my website:  www.LakeChatuge.com 

All of us have funny or embarrasing work-related stories.  One of many such occasions for me, happened some 20 years ago. I began my career as a residential appraiser in Hiawassee, Georgia, which is my hometown.  Towns County was and still is a rural mountain community in Northeast Georgia where I still live and work, only now, as a real estate broker.

I was in my mid 20's at that time, a single mother of two sons, and always rushed for time. That afternoon, I had one more appointment scheduled prior to the time I needed to pick up my sons from an after-school program.

Upon arriving at the subject property and pulling into the driveway, I grabbed my notebook, camera, and tape measure, then tossed my keys on the dashboard of the car, as was my habit at the time.  I watched with utter dismay as the keys skidded across the dash and disappeared down the heater vent!  After numerous futile attempts to retrieve them from the crevice, I approached the front door of the client's home, explained what had happened, and apologetically asked to use the phone to call the locksmith.  That was the time before we had cell phone coverage in the mountains, and only one locksmith in the County, who by the way, also drove a school bus to supplement his income. 

After being informed that he couldn't be of assistance until after he completed the bus route that afternoon, I once again apologized profusely and asked to use the homeowners's phone yet again.  This time to call my Dad for help.  When he arrived at "the scene", I was relieved to see that he had brought with him a long metal rod with a small magnet at the end.  He attempted at length, to "fish" the keys out of the heater vent, unsuccessfully.  By then, it was approaching the time that I needed to pick up the boys at their school.

When we returned to the home shortly before dark, Larry the Locksmith had finally arrived, and went about the task of crafting a new ignition key.   Finally, the key was ready and after saying my final goodbyes and good nights to the home owner, we were on our way to our own home-sweet-home, at long last.

The three things that I learned from this incident are: #1 never throw my keys on the dashboard, #2 always have a spare set of keys, #3 never block a client's driveway, and #4 you can always count on DAD!

I would love to hear your funny or embarrassing real estate stories! 

Recently, I went with a friend to see the movie, The Bucket List.  For those of you who haven't seen it yet, the "bucket list" is a list of the most important things you would like to do before you "kick the bucket".  I'm no spring chickens myself, but it became apparent as I looked around the local theater, that it was jam-packed with mature and senior adults enjoying a cool rainy Two For The Price of One Thursday afternoon outing. 

During the movie, I became aware of a mixture of groans, sighs, and muted laughter throughout the darkened room, and, as the credits started to roll, the appreciative crowd began to clap!

Now, it started me to thinking:  How long has it been since I heard clapping at a movie theater?  When was the last time I didn't sit or step in something sticky or yucky?  Watched an entire movie without being jostled or jabbed by another moviegoer?  Been irritated by noisy giggling, flying popcorn, or ringing cell phones?  Paid $2.50 for a movie ticket?   What a wonderful way to spend a cold rainy Winter afternoon! 

How lucky I am to live in such a wonderful Community with some of the nicest, friendliest folks I've ever met.  How fortunate to be able to live and work in such an absolutely beautiful area of the mountains.  To be surrounded by the scenic beauty of nature, created each day with a new pallet and fresh canvas.  How grateful I am to be away from the fast-paced rat race of city life, and how richly blessed to have a few good friends to enjoy it all.  

We should all be working on our "bucket list", but in the meantime, we should all remember that life is NOW and LIVE it like there is no tomorrow!