Kevin's Blog

Kayaking in the Outer Banks, Cape Hatteras National Seashore - Pea Island

2008-05-28T10:45:35Z

I spend the holiday weekend at Cape Hatteras National Seashore camping and kayaking. I spent most of my time around Pea Island sneaking around the islands looking for Osprey, Herons, Pelicans, etc. This was my first time to visit the area and I was truly amazed at its beauty and the amount of wildlife present. If you are considering a trip I would recommend you camping at Oregon Inlet inside the park. If you do not have a kayak you can rent them from Kitty Hawk Kayaks or you can sign up for a guided tour there as well. Make sure you take your camera. Not only are there numerous birds, but the sunsets and sunrises are incredible.

Equestrian Homesites, RedTail Mountain Property

2008-05-03T09:19:45Z

RedTail Mountain has released the first phase of the equestrian homesites. These homesites adjoin a pasture with pond. There are miles of trails leading from the pasture along the ridge and mountain property. These homesites start at $145,000 and go to $185,000. Please contact RedTail Mountain Realty at 877.488.4646 or visit http://www.redtailmountain.com/ for more information.

Things seem to be picking up

2008-05-01T10:56:31Z

A realtor friend that does alot of deals with us stopped by this week and he has a home he wants me to look at. I am about to buy a cabin site in our community so I wasn't really interested, but I agreed to go look at it with him. I looked at it, nice small home on a trout stream, beautiful country road that I can easily bike to and from work, good price, etc. So I figured I would buy the house and put off buying the cabin site for 6 months or so. I also have another local mortgage loan officer that has called me a few times about wanting to get involved in our project so I figured I would buy the home through her so start building that relationship as well. For 2 days I have called and have yet to get a response back from here. I get to work this morning and I get a call from my realtor friend that it has sold. What I learned from this.

1. Do more than just phone calls, emails, etc. If he had called me and said he had a home to look at I wouldn't have gone. He stopped by, it was after lunch and I had a few minutes to spare so I went with him.

2. Don't wait when you know its something you want. Be smart about it, but move forward.

3. Things are picking up in the Real Estate Market. I see it in our leads per day, hits per day on our website, calls, etc.

Well I am bummed out about the home, but I have been thinking about purchasing a condo in Florida, and I guess now is probably about as good of a time as I will ever have in my lifetime to do it.

There is no such thing as bad weather...

2008-04-05T20:11:23Z

It was about five years ago when a few friends and I had planned on doing a moonlight bike ride through Cades Cove on a cold November night. That day was particularly cold and I was really thinking about backing out when a friend of mine gave me some great advise. Her exact words were, "there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear". Over the years I have gone to live by these words and on days like today, when it cold, rainy, and just an overall dreary day, I still decide I am going to go for a nice hike and see if I can add to my photography collection. As I am riding through Damascus, VA, a small town that has made its economy around tourism and people visiting the Virgina Creeper Bike Trail and the Appalachian Trail, I notice that all the shuttle buses are parked in front of the bike stores, I don't see the normal groups of people biking down the creeper, instead it seems as though I am the only one out today. I felt as though all the people who should be out enjoying this day are stuck inside feeling they should just stay home today and wait for a better day to go out. As I continue to drive I think about the real estate market and how the down market has left many realtors probably feeling the same way. They have probably operated in a "bullet proof" market for so long that now when things have changed they are not changing their "gear", instead they advertise in the same magazines and market in the same circles they always have. They have not tried new things, they find it easier to complain about the market instead of adapting, being creative, and generating sales in non traditional ways.

As this day comes to an end I am thankful for the advise my friend gave me years ago. I ended up spending most of the day hiking along the Virginia Creeper and at Elk Gardens, one of my favorite places on earth. It truly was a refreshing day and I was able to get some spectacular photos. Don't let the weather keep you down. Be creative, try new things, adapt, focus on selling, not on commission, focus on trying new things and don't be upset when something doesn't work as well as you had hoped. Tomorrow is supposed to be another nasty, cold, wet, rainy day so I am having a hard time making a decision, should I go mountain biking or fly fishing?

RedTail Mountain Announces Golf Opening Day

2008-04-03T16:26:35Z

We wanted to inform all of you that we will be opening the course for the season April 18th. We are finishing the new construction of the clubhouse and will be installing the furniture the next couple of weeks. If you have any questions or would like to reserve a tee time please do not hesitate to call. We look forward to your visit. http://www.redtailmountain.com/ 423.727.7600

Introducing RedTail Ridge

2008-04-02T19:04:22Z

This is my first blog attempt, but this is a picture I took of a sunrise at our newest addition to RedTail Mountain. This area is called RedTail Ridge and features homesites above 4000 feet in elevation. All views are either East or West so you will have either sunrise or sunset views. The lots average about 2.5 acres and range from $110k - $136k

RedTail Mountain Golf Course Opening Announced

2008-04-02T19:01:32Z