Charlie Ragonesi Big Canoe Realestate's Blog

Starting a Day

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:23:48 -0600

some times it is hard to get going in the morning. But when you can get up and look at these kinds of sunrises it is some how easier. I think it is interesting that in the winter it gets cold and the leaves are all off the trees. Yet in the winter we have the best sunrises. So God gives and takes and for the cold and the brown that we get , we are given a great start of day in return.

I don't know about you but I get up with my cup of coffee every day just to watch this happen. It gets me

going.

Wow it got cold !

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 19:38:04 -0600

The wind is howling through the mountains tonight. It has done so for a last few nights. Last week we had snow.Is this a sign of things to come? It isn't even winter yet. If you are reading this post and live in the North Georgia Mountains please make sure your fireplace chimneys have been cleaned.

Also I was on a fire call recently and the home owner took the ashes from his fireplace, thought they were out, and scattered them in the yard. They weren't. Luckily a passerby saw the smoke and we were able to stop a brush fire from getting a lot bigger. I am curling up by our hearth tonight . Please exercise caution. I do not want to meet you for the first time in my fire gear.

The Mountain Real Estate Report

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 07:57:27 -0600

The Mountain Real Estate Report is heard every Thursday on WYYZ Radio in the North Georgia Mountains. It is sponsored in part by Capital Mortgage and The Steve Moranos Allstate Agency. If you are in North Georgia looking for a good lender or a company that will work with you to get your buyers insured give us a call at 706 579 1098. We will put you in touch with these great folks During this show Linda and I talk about what it means to be a smart buyer. Look for Value not labels. Enjoy !

The North Georgia Mountains today

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 09:50:08 -0600

Today in the North Georgia Mountains it is chilly and a bit windy. The air is crisp and clean. Even though the leaves are off the trees it is still wonderful to look out at nature. The point here is if you are looking for a mountain retreat or a place to live full time consider the North Georgia Mountains. Why?

1 We have great gated communities like Big Canoe and Bent Tree. These communities offer a full experience of nature and amenities.

2 We have rural land if you decide to go green acres

3 We have great schools and medical facilities.

4 Being on the Southern end of the Mountains we have milder winters than they do further North. We still have cool summers. I ran my A/C for about 9 days this summer.

Most of all, all this can be had at really affordable prices. Farm land can start as low as 8,000 an acre for tracts usually above 5 acres. Homes on 1 acre start at 140,000. This is for quality homes and good land. Now in gated communities you may pay a little more.

Bottom line here is that North Georgia is a great place to live that will not cost you an arm and a leg. How long we stay this way , who knows. But for now we are a great place to be if you want, peace quiet and beautiful healthy mountain living.

New News Article

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 21:54:20 -0600

The article below will appear in a newspaper in January in Big Canoe. I am hopeful that this is a regular piece. Each month we will do something to help either buyers or sells.. Any suggestions for future s will be greatly appreciated

Ask a Realtor

Are you and your home chasing the Market?

By Charlie Ragonesi

One of the maxims in real estate is; houses priced correctly sell. In the listing presentation there is some times a tension between the Realtor and the home owner looking to sell. That tension often expresses itself in a difference of opinion over sales price. Sellers tend to forget that Realtors are usually paid a percentage of the sale and so do not want to leave anything on the table. Realtors often forget the sweat equity, the emotional, as well as financial ties, a home owner has in the home. The compromise is often reached with the words, “Let’s price it at X and we can always come down a bit later, or when we get an offer.” This strategy is called, Chasing the Market.

Chasing the Market is a bad strategy that will in the end cost the home owner money. A great study was done this (2009) year by Todd Emerson a Senior Vice President and Realtor. The study was done in the Atlanta market. Todd looked at 115 single family home sales from January to April. 54 of those homes had price adjustments downward to reflect market conditions. These homes stayed on the market an average of 210 days. They also sold at an average of 81.3 percent of the original list price.

The homes that were not reduced sold at an average of 92.9 percent of the sales price. They also remained on the market for an average of only 129 days.

The conclusions Todd drew were that prices on homes that chased the market stayed on the market 3 months longer AND averaged 50,000 less at the closing. Todd did average all the prices and was comparing like priced homes.

Chasing a market is a bad and costly strategy. When working with your Realtor make sure you are given a Competitive Market Analysis. Remember the Realtor who prices your home the highest may make you feel good in the short term , but could cost you money later on .

Charlie Ragonesi is Managing Broker for All Mountain Realty. Along with Linda Carrig they can be heard every Thursday after the noon news on WYYZ Radio broadcasting the Mountain Real Estate Report in the North Georgia Mountains

The Mountain Real Estate Report

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 07:21:25 -0600

The Mountain Real Estate report is heard every Thursday on WYYZ Radio in our North Georgia mountains. This week we give advice to sellers about pricing their homes. In addition we talk about changing market conditions as well as some great properties for sale. Each week we present different topics. Often they are from listener generated questions. If anyone has a great topic for future shows please leave us a comment or contact us at www.allmountainrealty.com. We hope you enjoy

Wordless Wed. Is that you Deer ?

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:19:47 -0600

Yes I know it was a bad pun. But I cannot help myself sometimes. This young lady and I met quite by accident as I was walking out my door. This is the second posting I am doing about deer in a few days. I am remembering my camera so I am getting some good shots. This is a good one of a surprised young lady. Enjoy!

Speechless Sunday

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:48:41 -0600

I do not usually do speechless Sunday as it is the day I make up for my sleep deprived week. However this morning I walked out on the front porch with coffee in hand. I was listening and trying to see a woodpecker that was busy in one of the trees in our yard. Never saw it. But managed to get a picture of these folks instead. This NYC transplanted kid LOVES LIVING IN THIS MOUNTAINS.

A Thankful Thankssgiving

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:12:49 -0600

This was a great Thanksgiving. We have a lot to be thankful for. We had a house full of company . They left today. We had a great party Friday night. We had friends and family here for a fun dinner on Thursday.

One of the things I am most thankful for is there were no fire calls . Usually at this time of the year we have a chimney fire or a turkey fryer fire. As many are cooking and imbibing people get careless. But this Thanksgiving we got no calls. So I am really thankful for that.

The Mountain Real Estate Report

Charlie- All Mountain Realty — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:22:14 -0600

The Mountain Real Estate Report is broadcast every Thursday on WYYZ Radio out of Jasper. This Thursday we give out a Turkey cooking tip as well as talk frankly about whether or not , as NAR says, Now is the time to buy. We cover some reasons to buy OTHER than potential appreciation. Have a Happy Thanksgiving all and enjoy.

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.