I am a huge fan of where I live. Lake Oconee in Georgia is one of the greatest places in the world. I would have never moved back here and transfered my real estate license from a town as great as Charleston, SC if I didn't have faith in Lake Oconee's ability to continue to grow. It's been two months since I've been back in the real estate business. I'm encouraged by the turnaround in the economy and as we continue to grow I would love to see new faces around here. Prestigious neighborhoods such as Reynolds Plantation & Great Waters, have previously been dubbed "retirement communities" and I'm wondering what my role will be in encouraging young people like me to come to this great place and call it "home."
I will be 30 years old this year and would categorize myself as a young adult (right!?). In an attempt to get a better understanding of what people my age, aside from myself, find to be important qualities in a town, I polled 8 to 10 friends my age to find out what they thought!
1) The most important part of bringing young adults to a community is job opportunities. Yikes. You cannot be in the real estate business, or live in the United States for that matter, and not be aware of the shortage of jobs. The economic downturn has been tough on everybody but a true test for young adults graduating from high school or college and trying to start a career. Jobs are limited and competition is tough. Now people who were in or close to retirement find themselves back in the job market competing for positions. As I drive around Lake Oconee everyday I'm thrilled to see signs of companies moving their headquarters to the lake! One example would be Eyelevel Interactive, A Made Inc. Company. While not many details have been released, I do know that this means possible job opportunity in the area and that's a definite benefit to our community!
Meanwhile, Reynolds Plantation, established here in 1985, and it's sister neighborhoods employ anywhere from 500-1000 people annually.
2) 
Location. Location. Location. Ever heard that before? Luckily Lake Oconee happens to be in the perfect location. I still appreciate the small town atmosphere that we have to offer but even more so I appreciate NOT having to deal with traffic jams and rush hour! Just 75 miles east of Atlanta, 75 miles west of Augusta (home of the Masters Golf Tournament), and 33 miles southeast of Athens (home of the Georgia Bulldogs), a days worth of excellent shopping and top notch sporting events are never more than an hour or so away and then it's home to the peace and quiet!
3) Activities - no worries! We have them covered! There is nothing in the southeast that can beat a summer on Lake Oconee. 18,971 acres, 374 miles of shoreline, 118 holes of championship golf, and world class communities make it incredibly easy to fall in love. Young golfers like Rory McIlory, Rickie Fowler, and Dustin Johnson are encouraging more and more young people to take up the sport. How do you get them and those like them to realize Lake Oconee is one of the most prestigious areas for golfing in the world?
So, how do I help encourage young adults to come to the area? Social media is undeniably an incredibly important part of the real estate business. I have the opportunity to become the first realtor in the Lake Oconee area to thoroughly take advantage of online tools via Facebook, Twitter, several blogs, Activerain, and my up and coming Youtube channel featuring HD video home tours!
Margie Kopp
Coldwell Banker Lake Oconee
(706)817-1372
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