There are a ton of aspects to this bail out that may or may not effect us. I am curious about one of those aspects. Will the bail out make the short sale market and the REO market get tougher or dry up? If the banks are having their paper being bought up will they still be looking to "deal" on these ? I am seeing this as a potentially unintended consequence of the bill. But I am not sure if my logic is correct. So please email me or comment on this blog. Do you think the bailout will make banks less likely to deal on REO's and Short Sales? 10/06/2008

This week in our markets we have had a great deal of turmoil. We have had bills fail. The stock market plummeted. The economic numbers were grim. "THE BILL" passed thru the Senate. Credit started to freeze up. The house got scared and passed  the bill. Wall Street still tanked( Remember the rule , the market rises on the rumor and falls on the fact. So what should happen next week ? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. I would like to see a week where I can look at the leaves changing. A week where I can split wood with the Oldies station and not CNN on in the back ground. I week where we can all take a breath and let things start to sort themselves out. As a people I think we need it. Are we going to get it ? Time will tell. Here's to answering the question , "What's happening?" with "Absolutely nothin... 10/04/2008

Ok let me see if I can answer the why. This is not a Wall street Bail out any more. When the Governor of California tells you he cannot get money to pay police we are passed Wall Street. When a chicken farmer in Georgia tells me he doesn't know if he will be in business because his supplier cannot get the money to be able to send him chcks we are passed Wall Street. I listened to the debate today and while Ron Paul and a whole bunch of other folks were 100 percent correct about the problems and the changes needed they were dead wrong about what to do. It doesn't matter if your right but there are no police or fire folks in your town because they cannot get paid. That is where we were going and in a hurry. So we can all hate the bad guys and say never never again. And we can insure we ge... 10/03/2008

Recently in Big Canoe the property owners voted on an initiative to raise money for capital and other expenses. This initiative was called the Capital Initiation Fund. or CIF for short. The fund would have placed a fee on folks moving in to the community. This initiative plan spread like wild fire. It was blogged about and many Realtors talked about it in the negative. I personally was against it. The measure was voted on and it failed by a big number. This is great news if you are considering buying in one of North Georgia's premier and affordable  communities. Did I say North Georgia? I meant one of the best Mountain communities East or Wes of the Mississippi. For more information on Big Canoe Contact us at www.allmtnrealty.com or see us on localism or call us at 706 579 1098. Big Can... 10/01/2008

The mountains are a great place to be i the Fall. On Oct 4 and 5 come to Jasper Georgia for the Pickens county Marble festival. The festival is 2 days long and really a lot of fun. If you are into arts and crafts and have an interest in marble then you cannot miss this. As Jasper is the "First Mountain City" It is close to Atlanta as well. For more information visit www.pickenschamber.com/marblefestival. I will be in the parade this year in the Wells Fargo stage coach. Don't ask how this happened. But it is all in fun and you can have a great day out in the mountains for very little money. This is the first of many of the fall festivals that take place here in North Georgia 09/21/2008

I am a transplanted New Yorker.I have been here almost 24 Years. Each section of the country has it's beauty . But it also has a uniqueness that adds the human touch to an area. The picture below is a typical North Georgia Mountain store. You can tell by the Chimney and the wooden structure that the building has been around for a while. It is a Health food store. now aside from the appeal of the building there is a certain incongruity to this photo that is uniquely Southern. In the Land of North Georgia just outside Atlanta you can believe Coca Cola is considered a health food. I smile every time I see the front of this building. I thought You All would like it too.We all post pretty Pictures what about traditions makes your area of the country unique? Love to read about it 09/14/2008

This is the last of my posts on Mountain Lakes. The Lake today is Lake Tamarack in Benttree. Tamarack is about 100 acres and again just wonderfully nestled in the mountains. The community of Benttree offers Golf, Tennis,  Swimming, and an equestrain center. I hope you have enjoyed these photos. The goal was to show how the Southern end of the North Georgia Mountains are a beautiful wonderful  place.  This first Picture shows the expanse of the lake The photo to the Left and below was taken from the boat launch area. You cannot imagine how sweet the grass smelled and how wonderful the breeze was that day. I sat there for a while after the picture was taken. The last picture shows the expanse of the Lake the other way. If you saw yesterdays post you will notice Sharp top Mountain in the b... 09/12/2008

If you have been following this series remember in Part 1 I posted a map. These lakes are all within a 20 mile circle. The North Georgia Mountains are a beautiful place. I have also posted about a couple of towns and after the lakes I will go back to culture and towns. But what I am trying to convey is that land here can go for as little as 30,000 for a developed GOOD acre. Larger tracts sell at 10-15,000 an acre. Water front and view is higher. You are close to facilities but out in nature. The weather is good even though some of these pictures were taken on a cloudy couple of days. So here is Grandview Lake;   The first picture is the Lake. It is about 65 to 70 Acres. It is great for boating and fishing. The community is private but not gated.  Even on this day the temperature was 70 ... 09/11/2008

So by now we all know Uncle Sam has taken in his 2 wayward children Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac . But as this a temporary situation what is the end game? There are a number of proposals out there. 1 Nationalization. In this scheme The 2 giants would become an agency of the government. This in my opinion is a terrible idea. The government is big enough( read too Big) and they are not very efficient. Ever try to, or know any one trying to get a green card? In any event the Government does not need another layer of bureaucracy . What this would mean is that we would pay salries etc for ever for this type of solution. It is wrong. 2 Privatization. This is where we make them independent companies and we let the market dictate. We wrap this argument in Rugged Individualism and the flag. This a... 09/09/2008

There are a lot of great Mountain Lakes in the North Georgia Mountains. I am focusing on an area  that is about 20 to 25 miles around. The first lake community is around Lake Fausett. This lake is about 40 acres. There are great homes around it. It is Nestled in the mountains. I am including a Map of all the lakes I will feature over the next couple of days. With this lake you have prices for lots as well. This is a gated and non gated community. It is on the southern end of the mountains and as you can see is really lovely                              In  the distance you can see a small boat house for your canoe. Fishing is good Below is the map of the lakes. All within a 20 mile radius. Living in the mountains isn't just about the hills. Tomorrow we will feature the lakes of Big Can... 09/08/2008

This is "down town" Jasper. When we moved in there were 3 traffic lights. Now there are 5. Jasper is the county seat for Pickens county. The whole count has 19,000 people. Not enough to fill a ball park. Yet there is a state of the art hospital. There is also a Home Depot a Kroger, and yes for those who love the name a Piggly Wiggly. There are festivals . the big one is the Marble festival in the fall. But there is a lot to do in and around Jasper. As the first Mountain city you can experience the joy and natural beauty of the mountains. And you can be close to things like medical facilities or even the Atlanta Airport in the unlikely event you want to leave. Near Jasper are the great communities of Big Canoe and Benttree.but those are subjects for other blogs and pictures   09/04/2008

The following are some scenes in Jasper Georgia. We call Jasper the First Mountain city as it is at the base of the Appalachian mountains. This is small town America. It is only 50 miles from Atlanta and there is beauty, tradition, and a cosmopolitan flavor to it all .Every town has a feed store for either horse cattle or other livestock                     Wyyz Jasper is the local radio station. They play a mix of country , rock and on the weekends gospel. Inside is a piano and a microphone. You get the feeling that the movie "Oh Brother Where Art thou could have easily been filmed here     Even as summer ends the fields are still green and this is a shot of the rolling hills all around our mountains   Because this area of the country is the Marble capital of the US many of the buildin... 09/03/2008

Yes I love the mountains. My office is on the terrace level. So as I am working and looking out one of the windows there is a face looking back in at me. It is a juvenile Black Bear. He is standing next to the steps that lead up to my back porch. Cool right . But that is only one bear. So I look out the window and there are 2 baby bear cubs as well!!! They are cute they are cuddly. I want to open the door and play too. But I look at their claws and think maybe not such a good idea. But then my salt and pepper locks think if I go out the door and dash across the driveway I can get my camera that is in my car and take some pictures. I can post these pictures on active rain and everybody can have fun with them.  But then it dawns on these salt and pepper locks that I see a Juvenile bear an... 09/02/2008

Folks often ask me ,Why is your commission rate higher than some of your competitors? At All Mountain Realty we believe that our marketing program is state of the art and innovative. We know based on our results that it is successful. That is why we are proud to announce our new TIME IS MONEY program. When we list your property take advantage of our new program. If we do not have a contract on your house with in 90 days from the listing date we will reduce our commission by 1/2 a percent. If there is no contract within 180 days we will reduce our rate another 1/2 percent. Anything above 180 days we will further reduce by 1/2 a percent. We are in the business of SELLING real Estate not listing it. Our marketing program allows us to make this offer with confidence. Ask your All Mountain ... 08/31/2008

The Labor day weekend is the last Hurrah of the summer season. I must say this season went really quickly. Also with gas prices being what they are many may not have traveled as much. Here in the North Georgia Mountains we will see a great group of visitors. In fact we already are. So here are some tips to have a great safe weekend. 1 It is a little cooler in the mountains. But that does not mean the sun isn't shining. Rember your sun block. 2 If you are hiking ALWAYS go in at least pairs. remember your compass , cell phone, and water. 3 If you see a great water fall or something while hiking and it is down in a valley , unless you are experienced do not go down there. First of all it is harder to climb back UP. Every year rescuers risk themselves and their well being to save tourists w... 08/30/2008

Ask A Pro Charlie Ragonesi on the Finer Aspects of North Georgia Mountain Living by HutHub - The National Real Estate Network Featuring: Charlie Ragonesi Real Estate Broker All Mountain Realty, LLC. Contact Me HutHub: Why should a homebuyer consider purchasing their next home in the North Georgia Mountains? What makes this area unique & better than other popular destinations? Charlie: The North Georgia Mountains are unique in many ways. As a destination we know that 32 percent of baby boomers look for mountain property. This alone makes the North Georgia Mountain highly desirable. North Georgia is on the Southern end of the Appalachian Mountains. Summers are cool and winters are milder than you will find further north in the chain. The North Georgia Mountains are close to Atlanta, Chat... 08/29/2008

Yes contrary to popular belief there were humans alive with dinosaurs. I know because I feel like I was there. Now before Fran the man says, "Aw shucks I missed it!!" Rachael Welch was not there running around in a leopard skin. Why do I feel this way ? Because something is lacking. It is called personalized  customer service. It is becoming a thing of the distant past. I was at a show in Atlanta and asked the exhibitor to call me.  I want to buy his product. Did he call me . No. He emailed me. If I had wanted to be emailed I would have asked to be emailed. Now I am not yet his customer so I figure this is as good as he is going to be to me. So a I going to do business with these guys??? Probably not. Now I understand it is the age of call customer service for an American product and sp... 08/28/2008

Ask A Pro An Introduction to Charlie Ragonesi, North Georgia Real Estate Broker by HutHub - The National Real Estate Network Featuring: Charlie Ragonesi Real Estate Broker All Mountain Realty, LLC. Contact Me HutHub: Hello Charlie, could you briefly explain what you do? Charlie: I am a real Estate broker. We (my company & I) work with folks buying, selling, and investing in the North Georgia Mountains. HutHub: What areas of North Georgia are you most familiar with? Charlie: Jasper, Ellijay, Big Canoe, Canton, Alpharetta, Ball Gorund, Benttree, Dahlonega,Dawsonville, Marietta, and other areas in our beautiful North Georgia Mountains. HutHub: What's the best part about being a Real Estate Broker in the North Georgia Mountains? Charlie: The smiles on peoples faces that I work with. And be... 08/25/2008

A great deal of business in the North Georgia Mountains comes from our neighbors to the south, Florida. So a question that we are often asked is do you get Hurricanes in Georgia ? The answer is yes. After all Georgia is a coastal state. Many of us remember Hugo which just missed us and ended up making Land Fall in South Carolina. So while it is rare it does happen that we get big storms. Now in the mountains those storms, like Faye now, are usually big rain events. We like the rain in the mountains. It keeps the trees green and the plants growing. It also lessens the danger of fire. So for those of you who worry about hurricanes and the mountains I am writing this post. Many have RV lots or condos in the mountains just so they can get away from the gulf if needed. Visit us on line at ww... 08/25/2008

One of the least expensive , peace of mind, things you can do when buying a home is to have an inspection. Now in Georgia unfortunately, you do not have to be licensed. But there are major associations and folks who have been working at this for a while. Your Realtor can help you in this area. The inspection report usually has a caveat about being done on things visible. So what is invisible? Radon for example. If you are worried about mold that too. So remember the level you go to with inspecting a home is often up to you. What the inspection report is not is an opportunity to get more money off the house. If there are legitimate concerns then so be it. But things like extending a down spout, ( a ten dollar item at home depot and 10 seconds to install, are not reasons to beat up a sell... 08/24/2008