For those who live in or plan to travel to North Georgia in April, plan to attend Jasper ArtFest in Jasper, Georgia on April 21-22. This is a juried art show and sale, and also features performing arts, Art of the Auto (antique cars and trucks), childrens art activities, the Kudzu Kreation, mountain craft demonstrations, and the Optimist Club Flapjack Run (5K) for charity, and great food. There is no admission charge. Go to www.JasperArtFest.org for more information. 03/01/2012

The statistics for Jasper Georgia and Pickens county in our north Georgia mountains can be seen below. There are some interesting lines. . Jasper in the mountains is at or above the average for the State of Georgia. Pickens county , where Jasper is, is way above. The difference her is Big Canoe. Big Canoe is an upscale community in Pickens county and accounts for the big difference. Now you can see at the start of the year so far all the lines are close together. This means that if you are buying in North Georgia Big Canoe is a GREAT value. Contact us at All mountain Realty. We are your North Georgia Mountains experts. 02/15/2012

Folks looking to buy or sell in Big Canoe often have questions. In this series I will as a Realtor who works in Big Canoe as well as the North Georgia Mountains do my best to provide answers to the most asked questions.   Why are the association fees so high in Big Canoe ? The Association fees in Big Canoe are approximately 225. 00 per month. The main reasons for these fees are simple:  ROADS In a gated community in Georgia the community is responsible for the roads. In Big Canoe there are over 100 miles of mountain roads that need to be maintained. Drive any other mountain community and you will soon see why Big Canoe spends on Roads SECURITY and FIRE PROTECTION In Big Canoe there is 24/7 EMT service as well as security and fire protection. I fact you will save close to 500 a year on y... 02/06/2012

Jasper Georgia is a great place to live and work. There are many homes for sale.  However in the case below I think the tree house home of this lovely couple is not for sale. This photo was taken by wife Sally while moving through the Jasper area. In our North Georgia mountains we have so many wonderful natural sights and sounds. Some times if you just stop for a moment and look around you will be treated to some of our wonderful Natural sights. If you are looking for homes for sale in Jasper do not despair . Even though this one is taken the folks at All Mountain Realty are your Jasper home experts. 01/03/2012

In a Real Estate Transaction there is a buyer, a seller , a buyers agent, a sellers agent, and a Lender. now there does not have to be all these folks but more often than not they are all there. There are also "minor players" like the inspector. They are minor players but can kill a deal. So all the players march along on the trail to the closing. The agents keep the clients informed and make sure we are all in step with dates and times and things to be done. The clients nervous to the end rely, hopefully, on their agents and generally are in step with the process as they want it to happen. Then we get to the lender. The lender wants it to happen too but is very often not in step. The lender asks for tons of paper work, and then comes back and asks for more. The lender seems to miss the... 12/06/2011

2 days a go I posted a blog about our first snow in the mountains of Big Canoe. There were also pictures. Folks often ask about the mountains in winter. Today it is in the 60's and all the snow is gone. In fact the last couple of days have been great in the high 50's or low 60's with plenty of sunshine. This type of weather is why we love living in the North Georgia Mountains. Yes we get some snow in winter but all the seasons are great. You do not have those long Grey cold snow filled winters. Will we get more snow? Maybe. But you know we have come to enjoy it rather than dread it. The North Georgia mountains are a great place to live, work and raise a family. The folks at All Mountain Realty are here to help you learn to kick back and enjoy one of the great living place in our country 12/02/2011

These shots were taken outside of my home office in Big Canoe. It is amazing to think, for a kid from NYC, that you can be sitting working and see these types of things go by. The other day it was a Barn owl sitting in a mountain Laurel. Today it is these guys. Can anyone say Thanksgiving is coming ? It is a bit late now for bears. But the other day one ran across the road in front of me and was gone before i could get the Camera out and going. Enjoy the fall. Big Canoe is a special place in the beautiful North Georgia Mountains 11/04/2011

The Mountain Real Estate Report is heard through out North Georgia and on line. This weeks show focus is twofold. 1 Linda and I talk about the current situation in greece and the impact ,both positive and negative it is having on our Real Estate Market. The second part of the show is about the North Georgia Mountains. We live in a great area and could use a few more good neighbors. I hope you enjoy the show. the link is at the bottom of the blog . You can listen to this show or previous shows if you like the topics. Enjoy 10/06/2011

The Marble festival was this past weekend in our North Georgia Mountains. The weather could not have been better. Well maybe it could have been a couple of degrees warmer. It was fun for all . Folks who live here and folks who visit had a geat time. There were rides for the young at heart and great fun for the kids. There were tons of exhibits and food vendors. The set up was in Newton Park. So right after the morning parade folks went to see all that there was to see. And of course there were culinary delicacies   Hey it is not a festival or any public event in Georgia without boiled peanuts !!!!! So what did I buy at the festival ?   I bought this great square of unique Georgia pink and white Marble. In keeping with culinary delicacies I now have my marble pasta board. After all you c... 10/03/2011

The 31st Georgia Marble festival will be held in Jasper Georgia on Oct 1 and 2. Jasper is known as the Marble Capital of Georgia and also as the First Mountain City. This is because today Marble is still mined here. Georgia Marble can be found all over the world and if you have marble in your home chances are it came from Jasper.  Jasper is also at the base of the Appalachian mountains When you walk "the trail" you usually start here in March. So come and enjoy our beautiful North Georgia Mountains and have fun at this great festival. There are 2 days full of events , dances in the evening, as well as entertainment and plenty to eat  during the day. So come by either day. admission is 5 dollars parking is free. It is a great family outing event and give you a chance to see our North Geo... 09/24/2011

This week the Mountain Real Estate Radio show is dedicated to first time buyers. It is not just about looking for a home. Nor is it just about getting financing. First time buyers need to consider many things in order to be happy, successful first time buyers. Linda Carrig and I put together the Mountain Real Estate report each week. It is not only about the North Georgia Mountains. As is the case for this show it is about Real Estate in general. Hope you enjoy the show and if you have an ideas for topic going forward we love to hear them The button to listen is below 09/23/2011

We are doing a bathroom renovation. It is more than just cosmetic stuff. Now on HGTV you see they get in done in 2 days. In our case, as well as most cases it take 2-3 weeks. So it is not as easy or as fast as it is on TV. The same goes for buying or selling a home. The stager comes in and wham 100 buyers come to the open house and in a day they have a contract. A buyer makes an offer and it is smooth sailing as they buy their dream home. Well it is not that easy in real life. So for our bathroom renovation we are using professionals. If you are buying or selling a home the professionals are the Realtors. You should use them too. 09/21/2011

The Mountain Real Estate Report has been absent for a while. However we are bringing it back here and on our web site www.allmountainrealty.com and at some point next week we will be featured on northgeorgiamountainsnews.com The purpose of the report is to assist folks who are buying selling or investing in our North Georgia Mountains. We also have guest speakers talking about topics which may be of interest to all across the board. For example we have had guests from the Federal Reserve, County Planners, inspectors, even a U.S. Senator. So as we restart the report we hope you all enjoy. Here is the link   09/19/2011

Last week I took my son down to the Navy recruiting office where i left him. He was shipped out to Great Lakes for basic. I am proud of him and miss him all at the same time. I am his Italian father. so I say to my wife , I wonder what Joe is doing now? She says thinks like, Oh he is having a leisurely lunch. or depending on the time of day she will say they are probably having diner and a movie. Now I know she is making fun of me. Hey isn't that part of a spouses job?  So have a good thought for son Joe who is serving us . Thanks to all 09/05/2011

What's in a name ? EVERYTHING! We work in the mountains in Big Canoe and surrounding mountain communities. The buyers all want the same thing. They want a foreclosure. They want a short sale. Use those names and your listings will get activity. Do you remember at the start of the housing crisis buyers wanted a DEAL?  Now they no longer use the word deal. They have substituted the words short sale or foreclosure for deal. We at All Mountain Realty work with folks to find value and good deals. We really do not care about the circumstances of the listing. We only care about the value. We as Realtors have to work hard to educate our buyers when it comes to value. Do we sell short sales and foreclosures? Yes. But they are presented to our buyers as part of a package that is made up of homes ... 08/17/2011

I am working a deal now in a town home complex. The listing agent is great. I have the buyer. So I got all his information and just because I am me I went to the town home  association to verify. Well the monthly fees were higher than they were listed on the property in MLS. Also there is an initiation fee.  Money issues are NOT things you want to find out about at the closing table. Or worse close with the wrong information and be potentially libel after wards. So ALWAYS verify. Here are a couple of tips. If you are dealing with anybody, this includes municipalities get the information in writing . If the information is not available in writing then get the name and number of the person giving you the information. Forward that information to your buyer or seller. Tell your client IN WR... 08/14/2011

 Big Canoe Bent Tree and Talking Rock Creek Resorts are just 3 of our great North Georgia Mountain Communities. The North Georgia Mountains remain an economic, undiscovered gem of a place to live. This is an untouched photo. Did you see last of the Mohicans ? This scene about 1 hour from the Northern end of Greater Atlanta could have been the one they used at the start of the film. Maybe you are tired of cramped living and communities with homes one on top of another. Well this is Lake Petit in The mist in the gated community of Big Canoe.  This is a gated community  North Georgia Mountain style. Maybe you are more of a Brigadoon person. Here is one of our beautiful green valleys. This landscape is certainly horse friendly. Yes we do have snow in our mountains. But this beautiful event ... 08/05/2011

Live in Jasper Georgia and want to know , What is my home worth ? Get a no cost opinion of value at www.valuehomesource.com.  Why ?  Did you know that the number one reason for a home not selling is price? Values change frequently. So upon receipt of your request we will prepare you report and reply within 48 hours.  Be informed. Get a professional opinion of value. You will be glad that you did. 07/28/2011

Today I treated my self to a haircut, no a hair experience at the Old Fashioned Barber Shop in Jasper. This is post number 2 about this great Barber shop. If you saw the classic movie Barber Shop, or the female version with Queen Latifah then when I tell you the Old fashion Barber shop is that experience mountain style you will know what I mean. The Barbers are great. The coffee is good and the atmosphere is friendly and very inviting. The shop itself is centrally located In Jasper on Church street There is plenty of parking. Based on the popularity of the shop you will need it. The sign below gives the details. So if you are in Jasper, or heck, if you are in Jasper, or Ball Ground, or Marble Hill, or Ellijay, or even Canton get your next hair cut at the Old fashioned Barber shop . You ... 07/26/2011

I got a call today which reminded me of something I blogged about a while ago and it needs review. A very nice lady and I talked today and she asked about a property , "Is it a short Sale?" Now that is the wrong question. It could be right if you are in a hurry to buy. This was not the case. Buyers are watching HGTV and listening to the news. They want to know if the property is a short sale,  or a foreclosure, or a corporate transfer. What they should want to know and ask their Realtor is IS THIS A GOOD VALUE ?  With the utmost respect let me say to the buyers reading this post, I watch Grey's Anatomy on TV. Take my word for it , you would not want me to do brain surgery on you. Work with your Realtor he or she is the professional. Find a good value. That's the name of the game. Gettin... 07/05/2011