Fannin Tobacco and Candy CompanyVisitors strolling down the charming main street of downtown Blue Ridge will encounter a red brick building that would have been far more at home in the 1930's or 1940's. Most of the buildings in downtown Blue Ridge are equally as old and equally as quaint.  What makes this particular building so unique are the Red Man tobacco murals plastered on either side of the building and the King Edward Cigar sign just under the name of the company that still operates a business here: Fannin Tob. & Candy Co.The building, and the business itself, seem to have stepped out of a dog-eared sepia-toned photograph, the kind you would have found stuffed in an old trunk up in Granny Black Stock's attic. A sign on the front door reads "This is not an antique shop. It is a wh... 03/09/2008

It has been a while since we have heard from one of my associates, Byron Wyndham. This is not at all his fault, I have to take most, if not all of the blame. He actually sent me the article for this post several weeks ago. Byron is a Real Estate attorney here in Blue Ridge, Georgia. Should you have any legal questions pertaining to North Georgia Real Estate, you should give the good folks at J. Byron Wyndham & Associates a call. Their number is 706.258.6222. I've been trying to point out how buying property in the  North Georgia Mountains can be different that just purchasing in a metropolitan area, especially in the Blue Ridge, Ellijay, and Blairsville markets. There was a previous discussion of water and the issues that are involved in getting water to your property.  I would now like... 03/07/2008

Keller Williams Realty International came out with a great article this week concerning Buyers, and why most are just not willing to pull the trigger on buying a home in today's market. I know that activity has made a positve move over the past several weeks. Emails are coming in and the phones are beginning to ring again. Boy....is it a good thing to hear those phones ringing again! This is great information that I wanted to get out to North Georgia Mountain Real Estate Buyer's and Investors. Whether you are looking to buy in Blue Ridge, Blairsville or Ellijay, I hope that you find this information very useful.It's time to get potential home-owners to go ahead and buy in this so-called "buyer's market" While today's market plays to their advantage, buyers, who should be swooping in to ... 03/04/2008

Gilmer County had a substantial difference of volume over Fannin and Union Counties mostly due in part to a large parcel of land that sold for $2.2 Million. Read the rest of this entry » 03/04/2008

Lake Blue RidgeThe crystal clear aquamarine waters of Lake Blue Ridge make it one of Georgia's most picturesque mountain lakes. The 3,290-acre lake and surrounding area boast over 90 national forest campsites, several boat ramps, a full-service marina and public swimming and picnic areas. 80 percent of the shoreline on Lake Blue Ridge is in the Chattahoochee National Forest, managed by the USDA Forest Service.Morganton Point Campground, in Morganton, features a public swimming area, along with 43 campsites, picnic tables and pavilion and a boat ramp. Another boat ramp is available at Lakewood Landing near Morganton. The Lake Blue Ridge Marina offers boat ramp access on a fee basis, along with pontoon rentals. The lake is home to bass, bream, catfish, perch and crappie, which make the ar... 03/04/2008

 Add Adventure Trail Rides To:  Del.icio.us  Digg  Google  Spurl  Blink  Furl  Simpy  Y! MyWeb    Adventure Trail RidesAbout North Georgia by Randy Goldenexclusively for About North Georgia Synopsis -- Deep in the heart of Fannin County, Georgia, north of Blue Ridge, a new challenge -- horseback riding with Adventure Trail Rides. Following a combination of old logging roads and backcountry paths, Pam and Randy Golden circle beautiful Cashes Valley on a cool autumn day. Kids love horse ridesRachel CallihanAlong the trailRunning through the field Granny Callihan would be pleased if she could see Rachel Callihan today. Part businesswoman, part guide, and a horse lover through and through, Rachel is carving a niche for herself in the mountains of north Georgia just as Granny did more than ... 02/29/2008

We all know someone who is having trouble keeping up with their mortgage, it might even be you. We need to let them know that there is help. I was reading an article in National Association of Realtors monthly publication titled Help Troubled Borrowers. If you have talked with these people, then they have probably mentioned that there are a lot of people out there that are calling and offering help. Please advise these folks to call 1.888.995.4673, (1.888.995.HOPE).President George W. Bush announced sometime in the middle of December that he was going to help people in these defaulting sub-prime mortgages. Here is what you need to know to help anyone you know that is having trouble with paying their mortgages on time, or has experienced a rate increase that has made it near impossible f... 02/25/2008

I would like to introduce a very good friend of mine that I have known for quiet some time. Tracie Griffith, is a loan officer and branch manager of All Source Mortgage here in Blue Ridge, Ga. Tracie provides excellent customer service and she knows and values the the lending business. Tracie has taken such good care of my clients, and I too value her business and I am proud to have her as part of such an awesome team of professionals that provide first class services and products to my clients.I have asked Tracie to provide some weekly tips that I hope you will find very helpful in your search not only your next North Georgia Mountain Home or Cabin, but any and all of your lending needs.Here are the Interest Rates and Programs that are available to you for as of Friday February 22, 200... 02/23/2008

Knocking conventional wisdom on its ear, home prices in the North Georgia mountain real estate market during 2007--with the exception of Gilmer County--continue a trend upward, albeit not at the rate we saw in 2004 and 2005.   I did a year-to-year comparison of residential sales in 2006 and 2007.  The results were interesting, to say the least.  Despite an overall decline of nearly 28% in number of units sold--and an absorption rate averaging 21 months--prices held steady and, remarkably, in Fannin County prices leaped by 14% in 2007!I analyzed sales data for the North Georgia market overall (Gilmer, Fannin, Union and Towns counties combined), as well as each county individually.  In addition to number of sales, average price, and most expensive listing, I tried to put the numbers in pe... 02/12/2008

It is so hard for me to believe that another month has come and gone. I guess all that stuff I used to hear from my Mom about how time really flies by as you get older really is true. I want to say it is because I am always having fun!With another month here, it is time for my monthly North Georgia Real Estate Market Report. I gather all of this information that is made available to me through our Northeast Georgia Board of Realtors MLS services. This information is compiled on the first day of each month from the data of the previous month. This information is deemed reliable, however it is not guaranteed.Please be sure to look over the report, I think you will find it very informative. If however you find that I have left out any information, or you would like to make a suggestion, pl... 02/03/2008

This is how she looked in January, 2006 on her 111th birthday. This broken down old building was in it's glory in 1985.  Originally the headquarters of the L & N Train Lines, this building was the focal point for the resort/spa town of Blue Ridge Georgia.  Individuals travelled to this mountain getaway to enjoy the restorative powers of the crystal clear mountain water. Original paintings depict children playing in the streets, horse-drawn buggies, and women in long gowns strolling down the dirt roads of this charming historic town.  A team of historic preservation specialists went to work on bringing this building back to it's former glory.  Today she is the home of the Coldwell Banker High Country Team.  Rarely does a week go buy without a visitor or two who remember bits and pieces o... 02/01/2008

The Fed dropped the Federal funds rate today by 3/4 of a percent, from 4.25% to 3.5%. That's a huge drop.  And there may be further/smaller drops to come.I know it will take a couple of weeks for the mortgage industry to see the interest rate reductions, but I'm sure hoping that this will "nudge" those people that are sitting out there waiting for the "best" deal on the market.  With prices and interest rates adjusting downward, I'm hoping they will get on the phone and get serious. Kristy Petrillohttp://georgiamountains.com 01/22/2008

I thought since everyone seems to love our wonderful little town located in the N. Georgia Mountains, that I would share a little history. We have seen alot of changes, but one thing still stands-"friendly, caring folks"!   Blue Ridge, Georgia, so named because of the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Appalachian Range, was incorporated by an act of the Georgia Legislature on October 24, 1887. The founding father was Colonel Michael McKinney.  He built the first house in the town and established the first business after the incorporation.  He dealt in lumber, real estate, and merchandise. Colonel McKinney was a moving force in getting the railroad to Blue Ridge.  His partner, C.R. Walton, a civil engineer, was superintendent of construction for the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad. He surv... 01/19/2008

After seeing the slowest months in my real estate career for the months of November and December, things have really started moving since January 1st. In Fannin County 24 Properties have gone under contract and in Gilmer County 21, more than doubling from the month before. This may be due to some really great deals out there on property. Has anyone else noticed the increase in activity? Kristy Petrillohttp://www.georgiamountains.com  01/19/2008

The number of ACTIVE listings in the North Georgia Mountain Real Estate Market have actually seen a slight decrease in number over what the market saw in November. This is due to a small increase in the number of SOLD properties in December over the previous month. Also, there have been a lot of folks that have chose to pull their properties off of the market until we see a shift back to a Sellers Market. Read the rest of this entry » 01/16/2008

The Blue Ridge City Council has voted to proceed with their plan to annex part of Hwy. 515 from south of the Blue Ridge city limits to the Gilmer county line and from the east of the city to the Lakewood (intersection of Hwy. 515 and Hwy. 60).The Georgia General Assembly must approve this change.  Blue Ridge city council may have waited too late to start this again since the Georgia legislature will soon convene.  The city council would like to hold a town hall meeting and hear what the public has to say on the matter.  One council member who cast the only vote against the proposal said the council should study the matter further.  It seems there has been plenty of time to hear from the public and for council members to meet to discuss since nine months has passed since the last time th... 01/15/2008

Have you ever wondered just exactly what an appraisal is, or what components make up an appraisal? This weeks phone calls have consisted mostly of folks wanting a Realtors advice of what to do when they receive a disappointing appraisal.What some home owners or buyer's sometimes don't understand is that there are many guidelines that Appraisers must follow that are set forth by companies like FannieMae and governmental organizations like the Georgia Real Estate Commission. I have asked a business associate and good friend of mine Jason Farmer who owns Mountain Gateway Appraisal to prepare for me some of those guidelines to share with my readers that are common concerns of those involved in a real estate transaction here in the North Georgia Mountain Real Estate market for a future post.... 12/13/2007

Is was like a big ol' smack on the cheek to be MeMe'd by my friend and Blogging Coach Justin Smith. (Read #5..you will understand!)What? You don't know what a MeMe is? That's okay...I didn't either. So if you would like to know, you can go here!Here is 5 things you may not know about me:I have a Beautiful Wife of almost 15 years Kristi, who was actually engaged when we were on our first (un)official date. I have 2 amazing children, Madison (10) and Bryson (6) with one (unplanned) baby girl on the way. (No name yet..thought we were done!) I was 36 before I went to my first College Football Game. (Go DAWGS!) I was named Rotarian of the Year in 2004! One of the first girls that ever kissed me was a girl by the name of Meme! I have tagged a few fellow Tomato's in the spirit of keeping the M... 12/08/2007

Aptly named, Mountain High offers residents breathtaking views of Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. This gated community also boasts underground utilities, community water and wide paved streets that lead to unparalleled mountain living. Centrally located from quaint downtown Blue Ridge Georgia, and historic Murphy North Carolina, Mountain High is but a short drive to Ocoee Rafting and beautiful Lake Blue Ridge. This casually elegant and meticulously designed log home community is situated on the highest developed points of Fannin county. Here in all too rare pristine setting with nearly half of the county being United States Forestry Service. Hiking trails meander throughout this family friendly, incredibly mountain landscaped community. 12/01/2007

     Saturday, November 24 was "Light Up Blue Ridge" which officially kicked off the Christmas season for our town. This annual event started a few years ago and is becoming a mountain tradition, drawing more and more visitors each year to the North Georgia Blue Ridge Mountains. This year's celebration drew more than 7000 visitors! It was a beautiful sunny day but on the cold side. I was so thankful to get to enjoy this event with my family for the first time this year. My grandchildren had a blast and to see their faces when they saw Santa and Mrs. Claus ride into town on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railroad gave me a thrill I will never forget. Then Santa and Mrs. Claus and his reindeer trotted around town for everyone to see. He spent all the time needed to be sure to see each and every c... 11/29/2007