The New York Times recently ran an article in its "Your Second Home" section extolling the virtues of hot tubs. Funny, this particular article should have appeared now, as hot tubs have loomed large in my life over the past two weeks. I recently had lunch with two friends who shared their New Year's Eve exploits with me. Basically, they spent the evening in a hot tub with several other folks, some of whom were complete strangers to them at the start of the night. Copious drinking ensued, and my two normally sensible friends (one of them sensible almost to a fault) then engaged in behavior so shocking, I daresay that it would have made Bret Michaels blush (that's probably impossible to do, but it sure made me blush!).  This is not the first time I have heard shocking hot tub tales. Not b... 02/02/2009

Several months ago, I noticed someone opened a little bookstore in a tiny, white building down the street from where I live. Because it is located in a remote section of town, you wouldn't necessarily come across it, but I pass it daily, on my way to and from town. I don't know what took me so long to check it out, but last week I finally pulled in to the two empty grassy spaces under some Oak trees designated as the parking lot. This building was once a small, white, one room church set back from the main road in a grove of trees. Now it's Higdon's Bookstore, an intimate used bookstore that offers discount and used books for a fraction of their original cost. I'll admit, this store set back on a quiet road on the outskirts of town didn't strike me as all that promising an enterprise, b... 02/01/2009

Love 'em or hate 'em, it was hard to miss the "Boy Band" chapter in pop music that began in the late '90's.  Bands like *NSync and The Backstreet Boys dominated the music charts -- and the daydreams -- of countless 'tweens.'   One inescapable tune was *NSync's "Bye Bye Bye," so catchy was it that even a fast-approaching middle-age gal like me couldn't help but belt out it's infectious refrain (in the privacy of my own car when I was sure no one was looking, of course.) Fast forward nine years, and as I do an analysis of Fannin County real estate for 2008l, I find the tune echoing in my head yet again, only this time with a twist: "Buy Buy Buy!"The year showed an overall 18% decline in home prices over 2007's sales. Foreclosures are on the rise and home sellers are finally realizing that... 01/28/2009

  If you are in the Blue Ridge, GA area, make sure to visit the Blue Ridge Community Theatre located at 11 Mountain Street Blue Ridge, GA 30513. For more information, please call 706-632-9223 or visit www.BlueRidgeCommunityTheatre.com They put on great shows in one of the most beautiful areas of the North Georgia Mountains. 01/28/2009

The past week has been crazy being an agent.  I have gone from having a couple of people to e-mail to the phone ringing off and showing property like crazy.  That is an awesome thing to be doing since having been a #1 realtor and even "Rookie of the Year"  when I first started I am accustomed to being very busy.  My team consist of the "Aska Adventure Team".  The "Aska Adventure Team" is Vincent Davis, Linda Gail Lance, and myself.  We have all three been so busy we have some days had 2-3 customers a day.  I think that investors are realizing that the bottom is here on prices and now is the time to buy.  What better time to get an investment property, second home, or for some its the first time they have ever considered home ownership.  Now is perfect no matter what the situation is.  I... 01/11/2009

2008 -- What a year!! If years were fictional characters, 2008 would surely be the Grinch. Just like the Grinch, it slunk from home to home taking from everyone, the rich and the poor alike. No household was left untouched, in one way or another. "Then he slithered and slunk, with a smile most unpleasant, Around the whole room, and he took every present! Pop guns! And bicycles! Roller skates! Drums! Checkerboards! Tricycles! Popcorn! And plums! And he stuffed them in bags. Then the Grinch, very nimbly, Stuffed all the bags, one by one, up the chimney!   Then he slunk to the icebox. He took the Whos' feast! He took the Who-pudding! He took the roast beast! He cleaned out that icebox as quick as a flash. Why, that Grinch even took their last can of Who-hash! Then he stuffed all the food u... 12/10/2008

An article in today's New York Times -- "Toasting the End of an Error" -- talks about the end of Prohibition which took place just about 75-years ago when FDR ratified the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, which did away with the 18th Amendment's ban on alcohol consumption.The article points out that there are still "dry counties" in the United States -- places where the sale of alcohol remains prohibited.  Fannin County, home to Blue Ridge, is one of those communities.  You can buy beer and wine in Fannin County -- heck, the drive-thru Beer Barn boasts "the coldest beer in town" -- but it cannot be served 'by the drink.' And, most restaurants will allow you to bring your own wine and beer with you...and, let's face it, that actually makes it a less expensive meal. The clamor to allow... 12/08/2008

From November 23, 2008 Holiday Art Show and Sale To December 19, 2008 Blue Ridge Art Association December 05, 2008 Light Up The Basin Downtown Copperhill / McCaysville From December 05, 2008 Christmas Village and Photo's with Santa Clause To December 06, 2008 Downtown McCaysville December 06, 2008 Copper Basin Christmas Parade Downtown McCaysville and Copperhill December 06, 2008 Murder Mystery Train Ride Rotary Club presents "Christmas Mystery in the Mountains" December 06, 2008 Breakfast with Santa Appalachian Community Bank, Community Room From December 07, 2008 Festival of Trees To December 28, 2008 Ocoee Whitewater Center December 07, 2008 Santa Train Blue Ridge Scenic Railroad December 09, 2008 Blue Mountain Jam at Kiwanis Fairgrounds Kiwanis Fairgrounds From December 12, 2008 Ch... 12/05/2008

Housing prices in Blue Ridge and surrounding communities continue their steady march downward. An analysis of year-to-date sales for 2008 shows that the median price for residential properties has dropped 17% over the same time period in 2007, while the total volume sold dropped nearly 35%. There are currently 605 cabins on the market in Fannin County and many of these are a-MAZING deals! Cabins with amenities like jaw-dropping panoramic mountain views, river or creek frontage, luxe interiors, hot tubs and outdoor fireplaces are available at prices $100,000 to $200,000 less than comparable properties sold for just two years ago.  Cabin prices are not the only things that are declining -- interest rates are creeping downwards, as well. Credit-worthy buyers will find that it is still rela... 12/03/2008

The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?                                                                        ---J. B. Priestley Snow is the perfect guest in Blue Ridge: because it comes only a few times a year, you are always delighted to see it, and it doesn't overstay its welcome.Our first snow came earlier than normal this year, lending a magical air to the beautiful downtown Christmas finery that bedecks Blue Ridge. 12/02/2008

It is cold in the North Georgia mountains tonight. A slender crescent moon is making its journey across the night sky with countless twinkling stars as companions. My husband and I spent the evening in front of a crackling fire. Our three dogs sprawled in front of the hearth, luxuriating in the warmth every bit as much as we did. We keep a fire lit most nights once cold weather sets in. We don't use the fireplace to heat the house, but simply because we both find a crackling fire so peaceful and beautiful.   According to a recent article in The New York Times -- Warm, Cozy & Cleaner -- heating a home with a wood-burning stove or fireplace insert can save you a bundle on home heating costs. Heating second homes here in the North Georgia mountains with a wood-burning stove or insert tends... 11/18/2008

Christmas comes early in Blue Ridge -- November 29th to be exact. That is the date of the annual "Light Up Blue Ridge" festival, a day that local children look forward to with almost the same eager anticipation as they wait for Christmas morning itself.  On November 29th, beautiful downtown Blue Ridge will be abustle with carolers, horse-drawn carriages, stores bursting with wonderful items to make your holiday shopping a breeze. The most important visitors to downtown that day will be the children eagerly waiting for Santa Claus, who, along with Mrs. Claus, will ride into town on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. Once Santa arrives, the children -- and the children at heart -- will know that the Christmas Season has truly come to Blue Ridge. Santa and Mrs. Claus will spend the afternoon a... 11/17/2008

The United States Adventure Racing Association will hold its 2008 Golite Natural Adventure Racing Championships in Blue Ridge, GA, according to race organizers.The Fannin County Chamber of Commerce and the Blue Ridge Mountain Adventure Race LLC will host the 2008 national championship race on November 6, 7 and 8. According to Chamber of Commerce president, Jan Hackett, BRMAR race managers, Chamber leaders and local officials are looking forward to welcoming teams from across the country to the North Georgia mountains, beginning with registration on November 6, the 24-hour race November 7, and awards banquet on the 8th.Currently there are 65 teams registered from across the country, including Georgia, Arkansas, Texas, Missouri, Indiana, Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Mi... 10/02/2008

Conventional wisdom held that opening a shop outside of the heart of downtown Blue Ridge’s shopping district was retail suicide. Conventional wisdom never met Michael Brunson and Jack Morton. Not ones to shy away from a challenge, Michael and Jack knew the world—or at least Blue Ridge shoppers—would beat a path to their door if they opened an elegant shop full of marvelous items unlike any others offered in town. Thus Wrapsody in Blue was born three-and-a-half years ago. Michael and Jack first came to Blue Ridge five years ago to help their good friends—Atlanta’s 11Alive news anchor, Jill Becker, and her husband—decorate their newly purchased cabin in Blue Ridge. Like so many before them, they fell in love with the beautiful mountain town. Michael had been working for years at the Atlan... 09/14/2008

We all have our tales to tell of "the one that got away." The fish--or the deal--that was within our grasp and we let it slip away. The current real estate market in Blue Ridge is going to generate a lot of "the one that got away" tales of woe. NOW is the time to buy. Wait at your peril! Using a year-to-date comparison, the median price of homes fell 17% compared to the same time period in 2007. (I am using median price, because a few high end sales tend to skew the average price.) However, if you compare August of 2007 with August of 2008, the median price differential is less than one percent. What this tells me is that prices are continuing the stabilizing trend of the past few months. NOW is the time to get some incredible deals on incredible properties.Don't let this time of great ... 09/09/2008

  From August 29, 2008 Our Town To September 21, 2008 Blue Ridge Community Theater   September 01, 2008 Labor Day BBQ     Downtown Blue Ridge City Park   September 02, 2008 Blue Mountain Jam at Kiwanis Fairgrounds     Kiwanis Fairgrounds   September 06, 2008 Farmers Market / Mountain Fresh Market     Downtown Historic Blue Ridge in front of Courthouse   September 09, 2008 Blue Mountain Jam at Kiwanis Fairgrounds     Kiwanis Fairgrounds   September 13, 2008 Farmers Market / Mountain Fresh Market     Downtown Historic Blue Ridge in front of Courthouse   September 13, 2008 Mountain Music Festival     Vogel State Park   September 13, 2008 Poker Run for Open Arms     Blue Ridge Kiwanis Fairgrounds   From September 14, 2008 Oktoberfest To November 02, 2008 Helen, GA   September 16, 2008 Blue ... 08/31/2008

Walking into Multitudes Gallery feels like you are stepping into the middle of a living kaleidoscope. Colors swirl and bend as your eyes make their way around this magical gallery. Hand-blown glass artwork covers every surface, including pieces dangling from the ceiling. Multitude's owner, David Alfrey, opened the gallery six years ago in the corner space of the then newly-renovated Hampton Square, a building that had for years housed the local roller skating rink. Multitudes has vast expanses of windows that make up three of the four sides of the space, providing the perfect light-filled backdrop for the dazzling glass pieces in the gallery. David had worked for years in a glass gallery in Atlanta, so he was familiar with the top artists in the field and so was able to bring their work... 08/29/2008

The sounds of bluegrass music and laughing children float in the air along with the delicious aromas of roasting spareribs and chicken, and like a pied piper, they draw visitors from near and far to the annual Labor Day Bar-B-Q in beautiful downtown Blue Ridge. Proceeds from the beloved annual event benefit the Good Samaritans of Fannin County, an inter-denominational group made up of members of many churches in Blue Ridge--Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Disciples of Christ, Episcopal, and Charismatic--whose mission is to assist those in financial, physical or mental need in the community. The event is kicked off on Sunday evening with a community worship service, beginning at 6 p.m. in the park, followed by an old-fashioned ice cream social. On Monday, delicious... 08/27/2008

SSSHINEY BAUBLES is a new addition to the shopping landscape in Blue Ridge. And what a sparkly, fun addition it is! Located at 701 East Main Street, SSSHINEY BAUBLES brings to mind a small Beverly Hills boutique--the space may be tiny, but there's such a riot of dazzling jewelry, clothing and handbags everywhere you look, that the opportunity for great shopping is HUGE!    The shop is the ‘baby' of Susan Dunahoo, a tall elegant blond who's beauty makes it easy to see why she was once a model for St. John Knits and an international flight attendant for United Airlines for 24 years. Susan and her husband-who call Atlanta home-bought a home in Blue Ridge three years ago. Since then, Susan-like so many of us who start out here part-time--has been trying to figure out a way to make Blue Ridg... 08/23/2008

When Sweet Star opened its doors last summer, shopping in beautiful downtown Blue Ridge became a much more stylish and sophisticated affair. The first floor of the boutique's delightful two-story space on West Main Street is filled with a mix of separates--tops, skirts, pants, dresses, sweaters and t-shirts-as well as a Beauty Apothecary, handbags, jewelry and Blue Ridge's only Spanx collection. The second floor is the Sale Loft, chock full of great deals.     Sweet Star owner Nichole Potzauf was born and raised in Miami, then spent several years in Los Angeles where she was a production manager for the Style Network. Her in-laws bought a house in Blue Ridge, and after visiting several times Nichole and her husband--tired of the L.A. rat race--decided to shift gears and relocated to Blu... 08/19/2008