Charlie Ragonesi Big Canoe Realestate's Blog

We are starting to see the return of second home and retirement buyers to the North Georgia mountains. As folks are more able to sell their existing homes, they become able to buy here. We also see younger families leaving the big cities for a more traditional way of life. If you are in Atlanta or Philadelphia or Minnesota or where ever and are looking for natural surroundings in a good climate consider the North Georgia Mountains. We are affordable, amenity rich, and just a great place to be. Take  it from a NYC transplant !

Fall is a time of tons of things to do in our North Georgia Mountains. Why ? The weather gets cooler. . The evenings are wonderful. And the leaves are changing . There will be at least 20 Oktoberfests going on. The biggest in Helen. There are ART shows. Train rides and the Ellijay Apple festival just to name a few. So if you are looking for something to do in the fall. Look at North Georgia festivals and come on up. I will be posting a Calender of events in the near future.

Once you get here and fall in love call the folks at All Mountain Realty or visit us on line at www.allmountainrealty.com. We will help you make your mountain owning dreams come true

 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 was here and gone in 3 days. So we appreciated the beauty without the long cold snow days of areas further North.

You will want to start your days early . This photo is sunrise. So if you are looking for a mountain getaway. A place where you can do if you want or just relax, consider the North Georgia mountains. When you do the pros at All Mountain Realty, at www.allmountainrealty.com will be here to help you.

I am in Pickens County Georgia which was hard hit by storms a week ago. We did have some injuries and a fatality. A listing I was looking at had a new comment. Do not show home wiped out by tornado.

Now as i look around I see the trees in bloom and mother nature doing her thing to repair the damage with a bandage of green. The North Georgia festivals have started and it is a beautiful time to be in our great mountains. Visit us at www.allmountainrealty.com for some videos as well as some great buys. Better yet visit us in person.

It is close to Super Bowl Sunday so one might expect a post titled Half Backs to be about the  relative strengths of the running games of the teams playing. But  this is abouta different type of Half Back

Given all the snow and miserable weather in the North and Mid West folks thoughts turn to warmer places. Many folks make the move to Florida. Some buy a second home and some move there full time. This post is about the full timers.

It gets hotin Florida. The summers can betough and the hurricane season is a worry. What typically happens is a group of folks decide maybe they should not live there. They KNOW they do not want to go back to wher they left. So they start looking in the mountains of North Carolina. They move half way back hence the term Half Backs.

So while I love Florida and if I could would have a house there and here, like many I cannot afford that. What people miss out on in their search is the North Georgia Mountains. Many experience Georgia only on flat driving on I 95. Or they may have changed planes in Atlanta. This is sad because the North Georgia mountains offer many advantages for great living.

Genereally speaking real estate is very affordable here. In terms of weather while mountain areas North of us are getting snow for us it is a rain event. Summers can be hot but not stifling. I run my A/C and average of 2 weeks total a year.

So if you are going to be a half back consider the North georgia Mountains. I have worked with so many folks who have said, I am so glad we looked here before we bought in XXXXX. Let the folks at All Mountain Realty show you the beauty and value of mountain living 

The snow is basically gone and we are expecting temperatures in the 60's this week. So if you are thinking about looking for a home or land in our great North Georgia Mountains today, the weather, availability,prices, and interest rates all work in your favor. Shake off the cabin fever and call the folks at All Mountain Realty. There has never been a better time to own in our beautiful mountains

Jeff Foxworthy does a wonder routine called you might be a Redneck if.... It is almost a part of our everyday American -Speak.

I was just on line working on ordering a service and I suddenly realized how much I hate certain types of technology. I am calling it  over tech. An example of over tech is; I was in a store and could not buy bologna because the computers that price were being updated.  I do not want my refrigerator telling me not to eat something. That is what a wife is for. So for those of you who feel overwhelmed at times by technology, here are some key signs that you are in trouble;

You Might be a Luddite if,

1 It takes you 5 minutes to text, How are you, and still do not know how to find the question mark

2 You think Plaxo is an ancient Greek Philosopher

3 Your cell phone ring is the old rotary dial ring, and you LIKE it that way

4 Your speed dial is a small spiral notebook in your shirt pocket.

5 You know what a spiral notebook is.

6 You were blogging for a year before you knew what the word blog means.

7 You still do not know what the word blog means.

8 You refer to a computer screen as a CRT or a VDU

9 You thought you could take medication for Tweeting

And finally,

You could be a Luddite if  you will spend 20 minutes finding a number to call on a screen for help rather than press the on line chat

Feel free to add

Today in the North Georgia mountains it is sunny and i the 50's. Over New Years it was n the 60's. Now you may remember me posting snow pictures only a week before.  That is what makes winter in the Mountains so good. You do not get the oppressive long cold snowing dark winter weeks.

As for our market, there are some good signs of things getting better. If you are looking to buy in a great place with good schools and a great quality of life now is a good time to do so. We still have programs with 100 percent financing . So contact us at All Mountain Realty to learn about our great location.

Right now in the North GGeorgia Mountains we are in a period I call the in between time. The leaves are off the trees. The weather is not hot any more. But nor is it cold. When it gets gray it rains. It is too early for snow. Some nights are good for fires in a fireplace or a stove but not a lot. We are kind of waiting for winter.

But on the other hand it is in the 60's most of the time during the day. The bugs are gone. The leaves being off the trees mean that if you are shopping for land now is a great time to be here, because you can really see the lay of the land. So summer and fall are pretty much over, and winter has not yet arrived. Still the weather is great for hiking and traveling . At night put on the sweater and sit outside and watch the stars. North Georgia is a great place to live even in the in between time

Today and tomorrow and maybe through Sunday we will have our first really cold weather here in Big Canoe, Bent Tree and the North Georgia Mountains. Temperatures will be below freezing for most of s over night with day time highs in the 50's. So what does this mean?

We have had some rain and even as high up as I am some snow flurries. driving can be tough if the roads do not dry out. In our twisty turny, up, and down, terrain wet roads with leaves can be treacherous . Wet roads with leaves covered with some frozen spots can be really a hazard. So be careful driving.

If you are thinking about having  that first warm and toasty fire. Ask yourself, "When was the last time I had my chimney cleaned?" Pleas remember fire safety. And if you are like us you probably have some decorations around the fireplace or the wood burning stove that have been around since the warm weather. You may want to consider moving them . Cold weather is great here in our mountains but please take the necessary precautions to enjoy it safely.