Charlie Ragonesi Big Canoe Realestate's Blog: Georgia: Jasper: Bethany Moorings

Community buying

I work with a lot of buyers here in the mountains. The following advice is for those looking to buy in communities.

Community living is great. Whether you have a lot of amenities or few amenities community living offers a lot. Some communities are gated others are not. So the first thing to know is generally in gated communities you pay for the roads. If the monthly dues are zero or very low and you are in a gated community then down the road,no pun intended, you could be faced with a nasty assessment surprise.

The second thing to look at is why live in a community at all? After all you are moving to the mountains to "get away from it all". While that idea is appealing unless you want to farm or do other things that might violate covenants and restrictions, isolation is not all it is cracked up to be. You can be on homes on 1 or 2 acres and have the great country feeling in the mountains. Many many people I have met are looking to sell their mountain home because it is too far out there.

The third big pitfall I see is many try to buy in new communities. There are great incentives and glitzy brochures . But at the end of the day you need to know how the development is funded. Many many folks are now stuck in 1/3 or 1/2 built communities with little hope of selling. So work with a knowledgeable Realtor in the MOuntains and consider some of the points I have raised here.

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Charlie Ragonesi All Mountain Realty Big Canoe and Mountain Blog

On line at www.allmountainrealty.com Call at 706 579 1098

We sell Homes                                                    

 

2 comments • Charlie Ragonesi Big Canoe, Jasper, North Georgia Pros • July 19 2009 12:51PM

Know your Lender and your Loans

As a Realtor the single most important thing we bring to the table is knowledge. In today's financing climate knowing your lender(s) is key. Do not be sucked in by programs and incentives from lenders you do not know. If you are going to use a new lender investigate them . Find out how they write loans and how they work. Talk to other Realtors that may have used them. If you have a solid mortgage specialist or broker make sure THEY are not shopping your loans to banks they have not worked with before. 

We were supposed to see the credit markets open up with the bailout but it has not happened yet as far as I can see. But having said all that remember there are some great programs out there.

If you are a first time buyer you may qualify for Rural Development in your area. This is a 100 percent loan. You may qualify for VA another potentially 100 percent loan. FHA is only 3% (going to 3.5 % in January) . With FHA there are options for construction and even HVAC money that can be built into the loan. The seller can contribute up to 6 percent. On a different note FHA is really good if you use this 6 percent instead of lowering the price of the home because after all aren't you helping to keep the homes value up this way !!!.  And there is conventional financing as well. You may even talk to people about using and being a part of credit unions. While credit unions are generally strict in lending they are straight foreword and don't usually change the rules on you in the middle of the game.

Locally you may have programs for police, fire, or teaching professionals. So at the end of the day the exciting part about being a a Realtor is that knowledge is a key for us. I think it will make us in the end a more sought after and respected profession. This change in our image may be the silver lining of the mortgage /housing mess we find ourselves in. Look at this market as a chance to enhance your image. Growth in knowledge will make you a more sought after and respected professional. Learn and thrive.

 

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Charlie Ragonesi All Mountain Realty Big Canoe and Mountain Blog

On line at www.allmountainrealty.com Call at 706 579 1098

We sell Homes                                                    

 

6 comments • Charlie Ragonesi Big Canoe, Jasper, North Georgia Pros • November 18 2008 07:24AM

Mountain Real Estate Report

For those of you who do not live in the North Georgia Mountains, Yeah there may be some of you on the waiting list, we have a radio show called the Mountain Real Estate Report. This show is stored on our web site at WWW.ALLMTNREALTY.COM Each show has a brief description of topics discussed.

Why this may be of interest to you or your clients is that it not a show just about listings. It is about real estate today and conditions unique to the mountains. We cover the pro's as well as the things to watch out for. So if you are looking to buy in our mountains this show will have information you may want to listen to.

If you are a Realtor thinking about referring a client. Listen to the show and know with confidence that the team at All Mountain Realty is who you want your good clients to work with. We store 10 shows so you may pick at choose. If you want to listen live we are simulcast on the web every Thursday around 11:05 EST at www.wyyzradio.net.

If you are lucky enough to live in the North Georgia Mountains you can hear us on 1490 am  wyyz radio every Thursday at 11 or so A.M. Our show has been running for almost 2 years so tune in or make yourself comfortable with us. We cherish your referrals and thank you for your support

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Charlie Ragonesi All Mountain Realty Big Canoe and Mountain Blog

On line at www.allmountainrealty.com Call at 706 579 1098

We sell Homes                                                    

 

1 comment • Charlie Ragonesi Big Canoe, Jasper, North Georgia Pros • August 14 2008 10:31AM