Charlie Ragonesi Big Canoe Realestate's Blog

Big Canoe at 8 am

All Mountain Realty — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:54:40 -0500

3 days a week I go to a 7 am class in the fitness center in Big Canoe. In the winter it is dark on the way there. But coming back at 8 am it gets pretty crossing the dam over lake Petit and watching the day start.

The sun in ths pictue is just coming up over lake Petit. The lake is 95 acres and just clean and beautiful.

When one turns around you can see the sun reflecting on the mountains. Now it is winter here but can you see any homes? They are there. Big Canoe does a great job through architectural control of making sure homes blend in with nature. In this photo there are actually some 4 and 5 bedroom large homes. You do not see them easily.

If you look the other way you see Cox mountain in the distance. below is a ball field ? walking track. In addition the tennis cours are near by as well as the fitness center. Big Canoe is a place where you can enjoy nature and be active

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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

Unintended Consequences

All Mountain Realty — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:33:12 -0500

In my opinion government is not this evil thing trying to run our lives. However they do stuff that sometimes has unintended consequences for our business.

1 The law was passed about appraisals. Seemed like a good thing. Make the process an arms length transaction so there would be no collusion between banks ,real estate folks, sellers , and appraisers. but there is that pesky unintended consequence. We now have appraisers that do not know the area and under appraise homes. As if we needed this added stone being thrown at our market

2 The President is putting forward a plan to allow current paying folks who are underwater to re-finance. This seems like a great thing. Hey the banks got bailed out by us . Why shouldn't they help? Especially since they are a LARGE reason for this mess to begin with. So as my wife and I are watching this on TV she says to me, "Aren't you glad we just finished our refi?' "Why?" I say. "Because the loan process will really slow down when the banks are swamped with all these refis". Unintended consequences.

I am thinking that "short" sales will become almost imposible. Foreclosures will get tough. So I have to ask where is our lobby NAR in this . Are they not effective ? Or are they not being listened too.? I know I never got a survey about political issues from NAR to comment on. Unintened consequences, even some of the best intentioned plans have them.

I will give you my all time favorite. I am sitting in a pub in England many years back with a solicitor friend. He says America was ahead of the UK when it came to seat belt laws. After a long time England finally adopted laws like the U.S. I say, you know there are very few laws that are just good without folks getting punished or hurt. The seat belt law is one of them. He says you would think so. But now that the law has been in effect for a while we are having for the first time in this country a shortage of organ donors. True story , Unintended consequences. Be aware of them in your business too.

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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

It will get to Real Estate , Wait for it !!!

All Mountain Realty — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:23:17 -0500

So I heard this today and it fits so well in our business.

A man is out with the boys and loses track of time. He comes home at 1:30 a.m. After quietly entering his home, with shoes in hand, he tip toes through the hall and heads toward the bedroom. His wife is sitting on the couch in the living room waiting for him. " Where have you been ? " she says in a loud and annoyed voice. He is startled and says the following;

" Honey I got home around 10:00. I am sorry I have been out so late. It is a beautiful night. So I laid down in the hammock and gazed up at the stars. While I was laying in the hammock looking up at the natural beauty I started to think how lucky I am. I have a wife as beautiful as these stars. I have 2 wonderful children . Our home is beautiful. All I have I owe to you! The children and our home made beautiful by you. My success in business is due to you. I am so blessed. And while I was laying in the hammock thinking about how lucky I was that you came into my life a feeling of peace came over me. I was so calm I fell asleep. I woke up just a couple of minutes ago and was coming into the house as quietly as I could so as not to wake you."

The wife looked at him and said, "I took that hammock down 6 months ago !"

Tell the truth in your business

Don't exaggerate .

If you don't know say so and then add you will do your best to find out.

If you do this you will not need to worry about the hammock.

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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

North Georgia Real Estate do's and don'ts Part 2

All Mountain Realty — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:03:55 -0500

The mountains are great . This is part 2 in a series of mountain living tips. This part applies to Gated communities like Big Canoe or Bent Tree as well as areas not in these types of communities.

Bears

Bears are beautiful things to see. But you really do not want them on your front porch. There is nothing to get you going in the morning like looking out a window and seeing a pair of fuzzy eyes looking back at you . Trust me. It is better than an espresso to get the juices going. The black bears in the mountains are usually not aggressive. But they are bears so......

1 Never, never, never, get between a mama and her cubs. If you have dogs make sure they will obey you when they are left off a leash. One of my favorite bear stories here in Big Canoe is about a lady who had two little dogs who saw a cub and chased it. The cub ran to mama. This brought the dogs to a complete stop . And I am sure they said the dog equivalent of "oh S%$#$#T" ! as the mama bear chased them. Of course they ran back to their human mama. She saw them coming with a bear behind( there is a joke in there some where). The human mama said OH S&%^%$T! and neighbors came out in time to make the mama bear realize that she had made her point and she stopped.

2 Never leave food out. You can have Racoons as well as larger animals on your porch. We tell folks here not to leave out bird feeders between April and Oct. Baffles work for squirrels but nothing bigger.

3 If you cook outside in a green egg or barbecue one of our tricks is to use moth balls around them The critters do not like the smell and it usually stops them.

The Mountains are great and you will really enjoy seeing the Natural life. I just thing ther is space for them that is theirs and space that is ours. Let the folks at All Mountain Realty show you why we love living in the North Georgia Mountains

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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

North Georgia Real Estate do's and don't Part 1

All Mountain Realty — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:35:57 -0500

It is a great time to buy in our North Georgia Mountains. Here are some of the do's and don'ts

1 Do not "lowball" a short sale or a foreclosure. If you do you probably will not get it. We are seeing more and more of these go for asking or over asking price. Hey THEY ARE GREAT DEALS to begin with.

2 Remember if you are "out there in the woods" on well water, on a gravel road your home may have been reasonably priced but your insurance will be high. The fire component of your insurance can be double or triple what it might be in other areas of the mountains

3 Lastly, but maybe not the last blog on the subject, if you find that mountain home think. Yes it will be beautiful but if you are isolated remember gas is + 3.00 a gallon and how long can you stare lovingly at the view and your spouse before you get a little bored? ( spouses may get bored with you too. I know it is hard to believe.

So think about your location in terms of your active life style. This list is in no way comprehensive But I am thinking 3 things to look at in a blog is manageable. . Stay tuned

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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

Big Canoe Tree Topper 219 New Listing

All Mountain Realty — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:19:46 -0500

We have just listed 219 Tree Topper in Big Canoe. The Tree Toppers in Big Canoe were built as vacation homes in our beautiful community. This Tree Topper is priced to sell at 145,000. It has a view of Lake Petit AND the price includes all the furnishings!

This is a great affordable way to be in one of North Georgia's premier communities. This Tree Topper is 2 beds 2 baths ,as are most. However they have finished off the downstairs and made a nice sitting room. FMLS number 4311518. Contact the folks at All Mountain Realty we would be happy to show this home to you.

This Home is on a hill and has good views.

This inside view gives you an idea of the decor , which stays with the home . This Home also has a fireplace. If you are interested in a home in Big Canoe which you can vacation in as well as potentially rent out Tree Topper 219 is move in ready

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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

Jasper Homes for Sale, Maybe Not !

All Mountain Realty — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 09:12:08 -0500

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.

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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

Sights in Big Canoe this year

All Mountain Realty — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:38:39 -0500

Here are some of the great sights we saw in Big Canoe this year. The top photo was fun. I think if she had a camera the doe might have taken a picture of me for her Blog.

The next picture down below was an exciting event. This guy was looking down at me as I was walking on the road.

The camera was a little shaky but you can see why !!

This last Photo was taken of the Moubtain mist. In a way you can see that the mountains breath. Their breath rises from the trees and provides us with clean air.

Think you want to get away from it all and not be in a restricted cheek to cheek Gated community? Well this is a Gated community Mountain style !! Big Canoe and for that matter the North Georgia Mountains are a great place to be.

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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

Happy Holiday !!! Or Not

All Mountain Realty — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:30:31 -0500

This is a week for celebration . So whatever holiday or group of holidays you are celebration the folks here at All Mountain Realty wish you all the best. But if you do not celebrate the holidays in this season then celebrate what they mean. The mean light. They mean peace on Earth. They mean bounty. All folks no matter what their religion, or non religions are can celebrate a time when good wishes and giving spirits are front and center.

So Have a great holiday season whether you are celebrating a particular holiday or just the spirit and the hope they mean.

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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

Big Canoe Homes for Sale update

All Mountain Realty — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:16:08 -0500

Last year in Big Canoe there were 92 homes sold. This year the number will probably be 75. There are currently 263 homes on the Market in Big Canoe. The average sales price is 15 -25 percent less than 2 years ago. The good news is Big Canoe is financially strong and a great place to live. So if you have ever been to Big Canoe and went wow I wish I could live here now you can. Home prices for good 3 bed room 2 bath homes start in the 200's. However there are bargains from time to time in the high 100,000's Prices top out at 2.8 million.

Now is the time to own a great piece of the North georgia mountains. If you work on the North Side of town Big Canoe's commute will be as easy or hard as any. Live work and raise a family in our great community. The pro's at All Mountain Realty are here to help you make Big Canoe living a reality.

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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 are marching out of step

All Mountain Realty — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:11:06 -0500

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 dates in the contract when the appraisal needs to be done by, as well as the loan commitment given. A "good" lender will actually come to you and say they need an extension.

The lender today is out of step with the transaction in my opinion. Now before you all jump on me I would say that this happen 50 percent of the time. So we do work with good lenders who come through. But here is the point. Until Lenders get back to loaning where they were pre bubble we will never see a housing rebound. When we bought our first house in NYC it took 60 days to close. When we moved to Georgia the lenders laughed that it took so long in New York. Well guess what ? Georgia is now 45-60 days even for loans that are 100 percent no problem.

So what is needed is we all need to get in step. The market was out of step when any one with or without a pulse could get a loan. But now we have moved too far the other way.

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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

Big Canoe in winter

All Mountain Realty — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:02:05 -0500

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

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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

Big Canoe winter wonderland

All Mountain Realty — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:18:21 -0500

Today we woke up to snow. It came really early to us here in Big Canoe. The interesting thing about it all is if you drove out of Big Canoe today and through places like Jasper and Ball Ground. there was no snow. Only at the higher elevations did we get this great dusting and great sights.

When considering living in the mountains you have to consider elevation. The higher you are the cooler you will be in the summer. But you also might get a little colder and have some snow in the winter when others down mountain do not. But it really is quite pretty so enjoy the photos

In the photo abouve I am looking down at a stream in the snow as I drove through my neighborhood today

In this photo I am looking back up towards where I live Pardon the car door in the picture. The photo below gives you an idea of the pretty sights and our roads. This woodland photo is in a community with a fitness center, golf, tennis, over 100 clubs and a whole lot more. Big Canoe balances nature and activities. Enjoy

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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

Hey wait a minute !! ( photos)

All Mountain Realty — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 14:50:07 -0500

This is not the North Georgia Mountains. However it is a couple of pictures we took on our vacation in Hilton Head. What a great place to visit. If you go there you must also visit the great town of Bluffton.

This first photo is the beach in Fog with wife Sally. The beach is really quite unique in fog as everything blends together . Going in November means there are less crowds but still weather in the 70's

You cannot really hear the birds in this photo. They are squawking, We are NOT turkeys!! It was a great visit and for us Mountain folk a nice change to walk on flat surfaces and see the ocean

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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

Big Canoe in The Fall Photo

All Mountain Realty — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 09:25:37 -0500

It is a little past the fall. I took this photo in Big Canoe on November 1st. In our North Georgia mountains the leave peak around the last week of October first week of November. There are mountains in the back ground and you can see the sun just up over them. This is also my Thanksgiving post. Because who could not be thankful to be blessed with this type of view off the back deck.

Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving

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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