Upcoming Events in the NC/GA Mountains

Hi All, hope you have been doing well. The rain has finally tapered off, which has been good for my spirits, but now back to watering the gardens! That's OK, I love whatever God gives be it rain or shine...

Wanted to let you know of a few events that will be going on in the near future. The first is in Blairsville, GA this weekend. It's a 2-day event and there will be crafts, food, demonstrations on such things as chair caning, and basketmaking. My mom will be selling her "house" rocks. So, if you see her, be sure to say Hey! I plan on stopping in for a visit myself. Here's the link to the event:

http://theblueridgehighlander.com/calendar/index.php?eID=4728

Another event, coming in October, is the Air Show in Andrews, NC. It will be a 2-day event this year with a concert on the evening of the first night. We're excited they are doing this event this year and hope it will be a great success so they come back next year!! Here's the link:

http://gsmoperationwelcomehome.org/tickets.htm

And, thirdly, the October Festival at the GA Mountain Fairgrounds in Hiwassee, GA is just around the corner. Below is a link to the fairgrounds that have more information on the festival and other upcoming events:

http://www.georgiamountainfairgrounds.com/

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend, and be safe!!

Happy Monday!!!!

Happy Monday, everyone! My son headed off to his first day of school at The Learning Center in Murphy. The rest of the county will be starting next Monday though. Not sure why we started a week early, but am thankful to be getting back into my routine!

Wanted to share with you that my son and I, along with his grandparents, went to Tri County Racetrack last Friday for their "Back to School Nickel Night." What a great time we had! Macon Bank sponsored it, and put out 1200 nickels on the track for the kids to tackle and grab as many as they could. Over 100 kids participated and JD came home with $4.20 worth. Thank you Macon Bank for a great time!

The races were a lot of fun and the weather was perfect!! Am looking forward to more races in our future.

In real estate, things are moving right along in the mountains! July statistics show there are over 7,000 properties on the market in our area. Clearly half of the amount the same time in 2007. That's great for sellers! Surprisingly, the same number of sales in July as in July of 2007, but the highest since 2008!! The market has been changing. The sales price from the original list price is at 88.45%, which is at it's highest since 2007. Forecasts are that the market will continue to improve, and prices will increase. So, if you have been thinking about buying, I'd put some serious thought into it! Typically,  real estate is one of the most sound investments you can make...

FUN IN THE SUN IN HELEN, GA!!

A few weeks back, my son and I went with another mom and her child, to the new waterpark in Helen, GA!! The weather was perfect, traffic was easy getting in, and the part was very affordable!! The cost is only $15 per person (if guardians don't want to go on the rides, they don't have to pay). JD and his friend had a blast!!! Me and the other mom had a fun time, too! We enjoyed sitting next to the "lazy river" and watching the grown ups and kids tube around. The nice thing, too, was that Helen is just an hour's drive from Murphy! All-in-all a great way to spend the day...

Air Show Near Murphy

Happy Friday! Wanted to let you know there will be a 2-day event at the Western Carolina Regional Airport in Andrews October 26th and 27th this year! We've not had an air show in several years. It's actually called the Great Smoky Mountains "Operation Welcome Home," and is to support Hurlburt-Johnson Friendship House and the Veterans Restoration Quarters & Steadfast House. Both very worthy causes! For more details, you can visit their website at www.gsmoperationwelcomehome.org.

On another note, it's a great time to buy real estate in the area! Interest rates are still low, and prices are starting to go up, so don't wait any longer! Come get your property in the beautiful mountains! You can see what we have to offer on my website: www.MtnPropertiesByCarol.com.

Talk to you soon!

Happy Monday!

Good morning from bright and sunshiny Murphy, NC! Had a nice weekend with just a little rain. Low 90s for the highs. Finally got my front yard done, which has been a real eye opener as to my age. I ache in places I didn't know there were muscles!! Glad it's done, though.

The Georgia Mountain Fair is in full swing with lots of fun activities. If you are interested, here's the link to their site with details on what is happening and when: http://www.georgiamountainfairgrounds.com/

Real estate has been busy, which is a good thing. I've been helping several military veterans find homes here, which has been a real honor and blessing. They are some of the nicest people I've met. If you are a vet, or know of a vet looking to buy real estate (or sell) in the NC/GA mountains, I have got experience in handling VA mortgages which can be a little tricky.

Hope you have a wonderful week!!

Happy Monday!! We have finally been seeing some sunshine the past few days! My lawn dried out enough to mow it. Good thing as my dog was getting lost in the "jungle." Well, it wasn't that bad, but my mower didn't know the difference. My tomatoes have started ripening and am trying to think of things to do with them. I'd like to can them, but don't think I have enough yet.

Murphy finally had our 4th of July celebration this last Saturday. It had been rained out on the 4th. The day started at 10:00 with the parade. Not much of a turnout, but the kids that were there sure did make out like a bandit with the candy!! We were on the float for Cub Scout Pack 400 and actually won "Most Patriotic!" Great job Pack 400!!!! 

Festivities continued downtown throughout the day. We went to the peanut drop which was at noon. My son has been going to the peanut drop since he was one (he's 8 now). He loves it! Hasn't found a colored peanut yet (you win money), but has a great time. We went home after that and came back for the fireworks. An awesome show, as usual. I love being in a small town where we don't have any problems finding a spot to put our blanket, and always find friends there to visit with. Traffic leaves something to be desired afterwords, but still got home in 15 minutes.

Shifting thoughts a little, just a heads up that mortgage rates have increased a little, but still over 1% below the rates in 2002! If you've been thinking about buying a mountain property, now would be the time as we're already seeing a shift in the market. Remember I am licensed in both NC and GA!!!

Have a great week!

Anyone started building an ark yet?

I'm starting to feel like we live in Scotland! Rain, rain, rain. Although I don't want to complain as I'm thankful for it. Because of the weather, the town of Murphy and others in the area have postponed the 4th of July festivities for tomorrow (Saturday).

So, yesterday (the 4th), my brother and his boy, myself and my boy, went for a drive to look at waterfalls on our way to Highlands, Cashiers, and Glenville, NC. Needless to say, the waterfalls were very active!! It rained off and on all day, but we had a great time either way. The boys enjoyed looking in the gem shops in Highlands and were sure to pick up a few goodies while there (they are 9 and 11 years old). Brought back memories for me and my brother when we were kids and would visit Highlands, NC and get a small back of gems. We dodged raindrops as we went from shop to shop. Then it was on to Cashiers where we stopped at Carolina Smokehouse for lunch. Again, memories as our family used to go there when we were kids.

Our final destination was a cabin in Glenville that my grandparents built in 1969. It's not in the family anymore, but we are in contact with the current owner should he ever decide to sell. He is a landscape architect in Atlanta, GA and has done some beautiful things with the grounds! The cabin and landscaping were actually in a magazine, Southern Accents, many years ago.

Our day ended at my folks place in Murphy for a barbecue and some of our own fireworks.

I've attached a few pics of our adventure. The first pic is actually of the "Beck" cemetery near my grandparents cabin. We used to go there every year when we went to visit the cabin. The second pic is of Dry Falls (not very dry), the third is of the drive under falls on Hwy 64 between Franklin and Hayesville, NC.    Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th!!!