I am starting to see cars come into Big Canoe with folks who are going to spend a fun Thanksgiving week in the mountains. So her are a couple of tips that will help to make your week safe. 1 Even though we have trucks that clear roads there are a lot of wet leaves on the ground this year. Be careful. As you are going up and down the mountains wet leaves can cause you to skid. So drive slowly and arrive 5 minutes later...but arrive. 2 If you are using a fire place , and why not, make sure the Dampener is open. Also make sure you do not have combustible materiels , like a nice basket of pine cones near the heat. 3 If you are bringing your pets KEEP THEM ON A LEASH. Fido may not have seen deer before . When he goes off into the woods to chase them he may get very lost Have a great and Happ... 11/23/2010

One of the great amenities in Big Canoe is the Fitness center. It is available all year round and really is a great place to work out. The indoor pool in Big Canoe is a big hit. Especially in the winter months. There are classes as well as water therapy sessions. The pool is not totally chlorine but uses a balance of products to provide cleanliness.   This photo is just one part of the main machine room. There are many wait machines as well as machines designed to promote Cardio health. In addition there is a room dedicated to aerobics and many types of group exercises. There are  trainers on staff to work with you to design a program that meets your needs. are  After your work out have a cup of coffee on the house while you read your paper. You can also buy some work out gear at great ... 11/17/2010

This  marks the end of the Fall season for us in the North Georgia Mountains. Here are a couple of pictures taken from a home in Big Canoe. I am not sure how you get better mountains views. The green you see are the great evergreens so even in Winter we will have some green views. If you are looking to buy in the mountains consider North Georgia. We are centrally located between , Atlanta, Asheville, and Chattanooga. We are affordable.  And we are the shortest drive from Florida. So if you are looking stop here. You will be happy you did 11/14/2010

The Big Canoe Fire Department fund raiser last night was a great success. It was a casino night aimed at raising money for the Big Canoe Volunteer Fire department . One of the more touching moments of the evening was  a testimonial given by a Big Canoe resident who was bitten by a yellow jacket and saved by the BCVFD. She choked up as she told her story and when she awoke at the hospital the doctors told her the Big Canoe EMT's had saved her life. Big Canoe is a great place to live. It is naturally beautiful as a place and because of it's people. I was not involved in the incidents where folks gave testimonials . But I am a volunteer and am proud of what I do. If you are looking for a great mountain location to live in you should consider Big Canoe 11/13/2010

Next Friday Night is the Fire department Casino night Fund Raiser in Big Canoe. There are about 50 tickets remaining. It will be a great night. All in All we are selling 250 tickets and there are about 70 quality prizes that have been donated. So your odds of having a great time are 100 percent and your odds of winning a prize are pretty good. There will be hot hors dove's as well as 2 drinks that go with each ticket. if you are in the area and looking to have a great time. Check out the Big Canoe Fire department fund raiser. you can leave me a comment and I will be happy to get you the details 11/07/2010

I took these photos around my home today. As you can see fall comes late to our North Georgia Mountains. I will be out and about this weekend looking for some good shots and the fall colors. This year mother nature did not co-operate as much as we would have hoped. but still fail is such a pretty time of the year. This first fall picture is off my back deck here in Big Canoe. Tomorrow and over the next few days I am hoping to get some really good additional shots in 11/05/2010

This week we cover 2 main areas on the Mountain Real Estate report. The first part of the show talks about the current Market and trends. The second part of the show is dedicated to the buyer who makes a low ball offer. You may be surprised to learn that aside from the obvious not getting the deal a buyer making a low offer in the end may be spending more. And there are potential other negative consequences associated with a low offer. Hope you enjoy the show. Your browser does not support iframes. 11/03/2010

There are currently 271 listed homes on the market in Big Canoe. This means there are really about 300 on the market.  Projecting the year out it looks like 90 homes will sell this year. That is up from last year. But if you do the math it means a 3 year inventory. What you should know about Big Canoe, other than the photos and stories I post is : It appears our association fees will stay the same for 2011. It also appears that our capital reserve funds and debt retirement funds will become more and more robust. Also Big Canoe has approximately a 2 percent delinquency rate on dues. That is really good ! So here is the story. Big Canoe is a great place to live and will continue to be so. Why home prices have come down and inventory is high is because many folks move to Big Canoe from oth... 11/01/2010

  Fall is in the air here in our North Georgia Mountains. Leaf season is about to be in full swing. The lakes in Big Canoe are starting to show color around them. This first Laske is Lake Petit. Over 95 acres. You can see the colors start to change.   The second lake is Lake Disharoon. The shore has a beach for beach volleyball. The stroms were moving in but I got this shot The third lake is Lake sconti. there are 3 beautiful pristine mountain lakes i Big Canoe . you canfish , or boat and just enjoy During the next week it wall all ,except for the vergreens start to look like this. It really is a shame that such beauty lasts for so short a time . but one thing in our community always lasts; That is our great hospitality in a wonderful community called Big Canoe . 10/27/2010

November 12 is the Fire fighters casino night and Ball. The money raised is used for the Big Canoe Fire Department. In many rural communities Volunteer fire fighters make up much of departments. Big Canoe is no exception.  As a Volunteer, I can tell you I train as hard as the paid guys. We put in 30 training hours a quarter and respond as needed. The Big Canoe fire Department also respond as part of a multi-county network. So come to the Ball . Tickets are 75.00 each and we will sell out. You get 1,000 "dollars" in chips, 2 drinks and heavy hors dourves, as well as entertainment. At the end of the night you exchange your chips for tickest and a raffle with tons of prizes starts. There are some great giveaways . But if you cannot come think about making a contribution. If you can , any d... 10/23/2010

The Big Canoe Fire Department in conjunction with other Fire departments and safety services is holding it's first Safety Day Oct 23 from 10 am to 4 pm. This is not an ordinary event. There will be live burn demonstrations. There will also be 2 helicopter landings as well as a water dump. Many Fire Fighters and emergency responders will be on hand from various North Georgia Counties to answer questions. Food is being provided by the Boy scouts who will have a fund raising food booth. Below is an interview I was lucky enough to have with Big Canoe fire Chief Ricky Jordan. Ricky goes into detail about this very important event. If you live outside of Big Canoe there will be access. Many folks who are working for you are volunteers. So take some of your time to help support those who give ... 10/22/2010

I would not have thought I posted controversial photos but one of them has received comments that were not all good. This photo with a blog was posted by me a while ago. The story is I was driving and there were some rocks on the road. I started to get out of my car to clear them when my wife said look up. There on a hill above me was this juvenile Bear peeking out from around a tree. I was lucky enough to have my camera with me and got this photo. Now since posting it in various sites I have received comments like, These photos do not promote a community. These photos scare me and I do not want to live there. Nature is what it is and as these are Black bears the danger is small. On the other hand this photo got a totally different reaction. Well all I can say is maybe the north Georgia... 10/19/2010

Big Canoe homes for sale as of Oct 16 are 283 homes on the market. The price range is from 219,000 to 3,200,000. This is a really large range and is testament to the great diversity that is Big Canoe. Another interesting note is that homes below 200,000 for the first time do not appear in the numbers. People realize what a great one time opportunity is out there in this market and they have gobbled these homes up. Any home for a bargain hunter under 275,000 in Big Canoe really and truly is a bargain. Let the pros at All Mountain Realty make you mountain home owning dreams come true. 10/16/2010

This weeks show talks about the foreclosure moratoriums that are going on. We also talk about first time buyers who have no credit. We cover a lot of ground in this show and in conclusion we are left with the fact that now more than ever in this complex market you need the services of a Realtor. Enjoy the show. Your browser does not support iframes. 10/13/2010

Oktoberfest in Big canoe was a great success. we had blue skies and good temperatures. the turnout was also very large. folks from all around were there. Once again it shows the diversity of Big Canoe. There are many things to do if you want to or you can sit back and do nothing but enjoy nature. Or for that matter balance both. This is the entrance to the event You can get a feel for the numbers in this picture. there were plenty of other isles including food and a band.       10/09/2010

Yes it is Friday of a long week. Tomorrow is Oktoberfest here in Big Canoe. I will be working in the BCERT booth. I think we all need to give back to our communities in what ever way we can. When we start a sentence by saying " somebody needs to do something.... " look in a mirror. That somebody should include you. have a great October weekend all. The Cleveland load is something I learned about in Firefighting class yesterday. it is a way to laod and pack hoses. it is a relatively new thing. Now whyIi am blogging about it is simple. Moving hoses around is a big pain in fire fighting. But this is done in a couple of ways for ever. Along comes somebody who looks at this differently and devises a system that is so easy and works so well you just watch this and say DUH ! Keep an open mind ... 10/08/2010

A beautiful morning in Big Canoe:  It is such a beautiful morning here in Big Canoe....bright, sunny and a cool 66°.  Big Canoe has become a part of me starting from my first visit over 20 years ago. There is something about passing through the main gate of Big Canoe as you head for your destination along the winding road surrounded by a  thick forest of trees and plants.  A sense of peace sets in as you travel underneath the canopy formed by the ancient hardwoods and hemlocks and pass through the covered bridge.  The pressures and problems of the work day start to lift from your shoulders as you soak in the beauty and the quiet created by the natural setting that is preserved within the gates of Big Canoe. It is such a priviledge to be able to experience the natural works of art you en... 09/18/2010

In these tough times one has to consider the well being, financially, of a community as well as it's beauty. The community of Big Canoe is in good shape. The delinquency rate on POA dues is less than 2 percent. Also we have voted to reallocate money from our dues to go toward debt retirement and a capital reserve fund. Big Canoe in the past has, in my opinion spent more than it should on projects. But at this point the community is financially sound and the current board along with some hopefully new board members in the fall will continue on the path of conservative spending. Big Canoe is and always has been a jewel in the North Georgia Mountains. Now financially it is a safe place to be as well. To find out more visit us on line at www.allmountainrealty.com or call us at 706 579 1098.... 09/13/2010

This weeks show spot lights a growing trend in our business. This is the lease purchase. It is often used by folks getting back on their feet. However it is not as simple as signing a lease and buying later. Linda and I go into detail about using the lease purchase option and why using a Realtor for this type of transaction is really a very good idea. Enjoy the show. Your browser does not support iframes. 09/09/2010

This weeks show focuses on new census data and the housing industry. we also recap Senator Isaksons speech on housing. If you are thinking about buying this show should convince you that now is a great time to buy. Our show is heard weekly through out the North Georgia Mountains. Thank you all who listen and we as always welcome your feedback and ideas for future shows. Your browser does not support iframes. 09/02/2010