July 2003 Archived Columns

7/21/2003

It’s dried up considerably, and we had a beautiful weekend. I’m hearing from a number of people that the blackberry harvest has been disappointing so far, but it may be that a couple of days of sunshine will help. Apparently, the wet weather has not been good to them, but I’ve found some good berries in sunny spots. I think the key this year is probably to find places with as much sun as possible. Tomato plants in the ground also seem to be suffering, although the ones we have in containers seem to be doing fine.

I first noticed the katydids last Wednesday, but reliable reports indicate that they were first heard singing during the day on the 12th. According to the people who know about these things, if you figure three months forward from the first time you hear them singing during the day, that’s the first frost. For those of you who haven’t seen the little critters, katydids look like green grasshoppers (they aren’t cicadas). They make that noise by rubbing their hindlegs together. I suppose there must be people out there who find them annoying, but I like to hear them sing as I drift off to sleep. Their song seems to change as the night wears on, and it’s sweet to my ears.

I keep hearing from people who want to know if our market is as soft as the real estate market in Atlanta. The answer is no. The reason is that in a second home market, sellers are rarely highly motivated. If people can afford a second home to begin with, they likely can afford to wait until they get the price they want for it. Also, our weekend rental market is so strong, that people can always rent if they can’t sell. The end result is that we just don’t have very many classically distressed sellers, people who can’t make the payments and are going to lose the place if they don’t sell it fast.

I do think there has been a little downward pressure on prices in the past few months, although I don’t think there’s any consensus on this in the office. It just seems to me that I’m seeing more new construction come on the market below $179,000, which was pretty much our price point for a 2/2 with an unfinished basement, and more sales under $200,000 than at this time last year. In my opinion, we’ve still got a fairly strong seller’s market, but there are probably some bargains to be had, especially over $200,000.

In what’s probably a win for Fannin County, the Georgia Supreme Court dismissed an appeal from a lower court decision brought by the promoter of the plasma torch, a high temperature waste disposal process. The technology is apparently operational at only one location in Japan, and the effect on the environment is thus debatable. However, as the proposed facility was to be built on 515, near Loving Road, it would likely have had a negative effect on people’s perception of the county’s environment, as well as increasing truck traffic through Blue Ridge.

The Fannin County Commission is considering a billboard ordinance. The first public hearing will be held at 7 PM tomorrow, July 22, at the courthouse. Those of you who feel strongly about this issue may want to attend. I just received the following from Joe Webb, which provides a perspective not found in published reports:

"To Our Friends in Fannin County, As you know, I have actively tried to understand and to participate in Fannin County politics. My main concern is to create an open government - to create dialog.

This TUESDAY night, July 22, 2003, at the Court House at 7PM, there will be a Public Hearing to enable Billboards to be built on all county roads. While limiting billboards to one per mile, it would still allow 13 billboards to build on ASKA ROAD. It would allow them on Stanley Creek Road, Snake Nation Road etc, and every road in the WHOLE COUNTY.

This is an issue and I ask that each of you come to the court house to speak out and show support against this ordinance. Let's say either NO MORE BILLBOARDS - period - or let's limit them to the 4-lane divide highway. Thank you for your support. I hope to see you this Tues., 7PM at the Court House. PLEASE send this to you Fannin County Friends, if you fell it is appropriate.
Thanks, JOE WEBB"

7/7/2003

OK, I hear you! Everybody can stop calling and emailing! Here's the recipe, and I hear it’s great, although we’ve never tested it ourselves, of course.

2 cups berries
2 cups ice cubes
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
3/4 cup white tequila
1/4 cup sugar

Buzz the berries in the blender. If you care about these things, strain out the seeds. Add the other ingredients. Either shake it with the cubes or serve on the rocks. It's sometimes difficult to get it cold enough, so you may want to refrigerate the mixture for a bit. Enjoy!

We had a beautiful 4th, crisp and clear in the morning, then partly cloudy for the rest of the day. The 5th was also pretty nice, and we were swamped in the office on Saturday. Today (Monday afternoon) it’s back to rainy, and some are worried that we’re going to get spoiled with the cool temperatures this summer. I’m not too worried about that, but I wish we’d had more good swimming weather.

For those of you who are interested in barbecue, Forge Mill Restaurant has been reincarnated as Smoky Mountain Barbecue. No reliable reviews yet, but I did overhear some folks saying it was comparable to the Rib Ranch in Blairsville. The old Western Sizzling at the end of the Ingles shopping center has reportedly been bought by Tom Carroll for a barbecue restaurant. It is a fact that it has been gutted, and it looks like it is being readied for a dramatic log treatment on the exterior. Also, I understand that the owner of Bone’s Automotive & Custom Cycles in Morganton has been granted a business license to sell barbecue at the old campground on the way to Morganton Point. I haven’t tried it yet, but I did see a serious smoker there the other day.

We’ve seen a spike in interest in property lately, and with interest rates so low, people are finding that they can afford more house than they imagined. If you think you may be in the market, it’s a good time to look. We have a good inventory of property in all price ranges, and I want to remind everyone that I still have a very good lot in My Mountains / Meadowoods, MLS 81809, 2.2 nicely flat and very accessible acres in a great community for $32,900.

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