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What Home Buyers Are Looking For in North Georgia Real Estate
By kve | June 6, 2008
Tonight I received an email from a client regarding Big Canoe homes for sale she wanted to see. What was interesting to me was the amount of research this client had done. She had a list of bullet points detailing what was a must and what was a bust when it came to potential homes. This client had narrowed her description of what she was looking for down to a few rules. Of course, this makes it much easier to choose a list of homes to show! Here are some of the rules she decided on that were a plus:
“Only picked houses that had a picture”
Always, always, always put the best picture of the house on the front page! And, unfortunately, I have seen listings on FMLS where there was no picture at all.
“Screened porch (fireplace nice but need to be able to add one)”
I have yet to talk to a client that doesn’t want to enjoy being outside here in the Georgia mountains. The outdoor fireplaces have become increasingly popular up here, and just my opinion here, they are really nice on a crisp fall evening 
“Nice view out back”
Views are in the eye of the beholder. Some people want to see mountains, some people want to feel like they are in a tree house encompassed by a green canopy. The bottom line is, some type of view is a big plus.
“Wood ceiling and wood trim” and “Mountain charm”
The rustic feeling added by wood ceilings, trim, and floors can add quite a bit of mountain charm to any home. One Big Canoe builder that does a nice job with this is Jim LaBonte. The first home we lived in here in Big Canoe was built by LaBonte, and I’ll always remember how much I loved the rustic feeling the wood ceilings added to that house.
Now for some of the items that were a bust:
“Lot not level enough to be able to add a garage if not one already” and “Steep driveway”
This is a bit of a toughie because we are in the North Georgia mountains. Many homes are on level lots, but many are not. A good builder can usually find a good solution to this without breaking the bank. MY advice is to bring a builder to the home or lot and get a professional opinion on whether a garage or driveway can be added or altered within reason so friends and family can visit without the white knuckle driveway.
“Spiral staircase unless it could be corrected”
Not really in issue in most of the homes here in Big Canoe.
“Can’t back up to outer perimeter roads (such as Steve Tate or Cove Road) or other noisy or unpredictable property”
I can say with little hesitation that Big Canoe is quieter than any other neighborhood I have ever lived in! Big Canoe does have rules in place regarding noise. For example, no construction traffic on Sundays. Big Canoe has an ACC which sets guidelines regarding construction, so there should never be any real surprises.
To sum up this blog I am asking all my customers to please feel free to tell me all the “good, bad, and ugly” before we go out house hunting. This will give us a huge head start. You can view all the available homes for sale on our website. When you find something you like, write down the address or just print it out for your “maybe” file. Feel free to email me all the questions you want regarding these homes. Disclosure statements are readily available to give you additional information. When we meet we’ll be able to compare notes. I can add a few of my own comments since I know the neighborhood and may be able to point out some things that you may not be familiar with. It is true that first time visits to Big Canoe can be overwhelming. I usually show the community features first before setting foot in a house. It helps to familiarize you with the neighborhood.
~Karin Elliott is a resident of the North Georgia mountain Community of Big Canoe. Read more about living in Big Canoe in her blog Life in Big Canoe, Real Estate in the Mountains.
Topics: Big Canoe Real Estate |
June 7th, 2008 at 6:43 am
Thanks for the tips Karin. I hope to be up to look in the nest week or so.
June 7th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Sounds like your client really nawrowed down her list! That makes you job a little easier.
June 7th, 2008 at 11:02 am
That looks like my list too. I agree with the photos. When there is no picture to view on the website-I only briefly look at the listing, usually not spending much time on it.
I am always looking
June 15th, 2008 at 8:45 am
Hi Shelly,
You are one of our top lookers! I sure hope to have you as a neighbor soon!
~Karin