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14 | Special Section
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Germs can be scary,
but Real Estate doesn't
have to be!
DY
706-897-0956
HN
HARRY
NORMAN
■ REALTORS 0
KARYN WOODY
REALTOR®, SMC
Licensed in GA & NC
706-897-0956
Karyn.Woody(a)HarryNornnan.conn
facebook: (alKarynSmithWoody
Blairsville Office
706-745-3000
63 Murphy Hwy
Blairsville, GA 30512
2019 Top Sales Associate
#1 Total Closed Volume
#2 Total Closed Units
Highest Closing
Senior Marketing Consultant
NEG MLS# 295840
NEG MLS# 293078
NEG MLS# 293968
NEG MLS# 284649
NEG MLS# 279277
NEG MLS# 295841
NEG MLS# 295926
The information was obtained from Northeast GA MLS and may not reflect all sales.
If your home is currently listed for sale, this is not intended as a solicitation.
Continued from page 12
cash.” Homes in the area are still very af
fordable, she continued, especially when
compared to other “destination” areas.
“Retirees are drawn to the area because
of the golf, boating and relaxation,” Woody
said. “I’ve worked with several millennials
who aren’t tied to where they live for their
job and have sought out this area looking
for a slower pace, kind of a back-to-nature
thing,” she added. “They want to raise their
kids and have animals and gardens.”
Also, families are drawn to the moun
tains as a gathering place.
“It’s so easy to get here from
so many places that many
families have vacation
homes here to enjoy the
lakes, mountains and scen
ery,” Woody said.
Kim Knutzen, an as
sociate broker with
Ansley Mountain & Lake,
Blue Ridge said that Blue
Ridge and the surrounding
towns have shown a steady
increase in home sales over
the last five years, “and our
median sales prices have in
creased across the board.
I see it continuing as
more exciting architec
ture comes to our area.”
People from all ages
enjoy the area, she ex
plained. Retirees see the
value in the small-town,
slower pace of life while
having easy access to
healthcare, volunteer op
portunities and active life
style options like golfing
and hiking. At the same
time, millennials are find
ing a place to explore, kick
back, meet their friends
and gather together for
lasting memories. “At any
given moment, you’ll find families and ex
tended families that make this area their
meeting point to enjoy time together,”
Knutzen said.
Boland noted that mountain home-
buyers look to find the setting they want,
whether it be near a lake, river or panoram
ic mountain view, with a cabin that suits
their needs, all in their price range. For At
lanta area weekenders seeking an escape
from the city, “Blue Ridge is a no-brainer,
being such a short drive from the city, yet
worlds away,” she said.
Retirees like being close to the hospitals
located on the 1-575 corridor while staying
in near proximity to Atlanta’s big hospi
tals and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Inter
national Airport. They also look for a re
laxed pace with low crime, low taxes and
low cost of living.
Woody said that the lakes—Lake Blue
Ridge, Lake Nottely and Lake Chatuge—
are a big draw. “They offer lots of outdoor
adventures, waterfalls, hiking trails and
beautiful scenery.”
Other homebuyers want the great shop
ping and restaurants. “From the mountain
tops to the creeks and rivers to lakefront
and golf course properties, there are com
munities that fit every lifestyle,” Woody
said.
Knutzen also has seen an increase in
people flocking to the Blue Ridge area for
its availability of outdoor pursuits, includ
ing mountain biking, road biking, kayak
ing, fishing and boating.
“Shopping in downtown Blue Ridge of
fers many boutiques and specialty shops,”
she said, “and dining in the area offers
something for everyone with a variety of
foods, including organic and clean eating
options.” There’s also a fantastic arts com
munity—galleries, the Blue Ridge Moun
tain Art Association and the Blue Ridge
Community—that features great local tal
ent.
New and exciting archi
tecture that focuses on both
rustic and modern accents is
popping up all over the area
on rivers, creeks and moun
tains, Knutzen said. “One of
our newest communities is
Old Toccoa Farm, a guard
gated residential communi
ty that offers a mile of trout
fishing on the Toccoa Riv
er, 18-hole golf course, driv
ing range and other planned
amenities.”
These days, there’s plen
ty to do in Highlands
year-round, Gilmore not
ed. No longer does every
thing shut down once the
season is over. He said
that four new restaurants
opened last season: Tugs
Proper, MidPoint High
lands, Bridge at Mill Creek
and Four65 Wood Fire Bis
tro + Bar. These added to
the many mainstays in
the Highlands restaurant
scene that include Lakeside
Restaurant, The Ugly Dog
Public House and The Log
Cabin.
According to Gilmore,
one of the exciting new de
velopments in the Highlands area is Glen-
Cove by Old Edwards, a multi-generational
community that highlights adventure and
wellness.
The tight-knit community will have 31
cottage homes and 17 five-acre estate lots.
Planned features at GlenCove include
an organic garden and farm, a fitness and
wellness center with spa services, and a
lighted 12-hole, par 3 golf course. There are
mountain trails for hiking in the adjacent
national forest.
Gilmore, an Intown agent with a North
Carolina brokerage license, lives in the
heart of Virginia-Highland and also owns
a home in Cashiers, N.C. “One of the real
benefits about looking for a home in the
mountains is that you can often rent one
first so you can try before you buy,” he said.
Some clubs offer trial memberships, allow
ing potential residents to get a good feel for
where they'd like to live.”
“It’s amazingly beautiful and there are
four true seasons, but they aren’t extreme,”
Woody said. “The spring flowers and the
fall color changes are my favorite times.”
There’s also a strong sense of communi
ty, she said, fostered by the many festivals
and community events. “It’s a place where
people still wave when they pass you on
the road.”
