Blue Ridge Real Estate

What a treat! After a short but sweet office caravan on Wednesday, a group of us decided on the new spot for lunch- the Blue Ridge Brewery, located downtown Blue Ridge next to the old Post Office on Mountain Street. My wife had lunch there a few weeks ago and said it was wonderful. Six in our group; walked in with about a 3 minute wait while they rearranged a few tables for us (later to find out that a 15 minute wait should be expected). We thought there would be a local beer brand on the bar but seeing none, Coach Harbin ordered a Bud Light Wheat, I had a Harpoon Indian Pale Ale, and the rest ordered water and soft drinks. All beer was on tap and they looked to have about 7 or 8 taps available. My IPA was delicious. The building was once the old Blue Ridge Post Office, and is the size of a small pub- probably seats about 30 in dining room and 10 in the bar. Soft music was playing the background, but our group was telling old real estate stories and laughing at jokes that it was hard to describe what was playing.
Menu items ranged from $6 to $10 and had several salads, soups, and sandwiches. Not a large selection, but plenty for this style of eatery and everyone selected in quick fashion. I ordered the burger and was most pleased- cooked to order with crumpled blue cheese. I posted on my Facebook status that Sue’s Cafeteria will have a run for their money on their "Best Burger In Town" claim – I’ve had several comments agreeing. I think we should suggest a cook-off! A couple in our group ordered the tuna special and, although none dared to taste the hummus, seem to enjoy their meal. Salads around the table looked good, too. There was plenty of food on each plate. Of course, our collective eyes wandered across the room at the waitress delivering dessert. We all ordered the brownie, but they only had one left. After everyone else opted for an sliced apple and caramel-type dessert, I personally sacrificed and took the last brownie. No regrets. To wrap up a great outing, Joe Ray from Suntrust Mortgage picked up our tab- what a great friend!

After watching The History Channel’s portrayal of the Appalachians, I decided to do some informal interviews of some of my friends that have several generations of family ties to the area. Ironically, most of the conversations blended with our current national health care debate – an important topic that seems to be on everyone’s mind lately. On this blog, where most of the visitors are seeking information about moving to the mountains of Georgia, it seems appropriate to discuss this topic in the context of our local community. I’m not interested in debating the health care topic here (as of today, there’s not really a bill to debate), but I would like to point out the state of our local health care community.
Historically, Appalachian health care has fallen behind the rest of the country. Our past is plagued with stories of poor dental, high rates of infant mortality, and bad eating habits. Speaking for our immediate north Georgia mountain area, this reputation has unfortunately been earned. The causes are fairly obvious; low income levels and significant isolation. The proud yet private culture has also lent itself to poor health, although I suspect that attitude is not exclusive to our area- I’ve got relatives in south Georgia and Alabama that are just as stubborn about preventive health care. The author of this blog has, on occasion, been accused of avoiding the doctor.
But what a change we have experienced! With our population growth and unlimited and easy access to universal communication tools, we have turned the corner. Although our medical infrastructure cannot rival that of a metropolitan area, our hospital can certainly take care of 90% of what ails us. We are within a 10 minute chopper ride to Chattanooga and 20 minute to Atlanta, which boast some of the most advanced medical facilities in the nation. Our local providers are aggressively recruiting doctors and nurses to our area to meet the demand of our steadily growing population of retirees.
And another interesting yet little known fact; our doctors want to be here. They’ve selected Blue Ridge, Ellijay, Blairsville, and the other small communities scattered through the mountains for a better working environment. I’ve had the privilege of working with a few doctors searching for a home and, in the process, have made several friends in the local medical field. Although they have forgone a larger salary in a bigger city, they justify their decision with a balance of cheaper living, shorter hours, healthier environment, and most important, less “rat-race”. This equates to our area attracting some top-notch medical staff. Instead of buying a vacation home, they live and work in their vacation.
Whatever happens with our national health care, I feel confident that our local needs will be met and that our medical professionals will continue to help the southern Appalachian community rise from it’s past to a new day of healthy living.

We’re definitely seeing more traffic in the North Georgia Mountains this summer! After leaving the office Sunday morning, I believe it took 3 full minutes to exit my parking lot. That may not seem like a lot to readers who reside in the city, but that’s nearly unheard of in Fannin County. If one of our local drivers wait more than a few seconds for their “window of opportunity” on Hwy 515 (aka Appalachian Hwy), it’s a reason to grumble.
I guess I found it interesting because of the day and time: Sunday @ noon. I suppose this departure time reflects an early lunch/late breakfast and dash back home to squeeze in some last minute yard work.
The tags (from what I could scan) were mainly Fulton and Cobb County – Atlanta – residents. At one point in our recent history, about 50% of our visitors were from Florida. Although the poll was a somewhat unofficial accounting from the local cabin rental companies, that stat has been quoted many times. My “car-tag” survey was even more unscientific, but the trend would make sense. Even though the Florida real estate market is experiencing a mild recovery, their local economies still stink. Our Atlanta visitors are experiencing the same down-turn, but the quick weekend trip to the mountains is easy and cheap.
Let’s look at the comparison: A two hour north-bound Friday night trip will usually allow plenty of time to arrive, grab a bite to eat, and sit down in time to watch the Braves game. This trip is a far cry from the six hour weekender to the beach, which puts your arrival time sometime after midnight. Entertainment in the mountains consist of a few good books, maybe a trip to the drive-in, grilling steaks on the porch, finished off with a dip in the hot tub while looking out over a few mountain ranges. Beach entertainment is fantastic, don’t get me wrong- sand, ocean, salty air, great seafood, and, you can bring the same books. But for some reason, a trip to the beach seems to lighten the wallet or pocketbook a little more.
But what brings me back to my original thought is the comparison of the Sunday trip home. Sandy floorboards, slightly sunburned and six hours later (seven with the time change), our Atlanta folks drag into the house satisfied and happy, but tired. On the other hand, the mountain weekend visitors to the mountains have the ability to squeeze one more day into their mini-vacation, or beat a path home to make it back for Sunday school. But more than likely you’ll be leaving around noon with the rest of the crowd. We’ll see you next weekend!