Blue Ridge Georgia Real Estate

Blue Ridge GA, in Fannin County, is the choice of many investors and log home buyers seeking the best in the North Georgia Mountains. Property values have gone up tremendously in the past five years, and the current market slowdown has resulted in the best buys in years. Blue Ridge appeals to both active lifestyle seekers and people who just want to “sit on the porch and enjoy the view from the cabin.” The demographic is somewhat younger than other mountain areas, but Blue Ridge also attracts a significant number of retirees, as well as hardy folks who commute to Atlanta (90 minutes, down the four-lane highway).

Blue Ridge is proud of its charming, restored downtown, with the old depot now serving as the point of departure for the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. The downtown has wine shops, antique shops, cabin furnishing establishments, and restaurants. The park near the depot is a favorite gathering place, and the Blue Ridge Arts Association, housed in the historic courthouse, is the largest volunteer organization in the county.

Fannin County remains 42% national forest. Lake Blue Ridge is the finest big lake in Georgia, with crystal clear water and uncrowded boating. The lake is over 100 feet deep in the river channel, and hosts a substantial population of walleye. About 80 miles of the 100 miles of shoreline is national forest. The lake has a marina, four public boat ramps, a national forest campground, and a public swimming area at Morganton Point. The Blue Ridge area has some of the darkest night skies in the southeast, making it a favorite of astronomers and stargazers.

The Toccoa River has two distinct sections. As the river flows north, it runs through the Chattahoochee National Forest and is ideal for canoeing, kayaking, and tubing. Big boulders, huge hemlocks, and dramatic mountain vistas characterize this portion of the river. The trout fishing is good, and the tributaries, including Wilscot Creek and Noontootla Creek, are home to native species. The river below the dam – the tailrace – is considered the best trout stream in Georgia. As the river enters Tennessee, it is called the Ocoee. Several miles downstream of the Georgia-Tennessee line, the Olympic Whitewater venue is nestled in a beautiful setting in the Ocoee Gorge, the epicenter of a robust whitewater rafting industry. Fightingtown Creek, Blue Ridge’s most famous trout stream, comes off Flathead Mountain in the Cohuttas and winds through most of the county, flowing into the river just north of the Georgia-Tennessee line.

Fannin County has two mountain chains, the Cohuttas and the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Cohuttas are higher and wilder, and the Cohutta Wilderness Area is the jewel of Georgia’s wilderness areas, with a peak elevation over 4,000 feet at Cowpen Mountain. There are miles of lightly traveled hiking trails in the Cohuttas, including the long-range Benton McKaye Trail. The Jacks River traverses the wilderness area, feeding the pristine Conasauga River, which has more native species than the Colorado or Columbia river systems. The beginning point of the Appalachian Trail, Springer Mountain, is located in southern Fannin County in the heart of Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.

The Aska Road area, which sits between the Rich Mountain Wilderness and Lake Blue Ridge, is famous for the Aska Adventure Race – think extreme triathlon – which brings 90 four person teams to Blue Ridge for an annual competition. Next year, Blue Ridge will host the national competition. The Aska Road area is also home to several excellent hiking trails, and is the easiest access to the upper Toccoa River.

In this part of the mountains, real estate listings identify location by the post office serving the property. For this reason, listings that say “Blue Ridge” are often some miles out from the city of Blue Ridge, and the same is true of listings in Morganton and Mineral Bluff. Some of the smaller communities that you are apt to encounter in local listings are Epworth, McCaysville, and Dial. Cashes Valley, on the edge of the Cohutta mountains, is a beautiful area located not too far from the headwaters of Fightingtown Creek.

Analysis of MLS data for March 2008 reveals that there were 24 residential transactions in the Blue Ridge area last month. The median home sale was $166,250, with the highest sale being $465,000 and the lowest $65,000. These listings spent an average of 139 days on market before selling. The sold to list price ratio was 92.19%, and the sold to original price ratio was 87.3%. The total volume was $4,834,100.

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