Journal
Field notes from
two coasts.
Market reads from Blue Ridge and Fort Lauderdale. Written monthly, in plain English.
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Buying a Short-Term Rental Cabin in Blue Ridge, GA
Buying a Blue Ridge cabin as a short-term rental? Here is Fannin County’s 6% STR tax, the rules on what qualifies, and the honest Airbnb-vs-long-term math.
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Blue Ridge, GA Homes for Sale: What $200K–$300K Buys Now
Most Blue Ridge GA homes for sale run past $300K. See what a $200K–$300K budget really buys in Fannin County as of August 2026, and where to look.
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Do You Need an Agent to Sell Your Home in Georgia?
You can sell your home in Georgia without an agent, and it is legal. The honest trade-offs of FSBO, flat-fee MLS, and full service, as of 2026.
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Selling a Georgia House That Needs Work: As-Is, Gut It, or Wait?
Selling a house in Georgia that needs work? The honest math on as-is vs. renovate vs. wait, holding costs, and what GA law makes you disclose.
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Selling a Georgia House That Needs Work: As-Is, Gut It, or Wait? The Honest Math
The Quick Version When you own a house that needs work, you have three moves, and only one of them is right for your house. You can sell a house…
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How Much Does a Home Inspection Cost in Georgia — and How to Pick an Inspector Worth the Money
A home inspection cost in Georgia runs about $325 to $500 as of 2026, more in Atlanta. What sets the price and how to pick an inspector worth it.
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What a Georgia Home Inspection Actually Covers (and What It Doesn’t): Reading the Report Like a Pro
What a Georgia home inspection covers and skips: permits, code, radon, cosmetics, report validity, and how to read the write-up like a pro.
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What a Home Inspection Should Cover on a Blue Ridge Cabin
What a standard Georgia home inspection covers on a Blue Ridge cabin, and the mountain add-ons it skips: septic, well, radon, and the Georgia termite letter.
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Second Home Tax Benefits: What You Can and Can’t Deduct
A second home lets you deduct mortgage interest on up to $750,000 of combined debt and property taxes within the new $40,000 SALT cap. Here’s what qualifies.
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Second Home Mortgage Rates, PMI & Down Payments: What to Expect
A second home mortgage adds a Fannie Mae surcharge of 1.125% to 4.125% by down payment, plus PMI under 20% down, worked on a Blue Ridge cabin.
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How to Buy a Second Home: A Step-by-Step Guide
How to buy a second home in the North Georgia mountains, step by step: set your budget, get pre-approved, pick your market, tour, and close in 30 to 45 days.
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Affordable Mountain Homes: What Cheap Buys, State by State
What do affordable mountain homes buy, state by state? As of 2026, from $182,704 in West Virginia to $510,778 in a Colorado town, North Georgia in the middle.
The Echea Letter
Monthly. One letter. No noise.
One letter a month. My read on what’s moving in Blue Ridge and Fort Lauderdale — what sold, what sat, what I’d tell a friend who asked. No sequences. No resends. If you ever want off the list, one click.
Reading isn’t the same as asking.
If one of these raised a question for you, write me. I answer myself.