Journal
Field notes from
two coasts.
Blue Ridge market reads, seller guidance, and North Georgia field notes. Written in plain English.
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Selling FSBO in Blue Ridge: The Honest Math
What selling by owner in Blue Ridge really saves and really costs: verified 2026 market data, NAR’s national numbers, and when FSBO makes sense.
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Selling a Short-Term Rental Cabin in Blue Ridge
Prepare rental, booking and management records for a Blue Ridge cabin sale. Separate past history from projections; confirm permit and contract questions.
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Questions I’d Tell You to Ask Any Blue Ridge Agent (Including Me)
The questions I’d tell any buyer or seller to put to a Blue Ridge agent, including me: rental ordinances, dock permits, land diligence, market experience.
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Do You Need a Buyer’s Agent for a Blue Ridge Cabin?
Do you need a buyer’s agent for a Blue Ridge cabin? What changed in August 2024, the rural diligence a good one runs, and when skipping one makes sense.
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Real Estate Commissions in Georgia: Seller Guide
Compare Georgia brokerage proposals by services, fees, terms and closing costs. See a dated national sample and questions for Blue Ridge sellers.
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Working With a Real Estate Agent in Blue Ridge, GA: The Complete Guide
How working with a real estate agent in Blue Ridge, GA works: buyer and seller sides, costs after the NAR settlement, FSBO math, and what I check first.
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1031 Exchange on a Vacation Rental: Rules for Cabin Owners
A rented cabin can qualify for a 1031 exchange; a vacation home you mostly use yourself cannot. The Rev. Proc. 2008-16 test, night by night.
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1031 Exchange on a Primary Residence: The Real Answer for Blue Ridge Owners
You cannot do a 1031 exchange on a primary residence. What Blue Ridge owners use instead: the $250,000/$500,000 exclusion and the conversion safe harbor.
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Fannin County Property Taxes: Rates, Due Dates & Exemptions
Fannin County’s 2025 total is 9.073 mills, not the 2.4400 usually quoted. District rates, the December 20 due date, and what homestead really saves.
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Is a Second Home Worth It? Costs to Compare in North Georgia
Compare second-home costs with a dated Fannin County tax example, an October 2026 mortgage-rate illustration, and parcel-specific insurance and upkeep checks.
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Are Log Cabins a Good Investment? Costs to Build vs. Buy in the North Georgia Mountains
Fannin County’s house price index rose 69.5% from 2020 to 2025 while new permits fell 22.4%. What that means for building versus buying a log cabin.
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Building a Real Estate Portfolio in Blue Ridge and the North Georgia Mountains
Fannin County’s lodging tax runs 6%, or 8% inside Blue Ridge. The excise, state fee, sales tax, property tax and IRS rules behind a Blue Ridge rental portfolio.
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.