Life & Real Estate In & Around Athens GA. : June 2008

I have been playing golf for much longer than I have been doing Real Estate. I have found that many of the same principles of golf also apply to real estate, or any other profession or life activity for that matter.

What is the first lesson anyone should know about golf? No, not how to grip a club, not how to putt or drive or chip. The first lesson in golf is this. Golf is all about what you do when nobody is looking.

In the movie Bagger Vance, Junnah Ranulph has a chance to win the golf match but as he clears some moveable impedements the ball moves slightly. Not much, didn't improve his lie or give him an advantage. It just moved. The rules of golf state that when the ball moves as a result of the golfer's action, whether or not part of a stroke, that is a penalty.

But nobody but Junnah saw this happen. Junnah called the penalty on himself. People, including the judges, gave him the chance to retract it. But Junnah kept the penalty stroke. He did not win the match.

In real life, Bobby Jones did the same thing at the 1925 U.S. Open. He ending up losing by 1 stroke.

Golf isn't about hitting the ball 300 yards, like Tiger Woods. It is about character. It is about honesty, it is about integrity.

What about real estate? What do you do, or not do, when nobody is looking? If you breakdown the Code of Ethics, it isn't about money, it is about character, is about honesty, it is about integrity. What are you about?

By the way, I am a better Realtor than I am a golfer.

My wife and I love Mexican food. Our favorite Mexican restaurant in the Athens area is Agua Linda. I did a blog post about it for localism. One of our favorite appectizers is their chunky guacamole. I have tried to duplicate the recipe at home and have come very close. I do mash the avocado and blend it rather than leave everything in chunks. But we both beleive it is very tasty. So, if you are ever in Athens and crave good Mexican food, go to Agua Linda. If you like good guacamole at home, try this recipe.

1 Avocado - coarsely mashed or chopped

1 medium tomato (a Roma does well) - diced

or about 6 - 8 cherry or grape tomatoes - diced

1 slice red onion - chopped

2 green onions -sliced

5 - 6 sprigs fresh cilantro - chopped

Juice of 1 key lime

fresh Jalapeno pepper - chopped

a dash of fresh crushed garlic

Blend all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Adjust the amount of jalapeno pepper according to how hot you like your guacamole. I do about 4 slices, chopped. You can cool the jalapeno a little by removing the seeds. If you don't want to cut a fresh jalapeno, you can get by with about 4 slices of canned or pickled jalapeno, chopped. All other ingredients should be fresh. Refrigate until ready to serve.

Serves 2. We use this as a dressing to make quacamole salad, as a dip for chips and to put on top of our chimi's, quesadillas, empinadas, taquitos, etc. 

We hope that you will try it and enjoy it also.

Greenbrier - A Quiet and Affordable Gem of a Neighborhood

Located on the eastside of Athens, just 7 minutes away from downtown and the University of Georgia is a small subdivision named Greenbrier. Mature trees and landscaping provide the setting for homes located on lots approximately 2/3 acre in size.

The few streets within this subdivision are all cul de sacs, no through traffic. The homes are all about 1500 to 2000 sq. feet and the price range is from the $140,000's to the $170,000's with the recent average selling price of $159,000.00.

Only a few hundred yards from the entrance is Wiggly Field Dog Park. It is a fenced in park that permits off-leash dog activities, including a "doggie" obstacle course. There are actually two fenced in areas, one for small dogs and one for larger breeds. Right next door to Wiggly Field is Wonder Playground which features swings, slides, elevated walkways and structures designed to entertain and educate younger children.

Shopping and restaurants are all within a couple of minutes, as well as a skate park, driving range and walking track.

For information on homes for sale in Greenbrier, or anywhere else in the Athen and surrounding 6 counties, call Mike Saunders, Keller Williams Greater Athens Realty, at 706-207-5290. You can also email me at athensrealestate@hotmail.com . You can also search for properties at my website www.theathensrealestatepage.com

My wife & I watched the Astronaut Farmer last night. We were pleasantly surprised at it.

The story is about a rancher who retired from the astronaut program when his father died. Although his career as an astronaut was over, his dreams of space were not. He builds, from scrap and salvage, his own space capsule and launch vehicle. Ok, a little far fetched, maybe. He faces foreclosure, his friends think he is crazy, the government thinks he might be a terrorist, or worse, someone who can do the job (go to space) on his own, with no government support and do it for less money.

But most of all, it is a story about dreams, about fulfilling them. It is a story about a family that loves and supports each other, that shares each others dreams. It is warm, edifying and leaves the watcher feeling good.

It's a different role for Billy Bob, far removed from Bad Santa. We gave it a 4 out of 5 stars on our Netflix review). Rent it, watch it with your family, it will make you feel good.

Shoal Creek Farms – Country Living – Close to the City

Deer, squirrels, rabbits, cardinals, and other wildlife are what you will share this community of 2500 to 4500 square foot homes with. Most of the homes are situated on 1 to 2 acre lots, some with lake-frontage. There are several larger lots ranging in size from 2 to15 acres spread throughout the slightly more than one square mile of development. Home prices range from about $275,000 to about $425,000 except for the significantly larger lots.

It is a quiet country setting but only 5 minutes to shopping, 12 minutes to the University of Georgia and 15 minutes from the restaurants, business, shopping and night life of downtown Athens. Along with areas of native woodlands, there is a picturesque lake that all residents of Shoal Creek Farms have the use of. There are several small streams that add to the rural ambiance of the neighborhood as well as plenty of open space.

The common areas around the lake and the entrance are maintained through an annual home owner’s assessment of $225.

Call or email me for information on any of the several excellent properties available in this desirable neighborhood, or for information on other properties available in the Athens or surrounding 6-county area. You can click for a link to a video tour of one of the homes currently for sale. Below are more photos of the neighborhood.