Relocating From UK (Atlanta, Canton, Jasper: for sale, real estate market, insurance)

[kerrecoe]

Hi. This is my first post on here but I've been watching for some time and have found the information invaluable so far. There seems to be a genuine desire to help others which is great for a forum. Not all forums are like that. Well done!

I hope you can help us out. We are a British family with three young boys. We've been wanting to leave UK for some time- the astronomical real estate values, over-crowding, gridlock, corrupt & prescriptive government practices etc., etc... have made us feel totally dis-satisfied with life in UK.

I am a designer/property developer and have a small (specialised) publishing company. My wife is a qualified Counsellor & Youth Worker with a family-based focus. We have some friends from UK who moved to Bridgemill, Canton, a year ago and they absolutely love it there. They have three kids too and we were good friends. We have mentioned that we would like to come over too and they have said it would be the best decision we could make.

Our plan is to move to the mountains (visas allowing, of course!) and build a couple of lodges every now and then for resale/rental (depending on market conditions) and for my wife to set up a family counselling clinic. I have two property/design books to write for the UK market so I would be writing when I am not building.

I have noticed an enormous amount of available building plots in or near Ellijay (how do you say that?) but have read some worrying comments on here about it. There are plots all over of course, so we need more research about different areas. I have a million questions/concerns, a couple of which you may be able to help with....

We come from a culture where guns are very much the exception to the rule, although we are hearing now that all of the major metropolitan areas in UK have huge gun problems, unlicensed of course. It's not a problem necessarily that guns are common in US but we would like to feel reassured that drive-by shootings don't happen everyday, everywhere. We are thinking that, if we do move, we will both learn to use a gun properly before we get over there anyway but that's because we are imagining that we'll be fending off bears on a regular basis!

Also, UK is heading for a sticky economic period (recession is touted on the TV media on an hourly basis) and I know that you guys are having trouble too. What's the general consensus over there about the likelihood of recession? I've heard people saying on here that Northern GA hasn't increased so dramatically in the last few boom years so it should be protected slightly from whatever realignment is coming. Part of our relocation plan is property development and there seem to be staggering amounts of property being built in the area already. Is it a bad idea to join a crowded marketplace or is there an abnormally high amount of properties for sale because the 'weekenders' are trying to offload before a recession comes?

We have kids so we have to select the town or area very carefully to access good schools/hospitals/facilities etc and there are plenty of threads that can help us out with that but, I guess, we would be grateful for reassurance that we would be welcomed in the area. There seems to be a low-level awareness of immigration, weekenders and illegals changing the character of the area. Would we be seen as adding to a 'problem' or would be welcomed? We are very good at integrating, having relocated within UK three years ago and have plans for business activities that would employ people, pay taxes and make a positive contribution to the community (hopefully). We would like to be welcomed rather than tolerated, wherever we decide to go and we feel good that the Northern GA area would be a good place for us to raise our family. Is that just wishful thinking? The grass is greener and all that.....

Thanking you in advance for any assistance you can give.

[deja-zebbie]

kerrecoe

I can't comment on moving to Ellijay as I've only visited there. "El ah j" is the way we pronounce it. My husband and I like Ellijay quite a bit. .

What I can comment on is your desire to be welcomed. We live in a rural area South of Atlanta in the piedmont area. While the lifestyle up north in Ellijay would be somewhat different I can tell you that I've found the folks throughout Georgia VERY friendly and very helpful.

Now, the area you'd be moving to would have a good deal more influx of people from different areas of the U.S. since everyone, it seems wants to move up North. So, I imagine that the population is more of a mix in Elijay with so many newcomers.

As for being welcomed. I can't imagine that Ellijay is that much different from where we live. In our neck of the woods folks take the time to ask about each other and/or comment on the weather, etc.such as when going into a shop and to smile and nod when passing people on the street. If you just imagine that you're moving to a village in England then I think you'll be just fine. A sense of humor will come in handy. If you are currently city dwellers then you might want to slow your pace a bit. We find the pace of life in Georgia (outside Atlanta) very suited to us.
. .
As for the guns. Hunting appears to me to be VERY popular in Georgia. A lot of people I know here have hunted at one time or another and so have guns for hunting and also for protection. You'll most likely see signs for "deer coolers" and those are for folks who have shot deer to have them cooled and processed. A number of people I've met EAT what they hunt or pass it on to friends and family who eat it. It's not like you're moving to the wild west in the 1800's, guns are just a fact of life for a lot of people. Having guns doesn't make NORMAL people use them in irresponsible ways, in the same way that having a car doesn't make NORMAL people run over pedestrians. I'm trying to be reassuring here. I've heard more conversations about firewood here than I've EVER heard about guns.

We love Georgia and I hope that you will as well. The people on this list are very helpful and I'm pretty sure that there are folks from up where you're planning on moving who can offer you assistance.

All the best,
zebbie

PS If you're a tea drinker and do make your move to Georgia Upton Tea Imports (uptontea.com) offers a great selection and EXCELLENT mail service. I'm not connected with them.

[WestcoastBrit]

What type of visa are you going for, L1 or E2. You may qualify for EB5 if you are building.

[bridgemillres]

I'm sorry. I had to chuckle at some parts of your letter. First of all, I also live in Bridgemill so perhaps I am somewhat naive. We transferred here two years ago and I haven't seen any bears or guns. In fact, I haven't even met a hunter. Everyone I know likes their meat wrapped in bakery paper and properly labeled. There are no drive by shootings around here. You need to go south of Atlanta to experience such. Not all areas of south Atlanta are scary but I avoided it all because I didn't want to err.
I am a Northerner. Southerners are still nice to me. If you have a British accent, you will be welcomed with open arms. Everyone will want to hear you speak. Your friends can tell you all about Canton. I am sure there are bears but bears are typically very afraid of humans. I have encountered dozens in New Hampshire. We never had a problem. It's the rabbits you should be concerned about. They eat your flowers.
Good Luck to you all and Welcome to Georgia.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by bridgemillres

If you have a British accent, you will be welcomed with open arms. Everyone will want to hear you speak. Your friends can tell you all about Canton. I am sure there are bears but bears are typically very afraid of humans. I have encountered dozens in New Hampshire. We never had a problem. It's the rabbits you should be concerned about. They eat your flowers.
.

Yeah kerrecoe, you'll be fine, and yes, you'll get tired of people asking you to "say something" to hear your accent. LOL.

You made a comment about immigrants, but you need to realize that most of the tension here is about illegal immigrants coming in from Mexico. There are an estimated 12 million illegal Mexican immigrants here now, and it's a pretty hot political issue amongst candidates. Brits aren't even considered "immigrants".

Black Bears are generally like large black dogs, but every once and again if a mother Bear has her cubs near her, they have been known to jump on a person. It's VERY rare. 99% of the time they're going to run from you the very second they see or hear you (and no, you do not want to feed them). You may see Coyotes here (again, they'll run), and an occasional Fox, Rabbit, or Sasquatch/Bigfoot (ok, kidding - sorta).

As far as guns, Southerns are fierce about their right to own guns. Many people here belong to the NRA (national rifle association). A number of guys in the far burbs hunt, a few have gun racks in the back of their pickup trucks, and yeah, every now and again up in the mountains you'll come across that one goober who has that, "hey, what we gonna go out in the woods and kill next??" mentality. But no, "drive by shootings" are not common at all in the burbs, and people do not randomly walk around taking shots at each other. I would advise against being TOO vocal to the locals about being opposed to guns, though. That's kinda like talking about politics or religion - a topic best avoided. Otherwise, many people are at least decently friendly in casual encounters. Over time you will find out that you may or may not jive enough with the locals enough to exactly want to eat dinner with them, but that's the way it is anywhere. You'll click with some folks, and not with others.

[lastminutemom]

I have a slightly different perspective... Bridge Mill is very different from Ellijay as Canton is pretty much part of Metro Atlanta and Ellijay and the surrounding area is not.

I am not even sure bear hunting is legal (is it?) in Georgia.

I have several friends that are doctors with offices in Ellijay who live in Metro Atlanta. Ellijay may be growing but a lot of their growth is retirees or near retirees.

Also, you don't speak about your time line, but I have a neighbor who built two lovely homes up there and has been able to sell neither. If you envision building high end housing you might consider the Ashville NC area as well as Highlands/Cashiers NC. Big money is much more common there than the Ellijay area. Old Money (and new) flock to NC for their mountain homes.

Your wife will probably need to work with others to actually make a living as she will be new to the community. I don't know how aware you are about the problems related to provision of health care in America but this is multiplied when it comes to mental health care. I have a friend in England who is a certified counselor and who recently visited me and met with counselors here. She said that access to services was quite different at home. Your wife will mostly be relying on private pay patients as insurance pays for very few services she could offer. She will also need to research licensure issues.

[atlantagreg30127]

Oh man, I just found these on another post, and had to add them..

Someone had requested pics from the Jasper area, and someone posted a few. If you don't laugh, they might just scare the heck out of someone who's thinking about moving to the area. Note, I did not take these - they're just posted on the Flickr public area..

Apparently a store sign in Jasper: sign outside store on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

And you gotta dig the Camouflage baby clothes and crib:
Camouflage baby clothes on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Camouflage baby bed on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Ok ok.. it is scary. But funny in a deliverance kinda way, too. LOL

[irvm]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

Apparently a store sign in Jasper: sign outside store on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Ok ok.. it is scary. But funny in a deliverance kinda way, too. LOL

Just so you don't scare off the folks from the UK: that sign is outside a huge 'outdoors' store which sells hunting, fishing, camping gear. Including guns.
If you take one in for repairs, they quite logically want it to be unloaded.

[dunsandal]

Kerrecoe, first of all, I wouldn't worry about the "xenophobia issue" too much. I've lived in North Georgia for twenty-years, after moving here from South Africa with my family in the late 80's, and have never felt uncomfortable as a "foreigner". During that time we have had several other South African families come and go. One of my mother's close friends here is from the UK, as is the mother of one of the girls on my daughter's soccer team, and there doesn't appear to be any animosity from local residents. (Plenty of curiosity, sure, and yes, you will be asked to speak simply for the sake of speaking . . . so, you'll have to get used to that).

The town in which I live, Jasper, is actually between the two places you referenced . . . Bridgemill and Ellijay. Pickens County is a small, but growing, community. The population of Jasper is around 3,000, and Pickens County around 30,000 residents . . . but, it is also in the top 100 fastest growing counties in the nation. Its position as the gateway to the Blue Ridge mountains, within an easy commute to Atlanta, makes it appealing to visitors, retirees, and those wanting to escape the congestion of the city.

Employment has been strong and growing, aided by commercial development, a new hospital (with burgeoning medical community), affordable housing, and outward expansion of Atlanta. With the increasing tax base, the school system is likewise constantly improving.

I am a licensed real estate practitioner, so can give some insight as to my perspective on the local real estate market if you like, but won't get too detailed here. In brief response to your development plans, you are right to be a little concerned. The local real estate market (and many markets nationwide) has experienced a weakening and I don't want to mislead you with too rosy a picture. Any plans for speculative building will definitely require thorough research and careful planning. That said, buyers are still buying -- just fewer of them, and they are being very selective. So, if I may oversimplify a little, it's mainly a question of figuring out where the demand lies and targeting that element.

Beyond this necessary due diligence, the current softening won't last forever. North Georgia didn't see the same run up in prices as many other areas of the country, and underlying fundamentals still appear fairly solid (as discussed above with employment, general area appeal, demographics, etc.), which will aid any recovery from current conditions or the possible recession.

As with Ellijay, building lots in the Jasper / Pickens County area are plentiful, in a variety of settings and price points. It comes down to pin-pointing the best deal in the most desirable area for your needs.

And yes, you may see the occassional bear. I've only seen two or three around here in the past twenty-years, so I wouldn't put that at the top of my list of concerns. I've also never heard of a "drive-by shooting" in this area, and in fact crime (particularly of the violent sort) in Pickens County is reportedly well below the state average. Guns . . . well, there are plenty of those. Mostly for recreation (skeet, target, hunting) and show, more so than for any nefarious reason. Not to say there is no crime or anything "bad" in the community, just that it appears less than many more urbanized areas.

Overall, I would at least suggest this as one of the communities to add to your list of possibilities for further consideration and research.

Well, I hope that helps answer some of your questions, but I'm sure you have many more. Please feel free to contact me directly via email / my profile for more information, or post a response and I'll pick it up from there.

Good luck, whatever you decide!

[SportyGal]

Hi! I don't know if you are still relocating, but I am selling a beautiful home in Jasper, Georgia. It is only about 20 minutes from Elijay. Also, it is located in the desirable area near Bent Tree and Big Canoe. Beautiful home with over 4100 sq. ft on 3+ acres. It has wrap around porch, 4 bedrooms,master on main with opening to porch, screen porch, deck, covered patio on terrace level. 3 1/2 baths, double garage, fenced back yard, finished basement with in-law suite, second kitchen, full bath, and laundry area also(just completed 2007). IT is the only resale since 2004. We are only selling because we are relocating also. Many upgrades and wonderful neighbors!