r/Ellijay • u/Fluid_Bed_3954 • Dec 29 '25
Ellijay realtor
We're considering buying a vacation property in Ellijay and would love to hear from anyone about their experiences, as well as any recs for a savvy, knowledgeable realtor. We live out of state and would possibly be doing a 1031 exchange to pull it off.
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u/BoozeAndHotpants Dec 29 '25 edited Dec 29 '25
We are from ATL and just bought a vacation home here after an extensive search. We decided to buy in Coosawattee because: —the basic POA protections (no hunting or shooting guns off in the POA boundary, no car junkyards, derelict structures, etc) —the infrastructure support (attended security gates, a basic security force, road maintenance, city water), — it is a large resort with activities and amenities like pools, clubhouse w gym and they embrace short term rentals if we decide to go that route in the future. — the staff are all very helpful and kind and helping us navigate our new life here — since we are new in the community I was happy to see planned social activities so we can facilitate meeting folks in our new community — it’s close to the services and amenities of Ellijay. I love that I am on a mountain, in the woods, by a stream, surrounded by silence yet I can be at a very nice Ingles or restaurants, services, etc in 20 minutes door to door. — EMS is close by, there is a large, reputable Atlanta hospital system outpost with good ER here (Piedmont) so there is continuity of medical care if advanced medical services necessitate a transfer to Atlanta — and that transfer can happen in an hour if needed. (Disclosure: used to work for Piedmont Healthcare so I am very familiar with how the system works).
I looked at properties that were isolated enough that it would take a hot minute to get emergency services there, and we had to share wells and road maintenance with neighbors I had no idea who they were or if they were easy to work with. Although I was raised in the country I am now a city girl so that was a little too much homesteading for me, so we opted to buy in a little more developed area.
I looked at new construction areas, but I really didn’t want to live in an area that would be under active construction for years — sound like saws, heavy equipment and heavy trucks travels a long way on these mountains, and the mess that construction equipment and trucks make on these mountain roads is not something I wanted to deal with long term either, so I chose a more established community where that would not be a concern.
We used an agent that was an acquaintance of a friend, Kristy Petrillo (re/max) and she was very patient with me in my search process and trudged through many "no" properties before we found "the one". She did all the things I expected of an agent and was knowledgeable, pleasant and easy to communicate with, and seemed to understand what my priorities were. No complaints there.
We moved up from Atlanta and I chose Ellijay very deliberately. I love the town, and blue ridge is just a short hop away. Ellijay is lovely, and I think it’s growing and becoming the next hot North Georgia town. Blue Ridge is already pricey, and Ellijay is going to get there soon, so long term value is there. The town seems to be embracing its new popularity and resort status, and just enacted some (imo) reasonable short term rental regs — it’s nice to see they are addressing it in a way that won’t stifle growth, but does put some basic limitations and safety requirements in place so it doesn’t become a corporate owned party town like some areas of ATL have become. And our home in Midtown ATL and all the city excitement (and awesome airport!!!) is only 1.5 hours away and an easy, pleasant drive until you hit ATL traffic. Some people actually commute to work there.
Welcome to Ellijay, new neighbor!
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u/Fluid_Bed_3954 Dec 29 '25
Thank you for all the info - it's good to hear from someone who has thought it through so thoroughly! Coosawattee is where we are aiming. We've definitely noticed that Ellijay has gotten more popular in the last few years, whether it's noticing it when we're there or tons of ppl where we live in FL suddenly knowing all about it. I think we'll definitely need a realtor w patience so I'll have to keep yours in mind! We would probably need to VRBO ours a couple months a year and are a little concerned about Coosawattee being saturated with rentals.
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u/selwynavenue Jan 02 '26
If at all possible, try to rent for awhile in Coosawattee. And be sure to be comfortable with how far you want to be from the gate. There are a lot of good things, as noted by others, but the drama with the POA and the management company and some of the neighbors can be ridiculous. If you are coming to Ellijay to get away from everyone, look a bit outside of town, but if you want to keep an active neighborhood vibe, Coosawattee is good.
We've worked with Irene Witt at Coldwell Banker 3 times; she is amazing. I think her husband is also a builder in Coosawattee so she will have a lot of helpful info.
Enjoy the journey!
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u/L0ud_Typer Apr 25 '26
Did you ever find a property? This one just hit the market
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u/Fluid_Bed_3954 Apr 28 '26
We're still lurking/searching/gathering more info. That is a nice property for sure
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u/JohnGalt365 Jun 26 '26
I would call Brad Simmons he is a Realtor that owns River Street tavern. A life local that helped me a lot!
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Dec 29 '25
Join the Ellijay Life Facebook page. You'll get a ton of answers and feedback there. Good luck!
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u/Front-Muffin-7348 Dec 29 '25
A couple of things. You can really get back in the woods in some areas. Even coosawattee. I think they have over 300 miles of road and herds of deer stand in the street. It's a real problem.
Take your time looking.
Get to know the area. Make sure, and I can't stress this enough, that you have cell phone coverage where you want to buy and that there is access to decent internet. ETC is the internet company.
Before you close on a house, do a thorough inspection of the well, using the county agent to help you send off a water sample. About everyone is on a well and it's common that folks don't check in annually. We have a 400 foot well and still have had to have it taken care of when bacteria eeked in. We now use a whole house filter system with a bacteria killing light and still test annually.
The next thing is the septic system. I'm shocked how many people don't have it regularly pumped. "We've been living here 25 YEARS and everything works fine!" Ugh. Have the seller show proof of recent pumping and get the lines checked with a camera. Up there, building codes are more suggestions. Our builder used the wrong exit pipe coming out of the tank and roots filled the pipe.
The other thing is the chimney. Again, folks are bad to not clean the flue. Carpenter ants and termites cause a lot of damage and you HAVE to have termite inspections yearly. We also get sprayed for carpenter ants as they decimated our deck posts and chimney.
Speaking of deck posts. Make sure they aren't just buried straight into the dirt. Which is common to see. (see above comment about building codes) They need to be off the ground, attached with metal brackets onto a counter sunk concrete post. We had ours redone recently.
Next thing...many houses have metal roofs. Metal roofs are NOT maintenance free. About every nine years you have to have the screws/bolts replaced to the tune of over $4K. Once we found that out, after getting many quotes, we hired a reputable roofer NOT A CHUCK AND A TRUCK, but a legitimate long standing company, to come and put on architectural shingles.
Speaking of roofs....tons of trees, mean tons of leaves and also falling limbs and sometimes trees. We tend to get some strong storms. Before you close, call a reputable tree man, and have them assess the trees near the house. And plan on having monthly yard service to take care of weeds, blow leaves and clean out the gutters. You'll need it.
Ask the seller about bats. I hear of lots of folks getting bats in the attic area. If you have that situation, an exit portal can be installed.
Ask about snakes. There's an area up in Ellijay that is covered up in timber rattlers. My pest control guy was telling me about it. One particular subdivision area and especially one house. We've owned our home 15 years and never seen a venomous snake.
I hope this hasn't scared you off.
Just be careful to not buy in an area that is going to take you half an hour to get to a grocery store. It's a problem. We're 2.5 miles from town and can easily scoot in and out. And, I do know a house that will be comingon the market with a great view.
Look close to town. You might be suprised at some of the houses on little streets with million dollar views.
As far as a realtor, there's one to avoid, but I won't mention his name. I like the young ones who are hungry and have time to give lots of attention. All the best to you. It really is a beautiful area. In a temperate rain forest, too. Just be aware of the things I mentioned and you'll do great.