06/04/2026
About 20 years ago, we bought a home in Ellijay. We were looking for a place in the mountains that wouldn’t be too far of a drive, where we could enjoy family vacations while the kids were young.
In the beginning, we went there all the time. We spent holidays there, enjoyed long weekends, and always went for spring break. The kids loved playing in the creek and exploring the outdoors. We had so many fun nights in the hot tub and roasting marshmallows at the fire pit.
And when we weren’t there? We would rent it out.
It was the perfect investment for our family, and we love being able to share it with other families, too.
Now that the kids are grown, we don’t go up as much anymore, but Mike and I still sneak away for a short visit. Or we sneak away for a “working weekend” to make sure the house is up to par.
This past “working weekend,” we brought our 23-year-old son, Michael, to help out. Our goal was to get as much outside work done as possible. We had a multitude of things to do, such as:
⚒️ Paint the railings on the stairs
⚒️ Lay 35 bales of pine straw
⚒️ Pressure wash the walkways and the bridge
⚒️ Clean up the rear patio and sunroom
It took us 3 full days to get all of this done! And I was working at the same time, answering texts, calls, and emails to keep things running smoothly with the real estate business.
Every homeowner knows owning a home, especially a second home, isn’t always glamorous getaways or picture-perfect fun. With a great home comes great responsibility.
But we wouldn’t trade it for anything. The sweat equity is just as important to us as the financial equity we’ve built up over the years.
It’s what makes this home a special place to visit and to share with others.
- Brittany
RE/MAX Town & Country
P.S. If you’d like to visit Ellijay and see why our family fell in love with the mountains, I’ll drop a link to our rental below. 👇 We’d be honored to host you.