Bert Carithers - Realtor

05/18/2026

👉Still looking for open land? It is available🌳

🚨27+/- Acres just hit the Market!
📍Madison County
🌳Rolling Pastureland, partially wooded along property border.
💲479,000
Call or text Bert Carithers for more information!
📲706.201.7814
💻[email protected]
Keller Williams Realty ATL Partners

https://members.gamls.com/search/propertydetail/listingID/10695170/oom/false

05/14/2026

Property Tax Relief & Homestead Exemption Changes

One of the biggest real estate related topics in Georgia right now is the continued push for property tax reform.

Senate Bill 382

In short this bill would stop local governments and school systems from opting out of Georgia’s statewide homestead exemption program. The exemption limits how fast taxable home values can increase each year based on inflation.

What this means for homeowners:
Slower increases in property tax bills for owner occupied homes
More predictable long term housing costs
Could help affordability for buyers struggling with rising taxes
What this means for real estate:
Easier to market primary residences because buyers can better estimate future taxes
May increase buyer confidence in certain counties
Could create funding concerns for local governments and schools if tax revenue growth slows

This matters especially in fast growing Northeast Georgia counties where assessments have been jumping significantly.

05/01/2026

🌼 7 Fast Growing Perennials That Create a Full Garden in No Time
If you’re looking to fill out your garden fast without replanting every year, these perennials will get the job done 👇

🌿 Agastache (Anise Hyssop)
Botanical Name: Agastache
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Well-drained, sandy or loamy
Soil pH: 6 - 6.5
Agastache grows quickly with tall spikes of purple, pink, or orange blooms. It’s a magnet for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, making it perfect for a lively garden.

🌼 Coreopsis (Tickseed)
Botanical Name: Coreopsis
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Well-drained, average soil
Soil pH: 6 - 7.5
Coreopsis produces bright yellow blooms that spread quickly and keep flowering all summer. It’s low maintenance and great for adding instant color.

🌿 Catmint (Nepeta)
Botanical Name: Nepeta
Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Soil Type: Well-drained, dry to medium
Soil pH: 5 - 8
Catmint grows fast and spreads into soft, flowing mounds of lavender-blue flowers. It’s drought tolerant and great for borders.

🌺 Salvia
Botanical Name: Salvia
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Well-drained
Soil pH: 5.5 - 6.5
Salvia grows upright with bold flower spikes and blooms repeatedly. It’s excellent for attracting pollinators and adding height to your garden.

🌸 Perennial Geranium (Cranesbill)
Botanical Name: Geranium (Cranesbill)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Soil Type: Well-drained, fertile
Soil pH: 6 -6.5
These fast-spreading plants form a thick ground cover with soft, colorful blooms. Great for filling gaps and keeping weeds down.

🌼 Daylily
Botanical Name: Hemerocallis
Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Soil Type: Well-drained, adaptable
Soil pH: 6 - 6.5
Daylilies grow fast and multiply easily, creating full clumps in just a season or two. Each bloom lasts a day, but new ones keep coming.

🌻 Blanket Flower (Gaillardia)
Botanical Name: Gaillardia
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Well-drained, sandy
Soil pH: 6 - 6.5
Blanket flowers bring bold red, orange, and yellow tones and thrive in tough conditions. They bloom heavily and fill space quickly.

💬 Which one are you planting this year?

04/27/2026

🏖️Looking for a beach house this summer? Come stay with us! ☀️
🌴Click the link below to view the property!
👉

Brand New to the Rental Market – Welcome to Joe’s Place!Joe's Place is a cozy Coastal Cottage centrally located in Port St Joe. Walking distance to the bay,...

04/18/2026

📊 NORTHEAST GEORGIA REAL ESTATE MARKET UPDATE - SPRING 2026
If you’ve been wondering what’s really happening in our local market… here’s a straight breakdown 👇
🏡 What type of market are we in?
Here in Northeast Georgia, we’re in a slightly buyer leaning market right now.
Inventory has increased compared to the past couple of years, which means buyers have more optionss and a little more negotiating power. But don’t get it twisted, homes that are priced right are still moving.
⏱ Days on Market (this is the big one right now):
• Well priced homes: averaging about 63 days
• Overpriced homes: sitting closer to 121 days
👉 Translation: Pricing your home correctly from day one is EVERYTHING in this market.
💰 Current Interest Rates (April 2026):
• 30-year fixed: around 6.3% – 6.4%
• 15-year: around 5.7%
We did see rates dip below 6% earlier this year, but that window closed quickly.
🌍 How the Iran Conflict Has Impacted Our Market
👉 Before the conflict (early 2026):
• Rates were trending down
• Buyer activity was picking up
• Spring market was shaping up strong
👉 After tensions escalated:
• Oil prices jumped → inflation concerns rose
• Mortgage rates climbed back above 6%
• Some buyers hit pause due to affordability
👉 Where we are now:
• Rates have stabilized slightly
• Buyers are still active, just more cautious
• Deals are happening, but negotiation is back on the table
📉 What We’re Seeing Locally in Northeast Georgia:
• Fewer bidding wars compared to previous years
• Buyers asking for repairs, concessions, and closing cost help again
• Sellers having to compete more on price AND condition
💡 What this means for you:
Buyers: You finally have some breathing room. More options, less pressure , but rates still matter.
Sellers:The strategy has shifted. You can still sell for top dollar, but only if you price it right and present it well.
📲 Bottom line:
This isn’t a bad market, it’s a more balanced, realistic one.
And having the right strategy makes all the difference.
If you’re thinking about making a move in Northeast Georgia, let’s talk through what this market means specifically for you.
Bert Carithers
Keller Williams Realty ATL Partners
📲706.201.7814

04/14/2026

🌱 The Right Time to Plant Tomatoes:
When it comes to growing great tomatoes, timing isn’t just important, it’s everything. If you want healthy plants and a productive harvest, you’ve got to pay attention to more than just the calendar.
🌡️ Soil Temperature: The #1 Factor
Before you even think about transplanting your tomatoes, check your soil, not the air.
Ideal soil temperature: 60–70°F
Below 55°F: Root development slows significantly
Cold soil can lead to: Stunted growth, Yellowing plants, and Delayed fruit production,
👉 Bottom line: Warm soil = strong roots = better tomatoes.
☀️ Air Temperatures Matter Too: Ideal daytime temps: 70–85°F, Nighttime temps: Stay above 50°F. When temps drop below 50°F: Growth slows, Plants become stressed, annd Flower production may suffer.
🧪 Getting Your Soil pH Right
Tomatoes aren’t overly picky, but they do perform best in slightly acidic soil.
Best pH range: 6.0–6.8
This range allows for: Better nutrient absorption, Stronger plant structure, and Higher fruit production.
🌙 Planting by the Zodiac & Moon Phases (April 2026)
For those who like to follow traditional planting methods, timing your garden with the zodiac signs is still a trusted practice, especially here in the South.
Tomatoes are above ground, fruit-bearing plants, so they do best when planted during “fruitful” signs:
♋ Cancer
♏ Scorpio
♓ Pisces
📅 Best transplanting dates in April 2026:
April 10–12 (Scorpio)
April 19–21 (Pisces)
These windows are believed to promote stronger growth and better yields for crops that produce above the ground.
🌱 Putting It All Together
If you want to get the most out of your tomato plants this year, don’t rush the process.
✔ Wait until your soil temperature reaches at least 60°F
✔ Make sure nighttime temps stay above 50°F
✔ Aim for a soil pH between 6.0–6.8
✔ (Optional) Plant during fruitful zodiac signs for an added edge
💬 Final Thought:
Planting tomatoes at the right time can be the difference between struggling plants and a garden full of big, juicy fruit. Be patient, watch your conditions, and you’ll set yourself up for a great season.
Are you planting early this year or waiting for everything to line up just right? 👇

04/01/2026

⏰Will we send an end to "Spring Forward" & "Fall Back"?

Georgia is actively trying to stop the twice a year clock change.
A new bill, House Bill 154 (the “Georgia Sunshine Protection Act”) has:
✅ Passed the Georgia Senate (45–5 vote)
🔄 Headed back to the Georgia House for final approval
💡 What the bill would actually do, move Georgia from Eastern Time to Atlantic Time
And stay on that time year-round
Result, no more “spring forward / fall back”

👉 In simple terms
You’d keep what feels like “daylight saving time” permanently.

⚠️ Big catch (this is why it hasn’t happened yet)

Even if Georgia passes the bill:

It still needs approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation
There’s no clear timeline for when it would take effect

So it’s not guaranteed yet.

Time changes mess with sleep and health
There are spikes in heart attacks, accidents, and school issues after time changes
🤔 What could change for you?

If it passes AND gets federal approval:

No more changing clocks twice a year
BUT winter mornings would be darker
(Sunrise could be around 8:00+ AM)
🧾 Bottom line
Georgia is closer than ever to ending daylight saving time changes
But it’s not law yet, and even if it passes:
It still depends on federal approval

03/31/2026

🚜 Georgia Land Laws Most People Don’t Know About…

Buying land in Georgia isn’t always as simple as “buy it and do what you want.” There are a few lesser known laws that can surprise people 👇

🌳 1. “Use It or Lose It” Access (Prescriptive Easements)
If someone has been using a path, driveway, or road across a property openly and continuously for 20+ years, they may actually gain legal rights to keep using it, even if you own the land. That “old dirt road” might not be as private as you think.

🐄 2. Right to Farm Protection
Georgia has strong protections for farmers. That means if you move next to a working farm (even if it gets noisy, dusty, or smelly), you usually can’t file nuisance complaints if the farm has been there first.

🌲 3. Timber Rights Can Be Separate
Believe it or not the trees on a property can be owned by someone else. Always check if timber rights were previously sold, because you could buy land and not own the timber sitting on it.

🏡 4. Property Line Surprises (Adverse Possession)
If someone occupies and maintains a portion of land for a long period (typically 20 years in Georgia), they may be able to claim ownership of that portion legally.

💡 Bottom Line:
Land comes with a lot of history, and sometimes hidden rights. Before buying, it’s always worth digging a little deeper than just the listing.

If you’ve ever thought about buying land (or already own some), I’d be happy to help you navigate the details 👍

📩 Shoot me a message anytime!

Bert Carithers
Keller Williams Realty ATL Partners
[email protected]
706.201.7814

03/29/2026

Do we still want to talk about interest rates?

It feels like everywhere you turn, someone is saying rates are “too high” and waiting for them to drop. But here’s the reality, today’s rates really aren’t high when you look at the big picture.

If you zoom out over the last 50+ years, mortgage rates have actually averaged around 7–8%.

👉 In the late 1970s and early 1980s, rates climbed into the double digits
👉 In 1981, they peaked at over 16% (yes, really!)
👉 Even through the 90s and early 2000s, 6–8% was completely normal

Fast forward to today, rates are sitting around the mid-6% range.

So why does it feel like they’re high?
Because we all got used to that short window of historically low rates around 2020–2021 when rates dipped below 3%. That wasn’t normal, that was the exception.

The truth is:
📊 Today’s rates are much closer to the long term average than people think
📉 They’re still significantly lower than what buyers faced decades ago
🏡 And people have always bought and sold homes in every rate environment

Waiting for rates to drops might sound like a good plan, but historically trying to “time” interest rates is a tough game to win.

Real estate isn’t about perfect timing, it’s about making the right move for your situation.

If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines because of rates, it might be worth taking another look 👀