See Jackson County's 1999 Year in Review

See Jackson County's 1999 Property Transactions

SIGN OF THE TIMES

Real estate for sale signs have popped up all over Jackson County as land and homes continue to be sold. Supported by strong economic growth in the metro Atlanta area, Jackson County has seen a wave of growth in recent years, especially in the West Jackson and Jefferson areas where new subdivisions have seen strong sales.
Photo by Travis Hatfield

REAL ESTATE

Real estate sales top $153 million in '99
Jackson County closed out 1999 with another record in real estate sales, hitting $153.6 million for the year. That's a 25 percent increase over 1998 and is nearly five times the level of just five years ago.
For the first time ever, property sales of over $1 million were in double-digits in 1999, with 13 such large-dollar transactions recorded. In 1998, only four transactions topped the $1 million mark.
By far the largest single transaction was the $9.6 million internal sale of Mitsubishi in Braselton from one division of the firm to another. The next highest was a $2.9 million sale by Red Maple Properties to Wilmington Trust Company in the Holly Springs area of North Jackson.
One of the largest public buyers of the year was the Jackson County School System, which bought 61.7 acres near East Jackson Middle School, 26.5 acres near Jackson County Elementary School and 8.5 acres near Maysville Elementary School. The system spent over $1.4 million for the three transactions combined.
Some 1,917 transactions were posted in 1999, up from 1,819 in 1998. Some of the sales were for the same tract of land as builders purchased lots from subdivision developers, then built houses on the lots for resale.
By far the most active seller in 1999 was Buckeye Land and Timber Co. and Jimmy C. Barnett, which sold 44 tracts during the year, mostly in Academy Woods Subdivision and Clover Mill Subdivision. Arcades Homes, Inc. had 34 sales during the year, while developer Dorsey Guthrie sold 32 tracts, mainly in Antrim Glen, Montgomery Shores and Woodmont Subdivisions. Liberty Crest Properties Inc. sold 27 tracts in Liberty Crest Subdivision, mostly to builders.
With the total value of all real estate in Jackson County estimated around $2.2 billion, last year's sales represent a seven percent turnover in the county's real estate market.
For a complete listing of 1999 property sales in Jackson County, go to The Herald's web site at http://mainstreetnews.com.

Top 1999 Real Estate Sales in Jackson County
(sales of over $1 million)
1. Mitsubishi Consumer Electronics America, Inc. to Mitsubishi Electric America Inc.,
$9.66 million
2. Red Maple Properties Inc. to Wilmington Trust Company, Trustee of FC Realty Trust,
$2.92 million
3. WF Forehand Jr. to ML Jackson, LLC 203 ac. $2.4 million
4. Stone Mtn. Industrial Park Inc. to Gwinnett Industries Inc. 468 ac. $2.25 million
5. Ram Reddy, et al. to Worldwide Real Properties Investments and Management LP 255
ac. $2.04 million
6. Jackson 85 LTD to WF Forehand Jr. 203 ac. $1.67 million
7. Jim Wal Development LLC to Williams Travel Center Inc. $1.48 million
8. H. Aggie Whitaker Jr. to L & J Associates, LLC $1.42 million
9. Y. J. and Elizabeth Howington to Joel A. Wallis, aka Andy Wallis 460 ac. $1.38 million
10. Texfi Industries Inc. to Water Wise Inc. 26 ac. $1.3 million
11. Emma H. Thompson to Cutwater Inc. 702 ac. $1.29 million
12. Douglas C. Michael to Keith and Scott Appling, Kelly Henderson, 195 ac. $1.2 million
13. Jean Coppage and Ray A. Shaw to Jimusae Development LLC 23 ac. $1.14 million
Top 1999 Real Estate Sellers in Jackson County
(by the number of transactions)
1. Buckeye Land and Timber Co. and Jimmy C. Barnett (44)
(Academy Woods and Clover Mill Subdivisions)
2. Arcade Homes, Inc. (34)
3. Dorsey Guthrie (32)
(Antrim Glen, Montgomery Shores, Woodmont)
4. Liberty Crest Properties Inc. (27)
(Liberty Crest Subdivision, mostly to builders)
5. North East Developers Inc. (24)
(Stone Creek and River Plantations Subdivisions)
6. Gadell Inc. (23)
(Eagles Landing, Academy Woods, Keys Crossing Subdivisions)
7. David Healan's Signature Homes Inc. (17)
(Ridge Mill Subdivision)
8. J-Squared Inc. (16)
(Hickory Ridge Subdivision)
9. RMRG Inc. (15)
(Crestmont Subdivision)
10. Property Development Group Inc. (14)
11. Farm Equities Inc. (14)
(Trotter's Ridge)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Jefferson BOE to hold parent meeting Thurs.
Leaders of the Jefferson City School System are hoping for a large turnout of parents Thursday night when they present an overview of upcoming plans for the system. The parents' meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the Jefferson High School auditorium.
As growth pressures mount on the system, school leaders have begun another expansion of the elementary school and are in the midst of planning a new middle school facility. A bond referendum is planned for March as a means of financing the upgrades.
"We want to explain what our situation is as far as growth is concerned, and present what we want to do," said superintendent Dr. John Jackson during a recent BOE meeting.
School leaders are also planning changes in some of the academic aspects of the system.

Mayfield finally gets more sewage capacity
BY ADAM FOUCHE
Amid Scottie Mayfield's statements of possibly pulling the Mayfield Dairy plant out of Braselton due to lack of sewage capacity, the Braselton Town Council voted Monday night to give Mayfield an additional 25,000 gallons per day.
"We appreciate your cooperation," Mark Hudson, a representative of Mayfield told the council at a work session Thursday. "We realize you are under certain restrictions with the EPD."
In mid-December, the town received a 50,000-gallon-per-day permit from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EDP) for its phase III land application system (LAS) facility upgrade. Mayfield had requested all of the capacity in Nov. 1998. However, the town committed 20,000 gallons per day of the additional capacity to Duke Weeks Realty Corp. in exchange for the land for the LAS. The other 5,000 gallons per day will be divvied up among new homes built in the city and to those requesting a small amount of sewerage.
In June, another 70,000-gallon-per-day upgrade is expected to go online. However, 50,000 gallons per day of that capacity is already committed to Duke Weeks as well. City leaders were hesitant to commit any of that capacity to Mayfield, since it is the last planned upgrade until 2002 when the city's planned re-use plant is expected to become operational. If the city gives all 20,000 gallons per day to Mayfield, there will be no capacity for any new developments or homes in the area served by Braselton.
Hudson did ask the council what Mayfield could do to help the situation. He brought up the idea of the company donating land to Braselton to use for more LAS upgrades. City officials told Hudson if they had more suitable land, they could increase capacity.
"More land for more drip fields would give more capacity," councilman Dudley Ray said.
Until then, the city will have to work on inflow and infiltration problems to try and increase capacity.
"All we can do for the next two years is inflow and infiltration improvements," councilman Bruce Yates said. "I say we do all we can with it."