When Keller Williams Realtor Carlyn Voges looks at the stocked ponds, finished barns and large lots at the Long Branch Residential Preserve on Lookout Mountain, she has a hard time believing people don’t want to live there.
“It’s absolutely gorgeous out there,” she said of the development. “It’s so family oriented and such a great community. The whole feeling out there is a mountain community made from bark and stone.”
But even though the market has improved, Voges isn’t selling as many lots and homes as she’d like, and neither are other local realtors, she said.
“Everyone thinks the mountain is too far away and too expensive and too snobby – all of the things it’s not,” said Voges.
In an effort to promote real estate on the mountain and community happenings, real estate agents and Lookout Mountain’s mayors from Georgia and Tennessee met nearly six months ago to discuss marketing strategies. A joint website for both of the towns, community groups and local real estate listings was discussed, but efforts to make that a reality have been slow going, said Voges.
“When you Google ‘Lookout Mountain’ you get Rock City, which is a great part of the community but it isn’t a reflection of everything that’s going on,” she said. “It would be nice to know what’s going on even if you don’t have a kid bringing home fliers from their backpack.”
According to Lookout Mountain, Tenn. Mayor Greg Brown, the town is still working toward the joint website.
“The holdup seems to be budget approval from the towns,” he said. “I believe that approval will happen in the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2012.”
Once created, Voges said she’d like to see the website focus more on community happenings, local businesses, recreational opportunities, civic meetings and real estate listings.
“It needs to be comprehensive and all about Lookout Mountain,” she said. “We have everything everyone else does, but nobody knows about it.”