Mountains, Lakes & Athens Real Producers

12/15/2025

12/15/2025

🎉 What an INCREDIBLE night at our Mountains, Lakes & Athens Real Producers 2025 Holiday Party! 🥂

We're still glowing from the amazing energy, laughter, and connections made as our North Georgia real estate community came together to celebrate another phenomenal year! From meaningful conversations to festive fun, this event reminded us why we love what we do—it's all about the PEOPLE. ⭐

HUGE THANK YOU to:
✨ Exodus Design Build for hosting us in style and providing the perfect venue
✨ Sarah Maslowski and Steve Neville for delivering outstanding education that equipped our community with valuable insights
✨ Our incredible event sponsors who made this celebration possible:
• MPower Solutions
• Maxwell Mortgage Team
• Kadima Collective
• Johns Creek Mortgage
• Ascend Roofing
• HomeStretch NE Atlanta
• Forever Exteriors
• Northeastern Restoration
• Cohutta Fishing

✨ Every agent, partner, and guest who showed up to connect, elevate, and inspire one another
The memories captured in this video showcase what makes our Real Producers family so special—genuine connections, shared success, and a commitment to lifting each other higher. Here's to finishing 2025 strong and charging into 2026 together! 🎊

Thank you for making this night unforgettable. Until next time, Mountains, Lakes & Athens! 🌟

12/12/2025

🌟 Traci Nelson bet on herself and won—building a $180 million career by restarting from scratch! After a decade as a successful buyer's agent, this psychology degree holder made a fearless leap, tearing down her established business to rebuild independently at Ansley Real Estate Christie's International. Her path from behavior therapist to corporate banking to real estate reflects her burning desire for entrepreneurship, though she now laughs about wanting to "control her own schedule" since her clients have become her bosses! What sets Traci apart is her ability to work with "difficult" or "high-maintenance" clients that other agents avoid, skills she attributes to financing her Armstrong Atlantic State University education through restaurant work. Her Lake Country expertise stems from watching Lake Oconee transform from her childhood lakefront property into today's upscale resort destination with Ritz-Carlton luxury. Married 20 years to her elementary school teacher husband who keeps things running smoothly, Traci's business thrives on relationships, referrals, and her motto: "Leave the real estate to me while you focus on the things you love."

"I had a burning desire to be independent. The industry was changing fast, and I wanted control over my own business and my future."

Discover her complete transformation in our latest edition at mountainslakesathensRP.com! 🚀

bet on herself and won—building a $180 million career by restarting from scratch! After a decade as a successful buyer's agent, this psychology degree holder made a fearless leap, tearing down her established business to rebuild independently at Ansley Real Estate Christie's International. Her path from behavior therapist to corporate banking to real estate reflects her burning desire for entrepreneurship, though she now laughs about wanting to "control her own schedule" since her clients have become her bosses! What sets Traci apart is her ability to work with "difficult" or "high-maintenance" clients that other agents avoid, skills she attributes to financing her Armstrong Atlantic State University education through restaurant work. Her Lake Country expertise stems from watching Lake Oconee transform from her childhood lakefront property into today's upscale resort destination with Ritz-Carlton luxury. Married 20 years to her elementary school teacher husband, who keeps things running smoothly, Traci's business thrives on relationships, referrals, and her motto: "Leave the real estate to me while you focus on the things you love."""

12/11/2025

MYTH: You need 20% down to buy a North Georgia home. 🏔️
Swipe to discover why thousands of buyers are getting into their dream mountain homes with MUCH less! 👆

This outdated belief stops too many families from even exploring homeownership. Here's the truth: The average down payment in Georgia is just 12%—and first-time buyers average only 9%!

💡 What you really need:
→ FHA Loans: 3.5% down
→ Conventional: 3% down for first-timers
→ VA Loans: 0% down for veterans
→ USDA: 0% down in eligible areas
→ Georgia Dream Program: Up to $12,500 assistance

Real Talk: On a $400,000 North Georgia cabin, 3% down is just $12,000—not the $80,000 that 20% would require. That's the difference between waiting years and moving in this year.

📊 Mind-blowing stat: Nearly 80% of first-time buyers qualify for down payment assistance but only 13% actually use it. Don't leave money on the table!

Whether you're eyeing a mountain retreat in Blue Ridge, a family home in Athens, or a luxury property in Alpharetta, your down payment options are better than you think.

❓ What other real estate myths are holding you back? Drop them below!

✨ Ready to explore YOUR options? DM us or visit www.mountainslakesathensRP.com to connect with our network of Preferred Partner lenders who specialize in North Georgia financing. Your mountain dream might be closer than you think!

Tag someone who's been saying "I can't afford to buy yet" 👇

12/09/2025

12/09/2025

💪 From GED to real estate royalty— Shelley Whitworth Phillips proves that necessity breeds unstoppable determination! This 'Sold Squad Captain' never planned on real estate until a small sign at technical college caught her eye while enrolling for accounting courses, sparking a career that's earned her five consecutive RE/MAX Chairman's Club honors, 2023 Georgia Brokerage of the Year, and seven straight Best Real Estate Company wins for Franklin County.
Her broker-owner philosophy at RE/MAX Classic centers on building the office she wished she'd had as a young agent—hands-on, ethical, collaborative, and genuinely fun, where weekly meetings and listing caravans create real-world experience for newer agents. What drives this dedicated hustler? The memory of being broke and refusing to ask anyone else to raise her kids or provide for her family. Now married 28 years to Mitch, managing multiple businesses and 22 side projects, including rentals and land developments, Shelley's dream involves building a family compound on their farm where her children, Tyson and Baylie Jade, and future grandkids can all live together.

"I want to make a difference while teaching other people to do the same without compromising their morals and ethics."
Discover her complete journey in our latest edition at mountainslakesathensRP.com! 📬

12/05/2025

💪 Traci Nelson has closed $180 million in career sales over twelve years, but numbers only tell part of her extraordinary story! This Ansley Real Estate Christie's International powerhouse began as a behavior therapist working with autistic children before transitioning to corporate banking, where she felt "smothered and controlled" until she discovered real estate was her true calling. Growing up in Milledgeville with Lake Sinclair as her backyard, Traci watched Lake Oconee's entire development from dirt roads to a world-renowned resort destination, fueling her specialization in lakefront home sales. Her journey required fearless reinvention—tearing down the buyer's agent business she'd built on a powerhouse team to start over from scratch, betting on herself to gain independence and control over her future. Now her business runs almost entirely on relationships built through her psychology degree insights, restaurant industry people skills, and dedication to helping clients through life's five D's: Diapers, Divorce, Diamonds, Diplomas, and Death (plus her own addition—Departure for vacation/retirement homes). Between equestrian events with daughter Charlotte (17), soccer matches with son Copeland (11), and supporting her fifth-grade teacher husband, Traci proves that thriving in real estate requires grit, grace, and humor.

"I want my clients to focus on what matters most during those times—themselves—and leave the real estate to me."

Read her full inspiring story in our latest edition at mountainslakesathensRP.com! 🚀

12/03/2025

🏆 Shelley Whitworth Phillips built her real estate empire from a nudge of faith and an 8.5" x 11" sign at a technical college! This former teen mom and waitress turned RE/MAX Classic broker-owner in Lavonia never imagined that spontaneous decision to skip accounting classes would lead to building the 'Sold Squad'—a 16-agent powerhouse that closed 210 transactions worth $50 million last year while she personally notched 49 deals and nearly $12 million. Her journey from working night shifts to avoid daycare costs to earning five straight RE/MAX Chairman's Club honors and Georgia's 2023 Brokerage of the Year proves that a relentless work ethic creates extraordinary results. What makes Shelley different? Her brokerage runs on genuine camaraderie where agents actually like each other, operating under the motto "Working for Yourself, Not By Yourself" through weekly marketing meetings, listing caravans, and constant cross-training. Between flipping properties for fun, managing 22 rental/land development/Airbnb projects with husband Mitch, cheering on UGA Pharmacy student Baylie Jade and RN son Tyson, and four-wheeling on their family farm, Shelley embodies her favorite quote: "Nobody Cares, Work Harder."

"We are located in a small town, so we're all famous—our agents are used to having people yell 'Sold Squad' at us as we're leaving a restaurant."

Read her full powerhouse story in our latest edition at mountainslakesathensRP.com! 📬

12/01/2025

🎄 Our December edition is HERE and packed with powerhouse stories that will inspire your new year!

Shelley Whitworth Phillips - The 'Sold Squad Captain' who went from teen mom working night shifts to building RE/MAX Classic's 16-agent empire, closing 210 transactions worth $50 million while living by "Nobody Cares, Work Harder" and never forgetting to have a good belly laugh every single day!

Traci Nelson - The fearless $180 million producer who tore down her established business to rebuild from scratch at Ansley Real Estate Christie's International, proving that restarting, resetting, and refocusing as many times as needed creates extraordinary success!
These rising stars prove that grit, grace, and genuine care for clients create unstoppable momentum. Their stories of reinvention, resilience, and relationship-building will motivate you to chase your boldest goals in 2026!
Don't miss these incredible features—grab your copy at mountainslakesathensRP.com and get ready to be inspired! 📖✨

11/29/2025

Make sure to support small businesses today…this is Bloomin' Blinds of Cu***ng & Johns Creek, GA one of our newest Mountains, Lakes & Athens Real Producers partners! Reach out and see how they can help your clients, north Georgia realtors!

It is Small Business Saturday and we're grateful for our neighbors.
🩷

As a local team, we help you choose custom shades, blinds, shutters and more that fit your style and your space.

We handle the design, measuring, and installation so every detail is right.

Choose Bloomin' Blinds of Cu***ng and Johns Creek for all your window treatment needs!

💻: BloominBlinds.com/cumming-ga/

***ngJohnsCreek

11/28/2025

Hey North Georgia top realtors here’s a reminder to add registering for .lks.athens.realproducers Holiday Party to your black Friday shopping list! The registration link is in my bio, and the Holiday Party takes place this Wednesday, December 3rd from 11am-2pm.
Don’t miss one of the best events of the year… teaching How To Win in 2026 Thru Social Media and Steve Neville with .mpower about How To Attract Out of State Clients Thru AI…also, cheer on those agents featured in .lks.athens.realproducers in 2025, grab some great food, and collaborate with other top realtors from our market area.