Char Stacy - Blue Ridge Realtor

🚨 **WIRE FRAUD IS EVERYWHERE — Not Just in Real Estate** 🚨

Wire fraud is happening daily — in real estate transactions, contractor payments, business invoices, vendor payments, even personal transfers.

💰 **Never wire money to someone you have not verified. Period.**

Scammers are getting smarter. Emails look legitimate. Logos are copied. Signatures look real. But one small detail can cost you thousands.

Before sending ANY wire transfer:

✔️ **Always call the number you already have on file** — not the one in the email or text you just received.
✔️ **Verify wiring instructions verbally** with a trusted contact.
✔️ **Be suspicious of last-minute changes** to payment instructions. This is a major red flag.
✔️ **Look closely at email addresses** — scammers often change one letter or character.
✔️ **Avoid public Wi-Fi** when sending financial information.
✔️ **Enable two-factor authentication** on your email and banking accounts.
✔️ **Slow down. Pressure and urgency are scam tactics.**

If someone says, “It has to be sent right now,” that’s your cue to pause and verify.

Once a wire is sent, recovery is extremely difficult. There is no undo button.

Whether you’re paying a contractor, wiring earnest money, funding a renovation, or sending a business payment — take the extra five minutes to protect yourself.

Stay alert. Verify first. Send second.

📊 **Georgia Housing Market Update – 2025 Annual Report** 🏡

Georgia REALTORS® has released the **2025 Annual Report**, giving us a clear snapshot of where the market stands as we closed out the year.

Here’s what we’re seeing across the state:

✨ **Prices Holding Strong**
• Median Sales Price: **$360,000** (0.0%)
• Average Sales Price: **$448,554** (+2.0%)

📉 **Slight Cooling in Activity**
• Pending Sales: 123,212 (-1.4%)
• Closed Sales: 123,440 (-1.1%)

📈 **More Listings Coming to Market**
• New Listings: 211,349 (+7.8%)
• Homes for Sale: 40,189 (+13.1%)
• Months Supply: 3.9 months (+14.7%)

⏳ **Market Pace**
• Days on Market: 56 (+21.7%)
• Sellers received an average of **95.4% of original list price** (-1.0%)

While inventory has improved, supply remains tight across much of Georgia. We’re seeing a more balanced, thoughtful market — not the frenzy of previous years, but still steady and healthy.

If you’re curious what this means for **North Georgia, Blue Ridge, or the Mountain & Lake market specifically**, I’d love to talk through it with you. Every micro-market tells its own story.