Up Front
This is our 20th consecutive year creating our annual Real Estate Roundup
BY Pat Bradford
Every year, just as soon as we finish the December issue, we start prepping for the February edition even as we are working on January’s.
There’s a delicate dance to be done. We don’t receive the sold data used to create our Real Estate Roundup (RERUP in our world) until the year has ended, and yet production and printing deadlines dictate we must finish all the research and interviews, collect the photos, and complete the writing and editing of the text by the 10th of the month.
Thus frequent opportunities arise for your head to burst into flames and plenty of “hair on fire” scenarios during this time period.
A challenge in creating this year’s RERUP was describing the different aspects of the 2022 market. Veteran real estate broker Vance Young gave us our title, “A Tale of Two Halves.” Everyone I interviewed after that said, “Yes, this perfectly describes what happened in the real estate market this year.”
This is an accurate and compelling look back on 2022’s real estate market, with interviews of 31 real estate professionals working in three counties sharing their insider knowledge and experiences in working with last year’s sellers and buyers.
When real estate brokers sell properties, the money they earn goes right back into the economy, trickle down. Realtors buy new cars, boats, vacuum cleaners, spas, pools and outdoor kitchens — all the luxuries that everybody wants. They remodel. They eat out, pamper themselves with hair, nail and massage appointments, and buy beautiful clothing. The list goes on.
The goal of this annual issue is to understand the market from their point of view, as well as share knowledge regarding the value of your home. It’s likely the biggest investment most have, making it important to know what’s going on in the local real estate economy.
This year like never before we considered the three-county area as one geographic destination. It’s a fascinating story.
For our celebration of Valentine’s month, we have two delightful love stories. Join us to learn about teenage sweethearts Robbie and Tricia who are looking forward to their impending wedding 50 years later. Also, high school sweethearts Sharon and Ronnie Edens and their 40-year love story is coupled with the story of generational farming on both sides of their families.
Two stories spun off this one, including incredible collard greens recipes from two fabulous area cooks. This art has long been a mystery to many who were not raised in the South. It also gave rise to our art story featuring Susan Francy’s fabulous images of plants and flowers.
Speaking of images, I hope you like this one of me captured in December by photographer Christina Beam.
February is always the month where love is highlighted, and boy can we use more love!
—Pat Bradford, Senior Editor/Publisher