A Message From Tom Little

It's a Time to Share and Enjoy

Here at Southern Land Exchange, we believe that the Christmas season is a time for us to share our hearts and love with all of our clients, customers, friends, employees, and families. We ask that you nurture and build ever-stronger relationships as we move into the New Year. We also want to encourage everyone we know to reach out with random acts of kindness, generosity, and prayer to those who are less fortunate.

The good news about 2008 is that it's almost over and that we have all survived! Our financial statements might be a little less impressive, but the tough economy is a time to test our strength and to find out who our real friends are.

Steve and I think that the real estate market probably hit its high-water mark about two-and-a-half to three years ago, and it has been heading south ever since. We believe that the recession started about two years before we even realized it, and that the tough times will be over about one-and-a-half years before we see the first signs of a rebound.

The good news is that recessions don't last forever! Economic downturns present real estate and investment buying opportunities. Many investors prefer real estate because it is a more tangible and solid asset during economic turmoil.

Unfortunately, they don't just ring a bell when the market reaches its top or its bottom. How we react to the current conditions will determine the level of our success. At SLE, we will always give you our best assessment of the market, and our opinion of your best strategy for handling the current conditions. Of course, we have an advantage over other brokerages: Our association with Cabela's Trophy Properties means that our sellers benefit from the best possible exposure to buyers who are seeking property. We're proud of the fact that our sales were up almost 200% in 2008 over the previous year. We have every reason to believe that 2009 and 2010 will be even better.

As we celebrate the Christmas season and think about what's truly important, we want to thank all of you for being part of our team, and we look forward to your support in the coming year. And, of course, we want you to know that you can count on us. May God bless you and your loved ones, and best wishes for a fruitful 2009.

Sincerely,

Tom Little

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Corporate News

Jesse Johnson SLE Associate Broker Bags Nine-Point Buck

On November 12th, Steve Ebbert and Jesse Johnson took the morning off to do a little hunting in Morgan County. Jesse passed on several small bucks, before taking a shot at the 9-point buck pictured below. The buck was downed while Jesse sat in a stand belonging to Jim Timberlake. "Thanks, Jim, for the opportunity to bag this nine-pointer!"

Sparrow's Nest Toy Giveaway

As in past years, SLE was closely involved this Christmas season with the toy giveaway organized by The Sparrow's Nest Mission Church. The Sparrow's Nest is an inner city ministry that works to meet the ever growing needs of underprivileged families living in the community. The Christmas Toy Giveaway began ten years ago in 1998 and has grown to provide gifts for over 2000 children. It is a unique way to reach out to people in need at Christmas. Parents that come to the service hear a message, receive prayer, and then shop at the Toy Store. The philosophy behind the Toy Giveaway is to help parents maintain their dignity by allowing them to choose gifts they know their children will enjoy. The children who receive these gifts would otherwise receive little or nothing on Christmas day if not for this ministry.

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Trends In Land Management

Improve Your Timberland with a Pond

By Jesse Johnson

Landowners are constantly looking for ways to improve their properties, and it depends on the individual landowner whether the increase in value is measured in dollars or enjoyment. Building a pond is one investment that can increase both the recreational and economic value of a property. Ponds add several benefits. They increase recreational opportunities through fishing, hunting, and swimming; they promote wildlife diversity by attracting several types of waterfowl while also adding various reptiles (which can be good or bad depending on the landowner); and they provide agricultural users with valuable water for crops and livestock. Ponds located near homes or cabins can also help with fire suppression, a major benefit in some of the more rural parts of the state. Last but not least, ponds add to the overall aesthetics of a property.

Planning Your Pond

Like any other management activity, landowners need to have a plan in place to ensure that the pond is built in a way that will meet their desired needs and objectives. Building a pond requires a considerable investment of time and money, and many of Georgia's landowners are not quite sure where to start. While there are numerous publications on pond building and management, the purpose of this article is to provide landowners with a general guide for pond building and to direct them on where to go to get additional help and information.

There are several steps landowners must consider when building a pond. They include site selection, permitting, construction, and management. These steps require a landowner to interact with different resource managers and contractors.

Much consideration should go into deciding where to locate a pond on your property. Proper site selection will save a landowner valuable time and money. Several factors should be considered when selecting the pond site. Water source, soils, topography, and surrounding land use all will affect the type and size of pond you can build. In Georgia, ponds receive their water from either streams or from surface runoff from the surrounding watershed. It is important that the source should be adequate enough to fill and maintain the desired water level. Ponds should be placed on soils that have a clay content of at least 20 percent. Fine textured clays and silty clays will hold water better and prevent leakage, as opposed to the more course textured sandy soils which allow water to lead and seep. Study the topography surrounding the site to see where to best locate a dam. Place the dam in a way that minimizes construction cost while still allowing for the desired pond size. Finally, take note of the land use in the pond's watershed. Is the watershed comprised mostly of forestland or pastureland? Does it contain a sizeable livestock operation? The surrounding land use will have a big impact on the quantity and quality of water that enters the pond.

Permitting Your Pond

Once you have selected your pond site, go to your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office to obtain your permit. The NRCS will assist you in determining the type of permit that is required and will provide you with the appropriate forms.

The majority of ponds constructed on private lands in Georgia will fall under one of two permit types: agricultural farm ponds, or recreational ponds.

The primary use of the "agricultural farm pond" is the irrigation of crops or for watering livestock. To be eligible for this permit, the applicant must be an agricultural producer who is actively engaged in agricultural or livestock production. These ponds are designed and constructed to meet the required water demand for the desired crop or livestock. Farm ponds 10 acres or less can be approved by the NRCS while ponds larger than 10 acres must be approved by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).

The primary purpose of the "recreational pond" is, obviously, recreation and personal enjoyment. These ponds are for landowners whose property is not engaged in agricultural activity such as row cropping, tree nurseries, or livestock production. Recreational ponds must be less than five acres and must be approved by the USACE. The majority of ponds built on properties that are primarily timberland will fall under this permit.

The NRCS can also aid landowners by inspecting the pond site to ensure that the pond is well located and that the pond will have minimal impacts on streams and wetlands. It is important to note that pond construction on and around streams and wetlands may require the landowner to mitigate the impacted areas. This simply means that the landowner will have to buy mitigation credits in order to build a pond in these areas. Mitigation credits and costs can vary greatly depending on the site and geographic location.

Layout And Construction

After these steps have been completed, the pond's layout and construction can begin. In order to protect your investment, the landowner should receive professional assistance with the design and construction phases. Consulting a qualified professional will ensure that the pond is built correctly and will minimize any future headaches and costs associated with poor construction. The NRCS office can supply you with a contact list for qualified professionals in your area.

The layout of the pond, especially recreational ponds, should take advantage the surrounding landscape features. When clearing, try to minimize the removal of trees along the pond's edges, and try to make the cleared edges irregular as opposed to straight lines. A pond with nooks and edges is more aesthetically pleasing than a rectangular shaped pond.

Construction of the dam and installation of the water control devices are most often the costliest steps in the pond's construction. Proper dam construction is essential for maintaining a pond. The dam should be constructed in a way that prevents leakage and holds enough water to fill the pond. The soil used to construct the dam should be comprised primarily of clay soils and well compacted soils. Compaction of the soil will preventing water from seeping through the dam. Drainpipes and siphons are two types of water control devices commonly used to prevent water from over-topping the dam in the event of heavy rains. Both systems work well to remove excess water from the pond, however a siphon system has some advantages because it is cheaper to install and easier to maintain. Some ponds also require the installation of a natural spillway, which serves as an additional overflow for excess water in the event of a severe rainstorm. It is important that all water control devices, including a drainpipe, siphon, or natural spillway, be properly maintained. Once completed the dam should be grassed as soon as possible to prevent erosion, which can weaken the dam.

Managing Your Pond

Finally once the pond has filled with water, landowners can turn their sights toward pond management. Landowners might first consider stocking their pond with desired fish species. While a pond can sustain various stocking numbers and species of fish, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recommends the following per acre numbers and species for the initial stocking; 400 bluegill, 100 red eared sunfish "shell crackers", 50 largemouth bass and an optional 50 channel catfish.

The Bluegill, shell-crackers, and channel catfish need to be stocked in the fall or early winter while the bass are added in May or June. Bass stocking is delayed so that the other species will have time to grow, which cuts down on predation from the bass. Applications for obtaining fish from the state are available at all Wildlife Resource Division offices or online at the DNR website. The DNR suggest that you submit applications in the late summer or early fall and applications received after December 31 will be filled the following fall.

Many landowners, especially us hardcore fishermen and fisherwomen, may want to consider adding fertilizer and lime to their pond. A properly implemented fertilizer/liming program can increase the carrying capacity of a pond from 100 lbs to 300 lbs of fish per acre. But before you start adding fertilizer to a pond, I recommend that you seek the services of a professional pond manager. A pond manager will help you establish your objectives for the pond and create a plan that achieves them. You can find a list of pond managers on the GA DNR's website.

Building and maintaining a pond isn't always easy, but like our grandfathers said, "Anything worth doing is worth doing right," and this holds as true for pond construction as it does for life's other scenarios. Once your pond is complete and a fish is on the line you can take pride in the fact that you have created an investment that you, your family and friends, and the local wildlife can enjoy. Now just where did I place my fishing pole? Remember to do your research before undertaking your pond building project. For additional information, stop by your local NRCS office and pick up a copy of the USDA's Agriculture Handbook Number 590; "Ponds - Planning, Design, and Construction".

Jess Johnson is a Registered Forester/Sales Agent with Southern Land Exchange specializing in timberland and recreational properties.

Take Photos to Preserve Your Hunting Memories

By Stan Sheram, Photographer

The preparation, the rifle, the bow, the special ammunition, the camp, the fresh morning air, the hunt, the kill, the trophy... It's all about creating memories, and nothing captures those memories like a photograph.

If your hunting gear doesn't include a camera, you're missing an opportunity to capture the special moments that you've invested a lot of time and money to create. For about what it costs for a pair of hunting boots, you can buy a decent digital pocket camera. You'll wear out the boots, but the photos you take with that camera will last for generations.

How To Choose A Camera

The first question I'm often asked is, "What's the best camera?" I can't tell you that anymore than you can tell me the best rifle for target shooting. I can, however, give you some suggestions that will help you choose a good camera. Here are some considerations.

You wouldn't buy a no-name firearm from some guy named Billy who yells at you on television hawking his "AS SEEN ON TV" brand. So, don't buy a camera like that either. Buy a brand you've heard of: Nikon, Canon, Kodak and Olympus are four good brands.

You can spend as much on a camera as you did for your last 4WD truck, but it's not necessary to spend a fortune to get good photographs. Last week I saw a Nikon pocket digital camera at a local warehouse club store for $80. You've spent that much on gas going to a dove shoot and come home with a sore shoulder and no birds.

Don't get too excited about the megapixel thing. Almost any digital camera you buy today will be 6 or better megapixels and that will be adequate for your purpose. If it has more megapixels, great, but don't let that be the only determining factor.

Look for a camera that uses AA batteries. It's easy to carry spares and you can find them most anywhere. A deer stand isn't the best place to find an outlet to charge a special purpose battery made specifically for your camera.

Don't worry about all the special features; you won't use them anyway.

A good display on the back is helpful, especially if you are trying to view it in sunlight.

Many pocket cameras are weather/water resistant, a nice feature to have outdoors.

Check the telephoto zoom on the lens. Optical zoom is typically 3 to 5X; the higher the number the better. Digital Zoom is worthless.

Setting Up Your Subject

You'll only get one chance to photograph your trophy kill in the field, and it only takes some common sense and a couple of minutes to do it right.

Keep in mind that the animal is the focal point of the picture. Show the animal in a dignified manner by cleaning up excessive amounts of blood or rubbing a handful of dust on areas that might be a distraction. Move anything from the camera view that might distract from the primary subject. Position the animal as close to its natural lying position as possible. Try folding its front legs underneath to raise the head. A hunter shown in the photo should be behind the animal and close enough to touch it. Kneeling 5 feet behind a small buck won't make it look twice as big; it will just look like you're kneeling 5 feet behind a small buck. Check your clothes. Your hat turned backwards and a blood-smeared shirt hanging out of your pants makes you look like an idiot not a hunter. If you want to include your gun in the photo, make sure it's unloaded and not pointing at your head...the idiot thing again.

Tips On Lighting

Lighting is very important. Keep the sun behind you as much as possible. Available light (no flash) may give a more natural looking photograph, but shoot both with and without flash. Using flash in daylight can fill in shadows that can be a distraction. If your shot is made after sunset, flash is a must on subjects close to you. Note that the flash on a point-and-shoot camera is only effective at night for a short distance-typically 5-10 feet - important to keep in mind when you set up your shot. I always laugh when I see a stadium full of people with hundreds of flashes going off trying to photograph something a couple of hundred feet away. They've effectively illuminated the back of the person's head in front of them and ruined any chance at all of getting the shot. If you have a distant shot in a low light situation, turn off the flash. Most of today's cameras have an auto ISO feature that can automatically compensate for very low light and sometimes the effect is quite pleasing. I want to emphasize shooting with and without flash. If the subject is farther away than the effective flash range of your camera, you'll usually get a much better shot without the flash.

Tips On Composition

Composition is the one thing that can ruin an otherwise perfect shot. You can have a great camera, great subject, great background, perfect lighting and then spoil it all with poor composition. You can minimize this problem if you shoot several shots and shoot them from many different angles. Keeping your eye not just on the subject, but also on what you're about to capture in the background. Try a few shots from a low angle, eye level with the subject. Experiment with both close in and wide shots being careful that you're entire subject is in the frame. If you're unsure, shoot a wider shot, as you can always crop it later. Don't forget to try vertical shots as well. Many subjects will standout better when shot from a vertical perspective rather than the standard horizontal perspective. Snap a lot of shots. The great thing about digital photography is that, since there's no film, it doesn't cost anything if you don't print them. You can delete an unwanted shot but you'll probably never get another chance to shoot the same shot again.

The hunting experience isn't just about the hunt. Don't forget to capture the Cook stirring his secret recipe chili or Old Bo stretched out beside the fire. I'll let you decide whether Old Bo is a dog or one of your hunting buddies...or both. The only bad picture is the one you didn't take.

One more tip - you already know this but you just haven't done it yet - read the camera manual. If you're one of then that thinks manuals are for sissies, then at least read the "quick start" guide. If you can't do that, then please, please find the "Fully Automatic" setting (usually a green symbol on a dial), and set it there and shoot away. If you want to really go out on a limb, find the setting that turns the flash off for those distant low light shots. If the flash is set to "On" or "Automatic", and it fires, your camera thinks that the subject is less than 10 feet away and sets the exposure accordingly. You'll ruin an opportunity to shoot a beautiful sunset.

On your next outing, pack a camera with your gear. It will give you an opportunity to share your experience with others and preserve your memories for a lifetime.

Stan Sheram, retired banker, poor journalist and worse hunter, a pretty good photographer sometimes, and owner of ScenicImage.com.

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Trends in Land Sales

Timber Price Update

Challenging times abound in all areas of our economy and the timber industry is no exception. A slow housing market has led to a decrease in the demand for solid wood products, which in turn has resulted in the continued slide of Pine Sawtimber and Pine Chip-N-Saw (CNS) stumpage prices. When compared to prices a year ago North Georgia has experienced decreases of 27% for Pine Sawtimber and 15 % for Pine CNS. Many companies across the south are curtailing the production of lumber, plywood and OSB in an effort to hold up the prices of the finished wood products. Pine Pulpwood has provided one of the few bright spots with an increase of 50%.

Given the current state of the timber markets we must remember that "this too shall pass," and as land managers we need to continue to look ahead and plan for the future. Timber is a long term investment that requires sunlight, water, nutrients and time. If you are not happy with the current prices, you can wait until prices improve before you harvest your timber. Keep in mind while you are waiting your timber is growing! It is important to remember that your timber is an investment and should be treated as such. One management activity that you need to consider regardless of the current market conditions is a mid-rotation thinning. As a planted stand approaches 15 yrs old, the trees begin to compete for resources. At this point, a portion of the stand should be removed in order to promote the health of the stand. This will ultimately result in an increase in the amount of sawtimber the stand will produce along with lowering the risk of pine beetle attacks. Just think of thinning as weeding your garden.

If you need help managing your timberland in order to maximize your investment please give us a call.

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Upcoming Events

Quail Unlimited Annual Banquet

When:

Thursday, Feb 19, 2009

Where:

Oconee County Civic Center, Watkinsville

Time:

6:00 pm

Cost:

$60 (includes: Steak dinner, auction) $75 Couple

Sponsorship:

$250 (includes: Banquet, Sponsor Wildgame Dinner, Dove Shoot)

For more information contact Rex Johnson #706-202-0868

Turkey Season

March 21 - May 15, 2009 statewide

Season Limit:

3 Gobblers.

Conservation Use Covenant Enrollment Period

January 1st - March 1st

Owners of agricultural land, timberland and environmentally sensitive land may qualify for enrollment in a conservation use covenant. This entitles the landowner to county ad valorem tax savings. Sign up for this program through the county tax assessor's office.

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