An Atlanta home with a master suite on the main level is a sought after feature for many of today's home buyers. Call it a sign of the times. For many home buyers it is a number 1 priority on their buy list! Baby boomer's that are about to retire, or soon to be baby boomer's that do not have an empty nest yet...like the feature of the master on the main level, as a practical "must have!" Main level master suite for those with a slightly impaired mobility due to arthritis, and achy joints like the practicality of it! For those that have a master suite on the main level they may enjoy the split bedroom plan of their bedroom in one location, and the other bedrooms in another location...either upstairs, or on the other side of the home. So thier choice is some privacy! On a practical note, ... 01/02/2008

Riverbrooke at Wildwood Riverbrooke at Wildwood is a small Smyrna Vinings neighborhood of 32 homes located off of Wildwood Parkway. Riverbrooke at Wildwood is nestled amongst 1,200 beautiful acres comprising the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area, complete with nature trails, hiking and jogging paths. Here, residents can live a relaxed, carefree lifestyle with convenience to I-75 and I-285, and with a host of social and recreational amenities at your fingertips. From restaurants to banking, to the Wildwood Athletic Club, fabulous shopping and the airport - it’s here, all around you. Best of all, with an Atlanta address and low Cobb County taxes, Riverbrooke at Wildwood is another superb residential address in an unrivaled location. Riverbrooke at Wildwood was built by Ashton Woods ... 01/02/2008

Homeowners (HOA) restriction on real estate signage is more often than not...counterproductive. I think that in the HOA's infinite lack of wisdom they enact rulings for the sake of rulings. However, very little thought is given to the ramifications of their actions, nor are the HOA's actions ever reviewed a few months or a year down the line and amended to correct or address the new issues they created. Bottom line is that when an HOA enacts new rulings, there is an impact upon all homeowners. That impact may also limit the property owners rights, and diminish or cap the appreciation rates of community home sales. Some of these restrictions involve "For Sale Signs!" The issues are uniformity of appearance, placement of signage, or no signage allowed. There is more to think about than "Y... 01/01/2008

 When I was a young boy admiring my father talk about his investments and profits, I inquisitively asked him, "What is the secret to making money in the stock market?" He looked at me for a moment, leaned down to me and cupped his hand behind my ear and whispered, so that no one else could hear him, "But low and sell high."I was thrilled. Like learning the whereabouts of a hidden treasure, I now knew the true secrets to becoming wealthy in the world of stocks and bonds.Obviously with time, I figured out that following his advice was a little harder than expected. Knowing when a stock is LOW or HIGH, is the true talent is making money in the stock market.But BUYING LOW AND SELLING HIGH is also the secret to making money in real estate. The great thing about real estate, is that we know w... 12/31/2007

by Kay, Georgia Loan Officer & VA Specialist Congress recently passed a law offering tax breaks to people: who have had mortgage debt forgiveness (short sales and refinances), are full-time students and single parents, or pay private mortgage insurance (PMI). Congress recently passed HR 3648, Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007. The new law provides the following tax breaks. Mortgage Debt Forgiveness (such as Short Sales) In the past, people who have had part of their mortgage debt forgiven usually had to pay some taxes. For example, if a person owes $150,000 on a mortgage, and the lender allows them to sell the property for $100,000 to avoid foreclosure, the lender would usually send the seller a 1099 for $50,000. The property seller would have to pay income taxes on $50,000. ... 12/31/2007

Recently we received a few potential listing calls from would be Atlanta home sellers that wanted to list their homes.  It was interesting, but after speaking to them on the phone they all had a similar story. We really were not in any position where we could help them!  They were totally upside down!  I am sure we just confirmed what a few other professional agents had told them.  I guess they were just waiting for someone that told them what they wanted to hear!  We do not do that.The problem is that as Atlanta home buyers, they incorrectly purchased homes with either an on-site agent or with a discount real estate company that rebated back a portion of the commission back to them.  One scenario for the new home buyer was that they were totally unrepresented because the new homes sale... 12/29/2007

Of course there is one little hitch…  You have to be from outside the United States. I just ran some numbers, and the US Dollar is at it’s lowest level in at least the last five years against both the Euro and the Pound. For the Euro: In January of 2003, the Euro was worth about $1.05. As of Friday, it is worth about $1.47 For the Pound: In January of 2003, the Pound was worth about $1.60. As of Friday, it is worth about $1.99 Let’s put this into some real numbers.  We’ll assume that you were thinking of a home here in Atlanta to stay in while traveling for business or pleasure.  We’ll showcase a $300,000 home (in 2003): In 2003, the home would have cost £187,500. Or, it would have been €285,714. The current value of the home (using averages) would be about $348,654… a gain of 16% over ... 12/29/2007

Atlanta HUD & Foreclosure List Updated DailyFree Service, Go to:http://www.hotatlantaforeclosures.com/ 12/29/2007

I plan to meet with a fellow agent and re-work my listing presentation. It will probably end up being several hours long as we tweak and refine.We are going to pull together new information, the latest stats and current real estate reports. The goal is to not get too LONG or detailed. There is so much information that most listing presentations are TOO LONG.Prospective sellers really don't want a 50 page power point presentation. The goal is to narrow it down to the most important points that "civilians" want to hear. THAT IS THE HARD PART.Most people want to know HOW YOU ARE DIFFERENT and what you'll do to sell their home. Some like stats and some don't. Reading the personality traits prior to the meeting is also important.If you have any thoughts, or suggestions, please pass them alon... 12/28/2007

  Ellen  and I would Like to Wish You All a Very Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year From Atlanta Georgia USA  Please Visit Our Christmas and Holiday Fun Page at: www.atlantabesthomes.com/christmas.htm   12/22/2007

Ten Tips To Avoid Mold Problems and Lawsuits in Selling and Buying Real EstateMold-Be-Gone. recommends that real estate sellers, buyers, and real estate agents/brokers, should follow ten steps to avoid mold problems and lawsuits in the selling and buying of real estate properties.1. A property owner should not even offer the property for sale, or list it for sale with a Realtor or other real estate agent/broker, until after a thorough mold inspection and mold testing of the home, rental property, or commercial property. Hire a Certified Mold Inspector/Remediator, or use a do-it-yourself mold inspection checklist and mold test kits.2. If the owner discovers visible or hidden mold problems, he should do safe and effective mold removal and remediation prior to offering the property for sal... 12/20/2007

Since I am not a novice  to Atlanta real estate there are certain things I do everyday.  One thing I do is run a Hot Sheet for all local listing activity for Atlanta homes and condos.  I do this daily! It gives me a snapshot at trends that are taking place, seller contributions at closing, Days on Market, List Prices / Sales Price Ratio, new listings, expired listings, properties  coming back on the market, contracts, on homes, pending sales, expired listings, withdrawn listings, and price changes.  My favorite section however is price changes.  It allows me to see what is really taking place in the market.  Are sellers capitulating and surrendering a home, or are they just now placing the home where it should have been all along?  Also, the price change section of the hotsheet allows m... 12/19/2007

Candler Park and Lake Claire are centrally located along McLendon Drive between Little Five Points and Ridgecrest Road. With beautiful period craftsman architecture and large wooded lots, both Candler Park and Lake Claire have become increasingly popular for individuals and families.With an easy walk to some of the best casual eating and coffee hangouts in the city, Candler Park and Lake Claire are ideal locations for individuals and famlies of all ages. To see homes for sale in both Candler Park and Lake Claire, click on the links below.Candler ParkLake Claire 12/18/2007

Lake Claire is one of Atlanta's best in-town neighborhoods. The name Lake Claire is dervied from the streets Lakeshore and Claire, and contrary to popular belief, there is no lake in Lake Claire!!!Please click here to see all available homes for sale in Lake Claire. If you are a seller, please visit http://www.tagatlanta.com/readytosell.html to see how The Anderson Group can help you sell your home.  Please contact Tom Anderson at 404-277-9581 with any questions.http://www.tagatlanta.com/ 12/17/2007

I came across an article today written by Brian Patton that is proof that Georgia housing may be undeserving of gloom. Contrary to the reports on the housing market at a national level, Georgia is doing quite well, here's why:According to the Federal House Price Index Report, Georgia posted 3.54 percent appreciation in housing prices in the last year. Cumulative appreciation for Georgia is 25.55 percent over the last 5 years. The Atlanta region has seen an increase of 2.61 percent over the last year and a 20.18 percent appreciation over the last 5 years. Georgia ranked 10th in job growth nationwide with 67 percent of growth concentrated in the Atlanta region, this growth fuels continued housing appreciation.  The Atlanta region added 890,000 people from 2000-2006, more than any other me... 12/17/2007

So how is the Atlanta Georgia Real Estate market today? There's a lot of hype in the media about falling home prices. So how is this going on the Atlanta market? Real estate is local. The market behaves differently in the different parts of this large metro. Some parts of Atlanta are witnessing a large number of properties going into foreclosure. Most of these homes going into foreclosure were financed just a few years ago with risky adjustable mortgages. Not all parts of Atlanta are affected. Some past are more affected than others. We are witnessing price drops in many parts of the metro area. The prices are falling faster in some communities than in others. So what does this mean for sellers and buyers? Buyers have a great oppotunity to buy today, demand price discounts. Remember the... 12/16/2007

Home staging to me is like taking a blank canvas and painting a beautiful picture.  And as much as I'd like to make claim that I can paint, I cannot.  It's a trait I unfortunately didn't inherit from my gifted mother.  In fact, her art won her a scholarship at RIT.  If only I had an ounce of her skill, I'd feel fortunate.  Whether it's a water-color, sketching or oil, there just doesn't seem to be anything she can't do.  If you can't tell, I extremely proud of her work.And so for me... I found my passion.  I now channel my need for creativity and beauty into something I'm extremely comfortable with and that is home staging. Here's one of the blank canvases:And now my painted canvas:And another (because I love this kitchen):Atlanta's Premier Home Staging Company,  Georgia Interior Soluti... 12/13/2007

Atlanta has lots of ugly houses, according to one real estate company. HomeVestors of America Inc., the company behind the "We Buy Ugly Houses" billboards and America's #1 Home Buyer, has named Atlanta the No. 2 market for real estate investing in 2007. HomeVestors, which has bought more than 30,000 homes in the U.S. over the last 11 years, based the findings on the number of houses bought in each market by the franchise network for 2007. "It was an ugly year for residential real estate, creating record-setting demand for a trusted national home buyer," said John Hayes, president and CEO of HomeVestors. "We generated more than 200,000 opportunities for our franchisees to buy houses in 2007 and we expect even more opportunities next year. Despite changes in the market, real estate invest... 12/13/2007

Looking to buy a home in Atlanta?  Don't sell yourself short, and make a big mistake!  It probably isn't wise to concentrate on just Atlanta homes for sale!  There are other towns in the Atlanta area where you can find great homes for sale!  More often than not persons inquiring on homes for sale in Atlanta tend to focus on just "Atlanta homes for sale!"   Just because you may be taking a job in Atlanta, doesn't mean you have to live there! Atlanta is one of those towns that is not really big in population.  In the 2000 census, Atlanta Georgia had a population of  416,000.  But do most of the persons that move to Atlanta area and work there live in Atlanta?  No!  After all Buckhead may be beautiful place to live but may not suit everyone's needs or budget.   The cost to buy a home in to... 12/12/2007

Brookwood Hills is a premiere neighborhood in the heart of Buckhead. Centrally located between I-85 and Peachtree Road with easy access to I-85 and GA400. Only minutes away from the wonderful shops and restaurants of Lenox Mall and Phipp’s Plaza as well as downtown Atlanta. Homes in the Brookwood Hills neighborhood range in price from $500,000 to well over $2,000,000. According to Buckhead.net: Buckhead's only completely enclaved neighborhood, Brookwood Hills enjoys the kind of privacy most urban residents only dream about. The community of 370 homes set on 40 gently rolling acres stretches back from the east side of Peachtree Road from I-85 to Brighton Road at Piedmont Hospital. Large Mediterranean, Georgian, Colonial and Tudor homes line streets shaded by towering oaks 100 years old.... 12/12/2007