I am writing this blog entry at my favorite local coffee place.  It's a relatively new place called the Daily Grind in N East Cobb County right at the intersection of East Piedmont Rd. and Sandy Plains Road.  They have geat beverages as well as a comfortable atmosphere and free Wi-Fi.  There's even a conference room that you can use for small meetings.  I will be conducting a business networking session there once a month with the first session on May 29th at 8AM.  Since this is the first one, I ask that if you plan on attending please let me know and I will know to look out for you there.  If you go, ask for the owner, John and tell him I sent you. 05/15/2008

 As a home stager, I can attest to the value of de-cluttering and the impact it can have on a home.  And yes, removing personal collectibles can help avoid buyer distractions.  The definition of staging, or so it seemed, was almost always tied to occupied homes.However, with the amount of homes on the market with many sitting vacant, professional home stagers are making incredible headway with respect to getting homes sold more quickly.  Not only do we understand the importance of a great first-impression but we strive to make it one the buyers will remember.To stand out a home must be made as attractive as possible.  Builders have relied on this marketing strategy for years.  Why?  Because they understood the importance of having the buyer emotionally connect with the home.  An eat-in ... 05/06/2008

Rob Muller | ReMax Town & Country | 770-363-4528 2391 Jack Creek Drive, Marietta, GA Charming Cape Cod in a Great Marietta Location 4 Bdrm Single Family House offered at $159,900 Year Built 1987 Sq Footage Unspecified Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Floors 2 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size .5 acres HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION Charming Cape Cod with lrge fenced in,wooded back yard, rocking chair front porch. Spacious, open living room with built in cabinets. Kitchen features a large eating area, with a ton of counter and cabinet space. Large bedrooms with master on main, 2 bedrooms upstairs with a huge bonus/4th bedroom. see additional photos below PROPERTY FEATURES Central A/C Central heat Fireplace High/Vaulted ceiling Walk-in closet Family room Bonus/Rec room Breakfast no... 05/03/2008

 Revival starts at World Harvest Church in Marietta, Ga this Saturday night at 7:00 pm to find out more about it visit the following link. Atlanta Home Inspector wants to share a local event in Marietta, GA   Service times for World Harvest Church in Marietta, GA are as follows: Marietta - May 3rd-6th Saturday Night,  May 3rd  --  7PMSunday A.M., May 4th -- 9AMSunday P.M., May 4th -- 6PMMonday Night, May 5th -- 7PMTuesday Night, May 6th -- 7PM Please feel free to join us each and every night.  If you can't join us in person, please be praying for the services.  We just finished with revival at Ball Ground and saw many people give their lives to Jesus for the first time.  May 7th, I just wanted to take a moment and update everyone about revival.  On Monday night there was about 10 people... 05/01/2008

If you are considering relocating to the Atlanta suburbs and you want a chance to sample many of the local restaurants, there are 2 upcoming events that you would be interested in. 1.  Taste of Marietta - this will take place on April 27th in the historic Marietta Square.  It is simply wonderful to spend a little time in this charming outdoor square if the weather is nice.  While you're there, take a drive around some of the historic neighborhoods and see some fantastic properties. 2.  Tast of East Cobb - on May 3rd.  Similar; but smaller scale event as the Marietta version.  This one is not in a historic location (just a strip mall parking lot); but should also be a fun event for the whole family.  It's also a great time to get out and meet the locals if you are new to the area or cons... 04/23/2008

Months ago I had received a phone call from an agent by the name of Kirsten Conover with Prudential Georgia.  She had just acquired the listing she mentions below, which as she states, was on the market for 2 years.  Kirsten wanted to have me see the home first-hand to gain insight on what changes the homeowner could make to assist the buyers.  With the bid accepted, we forged ahead with the staging and had the house under contract in two weeks!  So, without further delay, here's the quick interview:1)  How long have you been a Realtor?  Going into my third full-time year 2)  How often have you used a professional staging company to stage one of your listings?  Not often enough--I'm now using one whenever I have a vacant house and/or when a non-vacant house requires it.3)  In your selec... 04/20/2008

Your Atlanta home inspector wanted to share the following local event.  Our church went through revival and the whole church has been stirred up (in a good way) and we are continuing on with gong out witnessing and having services so that the lost can be saved.  In the word it says to go out and preach the good news.  That is what we are in the process of doing.    Service times for World Harvest Church in Marietta, GA are as follows: Marietta - May 3rd-6th Saturday Night,  May 3rd  --  7PMSunday A.M., May 4th -- 9AMSunday P.M., May 4th -- 6PMMonday Night, May 5th -- 7PMTuesday Night, May 6th -- 7PM Please feel free to join us each and every night.  If you can't join us in person, please be praying for the services. David Lelak of IHI Home Inspections serves Canton, Alpharetta, Roswell,... 04/18/2008

Home Buying Season Is in Full BloomSpring is in the air.  The air is getting warmer, the flowers are starting to bloom... and homebuyers are coming out of hibernation.In houses across America, millions of people are spending countless numbers of hours on Web sites devoted to real estate.  They're researching neighborhoods and communities, checking interest rates and average home prices, and making wish lists with houses and amenities.  They are preparing for the 2008 home buying season."If you've been thinking about selling your house, now is the time," said Mary McCleskey, owner and broker of Assist-2-Sell, Home Buyers & Sellers Realty in Cobb County, Georgia.  "Each year, between April and July, we see a definite increase in the number of people who are actively looking to buy a house... 04/11/2008

For this room it took a can of paint; gorgeous bedding and accessories.Here's the room before staging:  Note:  While I love the color green, this particular shade clashed with the carpet.  The difference was so noticeable that it was a complete distraction.Now here's the room "after" staging:And because I love this bedding, I got down on my knees and took this angle:FYI - the bedding came from Ashley Furniture.________________________________________________________________________________________________________Georgia Interior Solutions, LLC, offers affordable solutions in getting your home ready for the market.  Serving home sellers, agents, builders and investors, they have the experience, skills and inventory to help make your home and/or listing stand-out from the others on the ma... 04/09/2008

If your home is currently on the market, here's an easy fix that will surely help your prospective buyers.  As a professional home stager in Atlanta, I see this as one of the greatest opportunities to truly make a difference in how the home is viewed.  So what is it?  Scale Down and Define!Yup, it's that easy.  One of the objectives with home staging is to ensure that buyers are left with visuals that are not only appealing but one they can envision living in.  By scaling down the items in the room and setting definition to the purpose of the room, the amount of space will be better showcased.Here's an example: Here's the "after" picture:Atlanta's Premier Home Staging Company,  Georgia Interior Solutions, is here to assist you with getting your home ready for the market.  Whether vacant... 03/30/2008

Many sit idle waiting for someone to give them a sign that it is ok to buy and sell while investors and real estate experts snap up those inexpensive properties with great expectations of cashing in after the economy rebounds.  Brokers and Agents know that real estate is cyclical and that currently we are correcting a damaged real estate process gone awry.  In several years property values will begin to increase once again.  For some, this period in time is emblazed in a media storm of difficulty, but many know that, "In the midst of difficulty lies opportunity." 03/28/2008

A city well known for it's friendly people nice cozy restaurants and a convenient drive to Atlanta is the place you may want to look for a New Home. Marietta Ga Real Estate is a market that will continue to grow and appreciate as more and more home owners understand how great this city is to live in. We take great pride in showing the homes available in Marietta. Everyone that comes to Marietta from other parts of the country falls in love with the great neighborhoods and the great people. If you are thinking of relocating to Marietta Georgia call Dwayne West with Solid Source Realty at 678-233-4159.Here is a link below to the Marietta Schools website.http://www.marietta-city.k12.ga.us/ 03/23/2008

In the state of Georgia if you are a REALTOR you are not allowed to give gifts to past clients who refer your name out to people they know.  You can, however, give up to 3 gifts to licensees who give you referrals.  Is this the case in every state?  If so what do you do to show your appreciation to pasts clients or people you know for referring you.  I just want to show people I know and past clients to know how much it means to me for them to refer my name out.  By thanking them in some way it shows appreciation along with professionalism.  03/20/2008

Ring... Ring....Me:  Georgia Interior Solutions, this is Kathy.Homeowner:  Hi, my name is Joe and I have a home currently on the market.  I'd like to gather some information on your services.Me:  Sure.  Where is your home located?  Oh, Marietta?  That's great as it's an area that I serve.  Is the home vacant or occupied?Homeowner:  It's vacant.  I see that you offer "key" room staging.  Could you explain your process?Me:  Sure (one of my most favorite words).  With "key" room staging, we'll stage all the rooms in the home with the exception of the secondary bedrooms.  I also offer "whole" home staging, in which case all of the rooms would be staged.  If you're interested, Joe, we can come out to your home, at no charge to you, to view the home first-hand.  In doing so, I'll gain a sense... 03/18/2008

I was just looking at some statistics in the Atlanta area when I logged into our Realist tax service, and noticed that in Cobb county homes sales (Marietta homes for sale) declined over 46% in January 2008 over sales in January 2007.  The median price in January 2008 is $212,300, while in January 2007 it was $197,950 a 7% increase.  While some inexperienced agents may boast the prices are rising the reality is much scarier that home sales are in free fall.  What the median sales price  (Which is not a real home ) does not tell you is that sellers are paying closing costs and making major concessions in price, sellers contributions to closing costs and yes agent compensation!  In Atlanta the other day I received a email circular for a builder.  His standard commission is now 10% as long ... 03/16/2008

Rob Muller | ReMax Town & Country | 770-363-4528 2391 Jack Creek Drive, Marietta, GA Charming Cape Cod in a Great Marietta Location 4 Bdrm Single Family House offered at $169,900 Year Built 1987 Sq Footage Unspecified Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Floors 2 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size .5 acres HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION Charming Cape Cod with lrge fenced in,wooded back yard, rocking chair front porch. Spacious, open living room with built in cabinets. Kitchen features a large eating area, with a ton of counter and cabinet space. Large bedrooms with master on main, 2 bedrooms upstairs with a huge bonus/4th bedroom. see additional photos below PROPERTY FEATURES Central A/C Central heat Fireplace High/Vaulted ceiling Walk-in closet Family room Bonus/Rec room Breakfast no... 03/15/2008

Charming Cape Cod on Cul De Sac StreetMarietta GA Real Estate, Charming Cape Cod with large fenced in, wooded back yard, rocking chair front porch. Spacious, open living room with built in cabinets. Kitchen features a large eating area, with a ton of counter and cabinet space. Large bedrooms with master on main, 2 bedrooms upstairs with a huge bonus/4th bedroom. Visit www.RelyOnRob.com for more information, to schedule a showing or to search for other Marietta GA Real Estate.InformationContact Information PricingAsking Price: $169,900Flexibility: NegotiableLinksMarietta GA Real estateSearch The MLSFeaturesBedrooms: 4Bathrooms: 2Parking: GarageYear Built: 1987Subdivision: Cumberland CreekLot Size: 1/3 to 1/2Garage Size: 2School District: OsborneAgent Name: Rob MullerBroker: Remax Town & ... 03/02/2008

A city well known for it's friendly people nice cozy restaurants and a convenient drive to Atlanta is the place you may want to look for a New Home. Marietta Georgia Real Estate is a market that will continue to grow and appreciate as more and more home owners understand how great this city is to live in. We take great pride in showing the homes available in Marietta. Everyone that comes to Marietta from other parts of the country falls in love with the great neighborhoods and the great people. If you are thinking of relocating to Marietta Georgia call Dwayne West with Solid Source Realty at 678-233-4159.Here is a link below to the Marietta Schools website.http://www.marietta-city.k12.ga.us/ 02/24/2008

With the new 2008 GAR Contract in force, you need to be aware of what constitutes closing costs. Of this list, the contract designates that the seller pays some of these and the buyer pays some of these.The list is long and as a seller, if you commit to a sum to contribute to the buyer, understand that any and all of the money can be used for the list below. Costs considered to be "closing costs.Georgia Transfer taxAll costs, fees and charges to have the closing attorney search title and prepare: The Warranty deedThe owner's affidavitBuyer's Power of Attorney All promissory notes, deeds to secure debt and other loan documents required by any lender providing financing in the transaction. Tax services chargesRecording costsCourier feesOvernight delivery feesDocument preparation feesUnder... 02/22/2008

Ben Staten | RE/MAX Greater Atlanta | 404-323-0049 3614 Robinson Walk Drive, Marietta, GA MOVE RIGHT IN AND ENJOY THIS GREAT HOME CONVENIENT TO SCHOOLS,SHOPPING, EVERYTHING! 4 Bdrm Single Family House offered at $345,000 Year Built 1989 Sq Footage Unspecified Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 2 full, 1 partial Floors 2 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size Unspecified HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION Move in and enjoy this wonderful home with new carpet and fresh paint-Other features:• Hardwood floors through much of the main level• Formal Living Room • Dining Room with wainscoating & heavy mouldings •Great Room features gas log fireplace and opens to deck • Kitchen with lots of counters & cabinets, Pantry, and Eating Area • Master Suite with Spa Bath and Walk-In Closet• Three Additional Bedrooms • Hall ... 02/19/2008