Atlanta Real Estate Homes for Sale

North Atlanta Home Buyers Put Through Wringer

Kathy Drewien — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 11:39:04 +0000

Legitimately qualified North Atlanta home buyers are put through the wringer to gain mortgage approval; this process has become genuinely painful. The short sale process is nothing short of criminal; the demonstrated lack of cooperation and antagonistic approach by banks will continue to hurt any North Atlanta real estate recovery. The process is combative, both for the owners and potential buyers – so much so that many agents and buyers will not deal with lender owned or short sale properties.

Thinking of buying in North Atlanta? The first thing to do is evaluate your position. Some folks shouldn’t buy and others should exploit the opportunities that exist. That said, the inventory of quality homes that are priced appropriately is limited. Sellers with quality North Atlanta homes in desirable areas will attract qualified buyers. Buyers, you have to understand that opportunities exist, and yet dealing with distressed homes, short sales, and bank owned homes is a disaster which often ends in frustration.

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Atlanta Spring Market Falls Flat

Kathy Drewien — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:23:23 +0000

This spring has not seen the usual influx of new North Atlanta listings – people that don’t need to sell aren’t listing. We’re seeing fewer quality homes being offered and those that are listed are attracting immediate attention. Most well priced and well presented homes are contracting in 30-45 days at high sale to list ratios.

I encourage sellers to price aggressively and negotiate well. If you overprice and try to reduce, you’ll be lost in the pool of homes and become one of hundreds. You have to get on the radar of those few qualified buyers. The recipe for success has not changed – price, location, condition – the market is the only thing that dictates the value of your home.

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Consider Slate for Kitchen Countertops

Kathy Drewien — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 16:50:22 +0000

Slate can provide an elegance and sophistication to kitchen countertops. Slate is one natural material that has both the strength and durability of granite and marble but without the constant maintenance and care these other surfaces require.

Many kitchen design professionals regard slate as an even better natural stone surface than marble or granite, since slate kitchen countertops have a low porosity this surface requires no sealing. Most slate countertops are considered to be stain-free. Slate countertops look great. By selecting slate for kitchen countertops, you are getting a material that has the feel and natural beauty of a natural stone.

Rarely marketed to kitchen and bath designers, slate is, one of the strongest, if not the strongest, materials you can use as a kitchen countertop, even exceeding the properties of granite. Slate, as a countertop material, has numerous properties that we need in a hard working countertop surface.

Slate kitchen countertops can be honed to a smooth, matte (that is, not shiny) finish. This honing process produces a warm, durable surface that is long lasting, strong, simplistic, and natural. Slate kitchen countertops can also be oiled to create a glossier look.

Slate kitchen countertops are available in different shapes, colors and sizes that go well with many kitchen design styles.

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Find Atlanta Home Improvement Businesses

Kathy Drewien — Sat, 01 May 2010 21:55:04 +0000

Today I was listening to The Splendid Table on NPR in the car while running errands. When Lynne Rosetto Kasper mentioned her bedside table was full of design magazines, my ears perked. I have a folder full of home improvement ideas for every room in my house!

If you’re ready to put your design ideas into action, you’ll find this home improvement business directory a great place to start your research.

The categories include:

Home Theaters
Kitchen and Bath
Remodeling
Outdoor Living and Landscape
Lighting

The directory also offers a savings guide and a calendar of events.
Move your project from the bedside table to reality today.

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Extend Your Living Space… Outdoors

Extend Your Living Space… Outdoors

Kathy Drewien — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:52:16 +0000

It’s easy to get overwhelmed trying to figure out just how to bring an outdoor room together to make it a peaceful spot to relax or enjoy quality time with friends and family. But if you think of it as yet another room to decorate and furnish, the space will come together more easily.

In order to create a comfortable space with pleasant atmosphere it is important to consider these details:

Circulation – How will people walk through the space? Position a sitting area in a location where circulation will not pass directly through the space.
Seating – Where will people be sitting? Create comfortable seating for conversation, orient chairs, sofas, and gliders towards each other, 6 to 8 feet apart; this is a comfortable distance for talking without feeling too close.
Views – What will people be looking at when sitting? you can create focal points with trees and shrubs in the distance, or planters and ornaments closer by.

Creating a sense of enclosure is a great way to make your outdoor space more intimate; it is also a great way to create separation and privacy from your neighbors.

Add shrubs, trees, arbors, trellises, or pergolas to improve the atmosphere of your patio space and create shade.

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Challenges of Short Sales

Kathy Drewien — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:32:53 +0000

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGYiR80-34o

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Atlanta Home Prices Down

Kathy Drewien — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:01:40 +0000

The housing price downturn has hit Atlanta fairly hard even though it didn’t have the same boom as other cities.

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Home Values and Tax Appraisals Don’t Add Up

Kathy Drewien — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:46:09 +0000

Georgia’s property tax system imploded with last year’s historic real estate collapse. Across metro Atlanta, home values fell tens of thousands of dollars — sometimes hundreds of thousands — but tax appraisals did not follow them down.

In an unprecedented comparison of actual sales values vs. county tax appraisals, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution examined every residential property sale and every change in tax value in Cobb, Clayton, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties in 2009 — about 550,000 records. The newspaper found that, for the first time, county appraisals are higher — sometimes much higher — than property is now worth, which means that tens of thousands of homeowners are being unfairly taxed ?on value their property no longer holds. » Learn More

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4007 Jeffers Pointe – Villa Rica GA – $400,000

Kathy Drewien — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:40:30 +0000

Absolutely Stunning 3-Side Brick Traditional and Priced to Sell in Popular Mirror Lake Golf and Country Club!

Leaded glass double door entry opens to grand two-story foyer showcased by custom wrought iron scroll work of main stairway. This home boasts architectural details with an extensive trim package and custom accent lighting.

The formal areas off the foyer – a separate dining room and inviting parlor/living room – feature elegant trey ceilings with detail trim accents. Hardwood floors flow through the entire main level, the staircase, and upper level hall.

Grand two-story family room draws you into the home with a floor to ceiling view of the private wooded lot. Made for comfortable living, the space is open to a gourmet kitchen and large breakfast/casual dining area. Granite counter tops, richly stained cabinetry and a large center island is perfect for entertaining large gatherings or pulling up bar stools for a quick cup of coffee.

The main level bedroom is ideally situated with a private bath for guests. Or, home office convenience and efficiency.

Two secondary bedrooms share a bath Jack ‘n Jill style with separate vanities and a common tub and toilet. A third secondary bedroom features a private bath. All bedrooms have walk-in closets and room for queen-sized beds.

Romantic retreat describes the master suite.

The space includes a sleeping area designed to accommodate large pieces, and accent lighting for reading in bed. A sitting room adjoins as a comfortable lounge when you need that moment away from the family.

The master bath is distinguished with a cathedral ceiling, dual head tiled shower, granite counter tops on his and her vanities, dressing table for her, and a walk-in closet that will take your breath away. Bronze fixtures make this large space a warm and restful spa.

And there is more…

An unfinished basement is stubbed for a full bath and a half-bath. The homeowner’s completed the lower level soundproof media room, and now must say goodbye before finishing additional areas. A full wall of windows open to the level fenced backyard. Two entry points were constructed to allow for both finished areas and lawn/yard equipment.

Pie-shaped culdesac lot is level, fenced and private.

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Atlanta Golf and Country Club Community Home for Sale

Housing Not Out of the Woods Despite Growing Economy

Kathy Drewien — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:42:08 +0000

Housing appears to have stabilized, with both single-family home sales and production activity heading for higher ground, they said, with the multifamily sector trailing behind. The severity of the downturn from which the nation is now emerging, however, has made it more difficult to know exactly what to expect in the period ahead.

As a result, housing could improve faster than is generally expected, or it could hobble along without reaching healthy levels until far into 2011. What happens to housing prices is crucial in determining the strength of industry performance, the analysts said. While prices have shown signs of stabilizing in recent months, they could suffer a relapse in the face of rising unemployment, which in turn is increasing the number of home owners who can no longer afford to make their mortgage payments. (continued)