Though Atlanta enjoys warm weather year-round, summertime is still a season of daily festivals and specialty events! The Atlanta area offers loads of summer events to fit every personality type, including festivals, dining specials, concerts and sporting events! Whether you just moved to Atlanta, are moving soon, or have lived there for years, you can browse through this event list to decide which affairs strike your fancy!

Specialty Events & Festivals

Georgia Mountain Fair runs from July 15 to July 25 and is located at Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds in Hiawassee. Learn about the history and culture of Georgia while enjoying musical performances, arts and crafts, a judged flower contest, food vendors and an array of carnival rides, which are offered free from 2 to 5 p.m. everyday!

Octane Coffee Bar & Lounge in Atlanta provides numerous beer tasting nights throughout the summer that allow you to freely taste test of an assortment of beers! From 5 to 7 p.m., taste test Coney Island Beers on July 8, Magic Hat Beers on July 15, and Sierra’s New Brew on July 29!

Roswell Town Square features Alive After Five beginning on July 16, and continuing on every third Thursday after that. Head to the historic Canton Street in Roswell to enjoy shopping and dining specials, art and craft galleries, entertainment and more!

Countdown to Kickoff is on July 18 from 3 to 6 p.m. and is located at the University of Georgia’s football practice fields. Help support a bunch of different charity foundations while meeting and receiving autographs from more than 50 current and former UGA players!

Also on July 18 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., head to the Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell for the Flying Colors Butterfly Festival. While a variety of butterflies flutter above you, enjoy a picnic while watching a puppet show that explains the life cycle of a butterfly.

National Black Arts Festival runs from July 29 to Aug. 2 at Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta. Showcase your creative expression and cultural knowledge while participating in a book fair or a fashion show, or just dancing the night away to your favorite music!

Bring the whole family to the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth on Aug. 1 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., for Trains, Trucks & Tractors! While viewing and learning about all different types of transportation, kids can also enjoy making crafts and showing off temporary tattoos.

At the Atlanta Motor Speedway, enjoy the National Biker’s Roundup on Aug. 4 from 2 to 9 p.m. Even if you’re not a motorcycle enthusiast, you can listen to musical entertainment while checking out the different rides and savoring the large variety of food and beer.

Dragon*Con is on Sept. 4 from 1 to 8 p.m. and is located at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, the Hyatt Regency, the Hilton Atlanta and the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel, all located in Atlanta. Dragon*Con is a multimedia convention that shows its appreciation of popular culture through science fiction, comics, literature, art, video games, music and film.

Musical Performances

Joe Cocker on July 27 at 8 p.m., at Chastain Park Amphitheater

Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival on July 24 at 1:30 p.m., at Lakewood Amphitheater, which includes legendary Marilyn Manson and Slayer

Chris Isaak on July 25 at 8 p.m., at Chastain Park Amphitheater

Warped Tour on July 28 at 12 p.m., at Lakewood Amphitheater, which includes 35 bands, such as Less Than Jake, Senses Fail, T.S.O.L. and more

Tom Jones on July 31 at 8 p.m., at Chastain Park Amphitheater

Rascal Flatts and special guest star Darius Rucker on July 31 at 8 p.m., at Lakewood Amphitheater

The Jonas Brothers on August 22 at 8 p.m., at Philips Arena

Sporting Events

Summer is the perfect time to relax at an Atlanta Braves baseball game while you chow down on a hot dog and some peanuts! View a schedule and purchase tickets for a game at Turner Field here.

If baseball isn’t your sport of choice, enjoy an Atlanta Silverbacks soccer game at the Atlanta Silverback Park. For ticket information, click here.

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For more information on special events and concerts, you can go to http://www.accessatlanta.com/.

For a list of permanent attractions, you can go to http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com.

Here at Buy Owner, we have given you tips on staging your home for the summer. But what about the backyard? Chances are that potential buyers will want to spend a lot of time outdoors if you have a patio, a lanai or a swimming pool. So why not make the space fun and inviting?

Lanai/Patio
• Create the same feeling you would inside the living room; comfy outdoor furniture is a must.
• A dining area, with a table and chairs, is essential if you want to entertain outside.
• If you lanai is enclosed, potted plants will seamlessly connect this indoor space with the rest of the foliage in the backyard.
• If your patio is open, plant a garden nearby to catch the eye.
• Offer open house visitors some fruits or veggies from a tray you place on the patio table. However, if the patio is unscreened, completely outdoors, do not leave the tray outside and unattended where bugs and animals can get at the food.
• Set up the Wi-Fi capabilities to extend to the outdoor perimeter of your property.

Swimming Pool
• Check out this Buy Owner Blog post on swimming pool accessories!

Open Grass
• Consider adding a cement or brick paver patio.
• Create a small sitting area with all-weather whicker or wood furniture. Give the buyers something to do with the space. You can even offer to sell the brand-new patio furniture.
• If the lawn is bare, add foliage! You cannot expect trees to grow tall over night. Adding bushes and flowers is a start.
• Aluminum or wood sheds are great places to store equipment to maintain the pool or the landscaping.
• Create a “workout space,” complete with basketball hoop, a mini trampoline and plenty of room to lift free weights or do yoga.
• Build a fire pit, a custom bar or a niche for an outdoor grill.

Current home sellers are all facing the same issue: pricing their homes. With real estate values down, another concern for sellers is how much renovation they should perform on their houses. Upgrades are expensive, but fortunately, a recent Chicago Tribune article offers home owners and sellers positive information. The basics are roaring back into style!

Though top-of-the-line kitchens remain popular, an intense remodeling might make yours appear way more upscale than the rest of the home. Aside from that, sleek materials like granite can cost four times as much as the more basic materials!

Though the basics are back in style, they aren’t what they used to be. The colors and styles of laminate or Formica countertops and linoleum or vinyl flooring are plentiful! You can even opt for laminate countertops that visually look like textured granite, but cost a fraction of the price. You can also purchase the basic materials in long lengths for fewer seams, and you can construct an under-mounted sink with no overlap.

Not only is laminate more stylish than ever, and still the cheapest choice, but it also lasts longer than before. Same goes for vinyl and linoleum flooring, now with their colors and patterns soaking all the way through the material instead of just on the top.

These basic materials are also made of sustainable materials, adding just one more perk to these ever-lasting favorites.

If your home needs a renovation, why not offer a new home buyer a basic, longer-lasting option that doesn’t sink you into debt?

For more facts and ideas on basic countertops and flooring, read the rest of the article here.

Though the rains are currently flowing heavy in most areas of the country, later in the summer, a drought always seems to hit. According to the Green Guide, nearly 2 billion people worldwide live in water-stressed regions with insufficient water supplies. As a green living rule of thumb, saving water usage is a given. All kinds of new watering systems are available that use irrigation from local water sources or from deep underground. Still, when it comes to choosing which plants to fill your gardens with, some choices are smarter than others.

In order to save money on your water bills and to help conserve water throughout the world, there are simple steps you can take in your gardening routine to diminish your use of water. It all comes down to which flowers and plants you decide to grow.

• Purchase native plants that already know how to survive in your environment. Native species rarely need more water than what Mother Nature naturally offers, so they’re easier to care for too.
• Keep your soil fertile and healthy. Start a compost pile, or cover your gardens with mulch. These methods help prevent water from drying up.
• Fight the urge to purchase tropical and exotic plants, unless you live in an extremely wet area. These species naturally reside in tropical regions that receive ample amounts of rainfall, so they require more watering than local options.
• Choose perennials over annuals. Annuals intensely bloom for only a short period of time, therefore their roots are shallow and do not obtain water from deep within the soil.
• Reduce the amount of grass that fills your lawn. Grass needs ample amounts of water in order to remain green and lush, so consider eliminating some grass with large gardens, buffalo grass or with xeriscaping.

Visually, steer clear of plants that contain these:

• Glossy, dark leaves
• Oversized leaves
• Soft, fleshy trunks
• Shallow root systems

For more information from the Green Guide, click here.

Summers in Fort Lauderdale, Deerfield Beach and Miami: there is nothing like them! Enjoy warm sunshine, bright blue skies, crystal clear waters, people out and about all over town! Whether they are roaming around festivals, eating delicious foods or jamming to some tunes, people near the Atlantic oceanfront have an endless amount of ways to fill their summer days and nights!

• SUMMER EVENTS near the Atlantic Coast of Florida attract many visitors from around the globe. Here are some of the best events taking place this July and August:

• Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival Presents: The 8th Annual French Film Festival
  Take a trip to France without leaving the continental United States. During the weekend of July 30, enjoy 12 French films from the comfort of the stadium-style seating in the Cinema Paradiso. The movies range from historical dramas to light-hearted comedies. Adult tickets to see the films only cost $10; there are also discount prices for seniors and students, as well. Tickets for the Opening Night Party and the Wrap Party on the final night (August 2) are on sale for both FLIFF members and non-members. For more info, visit FLIFF.com.
• Floatin’ Family Movie Nights in Deerfield Beach
  If you like movies and you enjoy swimming, this monthly event combines both activities for you and the whole family. Floatin’ Family Movie Nights take place at the Deerfield Beach Aquatic Center the last Friday of each month. On July 31 and August 28, get the family together, grab a raft/float chair and head to the center before dark. Concessions are available and the movie begins after sunset. The cost is $2 per person. Fore more info, contact 954-420-2263.
• Miami Spa Month
  During the entire month of July, the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau organizes an entire month of discounted spa treatments. Many of the luxury spas in the area have been voted the best in the country. During Miami Spa Month, residents and visitors alike will be able to enjoy $99 treatments at several of the city’s premier facilities. For a complete list of the participating spas, visit MiamiSpaMonth.com.

• MIAMI SPORTING EVENTS kick it into high gear as the summer continues on through July and August.

• Since their foundation in 1993, the Florida Marlins MLB team has won two World Series Championships (1997 and 2003). The team shares a home with the Miami Dolphins NFL team at LandShark Stadium. Some of the best games to check out would be those against their division rivals: the Philadelphia Phillies in mid-July and the New York Mets in late August. To find tickets, visit the Marlins website or Ticketmaster.com.

• CONCERTS abound in the summertime! Lots of people take some time off to enjoy the musical stylings of the following artists:

• Progressive Nation 2009 featuring Dream Theater, July 24, Jackie Gleason Theater in Miami Beach
• American Idols Live! Tour 2009, July 29, BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise
• Emery, August 6, Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale
• Crosby, Stills and Nash, August 20, Hard Rock Live in Hollywood
• O.A.R., August 28, Pompano Beach Amphitheatre in Pompano Beach

For other acts, as well as scheduling and ticket info, visit Ticketmaster.com.

If you are selling your property during the summer season, it is important for prospective buyers to be warmly welcomed into your home. Buy Owner has also expressed that it is vital for sellers to stage their homes, to give potential buyers an idea what their furnished, decorated home may look like. So how do you get your home ready for a summer open house? Here are some summer staging tips:

Foyer

• If your foyer boasts tiling or hardwood flooring, keep the floor open. Remove any area rugs, as layers create unnecessary warmth when the weather is already hot.

• If you want to keep dirt from being tracked into the house, place a small mat right near the door.

• If you have a screen door, keep the main door open to allow for plenty of light to flow through the foyer.

Living Room

• Make sure a comfy chair is seated near the window to offer views of the outdoors; trade a lofty leather recliner for a light whicker rocking chair.

• For decoration, place a vintage screen door, garden gate, or a portion of white picket fencing in the corner of the room.

• Replace dark lampshades with white or cream-colored shades.

Kitchen/Dining Room

• Place a large bowl of fruit/veggies on the table, the counter or an island. Summer fruits include pineapple, peaches, cantaloupe and bananas. Summer vegetables include: tomatoes, green beans and cucumbers.

• Decorate the room with potted plants. Sunflowers brighten the room and give it a summery disposition.

• Cover dining room chairs with a light-colored slip covers.

Bedrooms

• Remove any heavy textures like accent pillows, down pillows, wool blankets.

• Create an airy, simple look on the bed with one or two white pillows, white sheets and a white cover sheet only.

• Exchange a wooden night table for a piece of whicker furniture.

Bathrooms

• Arrange a basket of scented soaps on the vanity; choose light scents like lavender, pomegranate or peach.

• Keep just one towel in the bathroom. Too many layers create too much warmth.

• If you have a shower/tub combo, keep the curtain/sliding door open.

It is not necessary to completely alter every single room in your house for a summer showing. If you making simple changes, lightening and freshening up your home’s decor, potential buyers will get the feel that your home is a comfortable place to live during the summer.

Congratulations, you just bought your very first house! What do you do now?

If your home is completely empty, you will obviously need to furnish the place. Whether you have a few pieces from your apartment/condo/dorm or you don’t have anything at all, you cannot expect to fill an entire house right away. It is too costly to purchase enough furniture and decorative accents for each room in your house.

Buy Owner has some tips for furnishing that brand-new abode:

1. Make a budget. How much should you spend? First, budget for the essentials and break down your budget room by room. You need a place to sit in the living room, a place to eat in the kitchen and a place to rest your head in the bedroom. Budget for a couch, a table, a few chairs and a bed. An entertainment center, a wet bar, end tables and a recliner will be part of the next step later.

2. Consider used furniture. People may offer you some hand-me-downs or you may even be able to spot some good deals at garage/yard sales. But remember: don’t let anyone force a piece on you. If you don’t like it, or it doesn’t fit in with the style of a given room, you will regret accepting the piece later, even if it is free.

3. Buy for the future. Say you are ready to furnish the dining room. Even if there are only two of you living in the house, you may want to purchase a table that comes with an extender. You never know if you might need a bigger table for party guests or even if more people move in with you. This mentality goes for all rooms, as you want to be comfortable for as long as you live in the house.

Furniture shopping should not be a hassle. While your home may not be fully furnished the same day you move in, you can personalize each space with pictures, flowers and many other inexpensive items you may already own. Chances are, you will be living in your first home for awhile. So take your time and budget your money.

Going green starts at home, in small, daily changes done consistently. You replace your lightbulbs with energy-efficient ones. You choose ceiling fans. You become conscious of your water usage.

And here’s another idea, which is just as simple: You try composting.

What is Composting?
Simply put, composting is the process of turning organic trash (anything that was once living, such as food, garden waste, grass clippings, straw) into something usable. Instead of just taking it to the curb on trash day, you’re repurposing it towards dark, crumbly compost, which is perfect for adding to soil, by placing it in a compost bin that turns it into a nutrient-rich soil ideal for gardening!

Why you should do it:

• It’s green. Did you know one-third of all trash that goes to landfills could be composted? (cite greenhome.com) Imagine if that trash were instead repurposed through composting! This saves the space in landfills, and it saves the energy involved in trash collection!
• It’s a money-saver. By composting, you save money on your garbage bill and on fertilizer!
• It’s simple. While some green alternatives are expensive or complicated, composting is not. It’s something anyone can do!

How to get started:
Composting isn’t a difficult process. You’ll need a compost bin of some kind (usually in the neighborhood of $60 to $180) to put in the yard. Then, you just need to begin trashing all organic materials, such as food scraps, in that bin. The bin will use high temperature (ideally around 160 degrees F) to convert all the organic materials. After a few months, compost will come out of the bottom.

Whether you’ve just gotten news about a job transfer, are looking to relocate somewhere nearby or haven’t decided when or how you’ll be moving next, one thing’s certain: you’ll care about location. Within a given region, there are cities; within cities, neighborhoods; within neighborhoods, subdivisions or developments or communities. How can you decide which is right for you? What issues matter most?

Beyond visiting homes and asking around, there are ways you can whittle down the possibilities, particularly through checklists. So if you’re coming up against a wall, location-wise, consider these questions as a preliminary guide:

1. Convenience:

• How close are grocery stores?
• How close are schools?
• How close is your office/work?
• How close are other places you visit often (entertainment, etc.)?
• How close are highways/trains/airports?

2. Logistics

• What’s the crime rate like?
• What’s the tax rate like?
• How are surrounding properties zoned? Will there be primarily houses around you or commercial areas?
• What are the area’s demographics like?

3. Comfort

• What’s the noise level like? At different times of day?
• Is the area urban/rural/suburban? Whatever it is, are you comfortable with that?
• Does the community seem tight-knit? Friendly?
• What, if any, community amenities are available?

Of course, the ultimate deciding factor in a new home purchase can sometimes be your own gut instinct, along with the emotional response you have to a property. But these questions can sometimes help pull objective facts out of a showing that will help you make a more informed decision.

Happy house hunting!

Selling your home is part work, part creativity and part persistence. But what it isn’t—or at least, what it doesn’t have to be—is difficult. Or expensive, for that matter. In fact, when you sell your home yourself, eliminating costly commissions, you’re already on your way to a less expensive sale. Couple that savvy decision with some of the following low-cost tips for further savings!

1. Eliminate unnecessary clutter, trashing, donating, storing or selling whatever you don’t need.
2. Put away all personal mementos and photos.
3. Clean everything, from top to bottom: floors, walls, surfaces, windows, etc.
4. Vacuum daily.
5. Clear off all counters and flat spaces!
6. Empty all trashcans.
7. Repair what needs fixing!
8. Update in areas where it’s necessary. For low-cost options, check out this Buy Owner Blog article.
9. Don’t install the most expensive carpeting or appliances.
10. Consider replacing towels and bed coverings.
11. Organize all storage spaces thoroughly.
12. Use baskets to hide unsightly items that you use regularly.
13. Paint the walls with neutral colors.
14. Pull back the shades to let natural light flow inside.
15. Add plants to bring the outside in, or opt for low-maintenance silk plants in elegant containers.
16. Turn on all lights!
17. Create focal points in each room, and aim to draw buyers’ eyes towards them.
18. Use furniture strategically to create groupings of sitting areas or nooks.
19. Create inviting smells throughout.
20. Mow the lawn.
21. Power-wash the driveways and sidewalks.
22. Manicure hedges.
23. Plant flowers.
24. Repaint your home’s facade and/or the front door, if necessary.
25. Create a welcoming first impression! Put out a new welcome mat and a wreath on the front door.