Of the 5 new floor plans in The Summit, 3 of them are priced below $200,000.

With three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms and the option for a fourth bedroom or large in home office, the Miller plan is great for anyone who loves open floorplans.  On the first floor, the great room opens up to the kitchen and breakfast room, making this already spacious home feel even larger and more welcoming.

The lovely Chatsworth home has a fabulous master suite with trey ceilings, his and her walk-in closets and a 6-foot garden tub perfect for soaking after a long day. The laundry room is also on the second floor, minimizing the number of times you’ll have to walk up and down the stairs with heavy laundry baskets.

The final home with pricing just under $200,000 is the Campbell floorplan. The home features three bedrooms and two and a half baths, with the option to make it a five bedroom three bathroom home.

On the first floor the dining room opens up to the great room, which features a corner fireplace perfect for cuddling up and keeping warm on cold nights. Upstairs has spacious secondary bedrooms and an open loft that can function as a play area for children, a bonus room for entertaining, or as an additional bedroom.

D.R. Horton Homes is one of the original builders in the Henry County community and is pleased to be a part of making homeowners dreams come true in this Atlanta lake community filled with resort-style amenities.

The 4 bedroom, 3 1/2 bath McDaniel plan features the owner’s suite on the main level. An abundance of light  filters through the dramatic wall of windows in the two-story family room. This abundance of natural light makes you feel as though you are living outdoors. There is also a sunroom off of the breakfast area, perfect for a cup of coffee and the morning paper.

Upstairs features three large bedrooms with walk-in closets and lots of extra storage space. You won’t have a problem finding room for all of your daughter’s clothing essentials or a spot for all of your son’s sporting equipment.

With 4 bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths, the ever-popular Westchester plan has a gourmet kitchen overlooking the spacious keeping room, making it easier than ever to chat with dinner guests while preparing the meal.

The grand master suite has a trey ceiling and sitting area opening up to the master bathroom. This over-sized space is both relaxing and calming and the ideal location for escaping from the stresses of work.

A fifth bedroom is also an option for the 3,590 square foot home.

As you walk into the award winning Winterhur home, the first thing you notice is the enormous – story foyer and formal living room and dining room on either side. Continuing straight ahead, the 2 story family room  opens to the gourmet kitchen complete with a walk-in pantry, perfect for all your food and extra cooking gadgets.

The owner’s suite in this 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom home, features a sitting area and his and hers walk-in closets, ensuring that you’ll have plenty of closet room and won’t have to throw out any of his clothes when you come home from shopping.

As tempting as these homes are, the amenities in this master-planned community are even more tempting. Visit award-winning Heron Bay Golf & Country Club today to view available homes, homesites and resort-style amenities.

The Summit at Heron Bay has 5 new beautiful floor plans starting in the high $170’s, perfect for first time home buyers or “empty nesters” still looking for a great size yard and square footage.

Offering the best golf value in Heron Bay, Northridge is introducing 3 new plans to  D.R. Horton’s Estate Series and offering many upgrades, including 3 car garages, bowed wall of windows and a media rooms. With gorgeous views of the 7th hole on the Canongate golf course, Northridge at Heron Bay is a great choice for anyone looking for plenty of space for their family.

The Villas at Heron Bay, geared toward Active Adults, offers ranch homes and owner’s suites on the first floor. This community also includes a lawn maintenance program and access to a private clubhouse.

Located on the Cole Reservoir in Henry County, this master-planned community has great choices of lots from 1/4 of an acre to 1 1/2 acres, interior lots or golf course lots.

All of the homes in Heron Bay boast upgrades galore and all homeowners have access to resort-style amenities, including an aquatic and tennis center and lakefront park.

Call, 770-957-5633, to schedule a tour of Heron Bay or visit the Sales & Information Center seven days a week.

There are currently two homes priced under the Big Big Deal promotion.

Built with family in mind, the Everton model features four bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, and a three car garage. The spacious 3,825 square foot home has a Lifetime Structural Warranty. You’ll love the beautiful kitchen which features a walk-in pantry and center island. Offering plenty of storage, there is a place for all your cooking odds and ends in this beautiful home. The Everton has been attractively priced at $299,900, making now the ideal time to purchase this move-in ready home.

If an oversized corner lot appeals to you than the Sedgewick model is ideal. Still under construction, this home is perfect for anyone interested in picking out their colors and finishes. The 3,500 square foot, four bed, three and a half bath home has an open floorplan, making the already large home feel even more spacious and inviting. Your family will enjoy casual meals in the breakfast room, or for more formal affairs the large dining room is the perfect spot for guests. Both rooms are adjacent to the kitchen, making entertaining and cooking easier than ever. This home is  priced at $329,900.

For more information or to speak with a Heron Bay representative, call 770.957.5633 or visit the website www.heronbayinfo.com.

What is an HOA?

Also known as a Homeowner’s Association, HOAs are often created by the developer to maintain the quality of the neighborhood. Once a certain number of homes have been sold, the developer often turns the HOA over to the community to run. Depending on the community, HOAs function in different capacities. In the Atlanta golf community of Heron Bay Golf & Country Club, the Homeowner’s Association is run by the developer, Minerva Properties. In addition to developer input, the Heron Bay HOA also has the input of four formal committees: Safety and Pool, Positive Standards, Social Activities and Community Liaisons. Each consists of volunteers who are elected by the Community Association. By having these four committees, Heron Bay residents are able to enjoy a positive growth throughout the year without worry. Whether creating new policies designed to keep the neighborhood safe, or planning a swanky soiree for all the adults, the Heron Bay HOA committees always have a pulse on what is happening in the community.

HOAs all have different agendas and operating procedures. Most are fueled by what issues and concerns are important to the community. Therefore it’s very important to research the community HOA before purchasing a new home. Some important questions to ask include:

• What are the HOA fees?
• Are the fees monthly? Annual?
• Have fees gone up or down over the past 10 years?
• What do your fees pay for?
• What are the covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs) of the HOA?

Asking these questions can help you determine if your HOA is over-managed, under-managed, or just right. The Heron Bay HOA is known for being just the right mix, the various committees and enthusiasm put forth by all the members makes it just one more reason why so many choose to call this Henry County master-planned community home. For more information about the Heron Bay HOA, or the community in general, call 770.957.5633. The information center is also open Monday – Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 1 – 5 p.m.

The January project “SAVE Your Greeting Cards” encourages residents to donate their old Christmas and greeting cards to benefit the St. Jude’s Ranch for Children.

St. Jude’s recycles the cards and sells them on their website. The children at the ranch play a big part in re-creating the “new” cards by removing the front of the cards and attaching a new back. The children benefit from the program by receiving payment for their work and they also learn the importance of “going green”.

On February 27th the committee is hosting an American Red Cross Blood Drive. The Blood Mobile will be located in the parking lot of the Sales & Information Center from 10AM to 3PM. The committee is inviting residents to bring family and friends to give blood.

The committee will also be planning a something special to celebrate Earth Day in April. This event will bring Heron Bay residents together in efforts to to keep the community clean and beautiful.

The Community Liaison Committee is just one of four committees that offer mulitple ways for the residents to be involved with fellow neighbors within the Atlanta golf community. For more information about Heron Bay Golf & Country Club or how you can get involved with one of the many committee projects, visit www.heronbayinfo.com.

The IRS will begin processing these forms beginning in mid-February. Make sure to send your home ASAP to be at the top of the pile. Make sure to pay close attention to all of the details as Form 5405 will now require additional documentation in order to prevent fraud. Because of these additional documents, you’ll need to file a paper tax return rather than filing online.

Additional documents include:

• A copy of the settlement statement showing all parties’ names and signatures, property address, sales price, and date of purchase. Normally, this is the properly executed Form HUD-1, Settlement Statement.
• For mobile home purchasers who are unable to get a settlement statement, a copy of the executed retail sales contract showing all parties’ names and signatures, property address, purchase price and date of purchase.
• For a newly constructed home where a settlement statement is not available, a copy of the certificate of occupancy showing the owner’s name, property address and date of the certificate.

If you are one of the many who have lived in your home for a consecutive five year period of the past eight and are claiming the tax credit on your purchase of a new principle home, note that the IRS has also stepped up your compliance checks for using the tax credit. In order to prove that you have lived in your home for the five-consecutive-year period make sure to include the following documentation:

• Form 1098, Mortgage Interest Statement, or substitute mortgage interest statements,
• Property tax records or
• Homeowner’s insurance records.

If you do file your tax credit forms early, expect a longer turn around time as the IRS will be performing critical systematic checks to deter fraud. Normally it takes anywhere from four to eight weeks to have your refund claimed, but for those of you filing early, expect to start to see your refunds issued toward the end of March.

If you are moving and want to take advantage of the tax credit before it expires, make sure to head over to  Heron Bay Golf & Country Club. This Atlanta lake community offers  a multitude of amenities for everyone. You can enjoy the warm spring weather while walking by the lake or wandering the nature trails in your new community.

Don’t wait because this year is fast moving and your opportunity will soon be past.

A women cries as workers dig through the rubble in search of her nephew, whose cries could be heard in a collapsed building in downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Thursday, January 14, 2010. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times/MCT)

Residents of Atlanta golf community, Heron Bay Golf & Country Club are known for giving back to their community throughout the year.

Now when those outside the Henry county area are in need, residents of the master-planned community are committed to making sure that everyone knows how they can donate to the Haiti.

One of the easiest forms of donation is through text messages. By texting “HAITI” to 90999 on your cell phone and $10 will be donated to the Red Cross for the relief efforts.  The charge will show up on your next cell phone bill.

According to Mobile Giving, the foundation managing cell phone donations for the Haitian earthquake victims, nearly 10,000 text messages are coming in every second bringing in over $10 million thus far. The American Red Cross has raised a total of $37 million for the Haitian relief efforts and more than $8 million has come via cell phone.

In addition to the Red Cross text fund, Wyclef Jean, native Haitian and hip hop artist, has set up Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund and cell phone users can text “YELE” to 501501 to make a $5 donation.

Relief efforts will be happening for months to come and every penny is greatly appreciated. Make sure you protect yourself and guarantee your money is getting to Haiti by doing your research prior to donating. Simple steps such as visiting Charity Navigator and never donating cash will help keep you safe from all the charity scam artists as well as ensures your donation will go where it is most needed.

For more information about how you can get involved, visit the Google Crisis Response website to learn more about organizations dedicating time, money and other services to the victims of this national disaster.

This is not the first time one of the tennis teams has been a champion. In the Summer of 2008 the mixed ALTA team won the city division in their first season together. Since then several new teams have been formed, including the Ladies Team that just won.  Heron Bay also has several Men and Junior teams, making it easy for the whole family to play.  Lessons are also offered by one of the residents in the master-planned community in Henry County.

The tennis club is one of many perks offered to residents living in the Atlanta lake community. There’s always something going on at the Cole Reservoir and with a three-pool aquatic center, Play Park, the Lakefront Park & Pavilion and several miles of nature trails, homeowners at Heron Bay Golf & Country Club are always able to enjoy resort-style amenities year round.

In addition, the Heron Bay Community Association organizes family fun events throughout the year, including the most recent Holiday Party in December and the upcoming Easter Extravaganza in March.

Who wouldn’t want to live in a place with a great lifestyle and beautiful homes to match? Browse available homes by going to www.heronbayinfo.com or visit the Sales & Information Center any day of the week.

When “spring cleaning” there are a couple tips you’ll want to remember. First you need to plan and prioritize. Start by deciding what on your list is a must-do, what is a should-do and what can wait. Make sure to spread out the list by working on it a little each day, don’t try and do it all at once.

You might want to start with the entrance. You don’t want a first time visitor’s first impression of your home be the last. Small touches such as putting out a new welcome mat or cleaning the one you have, sweeping the porch, or adding a potted plant will really brighten up your home and make it a more welcoming place for friends and family to visit.

When cleaning inside, always start at the top and work your way down.  Dust will rise and settle as you clean, so you’ll want to wash the floors last. If you’re like me and hate cleaning, make it fun by turning the music up. You can even turn your New Year’s cleaning process into a fun family activity. Get the kids and create a points system, the more each person cleans and a the better the cleaning job is the more points they receive. The person with the highest number of points wins a prize!

Don’t forget to clean up clutter. Check drawers, closets, storage. If you’re having a hard time deciding whether you want to toss or keep there’s a simple rule of thumb: If you didn’t use it last year you wont this year either. Make sure to donate all the gently used items you no longer need.

If you’re someone who was cleaning to move, you might want to look in Heron Bay Golf & Country Club for the home of your dreams. Not only do we have amazing homes for families, we also have incredible amenities, including three pools, lighted tennis courts, walking trails and a lake front pavilion. In addition, we also have a beautiful 18-hole golf course perfect for Saturday outings. So start off your new year in a new home in Henry County’s premier Atlanta golf community by calling Josh Irwin at (678) 432-2355.