Your Rate Didn't Change. So, Why Can't You Afford Your Home Anymore?Why did my mortgage payment increase when my interest rate remained the same? In Metro Atlanta, a higher payment on a fixed-rate loan usually comes from escrow: your property taxes, homeowner's insurance, or both increased.Pictur
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10/05/2026
Rates Just Crossed 7%. Here are 3 Things Metro Atlanta Buyers Can Do About It.By Vanessa M Calhoun, B.S., Associate Broker |HomeSmart | Cell: 470-209-8136 | Office: 404-876-4901How can homebuyers offset higher mortgage rates in 2026?Metro Atlanta buyers can lower their monthly payment by negotiat
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09/29/2026
GREAT RATE, BAD DEBT? WHY SELLING YOUR METRO ATLANTA HOME MAY BE THE FIXCan selling your home pay off high-interest debt like credit cards and auto loans? Absolutely! If you have enough equity, selling could allow you to pay off credit cards, auto loans, and other high-interest balances in full a
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09/24/2026
The Fed Just Raised Rates. Here's What That Means for You.How does the September 2026 Fed rate hike affects homebuyers in Metro Atlanta? I'm sure you've heard by now that the Federal Reserve unanimously voted to raise interest rates by a quarter point. It's an attempt to help curb inflation, so t
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09/17/2026
Why isn't my Cobb County home selling? Nationally, homes are sitting on the market longer than they have in six years, and the South has some of the strongest buyer's markets in the country! If your home isn't moving, the problem usually isn't you. It's normally pricing, positioning, or timing ag
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09/10/2026
Can't Find "The One"? There's a Loan for That.You've PROBABLY exclaimed loudly by now, "This home's nice, but the kitchen needs updating" or "This paisley wall paper has to GO!". Well, if you've been touring homes in Cobb County for the past year or so, you may have walked away disappointed more
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09/08/2026
Is it a good time to purchase a Cobb County home? This question comes up quite often for many who are looking to buy a home from East Cobb to Powder Springs, and it all boils down to few simple considerations. If your income is stable, and you plan on holding onto the property for several years,
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09/01/2026
According to OutKast, the South has something to say….and Atlanta’s real estate market is definitely screaming loudly.Atlanta’s markets (because we have SEVERAL different markets in Metro Atlanta) are a bit all over the place right now. Sellers located in the luxury ($1M +)markets of North Atlant
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08/26/2026
Is a builder's new construction incentive package too good to be true? Sometimes. Some builders fund buyer incentives by raising the purchase price first, which means the buyer fianances their own "savings". This could quietly erode their equity position for years.I recently walked a client throu
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08/24/2026
Are there new construction townhomes in Cobb County with interest rates as low as 3.5%?Yes. Magnolia Square in Austell, Georgia offers new 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath townhomes built by Century Communities. They're priced from the mid-$300's to the low $400's, with builder financing incentives that inclu
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08/21/2026
