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Atlanta, GA Real Estate News

By Anthony Acosta - ALLATLANTAcondos.com, Associate Broker
(Harry Norman, REALTORS® )
  Just Listed! Stylish & Spacious Townhome in Gated Liberty Park   Welcome home to this stunning 3-story townhome in the highly sought-after Liberty Park community on Atlanta’s vibrant Westside! This modern residence features:   Gourmet kitchen w/ granite countertops & sleek appliances Private deck – perfect for entertaining or relaxing Oversized primary suite w/ dual closets & spa-like en-suite Each bedroom w/ private bath – ideal for guests or roommates Premium amenities – 24/7 gated security, pool, dog park & guest parking Minutes from top hotspots – Westside Village, The Works, Top Golf, Bellwood Quarry & more!   Prime location with easy access to Midtown, Buckhead & Downtown Atlanta!   Call/Text Anthony Acosta at (404) 797-9907 Email: Anthony.Acosta@HarryNorman.com Visit: ALLATLANT...
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By Jim Crawford, Jim Crawford Broker Associate Fredericksburg VA
(Long & Foster)
Atlanta homes for Sale?  Atlanta luxury homes. Atlanta is one of those great cities where you can find just about any type of property for sale.  Looking for a lake home or waterfront home for sale on Lake Lanier?  Perhaps an Atlanta waterfront home or property in another area of Atlanta?  Maybe you are just interested in Atlanta homes for sale with a swimming pool!  Then you can own a home where you can There is so much to choose from in the Atlanta area. Atlanta Luxury Homes for Sale with Wine Cellars,  Atlanta country club homes, Atlanta golf homes, new homes for sale in Atlanta, Atlanta condos and town homes.
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By Jim Crawford, Jim Crawford Broker Associate Fredericksburg VA
(Long & Foster)
Recently our industry has been flooded with new agents that have little or no supervision, and or experience.  They run around writing offers with unqualified buyers, or buyers that are using them for their lack of knowledge.  To the unsuspecting and unbeknown  listing agent... they may receive an offer that is not backed by real funds or consideration. Fake checks, photo copies of checks, email scans of promised checks that will never be received by the buyer agents creates a nightmare scenario.  It is not an uncommon scenario for the buyers agent to present an offer and not be in possession of the earnest money check.  The buyers feel like they may be kicking tires on low-ball offers, and if things do not go their way just move on.  However the agent that is representing them is respo...
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By Tim Maitski, Truth, Excellence and a Good Deal
(Atlanta Communities Real Estate Brokerage)
Many of my clients like to know how homes in a particular neighborhood have increased in value over the years.  Unfortuanately, our MLS data only goes back a few years.  But we do have access to the data in the tax records.  It's fun to play around with the data in order to have it give you some useful information.I helped a buyer a few days ago by pulling up all the home sales in a particular neighborhood.  The tax records went back to 1983.  I was able to do a sort on the data and have a nice picture of increasing prices over 25 years.  I can then export this data into an Excel spreadsheet and make a nice graph to show the rate of appreciation.  This data can all be emailed to my client. As an agent, I have some nice tools to work with. It helps my clients make better decisions.      ...
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By Tim Maitski, Truth, Excellence and a Good Deal
(Atlanta Communities Real Estate Brokerage)
Many buyers ask me about how properties taxesdiffer in various counties and cities around the metro Atlanta area. There is a big difference between some counties.  The difference between taxes in Fulton county vs. neighboring Forsyth county is very significant.  Sometimes there's a big difference depending on whether or not you reside within city limits.  City taxes for the city of Atlanta and Decatur are quite high.  A few counties give big exemptions to senior citizens.  A person in Cobb county living in a $500,000 home will probably will pay less than $1000 in property taxes if they are 65 or older.  Forsyth county also has a great deal for senior citizens.I found a great chart that helps you calculate and compare property taxes for the various localities around Atlanta.  Go to Atlan...
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By Jim Crawford, Jim Crawford Broker Associate Fredericksburg VA
(Long & Foster)
Are you an Atlanta home seller? When selling a home in the Atlanta buyers market it makes sense to allow adequate marketing time to effectively sell a home.  Normally there would be about 55,000 homes for sale,  In one listing service, FMLS they are quoting over 82,000 Atlanta Active listings, GAMLS is quoting over 112,000 Atlanta active home listings.  If all things given are equal, if your home in Atlanta is priced right, shows right, and has open access via Lockbox, and is not "appointment only" then given current competition, it can take almost as long as the determined absorption and given competition to sell.   In fact 38% more!   There are more homes in Atlanta expiring,a nd being with drawn each month from the market that we sell!  If you are selling a home in Atlanta, you need ...
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By Tim Maitski, Truth, Excellence and a Good Deal
(Atlanta Communities Real Estate Brokerage)
I often get asked whether it is worth it to purchase owner's title insurance when buying a home.  I always say YES.  I like to tell the story of what happened to a group of homeowners in a little subdivision, Anne Place,in Cobb County Georgia.A man in Cobb County had inherited over 50 acres of land from his grandmother.  It just so happens that he married a lady who had the same name as his grandmother. Unfortunately they divorced and he had moved out of state.  His ex-wife, pretending to be the grandmother who had the same name, went ahead and sold the land to a developer.  They did a title search and assumed that she was the owner since her name  was the same as the name still on the deed. The developer went ahead and built 59 homes on the land. Everyone assumed they had clear title t...
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By Tim Maitski, Truth, Excellence and a Good Deal
(Atlanta Communities Real Estate Brokerage)
Sandy Springs, a newly incorporated city just north of Atlanta, gets it's name from a little spring on a farm in the area. It is an area that is a great example of the suburban sprawl that most people talk badly about.  Developers are being challenged to recreate the area and give Sandy Springs an identity, other than tacky strip shopping plazas and traffic congestion.There are a lot of new projects going on and in the planning stages around the area.  Right next to the Heritage Center, they completed an interesting project called City Walk. They took a typical Kroger shopping center and built a ring of small boutique shops and restaurants around the perimeter of the parking lot.In back of the Heritage Center they just completed a small terraced amphitheater. Last Sunday they had the op...
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By Jim Crawford, Jim Crawford Broker Associate Fredericksburg VA
(Long & Foster)
Do you ever have the experience of going on a listing appointment with a home seller with a dated home?  i mean the home is dated on steroids!  It has checked diamonds in the builder grade tile floors, octagonal tiles in the secondary baths, avocado or copper color refrigerators, shag carpeting, bamboo wallpaper, mauve paint, paneling in the family rooms, border paper in every room, almond color Formica...obviously it is a home without any updates. When you mention the home needs some updating, paint, appliances. lighting, and more to bring the home up to date...the seller who obviously does not want to change their winning streak and do anything before they sell the home.  They will tell you, "Oh haven't you heard, it's retro it is coming back!  I feel like telling them have you heard ...
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By Jim Crawford, Jim Crawford Broker Associate Fredericksburg VA
(Long & Foster)
Behind on mortgage payments, divorce, job loss, illness, don't qualify for your own re-finance, dropping home values, builder under-cuts your home price range, no equity, credit maxed out and foreclosure is looming at your seller's front door?  Sound familiar?  All too often it is a common scenario in today's real estate market.  It is not only evident to the would be home seller, and their listing agent but it is also evident to most persons as they drive past the home or when they view the home.  The signs are easy too read.  It is like paying cards with someone that you can read their face easily and know the cards that are held in their hand. Why? Depression, no hope, first the home starts to be unkempt.  The lawn goes uncut, the grass becomes higher that all the other neighbors, t...
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By Tim Maitski, Truth, Excellence and a Good Deal
(Atlanta Communities Real Estate Brokerage)
I spend a lot of time around Chastain Park.  It is a city park just north of the Buckhead area.  My kids play various sports there. NYO(Northside Youth Organization) does a great job with the children's sports programs.  They have an outstanding baseball program, from T-ball to kids up to 8th grade.  They also have a nice football program. The majority of the park consists of a public golf course.  Around this they have a nice 3 mile walking/biking trail.  There's also  tennis, swimming, horse stables and a gym.  The other night I stuck my head into the gym and they had ping pong tournament going on with about 20 tables set up.The Chastain Amphitheater is located at the north end of the park and it is where they have summer concerts by well known artists.  It's a place where you can get...
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By Ava Anderson, Selling Atlanta from A-Z!
(A-Z Atlanta Realty )
As you look around Atlanta you will see a lot of Construction signs and cranes.  Atlanta is growing again and there is construction everywhere you turn.  After the 1996 Olympics the growth was horizontal and now the growth is vertical.  More and more people are opting to buy air rights and so they are purchasing condos and before the condos are built they are sold.  Even Donald Trump has decided that Atlanta is a hot spot and he has buildings in progress in Midtown Atlanta at 15th and West Peachtree.  Here are some pictures of the construction happening on Peachtree.  Enjoy! www.atlantahomesrelocation.comwww.avalugg.com    
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By Jim Crawford, Jim Crawford Broker Associate Fredericksburg VA
(Long & Foster)
It is never good with statistics to guess the numbers or shoot from the hip.  It makes more sense to view the numbers of recent closed sales.  The following you will find some recent sales numbers from the Atlanta real estate market.  The numbers only tell you a part of the picture. You must consider the location of the home is it in the city of Atlanta or is it in the way out  suburbs?  It all makes a difference!  Price, location, marketing, condition of property, neighborhood competition of similar homes, new home competition, competition incentives, and market saturation and absorption rates have to be taken into consideration. There were 5,672 closings for all single family homes in April 2007, a decline of 15.0% from March 2006.  Atlanta area single family detached homes had 4,797 ...
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By Tim Maitski, Truth, Excellence and a Good Deal
(Atlanta Communities Real Estate Brokerage)
I've been working with a lot of first time home buyers lately.  Sometimes buyers aren't aware of how quickly things can add up when they are going through their due diligence period.A normal inspection will be around $300-400.If you want a radon test done this could be an additional $200If you are buying a stucco home you usually want a separate stucco inspection. Add another $400.You'll want to get a termite inspection done which will be $50-100.A survey will cost around $300.The appraisal will be around $300.If you need to get something checked out by a structural engineer that could add another $400.I haven't had a mold test done yet but I've heard where they could cost a lot of money also.If you have a septic take you'll need an inspection for that which could be over $100.You can e...
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By Tim Maitski, Truth, Excellence and a Good Deal
(Atlanta Communities Real Estate Brokerage)
I enjoy going to Turner Field to see the Atlanta Brave play.  It's a great organization and the ballpark is magnificent.  I know what I'm talking about because over the past two years, we have been to 8 different major league ballparks.Turner Field was the former stadium where the 1996 Olympics were held. After the Olympics, they reconfigured it to a state of the art baseball stadium.  They built it on the former parking lot for Fulton County Stadium.  They then blew up that stadium and built a parking lot.  They did leave a memorial to Hank Aaron right there in the parking lot  where  his 715th home run went over the left field fence.I think the best deal for seats are the upper level down the left field line.  They usually have a lot of those seats for only $5.  I actually like the vi...
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By Tim Maitski, Truth, Excellence and a Good Deal
(Atlanta Communities Real Estate Brokerage)
I enjoy being a consultant as opposed to acting like a salesman.  The sales talk and techniques never came natural to me.  I instead feel comfortable sitting down with a potential client and discussing things as I would with a trusted friend or family member.I had one of those easy going consultations a few weeks ago.  A friend called me up and told me he was probably going to be selling his townhome. He was planning on buying  another home with his fiance.  He wanted to talk to me about market conditions and what he needed to do to get the best price for his home.We set up an appointment to meet at his place and discuss things.  I emailed him all the sales in his complex so he could study them a little before we met.  He mentioned to me that he thought similar units like his were going...
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By Jim Crawford, Jim Crawford Broker Associate Fredericksburg VA
(Long & Foster)
Atlanta Real Estate Agent Jim Crawford REMAX Paramount Properties. More often than not a person hires a real estate agent to represent them with out ever askin how long have your been selling real estate, and what do you do that sets you apart from other agents?  Why is Jim successful in real estate when other agents aren't? James attended SUNY Buffalo.  He was originally licensed in New York State in 1978, and has also been licensed in Maryland and Virginia.  James has a background in management, contract negotiations, arbitration's and lobbying.  He is currently licensed as a Broker Associate in Georgia, and Virginia. James is a a frequent speaker at real estate conventions.  Jim has spoken at  many real estate conventions both in the United States and Canada, and is a regular Interne...
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By Tim Maitski, Truth, Excellence and a Good Deal
(Atlanta Communities Real Estate Brokerage)
In a perfect world, a buyer could take their time to find the home that they've always been looking. Then the seller would just happen to be flexible enough to be able to wait to close until the buyer's current home is sold. Let's get real. Life isn't perfect. Coordinating the logistics of two sales is usually quite challenging.There are usually four ways that a buy/sell transaction can play out.Buy a home contingent on the sale of your home.Buy a home contingent on the sale of your home but with a kick-out clause Sell your home first and then buy your next home. Buy a home without any contingency and hope you can sell your current home before you close on your new home. Each has it's advantages and disadvantages. If you're married, you really have to come to terms with what stress leve...
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By Eric Brown, Agent - Sankofa Group@ Chapman Hall Realtors
(Sankofa Group@ Chapman Hall Realtors)
Executive Summary Sankofa Trust Company, LLCCompany: Sankofa Trust Company, LLC is a member-owned community development limited-liability company registered in Atlanta, GA.  Sankofa Trust that uses a small cap./DRIP investment model. Sankofa Trust has a goal build the first African-American owned Real Estate Investment Trust (SankofaREIT) listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).  Services: The Company is a vertical-integrated real-estate firm with services provided through its partnerships of brokers, agents, legal and financial advisors, and investors. The Company will develop and market a Certified Home Program to market redeveloped and surplus bank-owned properties.Market: The Company buys and sells commercial and residential property for commercial use in areas designated for t...
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By Tim Maitski, Truth, Excellence and a Good Deal
(Atlanta Communities Real Estate Brokerage)
You might be wondering, "Who is this Tim Maitski? Is he really nuts about Atlanta real estate or is he just plain nuts, like crazy nuts?" "Can I trust this guy? Does he know his stuff?"That's what this blogging is all about.  Through my writing, I hope that you will get a feel for who I am and what I know. Then you can decide if you trust me enough to help you accomplish whatever it is that you want to do with real estate. I pulled together some of the better articles that I have written to make it easier for you to make your determination.  I love to write. Everything I have written comes from my heart and my personal experience.Feel free to give me a call with any questions you might have.  Buying or Selling a HomeDon't Fall in Love with a Home. Just Be Best FriendsBeware of the Agent...
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By Ryan Ward
(Keller Williams Realty Consultants)
If you are planning to relocate to Atlanta, there are a number of considerations you must take into account prior to your arrival. Some of the most important factors include the location of your employment, quality of schools, commute times, how much home you can afford to buy and what activities are important to you. Your best option is to contact someone in Atlanta who specializes in dealing with newcomers to our city. For all of the online resources at your disposal, nothing can replace the knowledge and personal attention necessary to make your Atlanta relocation transition as smooth as possible. Here are some of the important things for you to consider when relocating to Atlanta:Location - Atlanta is a very sprawling city. When you know that you are moving to Atlanta, it is a very ...
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