Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: Google Cloud Training FREE Sign Up B4 1.31.22In Atlanta Buckhead Midtown and the Westside, Google offers many technical advances for worker to use in their workspaces. How about a FREE course?Sign up by January 31, 2022 to unlock free access to the “Getting Started with Google Cloud” learning path on Google Cloud Skills Boost. You’ll have an opportunity to learn through hands-on labs and earn skill badges to demonstrate your new cloud knowledge. Learn how to: Migrate from other cloud providers Write gcloud commands Use Cloud Shell Deploy virtual machines Run containerized applications on Google Kubernetes Engine  While the material in this path is mainly for aspiring Cloud Engineers and Cloud Architects, others may learn as Google presents the fundamentals of G... 01/25/2022

January Challenge: Internet Opened New SOI Horizons For Our BusinessWhen I think of changes from the Internet, I think of how the magic of connection on the ​Internet Opened New SOI Horizons For Our Business. For an independent, boutique real estate company, the "big guys" loomed large in the 1980's and early 1990's. They had dozens of agents and mega-offices and even had lawyers on retainer! Very intimidating for sure.My vision of what the future of our industry looked like changed as I watched the future Buyers TEXTING to communicate. They didn't answer calls to their work phones or cell phones. They only interacted with emails and texts.I will never forget a very successful agent at a "big guy" firm telling me that if those potential Clients texting her wanted to work with her, they ... 01/24/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: Beware - IRS RMD ChangesNow In Effect In Atlanta, whether you are in Buckhead, Midtown, the Westside or elsewhere, the RMD calculations from the IRS have changed. Each of us need to review how those changes may effect us. Or, perhaps no effect at all!Ah- ha - what is an RMD anyway? An RMD is the minimum amount of money you must withdraw from an IRA or employer-sponsored retirement accounts such as 401(k) and 403(b), known as a tax-deferred retirement plans, on which you will pay ordinary income taxes after you reach a certain age.  (Not Roth IRAs.) Disclosure: I am not an accountant nor attorney. Check with yours.First, new Tables for Mortality have been adopted by the IRS. Second, before the 2020 implementation of the SECURE Act, RMDs became a requirement once... 01/23/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: Happy 50th Birthday Rodney Mason Mortgage PRO Fun items behind us at Rodney Mason 's 50th Birthday Party tonight.The shelves are full of theater souvenirs from Rodney's favorite live performances.  One could see several different times Rodney had enjoyed the same shows and many items carried autographs!  Forever home for Rodney now. We met here on ActiveRain many years ago and sponsored several Meet-Ups together. Wherever Rodney worked, I suggested my Clients move over to where he was at that time. He has been wonderful with all the Clients I send to him. Right now, our experiences with him average out a five stars plus! And our Clients are not the only satisfied ones. From his online page...Whether you are in Georgia or Alabama, Florida, South Carolina or Tenn... 01/22/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: GREAT NEWS! Trash Pick-Up January 21, 2022 In Atlanta Buckhead, Midtown Westside and CITY-WIDE -- employees missing work for Covid-19 related illnesses caused unintended disruption in Solid Waste Collections since the end of last year. Fortunately, many are better and collection is beginning again. The Solid Waste department is offering advice as well:Even supplied three options! Welcome back! Looking forward to seeing you on Friday!   01/20/2022

Ask An Ambassador: Tuesday Techie Tidbit - Spell Check Advances Every Ask An Ambassador: Tuesday Techie Tidbit post is a BRAVO to the developers working so diligently at ActiveRain. Spell Check Advances are one of the best new offerings on the Blog Editor.NOW a word not spelled correctly has the squiggly red line underneath!So easy to spot what needs to be reviewed! The earlier Blog Editor looked like this:                Note the "ABC" Without the graphic color signal, one had to check every post to see if any thing was wrong. Kind of like asking someone how to spell a word and then getting the response "Go look in the dictionary."  Hard to do if you don't know the spelling!As of January 2022, the Blog Editor sported a streamlined new look:            No more "ABC" With the technical b... 01/18/2022

The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. - An Original Musical Tribute   In Honor of The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.  2022Please enjoy listening to this Original Musical Tribute, "Towards Justice", written by Eliana Light, and sung at  Anshe Emet Synagogue, Chicago, Illinois, by Senior Cantor Rachel Brook and Cantor Elizabeth Berke. Let the words serve as an inspiration to us to seek justice for all. And one more musical tribute for Dr. King -“It looks like it might be a hard road, but I’m gonna walk it with you.” "Such an important message of solidarity for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and an amazing collaboration between Shul Sisters (Cantors Laurie Akers, Rachel Brook and Rachel Goldman) and Tyrell Belle, Zuumah Gayeman, and Ian Johnson. The song was written by Brian Clafin and Ellie ... 01/17/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: Closings Due to Snow for January 17, 2022  The video above is from:Osborne Road NE in Brookhaven and from Ben Hill Road in East Point.Check these links for details:School and Business Closings AlertsFulton County .       Gainesville, Braselton and Buford.        Covid Testing.        Winter Storm Photos. Stay home if you can! 01/16/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: Mon 1-17-22 NO SOLID WASTE Pick-Up--MLK Day Throughout the City of Atlanta, each year, employees of Department of Public Works rest on the day of the national holiday remembering the Birthday of The Rev. Martin Luther King. Jr.  Images courtesy of Atlanta DPW. 01/16/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: Yes, Lasagna Can Change The World Just ask Rhiannon Menn...LASAGNA? ​"Take small steps" people say when a person describes a grand dream. Yet when Rhiannon Menn takes a step, it is very impactful.  Let's look at LasagneLove. One woman decided to do something during 2020 about her reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic. She had always thought about other people. That's why she founded her first positive site. Rhiannon Menn describes herself as a mama, chef, and adventurer. She loves decaf coffee, traveling, and super fuzzy sweaters – which she, unfortunately, can no longer wear since she left New England for Hawai'i!After the birth of her second child, she had an epiphany: When she took good care of herself, she was much better at taking care of those around her.Rhia... 01/12/2022

Want to Get Your Home or Condo Organized?How many times have you opened a drawer, a closet, looked in your garage or basement and said, "UGH...where did all this (*&(*%*^@ come from?" Followed by, "I gotta get the mess organized and cleaned up!"  I don't know about you...but for me it's a daily thing! I DID accomplish a major task in March of last year. I have a storage room that is part of my garage (formerly a carport) and it was a mess. One of those messes where you know where things are in some scary state of utter disorganization! I purchased a big rolling tool box like the mechanics use, but there was still so much to do. So, I stripped the room bare....completely....everything out...and started over! I also purchased new shelving. I think the whole project took me like 3 days....... 01/12/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: Solid Waste Removal Crisis Due to Covid Wherever you are in Atlanta, Buckhead, Midtown, Westside, Virginia Highlands, Cascade or even Lenox, you will have noticed that Solid Waste Removal has been slightly "hit or miss" since Covid-19 attacked our lives.DPW staffing's impacted by the recent COVID-19 surge. Until further notice, the Office of Solid Waste Services is collecting garbage as a priority. The DPW will allocate drivers to the garbage pick-up first.Recycling / Yard trimmings collection later on.Generally, residents are asked to remove the Recycling Carts from the street. Due to pick-up being impacted by the labor shortage from illness, that's changed.Residents are asked to leave recycling carts curbside until crews can collect them. Since DPW cannot sch... 01/10/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: CRM Options -Which Is The Best One To Use?Whether you are in Atlanta, Buckhead, Midtown or the Westside, keeping your Client Relationship Management (CRM) process up to date is critical. Of all the CRM options available, which is the best one?In November 2011, AR staff posted the results of a survey - Rich Agent Poor Agent. Along with that post, AR supplied a chart of available CRM options, noting in the list the number of people who had replied and the rating. Actually, again, what we want to know is WHICH IS THE BEST ONE?About 100 years ago, when completing my Post-License hours, an Instructor answered that question with firm resolve. What did he say?"Whichever CRM you actually use is the best one. Choose and use!"That said, the chart below has names of CRM o... 01/09/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: Keep Your Money Off IRS Table - Meals & MoreWhether in Atlanta Buckhead Midtown or the Westside, Keep Your Money Off IRS Table by tracking meals & more. Once we keep proper records, we'll be ahead of the process for sure. A previous post of mine discussed Mileage Deductions. What may be deducted from your amount due for taxes? In IRS Publication 535,* those expenses are described as follows:"To be deductible, a business expense must be both ordinary and necessary. An ordinary expense is one that is common and accepted in your industry.  A necessary expense is one that is helpful and appropriate for your trade or business. An expense does not have to be indispensable to be considered necessary."Even though an expense may be ordinary and necessary, it is importan... 01/07/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: Don’t Leave Cash On IRS Table – Note MileageIn Atlanta, Buckhead, Midtown and on the Westside, Car Mileage can mount up. Keeping Car Mileage Data Records will earn you cash at Tax Time. Once you understand how easy it is to track the mileage, you'll be delighted you started to record the data. Other expenses mentioned in another of my posts. For 2022, the IRS issued document number IR-2021-251, the 2022 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes.Beginning on January 1, 2022, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be: 58.5 cents per mile driven for business use, up 2.5 cents from the rate for 2021, 18 cent... 01/06/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: Client Wants the House But Needs An Elevator  When in Buckhead, Midtown and the Westside, one sees elevators in many places. Grand old elevators - such as in photo above - and grand new elevators.Home installation for elevators is a different subject. Years ago, adding an elevator was a full remodel job. Installation was very complicated and  so many inspections were required. In answer to the Client's request, today I learned about alternatives to the old traditional chairlift installed on the wall of a staircase. Lots of reasons not to want the chairlift sparked some very creative and innovative ideas.BEAM ME UP SCOTTIE!     Well, that's what I thought...Actually, it is a vacuum powered elevator with three different motor options.Then there is STILTZ for a mo... 01/05/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: Survey And Save Yourself A Series of Issues Whether in Atlanta, Buckhead, Midtown or on the Westside, get a Survey and save yourself from a series of issues! I've written about this before. Others have written about this before on ActiveRain - my favorite being the one about the Railroad!I answer questions on Quora. Here's one I was requested to answer today:Often I get Upvotes but this was the first time the OP actually wrote a full answer back to me! Have to admit, I enjoyed reading her words, especially knowing she had an additional 22 other replies!So many times, people rely on a "landmark". Perhaps where the line of bushes is between the properties. Maybe the bushes weren't actually planted on the exact line! Those hypotheses about where the property bound... 01/04/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: Line Spacing - Techie Tidbit for Tuesday    Thanks to MichelleCherie Carr Crowe Just Call...408-252-8900 for using her post to illustrate this Techie Tidbit for Tuesday.Back in the Dark Ages, 2010, 2011, 2012, AR offered classes through ActiveRain University. Who knows in which class I learned this tip but it is a lifesaver!I prefer the type to be close, line by line.  What does that mean? A picture is worth 1000 words. Here are some examples.Here's where I started: Ready to make a comment, so I put up her name.(May be superfluous when comment is to OP but I prefer to enter @name.)    NEXT:This gives you a WIDER SPACE between lines.For this style, simple -- just press the ENTER/RETURN.Full comment when you press the ENTER/RETURN for next line.NEXT:This gives yo... 01/03/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown - Architectural Mix From Post-1880 To Post-2020   Mid-century recessed Telephone wall shelfIn Atlanta Buckhead Midtown and the Westside, homes of vastly different ages sit side-by-side.  That means the material used for construction will be significantly different. How one personalizes a home will be influenced by the type of materials used in construction. Let's start with hanging art. In the 19th century home, the walls were made of lath, covered with more than one coat of plaster. To start the process, wooden lath pieces were nailed to the structural members of the home.The initial coat, known as the Scratch Coat, is applied with a trowel to the lath and pushed through the spaces until it fills the gaps between them. The material is made of coarse aggregate a... 01/02/2022

December Challenge - Scares And Gratitude in Atlanta GA What is something that I can identify as something I'd like "to scare away ... and not bring into the new year"?EASY!!!! Disorganization. I want to be more organized in 2022.  I want to be more consistent using my Client Relationship Manager IXACT Contact  on a daily basis. The platform began to serve real estate agents and continues to serve real estate agents. In addition to normal data storage, IXACT Contact offers newsletters, templates for letters, analytics and much, much more.I think that I will succeed with this goal. I am so happy when all the "apples" are sorted into the correct baskets and can be retrieved quickly when wanted. Feels more comfortable in the end.If you want to learn more about the IXACT Contact Real Estate... 12/31/2021