Atlanta Home Search - Georgia Real Estate B R E A K I N G   N E W S ! ! ! Moments ago, the House voted 403-12 to expand and extend the Homebuyer Tax Credit (as part of the Unemployment Insurance Bill).  The bill is now on its way to President Obama for his signature... so this is ALMOST a done deal! The agreement on the extension and expansion of the credit is as follows: Credit available for purchases before May 1, 2010. Prospective purchasers with binding contracts in place as of April 30, 2010 will be allowed an additional 60 days to complete the transaction.  Credit remains at $8,000 for first-time purchasers. No change to definition of first-time purchaser.   NEW $6,500 tax credit for REPEAT BUYERS who purchase between December 1, 2009 and May 1, 2010. Repeat buyers must have lived... 11/05/2009

8th Annual Decatur Wine Festival - Decatur GA Come taste over 350 domestic and imported wines and enjoy live music from the community bandstand during the 8th annual Decatur Wine Festival. The weather should be great for this event with high temps in the mid 60's. Saturday, November 7, 2009 1pm -  4pm Old Courthouse Square in Downtown Decatur, GA Tickets are $30 per person Admission includes a commemorative wine glass No one under 21 allowed No animals allowed The Decatur Wine Fest is sponsored by the Decatur Arts Alliance. Tickets are available from Ticket Alternative or from the Decatur Package Store on Clairmont Rd in Decatur, GA next to the YMCA. Tickets are limited to 1,500 people. This event is just one of the many events in Decatur GA and is one of the reasons why Decatur is a gr... 11/03/2009

Homes Decorated for Halloween around Decatur GA- These are just some fun photos of homes decorated for Halloween around Decatur GA.  This last one of the bride and groom was at my old house 7 years ago when we first got married. :)   Happy Halloween! If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in or around Decatur, GA contact Realtor Jen Bowman, Broker Associate & e-PRO with Success Realty at 404-456-5024. View more of the Georgia Real Estate Voice.  Search Decatur GA homes for Sale Free Admission at Georgia Aquarium for Halloween  Fest of Ales and Scarecrows in the Garden 10/30/2009

Google Transit is an online app that will let you plan your Atlanta route on MARTA. I just played with it for a while and it is fantastic. It gave me departure time options, showed me the route, calculated the times and gave me step by step directions. What fun. And what a great service to let your clients know about. 10/28/2009

  So, the dream has become a reality.  Investors looking to build portfolios of rental properties with positive cashflow without the headaches of updating/renovating and then finding a qualified renter has finally reached the market place. Two examples are new investor listings I have just placed on the market at 2950 Dale & 3151 Robin in Decatur, GA - both of which have tenants in place ($725/mo. and $750/mo. - traditional rent, not even Section 8), have been modestly updated to be rent ready, and are both listed under $37,000.  These are just two of a large portfolio of properties that one of my clients is looking to liquidate. This is an ideal situation for the out of town investor who's looking for a low-maintenance cashflow opportunity or the "first time/green" investor who's look... 10/28/2009

    The sweet spot is still in the middle of the range of home prices. If you’re home is priced on either the low end or the high end you are getting a whoopin’. Most appealing about this chart is the ave sp/lp% (allow me to translate: that the ratio of what the listing or asking price was versus the price that it actually ended up selling for). High 90%’s is really good. That is a pretty healthy market. The chart and numbers are from Georgia MLS.     10/26/2009

Ellen Crawford | RE/MAX Greater Atlanta | 770-238-0122 771 Jordan Lane, Decatur, GA Bring all offers! Reduced 20K! Emory Area Brick Townhome. Druid Hills Updated Townhouse Near Public Transportation, CDC, Emory University, Downtown D 2BR/1.5BA Townhouse offered at $114,900 Year Built 1968 Sq Footage Unspecified Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms 1 full, 1 partial Floors 2 Parking Unspecified Lot Size Unspecified HOA/Maint $125 per month DESCRIPTION LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. SAVE GAS AND WALK TO MARTA PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. OPEN AND SUNNY TOTALLY UPDATED UNIT, GREAT FLOOR PLAN. PRIVATE PATIO. WONDERFUL COMMUNITY WITH EASY ACCESS TO EMORY, AGNES SCOTT, CDC AND DOWNTOWN DECATUR. PERFECT HOME FOR ROOMATE! see additional photos below PROPERTY FEATURES - Central A/C - Central heat - High/Vaulted ceili... 10/26/2009

Willow Park condo community is in the city limits of Decatur GA. It's right across the street from Decatur Square Condos and on the corner of Church Street and Willow Lane. Willow Lane is one of the streets in the Ridgeland Park neighborhood. Willow Park was built in 1955 with a total of 30 condo units. This brick building is 2 stories tall and painted a classic ivory with black shutters. Condo fees for a 2 bedroom unit are $249 a month. HOA fees cover exterior liability, fire insurance, exterior maintenance, garbage, pest control, reserve fund, termite bond, water and sewer. When you own a condo, you should still have condo owners insurance to cover the contents of your unit, including the walls/sheetrock from the studs in. Condo units at Willow Park are 1 and 2 bedroom and range in si... 10/25/2009

VS. DeKalb County is big and very diverse. It’s about 10 miles from Decatur to Lithonia. On the left is the average sales price in Lithonia 30058. On the right is average sales prices for Decatur 30030. 2 cities in the same county; 2 stories to tell. The two graphs are not to scale which makes comparisons a bit difficult. If you look at the chart on the right (Decatur) there is a difference in July between last year and this year of about $80,000.00 less. If you look at the chart on the left, the average sales price during the same time was about the same! Looking at just the month of September, 30058 homes were selling at about HALF of what they were only a year ago. In 30030, they were selling at –6.5% of what they were a year ago. Home ownership is so important to your future. Buy sm... 10/22/2009

I picked this graph up from Georgia MLS. It charts the number of days it took to sell a home in 30030 over the past 12 months against the price ranges shown along the bottom. Being in one of the middle price ranges is a good thing right now. Buddy Snipes 09/29/2009

The Effectiveness of Home Staging I read an interesting blog post this morning written by a Broker/Realtor by the name of Loreena Yeo. In it, she describes a home in Texas that would have a much easier time of getting their desired price if they would only seek the advice of a professional home stager and an agent that believes in the value of staging. You can read the entire post here.  As a professional home stager in Atlanta, Georgia, I couldn't agree more. I've had the great privilege of working with many home sellers and have not only helped them obtain their desired price but also have helped them sell more quickly.  Case in point, this town home, pictured below, had sat on the market for 2 years. The frustration the homeowners had experienced had reached an all time high. With re... 09/28/2009

JUST ANNOUNCED TODAY by the Atlanta Business Chronicle... Keller Williams Realty Rawls Group is now #2 in the Atlanta Business Chronicle's annual BEST PLACES TO WORK in Atlanta GA. We were the ONLY real estate company recognized in the Large Business category. Keller Williams Realty even placed ahead of popular companies like Earnst & Young, Children's Heathcare of Atlanta and Price Waterhouse Cooper, so this is a great honor! After almost five years at Keller Williams, I understand why our brokerage received this honor today -- the agents are honest, hardworking and LOVE what they do, the education programs are the best in the business and of course, our broker and team leads, are top notch.  They provide us with the latest market data, assist with business development plans / straget... 09/25/2009

RIDERWOOD SUBDIVISION in DECATUR GEORGIA 30033 MARKET ANALYSIS As of September  2009 RIDERWOOD SUBDIVISION in DECATUR GEORGIA 30033  HOMES FOR SALE 2696 RIDERWOOD DRIVE $789,500 2736 HUNTING HILL LANE $325,000 2756 RIDERWOOD DRIVE 282,000   Call Sally English and The English Team to see these homes or other RIDERWOOD SUBDIVISION in DECATUR GEORGIA 30033 HOMES FOR SALE.  770-939-3174.  Buyers Agency available.  The English Team specializes in homes convenient to Emory University and homes convenient to the Centers for Disease Control. RIDERWOOD SUBDIVISION in DECATUR GEORGIA 30033 HOMES SOLD   2772 HUNTING HILL LANE $340,000 2712 HUNTING HILL LANE $336,000 2793 RIDERWOOD DRIVE $310,000 1569 RIDERWOOD COURT $305,000 1590 RIDERWOOD COURT $293,000 1586 RIDERWOOD COURT $282,000 2650 RIDERWOO... 09/25/2009

PONDEROSA SUBDIVISION in DECATUR GEORGIA 30033 MARKET ANALYSIS As of September  2009 PONDEROSA SUBDIVISION in DECATUR GEORGIA 30033 HOMES FOR SALE   2896 BONANZA DRIVE $550,000 2857 BONANZA DRIVE $419,000 Call Sally English and The English Team to see these homes or other PONDEROSA SUBDIVISION in DECATUR GEORGIA 30033 HOMES FOR SALE.  770-939-3174.  Buyers Agency available.  The English Team specializes in homes convenient to Emory University and homes convenient to the Centers for Disease Control. PONDEROSA SUBDIVISION in DECATUR GEORGIA 30033 HOMES SOLD   2896 BONANZA DRIVE $565,000 1668 CARTWRIGHT COURT $396,000 2840 CARTWRIGHT DRIVE $408,000 2871 PNDEROSA CIRCLE $413,000 2839 PONDEROSA CIRCLE $390,000 2769 PONDEROSA CIRCLE $387,000 2856 CARTWRIGHT DRIVE $335,000 2854 BONANZA DRIVE $... 09/25/2009

BRETTONWOOD  SUBDIVISION in DECATUR GEORGIA 30033 MARKET ANALYSIS As of September  2009 BRETTONWOOD  SUBDIVISION in DECATUR GEORGIA 30033 HOMES FOR SALE 1587 RESERVE CIRCLE $444,900 1605 FRESERVE CIRCLE $425,000  Call Sally English and The English Team to see these homes or other BRETTONWOOD SUBDIVISION in DECATUR GEORGIA 3003333 HOMES FOR SALE.  770-939-3174.  Buyers Agency available.  The English Team specializes in homes convenient to Emory University and homes convenient to the Centers for Disease Control. BRETTONWOOD  SUBDIVISION in DECATUR GEORGIA 30033 HOMES SOLD   1563 RESERVE CIRCLE $499,000 1599 RESERVE CIRCLE $460,000 1617 RESERVE CIRCLE $475,000 1635 RESERVE CIRCLE $465,000 1583 RESERVE CIRCLE $457,000 For a FREE MARKET ANALYSIS of your home in BRETTONWOOD  SUBDIVISION in DE... 09/25/2009

Governor Sonny Purdue has issued a State of Emergency due to the rain and flooding in Georgia for 17 counties.  This will affect any closings you may have in the next 30 - 45 days. Due to the flooding and water damages, lenders will be requiring final inspections on properties that are closing and had been appraised prior to the declaration.   Most of the lenders will require either a final home inspection or a disaster report, as they will need to confirm that they have loans that are insurable and that the properties are still a viable asset.  The additional lender requirements are already delaying closings across the city, regardless of the lender. If you are an agent in Georgia, a seller or a buyer who has a home under contract, please be pro-active and make sure that if the lender... 09/22/2009

  Saturday, Spetember 26, 200910:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Sunday, September 27, 200912:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m The 2009 Decatur Garden Tour will feature 13 public and private gardens across Decatur.  From the stately and formal to the artsy and whimsical, and everything in between, the tour blooms with ideas to feed gardening inspiration all year. Works by local artists will also be displayed. Saturday evening tour will feature the Oakhurst Community Garden and a wonderful modern garden with pool. Search for homes for sale in Decatur Scott Eaves, Associate BrokerLet's talk Real Estate! www.scottsellsatlanta.com(404) 518-3820 - DIRECT (404) 920-3439 - FAX Chapman Hall Realtors (404) 236-0043 09/21/2009

I believe this event is sold out...but if you’re one of the 400 registered attendees, please stop by our booth and introduce yourself as a fellow Active Rainer!  The Second Annual Industry Day is set for this Friday, September 18th from 9AM to 4PM at the Decatur, Georgia Holiday Inn.  The event is expected to have 400 agents on hand and more than 20 vendors will be showcasing their products and services all in one room.  Reel Productions TV will be one of those vendors on hand displaying our video services and unveiling our newest product, The Seller’s Video Connector.   We will also be shooting the event as well for host, Cathy McDaniel, 2008 Educator of the Year of American Real Estate University.  Speakers include Fannie Mae, Foreclosure.com, Titanium Solutions and more. The goal of... 09/14/2009

The Decatur Book Festival 2009 is coming up Labor Day weekend September 4 through 6.  The Book Festival will feature more than 150 authors.  There will live music and poetry, cooking demonstrations, wine, and activities for everyone. The first Decatur Book Festival was in 2006. In a very short time, it has grown to be the 4th largest book festival in the nation! It's the country's largest independent book festival. A sampling of the Events include: pickled okra contest Mariachi brunch Sunday morning at El Tesoro Cooking demonstrations by Chef Authors a dance about verbs and adverbs For sports fans: Karl Mecklenburg, former All-Pro Captain of the Denver Broncos for 3 Super Bowl appearances, will discuss the ideas in his new book, "Heart of a Student Athlete: All Pro Advice for Competitor... 08/29/2009

With the bargin values of many condos in Downtown Decatur, along with interest rates being so low, and FHA only requiring 3.5% down, NOW IT THE TIME TO BUY.  If you buy and you are a first time homeowner, or have not owned a property for 3 years, and close before November 30th you may receive a 8K Federal Tax Credit plus the State of Ga. tax credit also.  Your refunds can come within 4 weeks!  Call Barb Rowland 404-314-9092, Keller Williams REalty, Decatur office. We are having 3 Seminar's to assist and inform new buyers about this opportunity. PRESS RELEASE:August 20, 2009Susan Bird and Barb Rowland, two of Decatur's top Realtors invite you to a free seminar on taking advantage of the government's Home Purchase Tax Credit program.  This program from the government expires (and your hom... 08/26/2009