HOME FOR SALE

- Completely Renovated Inside & Out
- 3 Bedroom + 1 ½ Bath with Modern Loft Vibe
- Large 20’ x 10’ ft. Master Bedroom with 10’ ft. Walk-In Closet
Guest Bedroom 13’ x 9’ ft. + Bonus 20’x10’Entertainment Room Glass Doors Opening Up To The Back Yard
- Living Room, Dinning Room and Laundry Room
- New Gourmet Kitchen :
* All Matching Stainless Steel “ FRIGIDARE ” Appliances:
Gas Stove, Refrigerator w/ Ice Maker + Water, Microwave w/ Hood
& Dishwasher w/ Delayed Start – Turns on When You Are Away
* Concrete Countertops w/ Cast Concrete Sink & Stainless Fixtures
* Dark Ebony Wood Cabinets & 13” Dark Ebony Spanish Modern Tile
- New Modern Picture-View Windows – Lifetime Warranty, Double Paned
& Lt. tinted – With Full Roll-Out Casement Windows in Bedrooms
- New Roof with Ridge Crest Ventilation for Energy Efficiency
- Full Attic Storage with pull-down Stairs and Basement storage
- New Copper Pluming Through Entire House –
All Fixtures, Main Drains , & Water Main Supply From Street Replaced
- New Hot Water Heater
- New Bathroom Sinks, Tub , & Toilets – With Modern Stainless Fixtures
( 8” Rain Effect Showerhead & 13” Dark Ebony Spanish Modern Tile )
- New Interior & Exterior Wood Doors w/ Stainless Locks, Handles, &Hinges
¬- Refinished Gleaming Dark Ebony Oak Hardwood Floors In All Rooms
- Modern Recessed- Eye Can Ceiling Lights Through Entire House
With Soft Touch Pad Switches and Electric Plugs
- Motion Detection Flood Lights Around Entire Home / Dusk Auto On
With 500 watt Roof Mounted Back Yard Light –Great For Entertaining
- Concrete Basement With Separate Outside Entrance
( Great For Storage or Workshop – 600 Sq. Ft. )
- Multiple Car Driveway & Concrete Slab
- Orkin Termite Bond on Property – Lifetime and Transferable
- Energy Efficient Home :
New Double Paned Windows, Ridge Crest Vented Attic, New Hot
Water Heater , All New Appliances, & Digital A/C and Heat Thermostat
- Home is on Quiet Street – 2 Miles From East Atlanta Village & Shops
- New Imagine Wesley International Academy – 1 block from home
( 10 Minutes to Downtown & CNN / Minutes to Midtown – Piedmont Park )

Atlanta New Homes for Sale & Home Builders 5:02 p.m. Friday, July 31, 2009

A move from Maryland, a move from renting

By Lori Johnston

For the AJC

A change of location, moving from Maryland to Georgia, caused LaTaryn Dexter to say goodbye to renting. Dexter, 34, who works in the telecommunications industry, chatted about her first place, which she put a contract on during her first day of house hunting.

LaTaryn Dexter says the negotiation process moved very smoothly. LaTaryn Dexter says nothing else in her exhaustive home search compared to the amenities she found at Brookwood Park.

Q: What brought you to Atlanta?

A: I had lived in Maryland for 18 years and I just wanted something different. I have family in the area, so I had already visited Atlanta several times. I just started talking to my cousins about the living environment in Atlanta. It just seemed like the most logical place to go. I already know people here. My employer already has offices here. It was the perfect fit.

Q: What did you have to have in a home?

A: I definitely wanted a single-family home. I was looking for a suburban area, kind of a family environment, not too far from the city.

Q: How did you work with your agent?

A: Jayme (Jay with Harry Norman, Realtors) had pulled several listings for me. I set a date and came down. We had already seen several properties. This property wasn’t on our list. We were actually at the house next door. Jayme called the listing agent to see if we could get in. We walked inside and it was just like, wow.

Q: What was so impressive?

A: It was everything I could have wanted with updated appliances and a very nice backyard. The appliances were stainless steel and have marble countertops. It was just beautiful. It kind of became the benchmark because Jayme was like, “Well, OK, this is the house that we love, but let’s continue with our listings just so you can see everything.” The rest of the houses we saw, nothing compared to this one.

Q: How did the negotiating process go?

A: We went through maybe two rounds. It was very quick. We were able to negotiate very reasonably. The previous owners were moving out of state, and I assumed they were buying another property. I contacted Jayme in late February and flew out the first part of March. By AprilI was moving in.

Q: How did you finance the home?

A: I used a combination of my savings and my 401(k).

Q: Did you have any concerns about the financial aspects?

A: Initially I think anyone who is buying a home, because it’s such a large investment, has some concerns. The market was right. The interest rates were relatively low. I just kind of got to a point where I said, “You know what, this is the time to do it. I’m just going to do it.”

At a glance

LaTaryn Dexter’s home has 4 bedrooms, 3 ½ baths and about 2,544 square feet of livable space. She purchased it in April.

Brookwood Park

County: Cobb

Price range: Mid $200,000s-mid $300,000s

Square footage: 2,400-4,100

Lot sizes: 1/3 to 1/2 acre

Standard features: Stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors,

separate garden tub and shower in master bath

Amenities: Playground, sidewalks

Homeowners fees: $250 a year

Schools: Sanders Elementary, Floyd Middle, South Cobb High

More on schools: schools.ajc homefinder.com/

Source: Neighborhood information provided by Jayme Jay with Harry Norman, Realtors

Getting there

Take I-285 to exit 16 (Atlanta Road), traveling north. Turn left onto the East/West Connector. Turn left onto Brookwood. Brookwood Park will be on the right.

Recent sale

$260,000: 4414 Yelverton Place, Mableton 30126. 5-bedroom, 3-bath home built in 2005 with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances in kitchen.

For sale

$350,000: 4542 Santee Trail, Mableton 30126. A 4-bedroom, 3-bath home built in 2005 with a master on the main level.

LINK TO FULL ARTICLE:

a-move-from-105567.html

Living In Atlanta

Dear HNR Family,

I wanted to share a success story with you:

You’ve all seen emails from me that begin, “MEDIA REQUEST.” Often, these emails come before the overtaxed and time-starved, so a number of responses either miss the mark completely or miss the deadline. But occasionally, someone is paying acute attention and sends me a lead that fits the reporter’s request exactly.

This was the reporter’s request -

Alisa Bennett-Hart

The reporter and I received this response from Jayme today:

Alisa Bennett-Hart
Harry Norman, Realtors®
Assistant Director of Communications
Corporate Marketing and Communications

Today is the FINAL day to register to vote in Georgia!  Scroll down to my “Vote Early Georgia” blog post for locations. Take advantage of this early voting and stay home November 4, 2008!

The past few weeks have brought us devastating news about our financial situation.  Day by day banks and lending institutions crumbled right before our very eyes.  Could it be that ultimately that “The American Dream” got us here?  We all bet on the fact that home values would increase as would our wages and other investments.  The idea that the market would keep getting better proved to be false.  Instead of riding the credit dependant wave of the past we are all washed out now. 

How did we get to this point?  That question can be answered quite simply:  easy lending.  Millions of people went to get a loan from their bank.  After working with the prospect the bank determined the future homeowner could actually take on a bigger loan.  This news coming from a bank was solid advice right!?  WRONG!  Banks actually received more money for securing higher risk loans.  Yes, some people took advantage of the system on purpose and falsified information to banks yet the majority did not.  It was the perfect storm: banks lending more then they should and consumers buying more of a house then they could afford.  The cash flow from the average Joe to Wall Street came to a screeching halt when loan after loan went bad. 

The Bailout is a result of not catching this problem earlier.  With the money for this revised rescue plan America will be able to strengthen it’s lending again.  Until then we have time to make sure our future is secure.  Suze Orman pointed out some good things to concentrate on RIGHT NOW! 

1.   Make sure your money is FDIC insured.  I wrote about this in a previous blog.  Check the old post for a video.  Or check this website:  www.myfdicinsurance.org (If I’m not mistaken the Bailout plan proposed to increase the FDIC insured individual limit from $100k to $250k).  If your money is in a Credit Union you need to check on that as well.  The NCUA (National Credit Union Administration) insures 98% of the unions.  If your money is in the 2% that is not insured it is recommended that you move it to one that is insured. 

2.   Pay down your credit cards.  Many consumers will start to see a reduction in their credit limit because of our current crisis.  The banks do not have to warn you of this decrease.  This is also the worst possible time to be late on your payments. Being late could result in being “credit-less”. 

3.   Get health and life insurance!  The #1 reason in America for Bankruptcy is medical bills!  It can be crippling to you/your family if someone needs extensive medical care and was uninsured.  This is a huge problem for us and the best protection is insurance!

4.   PARTY IS OVER!  Stop spending more then you can afford!  That is what got us into this mess in the first place.  We need to start valuing who we are over what we own!  We have been knocked off our high horses and need to humble ourselves.  Living within your means is also a lot less stressful.  I wonder if divorce rates are higher when finances are in trouble??…..I bet they are. 

The main idea here is to spend money only on things you need and not on things you desire.  This is a time for everyone to cut back and examine how they spend their money.  We were just served with a huge wake up call and need to pay close attention to it.  From our Government to average Joe – we all overdid it.  The market will not change until the banks are comfortable lending money again.  Until then it will be tight.  When the banks feel their debt has been absorbed they will begin to operate more freely. 

We can get through this mess.  Being smart about our money and not panicking is key.  These uncertain times can be used as a time of reflection and healing.  We can begin to remedy our past mistakes and move forward.  The economy will get better but first we have to prioritize and refocus our goals in order to get on a better path for a healthier future. 

What in the world is going on with our gas situation???  Everywhere I go I see people scrambling to fill up their cars.  With lines over an hour long anxious drivers try to remain calm.  Could all of this ciaos actually be a good thing??  Right now we are being forced to face our own dependence on oil/gas in a very personal way.  This crisis hurts everyone.  Look how desperate we are when supply is low! 

I have noticed Marta parking lots and other forms of public transportation have been busier than usual.  Between the price and availability of gas I see why commuters are abandoning their cars.  Could this be a positive trend brewing as a result of a “crisis”?  On our movement toward a greener America I think this could actually be a push in the right direction!  Atlanta’s highways and major streets are already overcrowded and current construction makes getting around difficult. 

Check out Marta’s website and see if this could work for you.  There is even a calculator that will estimate your monthly savings if you switched.  I know this isn’t practical for all but I’m sure it could benefit many! 

http://www.itsmarta.com/default.asp  (Marta)

http://www.itsmarta.com/calculator/index.htm   (Calculator)

Here is a great site to examine your money and it’s safety. Don’t just hope you will be protected….know for sure!

http://myfdicinsurance.gov/

You may or may not like Suze Orman but I am sure you like your money!

I have decided to move my blog here to World Press.  It allows me to have a more accurate view of activity which helps me serve you better.  So please excuse the switch and keep checking back with me!