Saturday, January 28, 2012

Team Fulton now at Harry Norman’s Johns Creek office

Team Fulton now at Harry Norman’s Johns Creek office

NORTH FULTON PRIVATE SCHOOLS

NORTH FULTON PRIVATE SCHOOLS
List of Private schools in the North Fulton, Atlanta Georgia area. If anyone is not on this list that would like to be included drop an email with your school affiliation and tuition range.

Alpharetta
Alpharetta International Academy
4772 Webb Bridge Road, Alpharetta 30005
770-475-0558
www.aiamontessori.com/index.htm
Grades: PK-3. Enrollment: 160
Average tuition/range: $1,800- $5,600
Quick-Facts and Reviews

Alpharetta Methodist Christian Academy
89 Cumming St., Alpharetta 30004
770-518-1652
www.alpharettamca.com
Grades: PK-5. Enrollment: 150
Average tuition/range: $5,250.
Quick-Facts and Reviews

Creme de la Creme-Alpharetta
11675 Haynes Bridge Road, Alpharetta 30004
770-777-2960
www.cremechildcare.com
Students: infants-K. Enrollment: 250
Average tuition/range: $22-$51 a day.
Quick-Facts and Reviews

Holcomb Bridge School
2675 Holcomb Bridge Road, Alpharetta 30022
770-998-2027
yp.bellsouth.com/sites/holcombbridgeschool/index.html
Grades: PK-1. Enrollment: 85
Average tuition/range: $2,700-$7,400.
Quick-Facts and Reviews

Holy Redeemer Catholic School
3380 Old Alabama Road, Alpharetta 30022
770-410-4056
www.hr.cathsch.org
Grades: K-8. Enrollment: 519
Average tuition/range: $5,600.
Quick-Facts and Reviews

Mill Springs Academy
13660 New Providence Road, Alpharetta 30004
770-360-1336
www.millsprings.org
Grades: 1-12. Enrollment: 240
Average tuition/range: $15,930.
Quick-Facts and Reviews

Mount Pisgah Christian School
9820 Nesbit Ferry Road, Alpharetta 30022
678-336-3300
www.mountpisgahschool.org
Grades: PK-12. Enrollment: 937
Average tuition/range: $7,286-$9,960.
Quick-Facts and Reviews

Perimeter Christian School
9500 Medlock Bridge Road, Duluth 30097
678-405-2300
www.perimeter.org/School
Grades: 1-8. Enrollment: 480
Average tuition/range: $3,456-$5,531.
Quick-Facts and Reviews

Primrose School of Christopher Robin
5425 McGinnis Village Place, Alpharetta 30005
678-339-0107
www. myprimroseschool.com/christopherrobin
Students: Infant-K. Enrollment: 170
Average tuition/range: $500-$900 a month
Quick-Facts and Reviews

St. Francis High School
13440 Cogburn Road, Alpharetta 30004
678-339-9989
www.stfranschool.com
Grades: 9-12. Enrollment: 300
Average tuition/range: $12,900
Quick-Facts and Reviews

Woodward Academy-North Campus
6565 Boles Road, Duluth 30097
404-765-4490
www.woodward.edu
Grades: PK-6. Enrollment: 408
Average tuition/range: $10,000-$13,200
Quick-Facts and Reviews

ROSWELL

Blessed Trinity Catholic High School
11320 Woodstock Road, Roswell 30075
678-277-9083
www.bttitans.org
Grades: 9-12. Enrollment: 850
Average tuition/range: $8,000
Quick-Facts and Reviews

Brimarsh Academy
1565 Holcomb Bridge Road, Roswell 30076
770-992-0416
www.brimarsh.com
Students: Infants to age 8. Enrollment: 100
Average tuition/range: $5,000-$7,500.
Quick-Facts and Reviews

Cottage School
700 Grimes Bridge Road, Roswell 30075
770-641-8688
www.cottageschool.org
Grades: 6-12. Enrollment: 200
Average tuition/range: $13,700-$16,250.
Quick-Facts and Reviews

Eaton Academy
800 Old Roswell Lakes Parkway, Suite 210, Roswell 30076
770-645-2673
www.eatonacademy.org
Grades: K-12. Enrollment: 120
Average tuition/range: $5,000-$15,400.
Quick-Facts and Reviews

Fellowship Christian Academy
480 W. Crossville Road, Roswell 30075
770-992-4975
www.fellowshipschools.org
Grades: K-8. Enrollment: 450
Average tuition/range: $4,176-$6,936.
Quick-Facts and Reviews

Fellowship Christian High School
480 W. Crossville Road, Roswell 30075
770-993-1650
www.fellowshipschools.org
Grades: 9-12. Enrollment: 210
Average tuition/range: $8,496-$8,892
Quick-Facts and Reviews

High Meadows School
1055 Willeo Road, Roswell 30075
770-993-2940
www.highmeadows.org
Grades: PK-8. Enrollment: 370
Average tuition/range: $3,200-$10,100.
Quick-Facts and Reviews

Howard School-North Campus
9415 Willeo Road, Roswell 30075
770-642-9644
www.howardschool.org
Students: 3-year-olds through eighth grade. Enrollment: 101
Average tuition/range: $11,000-$15,300
Quick-Facts and Reviews

Porter School
200 Cox Road , Roswell 30075
770-594-1313
www.porterschool.com
Grades: K-5. Enrollment: 55
Average tuition/range: $12,500
Quick-Facts and Reviews

Queen of Angels Catholic School
11340 Woodstock Road, Roswell 30075
770-518-1804
www.catholicedga.org/queenofangels
Grades: K-8. Enrollment: 504
Average tuition/range: $5,300
Quick-Facts and Reviews

St. Francis School
9375 Willeo Road, Roswell 30075
770-641-8257
www.stfranschool.com
Grades: K-8. Enrollment: 600
Average tuition/range: $7,800-$12,500.
Quick-Facts and Reviews

Village Montessori School
1610 Woodstock Road, Roswell 30075
770-552-0834
www.vmschool.com
Ages: 18 months-12 years. Enrollment: 150
Average tuition/range: $5,000
Quick-Facts and Reviews

SANDY SPRINGS

Alfred and Adele Davis Academy
8105 Roberts Drive, Atlanta 30350
770-671-0085
www.davisacademy.org
Grades: K-8. Enrollment: 550
Average tuition/range: $9,600-$10,500.
Quick-Facts and Reviews

Brandon Hall School
1701 Brandon Hall Drive, Atlanta 30350
770-394-8177
www.brandonhall.org
Grades: 4-12. Enrollment: 180
Average tuition/range: $18,500-$24,000
Quick-Facts and Reviews
*For students who have not been achieving their potential or need a more intensive educational setting.

Donnellan School
4820 Long Island Drive N.E., Atlanta 30342
404-255-0900
www.donnellan.org
Grades: PK-10. Enrollment: 230
Average tuition/range: $2,500-$9,975.

Epstein School , Solomon Schechter School of Atlanta
335 Colewood Way N.W., Atlanta 30328
404-843-0111
www.epsteinatlanta.org
Students: 2-year-olds through eighth grade; Enrollment: 650.
Average tuition/range: $11,560.

First Montessori School of Atlanta
5750 Long Island Drive N.W., Atlanta 30327
404-252-3910
www.firstmontessori.org
Grades: PK-8. Enrollment: 215
Average tuition/range: $6,690-$11,450.

Greenfield Hebrew Academy
5200 Northland Drive N.E., Atlanta 30342
404-843-9900
www.ghacademy.org
Grades: PK-8. Enrollment: 530
Average tuition/range: $7,950-$10,840

Holy Innocents' Episcopal School
805 Mount Vernon Highway N.W., Atlanta 30327
404-255-4026
www.hies.org
Students: 3-year-olds through 12th grade
Enrollment: 1,300
Average tuition/range: $7,316-$14,000.

Mount Vernon Presbyterian School
471 Mount Vernon Highway N.E., Atlanta 30328
404-252-3448
www.mvpschool.com
Grades: PK-8. Enrollment: 650
Average tuition/range: $5,875-$9,975.

St. Jude the Apostle School
7171 Glenridge Drive, Atlanta 30328
770-394-2880
www.saintjude.net
Grades: K-8. Enrollment: 510
Average tuition/range: $4,900

Schenck School
282 Mount Paran Road N.W. , Atlanta 30327
404-252-2591
www.schenck.org
Grades: 1-8. Enrollment: 150
Average tuition/range: $16,200-$17,300
*Serving dyslexic students

Sophia Academy
1199 Bellaire Drive N.E. , Atlanta 30319
404-303-8722
Grades: K-8. Enrollment: 50
Average tuition/range: $11,350
Christian school serving children with learning disabilities
*Information not warranted or Guaranteed by Blog or site owner

Staging on a Budget

REALTOR® Magazine asked readers of our Daily Real Estate News e-mail to send in their best tips for sprucing up listings on the cheap. Here are some of the quick, creative ideas that poured into our inbox.

LIVING ROOMS

Create a Focal Point
"Pick out the most visible corner and put a large plant—I've found that silk trees work best. Set up a spotlight behind it so it lights up the leaves and throws an interesting shadow on another wall. It really makes a difference in a person's perception of the space, especially if it's a large room without too much natural lighting."
—Izabela Stone, Keller Williams Realty, Apollo Beach, Fla.
Set Up a Chat Room
"Be sure that the living room furniture is positioned for conversation as well as entertainment. Potential buyers should be able to easily envision sitting in a space where they can easily talk without having to move a chair or turn completely around."
—Rana Lindhorst and Troy Schmidt, Prudential One Realty Centre, Edwardsville, Ill.
Get Rid of Carpet Dents
"Furniture often leaves indentations in the carpet. When a piece of furniture is moved, I tell my clients to put medium-sized ice cubes in the imprints. As the ice melts, it causes the compacted carpet to expand and erase those imprints."
—Shawn Moss, Century 21 C.R. O'Neil & Co.
Accent Special Features
"Place an accent by a home's feature, such as an attractive plant near a fireplace to draw the eye to it or a tall palm or two in place that directs the buyer toward another part of the home or suggests a separation of areas. This also ensures that someone often enters the home to care for it."
—Susan Cramer, HomeSmart Real Estate, Temecula, Calif.
Invoke the Outdoors
"Use a little nature in each room. I create a flow throughout the home using cuttings, flowers, dried flowers, whatever will work. Simple things, such as twigs to spell out a word or a small cutting tied with raffia around a pillow on a bed, draw the eye into the room but don't overpower it. I have even used a branch cutting to make a 'tree' in an empty corner. I try to use one piece of nature in each room to create an ongoing theme throughout the home. It works with any type of decor, whether it's modern or traditional. One important note: Always check for insects!"
—Lauren Scurlock, North Star Real Estate Inc., Virginia Beach, Va.

BEDROOMS

Bring Your Own Bed
"I have a great way to add a bed to a vacant bedroom. I arrange moving boxes into the shape of a bed, and then I dress it up with nice bedding. It takes about half an hour and it's really inexpensive."
—Kria Lacher, Meadows Group Inc., Realtors, Portland, Ore.
Make a Bed
Another trick to add a bed: "Purchase an inexpensive air mattress that has a folding frame off the floor. Once the bedding is on and staged, it's hard to tell the air mattress from a real bed. After the home sells, all the client has to do is deflate, fold and pack."
—Jackie Limsky, ABR®, TX Cyber Homes, Hank Layton, Texas
Get a Fabric Donation
"Here is an inexpensive staging tip: Ask a local fabric shop to donate beautiful fabrics. Use it to cover the following: an air mattress with a not-so-great comforter (cover the comforter with an over-sized sheet, and then place a nice fabric in the middle or end of the bed). Or use the fabric to cover TV dinner stands, to appear as nightstands, entryway pieces, or any other decorated 'table.'"
—Jannel Lee Allen, Keller Williams Realty, Livonia, Mich.
Add Luxurious, Affordable Touches
"If the master bedroom is too boring (and most are), I have my sellers go out and buy a new luxury comforter set with bed skirt, throw pillows, matching valances, etc. We have a Burlington Coat Factory here that sells dramatic sets with rich, embellished material for around $100. The right set will totally transform a boring master bedroom into a luxury hotel suite."
—Karen Walton, Share Realty, Midlothian, Va.
Try a Dramatic Fabric Backdrop
"One surefire way to dress up a plain bedroom is to hang sheers, fabric or draperies on the wall behind the bed. (I often remove window treatments from the other windows to allow more light in and then use these for the fabric backdrop.) It serves as a headboard, visually raising the ceilings and, particularly in a master suite, adds a sense of elegance and luxury. It's inexpensive but packs a dramatic punch."
—Liz Harrison, Spruce it Up! Home Staging and Room Redesign, Salem, Ore.

BATHROOM

Add Bathroom Elegance
"Get some decorative hand towels, tie a sheer ribbon around them, and place them on towel racks in all of the bathrooms. This does wonders to dress up the bathrooms of your listings. I also put some dried flowers and candles in complementary colors to add a little more pizzazz."
—Haley Hwang, e-pro, Coldwell Banker, Glenview, Ill.
Put a Lid on It
"The best thing you can do for your home, vacant or not, is to close all the drains, sinks, and tubs; close all the lids on all the toilets; close all the closet doors; and let all the sun in. You'll get amazing immediate results and the cost is zero dollars."
—Judith Preston, HomeSmart International, Anthem, Ariz.
Make the Old New Again
"I recently listed a big house built in 1979. In the master bathroom was a sunken cultured marble bathtub and matching his and hers marble vanity tops in swirly 1970's brown. The shower stall tile was gold and white speckled. The cost to update this bathroom would be a lot. So we got the tub and shower stall painted with epoxy paint in white and the marble tops a white with little tan specks. It was a huge improvement for about $800."
—Linda Walker, Main Street Real Estate, Garland, Texas

COLOR AND LIGHTING

Go Neutral
"The moment the potential buyer walks into the front door they should be 'wowed' by the rooms on either side of the entry. Paint a nice neutral khaki color allowing for the painted or stained wood work to stand out. Make the color bold enough to make a difference, not just an off white. Tans and khaki’s 'warm' the space."
—Julie C. Preston, GRI, REALTOR®/interior designer, Indianapolis, Ind.
Add a Splash of Color Everywhere
"Currently over half the homes we list are vacant and can look very sterile in photos. We ask sellers to neutralize their wall colors and carpet, but then we discover all the photos of the interior look similar and boring. Our best staging tip is to add bright, bold colors to the kitchen and bathrooms with accessories, towels, and plants. Red is a call-to-action color. A vase with red flowers can add interest to the photo when placed on a kitchen island or bar. We like burgundy or black towels in a neutral bathroom and green silk plants in the living areas. A colorful picture over the fireplace mantle with a couple of vases on each side can make a great vignette in the family room."
—Holly Janney, Realty Executives Associates, Knoxville, Tenn.
Light It Up
"Replace the light bulbs in the home with higher wattage bulbs. Buyers like 'light and bright,' and the brighter light bulbs make all the difference in the world. Inexpensive and easy!"
—Ann Bishop, Ann & Denny Bishop Group, Realtors, Wichita Falls, Texas

KITCHEN

Tease Their Noses
"I believe in appealing to all five senses of a buyer, including smell. I always put something in the oven like apple pie or fresh bread."
—Chad C. Caramanna, Shadetree Realty Group Inc., Fellsmere, Fla.
Accessorize
"Adding decorative items in the kitchen can warm up the area and make it more 'cozy'. Go to a thrift or resale shop and get great deals on glass items. Use a tray (wood, silver, glass, etc.) with two coffee cups and a small package of Starbucks coffee displayed between the cups, and pretty paper or cloth napkins. Also, find a large glass—or pottery bowl—and fill it with individual candies, pre-packaged crackers, pretzels, etc. It looks nice and each buyer who comes through can grab a snack from the bowl. It'll help them remember your listing."
—Trina Griffith, Summers Real Estate Group, Longview, Texas
Go Green
"If your listing has some green features (EnergyStar appliances, generator, double-paned windows, bamboo flooring), continue the theme with strategically placed soy candles, homemade guest soaps, and green cleaning products under the sink area. People will notice!"
—Peggy Edwards, green, Coldwell Banker, Tampa, Fla.

DE-CLUTTER

Expand the Closet
"One of the most overlooked areas of staging is the closet. Most people will unclutter and move boxes out of the closet but forget about the hanging clothes. I tell my clients to remove the clothes they only wear once in a while. If the closet still looks stuffed, remove more. The ideal closet will have significant space (two hangers worth) between the next hanger."
—Joseph F. San Angelo, Coldwell Banker Real Estate, Clifton, N.J.
Offer Before and After Photos
"Have owners pack everything they don't use daily and put in storage or in the garage. It neutralizes the home and allows buyers to picture their family living there. It creates a sense of cleanliness and order by having clean countertops, sparsely decorated walls and minimal furniture. I give sellers before and after photos of other staged homes and remind them that this is how model homes sell."
—Amy Herring, Keller Williams, Tallahassee, Fla.
Create a Neutral Pallet
"When I first meet with potential clients planning to put their house on the market, I walk through the home with them and make a detailed list of all furniture, clothing, and miscellaneous items that should be packed away. Staging a home requires that each space be defined, but that personal items and clutter be non-existent. Potential buyers need to see a neutral pallet: Rooms that they can envision themselves living. I then pay for the delivery and removal of a Smartbox portable storage unit as part of my marketing strategy."
—Carrie Mock, Long and Foster Real Estate, Annapolis, Md.
Nix Those Personal Photos
"Make sure there are no personal photos to be seen anywhere in your listing. Pack them up or put them away. Buyers tend to stop and see who lives there, which takes them away from seeing the home's attributes!"
—Kyle Davis, RE/MAX Select Properties Inc., Ashburn, Va.
Don't Let Furniture Get in the Way
"I think one of my top staging tips is to arrange the furniture so that it does not block any of the home's features and allows for easy traffic flow. Sometimes that means removing some furniture—the more furniture in a room, the smaller the room looks."
—Jean Risha, Greenwood King Properties, Houston, Texas

EXTERIORS

Say 'Welcome Home'
"There's nothing more pleasing than a front step or porch with bright and cheerful planters filled with plants and flowers. It says 'welcome to your new home!'"
—Carol Anderson, ABR, GREEN, Coastline Realty, Cape May, N.J.
Create a Curb Appeal Checklist
"A top item on the staging list should be curb appeal items (you can't get people in if they don't like the drive-by): Trim shrubs, fix peeling paint, and add greens or planters near the entrance."
—Lori Geraci, Bannon & Hebert Properties LLC, Middlebury, Conn.
Entice Them at the Entrance
"Tighten any loose doors or cabinets and re-stain, paint, or varnish doors. Paint the trim on floors and ceilings. Also, paint outside trims and nicks on the house, especially where clients come into the house."
—Rhonda Burns, Windermere Real Estate, Wentachee, Wash.
Stage the Lawn
"In San Antonio the grass is usually parched by the end of the summer. For my fall listings, I purchase a bag of winter rye grass seed and apply it generously to dried-out lawns of my listings. I advice sellers to water the grass frequently for a few weeks until it begins to sprout. Soon the lawn is emerald green, and it stays that way through the end of April, at which time the regular grass should be recovering."
—Larry Stewart, Deborah Myers Real Estate Inc., San Antonio, Texas

SPECIAL TOUCHES

Create a DVD of the Home
"Have the sellers make a short DVD of fun times that they had in the home and surrounding area. Make the DVD run on a loop on the TV and use it to show potential buyers the area, neighborhood amenities, proximity to parks museums, etc. It is easy and cost effective."
--Scott Holland, Top100AZhomes.com, Phoenix
Frame a Local Scene
"Frame pictures from inexpensive calendars and place them throughout the home. Look for pictures that reflect nature and themes for the local area. We don't want buyers to wish they were in Aruba while looking at a home in snowy Michigan!"
—Jannel Lee Allen, Keller Williams Realty, Livonia, Mich.
Showcase Designer Bags
"I stagger colorful, logo, designer, retail bags in different sizes and shapes and place them on the shelves in the walk-in closets in the master bedroom, linen closet as well as other closets. It creates a fun visual and people think it is unique and clever. Plus, it is basically free. You just tell the stores that you are staging your seller’s home and would love to advertise their company with their bags. They love the idea of getting free publicity. I put crumpled up tissue in the bag to give them body. I use bags from Neiman Marcus, Coldwater Creek, Chico’s, Crate & Barrel, Pier 1, St. John, Coach, Victoria Secret, and Nordstrom. Also, since the bags can lie flat, the storage factor is very efficient."
—Robyn Starr Dezendorf, Keller Williams Realty Portland Premiere, Portland, Ore.
Customize the Art
"Buy a couple of iron easels and place them in different rooms. On the easel, place a mirror or framed art that complements the colors of the walls or floors. Or, prepare a large poster with photos and additional information about the house. This is inexpensive, yet provides a focal point of interest in the room."
—Trina Griffith, Summers Real Estate Group, Longview, Texas
Redo the Doghouse
"Freshen and consolidate pet areas. Purchase new bowls, etc., to indicate upkeep and freshness. Choose one place to house pet beds and litter boxes; the laundry or utility rooms or garage space may be appropriate."
—Mae Thompson, Prudential One Realty Centre, Edwardsville, Ill.
Have Sellers Write a Letter
"Part of staging is conveying the pleasures of living in the marketed home. I have sellers write a one-page letter to the prospective buyers detailing less evident benefits, such as the annual Easter egg hunt at the end of the cul-de-sac, the amazing sunrise from the breakfast nook window, and the fact that the school bus stops at the corner. I copy these on pretty paper and put them at the front of the property profile book on the kitchen counter."
—Cari Pemberton, Buy, Sell, Organize & Stage, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Make It Memorable
"I have two things that I do when staging a home. First, a wreath on the front door (that I make). The wreath stays with the house for the new owners. Second, I hang a black nightgown on the master bathroom door. The buyer (husband) always remembers that house!"
—Cissy Snyder, Svetlik Real Estate, Sumter, S.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Smaller Houses in 2012

Make Money in 2012
 
A smaller house will make a big difference
@Money November 14, 2011: 1:19 PM ET
viewfinder.top.jpg
(MONEY Magazine) -- Last year the economic forecasting firm Fiserv predicted that home values would sink around 5% in 2011, and that prices in three-quarters of the nation's major metro areas would fall. The bad news is, the firm wasn't that far off the mark. The good news: In the coming year, Fiserv thinks 95% of the 384 metro areas it tracks will see prices rise.
Don't expect the market to move much beyond first gear, though. The median expectation among more than 100 economists and real estate pros surveyed by MacroMarkets is that home values will inch ahead by a mere 0.25%, compared to their 2011 median forecast decline of 2.8%. They also foresee annualized gains through 2015 of just 1.1%, as the real estate market slowly works its way through a mountain of foreclosures.
Those foreclosures will continue to weigh on the market. According to Core- Logic, there are 5.4 million homes that are for sale or part of the market's "shadow inventory" -- which includes bank-owned properties, homes in the foreclosure pipeline that haven't hit the market yet, or properties where owners are seriously behind on payments.
To put that in perspective, Freddie Mac forecasts that only 4.8 million homes will be purchased in all of 2012. A market with six months of inventory is considered healthy. That there's more than a year's worth of housing stock now tells you what a tough slog this will still be. "It's analogous to a flood," says Mark Fleming, CoreLogic's chief economist. "The water is very deep in the living room, but it's no longer getting deeper and is starting to recede.
Helping that process along will be low-interest-rate mortgages that are expected to remain cheap. Jay Brinkmann, chief economist at the Mortgage Bankers Association, says the 4.2% rate on a 30-year fixed rate in late October might not last long. Still, he expects the 30-year fixed mortgage rate to stay below 5% throughout 2012.
The action plan: It will pay to think small -- as in reduce your mortgage bills and focus on modest homes.

Buyers: Downsize the dream.
For those gearing up to make a purchase, 2012 could be a great opportunity, what with cheap prices, low borrowing rates, and little competition among prospective bidders.
Before you take the plunge, remember that the price you pay matters, as does your ability to easily resell that home down the road.

Make Money in 2012: Jobs

This means it's best to focus on smaller properties in your area near restaurants and retail. McMansions of at least 2,600 square feet, which were the ideal in the boom years, are coveted by a mere 18% of households today, according to a recent survey by Trulia. And that figure could fall even more.
A separate survey by the National Association of Home Builders found that home-construction firms expect U.S. houses to average 2,152 square feet in 2015 -- down 10% from last year.
Some of this is attributable to the lingering effects of the past recession, which has eaten into housing budgets. But there's also a permanent change at play. "Baby boomers are trading down. They don't need the McMansion, and they don't want to drive as much," says Trulia chief economist Jed Kolko.
Sellers: Price it right. The longer you can wait for prices to stabilize in your area and for demand to pick up, the less likely you'll need to entertain low-ball offers. If you have to make a move in 2012, though, the trick will be to price your home correctly out of the gate.
According to a recent national survey of real estate agents, 75% of homeowners believe their house is worth more than what agents put the fair market value at, and nearly one in two homeowners still overestimate their home's value by more than 10%.
Meanwhile, Trulia reports that about one in four homes in its database has gone through at least one price reduction, and the average price cut for those homes is 8%.
Joe Magdziarz, president of the Appraisal Institute, says you and your agent should stick with comparable sales data just within the past 90 days, as that's what lenders expect appraisers to use.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Atlanta Toll Road


ATLANTA - Non-rush hour commuters on I-85 in Gwinnett County may be more inclined to jump into those Express Lanes - if the State Road and Tollway Authority decides to drop the toll for the lanes even further.
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal got word Wednesday that the state may drop the tolls in the Express Lanes to one cent per mile during non-rush times.
"This would have to get approved by SRTA's board, which is meeting next week," Governor Deal's spokeman Brian Robinson said in an email to 11Alive News. "The Governor would like to see this approved."
The state couldn't eliminate the toll altogether without getting a federal waiver. "We don't need a waiver to go to one cent a mile and that's the best option available to us at this point," Robinson said. "The waiver request would probably be denied."
But, Robinson also pointed out that the penny-per-mile toll would not go into effect during morning and afternoon rush hours. He said the Express Lanes were operationg "well" during those hours with current, floating rates that are based on congestion. Courtesy 11 Alive News.
http://norcross.11alive.com/news/news/97887-gwinnett-gov-deal-would-see-i-85-toll-dropped-1-cent-mile-sometimes

Thursday, January 12, 2012

HONDA BATTLE OF THE BANDS

American Honda Motor Co., Inc., was founded in 1959 as the U.S. sales and marketing subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Honda currently produces automobiles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, lawn-care equipment and engines at its eleven major U.S. manufacturing operations, using domestic and globally sourced parts. Honda's long-standing commitment to the support and success of the nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities began more than 20 years ago with the establishment of the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge, a program designed to showcase the academic gifts and prowess of HBCU students. American Honda established Honda Battle of the Bands ten years ago as an effort to support HBCU music programs.
http://www.hondabattleofthebands.com/tickets
   
The Honda Battle of the Bands (HBOB) is an annual national program showcasing the pageantry, showmanship and musicianship of the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Marching Bands. Created in 2002 by American Honda Motor Co., Inc., HBOB brings together the African-American community, African-American leaders and marching band fans to celebrate, support and recognize the unique academic and cultural experience at America's HBCUs. Over the past 10 years, Honda has awarded nearly $2 million in music scholarships to the HBCUs through HBOB, and HBOB has entertained more than half-a-million fans at Atlanta's Georgia Dome.