Going Green In Atlanta
November 29, 2007 | Leave a Comment
A Commitment To Excellence
Building a home in Atlanta requires a commitment to excellence by the builder, not only in appearance but also in construction techniques. Many times as consumers in the housing market we have to do our research just to find out which builders have made the commitment to excellence that we have come to expect. An easy way to help with this reasearch would be to look for a builder who is member of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association. OK, I agree the list is long as this association is huge.
What Is A Earthcraft House
If you are building a new home or looking at one that is already built you may want to see if the builder is a participant in the Earthcraft House Program. The Earthcraft Program teaches builders the latest method and techniques for energy efficiency construction in home building. The Earthcraft House Program is a partnership between The Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association and Southface Energy Institute. Research has shown that Earthcraft homes provide their owners with a healthier indoor environment, lower utility bills, more durability, less maintenance and greater comfort.
Energy Star Rating
To make your investigation more complete, why not also look for a builder that is also utilizing techniques that will give your new home an Energy Star rating. The Energy Star rating for a new home is reserved for those homes that are verified by a third party to be at least 30% more energy efficient than standard construction. Some of the items checked for in order to obtain the Energy Star would be:
* High Efficient 90+ AFUE Gas Furnaces
* High Efficient 13 SEER Air Conditioners
* Upgraded Insulation Packages
* Tight Construction and Tight HVAC Ducts
* High Efficient Direct Vent Gas Water Heaters
* Controlled Ventilation
* High Performance Windows
What A Commitment
The first builder in the Greater Atlanta Market to participate in the Energy Star program was Haven Properties of Alpharetta. Not only do they participate in the Energy Star Program on some of the homes they build, but they have made a commitment to build every home to these demanding standards. They are also participants in the Earthcraft House program of the Home Builder Association.
It is refreshing to see this level of commitment from a builder, especially during these uncertain times in the real estate industry. So congratulations Haven Properties for your commitment to excellence in the housing market of Greater Atlanta.
It’s A Leaf Blizzard
November 24, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Over the last week or so the leaves on Atlanta trees have been falling like snow in a Colorado blizzard. So how much time do you have for raking leaves? Most of us would rather do something more valuable with our time, however if you have trees this is one of those homeowner jobs that just has to be done.
Put Them To Good Use
Considering the fact that Metro Atlanta is in a level 4 drought and all outside watering has been banned, why not put these leaves to good use. Now I know that sounds a little strange but think about this. Blow or rake all the leaves in your yard to the driveway or a large natural area if you have one. Then take your mower and set it for mulching and then start cutting the leaves with the mower. You will be shredding the leaves and generating a nice ground cover and mulch. If you have done this in the driveway just carry the shredded leaves to one of the landscape beds and spread them around. If you cut them in a large natural area they are already spread for you. You may need to smooth them out some though.
It’s A Win - Win Situation
So what do you think? You can now be an offical leaf multitasker and help the ground maintain some of its water with a layer of fresh mulch that would have ended up in a landfill somewhere. On top of that you will save the money that you would have spent on mulch for your natural areas too. So what do you think, could you take advantage of this all around win-win situation?
Holiday Lights Southern Nights
November 23, 2007 | Leave a Comment
At last nights Lighting of the Great Tree, there was a video of Mayor Shirley Franklin announcing a photo contest of holiday lights in Atlanta. The contest is called “Holiday Lights, Southern Nights” and runs through December 15. Metro Atlanta residents are encouraged to submit photos of their holiday lights and decorations to www.atlanta.net. The photos will be voted on and the top three winners will receive the following prizes: A $500 Fresh Market gift card for Third Place, A $1,000 Macy’s gift card for Second Place and the Grand Prize of $2,500. All three winners will receive tickets to some of Atlanta’s most sought after attractions such as The Georgia Aquarium, The Atlanta Botanical Gardens and The Fernbank Museum of Natural History.
Let’s spread the word about this contest and give the voters an even more difficult job than normal in choosing the winners. Some of you started your decorating for the holidays right after Halloween and you have a good jump on the rest of us. But don’t worry, we will be getting our decorations up in plenty of time to get the photos submitted. The sooner you get your pictures submitted the more time they will be available for the voters. So hurry and get your photos in and give your fellow Atlantan’s plenty of time to vote on your holiday decorations.
Atlanta Tree Lighting
November 22, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Every year for the last 60 years the holiday season in Atlanta is kicked off by the Lighting of the Great Tree atop Macy’s at Lenox Square. This year was no different. Chilly temperatures greeted over 100,000 guests who witnessed the event. Prior to the lighting of the tree, the crowd was entertained by country music stars Big and Rich along with recording artists Take 6 and Emmy Rossum. As the switch was flipped and the lights came on an awesome fireworks display began. This is one of the top ten must attend events during the holidays each year. If you missed this event in person, you can catch the replay Saturday evening at 7:00 EST on WGN.
Happy Thanksgiving Atlanta
November 22, 2007 | Leave a Comment
As we awoke this morning in Atlanta, the skies had opened up a bit and were providing us with some much needed rain. It was not a heavy downpour, just a good soaking rain that we are so desperate for. The forecast calls for the rains to subside by mid-afternoon which will be ideal for everyone going to Lenox Square this evening for the lighting of the tree atop Macy’s.
Other than the rain this morning there is so much to be thankful for. We have our families, our friends, our troops protecting our freedom, the food we will eat too much of today and of course football. Perhaps this should be titled the 5 "F’s" of Thanksgiving. Family, Friends, Freedom, Food and Football. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!
Clean Air For The Holidays
November 20, 2007 | Leave a Comment
You Are What You Breathe
I hope that statement is not true. So what kind of interesting things do you think we breathe at home? Airborne particles are found in every home and include smoke, dust, pet dander, mold spores, dust mites, or pollen. These particles that are floating in the air that flows through our homes are for the most part very small. They vary in size from about 0.03 to 100 microns in size. So what is a micron? Well let’s put it into perspective. The average diameter of a human hair is 50 microns. As you can see, many of these particles are tiny.
Clean It Up
What would you think is the best way to improve the air quality in our homes? You guessed it, Change the filter on the HVAC system on a regular basis. There are a multitude of different types of filters on the market today. Everything from the inexpensive fiberglass filters to more costly electrostatically charged filters. Only you can decide which is best for your needs. Just remember the smaller sized particles could pass right through a standard fiberglass fiter and circulate back into the air you breath. It is recommended that the air filters in our homes be changed every 3 months to improve our air quality. If there has been a remodeling project in your home, you may want to change the filters more often to help clean the air quicker. This would also help in keeping the house cleaner from dust.
The Holidays Are Here
Why not welcome your holiday guests with cleaner air by changing the air filters in your home? Wouldn’t now be a great time to get on the quarterly schedule? Happy Holidays!
Can You Spare A Cup Of Water
November 15, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Hey Mister can you spare a cup of water? This may well be the theme and topic of conversations in and around Greater Atlanta if we don’t get substantial rain soon.
Governor Sonny Perdue Seeks Help from a Higher Source
On Tuesday of this week Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue led a prayer vigil for rain with various religious leaders in Atlanta on the steps of the state capitol. At times like this desperate measures must be employed and divine intervention may be the only saving grace.
Clammed up About Mussels
It was recently pointed out on one of the news programs that one of the reasons that so much water was being released through Buford Dam was so that the mussels in Apalachicola Bay, Florida would not be harmed. Another great example of our Federal Government at work. What about the humans of Atlanta? Let’s make certain that we protect the shallow bays and excellent fishing in Apalachicola Bay along with their economy while the residents of Atlanta possibly go thirsty.
Lake Sidney Lanier
The primary source of water for Atlanta is Lake Sidney Lanier, which is located about 45 minutes northeast of the city. Buford Dam, which is controlled by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, is the release point for water from the lake and flows into the Chattahoochee River. There have been reports recently that the level of the river has been rising while the lake level decreases. Now that makes no sense at all. Why would water be released from the lake, raising the river level, when the lake is approximately 18 feet below full summer pool. As it turns out the Corp of Engineers is instructed to release about 8 billion gallons of water from the lake daily. Some of this water is for cities downstream and there is no reason to question its use.
To try and help conserve as much water as possible, outdoor watering restrictions to various degrees have been in place for almost a year and recently a total ban on outdoor watering has been initiated. Violators of the bans have received heavy fines, the first offence will cost you $1,000 and with subsequent offenses you may have your water shut off. Yes it has gotten very serious and the ramifications are reaching farther into the local economy. Yesterday one of the landmarks in Atlanta, Pike Nursery, filed for bankruptcy protection due to the drought and watering bans. No one really wants to start a landscaping project or even just add seasonal color when you can’t water it.
As you can see in the pictures there is a substantial amount of dirt showing below the large rocks in the area around Buford Dam. At full summer pool the water totally covers the dirt and comes about half way into the rocks.
Not Looking Good
Overnight there was a little rain but not much. Just enough to wet the streets and ground. Of course today happens to be very windy in metro Atlanta and everything has dried out again. The forecast for the next five days does not offer much promise for rain either. Perhaps everyone can get together for a rain dance.
So let the question be asked again, Hey Mister can you spare a cup of water?
Y’all Done Good
November 14, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Terilyn Walton from Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta was present at the RE/MAX Around Atlanta monthly office meeting on Tuesday to receive a very special presentation. The official results are in and the auction raised $25,000.00. Event chairpersons Tom and Kathy Peters, auctioneer Lucy Troutman and Brokers Sharon Dover and Cleve Gaddis presented Terilyn with the check. Terilyn commented that usually the first time a firm takes on a fundraiser of this magnitude the donation is generally in the $1,000 to $2,000 range. She was amazed at the success of this event.
So especially to Tom and Kathy Peters for all their hard work, Larry and Lucy Troutman of Atlanta Auction Company for their expert guidance, Food Service Action for donating the food and all the volunteers who work so diligently "Y’all Done Good".
Desirable Home Features
November 12, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Recently I have been showing quite a few homes to buyers relocating locally and from out of state. During these showings we have commented on some of the really updated features incorporated into the homes as well as some of the features that just seem to make a home more desirable. Of course location and schools still are important factors in deciding where to purchase a home. I wanted to share with you some of the features that others were also considering in their homes.
- Home Automation Systems – Homes wired for wall mounted flat screen HDTV’s or Plasma TV’s, surround sound and high speed internet connections throughout the home
- Outdoor Showers – No more muddy children coming into the home
- Finished Terrace Level – We used to call this a finished basement but the space is a continuation of the main living area of the home and includes media rooms, wet bars, game rooms, exercise room, additional bedroom and full bathroom
- Keeping Rooms – An additional gathering space, usually with a fireplace, attached to the Kitchen. Great for gatherings and entertaining
- 3 Car Garage – This is pretty self explanatory but really makes a home more desirable
- Built-in Walk-in Closets – You almost don’t need a dresser or chest anymore with the built-in closet systems available in today’s market
- Pot Fillers – Either built-in to the wall above the stove or attached to the countertop right next to the stove, a must have for the gourmet cook
- Wrought Iron Spindles – Talk about adding a real touch of class to any staircase
- Granite Countertops – I suppose that with Georgia being one of the leading granite producing states it only make sense to have granite countertops in the home
- Office / Study – With so many residents working from home at least one or two days a week it is nice to see homes that already have the space dedicated
- Outdoor Kitchens – With the climate in Metro Atlanta being as it is, outdoor entertaining is very popular as are elaborate outdoor kitchens
This list is from observations over the last several months and is in no way all inclusive. If you happen to think of others feel free to comment and we will get this list growing.
Marketing Atlanta New Homes
November 10, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Have we reached the time in the real estate when the rich get richer and the poor get poorer? For the larger builders who have the capital to invest in websites, marketing departments and IT directors this is probably true. What about the smaller and shall we say the more technology challenged builders? I know several custom builders, who shall remain nameless, who not only do not have websites, but also have had some difficulty with adapting to email. Technology, from the digital standpoint, just is not their strong suit. Does this mean they build a less than adequate home? Of course not, they build some of the best homes in the Atlanta Market. Does it mean they are technology challenged? You bet it does. Cell phones and Nextel are about the extent of technology in their business. They know how to include technology in the homes they build because they have been educated about it by the home builder association and by some of their more proactive vendors. What it does mean is that their homes may not be getting as much exposure to potential buyers as some of the other builders homes.
So how does a technology challenged builder compete in today’s marketplace? The first thing that has to happen is for the builder to admit to the shortcoming. After realizing what is needed the builder can take one of two approaches. The first approach may be to get a website and jump into the internet and web2.0 with both feet. We have already established that some of these builders have had difficulty in adapting to email, so this first option may not be the best solution. The next option would be for the builder to align with an Atlanta Real Estate Agent who has adapted well to the internet, email and web2.0. Someone who can utilize the social media avenues in conjunction with a well functioning website to market and obtain maximum exposure and interest for the builders properties.
It has been accepted over the years that marketing a individual resale home, by itself, is considerably more challenging than marketing a group of new homes in a subdivision with multiple choices of elevations and floorplans. A REALTOR® who has specialized in resale homes has had to learn how to get a property maximum exposure in the shortest amount of time possible. One of the best way to accomplish this through the internet. A National Association of REALTORS study shows us that 82% of all home buyers start searching for their new home on the internet. This number is even higher with younger more technology savvy buyers.
Recently there has been some very interesting marketing taking place in the new homes arena in metro Atlanta. Unfortunately for some of the builders this marketing is all about price reductions, bonuses and increased commissions to the buyer’s agent. While these tactics are benefical to the buyer’s and buyer’s agents, are they what is best for the market? When I am representing the buyer, I for one am not opposed to a higher commission percentage or agent bonus as it is just additional income for me to do what I was going to do anyway, find my client the best possible home to meet their wants and needs. But the results on the marketplace can have some lingering effect which are not very positive for the builder or the buyer. As price reductions are made and homes become sold the one thing that is affected is the appraisal. Appraisals are based on sales comparisons and the lingering effect of lower prices may remain for six months to a year, possibly longer. Depending on how many homes a builder has for sale in a particular neighborhood, the lower appraisal may generate a bit of a catch 22. I don’t believe that this would be the desired result. Price the home competitively to start with and then get it as much exposure as possible.
So here is a thought for Atlanta builders who fall into the category of being internet marketing challenged, "Why not employ a REALTOR® with a proven marketing plan to handle your new homes"? What have you got to loose?
