Thanksgiving 2008
Thanksgiving Day is almost here and the beginning of the holiday season has started. I thought I would share some of my favorite things to do on Thanksgiving.
Smoked Turkey
My first thing actually begins the day before Thanksgiving. For over 33 years I have smoked a turkey for the feast. Several years ago my nephew decided he wanted to fry a turkey which we all agreed would be fine, I would just smoke a smaller one and there would still be plenty to go around. I must admit the fried turkey was very good with the Thanksgiving Day meal but left a bit to be desired for the much anticipated turkey sandwiches. My nephew still fries a turkey but I am back to smoking the larger turkey, somewhere in the 20 plus pound range. This years turkey is a 25 pounder and will take about 15 hours on the smoker. It will smoke over a fire of Mesquite chunks while being steamed by a mixture of water and white wine to keep it totally moist.
Thanksgiving Tradition
For as long as I can remember our family has had a piece of poster board or paper with the alphabet listed on it. Each person attending the festivities write something that they are thankful for next to the corresponding letter of the alphabet. The object is to fill up the page using each letter as the beginning letter of the thing you are thankful for. It’s entertaining to see what the children list as their items. They are more grown up than we sometimes give them credit for. Give this a try, I think you will like it.
Parade and Football
What Thanksgiving would be complete without the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and a good old football game. Nuff said about that.
Finish Off the Day
If you read my post yesterday there is no doubt what we will be doing tonight. We will be leaving for Lenox Square at about 5 o’clock. We will enjoy the pre show and the full entertainment of the Lighting of the Great Tree atop Macy’s. This has become a tradition for my wife and I. The temperature may be a little chilly but the show warms your heart, especially when the tree is lit. Come on down and join us and the other probably 100,000 people who will be there, hopefully you will enjoy it too.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!
2008 Tree Lighting at Lenox Square
Thanksgiving Evening is a special time in Atlanta because the Christmas Holiday season is kicked off with the Lighting of the Great Tree atop Macy’s at Lenox Square. This years tree is a 70-foot white pine that weighs over 7 tons. It is decorated with red Macy’s Stars, white snowflakes and approximately 1200 multi colored basketball sized ornaments. It takes over 8 miles of wiring to get power to the 4000+ 11 watt bulds, flashing strobes, internally lite ornaments and the LED color changing star atop the tree. It takes a crew of 8 helpers to over 2 weeks to decorate the tree and make sure that it is securely fastened into it’s stand which is designed to withstand hurricane type storms.
This Years Entertainment
The entertainment for this years festivities will be provided by a cast of both local and national stars. Headlining the event is singer-songwriter Jewel. Jewel will be joined by Broadway and recording star Heather Headley, singer Michael Warren, local artist The Regulars Band, the Youth Harmony Chorus and Macy’s All-Star Holiday Chior. As you can see there is something for everyone at this years festivities.
Attend In Person or Watch on TV
As has become customary, WSB-TV carries the entire program live from 7 to 8 on Thanksgiving Evening. This year Jann Carl of Entertainment Tonight will be joining Monica Pearson and David Chandley of WSB in hosting the event. I must admit that I have watched the program on TV in the past, however for the last 3 years my wife and I have attended it in person. Last year a group of our neighbors attended with us and we had a blast. Whether you join us in person or watch on TV, gather with family and friends to kick off the 2008 Christmas Season with the Lighting of The Great Tree at Lenox Square. If you are going to attend in person, do yourself a big favor and get there around 6 o’clock. The performers warm up with the audience that is there and it is almost as good as the live show.
I hope everyone has a truelly wonderfull holiday season filled with the tresures that family and friends can bring. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!
554 Willowwind Drive Gwinnett County
Talk about getting a lot of bang for your buck, you can do just that at 554 Willowwind Drive. Located in the grayson High School District of Gwinnett County, this 3 bedroom 3 bath home has so much to offer. Not only is the Master Suite on the main floor but you also get a guest bedroom with a full bath. On the upper level there is a teen/in-law suite with it’s own private bath.
What About the Living Area
The living area consists of an over sized Den with a gas fireplace, a Formal Dining Room, A Sun Room and the Kitchen that has a breakfast bar along with a breakfast room complete with a bay window. Also on the main level is the laundry room which is just inside from the 3 car garage.
Private Wooded Backyard
The private wooded backyard shows off the professional landscaping. You can enjoy year round grilling on the covered patio along with reading or relaxing in the screened-in Gazebo.
Schools
The home is serviced by some of Gwinnett Counties best schools; W J Cooper Elementary, McConnell Middle, and Grayson High School.
For additional information and to view all the pictures please visit 554 Willowwind Drive.
Georgia Runoff Election for US Senator
December 2nd is a very important day in this year’s election. There is a runoff between Saxby Chambliss and Jim Martin due to neither candidate obtaining a majority of 50% plus 1 vote to win in the general election on November 4th. I normally do not post articles voicing opinions about politicians especially since this blog is primarily about Atlanta Real Estate, our local market and activities going on in the area.
With the current climate of the real estate market both locally and nationally I feel compelled to let every one who reads this blog know which of the US Senatorial candidates has proven to be an advocate for home owners and real estate. Here are some of the highlights regarding real estate related votes cast by Saxby Chambliss:
• Modernizing FHA - FHA’s single family mortgage insurance program is a valuable tool that helps more people achieve the dream of homeownership. Saxby Chambliss voted for FHA Reform legislation that will update programs so that consumers have greater refinancing opportunities and better alternatives for safe loans at fair prices.
• Improving Mortgage availability - Saxby Chambliss supported the efforts to expand access to GSE conforming and FHA loans limits by increasing the current loan limits. Increasing these limits provides more liquidity to the market helping those trying to purchase homes in high cost areas gain access to lower cost fixed rates mortgage options. It also helps families trying to refinance their current mortgages in order to avoid foreclosure.
• Tax Reform and incentives for homebuyers - Saxby Chambliss understands the need for investment in our nation’s neighborhoods and the importance of real estate to our economy. That’s why Saxby continues to support the Mortgage Interest Deduction, eliminating the AMT for struggling middle class families and voted to lower Capital Gains rates for Real Estate. He will work to ensure that any tax reforms proposed in Congress protect America’s homeowners and their most valuable asset.
• First-time homebuyer tax credit - Saxby also understands the challenges that every homebuyer faces when buying a home. That’s why he supported efforts that created a limited time tax credit for first-time homebuyers who are able to shoulder the responsibilities that come with owning a home. He also supported efforts to expand the current credit so that it can operate as a valuable incentive for purchasers.
• Short Sale Tax Relief - Saxby Chambliss knows that families are facing difficult choices in today’s market. That’s why he voted for legislation to give some tax relief to sellers involved in the short sale situation. The provision eliminates the income tax owed by the seller on the amount to cancel or forgive debt.
• Veterans’ housing - The VA home loan guaranty program has successfully helped many veterans safely and affordable achieve the dream of homeownership. But now it needs some updates to provide even better access for veterans. Saxby supports reforming the VA home loan guaranty program to increase the loan limits, extend the VA Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM) programs, and ease refinancing for America’s veterans.
• Small Business Health Coverage - Small businesses are the backbone of the nation’s economy. Yet roughly half of the 47 million uninsured Americans are self-employed, work in small businesses or are family members of small-business workers. That is why Saxby supports legislation to address the problems that the self-employed and small businesses face when looking for health coverage. Solving the problem of the uninsured must become a top legislative priority for Congress.
• Keeping Banks out of Real Estate - Sen. Chambliss cosponsored the Banks in Real Estate bill which clarifies in law, that a real estate brokerage shall be a non-banking, commercial activity.
This article is not about endorsing a political party; it is about endorsing a candidate that has a proven record of supporting real estate and the dream of homeownership. No matter which candidate you select, remember to vote in the Georgia Runoff Election on December 2nd.
North Fulton County Market Update October 2008
Statistics for single family detached homes in the North Fulton County real estate market for the month of October 2008 are in. North Fulton County is divided into two different areas and we will examine each area and then look at North Fulton County as a whole.
Area 13
Area 13 is the section of the county that is West of Ga. 400 and North of Chattahoochee River to the County lines and includes addresses from Alpharetta and Roswell. In the resale segment of the market there were 39 properties ranging in price from $126,000 to $1,950,000 that went under contract and 11 properties that closed ranging in price from $203,000 to $725,000. In the new construction segment of the market 6 properties went under contract ranging in price from $225,000 to $1,398,000 and 2 properties closed ranging in price from $910,500 to $3,250,000.
Area 14
Area 14 is the section of the county that is East of Ga. 400 and North of Chattahoochee River to the County lines and includes addresses from Alpharetta, Duluth, Johns Creek and Roswell. In the resale segment of the market there were 33 properties ranging in price from $157,757 to $2,900,000 that went under contract and 9 properties that closed ranging in price from $180,000 to $744,500. In the new construction segment of the market 7 properties went under contract ranging in price from $299,280 to $1,288,000 and there were no properties in Area 14 that closed in this category.
North Fulton County Summary
For the month of October 2008, real estate sales for single family detached homes in North Fulton County looked like this:
• 72 Resale Properties Went Under Contract
• 20 Resale Properties Closed
• 13 New Construction Properties Went Under Contract
• 2 New Construction properties Closed
I think we will all agree that with the number of properties that went under contract in the month of October we can expect the number of closings in the next few months to increase substantially. Actually this situation is prevalent throughout much out the of the Atlanta Real Estate market.
Forsyth County Market Update October 2008
Statistics for single family detached homes in the Forsyth County real estate market for the month of October 2008 are in. Forsyth County is divided into three different areas and we will examine each area and then look at the county as a whole.
Area 221
Area 221 is that section of the county that is East of GA 400 and includes addresses from the cities of Cumming, Suwanee and Alpharetta. In the resale segment of the market there were 55 properties ranging in price from $59,900 to $1,595,000 that went under contract and 15 properties that closed ranging in price from $126,000 to $830,000. In the new construction segment of the market 16 properties went under contract ranging in price from $186,900 to $825,000 and 4 properties closed ranging in price from $270,200 to $483,500.
Area 222
Area 222 is that section of the county that is West of GA 400, South of Hwy. 20 and includes the city of Cumming and part of Alpharetta. In the resale segment of the market there were 20 properties ranging in price from $169,900 to $424,900 that went under contract and 7 properties that closed ranging in price from $144,000 to $569,000. In the new construction segment of the market 11 properties went under contract ranging in price from $218,560 to $499,900 and 1 property closed with a price of $295,490.
Area 223
Area 223 is that section of the county that is West of Ga. 400, North of Hwy. 20, outside City limits of Cumming. In the resale segment of the market there were 5 properties ranging in price from $144,900 to $420,000 that went under contract and 5 properties that closed ranging in price from $93,500 to $269,900. In the new construction segment of the market 6 properties went under contract ranging in price from $179,990 to $539,900 and 2 properties closed ranging in price from $180,000 to $203,782.
Forsyth County Summary
For the month of October 2008, real estate sales for single family detached homes in Forsyth County looked like this:
• 80 Resale Properties Went Under Contract
• 27 Resale Properties Closed
• 33 New Construction Properties Went Under Contract
• 7 New Construction Properties Closed.
To the casual observer these statistics may be nothing more than just numbers; however to a savvy investor they just might be saying that we may very well have reached the bottom of the market in Forsyth County. New construction continues to lag behind resales and the builders are offering substantial discounts to help move the inventory, which by the way is decreasing. As the inventory decreases and becomes more in line with the accepted norms the real estate market in Forsyth County as well as the Greater Atlanta Area will return to its robust nature. Look at the number of properties, both resale and new, that went under contract compared to the number that closed. Now that is a trend that will bring the local real estate market back pretty quickly.
Gwinnett County Market Update October 2008
Statistics for single family detached homes in the Gwinnett County real estate market for the month of October 2008 are in. Gwinnett County is divided into six different areas and we will examine each area and then look at the county as a whole.
Area 61
Area 61 is that section of the county that is North of I-85 and West of Pleasant Hill Road. Area 61 includes Norcross, Berkeley Lake and part of Duluth. In the resale segment of the market there were 30 properties ranging in price from $61,800 to $979,000 that went under contract and 46 properties that closed ranging in price from $37,900 to $599,000. In the new construction segment of the market 1 home listed at $190,000 went under contract and there was 1 closing for new construction. It sold for $282,500
Area 62
Area 62 is the section of the county that is North of Pleasant Hill Road and North of I-85. Area 62 includes Buford, Sugar Hill, part of Duluth and part of Suwanee. In the resale segment of the market there were 63 properties ranging in price from $59,000 to $799,000 that went under contract and 15 properties that closed ranging in price from $53,000 to $505,000. In the new construction segment of the market 30 properties went under contract ranging in price from $169,900 to $2,490,000 and 8 properties closed ranging in price from $198,900 to $850,000.
Area 63
Area 63 is the section of the county that is South of I-85, Northeast of Hwy. 120 and North of Hwy. 29. Area 63 includes parts of Lawrenceville, Duluth, Suwanee and Dacula. In the resale segment of the market there were 62 properties ranging in price from $69,900 to $451,500 that went under contract and 11 properties that closed ranging in price from $137,000 to $344,000. In the new construction segment of the market 16 properties went under contract ranging in price from $170,210 to $569,900 and 3 properties closed ranging in price from $215,000 to $320,000.
Area 64
Area 64 is the section of the county that is South of I-85, Southwest of Hwy. 120, West of Hwy. 124 and North of Hwy. 78. Area 64 includes Lilburn along with parts of Lawrenceville and Snellville. In the resale segment of the market there were 100 properties ranging in price from $36,899 to $449,900 that went under contract and 26 properties that closed ranging in price from $50,000 to $249,900. In the new construction segment of the market 6 properties went under contract ranging in price from $199,900 to $474,900 and 9 properties closed ranging in price from $184,000 to $633,800.
Area 65
Area 65 is the section of the county that is South and East of Hwy. 78 and Hwy. 124, and South and West of Hwy. 20. Area 65 includes Grayson along with parts of Snellville and Lawrenceville. In the resale segment of the market there were 67 properties ranging in price from $44,900 to $370,000 that went under contract and 11 properties that closed ranging in price from $58,000 to $275,000. In the new construction segment of the market 4 properties went under contract ranging in price from $187,100 to $379,000 and 1 property closed. It sold for $187167.
Area 66
Area 66 is that section of the county that is East of Hwy. 20 and South of Hwy. 29. Area 66 includes parts of Dacula and Lawrenceville. In the resale segment of the market there were 50 properties ranging in price from $79,900 to $395,000 that went under contract and 7 properties that closed ranging in price from $90,000 to $189,000. In the new construction segment of the market 9 properties went under contract ranging in price from $159,990 to $279,900 and 3 properties closed ranging in price from $186,966 to $380,000.
For the month of October 2008, real estate sales for single family detached homes in Gwinnett County looked like this:
• 372 Resale Properties Went Under Contract
• 116 Resale Properties Closed
• 66 New Construction Properties Went Under Contract
• 25 New Construction Properties Closed.
The amazing part of these statistics to me is that with the domestic and international economic news there were 438 buyers of new and resale properties that elected to take advantage of the discounted pricing and lower interest rates. Perhaps some were first time buyers who were just tired of paying their landlord’s mortgage and decided to also take advantage of the $7,500.00 tax credit. Some were probably relocation buyers, after all the real estate market in Gwinnett County as well as Greater Atlanta is fueled by jobs and relocation. Whatever segment of buyer they are from, it is pretty certain that they got a fantastic deal on both their home and their financing. After all these are the times we live in.
Gwinnett County Trash Pick Up
In 2004 Gwinnett County charged Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful, along with it’s Citizens Solid Waste Advisory Board, to develope a solid waste management plan as required by Georgia law. The purpose of the law is to establish a long term plan of action to provide for improved garbage disposal and increased recycling in the state.
Gwinnett County Residential Trash Pick Up Plan Announced
Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful has announced the details regarding the new residential trash pick up plan for Gwinnett County. The county has been divided into six areas with Advanced Disposal Services Atlanta, LLC handling the three northern areas and Waste Pro of Georgia, Inc. handling the three southern areas. This plan goes into effect on January 2, 2009 and encompasses all residents of unincorporated Gwinnett County. Each residence will receive 2 of the 95 gallon wheeled carts, one for trash and the other for recyclables.
How Much Will It Cost
Initially, and through June 30, 2009, the service providers will bill the residents at a rate of $20.45 per month. Then beginning in July residents will stop receiving bills from the providers and a once a year payment, of $214.32 or $17.86 per month, will be paid when the property taxes are paid. This fixed rate will remain in force at least until December 31, 2010. After that time any fee increases must be justified by the provider and brought in front of the Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful Board and would have to receive support from the board. Yard waste pick up is optional and will be billed at a rate of $10.00 per month.
One Benefit
One of the benefits that I forsee from this program is the reduced number of garbage collection trucks and trash out by the curb on various days of the week. Currently in many subdivisions there are multiple providers for trash removal which creates collections on different days along with trash being put out on different days. By going to this plan there will only be one day of the week that trash will be visible at the street.
Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful has set up a web page for Frequently Asked Questions regarding this plan.
Political Ads in Georgia
Memo
To: Democratic and Republican Senatorial Committees and All Political Candidates
From: Residents of The State of Georgia
Date: November 5, 2008
Subject: Your Recent TV and Radio Ads in Our State
Let me start by saying thank you for the tremendous amount of cash that you recently spent in our state. Someone appreciates it because they got paid. Hopefully our state economy will show a benefit from it. For those of us that did not get paid and had to constantly listen to your half truths and lies we are excited that we do not have to listen to any more of your BS for a while, at least until the next election and hopefully not then.
Before you come up with your ads that do not tell the whole truth, think about the example you are setting. If your children were to talk to you about their grades in school in the same manner that you talk to the voting public in your political ads, you would whip their butts for lying. If the truth is not enough to get you elected, then you don’t deserve to be there. Run on your own merits, I promise we are smart enough to figure it out. For the National parties and committees that ran attack ads here, Please stay away. You set a bad example and we are trying to raise our children and grandchildren to be more responsible and better citizens than that. We teach them that telling the truth is the right thing to do and half truths will get them in trouble.
Here is a thought for you to try, “Honesty is the Best Policy”.
Gwinnett County Election 2008
Well it’s finally here, “Election Day 2008″. I decided that since the experts had indicated that a huge turnout would be voting today the best thing for me to do was to get in line early to cast my ballot. So at 5:05AM this morning I pulled into my polling place and I was #19 in line. One of the nice things about getting there early was that I had the opportunity to meet and talk with some very nice people.
There was the young lady who had recently moved from Ohio and was in Gwinnett County for her first election. She commented on how nice the weather was this morning, a little brisk, but no snow as she has seen in previous elections in Ohio. Those of us close to her in line informed her that we just don’t see much snow here however she should watch out for the dreaded “Ice Storm”.
The lady directly in front of me in line was a trip. We cut up for almost 2 hours while we waited for the poll to open. We joked about selling our place in line to the highest bidder, especially at about 6:30 when we guessed that there were probably close to 400 voters in line. We also joked with the gentleman directly behind us in line. You see he was setting a bad example for all the other husbands in Gwinnett County. He had voted early but got up and came to stand in line to reserve a place for his wife. Now that is a dedicated husband! A comment was made that this had to be somewhere in the wedding vows, maybe in the for better or for worse section. No this is just above and beyond the call of duty. We decided that he should be allowed to have whatever he wants for dinner tonight and advised his wife of that when she arrived at 6:45AM. We all got a good laugh.
Since I live in a large neighborhood, over 650 homes, it was inevitable that I would see some of the neighbors and even meet some that I had not met previously. Not only did this happen for me but also for several of the neighbors. We met college students who had come home to vote and were enlightened by their willingness to get up early to get in line to vote and then head by to Athens and UGA about an hour away to attend classes. It is good to see the youth getting involved in the election process.
Sure enough the doors opened at 7:00AM and in we went to begin filling out our paperwork. The poll had two machines to verify that we were in the right polling place and guess what, one of them was not operating right from the start. After a few minutes to reboot the machine it began working just fine. I hope that these two verification machines will be sufficient to handle the crowds. After casting my ballot I would estimate that there were probably close to 100 voters inside the building with another 500 to 600 still waiting in line to get in.
Make your plans to get to your polling place and cast your ballot. Rumor has it that the officials are expecting close to 5 million voters to turn out for today’s election in Georgia. Get out and vote, it’s you duty as an American.
