Maintenace Free Step Less Ranch

Construction is underway on the New Courtyard Collection at The Villas of Johns Creek. Each of these 4 new open floor plans center around a private courtyard which is an extension of the indoor space. Each of these properties allow for you to customize your courtyard with an optional fire pit, water feature or plant trellis.

These new courtyard plans start at $239,900 and are ready for you to personalize with your interior paint colors and design options. Construction is scheduled for completion in early December 2009 so you can be in your new maintenance free, step less Ranch Condo for the holidays.

For additional information on the Courtyard Collection at The Villas of Johns Creek contact me and we will schedule a time for you to see these remarkable homes. You can also view all Homes Available in The Villas of Johns Creek online.

The Isakson/Lieberman Amendment

News out of our nation’s capital is providing perspective buyers with reason to celebrate and look ahead in the housing market. We have all heard of the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act” that President Obama wants enacted immediately. An amendment to benefit buyers of primary residences was introduced by Senator Isakson (R-GA) and Senator Lieberman (ID-CT).

Comments from Senator Lieberman, “The rapid decline in housing prices lies at the heart of the economic crisis.”  “Real economic growth will not resume until housing values stabilize and American families once again have faith and confidence that the most valuable asset they own – their home – is safe and secure. This kind of credit could repay dividends many times over by increasing housing values, creating construction jobs, and generating state and federal tax revenue.”

The amendment was met with bipartisan support and was approved. The important provision in the amendment was the establishment of up to a $15,000 tax credit for buyer’s purchasing their primary residence.

How Does It Work?

The calculation for how to determine how much your tax credit would be is performed in this manner. Your will get a tax credit for 10% of the purchase price of the residence up to a maximum of $15,000. One of the nice provisions of the amendment is that the tax payer may choose to take the credit all in the first year or it can be split between two (2) years. One very positive feature, as opposed to the First Time Buyer Tax Credit of last year, is that this tax credit does not have to be repaid.

What Is The Timeframe?

Upon enactment of the legislation a buyer will have one year in which to complete their purchase. This sounds like a long time but in reality now is the time to start looking. The housing inventory is at a peak and your best selection for that home that meets your exact requirements may be right now.

What Are The Drawbacks?

The only drawback or downside to this amendment is that if the residence is sold or is not utilized as the primary residence in the first two years, the tax credit must be repaid. There are of course circumstances where this repayment would not apply.

The real estate market is quite unique at this particular point in time. History tells us that even though we have seen ups and downs, we just have not experienced a market like this. Increases and decreases in property values occur all the time just like the stock market. Generally speaking, over the long haul the value goes up. So what makes this market so unique?

What Happened To the Mortgages?

Up until several months ago there was a mortgage program for just about everyone. Then came the sub-prime market shake up and loan programs were reduced to some of the most basic. On top of that, investors tightened up the qualification parameters for applicants. Many first time buyers utilized 100% financing programs which went away. That breathed new life into the down payment assistance programs, which congress may soon do away with. The number of buyers who can qualify for a mortgage in today’s market has declined which therefore creates a negative impact.

Price Your Home Right

Pricing a home correctly when it first goes on the market is more important now than ever. In the past sellers market, when the market was appreciating and mortgage programs followed freely, it was an accepted practice to price your home slightly above value to allow some negotiating room. In today’s buyer’s market this just is not the case. As a seller you don’t want to put yourself in the position of “Chasing the Market”. So how do you avoid this pitfall? The easiest and most comprehensive way is to have your home appraised by an independent third party who is a licensed appraiser.

Help Buyers Buy Your Home

What other factors influence a buyer’s decision of whether or not to make an offer on your home? The main ones are appearance, appearance and appearance. Make sure that the exterior is inviting, remember you only get one chance to make a good first impression. Removing clutter and having clean carpets along with fresh paint will help tremendously. If your home is not in show ready condition and properly priced it is almost certain that you will be chasing the market instead of having the market chase you!

When you think of ranch style condos, the first thing that comes to many of our minds is an active adult community. While this may be the case for most one story condo communities, I was pleased to find a community that was not so restrictive. Ideal for active adults as well as single parents and young professionals, I had the pleasure of previewing “The Villas of Johns Creek”. The first thing that impressed me was the location. After all, in real estate we hear the three most important words are location, location and location. Being near the intersection of Peachtree Parkway (141) and Abbotts Bridge Road (120) The Villas of Johns Creek are convenient to shopping, dining, recreation and commerce and are in the prestigious Northview High School District.

The clubhouse and heated pool were impressive. Inside the clubhouse several amenities stood out. The complete exercise room, the resident’s game and media room just to name a few. The grand room of the clubhouse featured card tables along with a full kitchen for resident events.

The Villas of Johns Creek is a planned 70 unit luxury ranch style condominium community. The condos are built utilizing a quad design and feature 2 or 3 bedrooms. Priced from the mid 250’s, these maintenance free homes are perfect for all ages to enjoy. Let someone else take care of the yard work while you spend you free time doing the things you enjoy most.

You can view the available properties at The Villas of Johns Creek here.