It occurred to me yesterday that Decatur has reached a new zenith in it's status as the dining destination .in Atlanta Georgia,  I have long touted Decatur's many dining options and have been a frequent diner at many of the lovely restaurants that line the streets around the Courthouse.  But it was a personal milestone that awakened me to exactly how I feel about Decatur as "The" Atlanta" dining destination.   My husband and I celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary yesterday (March 14, 2012) and as is our custom, decided to celebrate by dining at a "special" restaurant.  In the past we would have headed to Buckhead in search of fine dining that met our requirement of "something special" for a special occasion. And these old standards are still worthy of a visit.  La Grotta, Ninos, Pric... 03/14/2012

JUST LISTED TODAY! 446 Ansley St | Decatur, GA | 30030 Just steps from the Oakhurst Village, this super cute cottage is the perfect fit for a  first-time buyer or young family.  The inviting screened porch greets you and once inside, you are welcomed with gleaming hardwood flooring and a light-filled living room.   The formal dining room is perfectly positioned between the kitchen and the living room, making it ideal for entertaining.  The white and bright kitchen overlooks the fenced backyard and the enclosed sunroom (perfect for a small home office!).    Two well-appointed bedrooms are just down the hall, both with hardwood flooring and lots of light and plenty of room for a queen-sized bed. If you decide to make this your new home, you will be in the highly acclaimed Oakhurst Element... 03/09/2012

Posted on March 8, 2012 by atlantadecaturhomes The National Association of Realtors thinks that property values will rise 1.1% this year, but this modest rise in value may not help your home to sell.  Popular realtor site, Active Rain,  indicates mixed expectations from various sources. Our economy is still fragile and home sales are up only slightly.  Until the job market and the building industry improve considerably and foreclosures and short sales ebb, home prices will not go up.  If Your Home Doesn’t Sell, Is Renting the Best Move? Maybe.  If  you are offered a new position across the country, the opportunity may be too good to pass up.  The decision will be whether to sell your home at any cost, even at a loss, or to consider leasing the property.  If you deci... 03/08/2012

Search Decatur Foreclosures 03/01/2012

Posted on February 9, 2012 by atlantadecaturhomes   The American Dream and home ownership have been partners for a long time. One of the cornerstones of our American housing policy has been the Home Mortgage Deduction, which has been in place since the inception of the tax code in 1913, and allows homeowners to deduct mortgage interest from their taxes.  The tax deduction on home mortgage interest lowers the cost of owning a home significantly. The housing industry and prospective homeowners and sellers are facing many threats to a quick recovery.  Limited availability of long-term, fixed-rate mortgages Minimum down payments of 20% or more Higher standards to qualify for a home mortgage The number of Homeowners that are still “upsidedown” in their homes “Short Sales” and Foreclosures th... 02/12/2012

Posted on February 9, 2012 by atlantadecaturhomes The American Dream and home ownership have been partners for a long time. One of the cornerstones of our American housing policy has been the Home Mortgage Deduction, which has been in place since the inception of the tax code in 1913, and allows homeowners to deduct mortgage interest from their taxes.  The tax deduction on home mortgage interest lowers the cost of owning a home significantly. The housing industry and prospective homeowners and sellers are facing many threats to a quick recovery.  Limited availability of long-term, fixed-rate mortgages Minimum down payments of 20% or more Higher standards to qualify for a home mortgage The number of Homeowners that are still “upsidedown” in their homes “Short Sales” ... 02/09/2012

Home Staging an Atlanta Home - Before and After Pictures Included I love what I do and this past week, I did it three times. I staged a condo in Atlanta, a house in Decatur, and an Atlanta investor property in Atlanta, all in three days. Yes, it was a lot of work but at the same time, exhilarating.  Here's one of the homes we staged. This is the living room before picture   Living room after picture: Master bedroom before:   Master bedroom after: And while Iran Watson (a real estate photographer here in Atlanta) will be taking after pictures of this home, here are two close-ups that I had taken:   12/10/2011

November 2011 Real Estate Market Update for Oakhurst Decatur Oakhurst | Decatur, GA | 30030 |  Data extracted from the Atlanta FMLS 11/01/2011 to 11/31/2011 Single Family Homes Sold in Oakhurst The number of Oakhurst Decatur homes sold was down from the same time last year, but the time to sell a home went from 67 days in 2010 to only 33 days in 2011!  Because homes were priced closer to their fair market value, they not only sold faster, they list price to sales price ratio was much higher than the previous year (94.4% versus 96.3%). Demand for this popular Intown Atlanta neighborhood is still strong, compared to other nearby neighborhoods and thankfully, the CIty of Decatur (including Oakhurst) haven't been hit as hard by short sales and foreclosures. If you are thinking of buying a h... 12/10/2011

Decatur GA Homes for Sale Active MLS Listings Update Here are the most recent Decatur GA Metro area MLS figures from our FMLS for Decatur GA homes for sale and Decatur real estate. If you are looking at Atlanta homes for sale you need to consider many of the areas that make up the Atlanta metro area.  Decatur GA is a sought after destination for Atlanta homes. As of today Saturday December 10, 2011 MLS these are the statistics for Decatur GA Single Family Detached Home Listings at a Glance: Active FMLS Listings - 649 Detached Single Family Decatur GA Homes for Sale Found Contingency w/Kickout - 1 Detached Single Family Decatur GA Homes for Sale Found Contingency - Due Diligence - 9 Detached Single Family Decatur GA Homes for Sale Found Contingency - Other - 1 Detached Single Family Deca... 12/10/2011

Decatur is one of my favorite places in Atlanta, especially the City of Decatur (zip code 30030).  It features some of Atlanta's most popular "Intown" neighborhoods, from Druid Hills to Oakhurst and Downtown Decatur.  Home values haven't been as impacted as neighboring communities and foreclosures are few and far between. October 2011 Real Estate Market Update for DecaturCity of Decatur | Georgia | 30030 |  Data extracted from the FMLS 10/01/2011 thru 10/31/2011Single Family Homes Sold in DecaturThe number of Decatur homes sold was down slightly from the same time last year, but the list price to sales price ratio remains strong at 95.4% in 2010 and 95.8% in 2011.On interesting thing to note is that the gap in the price of homes continues to increase, with the most expensive home sellin... 11/30/2011

There is short-sale help for distressed homeowners in Decatur, GA.  There are other options available.   Consider the difference between a Foreclosure and a Short-Sale. A foreclosure is more damaging to you than a short-sale.  Did you know that if you lose your house to foreclosure you would be ineligible for a Fannie Mae backed loan for up to 7 years?  There are some exceptions to this based on extenuating circumstances.  For more detail on this refer to: efanniemae.com.  However, if you successfully complete a short sale, you would be eligible for a Fannie Mae backed mortgage within 2 years.  There is short sale help for distressed homeowners in Decatur, GA If had an FHA loan at the time of the short-sale you would be eligible for another FHA loan after 3 years. Your credit score is a... 11/20/2011

Get in the spirit this year and shop local, shop small!   The City of Decatur is bringing back "Terrific Thursdays" this year and every week you will find great prices at Decatur's eclectic shops, galleries and restaurants.  All of the participating businesses will stay open late, offering snacks and special "Terrific Thursday" deals. Rumor has it that Santa will also be roaming around Downtown Decatur in December's Terrific Thursdays! Shopping Dates:  November 10 & 17, December 1, 8 & 15 For more information and a list of participating retailers and restaurants, please visit the City of Decatur's Official Terrific Thursdays webpage. 11/12/2011

Decatur Wine Fest - The 10th Annual Decatur Wine Festival will be in Decatur GA on Saturday November 5, 2011. Come taste over 350 domestic and imported wines and enjoy live music from the community bandstand during the 10th annual Decatur Wine Festival. The weather should be great for this event with high temps in the mid 60's. Saturday, November 5, 2011 1pm -  4pm Old Courthouse Square in Downtown Decatur, GA Tickets are $35 per person Admission includes a commemorative wine glass No one under 21 allowed No animals allowed   The Decatur Wine Fest is sponsored by the Decatur Arts Alliance.   Tickets are available from Ticket Alternative or from the Decatur Package Store on Clairmont Rd in Decatur, GA next to the YMCA. Tickets are limited to 1,500 people. This event is just one of the ma... 11/04/2011

Another Successful Short Sale Closed in Decatur GA 30034 Is there anything more gratifying than a closing where everybody at the table is grinning? That only happens when everyone at the table is winning. In a successful short sale, that is almost ALWAYS the case. The buyer wins because they get a really good deal on a (usually) well cared-for property, The seller wins when they get relieved of an unmanageable mortgage, and in some cases they even get a lender incentive for their trouble. And the seller's lender wins because they get to avoid another Georgia foreclosure. And of course, after a lot of hard work, agents and closing personnel get to put food on their tables. Yay! I recently closed just such a successful short sale in Decatur, GA 30034. It was a BB&T short sale, the first f... 10/28/2011

This weekend I took time out on Saturday night to enjoy the season opening concert of the Emory Symphony Orchestra.  The Emory Symphony Orchestra is composed of mostly students attending Emory University and majoring in Music.  Over 80% of the Emory Symphony Orchestra members are double majors in Music and Science preparing to become doctors, engineers and other professionals but maintaining their hearts for music.      The Saturday night concert featured classical works that are very familiar to music lovers.  The Emory Symphony Orchestra opened with Brahms' Academic Festival Overture.  The performance was a good warm up and prepared the packed audience (literally standing room only) for the next two pieces being performed. The second piece was Maurice Ravel's 'Bolero.'  Filled with so... 10/23/2011

I have a short sale listing priced at $20,000.  We have an offer on the table, and the bank is reviewing it.  I took a second look at the market for the property, and I have to say the buyer is pretty saavy.  He or she has the opportunity to pull in a 100% return on their investment.  Let me explain. There are six properties within a mile of the listing that are considered comparables.  Actually an investor would call them ARV (after repair value) comparables.  All of the six comparables have the following similarities: Prior to the investor purchasing them, they sold for an average of $139,000 between 2002 and 2009.  The low price was $91,900 and the high sale price was $168,000. They were built in the 1940's and 1950's. The investors purchased them for an average price of $42,000 in ... 09/07/2011

Smaller projects have  there own charm, the attention to detail and the definiton and use of the space can make a difference. With this project the Design2Sell - We stage Atlanta team had 2 options on where to place the dining area and that is what we did...                          To view the complete Before and After, please visit the link below   Check out Design2Sell's work :  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OK8tJilSFr8 08/27/2011

The Associated Press is reporting the lowest mortgage rates since the 1950s  "Rate on 30-year mortgage falls to lowest on record Posted 8/18/2011 1:36 PM ET  By Daniel Wagner, AP Business Writer WASHINGTON — The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage has fallen to its lowest level on records dating to 1971. The rate on the most popular mortgage dipped to 4.15 percent from 4.32 percent a week ago, Freddie Mac said Thursday. Its previous low of 4.17 percent was reached in November. The last time long-term rates were lower was in the 1950s, when 30-year loans weren't widely available. Most long-term home loans lasted 20 or 25 years." If you are considering purchasing a home right now, you are a candidate for some amazing mortgage interest rates.  Combine that with affordable home prices ... 08/18/2011

Design2Sell Homestaging Consultation: Excellent implementation, working with what had been available, a big difference. The Video shows the before and after. Another beutiful sucess story. Thank you to Cynthia Baer, KW, it was a pleasure to work with your client!                 Check out the complete Before & After video at : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cZH8hPZHmA   08/15/2011

Selling a House is Hard. Selling a Home is Easier Last month, our Atlanta home staging company de-staged 6 homes and staged 6 new ones. All 12 had one thing in common - they were all vacant homes that were either on the market for a while or were getting ready to list.  Unfortunately, a vacant listing doesn't always come across as a "home." Here's why:   They lack warmth The walls, windows, flooring and ceiling are all that are left to engage the buyer. Buyers have a more difficult time connecting with the home on an emotional level    Here are examples of a home we staged last week: Living room before being professionally home staged:   Living room after picture:   Dining room before home staging: Dining room after: Master bedroom before: Master bedroom after Close-ups:     05/03/2011