As a first-time home buyer, you start by saving up money for the down payment for your very first home. While you may have spent years saving, you probably have hundreds of questions racing through your heard and feel more stressed than you should. Here are some tips to help you with the process of getting rid of your landlord and living in your own place: 1. Pre-qualify for a loan Being pre-qualified for a loan determines how much house you can affford. It also allows you to move more swiftly when you find the right house, especially when you aren’t the only interested buyer. 2. Shop for mortgage rates and terms A difference of even half a percentage point can make a huge difference in how much you pay over the life of a loan. For example, the difference in the monthly payment on a $1... 03/05/2013

Be sure to reserve your seat for Smyrna Business Association’s March luncheon, which will be held at the Smyrna Community Center, 200 Village Green Circle, Smyna, GA 30080 (directions). The luncheon is from 11:45 to 1:00pm on Thursday, March 7th. Cost is $12 for members who RSVP and $20 for non-members. Member pricing at the monthly luncheon will close by noon on the Tuesday prior to the luncheon. Non-Member pricing will be in effect for RSVP’s received after registration has closed or walk-ups at the luncheon. Register here Come network with local business leaders and enjoy the topical presentation. Visit SmyrnaVinings.com for all the latest Smyrna news and events. 03/03/2013

Smyrna GA Single Family Homes for Sale Active MLS Listings Smyrna GA homes for sale by Price Ranges in Smyrna Georgia.  This is a Smyrna real estate market report based upon the number of active MLS listings of single family detached homes in Johns Creek Georgia there are for sale in given price ranges as of today March 3, 2013.*  In some price ranges there will be less homes available because of high demand, and in other price ranges there will be less available homes for sale in Smyrna because fewer homes are being listed in that price range.  As of today there are 231 homes for sale in Smyrna. For more information about homes for sale in Smyrna GA, please feel free to contact us! Smyrna GA MLS Listings of Single Family Homes for Sale by Price Smyrna GA Homes for Sale $100,000 - $200,... 03/03/2013

  South City Kitchen Vinings is hosting its first culinary education class of 2013 with Under the Influence: NOLA on Thursday, March 7 at 5:30pm. Under the Influence will be a sequence of culinary educational events held throughout the year focused around changing themes.  Guests will be able to learn more about the background and origins of various featured items while enjoying plenty of tasty samplings of food and drink. In the first class, expert bartenders of South City Kitchen Vinings will lead participants in creating a Sazerac, bitters, and Café Diablo.   Throughout the demonstrations, attendees can nibble on passed hors d’oeuvres including classic NOLA tastes such as crawfish jambalaya, fried oysters, and gumbo. The cost is $25 per person plus tax and gratuity, and we’ll give y... 03/02/2013

Smyrna’s Keep Smyrna Beautiful program garners national awards again and continues a pattern of excellence in service to the Smyrna community that spans 23 years of awards recognition for service and progress with most recent awards at the 60th Keep America Beautiful National Conference in Washington DC, January 29, 2013. The most recent awards feature the 2012- First Place Non-Profit Litter Prevention Nationwide award for Smyrna’s creative use of the “Littering Is Wrong, Too” campaign in addition to Adopt A Mile and other numerous litter prevention and litter cleanup programs. Additionally, Keep Smyrna Beautiful brought home the 2012 Keep America Beautiful – 2nd Place National Affiliate award (Competing in population category 50,001-200,000) recognizing excellence in overall programmin... 03/01/2013

Smyrna GA Single Family Homes for Sale MLS Active Listings Update Smyrna GA homes for sale by Price Ranges in Smyrna Georgia.  This is a Smyrna real estate market report based upon the number of active MLS listings of single family detached homes in Johns Creek Georgia there are for sale in given price ranges as of today February 13, 2013.*  In some price ranges there will be less homes available because of high demand, and in other price ranges there will be less available homes for sale in Smyrna because fewer homes are being listed in that price range.  As of today there are 212 homes for sale in Smyrna. For more information about homes for sale in Smyrna GA, please feel free to contact us! Smyrna GA MLS Listings of Single Family Homes for Sale by Price Smyrna GA Homes for Sale $100,... 02/13/2013

Let’s recap Smyrna short sales for January 2013 and it’s impact on the current market. With 39.4% of all homes sold in the fourth quarter of 2012 in metro Atlanta being distressed properties, it’s important to understand the influence that short sales have on today’s market and to keep an eye on the market. In January, Smyrna short sales activity was: 4 active homes 18 pending homes 3 closed homes 13 active condos and townhomes 32 pending condos and townhomes 1 closed condos and townhomes If you’re in the market for a Smyrna short sale, whether a single family home, condo or townhome, we’re here to help. Our team is led by a Certified Distressed Property Expert and experienced in the nuances faced when purchasing short sales. Protect yourself and work with the short sale experts. Conta... 02/11/2013

What is a Buyer Brokerage Agreement? A Buyer Brokerage Agreement is a loyalty agreement between the parties; namely Buyer and Real Estate Broker/Agent. You agree to employ a Broker and their Agent/s to exclusively represent you in your real estate purchase .  Buyer Brokerage Agreement In the advanced age of technology and avid do it yourselfers you may feel that you really don’t need an agent to help buy something as simple as house. You watch HGTV all the time; or have friends or family members that have purchased homes in the past, and have an idea of the process, what to expect and how it should unfold. Regardless of your level of knowledge; when it comes to purchasing a home or property; you should ALWAYS have an Agent represent your interests in your real estate transactions. Some ... 02/06/2013

It’s time to take a look back at all of 2012. It is always a good time to award the winners and we’re not just talking about the Grammy’s, Oscars or Golden Globes. We’re talking about the Top Selling Smyrna Vinings Neighborhoods in 2012. It’s always interesting to see which neighborhoods buyers were attracted to during their Smyrna Vinings home search. So without further adieu, let’s unveil the winners. Please hold your applause until all winners are announced and let’s hope that there aren’t any long-winded acceptance speeches. Just can’t stand those long acceptance speeches. Top Selling Smyrna Neighborhoods in 2012 Vinings Estates Bennett Woods Covered Bridge at Barnes Mill The Retreat at Old Vinings Lake West Village Woodbridge Crossing Cheney Woods Belmont Hills Smyrna Heights Ceda... 02/05/2013

The Week in Review: The trend we have seen for the past several weeks remained intact last week. Stock market moving higher, bond yields increasing and home mortgage rates once again going up. On the week, rates moved higher about .125%. What to Expect: The current trend has been in place for a long period of time. I would expect the markets to take a breather and retract just a little, possibly bringing home loan rates down temporarily. However, the overall trend of rates moving higher this year is as predicted and should continue. This is a big week for economic news with a Fed meeting and announcement coming Wednesday. Also, this week the all-important Jobs Report comes out at the end of the week. Recent reports on unemployment have been favorable. If the report on Friday continues ... 01/31/2013

The  Smyrna Vinings townhome and condo market continues to improve as seen in our December report much like the Smyrna Vinings single family home market. Smyrna Vinings condo and townhome sales continue at a higher rate than the same time last year, which is evident in the buyer activity that we’ve seen this year. As you can see, we’ve been tracking the market for quite some time. We sell a lot of Smyrna Vinings homes, condos and townhomes and one of the major reasons is that we specialize in the area, we know the inventory of homes for sale and understand the trends, statistics and all the local pertinent information necessary for you to make an informed decision. As you’ll notice, the green bar is 2007 and we were selling a lot more condos and townhomes in 2007. Sales dropped continuo... 01/31/2013

The upcoming Annual Murder Goes South Mystery Festival is right around the corner and the Friends of the Smyrna Library are excited to announce that it will be held January 26th from 9:30 to 4:30. Murder Goes South is a festival for readers and writers of the southern mystery. Topics include: Murder Mayhem: An Eye Witness Where to Find Mystery Getting Creative What Makes a Good Read Detectives & Private Eyes: Walk on the Wild Side Keep the Thrill in Thriller Question and Answer Book Signings & Informal Conversations The event costs $30 and includes lunch. Click here for more information or to purchase tickets. The event will be held at the Smyrna Community Center adjacent to the Smyrna Public Library. Visit SmyrnaVinings.com for all the latest Smyrna news and events. 01/20/2013

Smyrna Vinings home sales in December spiked to levels we haven’t seen since 2008.  Strong sales are great, but it is getting harder to find those great deals for our clients as inventory continues to shrink. So let’s get to it and see what’s going on in the only market that matters most to you, your local Smyrna Vinings home market. This chart shows you the past 12 months of home sales at any given point. As you’ll notice, the green bar is 2007 and we were selling a fair amount more homes in 2007. Sales dropped significantly in 2008, with the drop becoming more pronounced toward the last quarter of 2008. That would be the beginning of the financial meltdown. 2009 home sales started off about 32% off the level just two years previously in January 2007. We saw Smyrna Vinings home sales c... 01/17/2013

Smyrna Soccer Club The Smyrna Soccer Club is excited to announce that registration for the 2013 Smyrna Soccer Spring Season is open and will close on January 19th. You can register online and there will also be a walk-in registration on Saturday, January 19th at Cumberland Community Church. Walk-in registration will be from 10:00 A.M. until 1:00 P.M. for children 3 years through 19 years old. Spots do fill up quickly, so it is advised to register online. Click here to register online via the Smyrna Soccer Club registration page or learn more about the Smyrna Soccer Club by checking out www.SmyrnaSoccerClub.com. Registration Fees: • The cost for registration is $125 for all recreational players. • The cost includes: $100 registration fee and $25 uniform fee. • A sibling discount of $5 a... 01/12/2013

Smyrna Short Sale opportunity. This wonderful executive 4BR/3BA home is located in Oakdale Estates, a twenty luxury home community located just off of Oakdale Road within walking distance of West Village. Oakdale Estates was built in 2006 and 2007. The home has some great features including: Three-sided brick and stone home Hardwood floors on main Two-story Great Room with wall of windows Stained cabinetry Granite countertops Stainless steel appliances Tile backsplash Upgraded trim throughout Separate Dining Room with judges paneling Double-side fireplace Separate Living Room Loft / office space Large Master Suite Guest bedroom on main Contact us today to schedule your exclusive priority showing. To learn more about this Smyrna Vinings home, click on the Virtual Tour above, check out t... 01/12/2013

Let’s recap Smyrna short sales for December 2012 and it’s impact on the current market. With 43.1% of all homes sold in the third quarter of 2012 in metro Atlanta being distressed properties, it’s important to understand the influence that short sales have on today’s market and to keep an eye on the market. In November, Smyrna short sales activity was: 7 active homes 19 pending homes 6 closed homes 11 active condos and townhomes 37 pending condos and townhomes 1 closed condos and townhomes If you’re in the market for a Smyrna short sale, whether a single family home, condo or townhome, we’re here to help. Our team is led by a Certified Distressed Property Expert and experienced in the nuances faced when purchasing short sales. Protect yourself and work with the short sale experts. Cont... 01/12/2013

The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act has been extended by Congress.  This is a federal tax break for homeowners who want to unload their homes for less than they paid for them. The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act became effective in 2007 and was previously extended through the end of 2012. This has allowed owners selling their homes through a short sale to do so without having to pay tax on the amount their mortgage holders have forgiven them. The Act is now set to expire January 1, 2014. When you find yourself in financial distress, it’s good to know that you have options to foreclosure. Short sales are a way for homeowners to be proactive in selling their home and negotiating the terms with the bank. Foreclosure is something that is done to you and you really don’t have any s... 01/12/2013

Come to the next City of Smyrna council meetings and get the scoop. The Mayor and Council of Smyrna meet in open session at 7:30 p.m on the 1st and 3rd Monday night of each month unless altered by a holiday.* Meetings are held in the council chambers located in City Hall (2800 King Street, Smyrna, GA 30080). The agenda for the next Council meeting is made available on the Friday prior to the meeting (unless a holiday requires a change in posting date). Posting falls under the office of the City Clerk. The current Council agenda can be found at regular posting on the City Clerk’s page of the City website. The public is invited and encouraged to participate. The meetings are carried live on Charter Communications Public Access Channel 19. (For rebroadcast schedules on Cobb County Channel... 01/10/2013

SmyrnaVinings.com has just completed the fourth annual Best of Smyrna Vinings contest. We appreciate all the restaurants and businesses that participated and all the fans that voted for their favorite shops and restaurants. As in previous years, there were some real hotly contested races. So without further adieu, here are your 2012 Best of Smyrna Vinings winners: Smyrna Vinings Restaurants American Cuisine - Atkins Park Tavern Bakery - McEntyre’s Bakery Barbecue - Jim & Nick’s Bar-B-Q Breakfast & Brunch - J. Christopher’s Burger - US Cafe Chinese - Orient Express Coffee Shop - REV Coffee Contemporary – Soho Deli – Jack’s New Yorker Deli Ice Cream & Frozen Yoghurt – Cold Stone Creamery Italian – Scalini’s Italian Restaurant Japanese and Sushi - Village Gourmet and Sushi Mexican – La Paz... 01/08/2013

  Recycle that Tree! ….Bring One For The Chipper! on Saturday, January 5, 2013, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Home Depot parking lot on Cumberland Parkway.   How can you participate? If you would like to donate your tree, simply remove all the ornaments and the base and bring it to the Home Depot on Cumberland Parkway between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on January 5th. Home Depot asks that trees not be dropped off until the day of the event because of space limitations. Also, please do not bring wreathes and garland. The wire used to hold them together cannot be chipped. To volunteer, call Keep Smyrna Beautiful at 770-431-2863. For information on mulch delivery call Davey Tree Experts at 770-451-7911.   Keep Smyrna Beautiful will offer citizens a free tree seedling for each tree dropped off ... 01/04/2013