In Georgia, a buyer can buy a home, putting 3.5%* down, less if the buyer is a veteran. The average down payment in our state, according to Lending Tree, is 11.94%.

Also according to Lending Tree, the top 10 states with the highest down-payments US are:

1.  New Jersey –  13.71%

2.  Washington D.C. – 13.50%

3.   New York –  13.47%

4.  Hawaii –  13.33%

5.  California – 13.22%

6. Florida –  13.16%

7.  Alaska –  13.06%

8.  Connecticut – 13.03%

9. Nevada –  12.98%

10. Massachusetts –  12.98%

Click here to see what every state looks like, in terms of an average downpayment.

* Qualified buyers of an FHA loan

A “warrior” is defined as ” a person engaged or experienced in warfare; a soldier; a person who shows or has shown great vigor and courage.” In other words, a Realtor!

Who among us agents has not shown courage and vigor by simply staying in Atlanta’s local market? In 2012, our market will be constantly changing, just as it was in 2011.

If you are looking for a “warrior” agent, I’m the one! Pick up the phone or send me an email or text. Let me show you that I’m ready! Set your goals and soar with me!!!

One of the new trends in real estate is not “big” (as in the mini-mansions of 2004), but more personal space (as in Owners’ Suite or Sun Porch). Anything that gives an Atlanta homeowner more bang for their buck, is hot right now.

People are always asking me what their home is “worth”.  Atlanta’s houses may not fetch the same price as they did 5-7 years ago, but what is making them hot and sell quickly, are the features that the owners have enjoyed, while living in their homes. Do you have outdated wallpaper or a master bath that feels like a spa? Do you have a living room no one enjoys or a sunporch that the kids use or one in which you like to curl up with a book?

I can help you modify your home to show off its assets and get it ready to sell. Call me, your Atlanta Realtor: Simply Done and always at your service!

Brookhaven Ashford Park Sun Porch

Atlanta Home For Sale

I’ve been feeling, and saying, that Atlanta’s real estate market is getting better. One of the ways to gauge Atlanta’s home market, is to look at new-construction. I feel like I’ve been right all along, as here’s another signal that the market is improving.

Single-Family Housing Starts rose to a seasonally-adjusted, annualized 430,000 units in October – a 4 percent increase from September and the highest reading in 3 months (a “Housing Start” is defined as a home on which ground has been broken).

The increase surprised Wall Street analysts, although it shouldn’t have.  Earlier this week, the National Association of Homebuilders showed that Homebuilder Confidence is at its highest point since May 2010, the effect of better market conditions and more sold units. Rising housing starts, amid a lift in builder confidence, is to be expected — the two metrics have moved with loose correlation since mid-2000.

Of course, as with everything in real estate, Single-Family Housing Starts volume varied by location. The nation’s 4 regions posted wide-ranging results:

• Northeast Region :  +10.0% from September
• Midwest Region :  -4.1% from September
• South Region:  +11.3% from September
• West Region:  -10.2% from September

Buyers of new construction in Atlanta can infer two key points from last month’s data. First, with more homes being built, home supply should rise, thereby softening pressure on rising home prices. This should help keep homes affordable. However, the second point is
that with builder confidence rising, buyers are less likely to win price concessions and “free upgrades” in negotiations.

The last 6 weeks of 2011 may be the optimal time to buy new construction. Home prices remain affordable and mortgage rates are rock-bottom, the lowest they’ve been in decades. If you are a buyer and because there are typically fewer active home buyers during the holidays, you’ll be more likely to locate one of the few remaining new construction “deals” in the next several weeks.

Talk to me, your Realtor, about neighborhood trends and new construction. Simply done and always at your service!

“Operation Shield” is now a go in Buckhead.

The Buckhead Community Improvement District (CID)  approved a proposal from Texas-based Iron Sky, the company behind the surveillance cameras in Sandy Springs. Iron Sky will install 16 cameras around Buckhead. The program, known as Operation Shield, will include 14 pan and zoom cameras and two fixed position cameras for the foot bridge pathway of a proposed pedestrian bridge.

The cost of the cameras, $140,000,  includes hardware and software installation and a one-year service agreement. The Atlanta Police Foundation will also pay $70,000 for the cameras, the Buckhead CID reported. The surveillance network will tie into the city of Atlanta’s new Video Integration Center.

Once the agreement is signed,  the cameras will be operational in approximately 3 months.

The chairman of the Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods and the president of the Brookwood Civic Association both liked the idea of the cameras, one adding that it is “a great aid to law enforcement.”  The president of the Loring Heights Neighborhood Association said he is in talks with Iron Sky about setting up the cameras in Loring Heights and plans to bring a formal proposal to the neighborhood of Loring Heights in the spring.

I am taking a social media class today to learn more about how it will help escalate my business to a higher level. Watch out Atlanta homes and real estate: here I come!

According to Realtor.com, the median price for homes viewed on its website in August, was $214,990. Washington, D.C., topped the list with the highest median list price of homes viewed, at $459,000. Michigan had the lowest median list price of homes viewed in August, at $134,900.Georgia was 33rd on the list at $274,900.

The top 10 median places of homes, listed by the priciest, are:

1. Washington DC   $459,000
2. Hawaii   $450,000
3. New Jersey  $349,500
4. California   $339,900
5. Massachussetts   $339,900
6. Connecticut    $299,900
7. Maryland  $289,900
8. Rhode Island   $279,900
9. New York   $275,000
10. Virginia    $275,000

Many sellers think that agents have a secret listing strategy. However, the truth is, without a seller’s help, our strategies go out the window. Here are 6 easy steps to sell a house fast:

1. Price it right; price it competitively.
2. Interior and exterior condition is key. Make the repairs that your agent tells you to do; at a minimum, paint the outside trim and pressure wash the outside of the home.
3. Stage the house. Make sure it is clutter-free and clean at all times. When you have a showing, leave the lights on.
4. Make it easy on the agent. Allow the listing agent to put up a sign, a lockbox and please forget “Appointment Only”. If we can’t see it, we can’t sell it!
5. Internet and pictures will sell it. When the listing agent, or his/her photographer, is coming to take pictures, make sure that the house is sparkling. If the pictures are bad, or non-existant, buyers will skip over the house.
6. When in doubt, go back to items 1-5. If you are still in doubt, refer to #1.

Isn’t it time that our elected officials actually listen to the voters?

Georgia legislators heard residents at a public hearing held at Georgia Tech on June 30, preparing for the upcoming special session of the Georgia General Assembly. This session will be held to redraw the state’s legislative and congressional districts, to better reflect changes in Georgia’s population.

Many of the speakers expressed hope that “communities of interest” – areas which share common beliefs and lifestyles – would be kept in tact during the process. Sen. Fran Millar, a Republican from Dunwoody, said he would like to see the 6th Congressional District redrawn so that it takes in more of DeKalb, including areas now to its south such as Brookhaven and the Smoke Rise community (in Stone Mountain? – that’s not really to the “south” of Dunwoody, Mr. Miller). Dunwoody, is part of the 6th District, and is represented by Republican Rep. Tom Price of Roswell. Brookhaven, Ashford Park and Drew Valley are represented by Rep. Henry Johnson, a Democrat from Lithonia, in the 4th District.

The meeting was the last of 12 public hearings held around the state. On Aug. 15, The state legislature will hold a special session to redraw legislative and Congressional lines, based on the 2010 Census.

I’ve been saying for years, that I wanted to run against Rep. Johnson. Or, rather that someone, anyone, should run against him. If the citizens of Ashford Park, Drew Valley, Murphey Candler and Brookhaven don’t get better representation from Hank, maybe 2012 will be “the” year that I actually do run. Nancy for The House, or Nancy4TheHouse.com – I kind of like the sound of it!

There’s a new bill in Congress, The Housing Recovery Act of 2011, or H.R. 1526, which is aiming at getting the backlog of foreclosures sold, by allowing buyers to use retirement funds for purchases.

The new bill aims to clear the growing foreclosured properties’ backlog by allowing buyers to dip without penalty. The bill would amend the IRS tax code, so that qualified individuals could use distributions as a down payment to purchase residences that have been in foreclosure status for one year or more.

Typically, pulling funds out of an IRA, 401k, or similar retirement accounts prematurely would call for early distribution penalties, but Florida Congressman (and real estate agent) Bill Posey is hoping the IRS will waive it for the greater good. US Rep. Posey introduced the bill in the US House last week, and it was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

If it is passed, it will come with a few requirements:

1. The subject property must have been in foreclosure for one or more years;
2. The retirement funds must be used within 120 days of the close of purchase;
3. The foreclosed property must be held be the buyer for a minimum of two years to avoid any early distribution penalties. It will not allow investors to “flip” properties.

The bill is aimed at promoting sustainable homeownership, while giving homeowners a tax break. Let’s hope the Congress can move on this!