4th of July Events in McDonough, Stockbridge, Peachtree City, Newnan, Conyers, Atlanta, etc!

Happy 4th of July!

Things to do in Clayton County, Coweta County, Fayette County,
Henry County, Rockdale County and Atlanta!

"You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism." 

                                                                                                     -Erma Bombeck

Starlight & Fireworks at Panola Mountain State Park

2600 Highway 155, Stockbridge, GA

July 2nd at 7:30pm

Listen to whippoorwills & owls as fireworks shower Atlanta's skyline.

Bring your own flashlights, refreshments & comfortable clothing!

$10 plus $5 parking

Fourth of July Ice Cream Social

McDonough Square

July 4th at 7:00pm

The City of McDonough will hold it's fifth annual 4th of
July Ice Cream Social in the Square Park

Georgia Independence Day Festival at Nash Farm
4361 Jonesboro Road, Hampton - July 3rd & 4th
Two nights of family fun starting at 3pm to Dark!
Fireworks at Dusk! Scenes of the Revolution, Live Colonial Music, Dancing,
Festival Foods, Living History,Kids Zone, Strolling Actors, Shopping, Pony Rides,
Face Painting, Rock Wall & More!

 

4th of July Parade in Peachtree City

Peachtree City, July 4th at 9:00am

Peachtree Parkway South on a route from Village Green to McIntosh Trail
and ending at the Recreation Complex & Huddleston Elementary on McIntosh Trail
Grand Marshal Matt Stinchcomb (former UGA and NFL football player,
GA native & Peachtree City resident

4th of July Weekend at "The Beach"

 "The Beach" at the Clayton County International Park

2300 Hwy 138 SE, Jonesboro, GA 30236

Monday July 4th, 10:00a-8:00pm, $10/person

Live music entertainment by Felicia & Friends and the 911 Band

Fireworks display at dusk!

4th of July Parade in Newnan
Newnan at 6:00pm
Parade will start at the city park at the corner of  Temple Avenue and Jackson Street
and continue down  Jackson, through the Court Square and out LaGrange Street
to conclude at Newnan High School.
Fun, festivities, children's activities, entertainment, and fireworks at dusk
will follow at Newnan High School's Drake Stadium

Conyers Fabulous 4th Festival Presented by B98.5
Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, 5:00p, Free Admission!
Entertainment, children activities, military displays, arts, crafts, vendors, car shows,
and a large firework display at dark! Concessions offer hot dogs, funnel cakes, ice cream, and
other festival food! Lots of entertainment: Jordan Rager Band,  Air Dog Show, Patriotic Program,
The Rockingbirds,  & More!

Lenox Square Mall Fireworks in Atlanta
3393 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta 30326
One of the largest firework displays in the Southeast with live music by former
American Idol, Diana Degarmo, and country music star, Trace Adkins
Festivities start at 6:00p and wrap-up around 10:00p

Stone Mountain Laser Show & Fireworks
Hwy 78 E, Stone Mountain, GA  30087
July 2nd, 3rd & 4th
Firework show following Stone Mountain's famous Laser Show
$10/car, arrive early on the 4th as they normally reach park visitor capacity

Window of Opportunity for Sellers?

There has been much confusion as to where housing prices are headed. We have actually blogged on the issue recently. Today, we want to give our opinion on this subject for the short term. We believe sellers have a window of opportunity for the next 90-120 days in which to sell their homes for maximum price. We believe there will be increased downward pressure on home prices later this year and the first half of 2012.


Why renewed downward pressure?

Any item's price is determined by 'supply and demand'. In many parts of the country existing housing inventory is already high and actually increasing. In addition, an inventory of distressed properties (foreclosures and short sales) will be coming to market later this year. This inventory has been delayed for the last several months because of faulty paperwork by the banks when they originally attempted foreclosure proceedings on these homes.

Celia Chen, of Moody's Analytics explains:

"Foreclosures are weighing on the outlook for U.S. house prices, and the slow resolution of issues surrounding the so-called robo-signing scandal is keeping distressed homes off the market".

The New York Times also recently reported on this issue. They looked at the delays in certain states. As an example, this is what they found in New York:

"Last September, before the documentation crisis, nearly 1,500 New Yorkers lost their houses as a result of foreclosure, according to LPS. The average over the last six months: 286. That is far lower than at any point since the recession began."

Banks are now correcting these errors.

There is evidence that the banks are getting their documentation in order and about to again increase their foreclosure repossessions. Housing Wire reported:

"Since major lenders delayed foreclosures to fix a broken process late last year, the amount of filings declined, but in May signs emerged the effect might be wearing off."

They went on to quote RealtyTrac CEO James Saccacio:

"...lenders are somewhat unevenly pushing batches of bad loans through foreclosure as they overhaul their paperwork and documentation procedures and as they determine that some local markets are able to absorb more foreclosure inventory... Foreclosure processing delays continue to mask the true face of the foreclosure situation, although there were some clues in the May numbers of what lies behind that mask.”

What will this mean to home prices?

As this inventory comes to market, it will impact prices in two ways:

1.It will provide discounted competition for buyers

2.It will impact the appraisal values of all homes in the area

Again, we quote Celia Chen:

"It is quite possible that house prices will pick up slightly in the second or third quarter of this year, as foreclosure sales remain depressed while nondistress sales pick up...By the fourth quarter of this year, however, the distress share will rise, sending the house price index back down…

House prices will founder until early next year and start rising in earnest at the end of 2012."

Bottom Line

There is a window of opportunity currently which sellers should take advantage of. Waiting until later this year or until next year will not guarantee a higher sales price. If anything, it probably guarantees the exact opposite.

Article from KCM Blog - Steve Harney

Guitar Shaped House in Fayetteville, GA

I browse new listings in the MLS system on a daily basis in search of my clients' dream homes. Today I came across a new listing that really caught my eye but doesn't really fit any of my clients' idea of "the perfect house"... a guitar shaped house in Fayetteville, GA. Don't believe me? Check it out...

This house was built by the country western singer/songwriter, Elvis Carden. One website states that it took 16 years to complete and was the inspiration for his album "Living in an Old Guitar." (Literally?) The current owner inherited the property and has it listed with an asking price of $160,000 with a note that it needs complete rehab. If you do a quick Google search for Guitar House Fayetteville, GA, you will find that this home has been featured on many websites.

Ground View (old photo):

Google Map View:

If cookie cutter homes aren't your style, you may be interested in this one! One thing's for sure, not many people can say that they live in a guitar house!!

Real Estate Ring of Death in Metro Atlanta (Including Clayton, Henry, Fayette & Coweta!)

If you live in the Metro Atlanta area, chances are you can probably think of a half dozen subdivisions that
were developed and then came to a halt when the market came crashing down. Some of these developments have no homes built, some are partially built, and some only have a couple of homes with many vacant lots. The local news just ran a story titled "Real Estate Expert Dubs Area 'Ring of Death'' in which a local real estate expert, Steve Palm of Smart Numbers llc,  speaks about all of these "ghost developments." He explains that there is a circle, or "ring" if you will, around the heart of Metro Atlanta that's new construction market will never return and the unfinished subdivisions will likely never be rebuilt.These counties include: Paulding, Carroll, Douglas, South Fulton, Clayton, Henry, Newton, Barrow and parts of far east Gwinnett, Hall, and the north Cherokee. While Palm does include Fayette, Coweta, and Forsyth in his ring of death, he does acknowledge that their new home market is stronger than the other counties and will recover quicker once the market demand comes back.

For the entire article and video, visit: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/28100024/detail.html

Gas Prices Around Town: Fayette, Coweta, Clayton, Henry, Butts Counties & More!

Photo Source

This is a real estate blog, so naturally, all of the content should be real estate related. Not this post. This post is about gas prices! When we come across great information, we want to share it. There's a website (and also an app for smart phones) called GasBuddy.com in which you can input your city/zip code and it will tell you where you can find the cheapest gas in the area! Saving money is always a wonderful thing!  

Butts County, Clayton County, Coweta County, Fayette County, Henry County Real Estate Numbers!

What's going on in Southern Crescent of Metro Atlanta Real Estate!? I've compiled some information below to show where some of the cities in the local market stands in terms of inventory levels, absorption rates, and average sales price. Of course, the average sales price is nothing more than the average sales price -- it varies from subdivision to subdivision, area to area, etc, but this is just to provide an overall view of what's going on on the south side.

If you don't know what an absorption rate is, here's a quick definition from this blog post:

What's an absorption rate? Absorption rate is a term used in real estate regarding the current inventory level and is a calculation that shows how much time it will take for the current inventory to be "soaked up"/absorbed/sold. The calculation is based on the current trend and rate of sales.

Fayette County:
Brooks:  Ave. Sales Price: $186,822   Absorption Rate: 21.99 months   # Homes for Sale: 41
Fayetteville: Ave Sales Price: $200,168  Absorption Rate: 17.2 months   #Homes for Sale: 1002
Peachtree Cty: Ave Sales Price: $268,269 Absorption Rate: 15.8 months  #Homes for Sale: 508
Tyrone: Ave Sales Price: $233,279   Absorption Rate: 17.24 months   # Homes for Sale: 135

Henry County:
Hampton:  Ave Sales Price: $130,299   Absorption Rate: 11.47 months   # Homes for Sale: 280
Locust Grove: Ave Sales Price: $119,825 Absorption Rate: 12.95 months  #Homes for Sale: 325
McDonough: Ave Sales Price: $130,438 Absorption Rate: 11.98 months  #Homes for Sale: 1139
Stockbridge: Ave Sales Price: $96,317   Absorption Rate: 9.73 months   # Homes for Sale: 498

Coweta County:
Newnan:  Ave Sales Price: $137,329  Absorption Rate: 16.38 months   # Homes for Sale: 1507
Palmetto:  Ave Sales Price: $71,849   Absorption Rate: 16.39 months  # Homes for Sale: 153
Senoia: Ave Sales Price: $154,527  Absorption Rate: 14.44 months   # Homes for Sale: 278
Sharpsburg: Ave Sales Price: $210,051  Absorption Rate: 12.36 months  # Homes for Sale: 270

Clayton County:
Forest Park:  Ave Sales Price: $30,526   Absorption Rate: 7.22 months   # Homes for Sale: 192
Jonesboro:  Ave Sales Price: $61,169   Absorption Rate: 7.93 months   # Homes for Sale: 700
Morrow: Ave Sales Price: $51,478   Absorption Rate: 6.8 months   # Homes for Sale: 136
Rex: Ave Sales Price: $47,751   Absorption Rate: 7.29 months    # Homes for Sale: 180

Butts County:
Jackson:  Ave. Sales Price: $84,522   Absorption Rate: 20.73 months  # Homes for Sale: 387

I haven't included every city in the Southern Crescent of Metro Atlanta, obviously. If you would like detailed information for your city or if you would like for us to compile a report for a particular subdivision, please let us know! Real estate is our job and it's what we love!

Preparing Your Home for the Market... Do Your HOMEwork!

Consider this a warning ... If you're looking to sell your home in 2011, you need to make sure your home is ready for the market! Long gone are the days when a sign in the yard would bring a contract in 15 days. Your home must not only be priced aggressively, it needs to be in top condition. Here are some tips from Inman News as to how you can get off on the right foot (remarks from Rebekah in red):

First and foremost, put it in the best condition possible, especially if you are in a market with few buyers and lots of homes for sale (sidenote from Rebekah: Check! That applies to us in the South Metro Atlanta Market!). That means taking care of any major repairs that could deter a buyer (such as replacing any broken windows or replacing a leaky roof) if you can afford it. Next, work on your home's curb appeal. Make sure your landscape is pristine. Mow the grass, clean up any debris and weed the garden beds. Plant a few annual flowers near the entrance or in pots to be placed by the door. Other quick fixes that don't cost a lot of money but can help you get top dollar for your home:


* Clean the windows and make sure the paint is not chipped or flaking. (Believe it or not, chipping/peeling paint can actually scare a buyer away -- trust me, I've had it happen! To some buyers, that's an easy fix. To others, it's too much work).

* Clean and freshen up rooms, furnishings, floors, walls and ceilings. Make sure that bathrooms and kitchens are spotless. (Clean your kitchen counters off. Clutter on the countertop makes the kitchen appear small and the kitchen is one of the most important rooms in a house. In regards to the bathroom, make sure it's clean and make sure the toilet lid is down for showings -- one of my biggest pet peeves!)

* Organize closets. (Yes! Yes! Yes! Organize those closets! Don't let things fall on the potential buyer when they open the closets to explore closet space! Storage space is important!) 

* Make sure the basic appliances and fixtures work. Replace leaky faucets and frayed cords. (Leaky faucets can run buyers away! Although many leaks are easy fixes, some buyers can't see past the "plumbing issue.")

* Eliminate the source of any bad smells, such as the kitty box. Use air freshener or bake a batch of cookies before your open house to ensure that the house smells inviting. (Whatever you do, don't try to mask any bad smells. For instance, "clean cotton" air freshener doesn't really cover up kitty box. Your home will then smell like "clean cotton kitty box." The key word in this tip is ELIMINATE. Odors of any kind are not good -- pets, smoke, etc).

* Invest in a couple of vases of fresh flowers to place around the house and next to any information about the house you have prepared for buyers. (Do anything and everything to give potential buyers that "warm & fuzzy" feeling. Buyers have gut feelings with houses and you want to do everything possible to try to make them connect with your home).

These are just a few tips! Don't stop here though, if you really want to sell your home and you're serious about doing it, you want to do EVERYTHING possible to make your home stand out above the others! Buyers have so much to choose from. Make them remember YOUR home!



If you're interested in selling your home, please call us for a detailed market analysis and we'll be happy to review your property and offer suggestions as to how you can prepare it for the market. The following are areas that we service: Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Brooks, Senoia, Tyrone, McDonough, Stockbridge, Locust Grove, Hampton, Jonesboro, Morrow, Rex, Conyers, Covington, Jackson, Griffin, Newnan, Sharpsburg, Moreland, etc.