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Facebook has just announced their opening a 5,000 square foot sales center at the Brickworks building in Atlanta. This is a beautiful old building that offers exposed brick, outdoor terraces, and even an employee kitchen with a city view. It would be a very hip place to work. Over the last few months Atlanta has attracted several tech giants and software companies. Google has also significantly expanded their operation and size in the metro area. Very few cities have the jobs ... (Read more)

  We all hear a lot about bankruptcy today.  Unfortunately many of us know of someone that had to file.  It’s a practice most people don’t fully understand.  I told someone not long ago it dated back to when Columbus landed, but after some research I actually found it’s a more historic practice.  Did you know bankruptcy is part of The Constitution of The United States and grants Congress the power to make or change bankruptcy laws?  I was very surprised to find ... (Read more)

It just sent me spinning when I read the Sunday AJC headlines “NO TELLING WHEN WE’RE HIT BOTTOM”!   There isn’t any question that some areas of Atlanta haven’t seen the bottom yet.  But the very facts this article used showed that north metro suburbs were stable or had increased in value in 2010.  It’s very confusing; no it’s alarming when the AJC uses headlines like this.  I feel the average person can drive through Vine City and understand why it’s ... (Read more)

Data is showing that homes values in Smyrna and Vinings have increased in value over the last 12 months. Smart Numbers reported that homes in zip codes 30080 and 30339 saw an increase in value of approximately 10 percent year to date. While the economic recovery is still fragile I’m seeing home values increase in these areas.   If you want to see whats for sale in Smyrna and Vinings please click Neighborhoods above on my web site.

  Home resale rose 4 percent last month, according to the March Existing Home Sales report.  A total of 5.1 million homes were sold on a annualized, seasonally-adjusted basis. The strong results re-established the national, long term trend toward rising home re-resales. March marked the 6th month out of eight in which sales volume has increased and sales are up 32 percent from July 2010 lows.  At the current rate of sale, the entire home resale inventory would be depleted in 8.4 months.  This is 01 ... (Read more)

If you’re thinking about refinancing your home you need to consider the total cost of doing so.  The average homeowner I speak with only focuses on the reduction in payment.  But there’s a lot of other cost you should consider when refinancing a home.  I hate to tell you but in many cases it’s not the best financial move by a long shot.    For my example let’s use a $250,000, thirty year mortgage with an interest rate of 5.5% that was ... (Read more)

The recent disaster in Japan is going to be the worst catastrophe in our lifetime. It’s horrible what these people have gone through and what’s in store for them in the future. I’m sure many Japanese people are just wondering what they’re going to do to survive. It’s only natural; people tend to have a normalcy bias attitude about life. Many feel if it hasn’t happened before, then why should I worry about it? ... (Read more)

Future homes will change as Homebuilders are thinking smaller. Over 60% of the Homebuilders surveyed said they are planning to cut the size of houses they build the next few years. Experts claim the average home size in 2015 will be around 2,159 square feet. This is well below the average 2,500 square feet of 2007. Currently the average size of a home is almost 50% ahead of where they were in the 1970’s. The memory of ... (Read more)

Although the $8,000 tax credit has expired for first time buyers, many folks are still eligible for another home-related tax credit that's available through the end of the year. The American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009 provide homeowners a tax credit for select energy upgrades on existing homes. Windows, doors, water heaters, insulation and other products are eligible. The tax credit is equal to 30 percent of cost of eligible product, up to $1500 for all improvements combined during ... (Read more)

I’m totally baffled by the recent foreclosure moratorium issued for all 50 states. Georgia is a non-judicial foreclosure state. It’s not necessary in Georgia to have a legal hearing in order for a bank to foreclose on someone’s home. It would cost this state dearly if we did. All Georgia buyers sign documents when they purchase a home stating they understand how a foreclosure works in Georgia. Every closing attorney I’ve ever worked with ... (Read more)