Sally English Atlanta Real Estate: September 2010

Updated Cluster Home on Henley Park Drive

This home has an open floor plan, all new kitchen and lots of space for the dollar.  Hardwood floors on the first floor.  Low maintenance lot.  Worth a second look.

Volume Ceilings * Newer Home * 3258 Henley Drive Atlanta Georgia 30340* $ 294,900

¨ 3 BRs (plus Bonus Room) * 2.5 BATHS.  Complete interior update!

¨ Henley Park Subdivision.  Atlanta Georgia 30341

¨ NEW FLOORS: New carpet (2010). Newly refinished hardwood floors (2010)

¨ NEW BATHROOMS: Vanity Cabinets/Granite countertops (2010). Under counter vanity sinks, natural finish. New ceramic tile.  More!!!

¨ NEW Jacuzzi Tub (2010) in Master Bath

¨ Updated Light Fixtures (2010).

¨ NEW Kitchen Cabinets with Granite Countertops (2010).

¨ New paint (2010). Soaring volume ceilings.

¨ Impressive ENTRY FOYER: hardwood floors, front door with sidelights, radius window above. Dramatic open staircase to second floor.  Large hanging chandelier.

¨ FORMAL LIVING ROOM features new carpet, large architectural window with radius flanked by two window panels, 2 story ceiling, open to dining room and foyer (separated by architectural columns), volume ceiling.

¨ FORMAL DINING ROOM features a luxurious chandelier, two story volume ceiling, new carpet, 4 windows.  Open to living room and foyer.  Passage to kitchen and family room.

¨ RENOVATED KITCHEN features new custom kitchen cabinets with light cherry stain finish.  New granite countertops with 4 inch backsplash.  Newly refinished hardwood floors.  Stainless steel finish appliances.  Recessed lighting.  Glass display doors on cabinets.  Island with cooktop.  Stainless steel under counter sink.  Pantry.  Large bay window overlooks patio.

¨ PREMIUM APPLIANCES: Jenn Aire downdraft cooktop with stainless steel finish.  Whirlpool dishwasher with stainless steel finish.  Whirlpool oven with stainless steel finish.

¨ BREAKFAST ROOM adjacent to kitchen in bay window. 

¨ FAMILY ROOM has a soaring volume ceiling, refinished hardwood floors, fireplace with ceramic tile surround and custom mantle.  Ceiling fan and light.  Wall of windows overlooks private patio.  Double French door to patio.

¨ POWDER BATH off rear hall with pedestal sink and hardwood floor.

¨ LAUNDRY CLOSET has a ceramic tile floor.  Gas or electric dryer hookup.

¨ MASTER BEDROOM SUITE ON MAIN FLOOR has new carpet, double and single windows, ceiling fan and light.

¨ RENOVATED MASTER BATHROOM has a new vanity cabinet and new granite countertop and vanity sink.  New vanity mirror and lighting. New ceramic tile floor.  New  Jacuzzi type tub.  New walk-in shower with ceramic tile walls and clear glass door/wall.  Walk in closet.

¨ 2nd floor:  2 BRs, Bonus room, full bath.

¨ BEDROOMS # 2 and 3 have new carpet, walk-in closets.  Both have doors to Jack and Jill Bath in between BRs.

¨ JACK AND JILL BATHROOM has 2 vanity areas (one for each BR) and a tub/wet area in between.  Vanity areas have new vanity cabinets with granite countertops and undercounter vanity sinks.  Ceramic tile floors.  Vanity mirror and lighting.  Wet area has new ceramic tile floor, tub/shower combination.

¨ BONUS ROOM could be used as BR# 4.  Dormer window.  Storage areas.

¨ Private PATIO with privacy walls. Flowering vines and shrubs.

¨ Two car GARAGE with overhead door and remote controls.

¨ Walk to lots of shopping, restaurants and services at nearby Embry Hills.

¨ Easy commute to Emory/CDC.

¨ MARTA bus service steps away.

¨ Pleasantdale ES

¨ Henderson Middle

¨ Lakeside HS

If you are thinking about buying a home in the next year or so, why not have new listings delivered directly to your email address.  There are two ways to do this.

1. Go to my website, skip talking to a person and register for listing alerts.  GO HERE Search Atlanta Georgia Homes and look for the button that says "Email me property updates"  You select the criteria.  You specify where and how you want the listings delivered.  You control the process.

2. Contact Sally English (phone or email) and let me know what type home you are looking for.  Price, location, style, construction type, basement, schools etc and I will set up a "drip" system at FMLS that will deliver new listings directly to your inbox.  The info comes a little quicker than the option above and we can drill down to very specific criteria for the search.

Why not take a look at new listing right when they hit the market.  Be the first to learn about homes when they hit the market.  You can also get a feel for the local market and see how your criteria stack up in the current market.

A friend of mine, now passed away and sorely missed, was eulogized by his son at a memorial service.  My friend, Bob White, was a savvy financial advisor (in his second career) and taught his children the value of a dollar as they were growing up.

Bob's son, Bobby, told those gathered to celebrate his father's life, the story of turning 16 and talking to his father about a car.

Young Bobby asked his father about the propects for having a car to drive.  "Son, do you know how to spell car?" was Bob's reply to his son.  "Car is spelled J. O. B.  You need to get a job and buy yourself a car."

Very wise advice from a man who lived frugally, died too young, and left behind a legacy for his family.

I am sadddened that many young people are missing out on this lesson.  One of the reasons is the lack of jobs for young people. 

And it is the lack of jobs for adults in Atlanta that has our real estate market in the toilet.  Until we can re-establish a strong and healthy job market in Atlanta, we can expect the real estate market to stay troubled.

The excess invenotry created by the recession will not be cleared up until home buyers have more confidence in the jobs they have and in too many cases until they actually have a job.

Finding a solution to the lack of jobs in Atlanta is a big task, and one I hope and pray our leaders are capable of solving.

Renovated Ranch Gets Fresh Paint and New Price

Located on Henderson Mill Road, across from Henderson Mill Elementary School.  Now priced at $259,900.  A tremendous value that would be a great buy for a savvy home buyer.

¨ 3 BRs. 2 Full BATHS.    Full basement ready for your finish.

¨ Atlanta Georgia 30345.  On MARTA line.

¨ Easy walk to Northlake Mall and business district.

¨ Walk to Leslie Beach Swim and Tennis Club

¨ Great blend of older and newer home.  Updates since 2005 include roof, gutters, downspouts, high efficiency water heater and HVAC system, French doors to patio and basement doors.  Hardwood floors refinished in BRs.

¨ FORMAL LIVING ROOM features a soaring 13 foot (approx) volume ceiling in a cathedral shape.  Central room with cased openings to dining room and family room.  Hardwood floors, heavy wood moldings, art glass windows and double French entry doors give this room huge character.  Large room has a separate side area that could be set up as a sitting area, library or special use.  Decorative wrought iron gates open to family room.  Arched window over front doors has art glass inserts matching rectangular windows that flank door.

¨ FORMAL DINING ROOM features an elaborate tray ceiling, chandelier and hardwood floors.  French doors open to "balcony".  Door to kitchen.  Mural depicting faux window and landscape adds European flair. Heavy crown moldings and trim.

¨ UPDATED KITCHEN features granite tile countertops, white cabinets and hardwood floors.  Tumbled marble backsplash, marble nose on countertop.  Large window over double stainless steel sink.  9 foot ceilings (approx). Large breakfast bar separates kitchen and family room. Hanging pendent lighting over bar.    

¨ PREMIUM APPLIANCES: GE profile oven and microwave combination in a black glass finish.  GE Profile smooth surface cooktop (black glass) and Frigidaire dishwasher (black glass).

¨ BREAKFAST ROOM adjacent to kitchen has a nice seating area with chandelier.  Window.  Door to carport.

¨ FAMILY ROOM also shares 9 foot ceiling with kitchen.  Wood burning masonry fireplace with a detailed mantle and wood trim.  Blue ceramic art tiles on fireplace surround/hearth accentuate European house theme.  Gas log lighter.  Double French doors (flanked by stationary French doors) open to a large patio.  Hardwood floors.

¨ PATIO has all the charm of a Mediterranean villa ....... all you are missing is the ocean!  Great spot to settle down for al fresco dining or conversation with friends and family.

¨ MASTER BEDROOM SUITE has carpet, double plus triple window, 2 sets of double door closets.

¨ UPDATED MASTER BATHROOM has a newer vanity cabinet and sink, ceramic tile floor, tub/shower combination with shower doors.  Beadboard walls and newer lighting.

¨ BEDROOMS # 2 & 3 have hardwood floors, double closets.

¨ RENOVATED HALL BATH features a furniture style vanity cabinet and ceramic vanity sink insert.  Ceramic tile floor.  Corner walk in shower with glass doors/walls.    Laundry closet off back hall.

¨ MASSIVE BASEMENT partially finished.  Wood burning masonry fireplace.  Double French doors open to patioBathroom plumbing already roughed in.  Electrical and HVAC partially roughed in.  Ready for your finish.  Lots of space for a rec room, bar/kitchen/bathroom and a couple of bedrooms.  And you would still have lots of room for storage. Boat door + additional single door open to low maintenance back yard. 

¨ Lots of shopping, restaurants and services at Northlake Mall.

¨ Easy commute to Emory/CDC/VA and downtown.  Inside I-285.

¨ MARTA bus service steps away.

¨ Henderson Mill ES

¨ Henderson Middle

¨ Lakeside HS

 GO HERE for detailed information, 25 photos, school info and lots more.

Short Sale in Hawthorne Elementary School District is a Diamond in the Rough

I have a listing that has been on the market for a while.  It is located in an excellent Elementary School district.  The home is spacious and has a nice floor plan.

We have lowered the price steadily over the past 6 months.  We are now priced at $259,900 which is well under the market.

The problem, as I see it, is a lack of vision on the part of potential buyers.  When they see the kitchen, they immediately assume this admittedly disappointing appearance of the kitchen cabinets makes this home a "no way" on the buyer's list.

Yes, the kitchen cabinets need to be replaced.  The seller obviously does not have the cash to make this change.  We are talking $8,000 to $10,000 to do this renovation.  What buyer's are missing is how this one renovation would put a ton of equity in their pocketbook.

The listing is a short sale.  Buyers can make an offer and we will put it in front of the bank for a decision.  We have already dropped the price way below the market for this area.  A savvy buyer could pick this house up for a song and then followup with a new set of kitchen cabinets when they could afford it.

The kitchen appliances are above average and in great condition.  The appliances  could definitely be re used after the renovation.  The floors are fine.

If you are a savvy buyer, take a look at this home

Go Here for detailed information, 25 photos, driving map and more.

SPAM: Directional Signs Used as A Marketing Tool

A couple of real estate agents in my markets use directional signs to "spam" the neighborhood with marketing about their services.  I find this particularly un professional and really dislike the posting of directional signs at every possible street corner.

OK, I use directional signs.  But I only post them at the intersection with the main street leading into the subdivision.  One or maybe two signs is the max I will put out for a listing.

One of the agents in my area uses 5 or more directional signs per listing.  This "spamming" of the neighborhood makes all agents look unprofessional as they see the signs and immediately equate real estate agent signs with an unprofessional business practice.

If you are a home seller, do you honestly think buyers are going to follow 4 or 5 directional signs to your listing?  What attracts you to an agent who would abuse your neighborhood by spamming it with directional signs?

With all the news this week about the National data bases that post listings it is truly the consumer that will be the winner in the contest. 

Realtor.com's parent Move, Inc. cut a deal to purchase the parent company of ListHub, the primary listings syndicator most Brokers and MLSs use to post listings on national databases (including Zillow and Trulia). See Leslie's Ebersole's excellent article

Move, Inc (Realtor.com) Is the New 800 lb Gorilla. Will it Squash Zillow and Trulia?

What is the future of the major real estate databases?

I advertise on all three databases.  The motivation to market my services is different for each database.

REALTOR.COM

I use the enhanced listing service to give my listings the maximum possible exposure on Realtor.com.  The enhanced listing allows me to post the maximum number of photos, post a headline, post detailed information about the listing and most importantly, show my contact information right by the listing.  Realtor.com is a tool primarily for buyers.  If a buyer is looking at Realtor.com, I want them to see my listings and then give me a call or email if they want to visit the home or have questions.

I have also been uses the zip code advertising option where my listings are featured when a buyer does a home search in my "home" zip codes.  I advertise in 30084, 30345, 30329 and 30033.  The theory is that a buyer will see these homes first when they do a search of homes in these zip codes.  My results have been disappointing lately and I think Realtor.com is overcharging for the service.  Not sure I will continue using this marketing tool even though I have been using it for 6 years.

TRULIA

Trulia ia a little sister to the Realtor.com in that it provides information about listings.  It is a user friendly site but the the data is less reliable, in my opinion, than the Realtor.com data that comes directly from the MLS.  I am active on Trulia and advertise to make sure I have access to my listings and so buyers can find my contact information next to my listings.  Again, I want my seller clients to be confident their listings are receiving maximum exposure on Trulia and I want to be the Realtor Buyers call to see these listings.  Trulia just cut a deal to be the database for housing on CNN Money's website.

ZILLOW

Zillow is much hated throughout the Realtor community because so much fo the information on Zillow seems to be incorrect.  Zillow is different from the other two websites because it shows "sold" information and also has a tool for valuating most residential properties.  This valuation is called a "Zestimate".  The Zestimate is widely inaccurate in my opinion.  The computer algorithm does not appear sufficiently developed to make decisions about which comparables to choose when calculating a value.  The data on Zillow is from multiple sources and this too adds to the inaccuracy.  Yes, I advertise on Zillow because I want buyers and sellers in my target zip code to find me when they do a search.  The jury is still out, for me, as to the value of advertising on Zillow.

FUTURE OF ONLINE LISTING PORTALS

Realtors have given up control of publishing their listings online.  I think this is mostly a good thing as it puts my listings in front of as many potential buyers as possible.  However, Realtors continue to hold the most valuable information for valuing a residential real estate property.  Realtors have not released control of sold data.  To get an accurate valuation of a home it is absolutely necessary to have access to the sold information for homes comparable to the one being valued.  What will Realtors do with this valuable information in the future? 

Price Reductions in the Decatur, Northlake and Tucker Markets

Several of my sellers reduced their listing price this week as we looked to make their homes more competitive in the marketplace.

Price reduced from $179,900 to $174,900

3308 Sanden Ferry Drive East, Decatur, GA 30033

Go Here for detailed info, lots of potos, driving map, schools and more.

Price reduced from $247,000 to $229,900

4198 Oak Crest Drive Tucker Georgia 30084

Go Here for detailed info, lots of potos, driving map, schools and more.

Priced reduced from $319,900 to $299,900

3088 Rockaway Road Atlanta Georgia 30341

Go Here for detailed info, lots of potos, driving map, schools and more.

Price reduced from $179,900 to $174,900

2200 Aldah Drive Tucker Georgia 30084

Go here for detailed info, lots of photos, driving map, schools and more

Sally ENglish and The English Team at REMAX Executives specialize in neighborhoods convenient to Emory University and The Centers for Disease Control.  Call us at 770-939-3174 direct for more information or to see these homes in person.

Millie has been miserable.  Her miseries started over Labor Day weekend when we visited my husband's parents at their farm in Crabapple.  We had a fabulous day.  Tim did some gardening and Millie enjoyed romping around the yard and pasture with her "cousin" Jigs who is a terrier type dog.

We had a big family gathering for dinner, one of those bring a covered dish typ of affairs and my husband Tim did a low country boil with shrimp, sausage, new potatoes and sweet corn.  It was a nice day.

When we got home I went to bathe Millie as she was just a bit dirty from romping around the pastures.  When I got her all hosed down I noticed she had a large number of fleas.  Millie occasionally gets a flea or two but nothing like this.  They were crawling all over her.

Tim dashed to the gorcery store and came back with all kinds of flea rememdies.  I bathed Millie with flea soap and then proceeded to use the flea comb to try and remove fleas by hand.

Millie is on a monthly topical flea med but we needed to get those fleas off of her now.  They were driving Millie and me crazy.  For the next couple of days the wash, rinse comb procedure was repeated until we got the flea population handled.

Next came a flea allergy.  Millie could not stop scratching and biting herself.  It was painful to watch.

Off the the vet we went.  Tim took Millie to see Doctor Harris at the Tucker Veterinary hospital.

TUCKER ANIMAL HOSPITAL STAFF ROCKS

Doctor Harris gave Millie a cortizone shot and an antihistime for the allergy.  Then he took a look at Millie's ears.  English Springer Spaniels have large ears and are prone to ear infections, especially if they are swimmers.  Yep, both ears were infected.  Poor Millie had all kinds of problems.  SO we added antibiotic to the mix.  And to add coals to the fire, Millie needed her rabies booster shot.

Millie is all better now.  She enjoys romping around the yard and chasing squirrels.  The poor girl had all kinds of miseries but is now back to her smiling and joyful self.

Atlanta Garden Guide

Most everything you would ever need to know about lawns and gardens in Atlanta Georgia can be found in the brain of a single human being.  Walter Reeves has slowly collected knowledge and wisdom about growing gardens, lawns and landscapes in Atlanta Georgia and he most willing to share it with others.

I initially became a fan of Walter Reeves by listening to his Saturday morning radio show on wsb 750 am.  On the way to soccer matches or running errands, I would listen to Walter help callers with problems in their landscape and dispatch advice and humor freely with a very diverse audience.

It was on to books next as Walter published a number of "How to" books about Gardening in Georgia.  All are excellent and timeless.  Walter was trained at the University of Georgia and combines his scientific knowledge with a lot of common sense and wisdom as he shares tips and advice with his readers.

Walter Reeves entered the world of television somewhere along the way.  My husband Tim watches the shows on PBS.  I am a bit less of a fan but do find myself enjoying Walter's wit.

Finally, Walter has perfected a medium I can recommend to clients for immediate results.  If you have a generic question about gardening in Georgia, Go to Walter Reeves website and chances are your question will be answered.  This excellent site is written for the novice and professional alike.  Walter gets right down to the basics and tells you what you need to know to have a successful lawn and garden in Atlanta Georgia.