Jen's Intown Living Blog

I was out previewing homes today. As a real estate agent in Decatur, GA it's part of my job to know what's out there and available for my clients. Sure, I could lookon-line and I often do. But, I get a better feel for a home and neighborhood by actually being there. I'll take you along on my little tour of homes in Decatur and Atlanta, GA. You can view the map to see the push pin numbered with each location.

• My 1st stop was a home on Edmund Park Drive off of Rock Springs Rd in Atlanta. It's listed at $759,900. It's a 4 bedroom/4.5 bath home, tastefully decorated and had amazing interior decorator paint. It has a full finished terrace/basement level. This one had a very cozy, OK tiny yard, but what we would expect for in-town living.

• Home #2 is a newer home with 4 bedrooms/3.5 baths in Midway woods on Conway Rd. It's a 2 story traditional with a finished basement. It has a 2 car drive under garage and good sized backyard. It's listed at $309,000. It has a great deck for entertaining and good interior space.
  

• Home #3 is in the Midway neighborhood on Charlesgate Ave. This 1 story bungalow is listed at $224,500 and has 2 bedrooms/1 full bathroom and a small office. It has a large backyard and 1 car garage. It is renovated and adorable. It's a great home for 1 or 2 people.

• The 4th home on my tour was a townhouse at Charleston Oaks off of Medlock Rd in Decatur. It is a fee simple community, which means no Homeowner's Association (HOA) dues. It also means you are responsible for the maintenance on your property, including exterior. It is a 2 bedroom/2.5 baths home for $215,000. It also has a 2 car garage. It was really nicely done and has hardwoods throughout.

• The 5th home on my tour was a home in North Druid Woods subdivision off of North Druid Hills Rd. This one was on Mt. Olive Dr and is listed at $259,900. It is a 3 bedroom/1.5 baths brick ranch that is actually much bigger than it looks. At the back of the home the homeowners added a fabulous sun room and a huge living room. It has hardwoods throughout. I thought this was a great deal.

• The 6th home I went to was on North Decatur Rd, just past the round about in Emory Village. This brick home was built in the 1920's and is listed at $899,000. It is 4 bedrooms/4.5 baths with lots of little nooks and crannies. Sounds like an English Muffin, doesn't it? It actually had a good size backyard, with room for a pool.

This concludes our tour for today. I hope this gave you an idea that there are homes in Decatur and Atlanta that are listed in all price ranges with something for everyone. 

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For expert home buying or selling advice, please contact Jen Bowman, Realtor with Success Realty serving the real estate needs of Decatur and Atlanta. 404-456-5024. View my Blog or visit my site at www.JenBowman.com. 

Unbelievable! I'm a real estate agent, so I am used to getting emails from lots of agents, but this one topped the cake. A few minutes ago I received the following email from a real estate agent that I don't even know personally, with details removed to protect her identity.

Hi!

I am moving out of a condo on Juniper in December. I would love your help in finding a renter to take over my lease starting in December – by the 15th would be ideal. I am unit (blank) – the rent is $1550/month. I am on the courtyard/pool floor and have a terrace. The landlord isn’t paying commission – but I would love to buy you dinner or your favorite bottle of whatever you love. I’m attaching the floorplan. Please let me know if you have anyone in mind! Thank you for your help!!!

Agent

Fine Homes Specialist

BIG Name Real Estate Firm, Atlanta, GA

Are we professionals? Am I working for a bottle of wine or dinner??? Let me ask my mortgage company if that's OK for them. I'm sure they wouldn't mind. Oh yeah, let me see if I can pay my license renewal fees, or my marketing or my taxes, or my utilities, or my insurance or my continuing education with that bottle of wine. I actually laughed out loud at this email. Now, I'm deleting it.

The Punchline is not the only place for Comedy in Atlanta. If you haven’t been to a Sketchworks Comedy Show in Decatur, GA yet, now is the time. Be forewarned, this comedy is not for the faint of heart. If you are easily offended, well you will be here. This show is not politically correct and doesn’t discriminate on who they offend. It is all original work and the show changes 4 times a year. Come prepared to laugh, a lot.

Come watch Atlanta's most outrageous actors and writers wreak havoc with all that is sacred. Masterminded in 2001, Sketchworks is an original, cutting-edge sketch comedy troupe featuring some of Atlanta's top working pros.

Sketchworks is part of yourACT, an acting studio with on camera classes for Adults and Children. They offer a variety of on-camera acting classes in Atlanta, as well as special workshops in Voice-Over, Teleprompter, Standup Comedy, Sketch Comedy with Atlanta's premiere Sketch Comedy troupe, Sketchworks, and more… Whether you are a beginner learning the basics, an aspiring actor improving your skills, or a professional working actor looking to stay sharp, yourACT has courses for all levels. For more info on yourACT contact DellaCole and Bob Harter. They can be reached at 404-499-9996.

Opening weekend for Sketchmania starts this Friday October 17.

Show dates are: Fridays &; Saturdays at 8 p.m. October 17 &; 18, October 24 &; 25, October 31 & November 1, November 7 & 8

If you can’t make it Friday, plan to come this Saturday after the Decatur Beer Fest.

There will also be a Sunday Matinee at 5 p.m. on November 2.

Tickets are just $10 Opening Weekend, For all other Shows $15 in advance and $17 at the Door.

Sketchworks is minutes from downtown Atlanta and Decatur!

They are on the Right just past the Kroger Shopping Center on North Decatur Rd going East. It’s in between Dekalb Industrial Way and Ponce de Leon Ave. If you get to Ponce de Leon Ave, you’ve gone too far.

They are located at 3041 N. Decatur Rd, Decatur, GA 30079. Phone: 404-499-8181

They say Laughter is the best medicine, come out and get yours!

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Jen Bowman is a Realtor with Success Realty serving the Real Estate needs of Decatur and Atlanta, GA.  She can be reached at 404-456-5024 or online at www.JenBowman.com

I love my Blackberry, but my husband is interested in the iPhone.  He likes it because he can load all of his music into it, 16 gb of memory which will give it plenty of memory to store his music.  It operates on the new 3G network, which should be faster than the older versions. He can access the internet wherever he has the At&t coverage.  He wants it for email and texting. There's over 1,000 applications that he can download into the phone. Who needs that much??? Anyway, the price is lower now, than the original prices. I just want to know, what do you think?  If you have an iPhone, please let me know the pros and cons and how you like it.  Oh, and is it at least slighly durable?  (He'll be using it during workouts, too.) Thanks.

Twice a year, in October and March, the city of Decatur, GA holds an Electronics Recycling Day. This semi-annual event has been dramatically successful in diverting electronic equipment from landfills, where they may contaminate soil and water.

Electronics Recycling Day Saturday, October 25 • 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Decatur High School Parking Lot (on the corner of N. McDonough St. and W. Howard Avenue)

Don't throw away that old cell phone, camera or PC component! Save it and recycle it at Decatur's Fall 2008 Electronics Recycling event. Batteries and Styrofoam will also be accepted. For the first time at this event, TV's will be recycled for a minimal fee of $10 cash only per TV set with exact change.

There is no charge to recycle other items. You do not need to be a resident of Decatur, GA to participate.

Electronics dropped off that day will be sorted and disassembled into raw materials or cleaned for re use. The Decatur Waste Management Advisory Board investigates the recyclers involved to be sure the items are responsibly disassembled and not land filled.

Volunteers are still needed! Volunteers assist in unloading items. In March, there were over 400 vehicles per hour coming through, with electronics to unload. To volunteer, please contact Scott Thompson at Scott.Thompson@Mindspring.com.

Early drop offs are not possible. Drop offs will begin on Saturday morning at 9 a.m.

Electronic Items for Recycling: Almost anything with an electrical cord can be recycled at the event EXCEPT microwave ovens. There is no need to bring the paper owners manuals. You can recycle those with your paper trash.

These items will be recycled for free: Desktop computers , Telephones, Mini-towers, Telephony equipment, Laptop computers, Adding machines,Monitors, Calculators, Servers, Typewriters, Workstations, Label makers,Keyboards, Copiers, Mice, Fax machines, Joystick game controllers, Answering machines, Printers, Printer cartridges, Digital cameras , Zip drives, Batteries, Speakers, PDAs, Pagers, VCRs, Hubs, DVD players, Routers, Cable converter boxes, Scanners, Remote controls, Digital projectors, Stereo equipment ,UPS units, Radios, Main frames, Portable CD players, Component parts, Portable game players, Cables, GPS receivers, 3-in-1 devices, printer/copier/fax machines., Electric lawn mowers and garden equipment, any kind of Battery. Clean Styrofoam free of foreign objects(peanuts, packing blocks, plates, cups, trays.)

Television sets will be recycled for $10 exact change. 

If you plan to bring a computer or laptop, please clean your private data from it first. You do not want your personal financial data going to a third party. There are free programs available on the internet for wiping your computer hard drive clean.

Please help spread the word about Decatur Electronics Recycling Day. I hope to see you there!

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For expert Real Estate advice in Decatur and In-town Atlanta please contact Jen Bowman, Realtor with Success Realty.  She can be reached at 404-456-5024 or on-line at www.JenBowman.com.

Zoo Atlanta has a special event for children starting this Friday night for a total of 6 enchanting nights. It's Boo at the Zoo!  Zoo Boo Town will only be open Friday and Saturday evenings for the next 3 weekends. Be there when the spell breaks at Atlanta's favorite fun family Halloween festival! Travel the paths, taste the treats and enjoy the sights and inhabitants of Zoo Boo Town. (But beware the creepy bugs.)

When: Fridays and Saturdays October 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25     5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. 

• Get the spooktacular scoop on the legend of Zoo Boo Town straight from the Talking Tree
• Explore the never-before-seen Zoo Boo Downtown
• Take a sweet trek through Candy Forest
• Jump aboard for spooky surprises on the Boo train*
• Gear up for a supernatural spin on the carousel*
• Meet our honored guest, the Mayor of Zoo Boo Town, and his neighbor, the merry and magical Kanga Witch, and find out who else is coming out of the whimsical woodwork! The hallowed halls of your imagination open wide for storybook favorites and friendly characters around every corner.
• Check out the Boo Town Carnival, Pumpkin Jumpkin* and Gila Monster Mash Disco; and more on six ghoulishly great evenings for the entire family!

*Zoo Boo Town rides may be purchased with a Boo at the Zoo Activity/Ride ticket for $2.

 Tips for the Zoo Boo Town Traveler

• Most Zoo animals will not be on exhibit during Boo at the Zoo. This isn't Zoo Atlanta - this is Zoo Boo Town! (And Zoo Boo Town residents are pretty particular about these things.) The enchanted village only comes alive on six nights, so the Zoo's regular residents retire so that the characters and places of Zoo Boo Town can rule the night.
• Special decree from the Mayor of Zoo Boo Town - come in costume!
• Hungry? Several of our food venues will be open for dinner. Check your Zoo map for listings.

Tickets are $10 for non zoo members.  Children 2 and under get free admission.

Getting to the Zoo
Zoo Atlanta is located in historic Grant Park, a cool and hip place to live, minutes from downtown Atlanta and less than a mile from Turner Field - home of the Atlanta Braves. Parking is free.

Driving:
Off of Interstate 20, Take Exit 59A (Boulevard) and proceed south 0.5 mile. Park in the lots on Boulevard.

Off Interstate 75/85, take Exit 246 (Fulton Street) and drive east on Fulton Street. Turn right at Capitol Avenue. Follow Capitol to first light, turn left on Georgia Avenue. Georgia Avenue ends at the Cherokee Ave. lot.

Public Transit:
Bus service is available to Zoo Atlanta from the Five Points MARTA station via Route #97 and from the King Memorial MARTA Station
via route #397.

ROUTE 97 (A to Z Bus):
Enjoy under sea and land animals all in one day! The bus route also known as the A to Z bus (Aquarium to Zoo) runs between Zoo Atlanta and The Georgia Aquarium.

Please visit www.itsmarta.com for more information.

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Jen Bowman is a Realtor with Success Realty serving the Real Estate needs of Intown Atlanta, GA.  She can be reached at 404-456-5024 or online at www.JenBowman.com. 

When was the last time you’ve been to an old fashioned fair with rides, livestock, concerts & pie judging? It’s been a very long time for me, I was a little kid the last time I went to one. Well, just about 100 miles south of Atlanta on I-75 is Perry, GA home of the Georgia National Fair!

This October make the Georgia National Fair “Your Family’s Playground!” It’s one of the state’s best family-oriented, entertainment values. It’s the 19th annual state sponsored fair. It’s October 2-12. Fairgoers are educated and entertained at the Georgia National Fair. The Fair provides a showplace for arts and crafts, agriculture, and entertainment while at the same time providing an educational platform. See the Virtual Tour. 

As a celebration of Georgia, the Georgia National Fair centers around livestock and horse shows and competitive exhibits. In addition, the Fair features food, midway rides and games, commercial vendors, major concerts, street performers, family entertainment, circus performances, and laser shows with fireworks. The Georgia National Fair offers an opportunity to reconnect with our roots which are steeped in Georgia’s rich agricultural heritage. See what’s going on with the Fair Cam.

This Fair has won a ton of awards. It’s been designated a “Top 50 Fair” by Amusement Business magazine and Carnival Warehouse. The Fair has won 78 awards from the International Association of Fairs and Expositions for its livestock and horse events, competitive exhibits, and communications programs. The Fair has been designated a Southeast Tourism Society “Top 20 Event for October” 11 times. It has received one “Special Events Directory and Events Business News Top 200 Event” award. The Fair was designated one of Southern Living magazine’s “Our Best 202 Things About the South First-Prize Fair.” OK, do you think it might be worth seeing yet?

Gate Admission (free parking)

Daily Adult: $8; free same day reentry with hand stamp

Children: 10 and under free with paying adult

Senior Citizen: $7 (60 years and older)

Advance Gate Pass: $7.00* 2-Day Fair Pass: $12.00* 3-Day Pass: $20.00* Season Pass: $50 for 11 days (includes Sneak-a-Peek)*

*Passes and Advance Gate Admission available at Box Office September 2 through October 12.

Fair Hours

October, 2 - gates open 3 p.m. - 10 p.m.

October, 3-12 - Gates open 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Special Events

October 9 13 WMAZ Political Forum 7:00 p.m. Reaves Arena (tentative) Candidates for U.S. Senate and the 8th Congressional District debate the issues.

October 7, 8, 9 Reithoffer Midway (Pay one Price: $15.00) 12:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Unlimited rides; does not include Fair gate admission. (Does not include SPEED, non mechanical Midway rides, Agri-Lift, or boat rides.)

October 10 Health Fair presented by Houston Health Care 10:00 am – 2:00 pm Miller Murphy Howard Conference Rooms A,E,F,& G. Free screenings and information will be available.

October 12 Last Blast! Pay-One-Price Pay one Price: $15.00 10:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. Unlimited rides; does not include Fair gate admission. (Does not include SPEED, non mechanical Midway rides, Agri-Lift, or boat rides.)

Location: 401 Larry Walker Parkway • Exits 134 and 135 at I-75 • Perry, Georgia 31069

There is great live music and entertainment throughout the fair. I’ll be heading down there and enjoying the exhibits with my family. I hope you’ll enjoy it too.

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For expert real estate advice in metro Atlanta, please contact Jen Bowman, Realtor with Success Realty 404-456-5024 or online www.JenBowman.com.

Have you been to Fernbank Museum of Natural History's Martinis and Imax night yet? It is one of the great events to do here in Atlanta, GA.   It's a great place, perfect for a date night or an evening out with friends.  I love the architectural details in the building. You'll see a 47 foot replica of a dinosaur fossil, in addition to lots of other fossils on display in Giants of the Mesozoic. 

It's on our list of favorite places to take out of town guests.  IMAX® tickets Friday nights during Fernbank's Martinis & IMAX® are $15 for adults and $14 for seniors and $10 for Museum members. Show times are run from 6 to 10 p.m., every hour on the hour. There are 3 different shows during these times and shows last 45 minutes each.

There's a special event for Halloween, starting at 5:30 p.m. Friday October 31 it is Martinis and Imax Fright Night. Wear your best costume for the costume contest, live music and a special screening of the horror classic Dracula at 11 p.m. Learn more about Fernbank's Martinis & IMAX®.  

If Martinis and Imax is not for you, Fernbank Museum also has a signature exhibition, A Walk Through Time in Georgia, which tells the story of Georgia's natural history and the development of our planet. 16 galleries combine with theaters and dioramas to explain this complex and fascinating story.  It's a story that makes you think.

Fernbank Museum of Natural History is located at 767 Clifton Road, NE, near Emory University and just minutes from downtown.  For recorded information, call 404.929.6300. For ticket sales, call 404.929.6400.  

Take time to go enjoy all that our great city of Atlanta has to offer.  You'll be glad you did.

 About the author, Jen Bowman is a realtor with Success Realty proudly serving the real estate needs of metro Atlanta. She can be reached at 404-456-5024 or online at www.JenBowman.com.

What's going on with real estate in Decatur, GA?  Well, the good news is that homes are still selling. Here is an analysis of single family homes in Decatur.  

 July 2008 Sold

Homes Sold 152

REO Properties 30

Average Days on Market 72

Original List Price $238,592

List Price $266,152

Sold Price $215,511

Range $26,100-$725,000                                                                        

August 2008 Sold                         

Homes Sold 164

REO properties 55

Average Days on Market 70

Original List Price $243,255

List Price $191,973

Sold Price $183,212

Range $22,500-$824,500

 September 2008 Sold

Homes Sold 85

REO properties 27

Average Days on Market 81

Original List Price $221,443

List Price $208,048

Sold Price $200,591

Range $22,500-$1,025,000

There are currently 1251 single family homes for sale in Decatur, GA which is in Dekalb County. 280 of them are REO or Real Estate Owned, bank owned foreclosures. There are also 314 homes that are pending sales, meaning they are under contract, but not yet closed. Available homes in Decatur range in price from $19,900 to $1,500,000.  Obviously, there is something for everyone from investment to starter homes to high end luxury homes. Now is a great time to buy.

For expert real estate advice and customized property searches in Decatur, GA please contact Jen Bowman, Success Realty at 404-456-5024. Visit online at JenBowman.com. 

Have you seen the newest language, text speak?  Text speak uses creative shortcuts and abbreviations. If you've been on the internet or texting, you have probably seen some letters that equal shortcuts while texting or IMing, (instant messaging). 

Well, text speak must be here to stay! I am seeing it everywhere and we just received some info on it from our cell phone provider. 

Here's a little help on what these letters mean: 

k= OK

jk= just kidding

dk=don't know

idk= I don't know

?= I have a question

ttyl= Talk to you later

ty= thank you

pcm= please call me

bc= Because

BYOB= bring your own beverage (that one is an old one I threw it in there for the sake of nostalgia)

cul8r= see you later

2gtbt= too good to be true

h&k=hugs and kisses

lol= laughing out loud

fofl= falling on floor laughing

lmaofofl= laughing my butt off, falling on the floor laughing (that's when it's really funny)

:)     smile

;)     wink

:P    tongue out (kidding)

=(   sad

:D   broad smile

 I have heard some teachers in school are having a real challenge with this, because the students are writing their papers this way.  Personally, I feel that people need to learn the proper way to write in full sentences without text speak.  Text speak is fine to use in IM or texting, as long as the person you are communicating with knows the language too. 

As a real estate agent, I often see abbreviations in the public remarks section of a listing.  Some of these, I even have to slow down and figure out.  I said something to my husband the other day in my own real estate shorthand and he had no idea what I was talking about. Remember, your audience.  :) 

What other shortcuts am I missing?  Are you using text speak?

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Jen Bowman, e-PRO, is a Realtor serving the real estate needs of Atlanta, GA, including Decatur.   She can be reached at 404-456-5024. www.JenBowman.com