Jen's Intown Living Blog

I was working on some real estate marketing stuff tonight when my friend called and told me that I was on TV.  Back in the Fall of 2006 and the early Winter of 2007 we filmed a show called My First Place, a real estate show for first time home buyers.  Our episode has been running on HGTV for the past couple of years.  It will be on again tomorrow.

My friend said this is a different show, did you know about it? Well, HGTV premiered a new show tonight at 8 pm called Buying and Selling: 20 Best Kept Secrets.  This was a good secret, because I didn't even know about it! I flipped my TV on, and saw my business partner Tracy and I in scenes from My First Place. 

I guess it's like things we post on the internet, apparently if you do TV it stays out there forever too.

Here's the link to the show 20 Best Kept Secrets. This is the show schedule for our episode of My First Place.

If you are thinking of buying or selling a home in the metro Atlanta area, please contact Jen Bowman, Realtor and Broker Associate with Success Realty at 404-456-5024.

Read more of the Georgia Real Estate Voice.

Cross Creek Country Club is a gated condo community on 122 acres of  forest and green-space in Atlanta, GA. The community includes an 18-hole par three golf course with on-site golf pro, tennis courts, lake and 3 swimming pools. The main clubhouse includes a restaurant, bar and health club.  Watching the birds on the lake as you get a workout in can be so peaceful.

Cross Creek is located in Atlanta's upscale Northside / Buckhead area, close to Interstate 75 off of the Howell Mill Rd exit. Cross Creek is just minutes north of Midtown and Downtown Atlanta and Turner Field, and as little as 20 minutes from Hartsfield International Airport with no traffic, of course.

Lenox Mall, Phipps Plaza, and Cumberland Mall offer prime  shopping close by. Cross Creek is a professionally-managed community, with full-time, on-site office and maintenance staffs. Landscaping and golf course operations are managed under professional contracts. This is the place for maintenance-free living.

Cross Creek is a pet friendly well established community of 2 story townhomes and garden style 1 level condominiums. 

Association Fees Include:

• Water
• Sewer
• Gated entry
• Security 24/7
• 18 hole golf course 
• Three swimming pools 
• Tennis courts 
• Exterior maintenance and repairs 
• Exterior insurance and liability
• Exterior fire insurance 
• Bi-weekly trash pick-up from the back of the units (no unsightly trash in front)
• Exterior professional landscaping

If you were to drive through Cross Creek you won't see any real estate for sale signs.  They are not allowed. There are currently 40 homes for sale there ranging in price from a 1 bedroom at $82,000 to a 4 bedroom/3 full bath for $235,000.   There are 2 pending sales which means they are under contract but not yet closed. 11 homes have sold there in the past 6 months.  If you are interested in buying or selling in Cross Creek please feel free to contact me at 404-456-5024. I have sold several condos in this community and the Homeowners I know really enjoy living there. 

Contact local expert Jen Bowman, Realtor and Broker Associate with Success Realty at 404-456-5024. Read more of the Georgia Real Estate Voice.  Search the MLS for homes.

The ING Marathon is Sunday March 29, 2009. It will be coming through Decatur, GA and cheering squads are needed. The official cheering station is at Fellini's Pizza located at 333 Commerce Drive in Decatur. Come on out bright and early on Sunday morning at 7 am to help cheer the runners on. In 2007, the City of Decatur won $10,000 for the Best Cheering Station and in 2008 won $5,000 for the second best station. Decatur wants to reclaim our #1 title, so wear your orange and bring a noise maker, signs, and/or a musical instrument.  Make some noise so the runners remember our wonderful city.  

Runners will be voting for their favorite Water Stations and their favorite Cheering Section so we want them to remember Decatur. Prize money will to the Decatur Youth Fund for child obesity programs. The Decatur Youth Fund is a partnership between the Decatur Recreation Department and the Decatur Education Foundation. The Decatur Youth Fund provides scholarships to help children and youth attend summer school, summer camps and to participate in other enrichment opportunities.

Streets will be closed throughout Atlanta and Decatur for the 26 mile race. Get info on street closures.

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If you are thinking of buying or selling a home in Decatur, GA contact local expert Jen Bowman, Realtor and Broker Associate with Success Realty at 404-456-5024.

Read more of the Georgia Real Estate Voice.

Decatur has an Electronics Recycling Day twice a year in the Fall and in the Spring. Due to the rainy weather the Electronics Recycling Day has been moved to Saturday, April 25th, 2009  from 9 am to 1 pm in the Decatur High School parking lot.  

These are the things that can be recycled:

Almost anything with an electrical cord can be recycled at the event EXCEPT microwave ovens, furniture, light fixtures, household appliances, lamps, vacuum cleaners..

These items will be recycled for free:  computers, Telephones, Mini-towers, Telephony equipment,  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 only.

For your own security, be sure to remove your personal data from your computers before recycling. This event is open to the public. You do not need to be a resident of Decatur to recycle your items.

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If you are thinking of buying or selling a home in Decatur, GA contact local expert Jen Bowman, Broker Associate with Success Realty 404-456-5024.

Read more of the Georgia Real Estate Voice.

What's Due Diligence and what does that mean to the Home Buyer? With Purchase and Sale agreements in Georgia now a total of 7 pages, without special stipulations or additional amendments there's a lot to know. 

Due Diligence is the time for the Home Buyer to do their homework.  It's the time to do inspections for termites and other wood destroying organisms, like powder post beetles. It's time to do a home inspection to determine the condition of the home, radon inspections, surveys and appraisals. If you're planning to build you'll want a soil percolation test. It's the time to determine if the home is in a flood plain and if you will be required to buy additional insurance. It's the time to check the sex offender registry to know who your new neighbors might be. It's the time to make sure your mortgage loan is in order and progressing. It's the time to make sure that the home you are buying in Dekalb County is in compliance with the Plumbing Ordinance that went into effect June 2008. If you don't you won't be able to turn your water on.

 If during the Due Diligence period the Buyer decides that the house is not for them, the Buyer has a right to terminate the agreement. The Buyer must inform their agent that this is not the right house because of whatever reason they choose. The Buyer must give notice to the Seller of their decision to exercise their right to terminate the agreement before the end of the Due Diligence period.  If that is not done, Due Diligence period ends and the Buyer has accepted the property "as is." 

The expiration of the Due Diligence period does not terminate any other contingencies that have been added to the agreement.

In the past month, I have been contacted by 2 different Buyers that wanted to terminate their agreement during their Due Diligence period. They weren't my clients and we had never spoken before.  They both told me that their agent was either ‘dragging their feet" or just not returning their phone calls. They were looking for advice and wanted to know what they could do.  The first thing to do is to contact the Buyer's Agent, the agent that is representing the Buyer and that the Buyer has signed a Buyer's Agency agreement with. If unable to reach the Agent, contact the Agent's Broker. If they are unresponsive, contact the Georgia Real Estate Commission.  This scenario just shouldn't happen. If a Buyer decides that the house isn't right for them, the agent should just do the termination and release. Why drag it out? Get the paperwork signed and go find another house.

The termination and release agreement is a simple 1 page document.  It's get signed by both parties meaning the Buyer and Seller and everyone can move on. 

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If you are thinking of buying or selling a home, contact local expert and Realtor Jen Bowman, Broker Associate with Success Realty 404-456-5024.

 Read more of the Georgia Real Estate Voice.  Search the MLS here.

This is just a little rant...I received a call today from Campus USA Credit Union. The rep left me a voice mail on my cell phone that starts off by saying we have a mutual client.  She tells me that she has been unable to contact "So and So", who is one of my home Sellers.  She says it's really important that she contact us and asks me to pass this message on.  This bill collector called me twice today looking for my client.  And, no I didn't return her call.

Isn't that unethical or maybe even illegal? Since when did the Real Estate agent become the Assistant for Bill Collectors?  

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If you are thinking of buying or selling a home, contact local expert Jen Bowman, Realtor and Broker Associate with Success Realty serving the real estate needs of Decatur and Metro Atlanta, GA.  404-456-5024

 GeorgiaRealEstateVoice is about local events, local news, real estate and more.  Search the MLS.

Oakhurst and Winona Park Elementary School PTAs are doing an online Auction to raise money. The schools are part of the city of Decatur which is a great place to live, work and play. This is the first year of what will be an annual event. There is a huge amount of things to bid on from art, to a vacation in Tuscany, restaurants gift certificates, salon services, event tickets, etc.  There really is something for everyone.

Donations are still being accepted for people or businesses who want to donate an item or service to the auction.

The auction ends April 17 at 9 p.m.

You will need this password oakwpsis2009 to view the online catalog. It is case sensitive.

Check it out and support our local Parent Teachers Association.

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In Winnona Park there are currently 20 single family homes for sale ranging in price from $230,000-$759,000.

In Oakhurst there are currently 51 homes on the market ranging in price from $139,900-$850,000.

If you are thinking of buying or selling a home, contact local expert Jen Bowman, Realtor and Broker Associate with Success Realty serving the real estate needs of Decatur and Metro Atlanta, GA. 404-456-5024 GeorgiaRealEstateVoice is about local events, local news, real estate and more. 

On Tuesday March 24th, the Washington Park and Valley Brook neighborhoods in Decatur will be holding an Open House for real estate Agents to come out and tour our listings.  From 11:30 am to 3 pm we will be open with refreshments and drawings. Washington Park is a hidden gem in Decatur, GA off of Lawrencville Hwy between North Druid Hills Rd and Dekalb Industrial Way. The weather should be great. Come out and see this little known neighborhood!

Dekalb County even has a small park there, also known as Washington Park with picnic pavilion, grill and playground. 

Homes on Tour include:

•  2801 Arborcrest Drive, Decatur 3 bedroom/2.5 bath for $285K (Keller Williams)

• 2785 Arborcrest Drive, Decatur 4 bedroom/2.5 bath for $299,900 (Avenue Realty)
• The Oaks on Jordan Townhomes, Decatur new construction starting at $209K (Coldwell Banker)

• 2805 Lincoln Drive, Decatur 2bedroom/2 bath with Sunroom (Handicap Accessible) $110,000 (Success Realty)



• 2811 Lincoln Drive, Decatur 3 bedroom/2.5 bath $259,900 (Avenue Realty)
• 846 Cinderella Court, Decatur 3 bedroom/2 bath $189,900 (Harry Norman)
• 3013 Judylyn Drive, Decatur 3 bedroom/1 bath $163,500 (Keller Williams)

If you would like to see these homes or you are thinking of buying or selling a home, contact local expert and Realtor Jen Bowman with Success Realty. 404-456-5024 

Read more of the Georgia Real Estate Voice.  Search for Atlanta Homes. 

There are at least 3 Metro Atlanta area Home Builders that are offering some form of protection if a home buyer were to lose their job.

Bowen Family Homes offers a Safety Net. If the Home Buyer were to lose their job involuntarily, the Bowen Safety net will pay their mortgage of up to $2,000 a month for up to 8 months.  Ryland Homes is offering their own Mortgage Protection plan and so is Atreus Homes. 

Several Home Buyers have told me they want to wait to buy a home in case they lose their job. These innovative Home Builders are overcoming that objection. Interest rates are at historic lows. Home Builders are offering great deals and some are offering mortgage protection.  It really is a great time to buy!

If you are thinking of buying a new construction home, a resale or selling a home, contact local expert and Realtor Jen Bowman with Success Realty. 404-456-5024 

Read more of the Georgia Real Estate Voice.  Search for Atlanta Homes. 

The Atlanta Home Show is this weekend Friday March 20 through Sunday March 22, 2009.  It will be held at the Cobb Galleria Center conveniently located off of I-285 near I-75. The Home Show is great because it gives me ideas, not just for myself but that I can pass on to clients.  How many times have you walked through a house and wondered what can I do with this space? For me that's all the time. The home show is full of ideas, presentations and vendors.

Celebrity guest Joe Washington from HGTV's Groundbreakers will be there on Friday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.  News Talk 750 AM's own Walter Reeves will be there Saturday at noon.  They will be answering questions and garden challenges from the crowd. For more information on Guests and Speakers see the Speaker Schedule . 

Tickets are $10 but you can get a $2 discount here.

Adults - $10
Children ages 12 and under - Free
Adults 65+ with valid ID - Free
Military (active and retired) and First Responders - Buy One Adult Ticket, Get One Free (with ID)
Multi-day passes are available for $15 and allow attendees to return for a 2nd day of the show.

Free Admission for the Atlanta Housing Industry - In order to educate members of affiliated associations, the Home Show is offering Free weekday admission to all members of these organizations: National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), Georgia Professional Real Estate Agents, the Home Builders Association (HBA), National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) and Georgia Real Estate Investors Association (GaREIA) Metro atlanta Landscape & Turf Association (MALTA), and American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) by simply providing your business card on Friday March 20th at the door.

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If you are thinking of buying or selling a home, contact local expert and Realtor Jen Bowman with Success Realty. 404-456-5024 

Read more of the Georgia Real Estate Voice.  Search for Atlanta Homes.