Appen Media Group
Real Estate Report April Special Section
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Sponsored Section • real estate report April 2016
Sponsored Section
The importance of great images Brought to you by: BILL RAWLINGS Vice President/Managing Broker, North Atlanta Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty In today’s market, nearly 100 percent of consumers begin the home search process online. There are now apps, virtual tours on listing websites and tools for comparing homes on the market. It is the easiest and most accessible way for buyers to narrow their search before taking the action of going to physically view a home. Pictures say a thousand words, and this is true. With today’s technology, there are so many options for how to display your home through photography. It is important for the image of your home to be professional and appealing because this is how it will be reflected to the market and any potential buyers. The newest trends in the
market for images are aerial views, 3D imaging and twilight views. Choose a great REALTOR® who will be able to assist in marketing your home in the best way. Statistics indicate that professional photography rawlings sells a home 50% faster and 39% closer to the original listing price. The most important images to capture are the most significant pieces of a home, such as the exterior of the home, kitchen, master bedroom, master bathroom and any unique feature that sets the home apart from others. Remember, it will take much more than incredible photos to sell any home. Professional photography will showcase your home in its best light, but it will also help to have a REALTOR® assist you in navigating through-
out the home-selling process. Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty agents deliver results. Allow one of our dedicated professionals to assist you by visiting atlantafinehomes.com or calling our office at
770.442.7300. Adapted from an article that appeared on Realtor.com http://www.realtor.com/advice/ sell/why-you-might-need-professionalphotos-to-sell-your-home/
April 2016
real estate report • Sponsored Section
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Sponsored Section • real estate report April 2016
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage By: Kathy Weeks Managing Broker, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage,
up to a larger home or as a comfortable nest egg if you're nearing retirement and considering downsizing. 2. Has your income or financial situation improved? You should consider your overall financial situation, weeks including current and future expenses, in order to make an educated decision on a price range for a new home. For example, an increase in salary may allow for an increased mortgage. 3. Has your lifestyle changed? Lifestyle changes are one of the most common reasons people choose to move. Starting or adding to a family may require an extra bedroom or additional square footage. A desire to live closer to work or family may provide the motivation for a home in a new town. Or now may be the time to downsize to a home that requires less up-keep. 4. How is the housing supply in your neighborhood? Demand for homes is high and there are currently not enough sellers for potential buyers. Have you noticed there is only a spat-
Today's housing market presents considerable opportunities for both sellers and homebuyers. The demand for homes is high and now that prices are stabilizing, and in many cases increasing, across much of the country, it may be the right time to consider taking advantage of the market and selling your home. While potential homebuyers are aware of the positive impact of historically attractive low interest rates, we're seeing many sellers who are confused and concerned whether now is indeed the right time to put their home on the market. If this is the fence that you're sitting on, here are five questions to help you decide if now is the right time make a move: 1. Have you built equity in your home? Home equity can be defined as the value of a home, minus the amount of outstanding debt. Although equity does not generally develop in the first few years of home ownership, five or more years of home payments may create significant unrealized gains. Any equity you may have can be used to move
tering of for sale signs in your neighborhood? And more importantly - have you noticed how quickly those sale pending signs are posted? With fewer homes on the market, there is more competition for yours, which could mean more offers and potentially more money. 5. Are interest rates attractive? A low interest rate means lower mortgage payments on your next home, even if it is in the same price range.
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage’s Alpharetta office has affiliated sales associates who are experts in Atlanta’s communities and can help you quickly turn your dream into reality. If you’ve been thinking of putting your house on the market, now is a great time. We have buyers searching for properties right now– we’d love to sell them your home! Contact our office today by calling 770-642-0399.
Fabulous Forsyth & Fulton County Locations! Live in One of These Prestigious Counties with Fantastic School Systems, Recreation and Much More Fulton County ManorView (Milton) Phase III Now Open 770-663-0027 Homes from the low $600s to the low $800s
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Promotions in this ad are available only for homes in the Atlanta Division being marketed by Ryland Homes.* Promotion is available to Buyers of To-Be-Built New homes for purchase agreements written between March 15, 2016 and April 30, 2016. “$15,000” can be used towards Design Center Options, lot premiums, finished basement, and other structural options. Offer not valid in the Arbors II at LakeView and Woodbury Preserve communities. **Buyers of both To-Be Built homes and Quick Move-In homes that are written between March 15, 2016 and April 30, 2016 are also eligible to receive “Up to $5,000 towards closing costs”. Promotion is available only to buyers financing through CalAtlantic Mortgage® Corporation and closing through a Ryland Homes preferred closing attorney. Incentives available may vary by community, product and home. Prices, plans, and terms are effective on the date of publication and subject to change without notice. CalAtlantic Homes and CalAtlantic Mortgage® Corporation reserve the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time without notice. See a CalAtlantic Mortgage® Corporation loan office for more details. CalAtlantic Mortgage® Corporation, NMLS ID #203897, holds a Georgia Residential Mortgage License #24225, 8660 E Hartford Drive Suite 200a, Scottsdale, AZ 85255 and branch location 1000 Mansell Exchange West, Suite 210, Alpharetta, GA 30022 License #68278. Homes under contract prior to these offers are not eligible. Promotions may not be combined with other offers. Photographs are for illustration only. For complete details on restrictions and limitations, please contact a Ryland Homes Sales Counselor. © 2016 CalAtlantic Group, Inc. RA 2064
April 2016
real estate report • Sponsored Section
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Alpharetta 770.642.0399 | 3800 Mansell Road, Suite 100 | Alpharetta, GA 30022 Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of the Company. ©2016 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Operated by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker, the Coldwell Banker logo, Coldwell Banker Previews International and the Previews logo are registered and unregistered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. 12083ATL_3/16
Administered by American Home Shield
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Sponsored Section • real estate report April 2016
Crye-leike leads in real e
ARTFULLY UNITING EXTRAORDINARY HOMES WITH
Cumming. 6133 Menlow Court 3BR/2BA FMLS: 5659832 Eleanor Nadal 678.524.8379
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AtlantaFineHomes.com 770.442.7300 ‹ 00;9, 6RWKHE\¡V ,QWHUQDWLRQDO 5HDOW\ $IÀOLDWHV ,QF $OO 5LJKWV 5HVHUYHG $UWZRUN E\ -LOO 6WHHQKXLV XVHG ZLWK SHUPLVVLRQ (TXDO +RXVLQJ 2SSRUWXQLW\ (DFK 2IÀFH ,V ,QGHSHQGHQWO\ 2ZQHG $QG 2SHUDWHG
Buying and selling real estate could be a daunting task, but Crye-Leike makes it easy. Crye-Leike sales associates and their customers are backed by the most up-to-date technology tools in the industry to make any real estate transaction the smoothest and quickest it can possibly be. Tools like Crye-Leike’s website, Crye-Leike.com, and its mobile app create a welcoming and engaging experience. Every 12 minutes, Crye-Leike updates over 400,000 property listings on CryeLeike.com to ensure the most accurate
real estate information available. Over 55 percent of Crye-Leike’s total web traffic is now mobile available (app available on the App Store for IPhone or Android). Crye-Leike’s mobile app and web site display real-time real estate listings that come from numerous member Multiple Listing Service agencies in nine states where Crye-Leike has a market presence. Crye-Leike.com generates over 12,000 visitors per day and 30 million hits per month, statistics that appear to come easy for the nation’s fourth largest pri-
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Spring landscaping can Brought to you by: Jody White
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Š MMXVI Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated.
Curb appeal is essential when selling a home. It’s the homeowner’s opportunity to make a great FIRST impression. A home with lackluster landscaping or an exterior in desperate need of a fresh coat of paint will likely be unappealing to prospective buyers and ultimately could affect the home’s potential value. white Landscaping is typically associated with lawns, trees, bushes and flowers. But today, other items such as fire pits, decks, patios, waterfalls, swimming pools and outdoor lighting‌are all large factors that could add to the resale value of a home. Big factors here in Alpharetta, Milton and Roswell! According to a recent study by Lawn and Landscape magazine, about two-thirds of homeowners say they’ll get less than 60 percent of their landscaping Š MMXVIinvestment Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Equa Independently Owned And Operated. back when they sell the home. Thus, homeowners need to consider how long they’ll be in the home and whether to make short-term updates (for sales appeal) or plan for the long haul (enjoyment for themselves). Homeowners should ask themselves several questions when it comes to the quality of their home’s green space. • Is the landscaping attractive enough to get the prospective buyer to walk through the door? Keep the design simple and contemporary. • Could the landscaping provide cost savings? Landscaping that requires little or no water to maintain is very desirable here in the south. • Is the landscaping energy – efficient for the home overall? For example, it’s a good idea to plant trees in a place where they block the sun while adding beauty to the home. • Are trees planted a safe distance from the home and are they healthy and well maintained? Really important when we have had so much wet weather. Weak, old or damaged trees planted too close to a home need to be removed BEFORE the home goes on the market. Just one less thing a new homeowner will have to do and shows that the present homeowner has taken steps to ensure safety around the home. Jody White’s team provides access to the best teams in the industry to assure your home is ready to show, inside and out! Jody White, Atlanta Fine Homes, 404966-7992.
April 2016
real estate report • Sponsored Section
state internet marketing vately-held residential real estate firm but are definitely earned. Cry-Leike recently won the 2015 Most Effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Strategy Award for outstanding web site marketing of its Crye-Leike.com web site. This coveted SEO award was presented by Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE), a global community of more than 500 high-quality independent real estate firms. As a full service real estate company, Crye-Leike takes pride in offering its cus-
tomers convenience, reliability and efficiency for the past 39 years. While ranked the nation’s sixth largest residential real estate brokerage firm among the nation’s top 500, Crye-Leike is making its mark in Georgia to join its rank of being the largest real estate company in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and the Mid-South. Crye-Leike has a network of over 231 sales associates located in nine branch offices in Georgia to serve you. To find a Crye-Leike location nearest you, visit www.Crye-Leike.com.
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Sponsored Section • real estate report April 2016
Mythbusting the adjustable rate mortgage Brought to you by: Karen Pate Broker, SVP Harry Norman, REALTORS® 1664 Market Place Blvd, Cumming, GA 770-497-2000. In pop culture, myths can sometimes be mistaken for truth. Common ones, like, "don't swim for a half hour after eating," or "we only use 10 percent of our brain," are false even though they're widely taken for fact. The adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) earned a bad rap after the 2006 housing crisis. The problem was, before the crisis, many borrowers were able to qualify for more home than they could actually afford by using interest-only, No Income Verification or No Ratio ARM products. When the housing market tanked and many houses lost value, some homeowners with rising mortgage payments either foreclosed or walked away from their properties. Fast forward 10 years to today. The ARM is back to show potential homebuyers it's not the villain of the housing market. It's time to debunk the myths that give ARMs the "bad guy" reputation it doesn't deserve. MYTH: ARMs are unstable and aren't a good option while the Feds are
raising rates. This myth stems back to the days of the 2008 recession. It's like saying, "dial-up is the fastest way to access the Internet," it's just not true anymore. All ARM loans have annual and lifetime pate caps, so there's built in protection. If stability is what you're concerned with, consider an ARM with a longer adjustment period. For example, Navy Federal Credit Union's 5/5 ARM adjusts only once over the initial 10-year period. Interest rates rise and fall in cycles. Even if rates are increasing now, that doesn't mean they won't be on the downturn when you arrive at your potential adjustment point. Many ARM mortgage holders never refinance to a fixed rate because the many ups and downs of the market happen in-between their adjustment points. Refinancing is always an option for those with ARMs. Just remember to calculate closing costs on your refinance to make sure you're actually improving your situation. Research and the guidance
Kris Harrison
REALTOR®, CRP® Certified Relocation Professional Kris.Harrison@HarryNorman.com Kris.Harrison.HarryNorman.com
770-330-2450 cell 678-461-8700 office NORTH FULTON OFFICE 7855 North Point Parkway, Suite 100 Alpharetta, GA 30022
My focus is on you, assisting you with integrity, dependability and experience. Let me put my experience to work for you.
of a trusted lender will be the winning combo for saving money over the life of your mortgage. MYTH: ARMs are only for people who want to be in a home for a few years. Not true. ARMs have fixed intro periods that can vary from one to even 15 years. If you think you'll own that home for five or six years, a fixed mortgage rate may have a higher interest rate over that span. So why spend the extra money associated for the added security of a fixed rate? "The potential savings on an ARM, can range from $10,000 to $20,000, compared to a 30-year, fixed rate jumbo mortgage," said Katie Miller, Navy Federal vice president of Mortgage Lending. "That's enough money for a down-payment on a car, or part of your child's college tuition." Again, it pays to plan for various scenarios based on how long you plan to own the home. MYTH: Rates only rise when you have an ARM. The term "adjustable" gives the misconception ARMs are unstable. The ARM is very similar to a fixed-rate mortgage; both offer a 30-year term
with no prepayment penalty and early payoff options, among other similarities. The intro rate period (usually a lower rate) and potential rate changes (up or down) over the life of the loan is what makes an ARM unique. Knowing your cap and what the difference in payments are over the life of the loan protects you, even if rates are on a roller coaster. Knowledge is power as an ARM holder. That "power" helps you make necessary calculations to figure out a yearly breakeven point should your interest rate increase and your introductory rate savings begin to decrease. Check out an ARM vs. Fixedrate Mortgage Calculator to see if this type of mortgage works for you Like any myth, do your research before accepting it at face value. If you add up the ARM's initial savings plus the cost to refinance, an ARM is hard to beat from a financial standpoint, and that, is the truth. *Rates are based on an evaluation of credit history, so your rate may differ. **Navy Federal is federally insured by NCUA Navy Federal is an Equal Housing Lender
Corporate relocation is my specialty Brought to you by: Kris Harrison, Harry Norman Realtors I understand the excitement as well as the stress that relocation can bring to a family from firsthand experience. Our family moved multiple times following my husband's career and our children had to face the daunting task of making new friends and going to a new school in a new and different environment. Now that they are older they look back on those transitional years and recognize that the moves made them more confident, self-assured and quicker to accept and embrace change. My career includes 25+ years in real estate and corporate relocation industry, beginning as a Licensed Realtor in Midland, Michigan. In 1993 my family moved to the Atlanta area, where I began working in the corporate side of real estate. Marketing properties, handling contract negotiation,
legal/closings, achieving high list to sales ratios. I recognize that each family's situation is unique and I listen carefully to your needs and concerns throughout our time together. Providing my clients and customers a high harrison touch level of customer service striving to exceed your expectations. As a Certified Relocation Professional, I know the processes of a corporate relocation. I’ll work with your relocation consultant and company, to make sure that your benefits are protected and all aspects of your home sale are monitored closely to avoid any unnecessary delays or problems. My focus is serving my clients with dependability, integrity and experience. Give me a call, I’ll put my focus on you.
April 2016
real estate report • Sponsored Section
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Sponsored Section • real estate report April 2016
THE ULTIMATE NEWCOMERS GUIDE TO NORTH FULTON & SOUTH FORSYTH Reach families in Alpharetta, Roswell, Milton, Johns Creek and Cumming with the 2016 Relocation Answer Book CUMMING
The Relocation Answer Book is the best way to get in front of people who move here. They will all need a new dentist, school, salon, favorite restaurant, assisted care (sooner or later), and so many more. Advertising in the RAB increases your probability of getting those new customers.
MILTON
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