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Real Estate Report January Special Section
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January 2016
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An exciting time for the U.S. housing market Karen Pate, SVP, Broker Harry Norman, REALTORS®, Forsyth/Lake Lanier
households and 82% Hispanic/Latino households still believe that ownership is still good decision. Is home ownership still part of the American Dream? Yes it is! 87% of all U.S. households believe home ownership is part of their dream. Some of the most appealing aspects were: A place to raise a family, A nest egg for retirement, Financial security, Being part of a community and Settling down. What do our renters think? 83% of our renters DO want to purchase their own home! However, affordability is still the number one roadblock. The reasons for not owning were: Can’t afford to buy 53%, Currently need flexibility 19% and Don’t want the responsibility at 11%. What would need to change in order for them to buy? Lifestyle such as marriage or family 33%, Improvement in their finances 26% and Desire to settle down 13%. Truth be known is that 45% of renters still think we are
WOW… Another year gone by! It is an exciting time for the U.S. housing market. The National Association of Realtors has recently created a Home Survey report which monitors consumer sentiment about our housing market. Here are some of the highlights from the December 2015 report: Eighty-eight percent of all U.S. households believe that owning a home is a good financial decision. The study was evaluated by age categories and although those below the age of 34 only 85% thought that homeownership is a good decision this is still a very strong number. What does this mean? It means that in spite of a slow real estate recovery along with the past recession 89% White/Caucasian households, 88% African American households, 84% Asian
in a recession. They also have concern that they may not be able to obtain a mortgage. Unfortunately in many cases this is a myth! If you don’t try you may not know. Among those who thought it would be very difficult to obtain a mortgage, only 10% have attempted to obtain a mortgage and failed. On the flipside, 79% who think it would be very difficult to obtain a mortgage haven’t even tried! Goodness………please contact your local Realtor and ask for a name of a qualified loan officer. When asked about home prices over 50% of the respondents believe home prices in their communities have gone up during the past 12 months. Only 11% believe home prices have gone down and 39% believe they have stayed the same. 42% of the respondents believe that prices will increase over the next 12 months. As the economy improves most likely the home prices will increase. Is it a good time to buy?
Absolutely! Along this line many believe that mortgage interest rates will see a moderate increase. The fact that these rates have remained so low is remarkable. As the economy improves the Feds feel confident to increase their rates and usually mortgage interest rates follow. This survey was done through our National Association of Realtors and was conducted by an established survey research firm, TechnoMetrica Market Intelligence. The data was collected between March and December. It is based only on the consumer’s sentiment and opinion about the housing market. Bottom line……..home ownership still is part of the American Dream! It goes without saying that you should consult with your real estate consultant to discuss your options. A special note to renters: In many cases it is more affordable to purchase vs. rent! Call your agent.
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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 January 1, 2016 and January 31, 2016. “$15,000” can be used towards Design Center Options, lot premiums, finished basement, and other structural options. **Buyers of both To-Be Built homes and Quick Move-In homes that are written between January 1, 2016 and January 31, 2016 are also eligible to receive “$5,000 towards closing costs” and “Limited Time Only Waived 1% Origination Fee”. Both promotions are available only to buyers financing through RMC 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 RMC Mortgage Corporation reserve the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time without notice. See a RMC Mortgage® Corporation loan office for more details. RMC 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. RA2064
January 2016
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January 2016
2016 Home Improvements Brought to you by – BILL RAWLINGS Vice President/Managing Broker, North Atlanta, Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty With 2015 behind us, now is the time to take advantage of a fresh year to make updates around your home and create a new favorite place to relax and unwind. Because your home is so much more than something you buy, it makes sense to spend some portion of your time, energy and money making it really work for you. Home improvements can be daunting, but do not be overwhelmed! By simply tackling one room every month, by the end of the year your home could be completely transformed. Here is a home improvement checklist for 2016: Take out a wall – Removing walls is much less expensive than many homeowners assume. Check with a contractor to find out how a project can be planned and executed efficiently. Extend your living areas outdoors – Outdoor kitchens can be as simple as a table and grill, or as complex as a
wood-burning stove, pool-side bar and bigscreen TV. Built-in organization – Customize your home to manage your stuff and activities by having custom organizing systems built into your closet, office, name pantry or garage. Swap out old windows – New dual-paned windows will make your home operate more efficiently and cut out street noise. Connect your home – You can have your homes systems wired to be able to control lighting, heating and air conditioning remotely. Focus on smaller home improvement projects that will increase the enjoyment of your home. Not sure where to start? The REALTORS® at Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty can offer professional advice and walk through your home to provide opinions of the best renovations and improvements to help you fall in love with your house all over again.
January 2016
real estate report • Sponsored Section
Crye-Leike, REALTORS® Since 1977, Harold Crye and Dick Leike have known great resources make great associates. Crye-Leike, REALTORS® offers several customs programs, in-house and online, to help our associates learn quickly and stay up-to-date with the newest technology and best practices in the real estate industry. Crye-Leike’s website, www.cryeleike.com, annually wins awards from Leading Real Estate Companies in the world for its innovation with property listings and search engine optimization. Unlike other national real estate websites, Crye-Leike.com offers all area home listings including all home photos from the multiple listing service. Over 400,000 listings are updated every 12 minutes on Crye-Leike’s website to ensure the most accurate information. In comparison, studies revealed it can take 7-9 days for new home listings to appear on national sites such as Zillow and Trulia. With over 12,000 visitors per day and 30 million hits per month, no local company comes close to Crye-Like.com on internet activity. Crye-Leike makes substantial in-
vestments to provide agents with the latest and most advanced technological tools in order to give them a viable advantage over the competition. CryeLeike is the only real estate company in the region with a large team of in-house information technology specialists who are readily available to provide technical support and personal training to all sales associates. In 2014, Crye-Leike totaled 183,000 scheduled appointments for showings. Many calls for showings come after business hours and on weekends when many real estate companies are not open. Crye-Leike’s in-house appointment call center is available to schedule appointments on listings seven days a week until 8pm. Crye-Leike’s new appointment software enables home owners and agents to get an interactive view of showings for homes during the selling process. With the combination of in-house call center and custom mobile apps for agents, Crye-Leike offers a superior and more flexible service to give agents and home owners a greater level of collaboration when selling a home.
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Real Estate Report Monthly
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WE connect you to ... 5 of the top 10 wealthiest communities in Georgia all with average incomes over $150,000.
Call to reserve your advertising now: 770-442-3278
Advertising DEADLINE for February: January 26
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3.5 Acre Private Gated Luxury Estate
825 Old Rucker Road, Alpharetta, GA 30004 5 bedrooms / 4.5 baths
Phenomenal one of a kind opportunity, nestled in the heart of Alpharetta and just minutes to the historic Crabapple district.
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January 2016
A little road, well-traveled We drive along our local streets everyday not realizing the vast treasure of folklore and history associated the street names, often named after the families of our founding fathers. One person who is very familiar with this is Connie Mashburn, a local Alpharetta historian who has a vast wealth of treasured stories about the Broadwell, Dorris and Rucker Families. For instance, he tells of one local legend involving John Rucker who hid up in a tree on Old Rucker Road while Sherman’s troops were in the area, foraging and gathering supplies for their march to Savannah. John was afraid he would be spotted, because he had left his shoes at the base of the tree. Fortunately, he was spared from being captured. Prior to that, as a confederate soldier, he was wounded in the war and came home to help other Confederate soldiers enlist. In the heart of Alpharetta, Old Rucker Road is located near the intersection of Broadwell and Rucker Roads. For a small gravel road, it boasts a great amount of charm and history and is home to the oldest standing family home in Crabapple, circa 1833. On this little dirt road there lived two major league baseball players. Nap Rucker, who became a major league baseball player from 1907-1916 and pitched for the National League Brooklyn team, later known as the Dodgers. Nap was elected Mayor of Roswell, Georgia from 1935-1936. He is buried in Roswell, Georgia. Johnny Rucker, was the nephew of Nap Rucker and played as a Centerfielder for The New York Giants from 1940-1946. He was featured on the cover of LIFE magazine in the 1940’s.
He is buried in the Rucker Family Cemetery in Crabapple. So the next time you find yourself driving down these serene, little roads bearing the names of Rucker, Broadwell or Dorris, remember there is a great deal of local history passed along from these families with every stretch of mile you travel. As the great Tommy Lasorda once said “Baseball is like driving, it’s the one who gets home safely that counts.�
January 2016
real estate report • Sponsored Section
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ideal-LIVING Announces 2016 Atlanta Expo Event Wilmington, NC - The ideal-LIVING 2016 Atlanta Resort & Retirement Expo will be held January 30-31, 2016, at the Westin Atlanta Perimeter North, located at 7 Concourse Parkway NE in Atlanta, Georgia. Exhibit hours will be from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday, January 30, and 11 am to 3 pm on Sunday, January 31. The ideal-LIVING 2016 Atlanta Expo is the perfect event for people who are just starting their resort or retirement location search or who have already chosen their area and are ready to narrow their choices. The Expo includes displays and representatives from more than 50 unique lifestyle communities in Georgia, Tennessee, the Carolinas and select international destinations will be on hand to provide information, answer questions and acquaint attendees with special discovery travel package opportunities. This year’s Expo is sponsored by Southern Living which will host a presentation of its Editor’s Choice Awards for the “Best Places to Live in the South.” Southern Living will also be giving away a $500 American Express gift voucher to any of the Southern Living Hotel Collection Members, sponsoring a sampling of delectable Southern desserts, and providing complimentary magazines to attendees. (Free copies of the ideal-LIVING 2016 Choose Your Ideal Place Guide and the ideal-LIVING Winter 2016 magazine will also be available.) Additional events at the ideal-Living 2016 Atlanta Expo will include chef demonstrations and food samplings, as well as “Taste of the Topics” cocktails.
Seminar topics will cover “Choose Your Ideal Place,” “Lifestyle Living Trends” and “Design & Homebuilding Tips,” among others. Featured community presenters will include Balsam Mountain, Bear Lake Reserve, WindRiver, The Landings, Currahee Club, The Reserve at Lake Keowee and Reynolds Lake Oconee. Admission to the Atlanta Expo is free but attendees are encouraged to RSVP for express check in,
hospitality and presentations. Seating is limited. Call 866-840-2524 or visit the website at ideal-LIVING. com/FUN, which also has a complete schedule of events and presentations. For more than 25 years, ideal-LIVING has been hosting Expo events across the country. Based in Wilmington, North Carolina, the company also publishes a quarterly ideal-LIVING magazine and maintains the ideal-LIVING.com website.
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January 2016
We Connect You to… 5 of the Top 10 Wealthiest Communities in Georgia with Incomes over $150,000 • Berkeley Lake – 41%* • Milton – 36% (Milton Herald)
• Johns Creek – 30%
(Johns Creek Herald)
• South Forsyth – 27%
• Alpharetta – 23%
• Dunwoody – 26% • Druid Hills – 26% • Sandy Springs – 25%
• Roswell – 22%
(Forsyth Herald)
(Revue & News) (Revue & News)
• Peachtree City – 21%
The Milton Herald, The Johns Creek Herald, The Alpharetta/Roswell Revue & News, and The Forsyth Herald are the primary local newspapers in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 8th and 9th wealthiest cities in Georgia.
Our Readers Should be Your Customers: • • • • •
Reach over 139,650 Loyal Readers 66% of Appen Readers earn $100,000+ 33% of Appen Readers earn $150,000+ 71% Are College Graduates or Post Grad. 74% Use our Newspapers to Purchase Goods and Services
• • • •
Milton Herald Circulation: 10,000 Forsyth Herald Circulation: 17,000 Johns Creek Herald Circulation: 20,000 Revue & News Circulation: 28,000
Online: NorthFulton.com & NorthsideWoman.com 319 N. Main St., Alpharetta, GA (about 15 miles N. of Atlanta) • Contact us now: 770-442-3278 x100
* Community income data from Atlanta Business Chronicle Sept 16, 2011. ** 27% South Forsyth residents have income greater than $150,000 and 52% greater than $100,000. All of The Forsyth Herald circulation is in South Forsyth County (from the county line up to Cumming). Data for South Forsyth income from Appen 2010 CVC Audit.