Patricia Kalmeijer, Realtor ®| 678-386-3896 | patriciakalmeijer@jennypruitt.com | www.patriciakalmeijer.jennypruitt.com
MARCH 2008
Compared to the rest of the country, Georgia's cost of living is 11.83% lower than the U.S. average.
S ELLING A HOME FOR TOP DOLLAR IN TODAY ’ S MARKET CONDITIONS TAKES MORE WORK THAN SIMPLY LISTING THE HOME ONLINE … HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY ! Find out what your realtor is actually doing to get your home sold
Your realtor should invest in numerous tasks that will lead to the successful sale of your home. Those include but are not limited to guiding you through the selling process, providing you with knowledgeable advice like staging your house (recommend repairs or cosmetic work that will significantly enhance the salability of your property), advertising in newspapers and other media, scheduling and hosting open houses, emailing new listing to all contacts and current buyers, coordinating SEVERE DROUGHT showings, getting feedback from agents after showings, keeping you in the loop, negotiating the best possible deal, managing the paperwork, Find out more Georgia’s drought preparing for the closing, and more. Your realtor should present you score with the Sperling Drought with a detailed and efficient marketing plan ... Index Methodology. Ever wonder what house upgrades will provide the best return on your dollar when the time comes to sell? www.droughtscore.com
DID YOU KNOW? The air released from a sneeze can exceed the speed of 100 mph!
Reuse Paper Bags Bringing your own bags with you when you shop is a great way to cut down on waste. Have you heard about this ordinance? In Gainesville, it is illegal to eat chicken with a fork….
Check Remodeling Magazine’s "Cost vs. Value Report" where you can view various remodeling projects. The report provides an estimate of the job cost along with the added value on resale and continues by calculating the percentage of the cost recouped. www.costvsvalue.com/atlanta
Before You Buy Inspect! Buying a home is one of the most important purchases you will make in your lifetime, so you should be sure that the home you want to buy is in good condition. A home inspection is an evaluation of a home's condition by a trained expert. During a home inspection, a qualified inspector takes an in-depth and impartial look at the property you plan to buy. The inspector will review the readily accessible exposed portions of the structure of the home, including the roof, attic, walls, ceilings, floors, windows, doors, basement and foundation, as well as the heating/air conditioning systems, interior plumbing, and electrical systems for potential problems. Home inspections are not intended to point out every small problem or any latent defect in a home. Most minor or cosmetic flaws, for example, should be apparent to the buyer without the aid of a professional.
Epicurean Corner
F l u f f y Pa n c a k e s Ingredients - 3 large eggs - 1 cup flour (122 gr) - 1 heaped teaspoon baking powder - 1/2 cup milk (110 ml) - Pinch of salt (optional) Method • Add the flour, baking powder and milk to the egg yolks and mix to a smooth thick batter • Whisk the whites (with the salt) until they form stiff peaks • Fold carefully into the batter • Pour some of your batter into the pan and fry - on a medium heat - for a couple of minutes until it starts to look golden and firm • At this point, sprinkle your chosen flavoring onto the uncooked side before loosening with a spatula and flipping the pancake over • Continue frying until both sides are golden
Donate your furniture Atlanta Furniture Bank www.furniturebankatlanta.org Atlanta Tool Bank www.toolbank.org Habitat for Humanity “The ReStore” www.atlantahabitat.org/restore.asp
You can make these pancakes large or small, to your liking. You can serve them with maple syrup, butter, chocolate or crème fraiche… Bon appétit!
Famous Georgians Ray Charles (1930-2004), singer, pianist, composer, born in Albany. “Georgia” would become the song most associated with Ray Charles and was adopted as Georgia's official state song on April 24, 1979. What was just a ”tune” written in 1930 by two college roommates has been recorded by Charles only at the suggestion of his chauffeur…
Meet me at one of my Open Houses. Every Sunday from 2 - 5 pm. Check my website to find out where I am www.patriciakalmeijer.jennypruitt.com
MY LISTINGS FOR SALE • 282 Cottonwood Creek Circle, Canton, GA 30114 at $119,840 • 116 Ashton Farms Drive, Canton, GA 30115 at $797,000 • 3181 Davis Road, Marietta, GA 30062 at $234,840 • 229 Baywood Way, Hiram, GA 30141 at $158,500 RENTAL • 4511 Chattahoochee Way, Marietta, GA 30068 at $3,850/month
The Language of Real Estate - When is a Real Estate Agent a REALTOR®? A real estate agent is a REALTOR® when he or she becomes a member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, The Voice for Real Estate®, the world's largest professional association. The term "REALTOR®" is a registered The percentage of homes sold without professional representation has continued to decline since 1997. The survey also indicates most “For Sale By Owners” end up working with a real estate agent.
collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and abides by its strict Code of Ethics.
The AIRNow website Find out more about the daily air quality. It tells you how clean or polluted your outdoor air is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for you. http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.fcsummary
Why not start out with a higher price and just see what happens? Since buyers have so many choices, some homes are taking months, not weeks, to sell. If you don’t price your home competitively from the start, you run the risk of having your house on the market for a very long time … or not selling at all.
Would You Pay More For A Green Home? Email me your comments Financial Trauma Recognize early the warning signs of serious financial problems and get more choices for a successful solution. Don’t let your cash flow become anorexic. Here are a few tips: • Don’t live paycheck to paycheck • Don’t spend more than you earn • Get a good insurance (medical debts seem to be a serious cause of bankruptcy) • Pay more than the minimum payment on your credit cards Useful tip: to keep your extension cords from getting tangled, insert them into a empty toilet paper roll to store...
Patricia Kalmeijer, Realtor ®| 678-386-3896 | patriciakalmeijer@jennypruitt.com | www.patriciakalmeijer.jennypruitt.com