If you are thinking of making a move to the Atlanta area, Alpharetta is only 25 miles from downtown Atlanta and a city to consider.  Alpharetta is one of the fastest growing communities in the South. Its environment is considered ideal for raising families and living a quality lifestyle free from the problems found in so many similar sized cities and away from the bustle of Atlanta. Alpharetta offers  a moderate cost of living and pleasant climate throughout the year.  The median home price is around $264,000 and there are a variety of homes to choose from single-family homes to beautiful custom homes to townhomes and condominiums.  It’s beautiful parks and quaint streets make Alpharetta an attractive community for residents and visitors alike. Alpharetta has a thriving culinary scene, leading arts district, luxury accommodations, exciting recreation and entertainment and infinite shopping.  Alpharetta appreciates the arts and supports their local artists.  The city is home to several performing arts venues, numerous galleries and cultural events.   Some of the art galleries you’ll have to visit are Matilida’s Enchanted Cottage, Monfort’s Fine Art Gallery and Carter House Gallery.  Matilda’s shows work from local folk artists.  It’s unique and interesting cottages are a sight for the senses and exhibits true craftsmanship.  If you are interested in the music scene, The Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park is an outdoor venue and has the capacity to house 12,000.  Here you will enjoy big name acts like Tom Petty and the Grammy award-winning Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.If shopping is your favorite pastime, then you’ll appreciate all of the interesting and unique shops.  Alpharetta offers seven unique shopping districts making shopping in Alpharetta extraordinary. One area is the quaint antique shops along Main Street downtown and specialty boutiques along Windward Parkway.   Another is the North Point Mall.  It’s an obvious favorite with more than 160 stores that have all the stores you recognize, dining opportunities and many more. Alpharetta’s history is well-preserved in this city.  Early colonist first built tent communities in the early 19th century and farmed the land and grew cotton.  By 1857, the city was chartered and named Alpharetta or ‘First Town’ in Greek.  Downtown Alpharetta Historic District is located in the center of Alpharetta and showcases several historic buildings dating from the late 1800s and older. The downtown area has been restored, replacing more modern buildings with period structures, and includes dining, shopping, and widened brick sidewalks.

If you are thinking of making a move to the Atlanta area, Alpharetta is only 25 miles from downtown Atlanta and a city to consider.  Alpharetta is one of the fastest growing communities in the South. Its environment is considered ideal for raising families and living a quality lifestyle free from the problems found in so many similar sized cities and away from the bustle of Atlanta. Alpharetta offers  a moderate cost of living and pleasant climate throughout the year.  The median home price is around $264,000 and there are a variety of homes to choose from single-family homes to beautiful custom homes to townhomes and condominiums.  It’s beautiful parks and quaint streets make Alpharetta an attractive community for residents and visitors alike. Alpharetta has a thriving culinary scene, leading arts district, luxury accommodations, exciting recreation and entertainment and infinite shopping.  Alpharetta appreciates the arts and supports their local artists.  The city is home to several performing arts venues, numerous galleries and cultural events.   Some of the art galleries you’ll have to visit are Matilida’s Enchanted Cottage, Monfort’s Fine Art Gallery and Carter House Gallery.  Matilda’s shows work from local folk artists.  It’s unique and interesting cottages are a sight for the senses and exhibits true craftsmanship.  If you are interested in the music scene, The Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park is an outdoor venue and has the capacity to house 12,000.  Here you will enjoy big name acts like Tom Petty and the Grammy award-winning Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

If shopping is your favorite pastime, then you’ll appreciate all of the interesting and unique shops.  Alpharetta offers seven unique shopping districts making shopping in Alpharetta extraordinary. One area is the quaint antique shops along Main Street downtown and specialty boutiques along Windward Parkway.   Another is the North Point Mall.  It’s an obvious favorite with more than 160 stores that have all the stores you recognize, dining opportunities and many more.

Alpharetta’s history is well-preserved in this city.  Early colonist first built tent communities in the early 19th century and farmed the land and grew cotton.  By 1857, the city was chartered and named Alpharetta or ‘First Town’ in Greek.  Downtown Alpharetta Historic District is located in the center of Alpharetta and showcases several historic buildings dating from the late 1800s and older. The downtown area has been restored, replacing more modern buildings with period structures, and includes dining, shopping, and widened brick sidewalks.

Atlanta is a bustling metropolis full of new possibilities.  If you are new to the Atlanta area and are considering relocating, you’ll find no finer city than Atlanta.

There are many things that draw people to relocate to Atlanta.  Quality of life is defined by the individual.  However, Atlanta embodies what most people are looking for: affordable homes, moderate climate, employment opportunities, good schools and plenty of world-class entertainment.

There is a variety of homes to choose from in the Atlanta.  The area offers condos, town homes, single-family homes, lofts, and high-end luxury homes.  The median price for a home in Atlanta is $223,000 making the city one of the most affordable areas to live in the country.  For those with families, the Atlanta school district is made up of Distinguished Schools.

Atlanta is a city full of trees and parks and offers plenty of outdoor activities.   The Chatttahoochee River is a great resource for hiking, canoeing, and fishing, with parks built along 48 miles of its banks.  The Chattahoochee National Forest offers 430 miles of trails, scenic drives, and camping.  Piedmont Park is another option located in midtown and great for family fun and includes a playground, pool, bike paths, and tennis courts.  Grant Park houses the Atlanta Zoo and is the oldest continuously run zoos in the country.  Stone Mountain Park also offers miles of trails and a glimpse of history as you view the Confederate war heroes sculpture carved into the granite.  For those wishing to combine their love of history and outdoor activities, you can visit Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.  The Oakland Cemetery is the resting place for many Confederate soldiers, several generals, and some of Atlanta’s famous residents, such as Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone with the Wind.

Living within the city limits offers many advantages.  The city offers employment in many diverse industries such as tourism, transportation, communications, government, and industry.  Atlanta is one of the most visited cities in the world which makes tourism one of the largest industries in the city.

Atlanta was also on Forbes list as one of the most entertaining cities.  Some of the reasons Atlanta made the list is due to the number of restaurants, live theater venues, bars, museums and sporting events.   Some great places to visit are the World of Coca-Cola, Centennial Olympic built fro the 1996 Olympics and the Atlanta Aquarium.  For history buffs, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site is a must see.  One of the live theater venues in nearby Cobb County, the Cobb Performing Arts Center, hosts performances from the Opera, Atlanta Ballet and many national tours.  For sports enthusiasts, Turner Field is home to the Atlanta Braves.  Before catching a game, fans can

Atlanta is a bustling metropolis full of new possibilities.  If you are new to the Atlanta area and are considering relocating, you’ll find no finer city than Atlanta.
There are many things that draw people to relocate to Atlanta.  Quality of life is defined by the individual.  However, Atlanta embodies what most people are looking for: affordable homes, moderate climate, employment opportunities, good schools and plenty of world-class entertainment.
There is a variety of homes to choose from in the Atlanta.  The area offers condos, town homes, single-family homes, lofts, and high-end luxury homes.  The median price for a home in Atlanta is $223,000 making the city one of the most affordable areas to live in the country.  For those with families, the Atlanta school district is made up of Distinguished Schools.
Atlanta is a city full of trees and parks and offers plenty of outdoor activities.   The Chatttahoochee River is a great resource for hiking, canoeing, and fishing, with parks built along 48 miles of its banks.  The Chattahoochee National Forest offers 430 miles of trails, scenic drives, and camping.  Piedmont Park is another option located in midtown and great for family fun and includes a playground, pool, bike paths, and tennis courts.  Grant Park houses the Atlanta Zoo and is the oldest continuously run zoos in the country.  Stone Mountain Park also offers miles of trails and a glimpse of history as you view the Confederate war heroes sculpture carved into the granite.  For those wishing to combine their love of history and outdoor activities, you can visit Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.  The Oakland Cemetery is the resting place for many Confederate soldiers, several generals, and some of Atlanta’s famous residents, such as Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone with the Wind.
Living within the city limits offers many advantages.  The city offers employment in many diverse industries such as tourism, transportation, communications, government, and industry.  Atlanta is one of the most visited cities in the world which makes tourism one of the largest industries in the city.
Atlanta was also on Forbes list as one of the most entertaining cities.  Some of the reasons Atlanta made the list is due to the number of restaurants, live theater venues, bars, museums and sporting events.   Some great places to visit are the World of Coca-Cola, Centennial Olympic built fro the 1996 Olympics and the Atlanta Aquarium.  For history buffs, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site is a must see.  One of the live theater venues in nearby Cobb County, the Cobb Performing Arts Center, hosts performances from the Opera, Atlanta Ballet and many national tours.  For sports enthusiasts, Turner Field is home to the Atlanta Braves.  Before catching a game, fans can

If you are thinking of making a move to the Atlanta area, you might want to consider the city of Kennesaw.  Kennesaw is a suburb of Atlanta and was named “10 best towns for families” by Family Circle magazine a few years ago.

Located in Cobb County, Kennesaw offers big city opportunities with suburban charm.   Just far enough away from the city, residents enjoy wide-open spaces, affordable housing, good jobs and top-rated public schools.  The median home price is around $194,000 and there are a variety of homes to choose from single-family homes to beautiful custom homes to townhomes and condominiums.  It’s beautiful parks and quaint streets make Kennesaw an attractive community for residents and visitors alike.

Kennesaw holds a unique distinction as a Preserve America Community.  In March 2004, First Lady Laura Bush awarded the city this honorary title. The Preserve America program is a White House effort to encourage and support community efforts for the historic preservation and enjoyment of America’s priceless cultural and natural heritage.

This program recognizes and designates communities that protect and celebrate their heritage, use their historic assets for economic development and community revitalization.

Kennesaw’s history is well-preserved in this city and worthy of the White House title.  During the American Civil War, Kennesaw, or Big Shanty as it was called then, was the site of major fighting in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain.   Now the area is known as the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park and contains many historic areas dating back to this period.  Another place in the city that pays tirbute to this time period is the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History.  The museum is the current preservation and display location for The General, the locomotive that played the key role in the Great Locomotive Chase in the Civil War.

Downtown Kennesaw offers several specialty shops and restaurants.  And with Atlanta approximately 20 miles northwest, there is easy access to shopping and entertainment in the city as well.  The booming service economy and the large migration of Northern companies into the South have brought lots of opportunity for employment for the area. The cities economy is composed mostly by distribution, service industries, retailers and manufacturing and has many opportunities for employment.  For higher education, Kennesaw State University is located in the city and is the third largest college in the state.

Being a suburb of Atlanta offers residents access to entertainment and historic landmarks to visit.  A few notable mentions are the World of Coca-Cola, the Georgia Aquarium,  CNN Center, Stone Mountain Park, Underground Atlanta, Centennial Olympic Park and the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site just to name a few.

Kennesaw’s low cost of living, affordable homes and quality of life are just some of the reasons to move to this beautiful city.

I am presently looking for the good in bad news. I had a good year last year, and I am trying to scratch out a living this year too. I believe there is a lot to be said for the power of positive thinking. If prices are at the level that they were in the late 1990’s that is great for the buyers looking for a deal. Granted the homeowners who purchased in the past three years and have to sell are in the proverbial pickle barrel. The media does not help the situation with the constant barrage of negative press. I believe that networking is a powerful tool and a lot of good can come from the experts in our field banding together to help educate the homeowners of the options available to them in a crisis. The following is an excerpt of a report I receive, from smart numbers, concerning the Atlanta market:

 

There were 2,520 closings for all single family housing in January or a decline of 24.3% from January 2008. We would have to go back to January 1998 to find a month with less closings than we had in January. 

 

There were 2,220 closings for single family detached in January. This is a reduction of 22.1% from the same period a year ago and the 29th monthly year-to-year decline out of the past 30 periods.

 

There were 300 closings for single family attached in January. This is a decline of 37.6% from January 2008 and will mark the 12th monthly year-to-year percentage decline of 25% or more out of the past 17 periods.

 

The average closed prices that are being reported for January are almost unbelievable. Many areas, property types, etc have average and mean closing prices that are back to late 1990’s levels. Prices have not corrected, but have collapsed.

 

The average sale price for all single family closings in January was $181,799. You would need to go back to February 1999 for a lower average price. January’s average is also $90,000 below the all-time high from June 2007.

 

I am going to repeat what I stated in December’s year-end letter, as I feel strongly that liquidity in the markets is very important for 2009. “I believe resales will have year-to-year monthly increases starting at the end of the 2nd quarter with new construction following two quarters later or the end of the year.

How much we improve will depend on how effective our government will be to improve liquidity and the ability to lend for our real estate industry.

If our financial markets fail in the ability to fund and fund all-types (conforming, non-conforming, jumbo, etc) of mortgages, it will be a very slow upward turnaround.”

Smart Numbers © 2009 Smart Numbers

Holy Cow…We had snow here in the South, yes in Atlanta! It never ceases to amaze me how a a little flake or two can bring a city to it’s knees. Both of my appointments  cancelled yesterday due to the weather….OK I have to admit I chickened out on the evening appointment due to the inclement weather, but by gosh I made it to the nail salon! I have my priorities you know!! Tonight I braved the cold and made it to one of the cancelled appointments from yesterday, as I was leaving they said be careful of the ice…I kinda chuckled to myself and thought how sweet…and I no more than got around the corner and BAM…busted it right into the side of my car…papers flying, searing pain in the right hip…and my pride left lying there on the asphalt!   UUUGGGH…where is spring?

Atlanta has Snow!