debbysdishaboutatlantarealestate

Happy New Year – 2013

Fun Facts to share at your New Year Celebration:

• Probably the most famous tradition in the United States is the dropping of the New Year ball in Times Square, New York City, at 11:59 P.M. Thousands gather to watch the ball make its one-minute descent, arriving exactly at midnight. The tradition first began in 1907. The original ball was made of iron and wood and weighed 700 pounds; the current ball is made of Waterford Crystal, weighs 1,070 pounds, and is six feet in diameter. There are over 9,000 LED lights, but uses hardly any energy. The ball was not lowered in 1942 and 1943 due to wartime restrictions.
• New Year is the oldest of all holidays, as it was first observed in ancient Babylon as many as 4000 years ago.
• Celebrating New Year on January 1 is purely arbitrary, as neither it has agricultural significance nor astronomical. Many countries still celebrate it in spring, the season of rebirth of new crops.
• In various South American countries like Bolivia, Ecuador or Brazil, there is this tradition that has to do with yellow underwear. This means that you have to wear it immediately after midnight as it seems that yellow brings good luck. All women in Mexico who want to find their love in the new year have to wear red underwear.
• In Denmark, it is a good sign when you find broken dishes in front of your door. Danish people specially keep a few plates that they break on New Year’s Eve at their friends’ doors. However, the tradition is no longer used.
• The first month of the year i.e. January has been named after God Janus (Latin word for door), in the Roman calendar. Janus is the God with two faces, one looking backwards and one forward, at the same time and marks the ‘spirit of the opening’
• The Romans began a tradition of exchanging gifts on New Year’s Eve, by giving one another branches from sacred trees, for good fortune. The gift phenomenon is prevalent from those times, till date.
  source: http://www.weirdfacts.com

Best wishes for the New Year!
Debby

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Can you help these buyers find a new home?

Some of my colleagues are having a hard time finding homes for their buyers due to the inventory shortage and we could use your help. If you or someone you know has a match please let me know and I’ll connect you with the right person.

1. Area: South Buckhead, Mid town
Price Range: $450,000 and $750,000
Number of Bedrooms: Three to Four bedrooms
Age Range: Open
Garage: Must have
Wants: Prefers a Ranch, open floor-plan with higher ceilings
Fenced backyard that is a walk out
Client is very tall so no homes with slating rooms
Will consider: a town home if it has an outdoor area that could be fenced for a dog

2. Area: Buckhead and Sandy Springs
Price Range: $750,000 and $1,500,000
Age Range: 2000 to 2012
Number of Bedrooms: Four plus bedrooms
Basement: Must have
Must Have: Private Backyard and walk out from main level and Renovated or Updated
Will not consider: No Stucco of any kind, no busy streets or backs up to a main road

3. Area: Roswell, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs and Alpharetta
Preferably on the east side of 400
Price Range: $450,000 and $750,000
Age Range: 1990 to 2012
Number of Bedrooms: Four plus bedrooms
Lot Size: ½ acre plus- will consider smaller if the backyard is private and has an area to garden– Client is gardener and the backyard is very important
Will not consider: No Synthetic Stucco will consider hard coat, no busy streets or backs up to a main road and No cluster communities
Wants: Would love to be on the river or lake
Open floor plan with 9 plus ceilings
Will consider homes that may need updating

4. Area: Buckhead or Historical Brookhaven
(Sarah Smith, Jackson, or Morris Brandon)
Price Range: $650,000 and $950,000
Number of Bedrooms: Four plus bedrooms
Lot Size: Must be able to accommodate pool
Must have: 9 plus ceilings Potential to expand

5. Area: Vanderlyn School District:
Price Range: up to $650,000
Number of Bedrooms: Four plus bedrooms, three full baths
Basement: Must have
Must Have: Potential to expand or add an additional two car garage
Yard for kids and dog

6. Area: Buckhead, Vining, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody
Price Range: up to $650,000 maybe $750,000 if exceptional
Looking for a house on the river, small lake or creek
Will not consider: No Ranches

7. Area: Roswell,
Preferably on the east side of 400
Price Range: $300 to $350K
Age Range: 1990 to 2012
Number of Bedrooms: Minimum of three, Master or main level bedroom/full bath
Lot Size: 1/3 acre okay not too much yard work
Will not consider: No Synthetic Stucco, will consider hard coat, no busy streets or backs up to a main road and no cluster communities
Basement: Not necessary
Open floor plan with 9 plus ceilings
Would like home to be updated, move in ready or new construction.

8. Area: Milton or CCOS, Windward
Price Range: $700 to $1,200K
Age Range 2000-2012
Number of Bedrooms: Minimum of four-prefer Master on Main
Lot Size: Would prefer minimal yard work large lot okay with a lot of Natural Areas. Prefers walk out backyard level to kitchen
Will not consider: Synthetic Stucco, DESIRES A WHITE HOUSE, or lighter color Hardiplank okay or White Brick, no busy roads.
Farm House style home, Southern Plantation
Basement: Full/Finished au pair suite preferred.
Open floor plan with 9 plus ceilings, lighter wood finishes
Would like home to be move in ready

I also wanted you to be the first to hear about a new listing that hasn’t even hit the market yet. If you or someone you know would like to arrange a private tour before the home is listed, contract me today! Here are the details:
Neely Farm – Located on a quiet cul-de-sac, this home features 7 bedrooms, 5.5 baths and a fabulous finished basement. Approximately 7000 square feet in all! Numerous custom details, a full kitchen renovation, and a top notch floor plan including a bedroom suite on the main level make this home a must see! Will be priced in the mid $600’s

Thinking about making a move yourself? Just follow this link to find your dream home: http://www.debbybraun.com/search_atlanta_mls_listings.asp

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Inventory is LOW! We need homes to sell!

Housing inventory is at an all time low in the Atlanta market. The graph above is an excellent demonstration of that point. There are approximately 44,000 fewer homes on the market compared to April 2008. Every day at least 50 more homes are selling than are being listed. Increasing sales is a good thing. However, it’s crucial that we have more homes to sell for the Atlanta real estate market to recover. So make your contribution and get in the game today to take advantage of the unique opportunities presented by today’s market:

• For sellers lower inventory means less competition, especially this time of year!
• Sellers with homes <$500,000 that want to move up can benefit from the seller’s market for their current home and buyer’s market for their next home. How perfect is that?
• Buyers MUST be prepared to act fast when that hot new listing pops up. Being pre-qualified for a loan is a HUGE plus to make that happen.
• Buyers might find themselves in a multiple offer situation so be ready to submit your best offer the first time to beat out the competition.

As always, I’m happy to discuss any of these points in more detail with you or someone you know. All you have to do is ask!

Excited about doing your part to aid our real estate revival? Just follow the link below to check out home sales in your area &/or to find your dream home: http://www.debbybraun.com/search_atlanta_mls_listings.asp

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FREE Real Estate Education Opportunity!

Back by popular demand:  

YOUR FIRST HOME Seminar: Saturday, December 8, 10:00 am – noon

Drawn from the real-life experience of hundreds of thousands of first-time home buyers, Your First Home provides proven, practical guidance on topics such as hiring a real estate agent, securing financing, finding the right home for you & closing on and maintaining your new home.

In addition to gaining an abundance of extremely useful information, our gift to you for attending is a copy of the book for FREE. Don’t miss this great chance to learn. Reserve your space NOW before they’re all gone. Just let me know if you, a friend, family member or colleague would like to attend and we’ll save a space for you.

Class will take place at the Keller Williams Realty-First Atlanta office located at 200 Glenridge Point Pkwy, Ste 100, Atlanta, GA 30342.

Coming soon…The Millionaire Real Estate Investor.  Stay tuned for more details.

Ready to start searching for your dream home or that perfect investment property!  Just click on this link to get started immediately: http://www.debbybraun.com/search_atlanta_mls_listings.asp

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