Community Focus: Cross Creek

Community Focus: Cross Creek

By Bill Forrest, Realtor

Just looking at these three photographs you would think that you are far outside the perimeter at a golf and tennis retreat in the foothills. Close but not quite so.

Cross Creek is a hidden gem located in the heart of true Buckhead with-in the exclusive 30327 zip code. The feeling you get living here is that you are far removed from the city. Actually you are in the heart of it, just minutes to everything. This is achieved by having 122 lush acres on Peachtree Creek, just off I-75 between Moore's Mill and Howell Mill exits; Just off Peachtree Battle.

'Buckhead's Best Kept Secret' the History...

This community is not a secret but so many have not heard of it especially those that have not grown up in Atlanta. Ask anyone that lived in Buckhead in the late 70's or early 80's and with a sheepish grin they will say "Oh Yeah I Know Cross Creek."  This place was the place to be if your were single and it was the life of the party in Buckhead. There are stories that are too funny to believe that actually happened here.  I am told that they are all true. That is what happens when you mix  Delta Pilots, Braves Players, Flight Attendants, TV Personalities, and a host of other crazy fun people with generous servings of alcohol from the Cross Creek Cafe.

Now those risque days of dancing on the bar, wearing next to nothing are long gone but the vibe here is far from stoic. Cross Creek is well under way with a renaissance that is exciting to be part of and watch. It is a great place to live that offers a vibrant social and resort lifestyle in the heart of the city. Past the Cafe, Beyond the Guardhouse and the friendly gate attendants, there is a major exterior renovation taking place and the second phase is almost complete.  In addition, over the last year or so all of  the tennis courts and two of the three pools have been completely rebuilt.  As part of that the pools are being converted to salt water from chlorine. The golf course has had some renovations too.  This walking course is unique to Atlanta.  It is a par three executive short course with the longest hole being 165 yards. Residents only pay $7 for 18 holes.

The Condominiums:  Country Club Living without the County Club Price

One of the great things about being older property is that the units are stunningly huge. Many have sunrooms and even wood burning fireplaces. The 30+ floor-plans range from 850 sqft One Bedrooms, to 2500 sqft Three Story Townhouses, to even 2600 sqft Four Bedroom Flats. There is a size and floor-plan to fit just about any taste/need. There are even Studio Lofts available from time to time. Recent sales make Cross Creek one of the most affordable communities in Buckhead.

See full details at www.CrossCreekATL.com

Call me today at 404-353-9233 for a private VIP tour of our community and all that it has to offer.  I love living here and you will too.

Bill is a Associate Broker at Common Ground Real Estate Team in Atlanta,  A Division of PalmerHouse Properties more details at BillForrest.com

Still Paying Rent? How Would You Like $600,000.00?

Still Paying Rent?  How Would You Like $600,000.00?

By Bill Forrest, Realtor

If you are reading this chances are that you just don't get why home/condo ownership is such a big deal.  No worries we will show you.  You are young right?, Living in the moment not thinking about long term, and Thinking this apartment is good enough for now, Right?

Chances are if you are living in Midtown, Buckhead, or Another trendy area you are paying $1500 a month in rent for a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment or condo....with absolutely no return on your money

The Biggest Reason to Own is Building True Wealth

No, this is not a pyramid scheme or network marketing. This is what the other 65% of Americans already know. Home/Condo ownership is about building true wealth effortlessly for them, effectively for free.  

For $1500.00 a month you are currently paying you could own a great condo that has better amenities, space, finishes and appliances than your apartment in the same neighborhood.  With interest rates at a all time low it is truly cheaper to have something better by owning. An you could have $600,000.00 or more in real wealth over time essentially for free as well.

But Why? The $600,000.00 Question

Rent is just that rent.  You get nothing in return for your hard earned money.  With ownership there are two major things in play.  As you pay a mortgage you are paying off the loan.  That is not rocket science. But what makes this even more powerful is that the property is appreciating or increasing in value at the same time. Yes it is not a constant, There are peaks, valleys, and market corrections.  But history has always shown that home values consistently appreciate over time long term. Even with the recent market correction, over the last 30 years, there has been a average annual appreciation of 3.4%.  That doesn't sound like a lot of money but its surprising. lets play it forward:

(This could be much more if the appreciation rate is higher than 3.4% or if you make major improvements to the property.  Nothing in life is guaranteed but this believed to be solid and conservative.)

So with today's interest rates, For $1500.00 a month you can get a great $210,000.00 condo. ( That monthly mortgage payment includes principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and HOA.) So if you pay rent over the next 30 years you have nothing. But history shows us that for the SAME payment if you own instead, You can have built true wealth of over $543,000. Why, that 210K condo you bought in 30 years should be worth $543,000.00 or more and you then owe NOTHING on it...

Where is the other $60,000.00 you ask?

TAX REFUNDS...  Yes! the mortgage interest that you pay each month and your property taxes are tax-deductible on your income taxes.  If you have a great job and are in the highest tax bracket, that refund for you first year could be as much as $3933.47. Even better is the $81,324.57 in possible tax refunds over the life of the loan. 

Yeah that's thirty years from now, What about short-term?

Based on the above example of market appreciation of 3.4% even the first year you will see gains (some condos and homes in Atlanta are appreciating at 18% currently). Year One:  $7,140.00 equity increase and tax return of 3933.47 possible.  In year five that jumps to over $50,000 in appreciation/equity and a 5 year total of over $19,000.00 in tax returns are possible. With renting: ZERO Wealth.

Why Buy Now?

Because of the market correction and interest rates.  There is a old rule in real estate that still holds true today:  If you buy low it doesn't matter when you sell; you will make money. Most properties are still undervalued in the Atlanta marketplace and are currently appreciating as much 18% annually right now.  This of course will flatten out, but now is the time to buy.  By most all accounts, Interest rates are at a all-time low and are only going to go higher as the economy expands.

How Do I get Started?

Call me and I will help you find the right lender for you to reach your real estate goals. Once we have your loan secured; then I will help you find your 'Ideal Home.' Best of all my services as a Buyers Agent are free. A Buyers Agent works for you, Their loyalty, confidentiality, and fiduciary responsibility is to you, but paid for by the home-seller. They agreed to pay a buyer's agent commission when they listed the home for sale thus free to you. Give me a call at 404-353-9233 or E-mail and I will be happy to send you my guide to home/condo ownership that explains how the process works, how I make it fun & painless for you, and why NOT having a Buyers Agent can cost you thousands.

Another Good Article about why home ownership can be found here:

http://www.businessinsider.com/10-major-advantages-to-owning-a-home-2014-9

More about Bill can be found at BillForrest.com

Search the FMLS like an Agent in real-time at www.SearchIntown.com

Does a Kitchen Remodel Provide a Return on Investment?

Does a Kitchen Remodel Provide a Return on Investment?
-Bill Forrest, Atlanta Realtor

The short answer is YES
But the bigger questions are what type of remodel and how much of a return...

As the home owner the actual cost of a remodel is dependent upon your own skill sets and how much of the labor you can complete yourself. A lot of these projects can be a sense of great pride in knowing "I did that."
A lot of our local Home Depots, Lowes, and Ace Hardwares provide free or low cost classes teaching and providing hands on training to expand these skill sets.

But first, CALL ME or another favorite REALTOR to evaluate your proposed project if the return on investment is a major goal or concern. We can help you maximize the return by providing helpful insight into what is a 'real trend' v. a 'fading fad' especially in countertops, finishes, flooring types, colors, etc. We can also make recommendations of subs and service providers that have a proven track record. But, most importantly, We can alert you to market conditions so you do not over-improve and diminish your return.

In a lot of cases a Kitchen Remodel can be defined as minor but impactful

There is a lot of talk about reuse, recycle, and sustainability these days and that can have the biggest impact on defining the scope and costs. In a lot of cases the current kitchen cabinets are very functional and just look dated. Replacing the entire cabinet box and exterior can be very costly and push the project into the "Major" category. Simply refacing the cabinets can be an effective technique to save a lot of money and time without losing the wow factor. Of course knocking out walls and complete reorientation of a kitchen design can in some cases eliminate the ability to reuse the current cabinetry.

Costs and Returns

Research for Atlanta, Georgia has provided some interesting results according to the Remodeling 2014 Cost vs. Value Report (www.costvsvalue.com). They studied minor vs. major kitchen remodels in the area
The findings are that a Minor Remodel has a higher return at 79.7% and a Major Remodel has a 74.9% return.  The average minor remodel had a cost of $18,889 and major tipped the scale at a average cost of $54,798. As you can see there is a big difference in costs.

The question of return is a market and marketability question that only your REALTOR can answer.  Give me a call at 404-353-9233 and I would be happy to help you evaluate your plan, possible options, and provide insightful suggestions.

Home in the Picture is Available for Sale: Click here for Details

My Recommended Service Providers can be found by clicking here


Other costs info and definitions:
MINOR KITCHEN REMODEL DEFINED: In a functional but dated 200-square-foot kitchen with 30 linear feet of cabinetry and countertops, leave cabinet boxes in place but replace fronts with new raised-panel wood doors and drawers, including new hardware.Replace wall oven and cooktop with new energy-efficient models. Replace laminate countertops; install midpriced sink and faucet. Repaint trim, add wall covering, and remove and replace resilient flooring.
MAJOR KITCHEN REMODEL Update outmoded 200-square-foot kitchen with 30 linear feet of top-of-the-line custom cherry cabinets with built-in sliding shelves and other interior accessories. Include stone countertops with imported ceramic- or glasstile backsplash; built-in refrigerator, cooktop, and 36-inch commercial grade range and vent hood; built-in warming drawer, trash compactor, and built-in combination microwave and convection oven. Install
high-end undermount sink with designer faucets and built-in water filtration system. Add new general and task lighting including low-voltage undercabinet lights. Install cork flooring, cherry trim.

Defoor Ferry Townhomes Break Ground

A lot of questions have been bounced around about this project at 2108 Defoors Ferry Road next to the Century 21 Office and the Shell station.

There are 23 to 25 townhouses going in on this deep tract complete with 2 car garages. The exterior is to be brick with other exterior accents. They will be a mixture of 3 and 4 bedroom residences, high-end finishes, and sized 2300 to 2800 sqft.  The floor plans and designs are currently being finalized.  Check back for future updates...

As always, I am happy to answer any of your real estate questions.  I am just one call away at 404-353-9233, email bill@billforrest.com, or on the web at BillForrest.com

Peachtree Hills is having a very interesting market cycle.

Peachtree Hills, like at lot of the neighborhoods inside the perimeter, is in a blended market cycle.  There is a 8 month supply of available homes at current sales levels. This usually denotes a buyers market. But, in this case that is not the whole story. Peachtree Hills is a community that has many different types of homes, many different sqft ranges, and  in many different states of condition. What the trends are showing is that there is ample supply of homes creating a buyer's market if you are looking in the $400,000 to $575,000 price range.  If you get outside of this range it is definitely a sellers market.  But it is a strong market with homes selling for a average of 99% of list price in the last 90 days.

For full details of your neighborhood's 90 day market trend visit MyIntownHomeValue.com  This is a really cool interactive report that shows everything going on in your community market wise (or the one you want to move to) Like a 401K report for your home. Best of all its free and no spam!

As always, I am available to answer any and all of your Atlanta real estate questions, Just give me a call at 404-353-9233 or email Bill@BillForrest.com

Decluttering - Is so important when preparing to sell your home - here's how

One of the most difficult tasks in getting a home ready for sale is decluttering.  Decluttering is crucial to presenting your home at its best to perspective buyers. The only thing more important is cleanliness. So to help with this I wanted to share this great article from one of our great service providers Drab to Fab Organizing.  -Bill  

Organizing 101: Using the 3 M’s to C.O.P.E.

In a world filled with so much information, literally at our fingertips, how do we narrow our focus to practical and applicable tools for our daily lives?  And how is that different in the world of ADHD?

The solution I use with my clients: the 3 M’s will help you COPE.

Clutter represents deferred decisions. Nowadays, we move so fast we are often distracted. We can’t or don’t exercise the discipline needed to make quick, in-the-moment decisions and follow-through on making them happen. This is especially true of the flood of stuff in our homes. Consequently, surfaces are covered and piles accumulate.

When we do decide to buckle-down and get organized, many of us lack the ability to create order out of chaos, to choose the right system of containers & tools. We are overwhelmed by the merethought of where to start.

To reduce clutter and create some breathing room, set a goal to tackle the 3 M’s: Minimize, Maximize, & Maintain.

Minimize To find some peace in your hectic life, you must minimize. This is easier said than done with ADHD in the mix, so consider finding a “Body Double” who will help you purge, and then you do the same for her. This can be a friend, or a paid organizer. Think in terms of 4 piles: trash, recycling, keep or donate.

Maximize Learn to maximize the way space is used and take advantage of the available space you have. Start small, with one area at a time, and tackle your home surface by surface, closet by closet.

Maintain Order is a constant process, fluid and changeable, and there is joy in the journey. When we continually minimize the amount of items in a space, maximize the use of the available space, and pay attention to keeping it maintained, we have a plan to keep things organized and peaceful.  Once you’ve decided what to keep, and are on the path to maintenance, it’s time to take things to the next level of detail and C.O.P.E:

• Categorize (group like items together)
• Order (put things in order)
• Proximity (put things near where they will be used)
• Ease of Use (make sure things are easy to access)

Don’t underestimate how simple this sounds—it’s really effective to put a little bit of extra thought into where and how to store items you decide to keep.

Now, some people would prefer to have someone else handle organization, leaving them free to do other things that are more natural and enjoyable, and there’s no shame in that! When you have ADHD it can be particularly helpful to have support and assistance in the process. Just in case you want to tackle organization on your own – and remember to consider a body double if you do — here are a few more tips to keep you on track:

1. Set boundaries around when, where, and for how long you are going to “get organized.” Set an appointment with yourself, use a timer, and be specific about where you are going to focus your energy. If you tend to get caught in “zigzag organizing” — jumping from room to room or area to area – then take on two projects at a time and when one gets boring, move to the other. But limit yourself to only those projects! Set a timer for 15 minutes before the end of your scheduled session, and begin to straighten up so that you can leave the space livable until your next session.
2. Start with the obvious by working with items that are already out in the open, on the floor, countertops, entry-ways, spilling out of baskets/containers, etc. Do not go pulling stuff out of drawers and closets before you have cleared out the obvious clutter. It could lead to overwhelm and possibly abandoning the effort entirely.
3. Set yourself up for success by making sure you are free from distractions. Turn off the phone, get coverage for the kids (or give them a job), don’t plan to leave in the middle of the process for another appointment, and be sure to have supplies like sorting containers, big trash bags, sticky notes for labeling, a big black marker, cleaning stuff, and the vacuum for those dust bunnies that will pop up during the process!
4. Make sure the organizing session is fun by playing inspirational music (whatever that means for you), making sure there is enough light in the space to see what you are doing, having scheduled breaks with special goodies to snack on, and having a reward in place for when you complete the task!

Finally, remember that there is no shame in asking for help, either from a professional or from a trusted friend who will keep you on track, without judgment. It helps make organizing happen more quickly, and with greater success.

The simple skills outlined above are applicable to numerous areas of life, not just getting organized. Learning them and teaching them to your children will have wide-reaching and lasting benefits.  Good luck and Happy Organizing!

Avoid Seller’s Remorse

From professional photography to pricing strategy, you’re choice of REALTORS® can affect how your home is marketed to qualified buyers. Choosing Common Ground Real Estate to list your home for sale is the first step to a faster closing and a higher return on your property investment.

As REALTORS® who keep a watchful eye on the real estate market, we’ve seen what happens when sellers choose the wrong agent: amateur photographs that don’t show homes in the best light, pricing strategies that make homes unattractive to buyers and unprofessional marketing that can damage a buyer’s opinion of a home.

 It’s what Common Ground Real Estate calls seller’s remorse. Here’s how we avoid it:

Elite Marketing

Home Photography

Common Ground Real Estate is one of the few (if not the only) full-service real estate company in Atlanta that offers professional, HDR-merged photography for homes at every price point. Check out several examples of our work.

Property Books

Metro-Atlanta’s two major listing services, FMLS and GAMLS, allow 25 photos and a property description no longer than 756 characters, even though some homes have so much more to say. See some of our marketing booklets we’ve made for our clients.

Custom Websites

While many agents may purchase domain names linked to templated fliers and a few additional photos, we design interactive sites with beautiful slide shows and professionally written property descriptions  that can elevate even the finest of homes.Learn more about the custom sites we design for our high-end listings.

Want to learn more?  just reach out to Bill Forrest at 404-353-9233 or Bill@BillForrest.com 

BillForrest.com