Archive for the 'Roswell Real Estate' Category
Nine Reasons to Buy a Home in North Fulton
categories: Alpharetta Real Estate, Johns Creek Real Estate, Milton Real Estate, Roswell Real Estate, Schools
There are several considerations buyers take into account when moving. The right home, the commute, community, access to shopping and entertainment. But one of the biggest reasons home buyers choose a particular area is for good schools. So here are nine reasons for buyers to search for a home in North Atlanta, because nine Fulton County High Schools were named AP Honor Schools.
Of the nine schools, eight were named AP Merit Schools for having at least 20 percent of students taking AP exams and with at least half of those exams receiving a score of 3 or higher. One of the nine, TEACH Charter High School, was the only Fulton County school to be named an AP Challenge School for having fewer than 900 students and offering AP classes in core areas. Here is the list of schools:
· TEACH Charter High School
· Alpharetta High School
· Centennial High School
· Chattahoochee High School
· Milton High School
· North Springs Charter High School
· Northview High School
· Riverwood International Charter School
· Roswell High School
The eight AP Merit Schools have made the list for the third year in a row. The College Board administers AP exams each spring, with scores ranging from 1 to 5. Students who receive a 3, 4 or 5 on AP exams are eligible to receive college credit or may be exempt from some introductory college courses.
Posted by Bob Strader | Currently No Comments »
Alpharetta Real Estate Market Stats: It’s local
categories: Alpharetta Real Estate, Johns Creek Real Estate, Local Market Conditions, Milton Real Estate, Roswell Real Estate, Schools
I just wanted to put a few numbers together to illustrate that we have to temper what we hear on the news about the housing market. Lately a lot of people have been pointing out to me that the number of homes sold for January 2o10 has gone down, unexpectedly, from units sold in December 2009. It’s true, January wasn’t as good a month in our industry as a lot of people had anticipated. However, just like other markets, we shouldn’t pay too close attention to gyrations that happen over a short period of time, but rather look at trends year-over-year.
The local part
In all of North Fulton (which includes Alpharetta, Milton, Johns Creek and Roswell), across all price ranges there were 202 homes sold in December 2009. That number a month later in January 2010 was 109 or 54% less than the previous month. But looking at the year-over-year figures, the number for January of this year was up 25% over the January 2009 figure of 87 sales.
It doesn’t mean we’ve arrived, but the gloom and doom on the national news isn’t necessarily the case either.
Posted by Bob Strader | Currently No Comments »
North Fulton Home Sales: Market Update
categories: Alpharetta Real Estate, Crabapple, Local Market Conditions, Milton Real Estate, Roswell Real Estate
Here Comes The Sun
It’s been a long cold lonely winter… And there have been a few news reports recently stating that home sales declined from November to December last year and this means the recovery won’t happen or the light at the end of the tunnel is much further away. The reason is kind of obvious, with the first-time home buyer tax credit originally expiring at the end of November there was a rush by home buyers to get in under the wire. So news reporters keeps driving this negative point in some effort to perpetuate some scary outlook for the economy.
To be sure, jobs are still an issue and looks like they will be for some time, but the real estate market here in Atlanta is still trending in a positive direction, just like it was in November. For instance, the number of single family homes sold in Metro Atlanta for Dec 09′ has increased over Dec 08′ and for condos/townhomes that increase is more than 20%. So, I’ve put together some numbers for North Fulton specifically…
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Single Family Homes Sold |
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Sold |
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Sold |
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Dec-08 |
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Dec-09 |
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Increase |
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Alpharetta / Milton / Johns Creek |
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121 |
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150 |
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23.97% |
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Roswell |
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52 |
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71 |
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36.54% |
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Duluth* |
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54 |
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57 |
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5.56% |
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All of N. Fulton |
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164 |
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200 |
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21.95% |
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*includes some sales in Gwinnett |
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We are outpacing the rest of metro Atlanta and inventory levels are down to levels not seen since 2005. Foreclosures are still an issue despite a high level of competition among buyers for bank owned property. But take note of those stale subdivisions because builders like Ashton Woods and John Wieland are on a buying spree, and why wouldn’t they be with half priced lots out there in subdivisions like Breamridge and Crabapple Crossroads. There is pent-up demand for reasonably priced new construction, which buyers tend to gravitate to. Barring any significant economic hiccups we’ll hear the sounds of hammers and saws again in Crabapple and the surrounding area. It’s already happening in Forsyth County… and those homes are selling briskly.
Posted by Bob Strader | Currently No Comments »
It’s Homestead Exemption Time for New Homeowners
categories: Alpharetta Real Estate, Crabapple, Johns Creek Real Estate, Milton Real Estate, Roswell Real Estate
You’re an excited homeowner who purchased a home in 2009. You just spent your first Christmas in your home and the new year is kicking off. Now is the time for all those new homeowners in Alpharetta, Milton or the rest of Atlanta to file their one-time Homestead Exemption. And what exactly is the homestead Exemption? Simply put it is an exemption for some of the property taxes you would owe on your primary residence and it remains in effect for the entire time you live there. So, if you own the property, reside on that property, and are a legal resident of the County, all as of January 1st of the tax year, you may qualify for homestead exemption.
The exemption amounts differ by county. For instance, in Fulton County the exemption for 2010 is $25,000. That will go up to $30,000 in 2011. In Forsyth County the Homestead Exemption is $8000.
The appropriate forms to file can typically be found on the county website page for the Tax Assessors Office, here are phone numbers and links to a few of those:
- Cherokee County – 678-493-6120
- Cobb County – 770-528-8600
- Forsyth County – 770-781-2106
- Fulton County – 404-612-6440
- Gwinnett County - 770-822-8800
Posted by Bob Strader | Currently No Comments »
Shhh…..Developed Lots are Beginning to Move in North Fulton
categories: Alpharetta Real Estate, Crabapple, Lots, Milton Real Estate, New Construction, Roswell Real Estate
I don’t hear anyone talking about this but I’ve noticed recently that some residential developed lots in Alpharetta, Roswell and Milton have sold. Builders appear to be cherry-picking some good values out of foreclosure. On the surface it may sound surprising with what seems like a lot of resale inventory still out there. However, that inventory is down to levels not seen since the end of 2005. And, of course, new construction inventory fell of a cliff.
On top of that, the first time home buyer tax credit has been expanded and extended to move-up buyers that have owned their home for at least 5 of the last 8 years. With 47% of home sales this year (nationally) coming from first time buyers; this tax extension / expansion will definitely help bring those inventory levels down even further.
The lots that seem to be moving are mostly in more expensive communities such as Echelon , The Overlook at Litchfield, The Manor Golf and Country Club and newer communities that have not really been built out too much, like Crabapple Oaks . Homes for sale in Crabapple Oaks were originally listed for the high $800’s but are now selling in the low $600’s. In fact, there is a fantastic deal in one of the new Crabapple communities that I’m surprised hasn’t been jumped on yet. However, one surprising sale was a 1 acre lot in Country Club of the South that sold for $750K. Not exactly what I would call a deal, but someone certainly wanted it.
I had recently written a post about this same situation in Forsyth County, where builders were buying developed lots for sale out of foreclosure, building new homes in the first time buyer price range and selling them rather briskly. This is a clear indication that there is a healthy appetite for new construction and again, may be a leading indicator of a stronger recovery in the local housing market. I think we will see more of this to come in the 1st half of 2010.
Posted by Bob Strader | Currently 1 Comment »
An Un-Insurable Home?
categories: Alpharetta Real Estate, Milton Real Estate, Miscellaneous, Roswell Real Estate
Well…sort of.
I learned something new yesterday and I have to admit, I still can’t believe it’s true. We have a buyer under contract to close on a foreclosure by the end of the month. Of course, with foreclosures you have the ability to perform an inspection but typically they are purchased as-is. Banks usually won’t make repairs. Prior to the closing one of the last things on a buyers list that usually gets done is lining up their home-owners insurance. By the time buyers get around to contacting their insurer we are well past all the due-diligence and contingency periods.
Shocked!
So, we all were quite amazed when the buyers insurer told them that there was a previous claim on the property for a new roof, which was paid out to the previous owner. No proof of repair was ever provided to the insurance company so the claim was still “open”. Because of this, the buyers insurer said there was pre-existing damage that had been paid on and they would not insure this home. That’s right, they would not insure the home. After checking with other insurance providers we realized that this was the answer we were going to get everywhere.
The sort of part….
What they will do is provide insurance but the repairs must be completed within 60 days of closing. We’re in the process of negotiating with the bank to reduce the sales price of the home by the amount of a new roof and we feel pretty sure that we’ll get that amended. But I have to believe there are more than a few homeowners out there who took some insurance money without making repairs. In any case, this is something that will need to be clarified during negotiations moving forward and some well crafted stipulations will be added to our contracts.
This was news to us and I thought it might be news to you. Has anyone run into this before?
Posted by Bob Strader | Currently No Comments »
Northview High School at Head of Class
categories: Alpharetta Real Estate, Milton Real Estate, Roswell Real Estate, Schools
There is a reason both locals and people from out-of-state pick North Fulton to buy a home and the recently reported SAT scores show exactly why. Students, teachers and people who live in the Northview High School distract can be proud of the fact that the average score there was up 31 points this year to 1722 out of a possible 2400.
What is really amazing is that they had the highest participation rate with over 550 students taking the test. It’s great for those kids and great for homeowners living in that district. Here is the list:
| High School | Total Score | Change |
| Northview | 1722 | +31 |
| Alpharetta | 1686 | +28 |
| Chattahoochee | 1678 | +11 |
| Centenial | 1614 | -19 |
| Milton | 1657 | -10 |
| Roswell | 1671 | -6 |
| Fulton County | 1584 | -9 |
| GA | 1460 | -6 |
| U.S. | 1509 | -2 |
Contact us about homes for sale in any of these High School districts, search for homes in the Northview HS district or specify the High School District you’re interested in living in.
Posted by Bob Strader | Currently No Comments »
North Fulton Buyers Running Out Of Homes?
categories: Alpharetta Real Estate, Foreclosures, Milton Real Estate, Roswell Real Estate
OK, we’re not exactly running out of homes. I did want to get your attention though because the inventory of single-family resales are the lowest they have been in more than 2 years. And, foreclosures seem to be selling like hotcakes in North Fulton. I pulled some quick numbers of inventory levels at the end of June for this year and the previous two years, take a look:
| June 2007 | June 2008 | June 2009 | |
| Active SF Resale Listings in North Fulton | 2024 | 2279 | 1970 |
While nearly 2 thousand homes sounds like a lot, keep in mind that the area I looked at is all of North Fulton both west and east of Hwy 400. This area includes Roswell, Milton, Alpharetta and Johns Creek. Another interesting note is how low the percentage of resale listings are foreclosures in North Fulton. Take a look below:
| Total | No. of REO | % REO | |
| Active Listings in Metro Atlanta | 43412 | 4442 | 10.2% |
| Active SF Resale Listings in North Fulton | 1970 | 63 | 3.2% |
Compared to all of Metro Atlanta, North Fulton has a pretty low percentage of bank owned properties. The reason for that could be the fact that North Fulton Schools remain in high demand. Most buyers out there are looking for deals so the foreclosures get snapped up more quickly. So, if you are looking for a foreclosure in this area, don’t waste too much time thinking about it.
But on the flip-side, if you want a well maintained, move in ready resale and you are looking in a very specific area or school district - there may not be as many out there as you think. Sellers offering more for less (a home in perfect condition and priced well) should be able to move their property in a reasonable amount of time.
Case in point: I listed a home in the Highlands at Park Bridge community on June 12th (about 3 weeks ago) and put it under contract on July 3rd. They had the home in perfect condition and the sales price was exactly where I thought it would end up - so there were no surprises for anyone.
Posted by Bob Strader | Currently No Comments »
