<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
    <channel>
        <atom:link href="http://www.thinklouise.com/blog/rss/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
        <title>Atlanta Real Estate Blog</title>
        <link>http://www.thinklouise.com/blog/</link>
        <description>Atlanta Real Estate Blog - Learn about the metro Atlanta real estate market and community events. Get advice on your real estate purchase. Your opinions are always welcome!</description>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.thinklouise.com/blog/new-georgia-law-changes-property-tax-assessment-procedure.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.thinklouise.com/blog/new-georgia-law-changes-property-tax-assessment-procedure.html</link>
            <author>louise@thinklouise.com (Louise Scoggins)</author>
            <title>New Georgia Law changes Property Tax Assessment Procedure</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Georgia recently passed &ldquo;The Property Tax Assessment and Appeals Reform Bill&rdquo; (Senate Bill 346) on June 7, 2010.&nbsp;Highlights include:

1. Every property owner will receive an Annual Notice of Assessment and the right to appeal;2. Every Notice of Assessment must contain the estimated property tax (in dollars);3. Appeal period has been extended to 45 days;4.&nbsp;Alternative streamlined appeal option for properties valued over $1,000,000;5.&nbsp;Automatic taxpayer victory on appeals when government fails to respond within 45 days;6.&nbsp;Requirement that all relevant sales, including distress sales, be included when determining Fair&nbsp;Market Value (FMV);7.&nbsp;Requirement that only &ldquo;current use of property&rdquo; be used in determining FMV;8.&nbsp;Taxpayer must be given access to all data used in determining FMV;9.&nbsp;Sales price establishes FMV for next tax year.&nbsp;Remember that a reduction in the assessment does not always reduce the actual bill.&nbsp; Other factors such as the millage rate, homestead exemption, and other exemptions will also affect the final tax bill amount.
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:55:28 -0400</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.thinklouise.com/blog/totally-renovated-roswell-ga-home-for-sale-570-willeo-road.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.thinklouise.com/blog/totally-renovated-roswell-ga-home-for-sale-570-willeo-road.html</link>
            <author>louise@thinklouise.com (Louise Scoggins)</author>
            <title>Totally Renovated Roswell GA Home For Sale - 570 Willeo Road</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Amazing renovation in awesome Roswell location! Move right in to this fabulous 4-bedroom, 3-bath home. Everything has been redone in this home! Gorgeous kitchen features new cabinets, Silestone counters, stainless steel appliances, breakfast bar, and eat-in breakfast area. The separate formal dining room opens up from the kitchen and leads into the perfectly staged family room. Lots of windows let the natural light in! Decorator colors throughout! 

Upstairs, you will find the Master bedroom featuring 2 closets and totally renovated bathroom. Gorgeous tile in the shower and Silestone counters along with new fixtures give this bathroom a classy look and feel. Secondary bedrooms are generously sized and provide ample closet space! Hall bathroom is also totally renovated with new tile, Silestone counters, and updated fixtures. 

Downstairs, the finished basement could be the ultimate Man Room! Large media room, wet-bar and wine fridge, full bath, and additional bonus room/5th bedroom lends itself easily to become an awesome lair. Tons of additional living space makes this home even more desirable! The bathroom down here is my favorite! Walk-in open glass shower and beautiful tile work make this bathroom one of the prettiest I have seen. 

The exterior of the home boasts parking for 4-cars!!! 2-car carport plus detached 2-car garage equals an awesome space for those with multiple cars or the need for additional storage. Private back patio overlooks the wooded backyard&hellip;the perfect spot for an evening cocktail at the end of a long week. 

Incredible location is just minutes from Downtown Roswell and everything it offers! &nbsp;Awesome restaurants, boutique shops, antiques and more are just around the corner from this home. Just a few minutes to the Chattahoochee River for walking, kayaking, biking, or feeding the ducks. Its also a straight shot to the Avenues of East Cobb for even more shopping and dining. 

Dont miss out on your opportunity to live in the mix of it all! Call now for your private showing!



&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 

&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:25:52 -0400</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.thinklouise.com/blog/towne-lake-hills-east-824-hillcrest-lane.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.thinklouise.com/blog/towne-lake-hills-east-824-hillcrest-lane.html</link>
            <author>louise@thinklouise.com (Louise Scoggins)</author>
            <title>Towne Lake Hills East Home For Sale - 824 Hillcrest Lane</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Move right in to this fabulous family home in coveted Towne Lake Hills East in Woodstock, GA!&nbsp; This home features 5-bedrooms and 3.5 baths, as well as a fully finished basement. Two-story foyer immediately welcomes you into this open and flowing floorplan that features a formal living room, separate formal dining room, and open kitchen and family room. The kitchen is light and bright, featuring granite counters, tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances (including a double oven!), breakfast bar and eat-in breakfast area. The kitchen area overlooks the family room, giving this home a great flow for entertaining! 

Upstairs, you will find the large Master Suite, featuring a sitting area, bathroom with His-n-Hers vanities, jetted tub, separate shower and HUGE walk-in closet! The sitting area peeks out to the treetops in the backyard and makes for the perfect place to curl up with a good book after a long day. The three secondary bedrooms are all generously sized with a shared hall bath. You will also find the laundry room conveniently located upstairs, with oversized storage closet behind it&hellip;an ideal spot for suitcases or Christmas decorations that are hard to haul down from the attic!

The finished basement features a guest bedroom and full bath, as well as a large media room, office or exercise area, and additional unfinished storage area. The exterior of the home boasts a screened porch off the breakfast area, and a party deck that runs along the back of the house. There is also a second screened porch off the media room on the terrace level! 

Ultra private lot in the back of the community is situated on a cul-de-sac. Low traffic makes this an incredible location for kids to be able to ride bikes, skate, etc. The backyard is level and backs up to a wooded area and creek  ensuring ultimate privacy!

Amenity-rich Towne Lake Hills East features swim, tennis, golf, clubhouse, and restaurant, all within the super-convenient are of Towne Lake. Just minutes to shopping, dining, banks, grocery stores, Lake Allatoona&hellip;.you name it, you will find it! A great place for any family to call HOME. Dont miss out on your opportunity to view this home. Call Louise today!

&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:56:26 -0400</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.thinklouise.com/blog/fannie-mae-extends-35-seller-assistance.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.thinklouise.com/blog/fannie-mae-extends-35-seller-assistance.html</link>
            <author>louise@thinklouise.com (Louise Scoggins)</author>
            <title>Fannie Mae Extends 3.5% Seller Assistance</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Fannie Mae just announced the extension of its seller assistance&nbsp;program on all Fannie Mae owned HomePath properties. Buyers will receive 3.5% of the final sales price to be used toward closing cost assistance or their choice of selected appliances.&nbsp; 

The offer is available to any owner-occupant who closes on the purchase of a property listed on www.HomePath.com by June 30, 2010
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Fri, 30 Apr 2010 12:09:41 -0400</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.thinklouise.com/blog/details-on-new-tax-credit-extension.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.thinklouise.com/blog/details-on-new-tax-credit-extension.html</link>
            <author>louise@thinklouise.com (Louise Scoggins)</author>
            <title>Details on New Tax Credit Extension</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Its official: the homebuyer tax credit has been extended through April 30th, 2010!&nbsp; Not only has it been extended, its been expanded upon and improved as well. Check out the details:

If you have a home that closes by April 30th, 2010, you are eligible for a hefty tax credit. First time homebuyers (those who have not owned a home in 3+ years) will qualify for an $8,000 tax credit. Newly added to the bill: repeat or &ldquo;move-up&rdquo; buyers could also qualify for a $6,500 tax credit. If you have owned your current home for 5 consecutive years out of the last 8 years, then you can get the $6,500 tax credit on the new purchase. Thats pretty cool! 

Also, if you havent closed on something by April 30th, but you are at least under contract on something by April 30th, you can still qualify for the credit so long as you close on that home prior to June 30th, 2010. 

There are a few restrictions worth noting: Income limitations are set at $125,000 for a single person, and $225,000 for a couple. Repeat buyers may not exceed a purchase price of $800,000. You must provide documentation proving your purchase when making your claim (easy to do with your HUD 1 Settlement Statement provided at closing).

Sooo&hellip;.the question now is, what are you waiting for! Now is the time to buy. The government is going to pay you thousands of dollars to buy a home. Dont miss out on that incentive! Act now and take advantage of the opportunities this market presents!
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:41:13 -0500</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.thinklouise.com/blog/act-now-if-you-are-a-fha-buyer.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.thinklouise.com/blog/act-now-if-you-are-a-fha-buyer.html</link>
            <author>louise@thinklouise.com (Louise Scoggins)</author>
            <title>Act NOW if you are a FHA Buyer!!</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Changes to the widely popular FHA loan program are currently in legislation&hellip;two VERY major changes. The first one under consideration is changing the down payment amount from 3.5% to 5%. The second one is decreasing the amount of concessions allowed from 6% down to 3%. 

These are MAJOR changes that will greatly affect a buyers cash-to-close if passed. Lets look at some numbers. On a $150,000 purchase, the current down payment required by FHA would be $5,250, or 3.5%. If the new law changes, that down payment will increase to 5%, or $7,500. Thats a significant increase!

With the concessions, FHA currently allows up to 6% in concessions. This can be used for seller-paid closing costs, repair credits, allowances, etc.&nbsp; 6% of $150,000 is $9,000. Many buyers use this elevated concession allowance to help cover ALL of their closing costs. Granted, most closing costs are not 6%, but many times they are higher than the 3% that FHA is proposing it be changed to. 

FHA is a program utilized by many first time homebuyers. The 3.5% down payment is a huge draw for first time homebuyers. The up-to-6% in concessions is also a great negotiating tool for a buyers agent to help get her buyers to the closing table with as little money out of pocket as possible. The 6% concessions amount ensures that we can negotiate with a seller so that all closing costs are covered. Dropping it down to 3% will ultimately mean more money out of pocket for the buyer. 

So&hellip;potential increase in down payment and decrease in concessions allowed means ACT NOW!! If these changes are approved, it may mean you qualify for less home that you would right now, based on the cash you will need to close. The same priced home you are looking at today will actually cost you thousands of additional dollars in down payment and closing costs if these changes pass. 

Oh, and did I mention that rates are ridiculously low?? Im talking 4.5  4.78%. And those rates wont last either&hellip;they are slated to go up next year. NOW is the time to buy people! I cant stress it enough&hellip;
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:15:54 -0500</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.thinklouise.com/blog/8000-tax-credittime-is-running-out.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.thinklouise.com/blog/8000-tax-credittime-is-running-out.html</link>
            <author>louise@thinklouise.com (Louise Scoggins)</author>
            <title>$8,000 Tax Credit...Time Has Been Extended!!</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Attention First-Time Home Buyers!!! Time is running out has been extended to claim your $8,000 tax credit&hellip;as of August 19th there are only 103 days left to close on a home&nbsp;. You now have until April 30th to be under contract on a home to receive the credit. That may seem like a long time&hellip;over 3 months! But in house-hunting time, thats not very far away. Also, most people will wait until the last minute and find themselves in multiple offer situations as the deadline approaches. This happened last time to several of my clients and they lost out on the home they really wanted because they were unwilling to pay over list price. My advice...DON'T WAIT!!&nbsp;
Below was the old scenario for the tax credit expiration on November 30th. 
Lets work backwards for a moment: On average, you need about 30 days from the time you have an accepted contract until you are able to close. So, if you need to be closed on something by the end of November, then you would need to be under contract on something by the end of October. Ideally, you should be under contract on something before the end of October. Not only are lenders and attorneys going to be overloaded with files to close before the tax credit expires, but we also lose a few working days for Thanksgiving Holiday. This means things will be VERY hectic for lenders, underwriters, and attorneys at the end of November, and they may need more than the usual 30 days to get your file closed. The sooner you can get your file to them the better!

So now we are looking at mid-October for you to be under contract on something. We are nearing the end of August now. That really only gives you 6-7 weeks of looking at properties before you would have to make a decision and start writing up an offer. It can sometimes take several days to negotiate an offer, or longer than that if you are working with a foreclosure (banks are typically slower at responding than regular sellers are). Again, the sooner you start looking at homes and narrowing down your choices, the better!

Given the 100-odd day deadline looming upon us, I would not recommend procuring a sale with a home listed as a &ldquo;short sale&rdquo;. Short sales can be very tricky, and can take several months to actually get closed. Also, since short sales are contingent on the banks approval, they may not close at all&hellip;leaving you back at square one with your home search. Short sales are only recommended for those with no time frame needed. 

Whats the next step, you say? Talk with your lender and make sure your loan pre-qualification is taken care of so that when you do find a property, you can jump on it without hesitation. Then, give me a call so we can get the home search started! Remember, Buyer Agency is at NO COST to you! Put my 8+ years of knowledge and expertise to work for you. 

One last thing worth mentioning, and thats the $1,800 State tax credit. This credit is open to ALL homebuyers closing on a home before November 30th, 2009. The credit is broken up over 3 years worth of tax returns. So&hellip;all in all, there is almost $10,000 worth of FREE money available to you for purchasing a home in the next 3 months. 

Act NOW! Dont wait! Dont you want FREE money from the government simply for buying a home?? The deals are amazing, rates are low, and you get paid almost $10,000 for making the smartest decision of your life. Call or email me today and I will help you get started!
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:51:11 -0400</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.thinklouise.com/blog/the-perfect-storm-for-home-buyers.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.thinklouise.com/blog/the-perfect-storm-for-home-buyers.html</link>
            <author>louise@thinklouise.com (Louise Scoggins)</author>
            <title>The Perfect Storm for Home-Buyers</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
The Perfect Storm for Home-Buyers

In my 8 years of selling Real Estate, never before have I seen a market like we are in. There are many things that you could call the market right now, but I like to believe that the current market is an opportunistic market. Rates are at historic lows, inventory is up, and with the new tax credit for first time home-buyers, its the perfect storm for buying a home.

Lets look at this point by point...

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

First up: Interest rates are at historic lows. Interest rates have been hovering around 5% and sometimes even down into the 4s for several months. The difference of even half a percent in your rate can save you not only substantial cash every month in your payment, but literally thousands of dollars over the life of your loan. I know this personally from experience in buying my new home. The difference in my payment went down about $200 from when I originally pre-qualified with my lender to when we actually locked in at the lower rate. So why wait for rates to go back up?? Act now and save money!

Next point: Inventory is up. Yes, its true. Inventory is up nationwide. Atlanta is not an exception. There are probably 50 or more homes at any given moment that would be well suited to your &ldquo;wants and needs&rdquo; for your new home. So, because inventory is up, values are down. Sellers are more motivated to sell now than ever before. Non-distressed sellers are competing with foreclosure pricing and (unfortunately for those sellers) you as the buyer are reaping those benefits. So&hellip;why wait for home values to stabilize?? Buy now and get a great deal on your new home!

Last point: The $8,000 home-buyer tax credit is now in place for first time home-buyers who purchase a home in 2009. This is literally FREE money to you on your next tax return. Thats right, I said FREE MONEY. The government is actually going to pay you $8,000 for buying a home this year if you are a first time home-buyer. So, again, why are you passing up FREE money?? Attention first time home-buyers!! Act now and get your FREE MONEY!!

We may never seen conditions like this ever again. This perfect storm of opportunistic market conditions for buyers may never rumble around again. Dont listen to the media. Listen to your local Realtor. If you can, NOW is the time to buy. You are saving money in every which direction possible (and in some cases, actually being paid for buying a house!). BUY now, SAVE money. Its that simple, home-buyers! Call me today so we can get your savings started!
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 14 Apr 2009 09:12:34 -0400</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.thinklouise.com/blog/8000-homebuyer-tax-credit-claim-your-cash-now.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.thinklouise.com/blog/8000-homebuyer-tax-credit-claim-your-cash-now.html</link>
            <author>louise@thinklouise.com (Louise Scoggins)</author>
            <title>$8,000 Homebuyer Tax Credit – Claim Your Cash NOW!</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Im sure you have heard in some way or another the buzz around the Real Estate industry in regards to the new Homebuyer Tax Credit. So what is it, and how does it work? Let me explain. Its pretty cool if you ask me&hellip;
&nbsp; 
The tax credit is essentially cash-in-hand for first-time homebuyers who purchase a home before December 1st, 2009. The credit is applied when you file your tax returns for 2009 as a cash credit. (UPDATE: you can now admend your 2008 tax return to get your money&nbsp;this year!)&nbsp;For example, if you OWED the IRS $3,000, then you would actually get a check BACK for $5,000! Or, if you were already getting a return of $3,000, you would get a return of $11,000 after the $8,000 was applied!!! Sign me up!! I will take free money any day!
&nbsp; 
There are some qualifications for the credit. First, you have to live in the property you buy for at least 3 years. A single persons income cannot exceed $75,000, and a married couples income cannot exceed $150,000. The credit is for 10% of the homes current value, up to $8,000 (or $4,000 for married couples filing separate tax returns). You must be a first time homebuyer  meaning you have not owned a home in the past 3+ years, and the home must be used as your principal residence. 
&nbsp;If you ask me, there are few reasons not to take advantage of this credit if you are a first time homebuyer. This kind of offer is unprecedented and may not happen ever again. Please call or email me if you are interested in buying your first home. I specialize in first-time homebuyers and have a great team of vendors who will all help to make your transaction a success.&nbsp; Oh, and did I mention the free money thing??? ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2009 11:21:28 -0400</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.thinklouise.com/blog/welcome-to-the-new-and-improved-thinklouise-website.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.thinklouise.com/blog/welcome-to-the-new-and-improved-thinklouise-website.html</link>
            <author>louise@thinklouise.com (Louise Scoggins)</author>
            <title>Welcome to The New and Improved ThinkLouise Website!</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ Welcome to our newly updated and improved, Atlanta Real Estate website site! We have some awesome new features designed to help you even more in your new home search. Check out our new and improved Atlanta MLS search and Blog! We have also added Google Streetview and Birdseye View features...I absolutely love this technology. It allows you to check out the area and neighborhood before even turning the car on. In addition to our new features, we have some other great pages to check out, including help for First Time Homebuyers, Home Value Requests for sellers, information about the new home buying tax credit, advanced MLS searches to help you narrow your home search down to your specific needs, and lots of other great things. So check out our new features, save us to your favorites, and please feel free to visit us anytime! ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 12 Mar 2009 11:02:40 -0400</pubDate>
                    </item>
    </channel>
</rss>
