Atlanta: A Best City To Buy A Home

Recently, Forbes magazine rated Atlanta as one of top 10 best cities to buy a home and I would have to agree.

Forbes magazine 2008 "Best Cities To Buy A Home" list took into consideration appreciation rates, vacancy rates and rent rates in 40 of the largest metropolitan areas in the country.

Exerpt from Forbes magazine "Best Cities To Buy A Home":

"A city that constantly tops our lists of best places for just about anything, Atlanta is a great place to buy a home. With median properties in the $170,000 neighborhood, this booming city is affordable and packed with things to do. Ranked No. 6 on the 2008 Best Places For Business list, Atlanta has jobs and a competitive cost of living. This means taking out a mortgage is a safe long-term decision."

Source: Forbes, Maurna Desmond (07/14/08)

Related Post: Buy a home in Atlanta: Make over $40,000 in 4 Years

2008 Homeownership Summit - Atlanta

The 2008 Homeownership Summit is scheduled for Saturday, June 28 from 9AM to 3PM. This event is FREE to all attendees.

It is a program being put on in partnership between HUD, FHA, PEMCO, DeKalb & Fulton County Governments, Atlanta Development Authority, Georgia DCA, City of Atlanta Bureau of Housing, and many other Non Profits & Housing Professionals

Attendees will become familiar with options and resources available to assist them in purchasing and sustaining a home. Most importantly, if attendees participate in all sessions, they will receive a certificate to be used when obtaining Down Payment Assistance from Government Agencies.

Each education break-out session only lasts 45 minutes and rotate for 5 hours.

Here are the topics of each session:

PURCHASING A HOME

• Basic Financial Education, Get the Facts: “Pros and Cons of Homeownership”
• Identifying the Industry Professionals – Realtors, Inspectors, Appraisers, Attorneys etc. “Understand Your Home buying Team”
• Credit & Budgeting, “How to Improve Your Credit Score”
• Qualifying for Your Mortgage/Down Payment Assistance – “How Much House Can I Afford”
• Mortgage Products and The Process: Fixed Products vs. ARMs; 15, 20 or 30 year Financing; Avoiding Predatory Lenders – “Why Borrow Trouble”
  

SUSTAINING YOUR HOME

• Post Purchase Concerns: “Maintaining Your Home & Managing Your Finances”
• Mortgage Default Counseling & Loss Mitigation Options – “Ways to Avoid Foreclosure”
• Refinancing & FHA Secure Loan Restructuring – “How to Get a Better Rate”
• Consumer Protection Rights & Awareness – “Beware of Rips Offs and Scams”
• Legal Aid & Assistance – “How to Seek Legal Advice”
  

For more information, contact me today.

Atlanta Open Houses - Metro Brokers Super Sunday 3/9/08

As a home buyer, there is only one special day of each month when you're given the opportunity to attend Open Houses at over 400 homes throughout metro Atlanta: Metro Brokers Super Sunday. And as a special incentive for attending one of the many Metro Brokers Super Sunday Open Houses, you could enter to win $1,000 cash.

The next Super Sunday will be held on Sunday, March 9th from 2PM-5PM.

For a list of homes open during the March 9th Metro Brokers Super Sunday Open House and for complete rules of entry for the monthly $1000 cash drawing, click the links below.

• Search For Metro Brokers Super Sunday Open Houses
• Super Sunday Promotion Rules

Preparing Your Atlanta Home For Sale

In Metro Atlanta's competitive real estate market, it's imperative that you position (aka stage) your home in the best possible light while appealing to the widest number of prospective buyers. And remember, before a potential buyer makes an offer on your house they must first envision themselves living there.

Here are a few things that you can do today to your home to achieve this:

1. Declutter. Declutter. Declutter.
2. Paint rooms to a neutral color.
3. Clean EVERYTHING. Twice.
4. De-personalize. This includes removing family photos, organization affiliations, religious items and changing "themed" rooms. Your home is THEIR new home.
5. Eliminate odors. Common culprits include cat litter boxes, dogs and carpets.
6. Create curb/entryway appeal.
7. Use fresh flowers and real plants.
8. Make it appear "up-to-date"
9. Spaciousness is in. Remove unnecessary clothes from closets and place all but essential furniture in storage.
10. Let the Sun shine in. Allow as much natural light to come into the house as possible.