What Does It Take to Get Your Atlanta Home Ready for the Market?

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation  Call me at (404) 564-7272 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation
Hello, and thanks for stopping by! 

If you're planning on selling your home this summer, we suggest you come in and talk to us. We like to work with our seller clients before they put their home on the market. We specialize in getting homes in the best possible condition before they hit the market. We have the cleaning, fix-up, and decluttering tips you need in order to get the best possible price for your home. Doing these little things will make all the difference when your home hits the market.

Getting your home ready for the market will most likely result in a multiple-offer situation. When multiple offers are made on your home, something called the "auction effect" comes into play. The fact that other people are interested in your home makes it more desirable for all the parties involved. This is a great situation to be in, as you are likely to get more for your home than it's truly worth!

If you need assistance getting your home ready for the fantastic Atlanta market, or if you have any real estate questions, give us a call or shoot us an email.

Homes are selling in under 30 days, so now is an opportune time to get your home sold fast and for top dollar!

Thanks, and let me know if you need anything! 

Why Are Atlanta Condominiums so Hot Right Now?

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation  Call me at (404) 564-7272 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation
Right now, we're seeing a lot of multiple offer situations with Atlanta condos. From Buckhead to Morningside and Virginia Highland, condominiums are in high demand right now in our area. In fact, we've seen some sell for as high as 9% above list price.

Areas with a great school district - such as Brookhaven, Cobb, East Atlanta, Grant Park, and Decatur - are incredibly hot. If you're looking to buy, you need to be prepared to make a strong offer, as you'll likely have competition. If you want to have a good shot at winning a multiple offer situation, it's crucial you work with an experienced real estate professional. They will help you implement strategies that are necessary to get you the home of your dreams.

We're seeing many people from different demographics throughout the city choosing this spring to make their move. Empty nesters and first-time buyers alike are looking for new places to live, and this has led to an incredibly active Atlanta market.

If you would like assistance finding the right place for you and your family, we would love to help. Give us a call or shoot us a quick email for the real estate assistance you deserve! 

How Can You Make Your Offer Stand Out in a Busy Atlanta Market?

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation  Call me at (404) 564-7272 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation
With the Atlanta market as competitive as it is, you need to take the extra step if you want your offer to be accepted. Right now, we're encouraging buyers who have found a property they really like to write a letter to the seller letting them know how much they love the home and why they want to buy it. In some cases, the seller has decided not to go with the highest offer, but with the one that has a personal letter attached to it. 

If you decide to write a letter, it should be from the heart. If it's sincere, trust us, it will work. We recommend doing this even if it's not a multiple offer situation. It will simply increase the likelihood that your offer is accepted. 

Another strategy buyers are using is high earnest money. If you're in a situation where many of the buyers are making similar offers to your own, we highly encourage you to put down as much earnest money as you possibly can. As long as you're not going to default, there is no reason you shouldn't put down as high as five percent for your earnest money deposit. 

If you have any questions about how to put together a strong offer, give me a call! I would love to help you secure the home of your dreams!

What Does High Buyer Demand Mean for the Value of Your Atlanta Home?

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation  Call me at (404) 564-7272 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation
 The Atlanta area is still suffering from a general lack of inventory. Obviously, this makes it a seller's market, as buyers don't have the leverage to get great deals. We're seeing lots of multiple offer situations, and often homes are selling well above list price.

Another trend we've seen lately is an increased use of the escalation clause, which states a person is willing to pay $3,000 more than the highest offer the seller has received. 

Interest rates are as low as 3.25% for those with great credit, but the Fed has announced that rates will certainly rise soon, without a doubt by the end of the year. Adjustable rate mortgages are as low as 2.4% right now, if that's something that would better fit the needs of your family. You can't beat these rates! 

Conditions right now are almost too good to be true, but they're not going to last much longer. Now is the time to buy, plain and simple. Give us a call if you want to work with highly experienced real estate experts. We would love to help you take advantage of these fantastic conditions! 

How You Can Get Top Dollar for Your Atlanta Home

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation  Call me at (404) 564-7272 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation
Spring is right around the corner, and I know many of you are planning to put your home on the market in the near future. Today, I want to share a few tips to help make your home sale a success! 

• First impressions are important: Buyers are paying very close attention to how a home looks when they drive by. There are many cheap and easy ways to add curb appeal, such as adding a fresh coat of paint or new molding around the front door. 
• Consider adding shutters: Choose a color that will make your home pop, and accent them with window boxes full of flowers. This is a simple project that can really break up the monotony of a broad exterior.
• Maintain your lawn: This is another great way to add curb appeal to your home. Cut the grass regularly, and if your lawn looks parched, you can purchase some inexpensive green lawn spray paint specifically formulated for grass. It's a terrific way to get a luscious lawn in a short amount of time. 

For more great tips on how you can get your home ready for the market, give me a call or shoot me a quick email. Or, if you would like a free report I put together, called "27 Quick & Easy Fix Ups to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar," visit www.SoldFastAndForTopDollar.com. 

The key is to make your home a blank canvas when showing it, so visitors can imagine their families living there. Decluttering and depersonalizing can help with this - you can learn more details about the process by calling me at (404) 564-7272 or emailing me at Zac@Zac.biz. I look forward to helping you soon! 

How to Prepare for a Successful Home Sale This Spring

There are many great Atlanta area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (404) 564-7272 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.\

Today I'm going to be filling you in on what to expect from Atlanta's housing market in the next few months. Like many other markets, Atlanta experiences a period of inactivity during the winter. 

However, if you're interested in selling your home during the spring, you'd better start preparing for the process now. I invite you to visit my website (www.soldfastandfortopdollar.com) where I can provide you with many different pointers on how to get your home ready for sale. 

On the flip-side, if you're planning on purchasing a home, I do expect inventory to pick up in Atlanta, so there will be plenty to choose from. If you want some extra pointers on how to prepare for a home purchase, you can visit www.ATLbuyertraps.com. We also have weekly home buyer seminars, where we go through the whole process, from the initial consultation all the way up to closing. There is no cost or obligation to attend, but we highly recommend it if you're looking to make the most out of your real estate transaction. These are hosted in our office in the Druid Hills area. 

As always, if you're interested in buying or selling, please don't hesitate to contact my team. We would be very happy to serve you!

Why Get Pre-Approved Before Beginning Your Atlanta Home Search?

There are many great Atlanta area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (404) 564-7272 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

The spring buying season is right around the corner - are you prepared? Today, we explain why it's crucial to get pre-approved before beginning your home search. 

First, what does it mean to be pre-approved? Essentially, it's when a lender takes your loan application over the telephone, gathers all essential items, validates the items, and then pre-approves your loan based on the items gathered. The process is more intensive than being pre-qualified, which omits the income documentation and asset information. 

In order to be pre-approved, you'll need your W2 Forms, tax returns,  pay stubs, and your bank statements. The lender may also need to contact your employer for further verification of employment. Sounds like a lot of work - is it worth it? 

Getting pre-approved shows sellers that your offer is serious. The fact that a lender has evaluated your finances and has already agreed to underwrite a home loan will make your offer stand out in a multiple offer situation. Sellers like choosing pre-approved buyers because they have confidence that the transaction will go smoothly. Getting pre-approved will also benefit you by giving you a clear picture of your financial options. You'll know what price ranges you can afford, which will help narrow your home search.

If you would like to be pre-approved, so you can start looking at homes with the preparation you need, give us a call or shoot us an email. We work with reputable lenders that would love to help you through the entire process. We look forward to helping you soon!

Where's the Atlanta Market Heading?

There are many great Atlanta area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (404) 564-7272 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Today, we're here to recap a fantastic year in Atlanta area real estate, and look forward to what 2015 will bring!

It's been a great year for homeowners, as the average value of sold homes in the Atlanta area is up 11% compared to the same time last year! The market has really rebounded over the past few years with steady appreciation, despite slowing down a bit in the last few months

Interest rates have also improved from last year, falling from about 4.26% to 4%. You can expect home values to continue their incremental climb this year, but keep in mind that different neighborhoods will appreciate at different rates. Ponce City Market, the Old Fourth Ward, and Poncey-Highland are all very hot areas right now, and we don't expect that to change next year. 

If you have any questions about what we've seen in our market over the last year, or are curious about what might happen in the new year, give us a call or shoot us an email. We would love to help you out!

We want to thank everyone for the continued support!