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        <title>Atlanta Real Estate Blog</title>
        <link>http://www.premieratlantarealestate.com/blog/</link>
        <description>Atlanta real estate blog. Consumer focused real estate information for Atlanta and information and insight into local and national topics. Areas of interest include; Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Roswell &amp; Alpharetta. North Metro Atlanta.</description>
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            <guid>http://www.premieratlantarealestate.com/blog/why-should-i-use-a-realtor-when-buying-new.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.premieratlantarealestate.com/blog/why-should-i-use-a-realtor-when-buying-new.html</link>
            <author>ryan@premieratlantarealestate.com (Ryan C Ward)</author>
            <title>Why Should I use a Realtor when Buying New?</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
 Guest post by Andrew Hill @ www.NewHomeSource.com


At a time when cutting back has become the norm, it’s no surprise that many in the process of buying a new home might be asking themselves, “Why do I need a realtor?” This seems a natural question for those interested in buying a new home, while wanting to save all they can. After all, you can talk with the home builder or his agent and quickly be the owner of a brand new home- and you can do it all without ever having to sit down with those money-grubbing realtors. But what you may not realize is that the money you are saving by skipping out on the realtor isn’t really being saved at all. In fact, those who don’t use a realtor are costing themselves more in the long-run. Come again?


That’s right. Whenever you try to save yourself that 3% commission rate, you aren’t cutting the cost of your home at all, because the realtor’s sales commission is taken from the builder’s profit. Furthermore, the seller’s agent has no interest in helping the buyer. His job is to get the best possible deal for the builder, so don’t be fooled by their friendliness, whether well-intentioned or not. The seller will not give you a discount because you aren’t represented by an agent. By going into the transaction unrepresented, the builder is free to either pocket his savings or pay a higher commission to their sales representative.


Now that we’ve debunked the myth that you’ll be coming out ahead by skipping an agent, we’d like to point out all of the benefits that come with being represented in your transaction.


For starters, your agent is a licensed professional, meaning he or she has a wealth of knowledge and resources unavailable to the average home buyer. By hiring a realtor, you also save yourself the time and energy of doing quite a bit of legwork. Many buyers justify not using an agent because they figure they can do this legwork themselves and save some money. Seeing as we just debunked the agent-less money-saving myth, why not save yourself the trouble and let a professional do the legwork? Real estate agents are also your personal advocates. During the process they represent your interests and wants to get you the best deal possible- after all, their jobs and reputation depend on it! In some cases, an experienced agent can even negotiate with the seller’s non-negotiable prices to get you a better deal.


So instead of asking yourself, “Why should I use an agent?” the real question is, “Why wouldn’t you hire an agent?” At no cost to you, hiring an agent will save you time today and money tomorrow.
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:42:11 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.premieratlantarealestate.com/blog/1865-bethany-way-providence-a-reintroduction.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.premieratlantarealestate.com/blog/1865-bethany-way-providence-a-reintroduction.html</link>
            <author>ryan@premieratlantarealestate.com (Ryan C Ward)</author>
            <title>1865 Bethany Way - Providence, A Reintroduction</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 



We are excited to bring Providence back on the market after a break for the holidays! As you can see from the pictures below, there is nothing quite like this anywhere in North Fulton, or really, anywhere in Metro Atlanta quite like this.


Providence is a very sophisticated, classic American home custom designed by Stephen Fuller. The setting - your choice of either 30 or 60 acres (both with lake frontage), is private and peaceful and the home itself is a magnificent achievement of understated elegance and symmetry inspired by Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and George Washington's Mount Vernon estates.


If you are interested in viewing this home, please contact me directly and I will arrange a private showing. You can find more photos and a video at Providence's dedicated website, www.estatesinmilton.com. Call me directly at 404.630.3187. Enjoy the photos!






























































Property Information




FMLS# 4311684


$8,900,000 with 60 acres


$6,900,000 with 30 acres


Stephen Fuller design


Heated pool


Lighted tennis


Guest cottage


Caretaker house


Walking trails


gated entry


+/- 850 lake frontage




Exlusively Listed With: Ryan Ward - 404.630.3187
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:16:19 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.premieratlantarealestate.com/blog/the-luxury-market-where-its-hot-and-where-its-not.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.premieratlantarealestate.com/blog/the-luxury-market-where-its-hot-and-where-its-not.html</link>
            <author>ryan@premieratlantarealestate.com (Ryan C Ward)</author>
            <title>The Luxury Market - Where it's Hot and Where it's Not</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Luxury homes in Atlanta are available in all of the most sought after areas, but the highest concentration of luxury homes (homes for sale over $1,000,000) are found in Buckhead, Sandy Springs and the areas north of the Chattahoochee River on the east or west side of GA 400. It stands to reason that the closer you get to the city, the higher the concentration of luxury homes will be, but Buckhead and other intown areas do not hold exclusive rights to all of the finest homes available and there are many reasons you might want to look to Sandy Springs, Alpharetta or MIlton (to name a few) if you are in the market for a luxury home. Other areas of note might be Sugarloaf in Gwinnett or Virginia Highland, Ansley Park and Decatur, but those areas are small and therefore not part of this market update.


Buckhead the Bright Spot in the Down Market


Sales and availability of luxury homes in Buckhead have rebounded faster than other areas of the market. Here are the numbers for the numbers through November:




228 active listings


27 under contract


10.5% of listings are under contract


20 sales over $3,000,000




That's pretty good for what is supposed to be a soft market especially when compared to the other areas.


Sandy Springs


Sandy Springs begins where Buckhead ends on the north side of Chastain Park and runs outside of the perimeter essentially to the river, but the highest concentration of high end homes are inside of the perimeter. Here are the numbers:




80 active listings


10 under contract


12.% under contract


No sales over $3,000,000




Here we see that the percentage of listings under contract is higher than anywhere else including Buckhead, but there are no sales of homes above $3,000,000.


Alpharetta/Johns Creek


This is the area nort of the Chattachoochee River east of GA 400 and includes the exclusive neighborhood of Country Club of the South and other very sought after communities like Windward. Here are the numbers for this area:




62 active listings


4 under contract


6.5% under contract


1 sale over $3,000,000




The sale over $3,000,000 here was in Country Club of the South and the previous year saw the sale of Dean Gardens for land only of $7,600,000.


Roswell/Alpharetta/Milton


This is the area north of the Chattahoochee west of GA 400 and includes neighborhoods in Roswell like Heatherwood, The Manor Golf and Country Club in Milton and large estate homes on acreage. It's truly one of the most beautiful areas in Metro Atlanta with a less dense population than the other areas where you are more likely to find luxury homes on larger tracts of land like this estate we have for sale at 1865 Bethany Way. It is also slightly farther away from interstates, the airport and downtown than the other areas so it stands to reason that there will be a little less demand, but if you don't need the airport or downtown, your money will go farther and you are better able to find something with privacy by way of larger tracts of land than anywhere else. Here are the numbers:




73 active listings


3 under contract


4.1% under contract


0 sales over $3,000,000




This is an area that is still growing though and some numbers here are harder to quantify. For example, a lot was just sold in Crabapple Brook where there will be a new home built for over $1,000,000 and the area has a younger inventory than any of the other areas. In some ways, the luxury market here is still growing if you can say that in this market - maybe it's better to say that it was still growing before the downturn and will rebound with the market.


Summary


On a whole, the luxury market is still depressed, but has shown real signs of recovery - especially in Buckhead and Sandy Springs where the inventory levels are more balanced with demand. Because the intown markets are returning to balance, prices are reasonably stable and you are less likely to steal a home. In the northern markets, obtaining a qualified buyer is more difficult and prices are still depressed making your buying power stronger, but as can be seen by the numbers, there are fewer people who want to buy luxury homes in the northern suburbs at current prices - the reasons vary, but if you are looking for a luxury home in the northern areas, you will find that your money will go farther than it does in the city.
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:04:03 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.premieratlantarealestate.com/blog/land-values-up-in-north-atlanta-sales-to-prove-it.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.premieratlantarealestate.com/blog/land-values-up-in-north-atlanta-sales-to-prove-it.html</link>
            <author>ryan@premieratlantarealestate.com (Ryan C Ward)</author>
            <title>Land Values up in North Atlanta - Sales to Prove it!</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Last Tuesday the bar was raised on the north side of town for land values with a sale that took place on Clarity Rd just across the border from Milton in Cherokee County. The $2,600,000 sale was a nice home, but it was the amount of land that sold with the home is what gets me excited. I've been in the home - I showed it to a buyer and the home with it's 33 acres represents the best sale this year to set a new floor for pricing in this market. based on the the size and quality of the home, the land would have had to be valued at or above $50,000/acre. Given its location in Cherokee County, this should set the prices higher for North Fulton for hopeful sellers.


Property Details




6,100+ square feet according to the tax records


Small Stable


2 ponds


Numerous acres in the food plain


Pool


33 +/- acres


List price - $2,900,000


Sales price - $2,600,000


On the market at that price for less than 30 days before going under contract




It goes to show that once you get the price right, the market will always respond (provided there are people buying at that price point - and there are).


This is great news for many of us in the industry including myself as we have been looking for stabilization for some time. I think intuitevely many of us felt like this is where the market should be. Now we have the proof.


If your out there and have been hesitant to make a move it is certainly understandable. There are many other great properties to consider like mine at 1865 Bethany Way that is being offered with either 30 or 60 acres.


Now can be the right time to buy. A few more sales like this and prices may move from stabiliing to up. There isn't a ton of inventory of good homes like these so maybe it's time to get back out and see what's available!
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:41:12 -0400</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <guid>http://www.premieratlantarealestate.com/blog/pricing-a-home-in-a-down-market.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.premieratlantarealestate.com/blog/pricing-a-home-in-a-down-market.html</link>
            <author>ryan@premieratlantarealestate.com (Ryan C Ward)</author>
            <title>Pricing a Home in a Down Market - You Can't Underprice a Home</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
This is something that we (and I think many other agents) struggle with in the market today. We meet with a client and go over what we believe should be the list price of a home and it's seldom a pleasant conversation. Typically, sellers know it's worth less than it was a few years ago, but getting the price right today really is more important than it used to be.


A home gets it's most activity from potential buyers in the early part of a listing period - the first 2 weeks. If it isn't priced for the market, it won't get an offer. Still, seller's feel they need to leave room to negotiate because they feel they need to squeeze every penny they can out of their sale. It's a fair enough idea, but it isn't grounded in what the data says they should do.


First, I'd like to discuss an important concept that regularly gets overlooked by both seller's and agents: It's impossible to underprice a home. Let me reiterate - you can't underprice your home. In a free market, it doesn't matter if you underprice by $1,000 or $50,000. It will sell for as much as the market will pay. Not more, not less.


So let's try to do a better job of recognizing the understandable objection about pricing and do a better job of explaining how the market works. If you list your home for the correct price, it will sell and it will happen fast regardless of your price point. It's not like homes aren't selling (see chart).





As you can see from this chart which shows home sales during this declined market, home sales are actually quite consistent. It's just that only the ones that represent exceptional value sell. If you price it at the right number, it's impossible for it not to sell. So the obvious question is that if you list it low and it sells fast, doesn't it meant that you could have listed it a little higher, waited and got a higher offer? The answer is of course no. Emphatically. If you overprice your home and need a price reduction to sell, it will sell for less than it would have had you priced it correctly to begin with (see charts below).








This second chart is very telling. If you price high and reduce, it will sell for less than it would have had you priced it correctly to begin with.


It is possible however to have missed the mark by pricing it a little bit too low. Guess what happens next...you get multiple offers and the price will be brought up to the highest possible price.


Still not convinved? Look how long it will take if you overprice your home instead of pricing it correctly (pay special attention to the fact that it doesn't matter at all at what price point your home is in).





Red is the time to sell of homes that did not get a price reduction. Yellow is homes priced correctly at the start.


So, don't fear low pricing. It's your best chance to get the highest amount for your home.
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:23:05 -0400</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.premieratlantarealestate.com/blog/short-sales-1011.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.premieratlantarealestate.com/blog/short-sales-1011.html</link>
            <author>ryan@premieratlantarealestate.com (Ryan C Ward)</author>
            <title>Short Sales 101 - HD Video</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
This is a 3 minute video introduction on what a short sale is and who might be a good candidate for one. The transcript of the video is below.







Transcript


Hi, my name is Ryan Ward with Premier Atlanta Real Estate and Keller Williams. Thank you for your time with me today to learn about short sales. For too many reasons to go into today, the term short sale has become one of the most talked about types of transactions in the real estate market. So first, let’s make sure we get our definitions correct. A short sale happens when a lender agrees to accept a contract on a home when the sales price is less than the amount needed to pay off that mortgage. The bank is allowing the owner to sell the property “short” of the full payoff. So that’s the technical definition of a short sale.


Because of the downturn in the economy, most homeowners here in Atlanta and in other parts of the country who purchased their home after about the year 2000, have little to no equity in their homes. If you don’t need to sell your home you don’t need to worry about a short sale. If you have the money to bring to the table to make up the difference or if you do have equity, you also do not need to worry about a short sale. However, if you have lost your job, or you qualified for your home with 2 incomes and one of you is no longer able to work due to some specific reason - this could be health related, divorce, inability to find new work or many other problems facing Americans today, you might be a candidate for a short sale.


If you can no longer make ends meet and you are behind or it is imminent that you will fall behind in your mortgage payments, you need to talk with a specialist to see if you may qualify for a short sale and you need to do it as soon as possible. Don’t wait until you get a foreclosure notice to start looking for help!


Ok, so why may a short sale be better for you than a foreclosure?


Now, I do want to say that there are no guarantees when it comes to short sales. It’s an ever changing process, but it has greatly improved because lenders as well as their servicers are generally doing a much better job expediting the process than they did just a couple of years ago.


That said, it’s impossible to give specifics about how a short sale may impact your credit when compared with a foreclosure. Your credit standing with the 3 major credit bureaus and the methods they use to derive your credit standing are closely guarded secrets so I’m not going to stand here and say that a short sale with have less of a negative impact on your credit than a foreclosure.


I will say that if you can get back on your feet and begin repairing your damaged credit, you may be able to get back into a home faster by agreeing to short sale than you would if you went through a foreclosure.


So please - don’t wait - call me today. You MUST take action to help yourself. We will help.


Even if it means that we tell you that we can’t sell your home.


Our first obligation is to help. We are not going to try to sell you something or talk you into listing your home with us if it isn’t the right thing for you in your specific situation. You may need to speak with lawyer or a CPA before you can do your short sale as their are specific implications with the tax law, 1099’s and more, but we can’t help you you don’t call... There is no obligation - so please - do it today. Call now.
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:38:32 -0400</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.premieratlantarealestate.com/blog/110-dove-ct-featured-listing-video.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.premieratlantarealestate.com/blog/110-dove-ct-featured-listing-video.html</link>
            <author>ryan@premieratlantarealestate.com (Ryan C Ward)</author>
            <title>110 Dove Ct - Featured Listing Video</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
This is a great listing in Roswell located just a few minutes from the historic district.


Details: 5 beds, 5.5 baths, $725,000


#110-dove-video# 
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:11:46 -0400</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.premieratlantarealestate.com/blog/windward-video-what-do-you-think.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.premieratlantarealestate.com/blog/windward-video-what-do-you-think.html</link>
            <author>ryan@premieratlantarealestate.com (Ryan C Ward)</author>
            <title>Windward Video - What Do You Think?</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
I know what I think - I'll never be a TV star, but I think it came out pretty good!

#windward-video#&nbsp;
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:12:48 -0400</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.premieratlantarealestate.com/blog/1865-bethany-way-providence-the-video.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.premieratlantarealestate.com/blog/1865-bethany-way-providence-the-video.html</link>
            <author>ryan@premieratlantarealestate.com (Ryan C Ward)</author>
            <title>1865 Bethany Way - Providence, the Video</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 

#bethany-video# ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Mon, 20 Jun 2011 09:49:42 -0400</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.premieratlantarealestate.com/blog/can-we-really-use-video-to-help-connect-with-consumers.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.premieratlantarealestate.com/blog/can-we-really-use-video-to-help-connect-with-consumers.html</link>
            <author>ryan@premieratlantarealestate.com (Ryan C Ward)</author>
            <title>Can We Really Use Video to Help Connect with Consumers?</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 


I know video can be used between friends and coworkers in a sharing kind of way. You know, sort of - did you see that crazy kid play the piano on youtube??? - kind of way. But can we use video in real estate to connect with people with whom we do not yet know? What about using videos - I mean real videos, not those ridiculous panning slideshows with hokey voiceover narrations to market listings? 

It seems to me that we can - or, at least we should be able to use video as part of a larger plan to connect with and meet new potential clients and I also think that high quality videos can be used to market listings, but probably not all listings. Videos may be time and cost prohibitive unless you are going to forego photos or have the budget for both on a high dollar listing.

The trouble is that there is little to support the idea that video can be helpful because most real estate videos are terrible and that makes it hard to know if it can be effective. I don't think it reasonable to expect bad videos to help do anything except make someone look bad. I'm also not a fan of the kind of videos where you see someone drviing a car and they are talking. I don't think that they would work for me.

Since there really aren't many GOOD videos and since it seems to me GOOD videos should help, I thought I would make a few and do some testing. Looking around the web to find people who are using video WELL is not as easy as it might seem. A great resource is www.photographyforrealestate.com and I found a couple of fantastic property specific real estate videos both of which I think are remarkeable. I might look into one for Providence. You should check out these two videos here and here (warning, the 2nd one is long).

In all of that, I couldn't find any neighborhood videos that were any good. If I was moving here, I think a video might be helpful and could make me feel more comfortabnle about what was going on. So what I did first was a neighborhood video. This page on the website doesn't get tons of traffic, but I thought it a good idea to try this out first before taking the plunge on a heavily visited neighborhood.

This video is on my Hampton Hall neighborhood page where you can search Hampton Hall Alpharetta homes for sale. Take a look and let me know what you think!

#hampton-hall-video#

Video Killed the Radio Star

I'm still reminded of this song and this video when I think about making a video and it's one of the things I really like about video. It helps to add transparency to me, my business and who I am and I think those things can help you and me connect through video. Enjoy!

#video-killed-the-radio-star#&nbsp; 
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 19 Apr 2011 22:13:53 -0400</pubDate>
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