Image:
Title: Atlanta Lily
Link: http://atlantalily.blogspot.com/
Description: Honest real estate help from an overeducated realtor, complete with random stories, market/ trend observations, commentary on Atlanta townhomes, condos, residential houses, loft homes, service providers, restaurants, social scenes, and everything else you need to know about how to really enjoy the Atlanta area.

Modern Sustainable Design: Solar Power and 800 sqft!
Have you been wondering what that strange building is,
over by the Archi'torture' Building on GaTech's campus?
It's an award-winning solar-powered sustainable house.
Free tours are given on Wednesdays from 10-3pm, now
through the end of October. It's amazing!
http://solar.gatech.edu/home.php



First Time Home Buyer Programs in Atlanta
Thank you, Mike, for bringing up a good topic for today
(other than GaTech football, of course)...

October 1, 2008 is the 'expiration date' for many of the
current First Time Home Buyer grant/forgivable loan
programs. The ADA (Atlanta Development Authority)
has a great product that will continue to be offered beyond
that date called the Dream Home program, however if you
are a serious buyer and can make a decision on a first home
in the next two weeks, I would suggest to contact your agent
and your lender to get that momentum going. Some lenders
do not offer loans that easily complement these down payment
assistance programs, so it's extremely important to find a
lender that does offer exactly what you need, otherwise you
may miss the deadline and forfeit potential savings.

We all know that I'm thrifty, and that I hate to leave money on
the table, so please do yourself a favor if you want to pursue
any type of unusual loan product and speak with a REPUTABLE
lender before you get too distracted with the rest of the buying
process. Good luck!



Game Day! Parking for GaTech Football
What day is it? GAME DAY! Go Jackets!

Parking around GaTech campus is risky during football (and
often times even for basketball) games. The parking office will
ticket cars all over campus, even if you have a regular permit.
I would suggest either parking somewhere in the Home Park
neighborhood area if you can find a spot, otherwise you may as
well just park far far away and take Marta to the Stadium.

I love GaTech football, and I can't wait to do all the traditional
(and sometimes obnoxious) cheers as if I were a student again.
Let's go Yellow Jackets! Sting 'em! Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!

ps - very sad news for you Kool Korners Sandwich Shop fans...
they are now officially closed. That section of commercial property
has been sold to a developer, and will be rebuilt and repurposed.



Safety in Foreclosures
A really cute house came on the market today; great neighborhood
(Edgewood), 3 bed, 1 bath, corner lot, big oaktrees, covered 2 car
parking, etc - needs work, but it's only $89k! So - I went to see it
first thing at 9am. Inside this cute little fixer-upper house was a bum
sleeping in the 'master bedroom'. His foot was wiggling around, no
shoes on, sleeping on a pile of clothes for a pillow, on the pretty
hardwood floors. There was a cop car at the end of the street, and
I ran over to get them to escort me in the house. They immediately
pulled their guns out and asked me to stay by the patrol car while
they secured the property. They kicked the door in, chased the guy
out, and then told me it was ok to enter. Then they said that I needed
to be careful in these foreclosure houses and carry a side arm with me.
All that drama before 10am. I love my job. You never know what to expect.

With all that excitement in mind, if you are looking around at houses
for sale by yourself,
please consider these small strategies for safety:
1.) TALK LOUDLY AS YOU ENTER! Say Helloooooooooooo a lot.
Stomp, make noise.
2.) Peek in as many of the windows as you can before entering.
3.) Make sure you know where the doors are, in case you have to run.
4.) Always let someone know where you are. (We have a code phrase
that we use for emergencies; "Ask Paul about Lunch in Edgewood."
5.) If you are worried or nervous, just don't go inside at all. Save it
for another day.



Antique Door Knobs, Door Bells, more!
Atlanta has a variety of good antique shops. Many are in
Decatur, Chamblee/Doraville, and Marietta, however
for a few high-end pieces, there are upscale boutiques in
Buckhead, Roswell, and a myriad of other neighborhoods.

Shannon sent me this link (THANKS!) for a local shop with
a wide variety of quality products and friendly service.
Eugenia's Antique Hardware



Granite Countertops, Radon, and Radiation?
Thanks to Heather for this link to an interesting article
that basically says granite with a pinkish color may have
more uranium in it than other types of counter-top surfaces.
I had not heard of this phenomenon, and have never
encountered a problem, however this article does make you
want to pause and consider the source of the product.

NY Times: Granite Article - Click Here




Atlanta Dog Parks
Ever wanted to take poochy to the park?
The metro Atlanta area has many great dog parks
to choose from. Personally, I take Cal over to
Piedmont Park, but there are lots of options...

Link to Atlanta-area Dog Parks





Rental Properties in Atlanta
The rental market in Atlanta is hot hot hot
right now due to a few factors.
1) Seasonality: College students return home
to do begin washing 8 months of laundry, and
release their off-campus leases.
2) Mortgages are hard to squeeze into, especially
for first time home buyers. They are choosing
to rent for another year or two, which helps some
sellers that are willing to rent rather than sell.
3) The inventory of newly renovated houses and
brand-new condos purchased by investors is
vast and varied; more selection of temporary
housing exists now than several years ago.
4) Atlanta has a history of being a place for
starter careers, and while new corporate hires
are happy about benefits and an office, they are
unwilling to commit to purchasing a home, in
the event that a better job offer comes along soon.
5) Drive time for commuters may warrant a small,
temporary ITP (inside the perimeter) address for
three days a week, while the primary home may
be farther out in Dahlonega or Macon.



Atlanta Farmer's Markets
Saturdays in Atlanta ... the perfect time for picnics,
hiking up Kennesaw Mountain, taking the dog to
the park, riding bikes on the Silver Commet Trail,
and of course, getting up early and heading to the
Farmer's Markets to get local veggies and fresh
baked cinnamon dusted, honey soaked goodness.

Serenbe Farm (Palmetto, Ga) has a great farmers'
market and local artist-in-residence that is worth
the drive down to see. They open up at 8am, and go
through the early afternoon (3 or 4pm), May - October.
They have lots of organic produce that is grown right
there on the big farm, as well as music and crafts.

While you are down in Palmetto, you may as well hop
over to the breathtaking Dunaway Gardens. It will
be closed mid-July through August, so put it on your
calendar asap!

Back in Atlanta, the Piedmont Park Green Market is
the popular place to pick up artwork, handmade soaps,
fresh pasta and bread, locally grown produce, and more.
It's more of a morning-only thing, so try to go between
9am and noon, May through the end of the year.

If the weather is bad, or it's 8pm and you need good,
exotic food in bulk, head over to the huge and inspiring
Dekalb Farmer's Market. This is one of my favorite
places to go shopping or even just for lunch. It's a huge
warehouse of fresh stuff. Flowers, pastries, fruits, etc,
and they also have a large variety of hard-to-find dry
goods, wines, candies, cook books, and more. I love it!

Lastly, if you are up on the north side of Atlanta, head
over to Wills Park in Alpharetta, and there is a good,
although smaller in scale, local farmer's market that is
sponsored by the Extension Service. It starts at 7am,
and ends when the farmers are sold out. They are in
need of more vendors, so if you are interested in sharing
your tomato crop, or seedlings, or other garden bounty,
look them up and head on out!



Donald Deer





This Memorial Day weekend, I got to meet a cutie pie named Donald. He has soft brown hair, big brown eyes, and very long legs. He is sweet and nice.



No he's not a hunk o' burnin' love... he's a tiny one-week old white tailed deer (compare his size to the baseball in front of him)!






He was delivered to a rescue center when his mother was hit by a car, and now Donald is doing very well. When he first arrived, he was so small and frail that he couldn't walk! But now, he is alert, takes short walks, and sleeps under some tomato plants. Once he grows up, he'll be released back into the wild. Spending time with this small guy was the highlight of the weekend!



Modern Home in Classic Ansley


In 10th grade, Mrs. Costello introduced my classto the word "juxtapostion," and ever since then, I've rejoiced in the opportunity to use it.




The builder juxtaposed unexpected modern architectural elements in a traditional neighborhood. (10 points for use of a big word!)


Streamlined, light and airy, with industrial materials that somehow seem to 'float'... it's an interesting house that stands out even more due to its very opposite surroundings.




Priced just over $2 million, it's a bold example of what vision, location, and good funding can do.



Gen X Home Buyers
In an article recently published by "Realtor" Magazine,
Generation X buyers/sellers have different expectations
from agents. Here are a few of the traits listed:

1.) Prefer to have an outline of expectations/ agenda
prior to agreeing to list a house with any agent. Gen X
wants to know where the effort, time, money, and
resources are going before they commit to a broker.

2.) Gen X wants complete market data and privacy too;
they do not want to see agent websites that boast about
volume or production, but they do want to tap in to
resources without having to divulge personal information.
They do not like agents that withhold information, or
pretend to know answers when they really don't.

3.) Compassion and more privacy: Most Gen X'ers are
first or second-time home buyers right now, and they
are often over educated and cash-poor, and prefer to
speak with a lender about their financial burdens,
rather than a real estate agent. (I agree with this!
Lenders are the financial experts, not agents.)

4.) Surprises are not fun with this group of clients.
They want to know what fees to expect, and when.
Where is the commission money going (for sellers),
and what obligations do they have (for buyers)?
These are all valid concerns for everyone, but this
generation tends to read all the fine print, does
research online about trends, and has their questions
ready before they pick up the phone, or get in the car.

5.) I'm adding this one - Flexibility! Lots of the clients
that I work with the 30-35 age range have non-
traditional work places or hours. They may work from
home, or be self-employed, or work 8-5, then take
evening MBA classes... it's extremely hard to fit in to
their schedules. They expect concise answers within
a short time frame that they prefer to pre-arrange with
you. (Example: Call between 4:00 and 4:15pm only).

6.) I'm adding this one, too - Technology! Gen X is
smart and savvy. They are constantly emailing me with
new websites and sources of data that they come across
and want my opinion. They whip out calculators and
price things by square foot and lot size, rather than
just fall in love with the master bath tub. If you don't
have text messaging on your cell as an agent, you are
missing out on a primary communication medium.



Disc in a Box


Congratulations to my sister, Hilary Lewis, and her coed team "Disc in a Box" for winning the league tourney last weekend in Denver, CO.
She is on the back row, in a blue hat.


Ultimate Frisbee is a good sport for people thatlike to run and jump as hard and fast as they can, and then be extremely relaxed and social on the sidelines and after games.




Atlanta has one of the best Ultimate Frisbee communities in the nation (if not the world), and I highly suggest checking it out for a good networking and friend-making opportunity. It also keeps you fit and out in the fresh air.
The Atlanta Flying Disc Club is primarily built around Ultimate, but also promotes Disc Golf.


All players are welcome, especially beginners!



Greyfields vs Greenfields vs Wheat fields
I-20 East, Exit 154, turn right, and drive towards
Warrenton, GA. Within 2 miles, you will pass
a wheat field, a corn field, a soybean field, two
or three hay fields, and a cotton field. Welcome
to rural Georgia, where agriculture is the primary
industry, and teenagers still learn to drive a
tractor before the age of 15. Keep on going,
take three more right turns, and you'll end up
in the best little town in the world: Louisville.
(Say hi to my parents, if you see them!)

I-20 West towards Atlanta, exit 55A/B, turn left,
and you'll be at West End Mall, which is a very
different type of field: it is a greyfield, or retail/
shopping mall with a high vacancy rate and no
major department store to serve as an anchor.
Unless you count the Save-A-Lot shop, there
isn't much happening over there.

Continue along I-20 West, Exit 44, turn right,
and you're in a greenfield area where lots of
previously undeveloped farm land has been
rezoned and designated for future big box
commercial (Target, Walmart, etc) to be
built: Viola, greenfield sites!

What does all this mean to you? As a buyer,
it directly impacts your potential appreciation
in your new home. If you are buying property
beside a cow pasture, it may be a while before
you see a large push from developers to build
a Super Walmart or a Home Depot mega chain.

If your new house is 1/2 a mile from a healthy,
existing 4 lane highway, lined with big national
restaurants, you can anticipate a likely return
of 4% annual appreciation in a normal market.

Let's say your swank great-value 1950's ranch
home is behind a 'dead mall' that the City has
condemned, and there are knee-high weeds
growing in the cracked-pavement of the parking
lot, well, let's hope that you got a great deal on
the house since it may be a while before that
eyesore is demolished or re-themed. When it
is, get ready for lots of noise and debris, and
hopefully a new strip mall is built on the greyfield.

Greenfields can mean higher-than-expected
appreciation for nearby residences, so keep
an eye out for grading and flagging in your area!

The next road trip you take, I propose a new
game to play in the car: for every greenfield
site you pass, you get 5 points; name-that-
crop-in-the-farmer's-field and get a bonus of
10 points. Greyfields are minus 20 points,
and if you stop at Mrs. Fields (cookies) and
have a White Chocolate Macadamia Nut
cookie without buying one for me, half of
your points go to the other player. :)



Doraville Garage Party
"I like that one in the corner," the blonde girl says
to the guy holding a mixed drink. The guy walks
over to the 1971 Honda kids' sized dirt bike and
spends the next five minutes trying to get it to
crank, so he can pop a wheelie and show off.

Have you ever been to a garage party?
My very first one was tonight! Lots of fun!
Well educated menfolk and their hot rod or
collectible or restored or in-the-works cars
are open for inspection. Have a question about
a cam shaft? Ask Jim. Why did he remove the
plug wire? Ask Bob. What year was the C2 in
top form off the line? Paul says 1991. This
party was wonderful, and apparently the true
car lovers open their garages on the third
Friday of each month, and rotate hosting.

It's a mini-rally, without all the chrome and
Tire-Shine products. I learned a few things,
and I bet most of you could too. :)



Peachtree Street in 3rd!


Peachtree Street, my little chestnut filly, ran
in her last race today. Her short career was
fun for all of us to champion, and she did win
one race at Laurel Park earlier this year.


Today's race was at Penn National, and she
came in 3rd, after leading most of the race.
We can't wait to welcome her home with
peppermints and fly spray, and to see what
her new adventure will include.




Hooray for Peachtree Street! Good girl!



Nature Conservancy in Georgia: Gen C
Yesterday, Andrea and I attended the
Nature Conservancy's Gen C networking event.
Held at Sweetwater Brewery in Buckhead, we
all enjoyed Whole Foods catering, and then
listened to an entertaining address made by
Dr. Sanjayan on the topic of conservation.

He spoke about the differences in cultures and
their personal consumption rates of water.
Apparently, Americans tend to use 500 liters
a day, while Europeans use less than half that,
and some truly remote dwellers use less than 100
liters per day. Dr. Sanjayan drew parallels between
the amount of water consumed, and the distance
required to carry the water to the home.

For those of us with public water and indoor
plumbing, we use much more than those that
must carry the water from a distance. I can
honestly say that if I had to carry water from
the Chattahoochee River into my bathroom,
I'd learn to shave my legs a lot faster. :)

There is another function coming up, for any
other young'uns like myself that are passionate
about nature and conservation. And Imax. :)



Papa's Poppies!


Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?


With itchy bumps, and lady humps,
and pretty POPPIES forming clumps.


I know, I'm not a poet. BUT - I did take
a nice photo of my poppies in the front yard.
Papa Leroy gave me a packet of homegrown
seeds from his garden last year, and somehow
they managed to survive my lack of watering.


(What you don't see is the poison ivy in the center of the bed, that I keep running my wrists across.)



Buckhead Turtle Crossing


While previewing condos in Buckhead, I came across a turtle. Four cars had to wait for this guy (I'm guessing it's a guy turtle, how do you really know?)- so I hopped out and took photos like a good tourist.




In the city of trees, wildlife is abundant, if only we would pause for a moment and notice. :)




By the way - "Geoff" the Turtle lives at Plantation at Lenox, where 'he' has a selection of small ponds to visit, and hang out with his duck and geese pals. There some fantastic deals in there right now, as well as a few short sales and preforeclosures. A 2 bedroom, 2 bath roommate style floor plan (top floor, even!) is currently on the market for $154,900. Buy Buy buy!! :)



Modern Architecture - Happy MA's Day!
This weekend (May 10&11) is the Atlanta
Modern Home Tour.
For a $30 ticket (one day, or $50 for two),
you can tour some amazing modern homes
across the city of Atlanta. Designers, Architects,
and home owners will be available to share their
vision and experiences with the general public.

This year many of the homes are open in
the esteemed Serenbe development, in
South Fulton County (locally referred to
as the Chattahoochee Hill Country).



Earth University
How do you like your banana paper?

In Costa Rica, there is an environmentally
friendly, educational school called "Earth
University" that focuses on agriculture,
commerce, and business modeling -
all with sustainability in mind.

When you shop at Whole Foods markets,
the bananas you buy come directly from
Earth University's program. When you
buy banana paper products, it's the result
of recycled 8.5" x 11" white office paper,
with banana plant fibers. Very cool, huh?

The program encourages discussion of
biodiversity, social consciousness, and
balanced relationships between the
commercial world, and the rural populations
that care for, and provide, our resources.



Lessons Learned in Real Estate
My first year as a licensed real estate agent was
full of unexpected adventures: a homeless person
living in a vacant half-million dollar home; a house
with 30+ small dogs running free and barking;
a house with pink walls and leopard print carpet;
the list goes on. A few of the quirkier episodes
are outlined below, along with lessons learned.
Not of all these are mine; some are reprinted by
permission of other agents I have known. :)

Clients rely on agents for knowledge of neighborhoods,
mastery of sales statistics, negotiation prowess, good
help and great service, and general safety in both
contracts and environments. It's important for us
to be all things to all people, or at least that's what
the brand-new agent wants to be. Often the real
estate agent is so worried about having the right
answer at the right time, that they forget about
parking on a hill and setting the parking brake.
Lesson number 1: Clients don't want to walk home.

Sometimes we forget about the mailbox/trashcan/
recycle bin/landscaping, and back our cars right over it.
Lesson number 2: Clients like good drivers.

Once in a while, when walking property lines, an
occasional creek must be hopped over. Make sure
that your shoes are tied on tightly otherwise you
may lose one (or both) in the stream, and have to
continue walking through a thicket of briers with
one shoe on, and one shoe missing.
Lesson number 3: Clients don't want to see ugly
feet or toes while shopping for land or property.

If an agent has back-to-back appointments with
several clients, it's important to check appearance
between meetings, and not show up with spinach
between teeth, or sticks in their hair (after walking
through a forest of brambles with only one shoe),
or clumps of pet hair clinging to wool slacks.
Lesson number 4: Clients appreciate cleanliness.

Some agents are so overworked that they forget
to reset alarm clocks with the Day Light Savings
Time adjustment... and will leave a client stranded
for an extra hour.
Lesson number 5: Clients like punctuality.

Neighborhood specific agents will occasionally
be car-free, and will neglect to tell clients that
they need to bring their own bicycle/vespa to
ride to view the homes for sale.
Lesson number 6: Clients need advance warning
if they will not be riding/driving in a car.

Eating while showing property can be tricky.
It's ok if you bring snacks for the clients on long
road-trip days, but make sure the clients aren't
allergic to the food provided. If you want to be a
really awesome agent, and anticipate every need,
carry an epi-pen with you at all times.
Lesson number 7: Clients prefer to focus on real
estate, not have side-trips to the Emergency Room.

When showing investment-grade properties, the
prepared agent will bring a flashlight. Cell phone
screens are not bright enough to light up an
entire basement, and therefore the homeless
person sleeping in the roll of abandoned carpet may
come as a surprise to you when stepping on the roll.
Lesson number 8: Clients love flashlights, compasses,
maps, tax records, and safety. Lots of safety.

If the client is short on time (a weekend buyer due to
a relocation, for example), preview all the homes
before taking them out to see what's for sale.
Lesson number 9: Pictures can be deceiving, and
clients only want to see what they expect to see.

Potential: all homes have potential. The basic
equation is: Potential = time+money+more money.
Lesson number 10: Clients love a good bargain, so
have a handyman on speed dial for estimates!



Lion King at the Atlanta Civic Center
For Christmas last year, Ricky gave me tickets to the
Lion King musical at the Atlanta Civic Center, and
tonight was the night! 4th row, 'VIP' seats (it was like
sitting with Simba on Pride Rock in person!) with all
the freebies (complimentary baseball caps, fancy
programs, souvenirs, etc). I felt like a local hot shot.

The best part was driving to the Civic Center in my
pollen-covered VW, with one headlight burned out.
Hello, the Beverly Hill Billy has come to town! :)

Seriously though, the musical was fantastic! Great
costuming and choreography, good music, funny
one-liners that were different from the Broadway
version... it was wonderful! I suggest seeing it.

Gladys Knight will be there in concert in June.
Anyone?



Chateau Elan homes for sale
Today I met with a premier builder of Chateau Elan's
high-dollar homes and had a tour of one of his new
floorplans: a ranch home with bonus rooms upstairs,
and a full basement downstairs. It's fabulous!

The builders there are still breaking ground and are
building speculative homes (aka spec houses) for
future demand. Right now their inventory is fairly
large with both new and resale homes. What I really
like about Chateau Elan's development model is
that there is something for everyone. Most homes
are in the $700k- $800k range, but there are many
above and below that mark.

Built with structural integrity and very long term
enjoyability in mind, the homes range in size (11,000
sq ft is not uncommon), location (to entrance, golf
course, or sports complexes), lot shape and purpose
(views, privacy, or neighborhood), and type of buyer
(caregiver detached suites, bachelor style basements,
and executive offices). The variety and quality of
construction and level of detail gives me great
confidence in the stability of the development.



More Photos from England




















Here's a few more photos for you to enjoy from




my happy trip to England.