North Atlanta Real Estate Voice

3 Bedroom/3.5 Bathroom Townhome For Sale at 3955 Old Atlanta Station in Smyrna, GA

For more information or to schedule a tour of the home, please contact Barry Wolfert at 770-656-7551 or email me.

3955 Old Atlanta Station Court, Smyrna, GA 30080

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Great location, excellent condition and an affordable price!  This is a fantastic townhome with 3 large bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms.  Located in the city of  Smyrna in Cobb County in the Old Atlanta Station complex off Atlanta Road.

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Updated 4 Sided Brick Home For Sale in Marietta, GA (East Cobb) located at 5236 Shasta Way

For more information or to schedule a tour of the home, please contact Barry Wolfert at 770-656-7551 or email me.

5236 Shasta Way, Marietta GA 30062

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Great location, excellent schools and over $50,000 in upgrades!  This is a fantastic 4 sided brick home with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.  Located in the Marietta section of East Cobb in the Plantation Place subdivision off Upper Roswell Road/Hway 120.  Plantation Place has a total 96 homes and offers newly renovated swim and tennis amenities.

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Charming 3 Bedroom Ranch Home For Sale in Marietta GA located at 587 Powers Ferry Road

For more information or to schedule a tour of this home please contact Barry Wolfert at 770-656-7551 or email me.

587 Powers Ferry Road, Marietta GA 30067

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Great location, excellent condition and an affordable price!  This is a fantastic three bedroom, two bathroom ranch home located in Marietta, GA on Powers Ferry Road.

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Operation Stop Arm: Know the Law About Passing A School Bus and Save A Life

Operation Stop Arm is aimed at reducing the number of children that are injured and killed at school bus stops every year. Operation Stop Arm strives to accomplish this worthwhile goal through the following methods:

1. Seeking amendment of current laws to make Stop Arm violation penalties enforceable.

2. Implementation of a state – wide Operation Stop Arm marketing campaign to educate and awaken drivers to the dangers of illegally passing school buses.

For more information on Operation Stop Arm, you can visit the web site at www.operationstoparm.info

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Is this the best time to buy a house in Marietta GA?

A few thoughts on why this is the best time to buy a house in Marietta, GA.

To start, right now rates are at 4.375% on a 30 year fixed and 3.75% on a 15 year. And, rates are in the high 4’s on an investment property.  Clearly, we are near historic lows on borrowing money.

Lender Paid Mortgage Insurance Is Making a Comeback

As the market tries to recover, lender paid mortgage insurance is making a comeback. Mortgage insurance is required when the borrower puts down less than 20%.  However, instead of adding the PMI (private mortgage insurance) to the payment, lends basically increase the interest rate to cover PMI. This is very good for those who put 10% down or less because the borrower paid mortgage insurance (where you have the separate mortgage insurance payment) is very costly in the mortgage payment. Adjusting the interest rate results in a lower overall mortgage payment and is also tax deductible since it is part of your interest.

To give you an idea of the current rate on a lender paid mortgage insurance product, a 30 year fixed mortgage with a 10% down payment including lender paid mortgage insurance is 4.75% on a 30 year fixed today! You can even get lender paid mortgage insurance with as little as 5% down.

So, to summarize, YES, now is a great time to be buying at homes for sale in Marietta, GA or anywhere else in the Atlanta real estate market.

If you are thinking about taking advantage of this great buying opportunity, please contact me and I can provide you with additional information and access to some great mortgage lenders.

Thank you to Sean Trombetti with Amstar Mortgage for this information.

10 Tips for Making A Good First Impression For Your Home For Sale in Marietta GA

Here are ten simple things to do that will make a big difference in how a buyer perceives your house and whether they decide to keep driving or stop and see it.

1)  Light bulbs – Make sure all of them work!  Next, replace energy savers with clear glass regular bulbs.  You want clean, bright light.  If you have fluorescent lights, make sure they are all working and turn on at the same time.   Bright light creates space.  Shadows and darkness close down space.

2) Screens off – Remove all window screens from the front and visible sides of your house.  In my opinion, screens are the equivalent of putting braces on your teeth.  You may have a great smile but you’re going to be distracted by the braces.  Needless to say, clean your windows once you’ve removed the screens

3) Trim bushes – Landscaping should be neat and trimmed.  Nothing should cover any of the front windows of your home.  Replace briquettes or pine straw as needed and watch the weeds.

4) Power wash drive and walk way – It’s amazing how much dirt accumulates on these areas.  A good power wash will make your entrance more appealing.

5) Plant flowers at mailbox and entry – Add some color to maximize curb appeal.  As I approach a house for a showing, I always notice whether it has a bright and colorful appeal or if it is the typical green grass and red brick.  Add some color (yellow, white and red almost always work) especially at the mailbox which is typically at the front of the driveway. Use planters at the front door to brighten up this area.

6) Clean screen/paint front door – If you have a screen or storm door, make sure the glass is clean and/or the screen is not torn or ripped.  For your front door, a fresh coat of paint plus a new knocker and/or kick plate will draw people into the house.

7) Wash entry lights – While most showings are done during daylight hours, one thing I always notice is if the front entry lights are clean and straight.  Since most sellers enter and leave through their garage, they forget about these lights.  Replace them if needed but many times all they need is a wash and new bulbs.

8) Paint stair rail or porch – Again, with most sellers using their garage as their exit/entry portal, they often forget to look at
the house from a guest’s perspective.  If your rails are rusted or just worn from the sun, put a fresh coat of paint of them.  If
you have a porch, the same goes here.  Make sure the paint is in good condition.

9) Cut  and edge the lawn – This one seems like a given but you need to keep your lawn mowed (weekly in season) and
edging will make it look sharp.  Also, don’t forget to edge the beds and islands if you have them.

10) Replace or remove worn welcome mat – Again, remember how buyers are approaching the house.  If everything else
looks good but you have a worn out welcome mat, it can negate all the work.  Either replace the mat or remove it and put
one inside.

These simple tips will show you care about the house and want to make a good first impression.  Buyers will be more likely to feel that you have also taken care of the rest of the house if they are impressed as they walk up.

For more tips and information on selling your home, click here or contact me.

Gorgeous Lakefront Home For Sale in Marietta GA at 1819 Lake Ebenezer Trail in Ebenezer Farm

For more information or to schedule a tour of the home, please contact Barry Wolfert at 770-656-7551 or email me.

1819 Lake Ebenezer Trail, Marietta, GA 30066

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This home offers a great location, excellent schools an amazing lakefront lot at a great price.  Built in 2006, this is a 3 sided brick home located in the Ebenezer Farm subdivision just minutes from Roswell and Alpharetta and in the heart of East Cobb.

Located in Marietta off Ebenezer Road, this home provides easy access to Sandy Plains Road, Shallowford Road, Woodstock Road/Hway 92 and is convenient to I-75 and GA 400.

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Updated Brick Front Home For Sale in Marietta with Fenced Backyard at 2817 Forest Wood Drive

For more information or to schedule a tour of the home, please contact Barry Wolfert at 770-656-7551 or email me.

2817 Forest Wood Drive, Marietta, GA 30066

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This home offers a great location and excellent schools at an affordable price.  Built in 1995, this is a brick front home located in the Forest Chase subdivision just minutes from Roswell and Alpharetta and in the heart of East Cobb.

Located in Marietta off Jims Road, this home provides easy access to Sandy Plains Road, Johnson Ferry Road, Woodstock Road/Hwy 92 and is convenient to I-575 and GA 400.

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Brick Front Home For Sale on Cul de Sac Near Lake Allatoona at 4606 Cantle Court, NW, Acworth GA 30101

For more information or to schedule a tour of the home, please contact Barry Wolfert at 770-656-7551 or email me.

4606 Cantle Court, NW, Acworth GA 30101

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This home offers a great location and affordable price.  Built in 1994, this is a brick front home located in the Bridlecreek subdivision just minutes from Lake Allatoona and Cobblestone Golf Course.   The home offers 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.

Located in Acworth off Acworth Due West Road, this home provides easy access to Cobb Parkway/Highway 41 as well as I-75. READ THE REST OF THE STORY

4 Bedroom Home For Sale with Wrap Around Porch at 406 Cherokee Springs Road in Woodstock, GA 30188

For more information or to schedule a tour of the home, please contact Barry Wolfert at 770-656-7551 or email me.

406 Cherokee Springs Drive, Woodstock, GA 30188

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This is a lovely traditional styled home with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms and a basement. Featuring a wrap around rocking chair porch and 1 acre lot, this home offers hardwood floors, two fireplaces and new cabinets in the kitchen. This home is located in Woodstock and located off Earney Road which is off of Hickory Flat Highway.

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