North Atlanta Real Estate Voice

Challenges To Property Taxes in Metro Atlanta (Cobb, Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton, Gwinnett) Soar To Record Levels

In a typical year, the five of the larger metro-Atlanta counties (Cobb, Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett and Clayton) see about 9,000 challenges to property taxes.   With the deadline to file in Gwinnett and DeKalb having just passed on March 2, more than 22,000 property owners have filed challenges.  The deadline for Clayton, Fulton and Cobb is April 1 and officials expect the already 10,000 petitions to soar as the deadline approaches. READ THE REST OF THE STORY

Traditional Style Home For Sale in Marietta (East Cobb) on Tappahannock Trail in East Park Hamilton Subdivision

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

1730 Tappahannock Trail, Marietta, GA 30062

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Beautiful traditional style, Williamscraft built home with rocking chair porch.  This 5 bedroom, 4 full bathroom home features tons of space and is much bigger than it looks.  Built in 2001, this all hardiplank sided home is located in the Hamilton section of the East Park subdivision in Marietta (East Cobb).

The East Park subdivision is located off Allgood Road in Marietta and offers easy access to I-75 via Roswell Road/120 Loop or Sandy Plains Road.

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Revised Housing Tax Credit Stimulus Bill (H.B. 261) Passes Georgia House; Senate Now Considering

Back on Febrary 22, 2009, I posted my concerns regarding H.B. 261.  While good intentioned, that bill had the potential to cause more harm than good.  I applaud the Georgia Assembly for taking matters into their own hands and considering and creating a bill that will get the Georgia housing market back on track.

H.B. 261 went through some revisions and passed the House yesterday 162-4.  I believe the changes in the bill make it a much more effective stimulus tool and could re-start the stalled Georgia housing market.

The key features of the bill, as I understand them are outlined as follows:

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10 Common Home Inspection Related Questions Answered By The Experts

ASK THE EXPERTS will be an occasional feature where I interview industry professionals and get their insight to the most commonly asked questions in their field.

This post features Brodie Brown with Browntree Inspections and Scott Berlyoung with Alpha Home Services.  I asked both of them to provide answers to these questions.  Click on read the rest of the story for the full interview. READ THE REST OF THE STORY

Updated Two Bedroom Townhome on Shaded Oaks Lane For Sale in Marietta

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

287 Shaded Oaks Lane, Marietta, GA 30067

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Great location, excellent condition and an affordable price!  This is a fantastic fully updated townhome with 2 large bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.  Located in the Marietta section of East Cobb in the Shaded Oaks complex off Powers Ferry Road.  This community is tucked away in a quiet, tree shaded area that provides both affordability and accessibility.

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Cobb County Schools Consider Later Start Date

The Cobb County School District is considering moving the starting date from August 10 to August 17 for the Fall 2009 school year.  Many are asking where the extra five days are going to come from.  The state mandates at least 180 days of instruction.  State school Superintendent Kathy Cox has said calendars are a local decision. A bill to require a later start date for all public schools failed in the state Legislature in 2005. READ THE REST OF THE STORY

Cobb County Happenings – Upcoming Events in Marietta, Kennesaw, Mableton and Powder Springs

Read about some upcoming events and things to do in and around Cobb County.

Commissioner Lee and Chairman Olens host town hall meeting

District 3 Commissioner Tim Lee will host a joint town hall meeting with Chairman Sam Olens 7 p.m., Thursday, March 5, at Piedmont Church, 570 Piedmont Road, Marietta. Residents are encouraged to attend this meeting and discuss progress made around the county. It is also an excellent time to express ideas and ask questions. For more information, call 770-528-3317. READ THE REST OF THE STORY

10 Tips for First Time Home Buyers

Attention first time home buyers (you know who you are, don’t you?).  Now is the time to take advantage of lower house prices, low interest rates and an amazing $8000 tax credit.  But don’t wait too long, the tax credit ends November 30, 2009 and interest rates and prices won’t stay low forever.  For more tips, read the rest of the story.

1) Are you a first time home buyer? It may sound like an easy question but you can actually qualify to be a first time home buyer if you have not owned a home in the last 3 years.  Of course, of you’ve never owned a home before, you’re covered.  Knowing this is important as you can take advantage of the current $8000 first-time home buyer tax credit.

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10 Common Mortgage and Financing Related Questions Answered By The Experts

ASK THE EXPERTS will be an occasional feature where I interview industry professionals and get their insight to the most commonly asked questions in their field.

This post features Michael Lappin with Stellar Mortgage, Beth Cork with Academy Residential Mortgage, Amy Tyson with Envoy Mortgage and George Sayegh with First Metropolitan Mortgage.  I asked all of them to provide answers to these questions.  Click on read the rest of the story for the full interview. READ THE REST OF THE STORY

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 – What We Actually Got

After all the speculation and promise that this bill would jump start the economy, here is a breakdown of what’s included in the bill.

H.R. 1, the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009,” passed the House on February 13, 2009, by a vote of 246 – 184. Later that day, the Senate also passed the bill by a vote of 60 – 38. The President signed the bill on February 17, 2009. The bill is a $780 billion package, with roughly 35% of the package devoted to tax cuts (mostly for 2009) and the rest to spending intended to occur in 2009 and 2010. READ THE REST OF THE STORY