One of Our Latest Closings!

As shared by our sales associate, Skip Kendrick:

Congratulations to Terry Logan Daniel on his purchase of 3 lots in Arlington Place!! Congratulations are also in order for his parents, Terry and Gina for raising such a fine young man! My youngest customer ever! Thank you for allowing me to be your Realtor!!!!

Troup County Housing Stats May 2013

Troup County Housing Stats April 2013

Here you can find our monthly housing stats snapshot. Feel free to share the information. We use data from Georgia Multilist Service reports found on the agent-accessed GAMLS Pro website. Let us know if you have any questions regarding the market status.

Troup County Housing Stats February 2013

Do You Follow Your Heart or Head When Choosing a New Home?

Coldwell Banker Survey Finds Women and Men Make Home-Buying Decisions with Head and Heart

PARSIPPANY, N.J. (March 27, 2012) – Square-footage and price are important elements to consider when selecting a home but according to a new survey from Coldwell Banker Real Estate of 1,000 men and women, they both also rely on how they feel and how their lifestyle fits into a home when looking for a place to live. The survey found 28 percent of women and 25 percent of men put more emphasis on their feelings about a home than they do on the layout, square footage, or price. The majority of women (62 percent) and men (61 percent) also know within the first visit if the home is right for them.

“A home is more than square-footage and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and this survey shows just how much emotion can play a role in home buying process,” says Jessica Edwards, Coldwell Banker Real Estate consumer specialist. “When two people are looking for a home together, there are many considerations to take into account. Of course, price and layout matter, but ‘feeling at home’ is an important factor.”

The survey also reveals insights into the roles men and women play at home and finds some interesting differences between age groups.

Women Take Charge of Making a House a Home:

•  Over half of women (54 percent) say that they take the lead when it comes to decorating.  However, younger men play a larger role in décor decisions than their older counterparts. Forty-eight (48) percent of younger respondents, age 18-44, say decorating is mutual; this decreases to 36 percent for respondents 55 and over.
• Women also cook it up in the kitchen. Sixty-eight (68) percent of women say they are the “primary chef” for their household. Not to be outdone, some men are also putting on the apron – occasionally. Nearly a quarter of men (23 percent) say cooking is their job.

Age Changes How Men and Women Feel “At Home”

• Sharing financial decisions may get easier over time. Fifty-four (54) percent of people age 18-44 say major financial decisions are mutual, compared to 60 percent of those 45-54. This increases to 70 percent for people 55 and over.
• Interestingly, as age increases, so does contentment with the current status of the home. Almost half (45 percent) of those older than 55 say they are very happy with their home just the way it is, compared to 25 percent of those age 18-44. More men seem to be focused on making significant changes to the home (9 percent) compared to women (5 percent).

For couples entering the home-buying process, here are Edwards’ tips for harmonious house-hunting:

• Each person should come up with a list of a few things that are most important and then come together as a couple to decide on a list of the top three to five things that are important for the home.
• When looking for a home, communication is key. Consider designating a point person for different aspects of the home-buying process, so that information is not delayed or communicated to just one part of the couple.
• Don’t get too many people involved; typically more people means more stress and what is most important is that the couple is happy with the decisions being made.
• Don’t forget to have fun! Remember that this home will be the place to build memories and a life together.

http://www.coldwellbanker.com/real_estate/learn/women_and_men_homebuying_decisions

Decorating a Small Home to Create More Space

I just found a great article on Coldwellbanker.com about making the most of your small spaces. Check it out!
But first….take a gander at these little gems we have listed!!

Working with a small living space can be a tricky scenario for new homeowners, especially more established couples who have accumulated a great deal furniture, accents and other personal keepsakes. But before home buying remorse sets in, new owners should consider some common decorating tips that can allow them to maximize the space they have and avoid feeling crowded or cramped.

To begin, it’s important that homeowners conduct a thorough review all the items they own and go through the painful elimination process. Try to weed out appliances, clothing, accessories and other items that haven’t been used in years and are taking up precious space, Daily Finance suggests. This first step is usually the most difficult and once homeowners have gotten rid of burdensome items, they begin organizing their living space to create a more open home environment.

Use storage space appropriately

Bookcases and shelves have a multitude of uses, and using them creatively can not only save homeowners space, but provide a decorative piece to the home. For example, bookcases can be used to store DVDs, CDs, pictures, artwork, sculptures, vases and other trinkets and heirlooms. Homeowners may also transfer floor plants to bookcases to add a splash of color to the room.

In addition, building shelves in cluttered areas can also provide more storage for households at minimal costs. If individuals have bulky entertainment centers that are bare and is primarily used to hold the television, consider selling it and mounting the TV to the wall to create additional space.

Rely on wall and ceiling space

In rooms like the kitchen, wall and ceiling space can provide ample room for homeowners to hang pots and pans and hanging fruit and vegetable baskets, giving them more counter and cabinet space. In addition, spice racks, storage jars and utensil holders can help individuals organize their kitchen tools and keep their counters de-cluttered. Similar to using bookcases to store decorative items, homeowners might also consider investing in an open food carts and organizers.

Don’t be afraid to hide

When it comes to storing seasonal clothing, decorations or trinkets, keeping these items under the bed can save homeowners a significant amount of space. The same holds true for closets and other nooks and crannies in a home, Daily Finance reports. It’s also a good idea to purchase shoe racks and organizing cabinets for bedroom spaces to remove these items from the floor.
http://www.coldwellbanker.com/real_estate/learn/decorating_a_small_home_to_create_more_space

Why Choose Coldwell Banker Spinks Brown Durand?

Recently, on Coldwellbanker.com, an article stated that Coldwell Banker branded websites have the highest number of unique visitors among all national real estate franchise brands in 2011. 

At Coldwell Banker Spinks Brown Durand, we take special strides to optimize your listing’s web exposure. In today’s technologically-fascinated world, we know most home searches begin on the internet. You can have the utmost confidence that your property will reach more buyers than placing an ad in the newspaper as was done back in the day. With greater exposure comes increased chances of a quicker sale.

Whether you are buying or selling, take a quick look at our Visual Tour listings to see one of the ways our agents showcase homes.

Take a look at the article from www.coldwellbanker.com to see the effectiveness of going with a CB branded company!

PARSIPPANY, N.J. (Jan. 26, 2012)– According to Nielsen and comScore Media Metrix, the two global leaders in digital measurement, Coldwell Banker branded websites had the highest number of unique visitors among all national real estate franchise brands for full-year 2011.  This marks the second consecutive year that the Coldwell Banker brand ranked No. 1 in Web traffic among all real estate franchisors. 

“The Coldwell Banker brand is clearly top of mind when consumers go online and search for a home,” said Michael Fischer, chief marketing officer, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.  “Consumers know our great brand and have shown a desire to utilize the suite of online tools seen throughout the Coldwell Banker network at the national and local levels.”
According to Nielson, Coldwell Banker websites had 17.5 million unique visitors in 2011, which was more than 28 percent higher than the next nearest franchise brand competitor (13.7 million). Similarly, Coldwell Banker branded websites (26.1 million unique visitors) had the highest Web traffic ranking among real estate franchisors in the comScore Media Metrix full-year ranking for 2011, easily outpacing its next nearest competitor by 21 percent (21.6 million unique visitors).

The Coldwell Banker brand continues to place an emphasis on developing its website into a hub for consumers to find and prepare for the home buying and selling process.  Recent additions include the lifestyle search page and first time home buyer resource center.

Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC accessed the aforementioned information through its subscription to both Nielson and comScore Media Metrix. The rankings encompass all consumer Web traffic (unique visitors) to national and local websites operated by the franchise brands as well as by their franchisees.

Area’s first Woman-Centric home is a hit with the Homeowners

The best words a homebuilder can hear are, “There is absolutely not one thing I would change about this home.” Karen Barnett recently gave exactly that compliment after working with Dan-Ric Homes on the first local home certified by the Woman-Centric program. “We fell in love with the floor plan and knew it would meet all of our needs and have been nothing but thrilled with our decision since we moved in.”

 “This is our second Dan-Ric Home,” Barnett explained. “As first-time homebuyers, we looked at over 100 homes in the Newnan area and we looked at only one home in LaGrange, which was a Dan-Ric Home and we purchased it.  The quality of the work on the Dan-Ric Home far surpassed any of the other homes we looked at in our price range.  As much as we loved our first home, we outgrew it and knew that we would build a bigger home with Dan-Ric Homes again.”

 The Barnett’s were so pleased with Dan-Ric Homes’ Lakemont Subdivision, the site of their first home; they decided to build their second home there as well.

 “As soon as we pulled into the subdivision we fell in love with the beautiful scenery,” Barnett said. “We love how the lots are left as wooded as possible, and from the minute we drove in it felt like we were in the mountains!  We loved the difference in the heights of the lots and how beautiful the trees were in the fall with all of the colors. We couldn’t dream of moving out of the subdivision that we had come to love so much. It is home for us. “

 The picture of the average American homebuyer is changing rapidly, with women like Karen Barnett having a controlling influence in 91% of new home purchases according to the National Association of Homebuilders, and the Woman-Centric concept reflects this shift.

Darby Durand Pippin, Vice President of Dan-Ric Homes, says the company first learned about the Woman-Centric concept at a Builder 20 meeting in September 2008. She loved the program and knew it was a no-brainer for Dan-Ric Homes, who is now the area’s only licensed Women-Centric builder.

 “It’s a common sense approach to home building. Families are different and so are the ways that they live in the home, our new designs reflect a family’s need for flexible living. Buyers have to prioritize their needs and align them with their wants. Because a Woman-Centric home is building with the family in mind, it doesn’t alienate men, but it appeals to the things women value most.”

 The Barnett family could not be more pleased. “We love having all of the extra closet space for storage and the drop zone is especially nice so that you can come home and drop all of your junk like keys, pocket books, book bags and mail right there and not have to drag them onto the counter tops or clutter up your kitchen while trying to get dinner going!  Great idea!”

 The best part of the Barnett’s new home plan? “If I had to pick a favorite feature, it would be the upstairs laundry room.  It is so nice to have the laundry out of the way of any visitors and to be able to have laundry going even when there are people over visiting and the noise not interfere,” Karen Barnett said.

 Another aspect of the Woman-Centric concept is a redesigned buying experience from start to finish. Woman-Centric floor plans use the Livability At a Glance™ system to highlight categories specific to women. “Because the woman’s priorities are generally the deciding factor in the home purchase, we are making sure we recognize her needs,” explains Pippin. “Storage, entertaining spaces, areas to coral clutter, and most importantly, a place to de-stress and refuel.”

 The buying process itself is simplified, and Dan-Ric Homes’ staff is available to answer any questions at any point in the process. Karen Barnett had great things to say. ”From the moment we met with Darby, she learned what we liked and didn’t, and she worked with us on any issues or questions that we had. The customer service has been great from the beginning of the process to the end. Our family could not be happier with this new home, we truly love it!”

 Now that the Barnetts are all moved in, the celebrations have not stopped!  “Our family throws an annual Pumpkin Carving Party every year before Halloween and this year we were moved in and had all the final touches added to our home in time to do the party,” said Barnett. “All of our family got to come over to see our new home and everyone loved it. We had so many compliments on the colors and the details of the home. Everyone was very impressed with the spacious laundry room, the catwalk and the huge sodded lawn. We felt so proud to show off our new home and decorate for fall! Now I can’t wait to get out the Christmas décor!”

 Here’s to many more holidays in your new Dan-Ric home, Barnett Family!

It could STILL be your chance!

Guess what got approved? An extension of the First TIme Homebuyer Tax Credit.

Want to know more? Try HERE.