Alpharetta and Johns Creek Real Estate

What is the Appraisal?

An appraisal an evaluation of the a property’s financial value in the current market. It is required for all properties purchased by people who are using financing/loan services.

Before 2008, the lender could select the appraiser which sometimes led to problems with objectivity. Today, the lender no longer has direct contact with the appraiser and the process is much more objective.

Why Your Appraisal Is Low?

During the current environment of rapid home appreciation — due to low inventory and high demand — the past sales used to figure home values aren’t in great enough supply to support the constant, positive changes in the market in the Alpharetta, Johns Creek and Forsyth County areas. This may result in a lower appraisal for your home than the current sales patterns in this part of Georgia may indicate. Read the rest of this entry »

Recently, the Georgia Department of Education released the scores for the first annual Georgia College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) and our local high schools rank higher than any others in the Fulton County System.

1. Milton High School – 93.5 points
2. Northview High School- 93.3 points
3. Chattahoochee High School – 91.8 points
4. Johns Creek High School – 90.9 points
5. Alpharetta High School – 89 points

Historically, real estate has realized the greatest appreciation in areas with quality schools. The Alpharetta and Johns Creek areas continue to serve residents with superior schools and more prepared graduates.

If you would like to buy a home served by these superior schools, call me.

Barrett Downs Subdivision
2045 Thorncliff Trace
Cumming GA 30040
(Click Image for More Information)

Last week, I got an up-close and personal look at how the market is exploding for sellers.

I listed a house for sale late in the afternoon on Wednesday (you can see a photo of it in my blog for last week). Before the evening was over, I had two blind offers — before the house was physically shown to anyone. Three more offers surfaced within hours. The house was sold, with a signed contract in hand, less than 24 hours after it was listed. Over the course of two days, I had over 40 phone calls from agents seeking homes for their clients and more calls from individuals looking for a new house for themselves.

Right now, there is enough buyer interest and activity to drive up your sales price and to get your house sold quickly.

In the 25 years that I have been in the Real Estate industry, I’ve never seen this kind of “fevered” buying activity locally. I’ve heard of it in Florida, in Las Vegas, and in Silicon Valley, but we have never seen this kind of market here in the North Fulton and South Forsyth Counties and the surrounding Georgia landscape. This isn’t happening in all areas, but it is happening in abundance for those areas served by the better school systems.

The interest rates are still great and the appreciation in real estate values is being realized for the first time in several years. Locations with proximity to conveniences are always nice, so the subdivision properties are particularly popular right now.

So, if you are wondering if it’s time to sell, the answer is YES.

If you have a home in a good area, served by excellent schools (Alpharetta High School, Milton High School, Cambridge High School, Chattahoochee High School, Johns Creek High School, Northview High School, Lambert High School, South Forsyth High School, and all the feeder schools that lead into them) call me, I have eager buyers!

We can probably get your house listed, staged, and sold in a matter of days or weeks.  Right now, sellers should not be waiting for months to sell their house. I can show you how to make it happen.

$289,900.00 — 10885 Windham Way, Alpharetta, GA 30022 – 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath, in-ground swimming pool, finished basement

Why Your Money Buys More House Now

When the fed quits buying up mortgaged securities and essentially subsidizing homeownership, the party is over. Right now IS the time to buy. With rates well under 4%, anyone who wants a house, and can get approved, should buy.

If the strong rally in the stock market continues, you can expect the current, historically low interest rates will to begin to climb. So, if you are trying to decide if now is the buy or sell a home, decide quickly. If you are selling, your potential buyers will thin out as the rates climb and if you are buying, the longer you wait, the higher the total cost will be on any given home.

Let Me Illustrate

Let’s use the house pictured here, and round the figures to make it easy to see the difference in how much more house you can buy — and how much less you can pay for it — if you buy now. Read the rest of this entry »

The market is moving really fast in and around Forsyth County Georgia! While out reviewing the available inventory for some clients I have currently searching for a new home, I went into Wyndham Park subdivision and I noticed something interesting. Not only were all the houses that were for sale, sold — but the undeveloped lots are also sold. As of today, there are no undeveloped lots for sale. Not one. The Wyndham Park developer reports that they sold 36 home sites in the neighborhood in the last six months.

Across the street, in the James Creek Subdivision in North Fulton County, a new subdivision by the same builder (D. R. Horton), has 33 lots and they have done pre-sales. There isn’t a single house built to date and they have already sold 26 of them. At this point they are taking lot reservations rather than selling, because it will take them some time to catch up. These lots and homes were sold without the first actual house being built in that development. THAT, my friend, shows how strong the new home sales are in this area right now! Read the rest of this entry »