Hank Miller Team Real Estate Blog

Atlanta Area Housing Market Report - 4th Qtr 2020

Here's a link the Atlanta Area Housing Market Report for the 4th Qtr 2020. Data is included for over 30 markets in and around Atlanta; from Blue Ridge to South Atlanta. We examine both attached and detached homes and look at homes under and over one million dollars. A quick, visually pleasing way to know what's going on.

Remember, we have appraisal assets and access to much more and much better data than agents do. We also aren't hesitant to couch the the data; every client sees and understands the data exactly as we do. Good or bad, the data is what it is and decisions are based on it.

Hit the image below to see the latest report. If that image doesn't work, CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST ATLANTA AREA HOUSING REPORT.

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How to File for the Homestead Tax Exemption in GA

Here's how to file for the homestead tax exemption in GA. An easy way to reduce property taxes in Georgia is to file for the homestead exemption. Georgia homeowners are eligible for this exemption on their primary residence if the home was purchased last year and occupied on January 1st. The exemption is not eligible on investment or vacation homes. This is not automatic, the homestead exemption must be filed in the property owner's county, it's easy and there's no reason not to save this money.

Click the image below, that will open a page with multiple links to county sites. Each of the sites will provide details on what's needed and how to file for the homestead exemption in Georgia.

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Are New Homes Better than Existing Homes?

Some home buyers find themselves facing an interesting quandary; is a new home better than an existing home? Lately, many buyers just want to move into a home and live; they're either not interested in or able to update. It's hard to beat new for this segment. Others will consider homes in need of updates; existing homes tend to be more flexible on price and easier to negotiate. For those buyers, opportunity may be found. Many variables impact the final decision; however there are clearly identifiable differences that home buyers should consider. Both new and existing homes have advantages and disadvantages, the best educated buyers will examine both options.

New Homes are Better Than Existing Homes

What’s not to like with a new home? Most…

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Do Busy Roads Matter When Buying a Home?

As housing density increases, so does the impact of traffic and daily activity. Most people wrestle with the desire for a quiet home but one within close proximity to service and support facilities. Urban residents are well acquainted with the sounds of city life, the rural markets attract residents happy to drive for residential solitude. The suburban residents often ask about the impact of busy roads when buying a home; the answer (of course) is that it depends. Variables include buyer requirements, types of roads, amount of traffic and characteristics of comparable areas. So to, does the proximity to commercial uses like shopping centers and strip malls.

Traffic and Influences not Thought About...

Everything is relative so not all things…

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17 Kitchen Design Ideas

 Kitchens aren't just for cooking! They are the heart of the home where families gather and life is celebrated. The kitchen should make you happy and act as a fresh space in your home to begin and end your day. As you scroll through these gorgeous kitchens, I hope you are inspired to create a space that not only functions well for your family for years to come, but is also creative and harmonizes with the rest of your home. Take note of the pops of color you see, including painted cabinets, wallpaper, unique flooring, accessories, or simple touches of greenery - a little fresh thinking goes a long way. From farmhouse style to modern and moody, there's something here for everyone.

House Beautiful James Terrell

Elevate With Eclectic Accents

…

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How Do Driveways Impact the Value and Appeal of a Home?

Consider the lowly and unappreciated driveway, a bland slab of concrete void of character and charm...but used all day, every day. It's typically one of the first things we see with the home, part of the critical first impression. Everything and everyone in and out of the home traverses this hard slab; the ultimate role player like an offensive line for an MVP running back or quarterback. All is good, unless something shines a light on a shortcoming. Sometimes, there hints but the scope of the problem may not be fully understood until regular use.

Driveways must be functional and compliment the home. Ideally, they will be ample in width, level to generally level and wide enough to allow easy ingress and egress to the home. They will have easy curves…

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Housing Market Review for 16 Cities North of Atlanta

Atlanta is a recognizable location, but the housing market for the many cities north of Atlanta is significantly different. From Smyrna to Woodstock to Alpharetta to Cumming to Johns Creek, they share little in common besides the Georgia connection. Below we compare housing prices between 16 cities broken into 4 regions.

2020 was a crazy year for residential real estate. Despite everything, the housing markets around north Atlanta treated sellers exceptionally well; buyers...not so much. Inventory was scare and competition fierce, multiple offers continue to be common. Many factors combined for this; mainly historically low interest rates and a global plague. In short, buyers exploited rates that make ownership more attractive than renting and the…

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We Want Your Home, How Much?

Home buyers constantly balance emotion and data; heart vs head. During times of low housing inventory, the heart can be rather convincing and the result might be a disaster. Over the last decade, public home sites and social media changed the “traditional” ways to find a home. Pocket listings – homes marketed outside of the MLS – have become much more popular and some sellers find success just informally tossing their home out there. Buyers, eager to secure a home, find them and dive right in. This is the time for the head to keep the heart in check. This is the time for an experienced buyer's agent to refocus the buyer.

Why Consider a Pocket Listing?

In most cases, buyers chasing an off market home are either enamored with it for a certain reason…

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Sloped and Cupped Floors

The floors in a home can be a great source of information about a home. Hardwoods in particular can provide "tells" of possible past and/or present issue. Sloped and cupped floors might be signs of hidden issues. Moisture, settling, and even the overall care given to the home can be revealed by the condition of the floors. Below are two videos which are great examples of what to look for, and if spotted, to investigate much further.

There are clear flashing lights to me on that home. Significant cupping and warping like that indicates moisture levels that are higher than desired. Could be a number of reasons, but that situation absolutely warrants additional investigation by flooring folks.

Deflection like that could be due to a number…

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The Covid-19 Impact on Real Estate

The Covid-19 impact on real estate is a study in contrasts when the "before" and "after" data is reviewed. Seismic shifts of day to day activities impacted every aspect of life, including residential real estate. The pandemic seems to have changed how home buyers and sellers act and what they value (for now anyway). Also clear; the pre-covid inventory shortage was further exacerbated by shut downs and fears of having people walk through homes. Fewer homes, low rates, increased competition and prices came together. A section of the 2020 national association of realtors report compared the housing market before March of 2020 with that after; some familiar trends were reinforced while new ones appeared.

Multi-Generational Homes are In

Desire for…

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