Most Important Part of Selling – Pricing

When putting a home or condo for sale in the Atlanta real estate market the most important step in getting the property sold is to price the home/condo correctly. In the Atlanta market we have good steady sales but you may only get one shot to sell the property so pricing is crucial. New or inexperienced agents will sometimes make the following errors in pricing which will make the difference whether the property sells or not.

Mistake #1 – Pricing the home/condo according to what the current list prices are in the building or neighborhood. The list prices are only what the seller hopes to get for the property not what the market will actually bear. The home/ condo is only worth what a qualified buyer is willing to pay for the home/condo. That is why the actual sales of like properties should only be considered when pricing.

Mistake #2 – If the seller has some upgrades that other seller’s in the area don’t have doesn’t mean you can add onto the price 100% of the cost of the upgrades. In some cases these upgardes can only help you sell your place sooner than the other homes/condos on the market in your area at similar list prices.

Mistake #3- If there are needed reparis such as , new hot water heater , new roof,etc. this does not mean the cost of these items can be added onto the price. These are looked at as maintenance items and buyers expect theses to be in good working condition or the home/condo priced accordingly.

Mistake #4 – Seller’s thinking the buyers’ want their choices in the décor. It is so important to neutralize the home/condo as much as possible to appeal to as many buyer’s as possible. There is a reason The Van Thompson Team has homes/condos staged for sale. IT WORKS.

Mistake # 5- Not listening to your real estate agent. Most good agents sell between 20 to 40 homes per year. Chances are you may have sold several homes/condos in your lifetime. Experience does make a difference.

Condos Intown Under $180,000

There are so many signs and ads for condos for sale that are intown with prices in the $400s (and up) that buyers start to think they cannot get a nice condo in the city for $180,000 or less. But, on a recent showing Michelle and I showed some very nice condos from $150-170, all one bedrooms located in nice communities.

One of the communities we showed was Carlyle Heights, located about 3 blocks from Piedmont Park and 2 blocks from Ansley Park shopping center (location, location, location). Carlyle Heights is well kept and very dog friendly. The one bedroom units had very nice kitchens with granite counter tops , stainless appliances and nice cabinets. Many people wouldn’t have thought you’d be able to get these types of upgrades at this price point, but it exists. The units had a separate dining area from the living area, plus a bar at the kitchen. It’s a great set up, but to me one of the best features was the large screened porch facing a beautiful private wooded area. Sitting out there its hard to believe you are in the middle of the city.

This is just one of the nice communities we showed that had a lot to offer for the money. We are really very lucky in Atlanta that we can still get so much for our money when it comes to real estate. So if you are out there thinking you cannot afford a place in the city, think again. You can do it and not have to eat ramon noodles to pay the mortgage!

CastleBerry Hill Art Show

Last Saturday night I went to an art show for local artist Su Abbott in The Granite Room in Castleberry Hill Arts District. WOW. What a cool space to have an event. With granite walls, 14ft ceilings and curved white walls it provides a dramatic backdrop for an artist. The art scene in Castleberry is well worth the trip, and a fine addition to a thriving neighborhood. There are several galleries in a 3 block radius, all showcasing various artists and styles of display.

The show itself was amazing. Su Abbott is one of Atlanta's top new artists to hit the scene. I bought 2 pieces that I fell in love with at the show and loved them even more when I hung them in my home. I think everyone loved her work as much as I did because when I left more than half her pieces were sold, and the others were snapped up later. I've included a shot of one of the pieces from her website to give you an idea of her style; you can see more of Su Abbott's work at http://www.susustudios.com/. And, you may want to make a trip down to Castleberry yourself, to check out all the area has to offer.

Rathbun's Is a Must

Last Friday evening, Melanie and I took our clients and friends to dinner at Rathbun's to celebrate their closing. I had heard many good things about Rathbun's, but turns out "good" is a huge understatement. The menu is mind boggling...from the small plates to the entrees to the First, Second and THIRD Mortgage wine list. The restaurant space itself is stunning and the atmosphere is something you'll want to experience again and again.

Rathbun's is just off Krog Street, which is an in-town area that is growing and thriving. The area is very diverse with commercial and retail businesses, as well as a large artist community. There are numerous cool and eclectic places to live and work such as Studioplex and Dynamic Metal Lofts .

Our friends frequent Rathbun's and we agreed to let her to the ordering. We decided to order only small plates so the we could experience many different dishes. Round after round of small plates was a culinary treat! We had one of everything...Rare Thai Beef, Scallops, Eggplant Fries and many others and literally everything was amazing. The wait staff is so knowledgeable about the food, that extensive wine list and the DESSERTS! Ah...the desserts. Our server brought us six different desserts for us to share and they were indescribable.

I highly recommend the experience at Rathbun's...it's thoroughly a treat! I can't wait for my next visit.

Atlanta Beltline Comes To Life

The Atlanta Beltline is a corridor of transit, parks and trails linking 45 in-town neighborhoods. The original concept was developed by Ryan Gravel, as his Senior thesis while attending Georgia Tech. The idea has ballooned into what could be an amazing addition to our city. The Beltline calls for more than 1,400 acres of green space added to the city, including four new parks, four expanded parks and five park-centered mixed-use developments. The Beltline and its parks have been coined the Emerald Necklace, after Frederick Law Olmsted's famous Emerald Necklace of parks in Boston. The Atlanta Emerald Necklace will connect 45 of the city's historic neighborhoods and include a 23-mile Beltline Trail for running and bicycling, a 20-mile Beltline Transit System

Recently, the Trust for Public Land (http://tpl.org/) has created a handy booklet presenting a self-guided driving tour to see what The Beltline is all about. The Beltline project has been coined the Emerald Necklace after Frederick Law Olmstead's famous Emerald Necklace of parks in Boston. The driving tour takes you along Atlanta's Emerald Necklace through 46 of the city's historic neighborhoods. The 16 page booklet includes maps and photos of historic sites along the way and is available at www.tpl.org/atlantabeltline or the Atlanta History Center.



Additionally, the BeltLine Partnership http://www.blogger.com/www.beltline.org is offering free tours of the Beltline every Friday and Saturday from 9:15 am to 12:30 pm. Please contact Sharron Sylvain at tours@beltlinepartnership.org.

Midtown Noshing

On a recent Wednesday night after showing condos/lofts in the Midtown area I had a chance to pop into one of my favorite places to eat, Loca Luna. As always it was hopping in the bar area. Great place to meet friends for a drink after work. My friend and I wanted dinner so we got a table.
If you love tapas , this is a great place to go. It’s where the tapas craze started in Atlanta and I think it’s still one of the best places for this type of dining. The atmosphere is very festive with a live spanish band. We started off by ordering empanadas, calamari , sauteed shrimp and salad and of course a delicious glass of wine. It really doesn’t get any better than this: great music , great food, good wine and just steps from some of the best intown living. What a great way to end the day or start your evening.
This is one of the best things about living in a condo or loft on the Midtown area: you can walk right out your door and have access to some of the best restaurants in the city. There are several buildings near Loca Luna, including 805 and Midcity Lofts. The 805 building has beautiful Bauhaus style archiecture and a resort-style pool area. In fact, it’s one of the most happening pools in Midtown. Midcity is also just around the corner from Loca Luna. This building has a very sleek minimalist style. The units have great views with concrete floors and open floorplans.