The Van Thompson Group Blog

Great Date Night Restaurant

2009-03-09T11:47:00.004-04:00

If you are looking for a great place to take a date or a business dinner I would highly recommend checking out 4th & Swift. The restaurant is located in the old Southern Dairies building. It has exposed brick, high ceilings and great woodwork. Very eye pleasing and sexy. The food is amazing.The service is outstanding. The restaurants runs seasonal specials with organic locally grown produce. Great wine list. Check out the menu at http://www.4thandswift.com. You will not be disappointed.

Interesting Info on the Areas With Highest Foreclosure Rates

2009-03-06T10:58:00.005-05:00

In todays USA TODAY there is an article that states "half of the foreclosures in 2008 took place in only 35 counties". Wow...that kind of put things in perspective. The article goes on to say "the 35 counties are located in just 12 states" and that these counties were the epi-center of the banking/mortgage crisis. Even more fascinating is that 25% of all foreclosures occurred in only eight counties in Arizona, California, Florida and Nevada.

What was the most important piece of information in the article: " In more than 650 other counties-about a fifth of the nation-the number of foreclosure actions actually dropped since 2006".

If you look at the map, you'll see that Fulton County was one of the counties with the highest number of foreclosures. This resulted from another problem...the fact that South Fulton County, and more specifically Southwest Atlanta, was the mortgage fraud CAPITAL of the country. Obviously, the tidal wave of mortgage fraud resulted in a surge of foreclosures, giving Fulton County that dubious distinction.

All in all, the USA Today article is a glimpse at where the real problem areas are and what was the source. As side from the mortgage fraud issue, Atlanta has been plugging along and is a great investment that will reap huge benefits in the future.

SOURCE OF INFO and MAP: USA TODAY 3/6/09

Another Pending Sale !!!

2009-03-04T14:00:00.002-05:00

The news would have us all believe that the real estate market is dead. Well Michelle and I can tell you that there is activity going on. If the home/condo is in good condition and priced right it WILL SELL.

Buyers are out looking and are still getting financing( the news would tell you otherwise).

This buyer went under contract after we lost out to multiple offers on two different condos.

A Lesson From Warren Buffet

2009-03-02T11:09:00.003-05:00

Last night I just finished reading Warren Buffett's latest book, "The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life". It's basically a biography about his life (from birth to present) that includes many of his business philosophies as themes throughout the book.

One theme or motto that was reiterated time and again was this: Be greedy when everyone else is fearful and be fearful when everyone else is greedy. Okay...I know that the term greed definitely has a negative connotation. What Buffett was speaking to is this...when everyone else is fearful there are a multitude of opportunities that are available to those who will jump on them.

How does this relate to real estate? Simply, that now everyone is running scared from the real estate market. All the news is just perpetuating fear, fear, fear!!! But take a look around...there are a multitude of great options and deals, for those willing to capitalize on them, you can bet that when the market turns around (WHICH IT WILL!!!) those who jumped in when everyone else was fearful will reap the rewards!!!

A Real World Example of the $8000 Tax Credit

2009-02-27T15:06:00.004-05:00

This morning Melanie had I had a closing with a couple of terrific clients!!! What's pretty amazing is that they bought a $325,500 home, with $8200 as a downpayment. What's even more amazing is that they will get most of their downpayment back through the $8000 tax credit.

Think about it...they put $8200 down and will get an $8000 tax credit back. The math is easy...for a $200 investment our client's are getting a home they've always wanted. Now is the time to take advantage of great interests rates and free money! The tax credit ends December 1st, 2009

Check out The Van Thompson Group's Facebook Page

2009-02-26T10:47:00.002-05:00

Melanie & I have published our Facebook page so that all of our friends and clients can keep an eye on us and a finger on the pulse of the real estate market in Atlanta.

Check it out:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Atlanta-GA/Van-Thompson-Group/32122120403

There are SO MANY good reasons to buy real estate now...

1. An $8000 tax credit that is paid to you! Basically, you are getting back your down-payment money. And, this tax credit DOES NOT have to be repaid!!!

2. Atlanta currently has the lowest interest rates in the country.

3. There are countless motivated Sellers, which translates into countless opportunities for you to pick up a great deal.

4. The real estate market is/will recover and it's best to buy at the bottom. There is absolutely no way to time the market until it's too late.

5. Start building your wealth and stop making your landlord RICH!!!

The list could go on & on. Just take our word for it...you should definitely be buying real estate!!

How the Stimulus Package Affects You

2009-02-19T09:25:00.002-05:00

How the Economic Stimulus Package Affects Home Owners
Credit for first-time homebuyers: The bill increases the size of an existing temporary and refundable first-time home buyer credit to $8,000, up from $7,500. It also removes the requirement under current law that the credit be paid back if the buyer stays in the home for at least three years. And it would extend the credit's expiration date to Dec. 1, 2009, from July 1. Those eligible for this credit must have purchased a home after Jan. 1, 2009, and before Dec. 1, 2009. The full credit is available to those making $75,000 or less ($150,000 for joint filers).

Good News for '09!!!!

2009-02-18T12:04:00.000-05:00

Van Thompson is feeling completely optimistic about the real estate market in 2009. Forbes just published an article saying that Atlanta is one of 10 cities that will emerge from the house slump with growth, both in the resale market and new homes.

Now's the time to jump in...get historically low rates and an $8000 tax credit to boot!!

P.S. Atlanta currently has the lowest mortgage rates of whole THE COUNTRY!!!

Green Living in the Heart of East Lake

2009-02-17T11:58:00.003-05:00

Check out our new listing in East Lake Commons. This community is one of very few co-operative communities in the city. ELC boasts organic gardens, huge playground area, community center for weekly meals and entertainment. This is a secure, gated community with hiking trail, pond and recycling center.

Check it out...

Great New Eco-Friendly Townhome

2008-12-12T11:43:00.003-05:00

We just listed the coolest townhome in an amazing community. The community is called East Lake Commons. It is an award winning eco-friendly , co-housing community with 22 acres of grounds. The grounds include organic gardens, large playground,walking trails and a pond.

There is also a really cool community clubhouse. The community has 2 nights a week that they put together dinners in the restaurant size kitchen in the clubhouse. Many of the dishes served contain fresh ingredients pulled right from the garden that day. Great place to socialize with your neighbors and get a farm fresh meal.

You can get more information about this community by visiting www.eastlakecommons.org

Get Off The Fence!!!

2008-09-22T10:28:00.003-04:00

Here's the scoop about what's really going on in the Atlanta Real Estate market...

--Foreclosures are down 11% in the city in the month of August
--Rates have fallen to historical lows...Fixed rate loans under 6%
--85% of the foreclosure debacle occurred in 5 states:
California
Florida
New York
Arizona
Nevada

I recognize that this past week has been a financial and emotional roller coaster. It's scary to see the fundamentals of our country shaken! Even money market accounts, all thought of as 100% safe investments, have been raided by un-sound decisions made by these financial institutions.

One thing if for certain...real estate is still the most sound investment available. The best part about real estate is that it's tangible...you can see it and touch it. And...it's not going to disappear into some CEO's golden parachute!!!!

Now is a great time to buy when the market is soft. If you're looking to sell, just make sure the house is staged very well and that all inspection issues are address before listing the property.

Atlanta Is THE TOP SPOT For SINGLES

2008-09-05T15:18:00.002-04:00

According to Forbes.com, Atlanta is THE place to live if you're single.
Atlanta received this ranking based on the city having a hopping nightlife, relatively high number of singles and sizzling job growth. “In the eight years that we have been ranking America's largest urban areas in terms of their friendliness to the nation's 74 million single adults, only once did Atlanta place outside the top 10.”

"The list ranks 40 of the largest urbanized areas in the U.S. in seven categories, including a city’s 'cool factor', cost of living alone, culture, job growth, online dating, nightlife and the number of singles."

The remaining rankings are as follows:

San Francisco fell to second place on this year’s list, followed by Dallas-Fort Worth and Minneapolis-St. Paul (tied for the No. 3 spot) and Washington, D.C. (5). Rounding out the Top 10, are Seattle, Boston, New York City, Orlando, Fla., and Phoenix.

Great New Restaurant in Inman Park Village

2008-09-04T11:00:00.002-04:00

Looking for a great restaurant to take out of town guests or just enjoy an evening out? Try Parish restaurant located in the bustling Inman Park Village. Parish occupies a gorgeous 1890’s building whose space has been transformed into a New Orleans-style restaurant straight out of an Anne Rice novel. The restaurant has high ceilings, chandeliers, antique mirrors, and a beautiful well-stocked bar. The food is definitely New Orleans with a little Carribean flair. Think of sinking your teeth into N.O.-style barbeque shrimp, sopping up the spicy juices with fresh french bread, and complementing it with a cold beer.

The downstairs at Parish is a wonderful bakery with decadant pastries, and beignets available on the weekends. Louisiana specialties can also be purchased from the market area, along with a selection of wines. You cannot go wrong with a visit to this restaurant /market even if you’re just stopping in for a drink at the bar.

The area around Parish has come alive with activity. There are many types of new condos and lofts such as Brickworks and Inman Park Village and as always the beautiful Victorian and Craftsman homes in Inman Park. This is a great area just to walk around and take in the scenery, and drop in to Parish for a bite.

Sunday Fun At Piedmont Park

2008-07-29T11:07:00.004-04:00

For those of you who haven't been to Piedmont Park in a while...perhaps due to the venue changes for Dogwood Festival, The Peachtree Road Race or Gay Pride...you really must check it out. I was there this past Sunday playing volleyball with friends and had a blast. The volleyball courts are amazing! They are beach volleyball style courts that are immaculately maintained. There are also several baseball/softball/kickball fields where lively games were in full swing!
The area is within what's called the "Activity Oval". There is an oval path that is the perimeter of this area with distance markers provided by the Atlanta Track Club.

There are so many other activities in the park to enjoy: a number of outstanding play areas for the kids, the always entertaining doggy park and the phenomenal people watching! For a detailed list of ongoing park activities...check out http://www.piedmontpark.org/

Go check out Piedmont Park this Sunday...I promise you won't be disappointed!!

A Night in Inman Park

2008-07-15T11:51:00.003-04:00

Just the other evening I had the pleasure of taking in some of the offerings in Inman Park.

The evening began with dinner at Fritti (http://www.sottosottorestaurant.com/) ... a casual, very open and airy restaurant specializing in Italian small plates and yummy pizzas. The atmosphere is so great at this time of year because the entire restaurant is open to the outdoors and there's tons of patio seating.

After dinner we strolled over for a show at Dad's Garage (www.dadsgarage.com . We saw the show called FWD>>, in which my friend Alison Hastings is cast in a leading role. It's a kookie comedy about a data entry, cubicle dwelling office worker who goes completely nuts at the office. Very entertaining!

After the show we strolled around Inman Park looking at all of the growth...so many new bars, restaurants and great places to live. A couple of great new buildings are the Inman Park Village Lofts and townhomes in Inman Park Village.

Go enjoy a night in Inman Park...you won't regret it!!!

Condo of The Week

2008-06-03T14:08:00.002-04:00

We have just listed a fantastic condo at the Tuscany in the heart of Midtown. This condo has it all. The condo is a spacious one bedroom /one bath. It has a great open kitchen with plenty of cabinets and beautiful granite counters, hardwood floors and large windows . The condo is a corner unit with french doors leading out to a covered balcony with amazing views of Midtown skyline. Great place for an adult beverage at the end of the day. The master bedroom is large with a great walk in closet. Master bath also has granite counteres and tiled floors.

You can walk out of your door and a block away is Piedmont Park and some really great restaurants ,such as, Nikimotos,Flying Biscuit and Zocolos. This is a great place to live and get to enjoy all of what Midtown has to offer.

Latest Scoop on the BeltLine

2008-02-19T11:53:00.002-05:00

While out showing property in Grant Park this past weekend I had the pleasure of meeting to gracious volunteers with the Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. These dedicated folks were out pounding the pavement to ensure Atlanta residents understand what the BeltLine is and what the process will look like.

Apparently, the West End Trail will be the first of the 33 mile BeltLine trail system to be completed. The West End Trail construction will include an arbortoreum amd upgrades to Gordon White Park. The trail itseld will be 12 feet wide, 2.3 mile trail from Westview Drive (South of I-20) to Brown Middle School on Peoples St.

The first phase of construction was set to commence on January 22, 2008 and should be completed within 6-8 months.

A Place Where They Know Your Name

2008-02-18T18:34:00.003-05:00

Looking for a great spot to stop into after work in Midtown? Marlow's Tavern fits the bill. The tavern is located in the bottom of Plaza Midtown on West Peachtree. This is a great neighborhood joint. The tavern has a good selection of wine (including my favorite, Sonoma Cutrer) and beer as well as a full bar. My friends and I shared the crab and shrimp nachos, which are really cheesy and tasty. I had the buffalo chicken wrap which I will definitely order again. One of my friends had a burger and was very happy.

If you live at Cotting Court, Plaza Midtown or Midcity Lofts you can easily walk to Marlow's Tavern. This restaurant is an asset to the local community.

Marlow's Tavern will be a place I can see going on a regular basis. Hope to see you there

http://www.marlowstavern.com

Selling in Today's Market

2008-02-11T16:02:00.000-05:00

Someimes turning on the news is just too depressing. Well ,what I can tell you is the news about the real estate market is not the real picture of the market we currently have in Atlanta. In the Atlanta market we have been very fortunate.In most cases the property values have increased over last year.The cases where we see some loss in value or just stagnate is the case of someone owning a newer construstion home that is in an area where there is ongoing construction.Unless the construction in the area is much higher priced it is difficult to sell the house that has been lived in unless it is priced much less than the never lived in new construction.

In the intown market, such as,Midtown,Virginia Highlands and Morningside we are seeing good sales.What we advise our sellers is to prepare the property for sale by pricing it right,staging the house or condo to sell, and get an agent that will market the property.

Keep in mind Atlanta is the number one city for young professional to move to for jobs. This will keep the real estate market in Atlanta strong for a long time to come.

2008 Real Estate Market Forecast....Good News!!!!

2008-01-07T17:12:00.000-05:00

Finally....what we've all been waiting for!!! Some positive news regarding real estate, the Atlanta market specifically.

Atlanta real estate guru John Adams, whose been heavily involved in this market for nearly three decades, says that the Atlanta market has been and is healthy and expects 2008 to be a fantastic year. Mr. Adams bases his opinion on the following facts:

--That Georgia has dodged "the real estate meltdown" that other states have experienced.

--The cost of borrowing money is at or near historic lows, with a 30 year, fixed rate loan at 6%.

--Atlanta's growth has been much more steady and consistent than those markets that were wrought with speculation.

--That "real estate is local and that what's happening in New Mexico is not relevant to what's happening in your neighborhood".

--"Home prices in Georgia have not slipped and, in fact, are still rising though modestly. The average home in Georgia is worth more than it was a year ago."

--The expectation of Atlanta adding 2-3 million new residents over the next 20 years will continue to drive demand.

Mr. Adams prognostication continues: "I am willing to go on the record as predicting that 2008 will be seen as the year of the real estate turnaround in the Atlanta metro area".

Thank you so much, Mr. Adams, for shedding a realistic and positive light on a healthy market!

The Van Thompson Team Is Going Green

2007-12-18T18:34:00.000-05:00

We are so excited at Van Thompson about completing a certification to become Ecobrokers. What this means to us and our clients is that we have gained valuable knowledge on green building practices and ways we can promote green building here in Atlanta.

Some of our future blogs will be ways you can use green practices in your own homes. Our goal with this new certification is to help our clients save money and be able to help the environment at the same time.

Ways To Help The Environment

2007-11-24T09:14:00.000-05:00

These days we are looking for ways we can help the environment. If we all make even small adjustments in how we do things can make a big impact. These are just a few ideas we can do :

1.) Buy energy-efficient appliances. This can not only save you on your energy bills but helps to reduce green house gas emissions.
2.) Adjust your thermostat. Try to keep the thermostat in your home in the winter at 68 degrees or below and 75 degrees in the summer. Also take a look at the thermostat in your refrigerator , keep the refrigerator at 37 degrees F and freezer at 0 degrees F.
3.) Take care of your car. Tune up and properly inflate the tires. Try to telecommute, carpool or take Marta. Also , don't use drive throughs if there are more than 2 cars ahead of you.
4.) Change the bulbs in your house to energy saving ones.
5.) Eat locally.Go to your local farmers market. This way you support you local farmers and this saves fuel because the goods travel a shorter distance. It is also healthy.
6.) Go to the Earth 911 site to find out how to recycle everything from cell phones to junk cars. Try donating your old furniture instead of sending to the trash.
7.)Go to www.dmaconsumers.org to get that junk mail stopped or at least very reduced.
8.) Try walking and biking more. It is healthy and good for the environment.

I think these ideas will not cost you any money and most will actually save you money. So you get to help the environment and save money. That's a good thing.

ATLANTA TOPS FOR RELOCATIONS OF SINGLES

2007-10-26T08:23:00.000-04:00

According to an article published by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Metro Atlanta is the top place for relocating singles, according to relocation industry group Worldwide ERC and third-party employee relocation provider Primacy Relocation.
Atlanta ranked No. 1 on the groups' survey, the fourth annual "Best Cities for Relocating Singles." Atlanta is followed by New Haven, Conn.; Madison, Wis.; Nassau-Suffolk, N.Y.; and Raleigh, N.C.

The groups used statistical profiles of the largest 100 U.S. metro areas, zeroing in on the criteria most relevant to singles. This year's results incorporated new data from government and industry sources, including overall cost of living, availability of outdoor/adventure activities, and violent and property crime rates.

Yet another sign that Atlanta, particularly the in-town market, will continue to expand and thrive!

The REAL Story on the Atlanta Market

2007-09-17T21:02:00.000-04:00

While reading The Georgia Real Estate Report, which is written and distributed by John Adams, a local real estate guru who is well versed in the Atlanta market. I was happy to stumble on information he quoted from Forbes magazine...saying that"Atlanta and Indianapolis were recently mentioned in Forbes as the two cities most likely to lead the nation out of a housing slump, primarily due to affordability. John Adams went on to ask the question..."who wants to live in Indianapolis", but that's a subject for another blog.

The article went on say that "home prices in Georgia have continued to appreciate, although modestly so, during even the worst of the current slump". And, finally John Adams states "the projected job growth and accompanying population growth over the next decade bode a strong real estate market in out area, regardless of what might happen on a national level".

Many thanks to John Adams, a voice of reason who has the experience and knowledge to back up his statements!

Tacos

2007-09-14T16:04:00.000-04:00

Melanie and I consider ourselves to be "taco aficionados"! For some people its wine...for others it's cigars. For us, well it about getting the best taco in town. If you are looking for a good and inexpensive lunch don't go any further than Taqueria Del Sol. You will get hooked on these simple tacos. You'll find your car heading to this cute taco stand several times a week for your taco fix. Another great place is Lafonda's on Ponce or in Candler Park...great talapia tacos! Another spot is Frogs at Midtown Promenade on Monroe. They've got this exquisite grilled fish taco with spinach and mango...DO NOT BE AFRAID! We promise, you'll love it.