On the way to school this morning he saw this house that I’ve had listed on and off, its rented right now.  He had the mom call to let me know. I drove over as its around the corner from me and I took this picture and emailed it to my client who lives in New York.  My friend’s first comment was, “This will be complicated, as its the neighbors’ tree”.

I’ve had a lot of experience with trees and its actually pretty clear cut, if it falls on your property its your problem.  The neighbor is responsible for cutting down dead trees and you have the right to notify them in writing if there’s a dead tree that poses a risk to your property, but the only way you can get them to pay “legally” is to have proof that they were notified that there was a dead tree.  That part is difficult, it would need to be a certified letter or some sort of official notification.

I had a tree fall on my rental property a year or so ago and it didn’t hit the house but broke the fence in the rear of my property and cost me close to $1,000 to remove.  I put a friendly note in the neighbor’s mailbox to let them know and gave them a copy of the bill – nothing…

Legally they didn’t have to do anything as I didn’t know it was dead and hadn’t notified them of such.  Now I will say, its a common courtesy to help out in these situations, but there is not a legal responsibility.  I am not an attorney, so I will add a disclaimer that you should always contact your attorney or insurance company for your particular situation and this is all Georgia specific.  Also, its good to check your insurance policy, as my experience tells me that if it doesn’t land on the house its not usually in the policy for any kind of protection, so that $1,000 to remove was totally on me.

In the case of this house on Randall Farm, the insurance company will most likely cover the damage to the house, but not the tree removal.  Again, we all hope the neighbor realizes what happened and comes to the rescue, but I can tell you more times than not, they don’t…

Just wanted to let everyone know what I’ve learned from my experience.  If you’ve had success getting the tree owner to pay for your damage, please let me know and how.

Update: The neighbor did take responsibility and the tree is already removed, an example of common courtesy! When you have a good relationship with your neighbor they usually do take responsibility for their trees. My clients’ insurance will need to cover the damage to the house.  

Woodland Brook Road, a popular Vinings cut through, will undergo construction during six weeks this summer.

Revised details of the “SPLOST” Woodland Brook Drainage Project were revealed on Monday evening by Cobb County’s District 2 Commissioner Bob Ott and Engineer Bryan Ricks at an informational meeting at the Vinings Library. The plan calls for the replacement of dual 48-inch pipes that run beneath Woodland Brook Drive to be replaced with a 25-foot by 6.5-foot bottomless arch culvert.

Woodland Brook will be closed four to six weeks this summer, with a goal to have the road open to traffic again before school begins August  13.  Construction is expected to begin shortly after Cobb County schools let out for summer on May 24.  The exact date of the closing is uncertain at this time due to recent changes in the contract specifications which will no longer require the road to be raised.

While Woodland Brook Road is closed, “Village Residents” can use Randall Farm Road as a detour route.  It is expected that Speed Humps on Randall Farm Road should prevent speeders along the residential street. Emergency response teams have been made aware of the pending road closure and have alternate plans to access the affected areas.

Signage providing detour direction around Vinings Village to neighboring communities will be strategically placed. It is hoped that as a by-product of the improvements, travelers who have used Woodland Brook Rd. as a pass-through to other destinations in the past, will find the detour routes more efficient for future travel.

Please refer to the VVHA Website for maps & updates.

The accompanying chart shows how fast excessively hot water can burn. Residential water heaters should always be set to a temperature not to exceed 120 degrees F. Measure the water temperature with a thermometer at a faucet after establishing the flow of hot water.

If the temperature is too high, you can make a simple adjustment at the water heater. A gas water heater has a dial on the front of the gas valve that can be set to a lower temperature. If your home ha an electric water heater, you’ll probably need to remove a small access cover and adjust the thermostat with a screwdriver. When in doubt, look for the instructions or seek help from an expert.

In addition to making your hot water supply safer, lowering the water heater temperature can use significantly less energy and save you money on utility bills.

This information was provided to Real Vinings | Buckhead by Chuck LeCraw of The Cornerstone Inspection Group, Inc. www.CornerstoneInspectionGroup.com. 

The Show House is open through Sunday, May 13, and tickets are $25 at the door. Click here to learn more about the Show House.

Knollwood is the location for the 2012 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Decorators’ Show House & Gardens. The show continues through tomorrow, May 13, and tickets are $25 at the door.

The Family Dining Room was designed by the talented mother & daughter duo, Alison Womack Jowers and Cheryl Womack of Womack Interiors. By the way, the amazing dining table is a Maison Jansen “Palais Royale” table from Parc Monceau. Photos from a great Atlanta design blogger, The Peak of Chic.

John Oetgen of Oetgen Design decorated The Solarium. Many of the designers included something musical in their rooms in honor of the Atlanta Symphony Associates. Photos from The Peak of Chic.

Butterflies (not real) are used in place of chess pieces on this antique Chinoiserie games table from Parc Monceau. Photos from The Peak of Chic.

Four bedrooms, three full and one half baths.

Offered at $359,900

Immaculate condition with hardwood floors throughout, even upstairs bedrooms. The interior has been completely redone, see pictures. This doesn’t look like a standard home as it has many custom features. Outside is a fenced yard with playset, enlarged patio with awning and sidewalk to front.

For information or to see this home for sale in Smyrna, please contact Tina Hunsicker of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty at 404.931.3944.

1912 New Haven Court in Smyrna is in immaculate condition. Offered at $359,900 by Tina Hunsicker of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty.

The living room is airy and features dark hardwood floors. Please click on the image for additional information and photos.

The open floor plan is inviting and convenient in this home for sale in Smyrna.

A flat, fenced in backyard is the perfect setting for outdoor play.

Light and Bright interiors with 10ft ceilings and all hardwoods on the main, porches everywhere! Four bedrooms, four full and one half baths!  You’ll never believe the enormous master suite with fabulous walk in closet. The three additional bedrooms each have their own bath.  Kitchen has stainless appliances, newest house in the neighborhood.  Extremely well maintained neighborhood plus walkable to restaurants and shops at One Ivy Walk.

This home located at 4207 Zermatt Drive in Smyrna is offered at $550,000 by Tina Hunsicker of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty. Click on the image for more information and additional photos.

An open floor plan is a highlight of this home that has 10 foot ceilings and hardwoods on the main.

This kitchen is beautiful and open to the central areas of the house – a great home, and the newest one in the neighborhood.

Parking for three cars and a nice outdoor space make this an ideal home for those who want to be close to Atlanta but enjoy Cobb County taxes!

Olde Vinings Park Neighborhood

Offered at $370,000

Four bedrooms, three full baths, one half bath

Please contact Tina Hunsicker at 404.931.3944 of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty for more information.

Location hard to beat on an interior lot inside this neighborhood which is located inside the Perimeter. New screened porch on back, fenced yard, all hardwoods on main. Charming kitchen, family roon on main and 4 bedrooms and 3 baths up.  Walk to restaurants and shopping, great friendly neighborhood.

Located near restaurants and shopping in Vinings, this one at 2714 Vinings Oak Drive is listed for sale for $370,000 by Tina Hunsicker of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty. Click on the image for more photos and additional information.

A lovely living room with great built ins!

A great location for this updated kitchen in this Vinings home for sale.

The master bedroom in this home in Olde Vinings Park is large and features beautiful crown moldings.

The newest addition to this home - a fabulous screened in porch! Click on the image for additional photos and more information.

The market is picking up – we’re seeing reducing numbers of homes for sale and more buyers coming out to see what’s on the market! Click here to search for homes for sale in metro Atlanta….and let me know how I can help you in your next real estate transaction.

Vinings home with a pending sale, set to close in mid May. 3225 Laramie Drive, Atlanta. Offered at $499,000 and listed by Tina Hunsicker of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty.

• carpets cleaned
• the exterior patios, driveway and sidewalks all pressure washed
• some painting done (more needs to happen)
• and touched up black paint on iron fencing
• and the list goes on

I was just reading a blog I like on Saturday morning (it was so beautiful in Atlanta on Saturday!!) and I came across this Spring Cleaning list from LilBlueBoo.com.  

“The Mother of All Spring Cleaning List” has some ideas that I didn’t think of. Everytime I tried to think of one to add – such as vacuum refrigerator coils it was there.  It is organized like this:

Start Big and At the Top
Example:  Clean behind and under the washer, dryer and other large appliances.

The Bedrooms
Example:  Launder all pillows, bedding and mattress pads.

Run Cut Lemons Through Disposal to sharpen the blades and freshen. Photo from AcuteDesigns.org

The Kitchen and Pantry
Example:  Run cut lemons and ice through the garbage disposal.

The Bathrooms
Example:  Clean or replace toothbrushes. Soaking these in hydrogen peroxide is quick and easy!

Finishing Up the Inside
Example:  Switch direction of ceiling fans to counterclockwise.    

Outside the House
Example:  Check the dryer exhaust pipe.

Important Extras
Example:  Update your family emergency kit.

I do have a little tip that I’ve just started doing with my ice maker.  The intake is so hard to clean that I’ve bought filters to put on the exterior in front of the intake that I can easily replace without taking the grill etc off.  Its so low to the ground no one can see it and with a pet in the house (even though he supposedly doesn’t shed), there still seems to be alot of hair and dust that get sucked in there and it seems like I have to have it repaired every year, so maybe this will help.

So after reading this blog I  decided others may like this list as well.  I’ve already done the closets with summer coming so early this year and have started the summer flowers, but there are alot more things to do.

Take a look and I always welcome other ideas and may add some myself as I continue on my spring cleaning.

Click here to open and print the Mother of all Spring Cleaning Checklist.

Bossypants by Tina Fey (2011)

Fun, quick, light read. Fey does a pretty good job making me think she’s just “one of us.” She’s just a few years younger than me and put a smile on my face when she revisited her youth and poked fun of what we thought was soooo cool in the 80s.

Term Limits by Vince Flynn (1997)

Mixed feeling about this political thriller. This author’s first work suffers from some clumsy writing, but I bet his newer works are cleaner. My real problem with the novel is the foundation of the plot (killing sitting members of Congress because you don’t like them) and the resolution (can’t disclose without a spoiler alert). Anyone else read Flynn’s stuff? Thoughts?

The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright (2011)

Could. Not. Finish. This. Book. Although this book got good reviews (and the author is a Booker recipient), I found it difficult to read. Hopping back and forth in time – and the main character seemed self-absorbed and cold. If “chick lit” is just code for stories of infidelity and dysfunction, count me out.