thunsicker

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A luxury residential real estate agent working with Bershire Hathaway Home Services. I specialize in the Vinings and Buckhead areas, and have thorough knowledge of metro Atlanta for all my relocation clients. Atlanta is a great place to call home.

Homepage: https://realviningsbuckhead.wordpress.com

High-tech Med-cottage or “Granny Pods”: Assisted Living of the Future?

What if you could bring a fully equipped, high-tech assisted living space to your home for an aging parent? Would you consider a modular, temporary guest house that could be removed after a few months? i ran across this Washington Post article  “Pioneering the Granny Pod: Fairfax County family adapts to high-tech dwelling that could change elder care and it got me thinking about the many ways this could be used by my clients. A Methodist minister in Virginia had the idea that “as America grows older, its aging adults could avoid a jarring move to the nursing home by living in small, specially equipped, temporary shelters close to relatives” and he set out to create the Medcottage, a portable high-tech cottage that could be moved to the family’s property as a home for a relative in need of special care. 

photo credit: guidetonursinghomes.com

People have strong opinions about modular housing but the modern designs and practicality of these options has to make you stop and think twice. Rather than making permanent and expensive renovations to your home, would you consider a “granny pod” as an option to give aging parents security, comfort, and privacy? Or for older parents who split their time between different cities as a temporary apartment?  What about a modular solution for my clients who need a guest room on the main floor of their home with its own sitting area, perhaps brought in for the holidays and rented by the month? And with the U.S’s aging population,  I believe it will get to the point where there is a resale market for this type of space. With threshold-free floors, accessible showers, and medical monitoring and equipment already factored into the design of many of these units, it takes a lot of the guesswork out of working with a contractor who may not be as experienced with renovations like these. Of course, there are questions of zoning, space, and family dynamics to consider, but it’s certainly food for thought.  I’d love to hear your opinions!  If zoning can address the additional structure, I think there will be a market for this!

Interior of Med cottage

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Pirch Cooking Demo: Pink Himalayan Salt Block Cooking

We learned all about salt block cooking

Pink Himalayan Salt Block Shrimp

I can’t say enough good things about the experience we had at my event at Pirch. I’ve talked about their space and the wonderful event staff but I wanted to tell you more about one of the highlights of the evening: the cooking demo. I had never heard of salt block cooking but let me tell you, I am sold! The chef made a really wonderful but simple shrimp dish on a pink Himalayan salt block; we we all really impressed by how he simply sauteed the shrimp on the heated block and it was really delicious, just lightly infused with salt.

I found an interview with Mark Bitterman on The Splendid Table (a great cooking radio show and podcast) who wrote the book that our demo was based on: Salt Block Cooking 101  He explains the technique and how to care for your salt block. I have his cookbook and can’t wait to try making shrimp on it at home. I also noticed that it can be used on the grill, which is great since we are lucky in Atlanta to be able to grill almost year round, and also saw some really great looking cold salads like watermelon and feta in the book.

This recipe from Sur la Table is similar to the one we loved at Pirch:

photo credit: Surletable.com

photo credit: Surlatable.com

Salt Block Honey and Black Pepper Shrimp

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 small shallot, peeled and finely minced
  • 1 medium garlic clove, peeled and finely minced
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1-½ teaspoons cracked black pepper
  • 1 pound large shrimp, cleaned
  • Kosher sea salt, as needed

Procedures:

Grilling shrimp brings out their natural sweetness, and grilling them directly on a Himalayan salt block, imparts a subtle salty note to the shellfish. Make sure to heat the salt block slowly on the grill or in an oven to prevent cracking. Also make sure to give the block several hours to cool to room temperature before lightly scrubbing under running water.

Prepare the Himalayan Salt Block: Place a completely dry Himalayan salt block on a cold charcoal or gas grill. Light grill and heat slowly to 400 degrees. Once grill reaches temperature, allow salt block to heat for another 20 to 30 minutes. Alternately, set salt block on a rimmed baking sheet, place on a rack in the center of a cold oven and heat to 400 degrees. Once oven reaches temperature, allow salt block to heat for another 20 to 30 minutes.

To make the honey cracked pepper glaze: In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook until shallots have softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the honey, lemon juice and black pepper. Stir to combine, then taste and season with salt and pepper.

Cook the shrimp: Using a silicone pastry brush, brush shrimp with glaze mixture. Place shrimp directly on salt block and cook until lightly browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs, turn shrimp onto a clean spot on the block. Brush again with glaze and continue cooking until the center is slightly opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes more.

To serve: Divide shrimp between 4 heated serving plates. Drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of reserved glaze mixture and serve immediately.

Via the Sur la Table test kitchen

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SOLD: 4100 Paces Walk SE

This  bright condo is freshly painted and ready to be your new home! Top floor unit means high ceilings and wooded views; an elevator next to two dedicated parking spots means easy in-and-out with groceries. Lots of windows and an open floor plan make the kitchen and living areas feel spacious, while a gas fireplace creates a cozy ambiance. This community is close to all the shopping and dining in Vinings but with a peaceful atmosphere at home, a great place to relax at the end of the day.

Take a look at the full listing for a complete list of features and community amenities.

Overview: 1250 sq. ft.,  2 bedrooms/ 2 bathrooms

Schools: Teasley/ Campbell/  Campbell

List price: $210,000

4100 Paces Walk SE, Atlanta, GA 30339

4100 Paces Walk SE, Atlanta, GA 30339

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As always, please contact me if you have any questions about this home or to set up a time to view it.

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Fall Fun: Apple Picking and Pumpkin Patches Around Atlanta

photo credit : www.brightboldbeautiful.com

Fall is finally here and we are enjoying the cooler days and the beginning of the leaves changing here in Vinings. As many of you know, Chase loves for us to decorate the front yard for Fall. His birthday is in October so it makes the whole season more special for us.  As he has gotten older, he’s upped the “scary” factor in our decorations- BOO!

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Once the front yard is looking festive, we try to visit one of the many apple orchards, harvest festivals, or pumpkin patches around the state. Once of the great things about living in the Vinings/Buckhead area of Atlanta is that the beautiful North Georgia mountains are close enough to spend a fun Saturday or Sunday enjoying the leaves and drinking cider.

Photo credit: ajc.com

I did a round up a few years ago of some of our favorites and I’ve come across a few more ideas for local Fall fun.

CBS Atlanta did a post with a great list of apple orchards in Ellijay, Georgia. The Ellijay Apple Festival is still going on for a few weeks too:

B.J. Reece Apple House     
9131 Highway 52 E
Ellijay, GA 30536
(706) 276-3048
reeceorchards.com

Hillcrest Orchards
9696 Highway 52 E
Ellijay, GA 30536
(706) 273-3838
hillcrestorchards.net

Panorama Orchards
63 Talona Road
Ellijay, GA 30540
(706) 276-3813
panoramaorchards.com

R&A Orchards
5505 Highway 52 E
Ellijay, GA 30536
(706) 273-3821
randaorchards.com

Red Apple Barn
3379 Tailscreek Road
Ellijay, Georgia 30540
(706) 635-5898
redapplebarn.com

photocredit: redtri.com

I also ran across this article on FieldTripsWithSue.com where she has a list of 13 pumpkin patches in the Atlanta area and lots of other ideas for family friendly activities around the region

Leave me a comment with your family’s favorite Autumn activities and destinations!

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October Real Estate Update for Buckhead

Here is a video from Berkshire Hathaway with some interesting stats about the current real estate market in Buckhead. The market is down again this past month more than it was the previous month.  I’m not sure if this is seasonal or just a mismatch of inventory to buyers.  If you’ll notice, the average sales price is around $600k and the average listing price is $1.2M.

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Party at the Pirch

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The grand entrance

A couple of weeks ago I hosted an event for my clients.  It was SO much fun that I need to keep telling the world about my new favorite place,  Pirch.
Back when the real estate market was crazy in 2005-2007 I sold more new construction than resales.  Then the market tanked and business became re-sales and buyer representations.  Recently the market for new construction has opened up again and I’m currently working with two clients who are building new homes and three clients who are doing major remodels.  That passion and joy that that business brings me is embodied in the Pirch experience.
Just step inside their doors at Lenox Marketplace Showroom at 3535 Peachtree Road NE (across from Phipps Plaza) and you’ve opened up a world to dream about what your home could be.  The service is incomparable and they’ll even serve you a drink from the Cafe while you browse.  They have in house consultants and rooms where you can design and dream.
Pirch chef hard at work in this showcase kitchen

Pirch chef hard at work in this showcase kitchen

I had attended a function with my office there a few months back and one of the outside sales reps had suggested that I hold an event for my clients.  The challenge came in conveying the experience and how much fun it is to them via an invitation.  Those that have a passion for cooking understood, along with my “foodie” friends but every single person left wanting to come back, just like I did.
We learned all about salt block cooking

We learned all about salt block cooking

Delicious dumplings

Delicious dumplings

The cooking demo area with friendly, helpful staff

The cooking demo area with friendly, helpful staff

Guests were treated to tours and a cooking demo by their in house chefs who come from some very upscale  restaurants and are showing their skills in this beautiful show kitchen without having to deal with the brutal hours of the restaurant world.  They taught us how to prepare fish, cook on a salt block and served us very yummy food and treats.
Cocktails ready to go!

Cocktails ready to go!

Cheers!

Cheers!

 Guests were treated to go home with a salt block and a cookbook along with a goodie bag with items from my partners that helped me host the event.  Besides Pirch, I had Dan Asbury with Suntrust Mortgage provide the drinks, Caleb Rhodes with Green Friendly Homes who showcased some fabulous homes he had built and provided measuring tapes to all, Traci Rhoads with Traci Rhoads Interiors, who gave tips on decorating, showcased some of her fabulous work, and slipped a wonderful linen candle into the goodie bags, and then one of my closing attorneys, Anthony Bagiatis with McLain and Merritt came up with a creative idea to give everyone a jar of specialty pork/chicken rub that he assures us is fantastic, can’t wait to try it along with my salt block.  Traci Rhoads said that it was such a great event that she’d have her wedding there one day!  We all cracked up, but it’s really a testament to what a first class event it was.
Goodie bags ready for guests

Goodie bags ready for guests

Since the event, I had a client that needed to look at appliances for a prospective build go over to check Pirch out.  He called me the next day to tell me they served him lobster and turned on the TV to his football game! He ended up spending three hours there!  Trust me and head over to Pirch to dream, you won’t go home hungry.  Even my son enjoys coming along to have the barista’s serve him hot chocolate!  I encourage you to check out one of their upcoming events, you won’t be disappointed.

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Summer Reading Programs for Kids

photo credit: kids.britannica.com

photo credit: kids.britannica.com

If you’ve ever been in a library or bookstore and wondered “is this book age-appropriate for my child?” summer reading lists are really helpful. The Westminster School posts great detailed lists of books that their librarians recommend for each class group along with a short synopsis of each book.

We all know its important to keep our children’s minds engaged during the summer holiday so that they get back up to speed quickly when the academic year begins again; these reading lists are a great way to encourage that in a really fun way.

I mentioned last week that I’m a fan of our local libraries here in Vinings and Buckhead; they also have summer reading lists categorized by age and children’s librarians who are happy to help with suggestions. Some libraries also offer reading contests as an extra incentive to read more.

Here are links to The Westminster School’s Summer Reading lists:

Pre-first Grade

First Grade

Second Grade

Third Grade

Fourth Grade

Fifth Grade

Middle School

Happy Summer reading!

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Visit Your Local Library for Summer Fun

Vining Branch Library

Vining Branch Library

One of my favorite local resources here in Vinings and Buckhead are our local libraries. Both Cobb and Fulton counties have great branches in the area. We love our local Vinings branch library; their summer program theme is “Superheros!” and their events schedule looks pretty “super!”

From story hour for toddlers, summer reading programs for all age groups (including adults), special guest speakers, classes, art competitions and family movie screenings, the libraries are a wealth of activities that are great for your brain and your budget.

Take a look at the websites for the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System and Cobb County Public Library System I’ve linked here, find the closest branch and see what cool (literally- they’re air conditioned!) summer programs they have coming up in July and August.

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Staying in Atlanta for July 4th? Here’s where to watch fireworks this weekend!

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photo credit: rollingout.com

Usually we try to head to the beach for the 4th of July- there’s nothing like sitting on the beach listening to the waves, looking down the shore line and seeing many fireworks displays at the same time. Well, this year our calendar didn’t work out like that so we are staying in Atlanta. I just found this article about all of the fireworks shows in metro Atlanta and thought it would be great to share it with you! Plan your cook-outs and neighborhood parties and then head to a Fireworks destination!

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Atlanta Homeowners Talk About Building Dream Kitchens

We’ve been talking a lot recently about the elements that come together to create your dream home. When you buy real estate, the advice is to put your money into kitchens and master suites. There are a couple of good reasons for this. First, these are areas in which you will get the best return for your investment in case of resale. But when you are talking about buying or building your dream home, the kitchen and master suites are parts of the home where you will probably spend most of your time so it’s a good idea to invest your time, planning, and resources into making them exactly what you want.  Email us your ideas and we’ll include them in a future post, or post to Facebook at RealViningsBuckhead.

Whatever your personal style, creating a dream kitchen is all about planning and details! photo credit: designhunterla.com

Whatever your personal style, creating a dream kitchen is all about planning and details!
photo credit: designhunterla.com

A kitchen is all about the details. Hiring a kitchen designer can help ensure that you don’t miss any must-haves. Having a professional plan your lighting and outlet placement can make all the difference in having the right task lighting and spaces for the way you cook. They can also help you plan which fixtures and surfaces need to be chosen first so that plumbing and electrical installation are sure to fit with your choices. (Remember how I mentioned certain faucets needing the plumbing to be built to specific heights in my dream home post? It’s especially important to plan for this in the kitchen!)

  • If you love great coffee, consider getting a built-in and plumbed coffee station installed like this beautiful Miele coffee system.

    This beautiful built-in coffee systems keeps everything in one place.  photo credit: Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles

    This beautiful built-in coffee systems keeps everything in one place.
    photo credit: Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles

  • Building in a spacious appliance garage to store coffee maker, electric kettle, toaster, and mixer is a great way to keep your counter tops uncluttered and all of your breakfast appliances convenient in one place. There are shelving systems that can be installed under the counter too that will “pop” your heavier appliances up to counter level with a sturdy spring-loaded system.
    This spacious appliance garage helps keep your counters uncluttered photo credit: www.bhg.com

    This spacious appliance garage helps keep your counters uncluttered
    photo credit: www.bhg.com

    Under the counter appliance garages with pop-up shelves do the heavy lifting for you photo credit: www.bgh.com

    Under the counter appliance garages with pop-up shelves do the heavy lifting for you
    photo credit: www.bgh.com

  • Pop-up outlets, especially on an island, can keep your counters seamless but still make plugging in appliances convenient.

    Pop-up outlets for the island photo credit: hometalk.com

    Pop-up outlets for the island
    photo credit: hometalk.com

  • If you like to entertain or host big holiday meals, two dishwashers make clean-up quick and easy
  • A warming drawer is another great idea for big holiday meals
  • Start researching your counter surfaces early- there are a lot of options out there. From show-stopping marble  to durable and modern quartz and eco-friendly cement, ask about the pros and cons so that you end up with counters that are both functional and beautiful for your lifestyle.

    Beautiful counter surface options! photo credit: remodelista.com

    Beautiful counter surface options!
    photo credit: remodelista.com

  • A built-in banquette in the breakfast nook can provide a cozy seating area and hide a ton of storage for items you use less often.

    Built-in breakfast nook for seating and storage photo credit: elledecor.com

    Built-in breakfast nook for seating and storage
    photo credit: elledecor.com

  • Having two sinks in the kitchen gives you a smaller sink for washing delicate china and crystal and a big one for pots and pans to soak in. A small sink can also be filled with ice for parties.
  • A lot of people are installing nothing but drawers under the counter. They make finding things so much easier! And the hardware makes drawers sturdy enough for even the heaviest enameled cast iron cookware.

    Deep drawers under the counters are beautiful and convenient photo credit: Cheryl M. Photography

    Deep drawers under the counters are beautiful and convenient
    photo credit: Cheryl M. Photography

  • Speaking of drawers, soft-close drawers and cabinets are the only way to go. Hardware has come such a long way, it really makes keeping all of your things accessible while stored away effortless.
  • Ceiling height cabinets make use of all of your space for storage and keep you from having to deal with all of the dust that gathers on top of kitchen cabinets. If you have beautiful serving pieces that you like to display, glass fronted cabinets with built-in puck lights can make them a great feature.

    Glass front cabinets display beautiful china and serving pieces photo credit: centsationalgirl.com

    Glass front cabinets display beautiful china and serving pieces
    photo credit: centsationalgirl.com

  • Mini-fridges under the counter are convenient, whether you use the energy-efficient drawer refrigerators for extra food storage or you install glass fronted wine coolers. Combined with the coffee station, you have all your drinks in one area of the kitchen!

    Drawer refrigerators are convenient and energy efficient photo credit: homeedit.com

    Drawer refrigerators are convenient and energy efficient
    photo credit: homeedit.com

  • Make use of even oddly shaped areas for storage- like a tall thin cupboard for brooms and sweepers or a little cubby for paper towels. There are options to get the most storage out of every inch of your kitchen.

    Built in paper towel rack makes every inch count photo credit: southernliving.com

    Built in paper towel rack makes every inch count
    photo credit: southernliving.com

  • Kick-plate vacuum systems mean you can just sweep dust and dirt over to the opening and it disappears forever!

    phot credit: aerusvacuums.com

    photo credit: aerusvacuums.com

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