Don’t let the mid-century exterior of this sweet bungalow fool you- this place is SPACIOUS! Surrounded by mature trees in an established neighborhood, but fully renovated with thoughtful additions, this home offers an open floor plan and flexible space for a really comfortable family home.

Hardwoods in the living room continue through the keeping room and dining area off the kitchen for a clean, cohesive look with few barriers to break up the space. Fresh neutral paint and lighting make this home completely move-in ready.

Unlike many mid-century homes, dining and kitchen areas have been opened up so there is an easy flow for entertaining – no one is stuck in the kitchen when guests are here!

Beautiful light granite, clean Shaker cabinetry, and stainless appliances keep the spacious kitchen light and bright while maximizing storage and counter space.

The kitchen is open to the adjacent bonus room; perfect to keep an eye on the kids as a playroom.

The keeping room is a quiet spot for a reading nook just off the main living room.

The spacious master suite is a really well-done addition to the home’s original footprint. Hardwoods, lots of windows, and a great lighting plan keep the space light, bright, and fresh.

The master suite continues with it’s own private full bath with dual vanities and a generous walk-in closet.

Two more bedrooms with gleaming hardwoods, and two full bathrooms make for plenty of space for family and guests.

With both outdoor and kitchen access, the bonus room has the potential to be anything you want it to be. Home office with a door for clients, playroom for the kids, even a home gym, this room is ready to go with lots of built in storage.

The back yard is spacious with mature trees and lawn. Not only only did the homeowners add the master suite, but a great deck, fire pit area, and gazebo seating were added as well for great use of outdoor space.

This home is a gem and I look forward to sharing it with its new owners. Call me with any questions or to set up an appointment to view. and take a look at the full listing on my website for all the details (and lots more photos!)

821 Lake Court SE Smyrna, GA 30082

Property overview: 3 bedroom/3 bathroom, Bungalow style, keeping room, large corner lot, deck, master suite addition. Square footage n/a.

Schools: King Springs/ Griffen/ Campbell

Listing price: $299,000

For those of you that obsess over getting into Paces View, I have a rare single family home in this gated community inside the perimeter, coming on the market later this week.  I will hold it open on Sunday July 23rd, 2017 from 2-4 if you’d like a look. The photographer will be shooting it on Thursday night and I should have it in the system soon after that, so this is your chance to beat the crowds!  The price will be $1,140,000 and the best part is has the master on the main, an elevator and 3 car garage!  Everything you all ask for. It is barely lived in and has hardwoods in all of the bedrooms, a nice light and bright kitchen with quartz.  12 ft ceilings in the family room and 10 foot everywhere else on the main with city views!  This is a former model home so it has all of the JW Collection upgrades.  Call me now (404-931-3944) and I’ll arrange to get you in later this week!

We all know we’ve been living in a hot spot for real estate sales and values, but it seems like the Atlanta area tax assessors offices are finally starting to notice and the 2017 property tax assessments have been a shock for many residents.

I’ve had clients calling me with concerns about what this will mean for their tax bill this year and asking if it’s worth appealing. In short, the answer is often yes, but the procedure varies from county to county, and there are times when appealing may actually not be a great idea.  I can help you with that decision if you’d like and pull the comparable properties and assessments that the County is most likely looking at.

Key data:

• The deadline to appeal in Cobb County is June 18. Thankfully, the procedure in Cobb County is also pretty simple; click here for the Cobb County Tax Assessors Office for the details of your property’s assessed Fair Market Value and to get started on an appeal. If you run into trouble, give me a call; I’d be happy to help with the first level of appeal or with the Board of Equalization.
• Fulton County residents have 45 days from receipt of their assessments to appeal. Click here for the Fulton County Board of Assessors with links to property search and appeals. Fulton County government has also posted instructions here for how to appeal online.

If you find that your appeal is more complex than you are comfortable handling on your own, I recommend a couple of firms that have had a lot of success in handling appeals for my clients.

• Walter Holtz at BOE Tax Appeals has been successful for my clients in the City of Atlanta
• Campbell & Brannon specialize in real estate law and have been helpful with clients in both Fulton and Cobb. They sent out an email recently with some key points that I thought were good to know:
  

  The county assigns a property a Fair Market Value (FMV) for taxation purposes This assessment includes an estimate of taxes for 2017 based on the FMV  No taxes are due at this time, 2017 tax bills will be sent out later this year Assessments can be appealed with the county The assessor mails the notice to the owner of record as of Jan. 1, 2017 A 2017 buyer will not receive the notice in their name as it was mailed to the seller All appeals must be filed within 45 days from the date of the tax notice

   

It’s important to note that an increased assessment of FMV is not necessarily going to reflect the same percentage increase in your tax bill. Municipalities, school boards and counties set their millage rate based on budget needs and the assessed property values so the estimated tax rate on the assessment may change. That’s why it’s a good idea to get as much information as  you can and be aware of your options in advance. A surprise tax hike is never fun, but preparation and information is key.  Cobb County has a timeline and explanation of its procedure here.

When is it not a great idea to appeal? If you don’t want a spotlight on your property value, don’t appeal. If you’ve made significant improvements that aren’t reflected in the assessment, don’t appeal. If comps are selling in your area for significantly higher than your assessment, don’t appeal. However, make sure that you have all of the data you need to make that decision, and I am happy to help, either with information or referrals to trusted experts in this field.

I personally went thru the process last year and have quite a few lessons learned.  For example: the Board of Equalizations in Cobb doesn’t equalize to different neighborhoods, only your street.  Living in Vinings, I felt that the comparable properties would be most streets in “Vinings Village”, not true.  My street has had a spike in high property sales, thus all of us on the street have received higher assessments as a result.  They will only equalize you to the lowest value on your street.  To fight a larger battle, it may require action of many members of a street to appeal jointly.  With senior exemption coming into play in Cobb,  many neighbors have less of a desire to fight the assessment as their tax is so low already.  Whereas in Fulton County, the increase applies to seniors as well and may be a good reason to fight the battle.  If you’ve just purchased your property and the next year it goes up, you may need to appeal.  If it’s what you paid, you may still have an argument if the others on the street are significantly lower.  Once you’ve won the battle, you will have that value for 3 years before they can raise it again.  I’ve tried to compile some helpful information here so be sure to click on the links in this article for a little more context and some basic tools for navigating your appeal.

This charming Craftsman-style home with shingle and stacked stone exterior in the popular Barnes Mill swim/tennis neighborhood is move-in ready just in time for summer! Its cottage-like feel opens into a spacious floorpan, with plenty of square footage to spread out and relax.

Gleaming hardwoods with coffered ceilings, lots of  moulding detail, and quality built-ins in the living areas make a cozy but elegant first impression. One of the home’s two fireplaces is a focal point of the living rooms.

Rich wood cabinetry, stainless steel appliances and quality finishes (including double ovens and a custom range hood) in the kitchen make this a cook’s dream.

Beautifully landscaped and hardscaped with manicured plantings and two outdoor living areas,  you can step down  from the deck off the kitchen and living rooms to an outdoor fireplace on the lower level patio with seating and pergola for privacy.

This home has tremendous closet space including two oversized walk-in closets, one of which is spacious enough to be customized into  a luxe dressing room.

Tray ceiling and fireplace in the spacious Master suite make it a luxurious retreat. Each of the three additional upstairs bedroom have their own private bath, and an office space in the loft provides a quiet spot to work or do homework.

The home’s walk-out basement is unfinished but ready to be customized into the rec room, media lounge, or guest suite of your dreams.

For more details, photos, or information, check the full listing  on my website. And as always, please reach out with any questions or to set up a viewing of this lovely home.

4214 Barnes Meadow Road SW Smyrna, Georgia 30082

Overview: 3,589 sq.ft plus unfinished basement.; 4 bedrooms; 4 bathrooms; 2 car garage; swim/tennis community

Schools: Russell-Cobb / Floyd / South Cobb

I can’t be the only one who is ready for Spring! It always seems like winter drags on until I get to go on Spring Break!  I’ve also been talking to friends and Chase’s friend’s parents to see where they’re spending their vacations and have gotten some great tips.

One of the great things about living in the Vinings and Buckhead areas is access to Atlanta’s international airport. Having a major airline based here means that whether you a looking for warmth and sunshine, fresh powder on the ski slopes, or a family friendly cruise, you can probably find a direct flight to wherever you want to go. And as anyone with children knows, minimizing your travel legs means minimizing headaches and maximizing precious vacation time for families.

Fun in the Sun

Sting Ray City, Grand Cayman

• Grand Cayman  is known for its luxury hotels and condos on 7 Mile Beach, its coral reef diving and snorkeling and for swimming with the rays at Sting Ray City.
• Belize   – your family can charter a  sail boat for a snorkeling and diving trip inside the barrier reef, hopping between  Caribbean islands and then head inland for a rain forest canopy tour.
• Costa Rica : Costa Rica is really growing in popularity for families; I was amazed how many American families I ran into last time I was there on Spring break 2 years ago. From rain forest eco/adventures, volcano viewing trips, to surfing in the Pacific Ocean, there are lots of fun things to do there.
• Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands : if you want to feel like you’re really getting away  but haven’t gotten everyone in the family a passport yet (or the kid’s passport renewal snuck up on you!) these American territories have lots of options less than a 3 hour flight from Atlanta.
• Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas is one of those places that seems to pop up every time I talk to friends about vacation plans. I haven’t been yet but a lot of friends love it for the water slides and adventures.

photo credit: itravel2000.com

• Beaver Creek in Avon, Colorado is a popular resort not far from Vail that friends of mine love. I took Chase there for his first ski trip, as the ski schools are excellent and its a quaint resort with everything near by.  Denver and Vail airports serve the area. You can get bunny slope lessons for the little guys and black diamond slopes for the daredevils!
• Steamboat  is another central Colorado ski resort that is a popular spring destination  with friends.
• Park City, Utah is a short drive from Salt Lake City (with lots of direct flights from Atlanta on Delta) is a really pretty town in the Wasatch Mountains, with plenty to do even if you are more a fireplace-and-cocoa person than a ski slope person. My favorite resort there is Deer Valley with top class service and very convenient to town.
• Lake Tahoe is accessible from both Reno NV and Sacramento CA. With dozens of resorts surrounding the lake, it’s known as much for its spectacular scenery as for its great ski options.

Ski Lake Tahoe

• Royal Caribbean   was recommended to me by a friend for their great kids programs. If you love the ease of cruising, they have great options.  My friends that have recommended it love cruising, but I wasn’t thrilled with being on vacation with 5000 other people and being herded everywhere. My son loved it and basically its a floating hotel.  We traveled on Oasis of the Seas which was new then and one of its bigger boats.  I may have had a different experience if we had gone on a smaller ship.
• Disney Cruise is another very family friendly cruise option (the secret being that they are also very parent friendly too!)  Many of my friends like it and have taken extended family.  If I were going to do a cruise again I’d probably try them to compare.  At the time they seemed more limited in their destinations with most of the boats going to their “private” island versus the more popular ports we went to in Cozumel, Jamaica and Haiti.