Alpharetta Cumming Lake Lanier Real Estate Blog: November 2009

Labels: 2009, Alpharetta, convention and visitors bureau, december, open house, welcome center

Labels: 15 year fixed, 30 year fixed, covenant mortgage, FHA, home loans, interest rates, jumbo loan, mortgage rates, real estate, vanderhoff

Get into the holiday spirit with activities, entertainment and more! Plan to spend some time this weekend at one of two days of family-friendly holiday fun at the fifth annual Christmas in Central Park. The event takes place Saturday, November 21, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, November 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Forsyth County's Central Park Recreation Center in Cumming.

Attendees will enjoy a holiday shopping area featuring a variety of unique handcrafted items including pottery, stained glass, candles, jewelry, quilts and more. Photos with Santa, children's activities, live entertainment, hay rides and tasty holiday treats will also be available. Don't miss the special 'lighting of the tree' Saturday at 6:15 p.m.

Admission to Christmas in Central Park is free.

Central Park Recreation Center is located at 2300 Keith Bridge Road (Hwy. 306) in Cumming. To receive additional information, call 678.455.8540.

Labels: 2009, central park, christmas, cumming, forsyth county, november

When: Saturday, November 21, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Where: Cumming Fairgrounds, Parking Lot 3, 235 Castleberry Road, Cumming, GA

Cost: $5 donation per car will be collected

During the electronics recycling event, Keep Forsyth County Beautiful (KFCB) will accept old computers, printers, cameras, cell phones, stereos, televisions and more for recycling. The minimum donation per carload drop-off is $5. An additional $10 fee will apply for all acceptable televisions. Large wooden console and projection televisions will not be accepted.

In addition to accepting old electronics this year, KFCB will accept gently worn shoes. The donated shoes will be provided to Soles4Souls, a non-profit organization collecting shoes and giving them to people who need shoes. All donated shoes should be tied or taped in pairs.

Accepted Electronics: Computers, monitors, printers, typewriters, stereos, CD players, cell phones, fax machines, copiers, projectors, VCRs, CB radios, camcorders, cameras, cables, telephones, circuit boards, network equipment, radios, record players, UPS/battery backup, computer parts, computer cables, laptops, DVDs, keyboards, microwaves

Items Not Accepted: Wooden TVs, projector TVs, refrigerators, toaster ovens, vacuum cleaners, dehumidifiers, humidifiers, washers, dryers, hair dryers, power equipment, gas-powered equipment

To receive additional details, call 770.205.4573.

Any business needing a special pickup before the event can contact Atlanta Recycling Solutions at 678.566.6665 or Keep Forsyth County Beautiful at 770.205.4573.

Labels: 2009, donation, electronics, event, keep forsyth county beautiful, november, recycle, recycling, shoes, soles4souls

Labels: 2009, 2010, 6500, home buyer, move up, repeat, tax credit

Labels: 2010, 6500, 8000, extended, home buyer, NAHB, national association of home builders, tax credit

Labels: 15 year fixed, 30 year fixed, covenant mortgage, home loans, real estate, vanderhoff

Get into the holiday spirit with activities, entertainment and more! Mark your calendar now for two days of family-friendly holiday fun at the fifth annual Christmas in Central Park. The event takes place Saturday, November 21, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, November 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Forsyth County's Central Park Recreation Center.

Attendees will enjoy a holiday shopping area featuring a variety of unique handcrafted items including pottery, stained glass, candles, jewelry, quilts and more. Photos with Santa, children's activities, live entertainment, hay rides and tasty holiday treats will also be available. Don't miss the special 'lighting of the tree' Saturday at 6:15 p.m.

Admission to Christmas in Central Park is free.

Central Park Recreation Center is located at 2300 Keith Bridge Road (Hwy. 306) in Cumming. To receive additional information, call 678.455.8540.

Labels: 2009, central park, christmas, cumming, forsyth county, georgia, holiday, november, photos, santa, shopping, tree lighting

Enviro Expo USA - Atlanta’s only green consumer expo located in the City’s Zero Waste Zone, Downtown Atlanta - announced Atlanta Audi Dealers as its Title Sponsor. The Expo is being held on Saturday, November 14, and Sunday, November 15, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the World Congress Center.

Atlanta Audi Dealers’ sponsorship of Enviro Expo USA complements the Audi commitment to incorporate the most eco-friendly technologies into its future product plans. The latest and most exciting manifestation of this appeared at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show with the debut of the Audi e-tron concept car. The purely electric Audi e-tron showcases a range of leading-edge electric vehicle technologies to produce 313 horsepower, a 0-60 mph time of 4.7 seconds, and a truly startling 3319lb/ft of torque. The lithium-ion batteries in the Audi e-tron also are expected to provide a range of 154 miles between chargings.

Partnering again this year with the Georgia Recycling Coalition (GRC), Enviro Expo USA offers an exciting and educational forum that is a family-friendly event to educate and motivate individuals to be better stewards of the environment. The show offers the latest in eco-friendly products and services, covering everything from organics to alternative energy and transportation. The show is free to attend and is supported by the Title Sponsor - Atlanta Audi Dealers, along with Coca-Cola Recycling, Royal Bank of Canada, Best Buy, IKEA, and Lube of Atlanta.

In addition to the many eco-exhibitors, the Expo features new themed areas which include: a green wedding area, sponsored by the Perfect Wedding Guide; a kids’ zone, offering educational activities and showcasing the winners of a Captain Planet Foundation video contest to be held within the metro Atlanta area school system prior to the Expo. Prizes for the contest are provided by Best Buy. Also included are a fashion show by Bauder College, a chef’s corner highlighting local restaurants and caterers demonstrating cooking techniques and featuring samples of seasonal foods. This year’s show includes a dedicated and expanded MarketPlace, sponsored by Farmer D, for organic growers, artisans, and a sundry of other items for holiday “green” shopping. The Speaker Series, sponsored by SoutheastGreen.com, features educational and engaging panel discussions on: Water & Conservation, Home and Garden, Recycling/Composting, and the Green Town Hall Meeting. Also, Justin Cave, star of Ground Breakers on HGTV, hosts an individual presentation on Nov. 14, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

For more information, visit www.enviroexpousa.org.

Labels: 2009, atlanta, audi, electric, enviro expo usa, georgia, green, world congress center

Save A Smile Foundation invites you to experience this 22,000 square-foot French estate, envisioned, created and built by custom builder Steve West. It is the largest and most spectacular spec home ever built in Atlanta. An architectural marvel with its European flair and classic, yet livable elegance will showcase Atlanta's top designers. Truly a show house unlike any ever seen in Atlanta. From November 21 through December 20, 2009, this home will be available for parties, special events and personal, leisurely tours. Located off West Paces Ferry Road at 3410 Ridgewood Road, Atlanta 30327.

For more information, or to purchase tour tickets and season passes, or schedule your event for the Atlanta Holiday House and Decorators Show Home, visit www.atlantaholidayhouse.com.

Labels: 2009, atlanta, atlanta holiday house, georgia, save a smile foundation, steve west, west paces ferry

Dahlonega is making headlines this month among well-read retirees in the latest edition of “Where to Retire” magazine.

The November/December issue of the national periodical delves into the sights and specialties of Lumpkin County and, in the process, names Dahlonega a top retirement town.

“Whether hiking on the Appalachian Trail, tubing and fishing in the Chestatee River or attending a First Friday outdoor summer concert, residents of Dahlonega have ample opportunities to enjoy this northern Georgia town's four-season climate,” wrote “Where to Retire” editor Mary Lu Abbott.

On Monday, Chamber President Amy Booker said she was pleased to see Dahlonega earning new accolades.

The Where to Retire article went on to praise other retiree-friendly features of Dahlonega including the golf course at Achasta, condo accommodations at The Summit and easy access to the outdoors.

“With area wineries, continuing-education courses, theater, music, arts and festivals, the community keeps retirees active,” wrote Abbott.

For Dahlonega real estate listings, click here.

Anyone interested in obtaining a copy of the magazine can do so by logging onto www.wheretoretire.com.

Yet this isn't the first brush with Where to Retire-related acclaim Dahlonega has received. In 2007, the Texas-based magazine named Dahlonega one of the top five “undiscovered” retirement havens in the country.

This is not news to those of us who know and love the area, but a great way to let others know what a great place we have in the North Georgia Mountains!

Labels: achasta, condominiums, dahlonega, georgia, homes for sale, mountains, north georgia, north georgia college, retirement, where to retire

Labels: 15 year fixed, 30 year fixed, covenant mortgage, FHA, loans, rates, real estate, vanderhoff

The House voted 403-12 today to expand a popular tax credit for homebuyers. The bill, H.R. 3548, which also extends unemployment benefits and expands a tax break for money-losing businesses, will now go to the President, who plans to sign it on Friday.

First-time homebuyers have been getting tax credits of up to $8,000 since January as part of the economic stimulus package. But with that housing program scheduled to expire at the end of November, the House voted to extend it into the spring — and to expand it to many people who already own homes.

Buyers who have owned their current homes at least five years would be eligible, subject to income limits, for tax credits of up to $6,500. First-time homebuyers — or people who haven't owned homes in the previous three years — could get up to $8,000. To qualify, buyers have to sign purchase agreements before May 1 and close before July 1.

The credit is available for the purchase of principal homes costing $800,000 or less, meaning vacation homes are ineligible. The credit would be phased out for individuals with annual incomes above $125,000 and for joint filers with incomes above $225,000.

Labels: 2009, 3548, 6500, 8000, first time, home buyer, housing, tax credit

Share the gift of a meal with home-bound senior citizens in Forsyth County this holiday season through the Home-Delivered Meal Holiday Gift Certificate Program. Purchase a holiday gift certificate through Forsyth County Senior Services, and meals will be delivered to home-bound senior citizens through the Meals on Wheels program.

You can provide a meal for one day or meals for an entire week, month or year. The cost of one meal is $3.39, one week is $16.95, one month is $74.58 and one year is $894.96. All gifts are tax-deductible.

Checks should be payable to Forsyth County Senior Services, Holiday Gift Certificate Program and should be mailed or delivered to the following address:

Forsyth County Senior Services
595 Dahlonega Highway
Cumming, GA 30040

From Thanksgiving until New Year’s Day, all meals will be delivered to senior citizens with a special certificate to wish happy holidays from the meal provider.

Although funding for meal programs has decreased with budget cuts, the need for meals has increased. The goal of Senior Services is to provide 2,500 meals this holiday season. To receive additional information, call 770.781.2178.

Labels: forsyth county, georgia, gift certificate, holiday, meals on wheels, senior services

Labels: 2009, accg, association county commissioners of georgia, georgia, information, property tax, website

The Forsyth County Fire Department reminds citizens to change the batteries in their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors when they change their clocks as daylight-saving time ended on Sunday, November 1.

In addition to replacing the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors every six months, the Forsyth County Fire Department also recommends testing the detectors at least once a month. The units themselves should be replaced every eight to ten years.

The Forsyth County Fire Department is eager to help those who may need smoke detectors in their residence. The department's Public Safety Education Division provides smoke detectors free of charge for senior citizens and residents in need; they will also install those detectors. To receive details about this program, call Public Safety Educator Bob Westbrook at Fire Department Headquarters at 770.781.2180.

Labels: batteries, carbon monoxide, daylight saving time, detectors, fire department, forsyth county, smoke detectors