FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. - Outdoor enthusiasts will have a new place to walk, run or bike in Forsyth County this spring.
The Big Creek Greenway is a linear park with open green spaces for people, as well as natural areas for plants and animals. Most use the space for exercising without having to go to the gym.
The Greenway is a 12-foot wide concrete and boardwalk path through the woods along Big Creek.
Tim Merritt, deputy county manager for Forsyth County, said they expect to open phase 4 in early spring.
"Work has been ongoing for some time," Merritt said. "In the summer of 2009, we were working on the conceptual plans for phases 4 and 5. Phase 4 construction contract was awarded to CRS Building Corporation in the amount of $2,874,579.87 on Oct. 17, 2013."
Currently, the Greenway has three phases located in Forsyth that span from McFarland Parkway to Bethelview Road for approximately 6.8 miles.
The Greenway will be about 15 miles when phases 4 and 5 are completed.
"This work is funded by the $100 million Parks, Recreation and Greenspace Bond approved by the voters in 2008," Merritt said.
Once the fourth phase is completed, construction will begin on phase 5.
"We are currently working with developments along the proposed path to enhance the existing design," said Merritt. "We expect to be able to bid this work later in 2015 and begin construction soon after."
The Greenway is open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. November through February, and 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. March through October.
It's hard to believe 2015 is here. But I guess time flies when you're working as hard as Milton building the future of our great city. The coming year is going to be huge for us, and today I want to tell you about some of the great things you can expect from our city.
Remember, if you don't see a project or issue you care deeply about mentioned here, make sure to connect with us socially. We use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Flickr to bring you nearly anything you'd ever want to know about your hometown. Check it out sometime - you'll be glad you did.
1. New facilities: From the Bell Memorial Park expansion to the new Milton Senior Center to the Broadwell Pavilion, all the way to our new City Hall, in 2015, we will see a lot of projects moving forward or to completion in Milton. We have a wealth of information at the city's website about exactly what's going into these projects, so I encourage you all to visit and take a look.
2. Leading the standard in local government: We continue to strive for innovation in the ways we connect with residents and provide services, and 2015 will be no different. Over the next 12 months, we'll make tremendous progress in our efforts to engage transparently 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. We'll update our Strategic Plan, roll out a new, responsive website built for your busy lifestyle, lead the fire department through an Insurance Services Office (ISO) review and select a new chief of police. Each one of these initiatives gives Milton's staff and elected officials the exciting opportunity to interact with residents on a new and deeper level.
3. Intersection improvements: In 2015, you'll see us take serious steps toward improving your trips through Milton at heavy commute times. Early spring will bring completion of the Birmingham Highway, Providence and New Providence roundabout. Construction is slated to begin on a major overhaul of the Crabapple Crossroads, and we'll start buying land needed for an improvement the intersection of Birmingham and Hopewell roads - one of our most requested projects.
Well, that's all the space they'll give me. But, I want to make sure that each and every one of you knows that Milton's City Hall is your City Hall. This staff is your staff. We're here to serve you. Don't ever hesitate to contact us or a staff member to find the information you need.
Are you looking to buy a new home? Are you thinking that now's a great time to find bargains? Before you make an offer, it pays to know a little about the seller's situation.
If a home is being sold for below what the current seller owes on the property—and the seller does not have other funds to make up the difference at closing—the sale is considered a short sale. Many more home owners are finding themselves in this situation due to a number of factors, including job losses, aggressive borrowing against their home in the days of easy credit, and declining home values in a slower real estate market.
A short sale is different from a foreclosure, which is when the seller's lender has taken title of the home and is selling it directly. Homeowners often try to accomplish a short sale in order to avoid foreclosure. But a short sale holds many potential pitfalls for buyers. Know the risks before you pursue a short-sale purchase.
You're a good candidate for a short-sale purchase if:
You're very patient. Even after you come to agreement with the seller to buy a short-sale property, the seller’s lender (or lenders, if there is more than one mortgage) has to approve the sale before you can close. When there is only one mortgage, short-sale experts say lender approval typically takes about two months. If there is more than one mortgage with different lenders, it can take four months or longer for the lenders to approve the sale. Your financing is in order. Lenders like cash offers. But even if you can’t pay all cash for a short-sale property, it’s important to show you are well qualified and your financing is set. If you're preapproved, have a large down payment, and can close at any time, your offer will be viewed more favorably than that of a buyer whose financing is less secure. You don’t have any contingencies. If you have a home to sell before you can close on the purchase of the short-sale property—or you need to be in your new home by a certain time—a short sale may not be for you. Lenders like no-contingency offers and flexible closing terms. If you're serious about purchasing a short-sale property, it's important for you to have expert assistance. Here are some people you want to work with:
Experienced real estate attorney. Only about two out of five short sales are approved by lenders. But a good real estate attorney who's knowledgeable about the short-sale process will increase your chances getting an approved contract. Also, if you want any provisions or very specialized language written into the purchase contract, a real estate attorney is essential throughout the negotiation. A qualified real estate professional.* You may have a close friend or relative in real estate, but if that person doesn’t know anything about short sales, working with him or her may hurt your chances of a successful closing. Interview a few practitioners and ask them how many buyers they've represented in a short sale and, of those, how many have successfully closed. A qualified real estate professional will be able to show you short-sale homes, help negotiate the purchase when you find the property you want to buy, and smooth communications with the lender. (All MLSs permit, and some now require, special notations to indicate that a listing is a short sale. There also are certain phrases you can watch for, such as “lender approval required.”) Title officer. It’s a good idea to have a title officer do an initial title search on a short-sale property to see all the liens attached to the property. If there are multiple lien holders (e.g., second or third mortgage or lines of credit, real estate tax lien, mechanic’s lien, homeowners association lien, etc.), it's much tougher to get that short sale contract to the closing table. Any of the lien holders could put a kink in the process even after you’ve waited for months for lender approval. If you don’t know a title officer, your real estate attorney or real estate professional should be able to recommend a few. Some of the other risks faced by buyers of short-sale properties include:
Potential for rejection. Lenders want to minimize their losses as much as possible. If you make an offer tremendously lower than the fair market value of the home, chances are that your offer will be rejected and you’ll have wasted months. Or the lender could make a counteroffer, which will lengthen the process. Bad terms. Even when a lender approves a short sale, it could require that the sellers sign a promissory note to repay the deficient amount of the loan, which may not be acceptable to some financially desperate sellers. In that case, the sellers may refuse to go through with the short sale. Lenders also can change any of the terms of the contract that you’ve already negotiated, which may not be agreeable to you. No repairs or repair credits. You will most likely be asked to take the property “as is.” Lenders are already taking a loss on the property and may not agree to requests for repair credits. The risks of a short sale are considerable. But if you have the time, patience, and iron will to see it through, a short sale can be a win-win for you and the sellers.
Farmers market chain plans grand opening in Cumming
Sprouts new 31,000-square-foot store in Cumming will offer bulk foods, as well as meat, greens and breads.
Posted
www.northfulton.com
CUMMING, Ga. — Sprouts Farmers Market, one of the fastest growing retailers in the country, will open its first store in Cumming at 7 a.m., Jan. 14. The new, 31,488-square-foot store, located at 530 Lakeland Plaza, Suite B, marks the fifth Sprouts store in Georgia.
Sprouts is a health-conscious grocery store offering fresh, natural and organic food at competitive prices. The store will feature standard amenities (online ordering, Boars Head, fresh sushi, beer & wine and catering trays), as well newer amenities, like ready-to-eat prepared foods and a juice bar. Based in Phoenix, Sprouts employs more than 17,000 people and operates more than 190 stores in 10 states.
Grand opening festivities will include muffin and coffee samples to those in line before the doors open, coupon give-aways and discounts. The grand opening festivities will continue through the following weekend with more awards for shoppers.
About Brian Vanderhoff's North Fulton County, GA Real Estate Website: The www.vanderhoffhomefinder.com web site provides Milton, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Woodstock, Duluth, Cumming, Roswell, Crabapple, Cobb County, Cherokee County, North Fulton County and Forsyth County, Georgia real estate information and resources to guide homeowners, homebuyers and real estate investors through the process of selling and buying a house, condo or other realty property in the North Fulton County area. Brian Vanderhoff (sometimes spelled as Vanderhof, van der hof, Bryan or Brain) has services to help you get the best value for your North Fulton County home and this website offers home buyers and home sellers a superior comparative market analysis (CMA), a way to view real estate and MLS IDX listings including virtual tours, prepare your home for sale, and more. Investors looking for real estate investment properties to invest in need look no farther. Anyone selling a home, buying a home or seeking housing can learn more about our realty services, and will appreciate working with a North Fulton County REALTOR who knows the area so well. Through trusted partners, we also provide real estate and financial services to consumers looking for houses for sale or selling their home in North Fulton County, GA, such as mortgages, credit history, new homes, foreclosures and other services. If you've already tried to go the for sale by owner (FSBO) route and find you are needing a partner who you can trust in the sale of your most precious asset, Brian Vanderhoff can take care of your special needs. It really doesn't matter if you spell it REALTOR, Realator or Realter, realty, realety or reality, real estate or realestate, Brian speaks your language.
