Brian Vanderhoff's North Fulton Real Estate Blog

Located in Cannon Park by the gazebo on Main Street in downtown Canton. The open air market features farm fresh produce and baked goods, food specialty items, handmade soap, handmade chocolate, fresh garden flowers, bedding plants, shrubs and herbs. We are very committed to our community and to the local farmers, artisans and downtown small business owners. 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Labels: Canton, Canton Farmers Market, farmers market

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Brian and Jennifer Vanderhoff Vanderhoff Real Estate (770) 331-1206 homes@400n.com http://www.vanderhoffhomefinder.com    Listed by: Vanderhoff REal Estate

Our recent listings Fantastic Foreclosure Awesome Maintenance Free Living on 1.35 acrea! Atlantic Station Loft Beautiful Brick & Stone Home,Custom details thruout Charming Ranch Home with Front Porch Subscribe to our listing feed

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Sat, 5/16 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

The Mustang Ranch
2420 Batesville Road
Canton

Food, music, childrens' games (egg toss, jumping castle, paint gun, water balloons) and prizes, as well as horse rides. The event is to raise awareness about the Atlanta-area Mustang and Wild Horse Rescue of Georgia, which rescues and cares for horses.

Labels: batesville road, Canton, mustang rescue spring festival, the mustang racnh

Schedule
Fri, 5/15 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sat, 5/16 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sun, 5/17 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

• Artist Market with Over 60 Exhibitors
• Food for All - Cotton Candy, Popcorn, BBQ etc.
• All Ages Play Area.....Batting Cage, Inflatable Jumpers and More
• Camp Imagine .....Hands on Art Activities for Children
• Entertainment All Day
• Free Concert Friday Night in City Park
• 45 minutes from Atlanta
• 20 minutes from Alpharetta or Marietta
• Free Parking Convenient

This annual fine arts festival will include artists, musical entertainment, exceptional food, a youth art exhibit and a hands-on area for children.

Just 45 minutes from downtown Atlanta, Canton offers the charm of a historic river town with a view of the north Georgia mountains. The new festival location is in Canton’s newly revitalized historic downtown district.

All funds raised at the festival benefit the Cherokee County Arts Center and the Canton Lions Club. The Arts Center goal is to enrich the lives of area residents by promoting, developing, and coordinating excellence in the arts. Funding from the festival allows the Arts Center to host a wide variety of arts programming including classes and youth art camps. The Canton Lions Club creates and fosters a spirit of understanding among all people for humanitarian needs by providing voluntary services through community involvement and international cooperation. Lions tackle tough problems like blindness, drug abuse prevention and diabetes awareness.

Labels: Canton, canton festival of the arts 2009, canton lions club, cherokee county arts center, Georgia

Forget Winter. See what's hatching at Tanglewood Farm this Spring! Wander through our Wild West Town teeming with miniature animals and you'll see our darling baby miniature chicks and ducklings waddling after their mamas. Let your kids meet our kids as they visit with our baby miniature goats. Then introduce your little lambs to our little lambs - newborn miniature sheep. Bring your basket to collect chocolate eggs and meet real miniature Easter bunnies. Take a pony ride or a hay ride and see, pet and feed more than 100 miniature farm animals that call Tanglewood their home.

When: April 1-30
Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays 10AM to 2PM
Last tickets sold at 1PM;
Saturdays and Sundays 10am to 5pm
Last tickets sold at 4PM;
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays
No reservations required for individuals and families.
Reservations preferred for groups of 20 or more.

Where: Tanglewood Farm, 171 Tanglewood Drive, North Alpharetta/Canton, GA 30115

Cost: Tour: $10 per person (free for infants under one)

Labels: Alpharetta, Canton, Georgia, springfest, tanglewood farm

Participants can celebrate autumn and National American Indian Heritage Month, hunt for arrowheads, play with miniature turkeys, paint ponies, take pony and hayrides and see, pet and feed more than 100 other miniature farm animals.

Tanglewood Farm
171 Tanglewood Drive
Canton GA 30115

Info: 770-667-6464
Cost: $9; $5 hayride

Labels: Canton, Georgia, harvestfest, Hayrides, ponies, tanglewood farm, turkeys

From Brian and Jen's Real Estate Blog

Sat, 10/4 7:00 am
Jocks & Jills — Canton
147 Reinhardt College Parkway, Suite 6
Canton GA 30114

Mostly flat course for this out-and-back run on the streets of Canton. Long sleeve T-shirt to participants. After the race, food and drinks. Benefits Make A Wish Foundation.

Info: 770-314-2366
Cost: $25; $20 advance

Labels: 5k run for wishes, Canton, Georgia, jocks and jills

We are working with more First Time Home Buyers than ever before! Call us - we can help!!! As a potential first time home buyer, you may feel a little overwhelmed with the entire process of buying your first home. Our goal is to empower you with the information and resources necessary to give you the confidence and financial help needed to make the dream of buying your first home become a reality. The more you know about the home buying process, the more likely you will be able to purchase the home of your dreams.

If you do not yet own a house of your own and are currently renting, here are 6 very, very compelling reasons why you should buy your first home.

1. Enjoyment. The primary reason you should purchase a home is for the enjoyment it will bring you and your family. You should buy a home that you will love living in! Undoubtedly, the first house you buy will not be the home you live in the rest of your life. As you mature your income will likely improve and your housing needs and desires will expand. You will likely sell your first home and trade up to a larger, nicer one. However, your primary focus when choosing your first home is to buy a house that will bring you enjoyment each and every day that you live there. If you do that, the improvements in your quality of life will be literally priceless.

2. It is an investment. My parents bought their first home in 1965 for $12,000. It was a modest home, just under 1,000 square feet, in a relatively nice neighborhood of similar homes on the outskirts of town. Today, that same home would sell for $175,000. Granted, much of that increase in value is due to inflation, but with government spending and deficits at record levels, inflation will continue and likely accelerate in coming years. By buying a home now, you will own an asset that will go up in value as inflation causes the general price level of everything to rise.

3. Tax Savings. The tax savings from mortgage interest can be huge. If you are currently paying $1,000 per month to rent your apartment, that same amount applied to a mortgage loan payment would result in a nearly $12,000 tax deduction (in the first few years of a conventional mortgage, nearly all of the payment goes towards interest, and very, very little goes toward paying off the loan. The interest is tax deductible). If you are in the 28% tax bracket, this one deduction would be an annual savings of over $3,300 on your income taxes.

4. Financial Benefits. Whatever you are currently paying for rent, it is money that is simply spent, never to return to you again. Contrast that to buying a home using a mortgage loan; instead of spending money on monthly rent, you are paying off a loan used to purchase the property. With each monthly payment, the loan balance goes down, and the equity in your property goes up. The monthly payment goes toward buying an asset that will go up in value. Besides the shelter that is provided, you get to keep an appreciating asset.

5. Privacy. As a renter, you are not entitled to the same level of privacy that a home owner is entitled to. It is common for landlords to retain the right to inspect the interior of their property upon giving the tenant proper notice 24 hours prior to the inspection. When you own your home, nobody is entitled to enter without your permission. It is your personal space on the planet that you have final say over. Your home is your private sanctuary for you and your family.

6. Freedom. Do you want to build a tree house in the backyard for your children? Would you like a volleyball net to use for weekend games with friends? Want to have a large 4th of July celebration for 100 of your closest friends? Being a homeowner provides the freedom to do these things and virtually anything else that is legal to do. You do not have a landlord telling you what you cannot do. The freedom is priceless.

Labels: Alpharetta, Canton, Cumming, First Time Home Buyers, Georgia, Johns Creek, milton, reasons to buy a home, Roswell, sandy springs, suwanee, Woodstock

Schedule
10 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Oct. 1-31.

Tanglewood Farm
171 Tanglewood Drive
Canton GA 30115

Participants can pick a pumpkin from the patch, venture through the not-so-scary haunted barn, take pony and hayrides and see, pet and feed more than 100 miniature farm animals.

Info: 770-667-6464
Cost: $9; $5 hayride

Labels: Canton, Georgia, octoberfest, pumpkin patch, tanglewood farm

Schedule
Sat, 9/27 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sun, 9/28 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Location
Boling Park
1162 Marietta Highway
Canton GA 30114

More than 200 arts and crafts exhibitors, entertainers, children's activities and food.

Labels: boiling park, Canton, Georgia, riverfest

When they first begin looking for a home, many buyers ask "can't we do this on our own? Do we really need to use a Real Estate Agent?" The answer is yes, you can do it on your own. There is no law that prevents you, as an individual, from buying property without professional Real Estate assistance. You can search for homes, arrange showings, and even negotiate on your own (although, in some localities, the actual contract for purchase will need to be drawn up by an Attorney). The real question may be "do we want to do it on our own?"

There is a misconception among many first time home buyers that by using a Real Estate Agent, they will be subject to paying a commission. In virtually all situations, this is not the case. The commission for the sale of a home is paid for by the seller, not the buyer. If you went to your local appliance store and bought a new refrigerator, you wouldn't expect to pay a commission to the salesperson. The same applies when you buy a house--it is the seller of the item (in this case a house) that is responsible for paying to have it sold.

If you do decide to "go it on your own," your choices will obviously be very limited. The only homes that you can buy without any Agent assistance are those that are "For Sale By Owner" (FSBO)--generally a small percentage of the market. These are home owners who, for whatever reason, have decided not to use an Agent in the sale of their house. It may be because they think they can get more return by not paying a commission, or it may be because there was no Agent who would take their house listing at the price they demanded. Many Real Estate analysts have found that the selling prices of FSBO homes are equal to--or higher--than those listed by Agents. A problem arises when, as a "do-it-yourself" house buyer and without the benefit of a Comparative Market Analysis, you need to make a determination whether or not the house is worth the asking price. How do you decide? There is too much money potentially involved to make a "seat of the pants" decision. In this case, you will need to either secure an independent appraisal to determine a realistic price range for the property or develop your own determination of value.

The next mistake that many buyers make, when they find that their choices are so limited by only dealing with homes for sale by owners, is to jump into the "listed" market by checking advertisements and calling Listing Agents directly or visiting Open Houses. There is not a dime to be saved with this strategy (the seller is still going to pay a commission) and you run the risk of ending up with no representation, since the Listing Agent is duty bound to represent the seller.

Labels: Alpharetta, buying a home without a agent, Canton, Cumming, do we need a agent, First Time Home Buyers, Fulton County, Johns Creek, milton, Roswell, Woodstock

Depending on the type of financing you choose, there should be either 2 or 3 separate inspections on the home you want to purchase. The first should be your own basic inspection (see the bottom of this page for what to look for), the second should be a professional whole-house inspection by a reputable person. Should you select a government loan (FHA or VA), the third inspection should come at the time of the appraisal, which to some degree amounts to a "mini-inspection." Do not, however, rely on this appraisal as your only inspection of the property!

We cannot emphasize enough the value and necessity of an extensive home inspection. Many home purchasers, in the desire to save the $200 to $500 that a good inspection costs, have spent enormous sums of money repairing items that any good home inspector would have pointed out. Any offer to purchase you make should be contingent upon (subject to) a whole house inspection with a satisfactory report. Do not let anyone--not the agent, not your family or friends, and especially not the seller--dissuade you from having the property thoroughly inspected! Not only will you sleep much sounder after you have moved into the house, a professional inspection can give you an escape hatch from a contract on a defective house. If the contract is written contingent on an acceptable inspection, any defects in the home must be either repaired or monetarily compensated for. If you are not satisfied, you have the option to cancel the contract.

Inspections are designed to disclose defects in the property that could materially affect its safety, livability, or resale value. They are not designed to disclose cosmetic deficiencies (for example, an interior wall that needs paint touch up). You will need to determine on your own those type of items that will need attention: don't expect a whole house inspection to reveal them to you.

Don't wait until you have placed an offer on a house before you begin the search for a home inspector. There will be a time limit in the contract designating when the inspection must be completed (typically between 7 and 14 days). If you start trying to find an inspector at that point, and cannot find an acceptable one to schedule it in that time frame, you will only have two choices: go with an inspector that is not your first choice, or run the risk of running past the deadline for the inspection (which could void any chance having the seller take care of repairs). Neither is an acceptable alternative!

Labels: Alpharetta, Canton, City of Roswell, Cumming, home inspections, Johns Creek, Woodstock

With the inventory of unsold homes at continued high levels, homeowners are going to great lengths to differentiate and distinguish their home. According to experts, there are a few simple tricks that can help create a more appealing space and a more attractive listing in today’s increasingly competitive market.

Listing: What’s in a word? When putting your home on the market, the right phrase in your listing can be the key to attracting potential buyers. According to the 2008 MSN article. “What’s ‘beautiful’ worth? About $12,500” researches have found that listings with the words “beautiful” or “gorgeous” sold homes 15 percent faster, while “landscaping” bumped sales 20 percent faster and “move in condition” expedited the sale by 12 percent. Contrary to popular belief, sellers should steer clear of words that highlight desperation such as “motivated” and “must sell”. The study found the inclusion of those words in the listing slowed sales by up to 30 percent.

Branding: If you’ve got it, flaunt it. Brand names create a point of differentiation and should be used as selling points for your home. There is no doubt that buyers will putt more weight in brands they trust. If choosing to make upgrades before listing your home, consider quality, recognizable products because they will ultimately provide the best return.

Staging: The ultimate showcase showdown. When getting your home tidied up for potential buyers, there are some specific tips that will help your home appeal to a wider range of buyers.

Cleaning: The number one rule of staging is to get rid of unwanted and unused items. Whether packed away until the sale or permanently donated, de-cluttering allows buyers to see more of the home. This also includes moving furniture out of rooms that may seem overcrowded.

Labels: Alpharetta, Atlanta, Canton, Cumming, Georgia, how to sell your home, Roswell, sell your home in a slumping market, Woodstock

Wool makes the transition from sheep and alpacas to felt, then roving, then yarn after it's placed on the spinning wheel. Final products such as sweaters, caps and socks on display. In addition, families can pan for gold and arrowheads in Tanglewood's Wild West Town, take pony and hay rides and see more than 100 miniature farm animals.

10 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Through May 31.

Tanglewood Farm
171 Tanglewood Drive
Canton GA 30115

Labels: Canton, Georgia, pioneer days, tanglewood farm, to do, weekend activities

Labels: Canton, Home