Brian Vanderhoff's North Fulton Real Estate Blog

Any Way You Want It $10,000 Buyer Bonus on midrise condos until March 15

The Providence Group announces a new homebuyer incentive at Highlands of Sandy Springs in Fulton County. The builder of metro Atlanta new homes is giving a $10,000 Any Way You Want It Buyer Bonus to use toward closing costs, upgrades or appliances on the community’s recently released midrise condominium flats.

“Since we announced the release of our new midrise condominium building at Highlands of Sandy Springs, we’ve seen a lot of interest and demand,” said Kelly Fink, vice president of sales and marketing for The Providence Group. “With its affordable pricing and HOA dues, low-maintenance living, FHA financing and low interest rates, the community is already one of the best deals in Sandy Springs; but now with our Any Way You Want It Buyer Bonus, it’s more affordable than ever to purchase one of our elegant homes.”

Highlands of Sandy Springs boasts six unique condominium flat designs with one and two bedroom plans as well as dual owner’s suite plans. Priced from $116,900, condominiums are move-in ready and offer upscale interiors with up to approximately 1,300 square feet, hardwood floors, 10-foot ceilings, beautiful cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, tiled baths, private covered balconies, spacious family rooms, formal dining rooms, walk-in closets, extensive trim and crown molding.

Additionally, Highlands of Sandy Springs offers two- and three-story townhomes priced from $194,900. These homes feature gourmet kitchens, upgraded cabinets, granite countertops, extensive trim and hardwood floors. For a limited time, buyers may take advantage of the $10,000 Any Way You Want It Bonus for these homes as well.

Homeowners enjoy beautiful amenities that include an architecturally-designed swimming pool and gathering area, community clubhouse, state-of-the-art fitness center, two gated entrances and low-maintenance living. In addition to the community’s onsite amenities, Highlands of Sandy Springs residents have access to miles of nearby hiking and biking trails, and are conveniently located near GA 400 and Interstate 285.

Children residing at Highlands of Sandy Springs are served by Woodland Elementary, Sandy Springs Middle and North Springs High schools.

To visit the neighborhood, take 400 North to the Abernathy Road exit; exit heading west. Travel for one mile and turn right on Roswell Road. Travel approximately 1.5 miles and turn right on Dalrymple Road. The entrance to Highlands of Sandy Springs is on the right.

Labels: Providence group, sandy springs

Sandy Springs can’t do anything about the day laborers lingering at major Roswell Road intersections, hoping that a passing car will bring work. That’s because anyone can be in the public right of way. Plus, the upscale city has admitted it has — and needs — those kinds of workers by adopting a new local law that focuses more on traffic than its does the people on the sidewalk.

“We are not stopping anyone from seeking employment or from hiring,” councilman Rusty Paul said. “We are just trying to be smart about safety.”

The problem has come from the traffic jams — and risks to pedestrians — created when a driver stops to offer work. Police Chief Terry Sult said the workers will ignore traffic in their rush to land a job, creating hazards and sudden stops on some of the city’s most heavily traveled roads.

In some cases, the workers swarm around a potential employer so quickly it blocks traffic completely, Sult said.

So under the new law, the city will fine any driver who doesn’t pull off and park to hire the workers. The citation is $250 for the first offense, $500 for the second and $1,000 and up to three months in jail for the third.

“There is an orderly way to do things,” Sult said. “We can’t have people slamming on their brakes because someone in front of them decides to stop and hire someone.”

The city weighed the issue for a month before approving it Tuesday. No one spoke out against the measure, and some churches have even signaled they approve of the push for safety.

The new law does limit where people can solicit work. The laborers face the same fines for being on private property, such as parking lots, unless the owners give permission.

The laborers also have to stay 300 feet away from freeway ramps, city attorney Wendell Willard said.

That distance — that of a football field — should keep traffic on busy I- 285 and Ga. 400 moving, he added.

Traffic flow, and the hiring process, would also run more smoothly with more job centers.

City officials said they hope the new law will encourage more of the hiring centers like the one that Holy Spirit Catholic Church opened on Northwoods Drive earlier this year.

There, workers register for jobs daily and the staff helps keep track of there comings and goings as a way to protect them from being mistreated. Plans are also under way to offer language classes for workers as they wait.

“I am very proud of our community for doing this,” Mayor Eva Galambos said. “We are doing the right thing by everyone.”

Labels: day laborer, jobs, sandy springs

Riley says new county is financially viable

The Carl Vinson Institute of Government has released its study of Milton County. The new county would consist of the cities of Alpharetta, Roswell, Johns Creek, Milton, Sandy Springs and Mountain Park and would have an estimated population of about 311,121.

The estimated revenue for Milton County is about $209.6 million with expenditures estimated between $133.1 million and $147.9 million.

The Road to Milton County

According to District 3 Fulton County Commissioner Lynne Riley, the process of recreating Milton County would be similar to the recent city incorporations and involve just as much resident input.

A Johns Creek resident herself, Ms. Riley said a “cafeteria plan” would allow residents to pick and choose what they wanted in the county charter. But first, if it passes the legislature, the measure would be voted on in a statewide referendum on the 2010 ballot. Then, just as with the city incorporations, the legislature would have to pass the charter legislation. This would most likely happen during the 2011 or 2012 session, said Ms. Riley. Then a transition period to taking over county services from Fulton County would take about four years and the county would “open” in 2014 or 2015.



The case for making Milton County, said Ms. Riley, would be to create a county with a great deal of flexibility, easily affordable services and the opportunity for cost savings. Although she would no longer be able to serve as a county commissioner if Milton County were recreated, she would be involved in the new county government either as a resident volunteer or elected official.

Government Services

The Carl Vinson study assumes the new county would provide the following services:
Superior Court
State Court
Magistrate Court
Probate Court
Juvenile Court
Public Health
Emergency Shelter
Senior Services
Libraries
Emergency Management Services
Animal Control
Elections and Voter Registration
Government Administration
Tax Administration
School System

Based on the study, Ms. Riley said recreating Milton County is viable. She said a separate Milton County Board of Education would be created and the study shows that schools would remain at their current level of service delivery in north Fulton.

Because Milton County would have no unincorporated areas, the county would not need to provide police, fire, public works, transportation or water services, as those would be handled by each city.

Impact on Fulton County

The creation of Milton County would reshape Fulton County, changing its population from 900,200 to about 589,079. The median income, now estimated at $47,092 would drop to an estimated $36,930. The estimated median income for Milton County is $86,743.

According to Ms. Riley the new Fulton County would suffer no shortfall if Milton County were recreated.

“All the [tax] money goes into a shared pot right now, the money is shared equitably across the whole county,” she said. “With just a marginal adjustment, services in the remaining Fulton County could stay at the current level. Opposition to recreating the county, as it was with the creation of the cities, because Fulton County would be losing tax revenue is simply not the case.”

The full study is available at http://www.cviog.uga.edu/miltoncounty. Check our website for more details as more information becomes available.

Labels: Alpharetta, city milton, Johns Creek, milton county, Mountain Park, north fulton county, Roswell, sandy springs

A new look could be in Sandy Springs’ future as the city plans for development and developers improve their properties.

With goals of creating a “town center,” encouraging mixed-use developments and making the Roswell Road corridor more attractive, city officials are pleased with progress being made under a comprehensive land use plan adopted almost a year ago, said Nancy Leathers, director of community development.

Several existing developments have rejuvenated dated facades while some new projects have come to the area, she said.

Roswell Road stakeholders such as Sandy Springs Plaza Associates that owns the Sandy Springs Plaza, and the Simpson Organization, owner of the Hammond Springs shopping center, both based in Atlanta, appreciate the city’s attention to the heavily populated area. Both property owners have updated the look of their shopping complexes. The plaza updated ’50s-era facades with a fresher and brighter look. At Hammond Springs there is new landscaping and even a new shape to the complex as parking was restructured and buildings were added.

“We’re trying to recognize and incorporate some of the city’s planning requirements in what we are doing,” said Chris Hardy, senior vice president of the Simpson Organization. “I think what they’re doing is breaking the sameness of the area with all of the one-story buildings and trying to encourage more pedestrian and local access.”

Jan Saperstein, a managing partner with Sandy Springs Plaza Associates, said he is glad to see other businesses sprucing up properties along the street. A new look could lead to new business, he said.

While many businesses and commercial property owners seem to wholeheartedly support the city’s efforts, some of the neighbors are cautiously optimistic. Trisha Thompson, zoning chairwoman for the Sandy Springs Council of Neighborhoods, said she hopes the city can stick with the intent of the land use plan.

“I’ve seen a project or two that has disappointed me and that makes me wonder, ‘How does this fit in with the vision?’ ” she said. “We’d like to see a design plan, something concrete. We don’t want a disparate jumble of second-rate development.”

Labels: city plans, Georgia, housing and urban development, sandy springs

Mark your calendar for October 18, 2008, and don’t miss the first-ever Sandy Springs Blues & Bluegrass Festival, held on the Sandy Springs Society Entertainment Lawn at Heritage Green. The gates open at 2:00pm and there will be live music until 10:00pm. Tickets are $5 per person with kids 10 and under admitted free. Please note that no outside coolers will be permitted on the site.

The Sandy Springs Blues & Bluegrass Festival will be a family friendly event that will also serve as a fundraiser for the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center. Funds raised from this event will will be devoted to a professional feasibility study to determine the nature, size and desired location of Sandy Springs' first, world class, Performing Arts Center. The planning, design and construction of this performing arts center is the vision of the Sandy Springs Arts Alliance, an initiative of Sandy Springs Revitalization, Inc.

WHEN: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18 - 2PM-10PM

LOCATION: SANDY SPRINGS ENTERTAINMENT LAWN AT HERITAGE GREEN (Map)
SCRUMPTIOUS FOOD : SLOPES BBQ
ENTRY FEE: ADULTS $5, CHILDREN UNDER 10 ADMITTED FREE!

Labels: blues and bluegrass festival, october 18, sandy springs, sandy srprings society entertainment lawn at heritage green

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

Everything is on schedule to open the new Lake Forest Elementary School (official name approved this month) in Sandy Springs and the replacement Westlake High School in southwest Atlanta. While construction is still ongoing, the summer months are ideal for finishing major aspects of the projects. Both schools open in August.


Several other schools have building additions under construction, many to be completed this summer or late fall.

Labels: Lake forest elementary, sandy springs, southwest atlanta, westlake high