Category Archives: real estate

INSPECTIONS 101: FROM THE SELLER’S POINT OF VIEW

08 Wednesday Jan 2014

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As the Seller, once you have an acceptable offer and have agreed to terms with a ready, willing and able Buyer, you are halfway – but not all the way – there.  There are still obstacles to overcome.  One, of course, is the appraisal.  Another is the Buyer’s loan approval.  Still another – and the one that you perhaps have the most control over – is the inspection.  In the standard Georgia contracts, Buyers may (and usually do) choose to ask for a due diligence period; and typically the Seller will agree to that.  The due diligence period is the time in which the Buyer does all their inspections – structural, electrical, plumbing, systems, etc.  Usually the Buyer will call in one inspector for a general inspection and if that inspector finds anything that needs further investigation, the Buyer will call in additional experts.  Typically, however, there is one inspector, one inspection, which results in a 20 to 30 page inspection report.  Don’t let the length of it scare you.  There is a lot of “fluff” in most inspection reports that give the Buyer information about maintenance of the home and other things.  The actual inspection items that need to be fixed can be distilled down to one “list”.  Some Buyers will ask the Seller to fix everything – others may decide that nothing is severe enough to ask the Seller to fix.  Usually, we see something in-between.

Inspection

During this “due diligence period” the Buyer can terminate the contract with no penalty for any reason or no reason at all.   Therefore, the Buyer has the upper hand (unless, of course, there were multiple bids and/or it is a “hot” property).   That’s why the Georgia due diligence provision is also called the “free look” provision.  So if you are happy with the contract in hand, as a Seller it behooves you to accommodate the Buyer if and where you can, and to make any repairs that are requested that you deem “reasonable.”

As the Seller, under the standard Georgia contract your obligation is to make the property available for inspection on the date and time scheduled.  All utilities must be operational.  The inspection will take between two and five hours, and it is customary for the Seller to leave during that period of time.  Your agent can guide you on this.  As long as the inspector is a licensed home inspector and we are familiar with him/her and/or the company, you can rest assured that it is safe to leave the inspector in your home.  If there is any doubt, the buyer’s agent or your agent can stay for the full inspection.

However, it is also customary for the listing agent NOT to be present.  The reason is that the buyer and inspector want freedom to discuss any and all problems they may find without interruption or argument.

If the Buyer does decide to ask for repairs, they must provide you, the Seller, with a copy of the inspection report and an “Amendment to Address Concerns” setting forth the precise repairs that they are requesting be made.  You can counteroffer the Buyer’s initial demands and negotiate something less than the original items asked for.  In addition, the parties may and often do agree on a monetary concession by the Seller in lieu of repairs. That may be preferable to you as a Seller because it eliminates any dispute over the quality of the repairs performed, and saves you from the possibility that the repairs may end up costing more than is originally calculated.

A good agent can guide you through all of this.  I typically will let my Sellers know what general amount they should “budget” for inspection repairs at the time we get the initial offer, so that they can better calculate their net proceeds from a given contract.  By necessity, this budget will be based on the items the Seller knows might need repair, and may include a cushion for the unforeseen.  With a little advance planning and good counsel, you can sail through the inspection and head on to closing.

(*Photo, courtesy of Cornerstone Inspection Group)

Open House: Pros and Cons

16 Monday Dec 2013

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Sellers often have a strong idea of whether or not they would like us to hold their listing open on the weekends; however, sometimes, once we talk it through, they change that opinion.  As your agent, we will follow your dictates on this subject.  If you want us to hold an open house we will – and if you don’t, we won’t. We love holding houses open because it gives us the chance to interact with buyers and neighbors and make business contacts – and potentially meet new clients.  But an open house may or may not be the right thing for you.   In determining the right approach for your listing, here are the pros and cons.

PRO: potential buyers are out there!   On weekends, particularly Sunday afternoons, there are potential buyers who know that Sunday afternoons are “open house time” and will drive their chosen neighborhoods to see houses.

CON: those potential buyers are often “tire kickers”.  They are buyers who are not serious enough about buying a house to have an agent show them properties.  Some of them DO have agents, but if they were serious about the neighborhood and your property, they would have their agent show them the house.  In other words, a serious buyer would likely see your listing whether it was held open or not.

PRO *AND* CON:  when we hold your house “open” with open house signs and balloons, the public is invited.  The public may and probably will include noisy neighbors who want to see what your house looks like and what you are asking for it, but who have no interest in purchasing it.  That is not necessarily a bad thing, because often your neighbors are your best advocates.  If they love the home, they will tell their friends about it – and sometimes it’s the neighbor’s friend who ends up buying the house.

CON: The public may potentially include more nefarious characters as well (true “cons”), who prowl open houses looking for loot.  That is why no matter what, we ask sellers to put all valuables under lock and key, including all personal information that could be used for identity theft.  This is why higher end properties are less likely to be held “open”, particularly if there are valuables in the home that can not be adequately protected.

PRO: if a buyer is seeing your home for the first time at an open house, they are seeing it at its absolute best.   Assuming your agent has guided you correctly, you have cleaned it thoroughly and staged it perfectly.  All the lights will be on, fresh flowers on the table, and perhaps even the smell of chocolate chip cookies wafting from the kitchen.

PRO: while a serious buyer will likely see your home whether or not it is open on the weekend, that is not always the case.  Sometimes a buyer who would not otherwise be considering the house – either because it is slightly out of their price range or is in a neighborhood that they had not considered before.

PRO: when we advertise your open house in all the many places we advertise (including Ga. Open houses.com, MLS, Trulia, Zillow, Facebook and Twitter) it not only advertises the open house, it gives new exposure to your listing in general.

So as you see, generally speaking the pros of an open house outweigh the cons.

Aside

07 Saturday Dec 2013

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The Real Estate Times, they are A’Changing

 

Does the real estate market’s positive shift this Fall signal more great times ahead?  Or is this a temporary positive blip?  I believe that the recovery will continue into next year, and that the bust is over. 

 

In fact, the third quarter of 2013 gave us lots of positive momentum that has and should continue.  While December is typically a slow month we are still seeing the best properties sell quickly with multiple offers.

 

The best strategy for sellers now and for the year to come is to choose an initial listing price that is aggressive enough to compare very favorably with competing listings.  A home needs to be the best option in the price range in order to sell quickly.  Strategizing in this way brings into play the “scarcity fear” – meaning buyers will see the home as a scarce commodity in the price range and will move quickly and be willing to pay more.  Buyers, in other words, will be afraid that someone else will snatch up the home first.  This is exactly what a seller should want.  A seller who overprices in the beginning loses that buyer urgency.  The longer a home sits on the market, the less a buyer thinks it is worth.  Therefore, paradoxically, a seller who prices less from the beginning will net more than the seller who starts out high and has to price reduce thereafter. 

 

The good market for sellers that we are seeing now is due to the fact that the downward price pressure from distressed properties has alleviated.  For several years, the number of foreclosures and short sales have brought all prices down.  Now, however, we are seeing much fewer distressed properties on the market and overall lower inventory, so this is the best time to sell that we have seen in years.    While the market may be even better in the Spring, sellers who list NOW have the added advantage of the low inventory of homes available over the holidays.  If a seller waits until the Spring, they will be competing with many more homes.  A buyer looking right now has little to choose from, and this can mean a higher price for a seller who acts strategically.  The following chart shows the severe decline in listing inventory.

 

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Even though there are fewer properties in general, and significantly fewer distressed properties on the market currently, they still have an impact on a sellers’ ability to get top dollar.  When setting an initial list price, take into account how many distress properties you will be competing with.  This can vary greatly from area to area, so it is hard to provide generalized advice about the impact on pricing.   The following chart shows the decline in the number of distressed properties for sale; but note that there ARE still a number of distressed properties out there.

 

 

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For Buyers, it is important to understand that the supply/demand relationship has shifted to the seller’s advantage. Now, fast action and realistic offers will be necessary for buyers to capitalize on still-low prices for many available properties. Low-ball offers on properties that are already well priced will result in missing out on a great opportunity.  In other words, our low inventory of homes for sale and the fact that prices are still low in a historic sense reduces the buyer’s advantage in contract negotiations.   Making realistic offers is a must for desirable houses.

 

Overall, the good news is that prices are still historically low and interest rates are too, but inventory is ALSO low and prices and interest rates are rising.  This Spring will see an uptick in activity, with rising inventory, prices, and probably also interest rates.  

A HOUSE DIVIDED: The Family Home in a Divorce

27 Friday Sep 2013

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“When we divorced we split the house 50/50 – she got the inside and I got the outside.”

 “Have you seen the new “Divorcing Barbie” doll? She comes with Ken’s house.”

House Divided

             Joking aside, the family home is sometimes the greatest asset to divide in a divorce – so let’s look at how to handle this crucial asset.

It is advisable to call a Realtor early on, when you’re analyzing what assets you have and don’t have.  I often get called in to look at the home and give an assessment of its value in today’s market.  It makes sense to call a Realtor at this point – we typically are more familiar with the neighborhood and have been in the homes that are for sale and have sold, and are accustomed to pricing properties for sale.

There are online tools you can use as well – zillow.com, for instance, which gives you a “zestimate” of what your home is worth, or trulia.com.  However, these services have obviously not been inside your home or the other homes – so they are very general and cannot necessarily be relied upon.  Tax records are also notoriously unreliable.

A crucial consideration at this point may be whether or not the couple is “underwater”; that is, whether you owe more on the property than the property is worth.   If so, to sell the home you would have to bring money to the table.  In other words, in some instances it may not be possible to sell the home.

Also consider early on whether or not you want to fight to keep the home.  Can you afford the monthly carrying costs?  It might not be worth fighting for if it’s something you cannot keep up.

If one party does end up staying in and keeping the home, however, that party may be buying the other party out.  In that instance, professional appraisals are probably in order – each side getting their own appraisal and then perhaps a third appraisal if the two vary widely.  Know that appraisals are an ART as well as a science – while appraisers are bound by the Uniform Appraisal Guidelines and professional dictates, there is some subjectivity in the process.  When you hire an appraiser, you might wish to share with them the comparable sales that you think are most applicable and why they should be used.  Most appraisers are happy to consider the information, although of course they are not bound to use it.

But say the decision is that the home needs to be SOLD.  It’s great if you can both agree on a Realtor.  That actually happens much more often than you might think.  Maybe you both liked the Realtor who sold you the home.  Or know a Realtor jointly who you respect.  Another tactic is to interview three Realtors and see if there’s a clear front runner who you can agree upon.  If not, one way this is sometimes handled is that one party will choose the Realtor for a specified period of time and the other party will choose for the next period – be it 3 months or 6 months.

Several considerations arise here.  Keep in mind that there are various expenses involved in getting the home ready for sale and keeping it maintained while it is on the market.  How those expenses are handled should be decided upon in advance.  You might also want to decide in advance how much the list price will be decreased and when – and what offers should be acceptable (i.e., you can agree that any offer within five percent of list price must be accepted, that sort of thing).

Then there are some very practical showing considerations.  An example will illustrate this point.  We had one client where the wife left with all the nice furniture.  We were left showing a home with very little furniture and a “divorce feel.”  Try to agree to keep enough nice things in the home to make it show well.  Like it or not, buyers are swayed by these things.  Most buyers choose emotionally and THEN justify the purchase logically.  If they walk in and the home feels forlorn and empty, they will not feel great about the home – or may think the seller is in desperate circumstances and thus make a lower offer.  It pays off to have the home nice for showings.  If nothing else, the parties can agree to borrow or rent furniture or to have the home staged for showings.

The home must also be AVAILABLE for showings.  This becomes an issue when the person staying in the home doesn’t necessarily want the home to sell.  Perhaps the other party is paying the bills, and so once the home sells the occupying party loses that support AND must move to a lesser home.

When an offer comes in, keep in mind that your net is less the Broker’s commissions, the mortgage payoff(s) and any repairs that will be necessitated during the inspection period.  Your Realtor can help you figure your net from a given offer.  Again, it is sometimes helpful here to have agreed what amount and type of offer should be acceptable.

A note here if one party stays in the home.  Be aware of title issues.  When you sell the home, a title search is performed.  If there are any liens against the property, these must be paid off before closing.  Even if you do not sell the home, if you are the one keeping the home you want to have a title search before all is finalized.  That way you can be sure the departing spouse didn’t borrow money against the house or otherwise create liens that you will be responsible for when you sell the house and which effect its value.

The final issue – housing options once you leave the family home.  This is for you and your Realtor to decide, but just a few things to keep in mind: do you need to stay in the same school district for the kids?  Do you need to stay close to the other spouse for the children’s sake?  Even the priciest zip codes have affordable options that your Realtor can help you find.  And keep in mind that emotionally you may want to stay in a familiar area; the one you’ve lived in or an area with friends and family near.

MULTIPLE OFFER SITUATIONS

26 Monday Aug 2013

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Sellers Market

Our Atlanta real estate market is currently a strong “seller’s market”. We define a seller’s (vs. buyer’s) market in terms of available inventory.  If there is six months or less of housing inventory on the market, it’s a seller’s market – more than six months of inventory is a buyer’s market.

When we say “six months” worth of inventory, that means that if nothing new were to come on the market (hypothetically, of course), it would take six months to sell everything that it currently listed.  This is calculated this way

  • We compute the total number of active listings on the market last month in the area under consideration;
  •  Then compute the total number of sold homes for the that month;
  •  Then divide the number of current active listings by the number of total sales for the month, which gives you the months of inventory which remain.

Using this formula, the Atlanta Metro area has less than five months of active listings (in some areas, less than three).  So listings are often going under contract within the first day or two they are available, with multiple offers.  A seller who gets multiple offers may pick the best one and respond to it OR may decide to contact all bidders and request their “highest and best” bid and go with the bid the seller finds most advantageous to them.

If you are a buyer trying to “win” in a multiple offer situation, it goes without saying that you should place your HIGHEST offer – the most amount of money that you are willing to pay for the property.  The seller will usually go with the highest bid, but not always.  There are other factors important to the seller: how likely a buyer is to get to the closing table, for instance (so a buyer with cash is “king” – because loans can fall through, of course).  This is why the seller asks not only for your “highest” offer, but for your “highest and BEST” offer.  Let’s look as some of the factors that will help your offer be the “best” offer.

First, if you can avoid asking the seller to pay closing costs, I would recommend that.  A seller will perceive a buyer who is asking for closing costs as not as strong a buyer.  A strong buyer has enough cash on hand to pay their own closing costs and can avoid rolling those closing costs into the loan by asking the seller to pay for them.  (What the seller cares about is the seller’s “net” – contract price minus closing costs paid.  By asking the seller to pay closing costs you are offering them “less” than the contract price and perhaps indicating that you are not as strong  a buyer).

Another seller consideration is how difficult the seller perceives that the buyer is going to be during the contract to close process.  A buyer who asks for too much in the opening bid may be perceived as a scared buyer who is more likely to terminate the contract during the due diligence period.  Or one who is likely to ask for excessive seller concessions during due diligence.

Here are some other pointers if you are the buyer placing a bid against other offers:

  • Make your offer a CLEAN AS POSSIBLE; meaning avoid stipulations.  Keep those stipulations you do include as simple as possible.
  • For instance, we will sometimes insert a stipulation asking for a professional cleaning of the property from the seller prior to transfer of possession.  If there are multiple bids, LEAVE THAT OUT.  That stipulation is sometimes taken the wrong way by sellers who think that they are indicating that the property is less than clean, and that may be the thing that prevents you from getting the property.  You can pay for your own move in cleaning if the seller doesn’t (and many, if not most, sellers will have the property professionally cleaned without you asking for it)– but don’t risk losing the property by asking for this when there are other offers.
  • The same thing goes for other items you might otherwise ask for: a survey, condo documents, etc.  You can pay  for a survey yourself and still *ask* for the condo documents (or have your agent get them) during the due diligence period. Asking for them in the initial offer may, all other things being equal, cause a seller to choose another offer that is simpler for the seller.
  • You may be competing against other offers that DO NOT HAVE a financing or appraisal contingency.  If you need financing, you must have those contingencies (unless you have enough cash to cover if the property ends up not appraising for full contract price and are willing to take that chance). But keep this in mind – know that some buyers will pay cash without a loan OR appraisal contingency for a hot property.  So you may be beat out not on price but by a buyer in that position.
  • So if you must have a loan and appraisal contingency, make them as clean and enticing as possible.  Here are some guidelines: indicate in the contingency how much money you are putting down – more is better to the seller, of course.  If you are putting fifty percent down,  you are a stronger buyer than someone putting twenty percent down, for instance.  Keep the loan and financing contingencies as tight as possible – 21 to 25 days is the norm, but go shorter if you can in order to present your offer in the best light.
  • HAVE A PREAPPROVAL LETTER (or proof of funds if you are paying cash).  Most sellers won’t even consider an offer with a prequal or proof of funds.  It is best if that preapproval letter is from a recognized lender who regularly does mortgage loans so that the seller is reasonably certain that the lender will not botch the deal.
  • You may also be competing against an “AS IS” offer; that is, one in which the buyer says that they will purchase the property without asking for any repairs.  (In an “as is” contract, the buyer still has a right to inspections, but has agreed not to ask the seller for any repairs). Therefore, if you do want a due diligence period, keep that period as short a possible (typical is 7 to 10 days – in multiple offer situations, I definitely recommend not going over 10 days).

Finally, it sometimes helps to use a “personal touch”.  Tell the seller something about yourself.  We call this a “buyer’s letter” and I will often write them for clients in situations where I think it would be helpful.  Tell them what you like about the home and give them information so that they know you’ll be a good neighbor.  Not all, but many sellers care very much about what type of person is purchasing their home and what type of neighbor that person will be for the friends that they are leaving behind.

Put your best foot forward when there are multiple offers – remember that you are competing not only on price; and good luck!  If your bid is NOT the winning bid, consider asking the seller to hold on to it as a “back up offer” in case the winning offer falls through.

PREPARING YOUR HOME FOR SALE

31 Wednesday Jul 2013

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House For Sale

So you’ve decided that you want to sell your home.  The first question is WHEN should you sell?  The prime months for selling vary year-to-year, but in good years and bad, generally the “peak” times are from March 1st through Memorial Day and from mid-August until the week before Thanksgiving (conversely, the “slow” periods are typically the summer & winter vacation months, and the holiday lull extends through February).

But also remember that there are ALWAYS buyers out there.  Even in our “slow” months there are buyers ~ and there’s less inventory.  So although it may seem counterintuitive, if your home comes on the market in a “slow” month it may actually help your chances of selling.  In times of limited inventory, the listing is king!

Regardless of your target date for putting the house on the market, your preparation for selling should begin months before.  It is never too early to contact an agent and start getting your home prepared.  Your agent or your agent’s stager will give you a list of things to do to get your home ready, and the earlier you start on them the better.

And please do not be insulted by the list of things your agent or stager tells you to do in order to sell.  All of us start to overlook the little quirks that a home develops and the clutter that accumulates once you live in a place for a while.  To sell your home at top dollar, you want your home in great condition and looking its best.  That means putting aside a little pride and listening to what the professionals ask you to do.  It really does pay off!

If you want to get started NOW, here are some general guidelines we give clients:

GENERAL STAGING GUIDELINES:

1. Gather packing supplies; boxes and tape or plastic bins.  Also gather boxes and bags for those items you want to donate to charity.

2. Take everything off the floor of every closet and find another place for it if you can – ideally, nothing is on the floor of any closet.

3. Pack up half of what is in every closet.  Half of your clothes, half of everything else – make sure every closet looks SPACIOUS and incredibly neat.

4. Clear as much stuff off every horizontal surface as you can.

5. In one place, have any staging “extras” that you may have – extra pictures, vases, pillows, towels, etc.  Your agent or stager may be able to use them in getting your home ready..

6. Make sure all lights work and no lightbulbs are out.

7. Fix anything you know needs to be fixed; that icemaker that stopped working, the siding boards that need to be replaced, and the faucet that is dripping.

8. Take down all of your personal pictures, then just put back out one or two on each floor (minimal personal pictures, but enough to personalize and let the buyer know that you are a “real” person).

Those should get you started.  And who knows, after you clear some clutter and fix up things you may decide you want to stay.  If not, it is time to call in your Realtor.

HIRING AN AGENT

24 Wednesday Jul 2013

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So you have decided that it is time to sell your home and move on to a smaller home, a larger home, or just greener pastures.  How do you find an agent?  You might ask your friends and colleagues who they recommend; you might decide to hire the “neighborhood expert”; or you might already know a great agent you would like to use.

If you are not certain who you want to use, it is time to call in several agents, meet with them and have them look at your home, and then decide who you are most comfortable with.  There are many factors to consider and questions to ask:

  • Is the Realtor a FULL TIME agent?  You do not want to hire anyone who only does real estate part time – they cannot give your home the attention it deserves.
  • Is the Realtor with a reputable company, and are they well connected/well liked among other Realtors?
  • Does the Realtor have an assistant to help with marketing efforts so that if the Realtor is very busy someone is still marketing your home full time?

Hire who you are most comfortable with, not necessarily the agent who gives you the highest suggested list price.  Some agents will give you an inflated price to entice you to list with them.  Overpricing your home can be deadly, since the longer a home sits on the market the less desirable it is to buyers and the less you will ultimately get for the home.  Go for the agent who is the most knowledgeable and realistic about your home’s value over the one who gives you a high price just to get you to sign the agreement.

Ask what services the agent offers as part of the listing – among the things a great agent may offer are professional photography, staging services, full color professional brochures, agent caravans, and videography.  Let the agent know what you expect from them – some sellers like to be contacted by the agent as much as possible, while others just want a phone call when an offer comes in.  Let your agent know what works best for you.

And as the listing moves forward, let the agent know whenever you are unhappy about anything and give them the opportunity to rectify it.  Most of us will bend over backwards to make a seller happy, and to sell the home.

DECIDING TO SELL YOUR HOME

04 Tuesday Jun 2013

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House For Sale

The first step in selling your home is, of course, deciding whether it is TIME to sell.  Have you outgrown your current home?  Is it too large and do you want to downsize?  Are you ready to move up to a nicer home or down to a smaller one?  Ready to change neighborhoods, schools, or towns?

If you have a choice in whether or not to sell your home (i.e., if it’s not a job transfer or other life change dictating the move) let’s discuss some of the factors you’ll want to consider.

If you are UP sizing to a more expensive home then a good time to move is when the market is LOW.  You’ll get less for your current home, but will get a better deal on the home you’re purchasing.  Conversely, if you are downsizing then you may consider it better to move when the market is HIGH so you can maximize the return on your current home.  Know that whether the market is “high” or “low” often depends upon the price range you are considering and the area of town.  Best to consult a real estate professional to discuss your specific situation in order to plan what is right for you.

Even if committed to moving, many potential sellers want to find out if there is a home they want to move TO before they put their current home on the market.  Not a bad idea.  But unless you can purchase a new home without selling your current home, do not get too invested in finding the “perfect” home before you sell your current home.  Your goal should be to see if there are houses (more than one) you would like to move to so that you are comfortable putting your home on the market.  But chances are that if you fall in love with one particular home, THAT home will be sold by the time you get your home on the market, get it under contract, and are ready to write an offer.  So on the exploratory search the goal should be to determine whether there is likely to be a home you will be happy moving into when your home sells.

In other words, it is somewhat of a leap of faith.  You put your home on the market trusting that you will find the “right” home to move into when the time comes.  Of course, you have some control over this process since if you price your current home correctly it should sell quickly.  But know that few if any sellers will agree to a “sale of property” contingency if your home is not at least under contract.

Here is how that works: if you must sell your current home to purchase a new one, then you submit an offer for that new home with a contingency stating that your purchase of the new home is contingent on the sale of your current home.  From the perspective of the seller who you are making that contingent offer to, it would be quite risky to agree to that contingency if your current home is just “on the market” and not yet under contract.  There’s no guarantee that your home will sell quickly – and the seller is taking their home off the market if they get under contract with you.

So consider the market, the neighborhood, and your personal circumstances.  This may be the perfect time for you to move.  Generally, prices are rising but interest rates are still low.

IT AIN’T EASY BEING (A) GREEN (TOILET) – (to paraphrase Kermit)

05 Friday Apr 2013

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Earth Day is coming up!  A time to focus on sustainability and living green.  And I am quite flattered that American Standard’s Responsible Living Blog has asked for what they call my “expert advice” as Earth Day approaches.  Now, since American Standard makes toilets and bathroom fixtures and is home of the famous “Professor Toilet” so I offer the bathroom (and specifically the toilet) as my “theme” for this blog post.  Love ya, Professor Toilet!

  • Years ago, when I worked in news for a radio station in Birmingham, our Earth Day tagline was “Listen to I-95; We have a Brick  in Our Toilet” which I always thought was hilarious. But also good advice – the idea is that by displacing water in your toilet tank you use less water with every flush. But the newer, better device for this is a closed water bottle instead (include a few stones to hold it down in the toilet). Bricks can disintegrate with use, so the bottle is a better idea.
  • And while we’re on the subject of toilets (I’m angling for an autographed photo of the Prof. here, obviously) your toilet may leak – and you may not even know it. Here’s how you test: use a few drops of food coloring in the toilet tank. If you see the color in the toilet bowl within 15 minutes or so, it means you have a leak, usually caused by a faulty flapper valve which is easily replaced.
  • This is one of my favorites because I LOVE this trend – when you buy a new home and renovate it, SAVE WHAT YOU CAN from the old residence! Go ahead and replace those drafty windows and reinsulate the attic, but consider whether or not that kelly green or Pepto-Bismol pink bathroom *might* be very retro cool if adorned with the right accessorizing towels and shower curtains. In our ‘70s home we made into a “warm midcentury modern” we kept the cool original yellow bathroom tile in the rec room bathroom and updated simply by replacing the leaky green toilet with an energy efficient American Standard version and posting some cool retro movie posters from the period. Seriously, looks great!

Happy Earth Day to you all!  Go put a brick in your new non-leaking toilet!

Mary Anne Walser
Keller Williams Realty of Buckhead
#1 Individual Agent in 2012!
www.maryannewalser.com
maryannesellshomes@gmail.com
404-277-2537

YARN BOMBING in EAST ATLANTA

22 Friday Mar 2013

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There have been explosions in East Atlanta you haven’t heard a peep about – very SOFT explosions, given, but colorful nonetheless.

The new trend there is YARN BOMBING bicycles. Just go to the corner of Flat Shoals and Metropolitan and you’ll see what I mean. Some are full on bombings, others feature just a little yarn shrapnel here and there.

Yarn bombing is the term given to a type of visual but nonpermanent graffiti accomplished with – you guessed it – yarn. On a recent beautiful day I ate lunch at the Flatiron with a client following her inspection and personally observed the unique “art”. The trend reportedly started in the Netherlands, spread to Texas, and from there – all over, including East Atlanta. I haven’t seen it anywhere else in Atlanta yet, have you?

In other cities, the trend has included knit cozies encircling light poles, columns, and even trees. Today in East Atlanta – bicycles. Perhaps next, CNN Center?

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