Why you should put your home on the market NOW! (and no, I’m not crazy)

As you probably have heard, the first-time home buyer tax credit has been extended through April 30th 2010 and expanded to home buyers who have owned their own home for 5 of the past 8 years - they are eligible for a $6500 tax credit. The government expanded it because it has worked, but we need to continue reducing the number of homes for sale in Cumming, in Forsyth County, everywhere.

So, what does this have to do with listing your home?

When the first-time home buyer tax credit was set to expire at the end of this month that incented a large number of buyers to move forward and purchase a home. In October, for Forsyth County, there were 161 homes sold. Already for November there are 287 homes under contract in Forsyth County. These buyers were qualified to purchase a  home all year long, and there have been plenty of “deals” out there for them to take advantage of. It was the tax credit that pushed them off the fence to move forward with a purchase.

With this extension AND expansion to move-up buyers, activity will remain consistent through the next 5 months, which is typically a very slow period. I’m recommending to all my clients considering listing next year to get on the market as soon as possible so they can take advantage of that buyer activity. It doesn’t change the fact that your home has to be priced appropriately, but the buyer activity over the winter will be higher than it typically is for this time of year.

If you are thinking of selling and want to know what the market value of your home is, contact us for a free no-hassle evaluation and detailed marketing proposal.

New Construction Defying The Market?

There is still concern and doubt about our housing recover here in Metro Atlanta but are home builders defying the market in Cumming or do they know something that many home buyers still seem to ignore? Certainly a great number of first-time home buyers have deemed the tax credit enough incentive to purchase a home and if that credit is extended & expanded many more will do the same. But a large number of buyers are still waiting on the sidelines looking for that elusive “great deal” that may not appear.

Through August of this year over 500 building permits have been issued in Forsyth County, compared to 210 in Gwinnett and 111 in Hall County. Builders are snatching developed lots out of foreclosure at substantial discounts and putting up a number of spec homes. But here is the kicker….they’re selling them at a pretty good clip too! As of right now in Forsyth County there are 376 new homes available for sale, another 81 under contract and 551 sold over the past 12 months. That is an absorbtion rate of just over 7 months with is really very good.

National builders like Pulte are building in the mid to high $200’s at The Estates at Old Atlanta. Local builders like The Knight Group are finishing out Union Station where all their current inventory under contract, I think there are only 4 more lots available. Traton Homes has purchased lots in Fieldstone Preserve and is now building in the $300’s where the homes previously sold in the $700’s.

What this shows is a demand for new homes that rival the buyer demand for foreclosure deals. I guarantee we will see more of this next year, for three main reasons. Banks are anxious to get these lots off there books and many buyers don’t want to deal with repairs & the difficult process and red tape that short sales and foreclosures come with. And finally, Forsyth County and North Atlanta in general still have great demand from both local and relocation buyers.

North Atlanta provides great schools, easy access commutes and plenty of options for dining and entertainment.

I’ve put together a short but interesting market update for real estate in all of Forsyth County. This includes Lake Lanier, Cumming and Gainesville addresses and should provide a high level overview of the current market climate for the county. These number reflect sales from January through August 2009.

If you take a look at the chart below, there are two really important things to point out about the numbers in the chart. First, note that there is an average list price and average original list price. The AOLP refers to when the property was originally put on the market. The ALP is the list price at the time the home was put under contract.

	Units Sold	Sales Volume	Avg. Sales Price	SP/LP	Avg List Price	SP/OLP	Avg Original List Price	Avg. DOM	Avg. Total DOM
Forsyth County	1315	390,781,653	$280,288	93.5%	$300,284	81.35%	$344,533	106	152

Then, look at the average sales price to list price(SP/LP) compared to the average sales price to original list price (SP/OLP). What these two things point out is that homes are still being put on the market at too high of a price. Additionally, it indicates that we have been, and probably still are for short while to come, in a declining market.

My personal opinion is that we have bottomed and are just now starting to see improvements. I believe these improvements will continue into next year and we’ll have a much stronger spring/summer than we had in 2009.

Finally, here are a few other interesting bullet points relative to the market in Forsyth County:

1. Home sales above $750,000 account for less than 4% of all sales. The high-end market continues to suffer, probably from down-payment requirements and difficulties with the jumbo loan market.
2. The majority of sales in Forsyth have occur ed in the $300k - $500k range, followed as you would expect, by the $250k - $300k range.
3. Properties under $150k tend to sell at the highest SP/LP - around 97%.

If you’re interested in a specific report tailored to your community or area, contact us!

 Why can’t I find a $250,000 home for about $150,000?

I’ve had more than a few people ask me this question lately. There are still a lot of home buyers looking for great deals but the all seem surprised when they aren’t finding many foreclosures out there. Sure if you just search for any foreclosure in North Atlanta then a lot of homes will come up, but most people are looking for deals in specific communities or school districts and they are finding the choices somewhat limited.

Here’s an example looking at 3 large communities in Forsyth County:

Community	Active Foreclosure Listings	Sold Foreclosure Listings YTD
Chattahoochee River Club	0	2
Fieldstone	2	5
Windermere	1	10

The chart above clearly indicates that foreclosure listings are moving fairly quickly. The banks aren’t having a hard time moving these properties. As of this post there are 158 active Foreclosure / Bank Owned properties listed. There are 76 bank owned properties currently under contract or sold so far this month. That sounds like a 60 day supply of inventory.

How can this be?

I know, everyone keeps hearing on the news or reading that the foreclosure crisis is far from over. Here in Georgia we are a non-judicial foreclosure state which basically means the lender doesn’t have to sue you to take the home back. So, after being 90 days behind they can advertise your home in the paper for 4 weeks and then sell it on the courthouse steps. I’m hearing about people who are behind by 8 or 10 months, some even a year and the process hasn’t started. Before the crisis this was unheard of in Georgia.

Banks are too swamped with current inventories nationally and with people trying to get loan modifications. The foreclosures that do go on the market get priced very aggressively (generally) and often sell for over the asking price. The banks are dragging their feet on new foreclosures because having the owner in the home and taking care of it is better for them. If the bank eventually forecloses they may be able to sell it for more when the market improves.

Smart buyers make realistic decisions.

So, what does that mean for the buyer looking for a deal? It’s fine to look for a great deal but remember, you’re going to be living in the home too. Have your Realtor explain the market, this isn’t Detroit or Las Vegas. Don’t get distracted looking to pay $150,000 for a home woth $250,000 - you won’t find it. Instead, make sure your realtor looks at current comps and compares those to the market last year and gives you a realistic idea of where the market is heading now. If you can buy at 20% - 40% off recent market values you ARE getting a good deal.

Lily Anderson is a typical 8 year old girl. She loves cute little animals, playing with her friends and new clothes – what little girl doesn’t! She lives in Vickery with her parents, Joey and Jennifer Anderson and her little sister Audrey who is 2. Her Mom is a realtor in the community and her husband built most of the kitchens of the homes in Vickery.

 A few weeks ago, just before Labor Day, Lily was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma Cancer and it happens to be in Stage 4. In short she has a large tumor in her abdomen and the cancer has spread to many other parts of her body. But the family remains positive and optimistic and the entire community is rallying to help. Hearing about and seeing the community come together and help this family means everything and make Vickery the special place that it is.

 Because lime-green is Lily’s favorite color, there were green ribbons and lilies provided by Jill Chatham, owner of the Flower Post, and volunteers put them on trees in the community for Lily to see when she comes home from the hospital. There is also a run being organized to raise money for her treatment and many of the local shops are donating as well.

 On October 11^ththere will be a run in Vickery, “Lily’s Run” which will start at 1pm. There will be food, prizes, games and activities for the kids, but most importantly it will be an opportunity to turn out with the community to help and raise money for a beautiful little girl.

If you can’t make it, please consider donating to the cause to help Lily and her family fight the good fight and battle this disease. Your donations and your prayers are truly appreciated. You can click on the heart below to read more about this young family and make a donation.

As reported recently by The Nielsen Company, Forsyth County Ga has made the top 10 list of counties where the young and affluent choose to buy homes and live. Of the top 50 counties in the U.S. where the young and wealthy choose to buy homes, 16 counties are in and around Washington DC. However, what is really interesting is that Forsyth County is the only county in the Southeast to make the top 10 (In your face Buckhead!).

The report bases it’s findings on home buyers aged 25-34 with an income of $100,000 / year or greater. Here is the chart: 

Top 10 Counties: Households Age 25-34, Income $100K+
RANK	County	Total HH	Age 25-34	% Age 25-34
			$100K+	$100K+
1	Loudoun County, DC	104,327	10,494	10.06
2	Arlington County, DC	92,693	8,172	8.82
3	San Francisco County, CA	332,596	26,026	7.83
4	New York County, NY	768,292	58,448	7.61
5	Douglas County, CO	102,379	7,403	7.23
6	Forsyth County, GA	59,296	4,128	6.96
7	Alexandria City, DC	65,453	4,372	6.68
8	Delaware County, OH	62,451	4,151	6.65
9	Scott County, MN	45,157	2,975	6.59
10	Broomfield County, CO	20,834	1,360	6.53
TOTAL U.S.		115,300,000	2,476,00	2.15
Source: The Nielsen Company

What does that mean? Well, maybe nothing right now but if the trend continues we all know that money is followed by growth, improvement in schools, tax revenue, more entertainment and shopping. None of this is new to Forsyth County. In fact, more than 20 national and international companies have located their corporate headquarters in Cumming, GA. The County has all but approved a 240-acre development of mixed use residential, commercial and retail that will bring jobs, more tax revenue and….more development.

Home buyers in Forsyth County have a number of great communities to choose from, ranging from Custom Estate homes in Creekstone Estates, exclusive gated communities like St. Marlo and Laurel Springs to the unique craftman style homes in Vickery.

Here are a few more stats about the demographic in this study:

• Young and wealthy households make up only 2.15 percent of the total U.S. population.
• Only 15.9 percent of households are headed by persons aged 25-34, and only 13.48 percent of those in that age group make over $100K.
• The median household income of that age group is $49,750.

We’ve all been reading about the up’s and down’s of Lake Lanier and hearing too much about the tri-state water wars but the recent holidays and nice weather have brought many boaters, anglers and weekender’s out to enjoy the great weather and still good water levels.

However, the one thing that still hasn’t re-emerged in earnest is the lake home buyer. No doubt there are plenty of people who dream of having that lake cabin or cottage with a nice view of the water and easy walk to the dock. But the market, financing or just fear of future lake levels has kept them jumping in.

Lake Lanier Stats:  Looking at the current stats for lake homes in Forsyth County, there are 150 lake homes with their own private docks on the market right now (as of 9/9/09) with 8 properties under contract and a mere 24 sold year-to-date. For those sold the average sales price is $550,000 but it’s artificially high due to 4 sales in the $1M to $2M range. Otherwise it would be closer to $400,000.

Is this an opportunity for lake buyers? Well, the simple answer is yes because inventory is high and buyers are scarce. However, lake sellers are not typically distressed sellers. In fact, out of the 150 active listings, only 3 are foreclosures / shorsales - only 2%. But, if sellers have them on the market, there are deals to be made - it just requires getting in the game.

To find the lake home you’re search for, check out www.searchlakelanier.com or contact us about your requirements. We have Lake Hartwell specialists as well.

Recently the AJC reported that Forsyth County high school seniors helped put their county on the top of the list for the college entrance exam, ACT. The ACT is a curriculum based test, as opposed to the SAT which is an aptitude test.

Out of a possible 36, the national average was 21.1, the average for Georgia was 20.6 but Forsyth County came in at 23.1. That, coupled with the national recognition of South Forsyth High School being in list of the top 500in the country - it’s clear that choosing to live in Forsyth County and choosing Forsyth County Schools is a smart choice.

Contact us to find homes for sale in the High School district of your choice, or search for yourself.

Sales have been on the rise since February and we are definitely turning the corner.

The numbers are nearly all in for July and in Forsyth County there were 198 homes sold with another 38 property which were scheduled to close but have not been updated in the system yet. If they all made end of the month closings then the total properties sold for July 09 in Forsyth County will have been 236 (2 properties shy of the total sales for July 08.

As you can see by the chart below, sales have been increasing throughout the year and the numbers for August (numbers to date) are looking positive as well:

April 09	May 09	June 09	July 09*	Aug 09*
158	198	204	236	192
* includes closed properties and pending sales with proposed close dates in that month

I posted numbers for Metro Atlanta earlier in the month which indicated a year-to-year increase in sales for the first time in nearly 3 years. With the media touting home resales surging 7% nationaly for July. The NY Times is reporting northeast homes sales up 17% in July and the Tampa Bay Times reports a whopping 30% increase for July. Consumer confidence is beginning to rise and most economists are stating we have turned the corner.

The other good part of the story is inventory of single family homes at the the end of July was 41,989 and there were 9,297 condos/town-homes for a total of 51,195 listed properties. We have not seen since inventory levels for Metro Atlanta Real Estate that low since December 2006. I’m predicting a continued increase in sales through the end of the year due to first time home buyers gunning for the $8000 tax credit.

The Preserve at Fieldstoneis a Custom home Community and part of Fieldstone which is a four-community development anchored with a 24 acre amenity package that continues to drive demand for these homes.

Homes for Saleat The Preserve at Fieldstone are found with summer kitchens, covered sundecks, family friendly backyards and more outdoor living.  Offered through one of Atlanta’s most prestigious and established developers, Preserve at Fieldstone is located just off GA 400 in Forsyth County and features 240 custom-designed homes situated on large home sites.  Homes include open floor plans, gourmet kitchens, luxurious baths, rich architectural details, 3-car garages, and other custom designed features. Prices were originally in the $550,000 to $800,000+ range but great homes now can be purchased from the mid $400’s to the high $600’s which means great bargains for you.

Home styles are traditional and range from brick to combinations of brick, stone and shingle-siding with rich wood accents and great front porches. These custom homes have finishings you would expect for homes that sold over $600,000 but can now be found for 20-30% less.

Fieldstone is designed with your lifestyle in mind including sidewalks throughout and a state of the art amenities center. This includes a fabulous two-story clubhouse with fitness center, five swimming pools, 12 tennis courts, tot lot, and basketball and beach volleyball courts.  Your children will enjoy great schools at Sawnee Elementary, Vickery Creek Middle and West Forsyth High School.

The community is only minuets from Downtown Cumming, Vickery Village, Hwy 400 and Hwy9.

Big box Brokerage vs. Small Boutique Broker

How important is it for a Realtor to be with a big national Brokerage? How important is it for a seller to use an agent with a big national Brokerage? It’s a question that gets asked often, I’m sure, and I have an answer.

If you are a seller thinking about putting your home on the market you must know that the agent you select, regardless of the Company, is the sole person who will be marketing your home. The sole entity tasked with getting your property sold. It’s very important that you not only feel comfortable with the level of communication between you and your agent, you need your agent to justify what they are doing to earn their commission. How are they driving traffic to your home? Can they quantify the percentage of business they get from their online strategy? Are they providing great service?

For agents asking themselves this question it really comes down to value and support. It costs agents to be with any brokerage - some more than others. But for agents who leverage technology to it’s fullest; Agents who have their own online strategy and focus their marketing efforts to offer the most expansive footprint of exposure to their clients…then big box brokers offer less value in my opinion. Their broad brush approach is great for attracting a lot of new agents to the business but the value to sellers and top agents begins to dissipate. To quote Ines Hegedus-Garcia:The brokerage of the future needs to be a forward thinker, especially with new marketing trends. They need to be enablers of powerful tools.

That is precisely why we have aligned ourselves with Maxsell Real Estate. The Broker, Brad Nix, gets technology and not only applies it to his Company, he brings it to everyone at his company, enabling agents with Maxsell to provide better marketing and better service to their clients. Our industry is constantly changing and evolving and for Realtors to remain relevant they must change as well. At no time is this more necessary than in the current economic climate. Those Brokers and Realtors that change and adapt, continue to thrive, those that don’t may wither and die.

As I understand, our Board of Realtors is down nearly 50% from the peak in late 2006. While that may be a difficult change for some, it is a good thing for buyers and sellers. With fewer agents, those agents that can justify their value proposition can continue to provide great service for their clients and continue to thrive.

Chattahoochee River Club is a Hedgewood Homes development that perfectly blends earthcraft homes and the natural surroundings in a setting that I haven’t seen since it was built. The community sits on over 700 acres of rolling wooded terrain.

Unlike communities being built commonly now, grading everything smooth and starting over, Hedgewood kept the mature forest growth and built within those constraints. The community of 600+homes borders the Chattahoochee River and has over 10 miles of mulched trails for residents to walk, hike or ride with their horses. There is Flowered Rock Equestrian Center at the front of the community and many board their horses there for easy access to trail riding.

The homes in the community are not cookie-cutter but present a good range of styles and prices. In fact, at the time of this post there are 36 Homes for Sale in Chattahoochee River Club ranging from $280,000 to $700,000. The styles range from cottages with white siding and shady front porches to brick and stone traditionals.

 The Association fees for the community are a mere $750/year but have so much to offer; to include a Sports Park with ball field and back stop, playground area, 6 lighted tennis courts with 2 cabanas, lighted basketball court, Jr. Olympic swimming pool, an Adult leisure pool and a Clubhouse with exercise room, full kitchen and meeting room.
The community is right off Buford Hwy providing easy access to Cumming area stores and restaraunts, the Mall of Georgia, local golf courses and activities on the river. The schools for the community are Haw Creek EM, Lakeside MS and South Forsyth HS, all with great scores.

The community of Vickery is truly a one-of-a-kind in Forsyth County Real Estate. This planned development started by Hedgewood Homes offers something you can’t get anywhere else in the area. In fact, you may be hard pressed to find homes like these in Virginia Highlands.

All of the homes in this live-work-play community are unique and completed with incredible attention to detail and to the timeless architecture that they mirror. I defy anyone to find a stone and cedar shingle home like this somewhere else in the area. Vickery is a real neighborhood.

You’ll find families walking along the tree-lined streets on their way to the YMCA (located within the community as well) or down to Sidney’s Pizza place or Sogno Gelato for coffee and Italian style ice cream.

All of the homes and townhomes surround a Village Green with unique shops, restaurants and outdoor courtyard with tables that allow you to linger as long as you like. There are several new stores moving in, including a Tavern. More than a few families have moved from in-town Atlanta to Vickery because it allows them to still have that tight-knit in-town community feel but the public schools are fantastic.

Vickery Creek Elementary and Vickery Creek Middle School both have great programs and pleased parents with those schools ranked 27th and 24th in the state respectively. The High School is the brand new West Forsyth HS. This new school pulls kids from the South Forsyth HS which is ranked 7th in the state and 332nd in the nation.

So maybe you have this idea of a place where the streets and homes don’t look identical, the community seems closer and the neighbors are friendly. Where you can walk down the the village to get a bite to eat and feel like you have all the time in the world. Vickery is that place.

There are currently homes for sale and available for viewing, contact us to set up your tour of Vickery Village.

 

 

As excited parents everywhere start thinking about back to school, potential newcomers considering moving to the area wonder which schools they should consider for their children. Forsyth County Schools ranked among the highest in the state for CRTC scores (Criterion Referenced Competency Test). The CRTC test measures competency in English/language arts, reading, math, science and social studies.

While the State of Georgia’s average for first-grade readers exceeding standards was only 90.4%, Forsyth County first-graders had 97.4% score higher than state standards. For eighth-grade math 92.5% of the Counties students met or exceeded standards, compared to the State’s abysmal average 70.1% of students.

Here are some Forsyth County Schools worth highlighting becasue 100% of students met or exceeded the standard in a particular subject area of the CRCT at the following schools:

• Chattahoochee Elementary: fifth grade reading (English Language Learners)

• Daves Creek Elementary: third grade reading; fourth grade reading; fourth grade reading (English Language Learners)

• Johns Creek Elementary: fourth grade reading

• Riverwatch Middle School: seventh grade reading (English Language Learners)

• Settles Bridge Elementary: first grade reading; third grade reading; fifth grade reading (English Language Learners)

• Sharon Elementary: second grade reading; fifth grade reading; fifth grade reading (English Language Learners)

Additionally, as I reported in an earlier post on area High School Scores, South Forsyth High School ranked number 332 out of the top 1500 High Schools in the nation.

For information and dates there is a Forsyth County BOE Calendar with important dates for the entire year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 We have been hearing it for years, the large boomer population is nearing retirement. Although this economy is effecting what, when and where they retire to, the need is apparently still there. Throughout the North Atlanta area there are several Active Adult Communities that are selling homes briskly and their builders are getting positive reviews.There is the well appointed ranch homes in Ballantrae which was developed by award wining Morningside Partners. Ballantrae at Creekstone Estates is a stunning, gated maintenance-free community nestled at the edge of John’s Creek in a formal park-like setting. Our sixty-eight luxury ranch condominiums are exquisitely finished and situated for maximum privacy. From nine to ten foot coffered and trey ceilings, granite countertops, hardwood floors, casement windows, high-end custom cabinets, and ornate molding, no detail has been ignored. Step outside our beautiful residences to a spectacular clubhouse (now open), putting greens, and waterfalls.

Then there is the affordable 2-bedroom units at Sawnee Corners. This community will consist of 72, one level brick units upon completion. Monthly activities are in full swing. Just a few of the activities are monthly dinners, weekly card games, and a sewing club. A newsletter is distributed each month to homeowners alerting them to the schedule of events. It is a super community to call home!

Jim Chapman Communities offers all brick units in their gated community, Brookhaven at Lanier Ridge. With large front porches, brick exteriors with stacked stone and heated pools you will see why Jom Chapman Communities recently received a Gold and Silver award at the National Association of Home Builders Best of 50+ Housing Awards.

Finally, the Orchards at Brannon Oak provides home owners maintenance free living, a grand Club House, and activities director and access to two pools.

While these examples of Active Adult Communities aren’t the only options out there, they are some of the best 55+ Real Estate options you will find in Forsyth County and the Cumming Ga area. Contact us for information regarding homes in these or other Active Adult Communities around the area.

In a follow up to a previous post I wrote regarding Dock Permits On Lake Lanier, the Army Corp of Engineers has announced that they will use a lottery system to select residents seeking dock permits.

At the beginning of last monththe Corp of Engineers lifted the moratorium on new permits that had been in place since April of 2007. With only 174 remaining dock permits available (which will bring the total number of docks on the lake to 10,615) anyone seeking to apply should submit there request right away.

Anyone interested can visit www.lakelaniersupl.com beginning Friday to download a request form and instructions on how to submit your dock request letter. Or, visit the Lanier Project Management Office at 1050 Buford Dam Rd. and you can get the documents there as well.

Submit your letters by mail between July 15th and October 13th to Lake Lanier Permits, P.O. Box 9, Gonzalez, FL 32560. Only one request per property will be accepted. An outside firm will collect the request letters, enter them into a database and scrub the list for errors and duplicates. Each request letter will be evaluated in a random order to determine if they meet site and eligibility requirements, as outlined in the Corp of Engineer’s Shoreline Management Plan.

Each week, a list of the requests that have been received will be posted and a final list will be published of all requests that will be part of the October 28th lottery drawing. The drawing will be shown on the web and shown by video feed to a site in the Lake Lanier area, yet to be determined. A link to the webcast will be available at www.lakelaniersupl.com or www.lanier.usace.army.mil.

For anyone interested in searching lake properties that are available for sale, you can map search every listing in the system at www.searchlakelanier.com or contact us directly with questions.

This is by no means an exhausitive list, but these are 5 important things that are often overlooked or skipped:

1. Analyze the Absorption Rate For Your Home

Along with your CMA (Competitive Market Analysis) AND an explanation of market trends in your area, your agent should provide a detailed report on the absorption rate for you home, on both a macro and micro level. Knowing your areas Absorption Rate helps to track trends. Understanding the market and where it is headed is part of a listing agents job as a real estate professional.

Absorption rate is NOT an exact science. Figuring it is based on the premise that one will be looking for a TREND.

The Absorption Rate is the ability of the real estate market to sell off all of the houses that are for sale (like yours). For example, if 100 homes are sold every month and there are 1200 homes for sale, then it will take 12 months to sell all of those homes.

2. Virtual Tour

Now, it isn’t just important to provide a virtual tour but to know why it IS important. Listings with Virtual Tours result in 40% more clicks online. That translates to more eyeballs looking at your home. I will put a caveat in that not all homes should have a virtual tour. It depends on the size, price range and condition of the property.

3. Putting Your Listing in the MLS WITH Photos

I’ve seen this happen with $200,000 homes and $1M homes. A new listing shows up and WHAT?…no photos. Not only is this a pet peeve of mine but it’s an incredibly huge mistake by the listing agent. An enormous lost opportunity. If you are a home buyer, then you probably have a saved property search set up so any home that matches your criteria will be emailed to you right away. How long to you look at new listings without photos….2 seconds?

After that new listing has hit the saved searches, it won’t show up again as new when the photos are added. Those potential buyers may never go back and look at your home. This happens when listing agents get lazy and want to sign the agreement to get you in the system quickly and come back later to take photos. Don’t let them do this.

4. Have an Online Presence and be Able to Justify the Value Proposition of their Website

Most agents have their own website. And most of those websites are free “templated sites” provided to them by their broker. It means they don’t have the ability to enhance your listing on their site, quantify visitors, page views, registered users. Ask your listing agent what percentage of their business comes from their website. Ask them how they drive traffic to their site and will you get more exposure being there. If you get a glassy-eyed stare, keep looking for the right agent.

5. Online Syndication of Your Listing

This is another chance for you to get that glassy-eyed stare. How many sites will your listing agent put your home on? If it isn’t at least a dozen, then they aren’t really sure how many are out there. Is your agent paying for enhanced listings where you get more than a few photos online? Remember, 85% of all buyers begin their search online before they ever contact an agent. This is where the broadest footprint of exposure is most critical.

As reported in Newsweeks annual ranking of the top 1500 High SChools in the nation, South Forsyth High School ranked number 332, an improvement over last years ranking of 371. That puts South Forsyth High School in the top 500 and ranked number 5 in North Atlanta. There are 54 Georgia high schools that made the list, with 28 of them being located in North Atlanta. I’ve highlighted those schools below amongh the complete list of the top Georgia High Schools.

You can view all of the homes for sale in the South Forsyth High School District. If you are interested in viewing homes for sale in any of the other North Atlanta School Districts, see the map search link to your right where school districts are a search option.

Rank	High School	Location	State	Index		Sub. Lunch	E & E
91	Walton	Marietta	Ga.	3.943		3	52
214	North Gwinnett **	Suwanee	Ga.	2.937		21	35
215	Campbell **	Smyrna	Ga.	2.935		50	40
217	Chamblee Charter	Chamblee	Ga.	2.926		n/a	n/a
225	Riverwood **	Atlanta	Ga.	2.891		23	38
280	Davidson Fine Arts Magnet	Augusta	Ga.	2.663		17	55
311	Milton	Alpharetta	Ga.	2.579		4	68
313	Lakeside	Evans	Ga.	2.578		16	44
315	Northview	Duluth	Ga.	2.569		4	53
316	Lakeside	Atlanta	Ga.	2.582		26	44.1
321	Norcross **	Norcross
Original Content | 0 Comments | Add a Comment | Category: Local Community Information