Open house in Bolton, Atlanta- Sunday, 3/2 from 3PM-5PM

Join us for an open house in Bolton from 3-5PM on Sunday, March 2!
See you there!

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   <td colspan=”9″ style=”padding: 2px; border-left: #99ccff 1px solid; height: 19px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: top;”><!– Title : zipcode-City ( Neighbourhood ) –>30318-Atlanta (Bolton)</td>
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        <font style=”font-size: 11px;”><!–IsMls–></font><b><!–Status–>FOR SALE</b><br><b><!–Price–>$369,000</b><font style=”font-size: 11px;”><i><!–PriceHighlight–>Welcome Home!</i></font>
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   <td rowspan=”3″ style=”text-align: center”><b><!–Agent Name–>Christine Reeder<br></b><a style=”color: #336699; font-weight: bold;” href=”http://platform.point2.com/Report/lct.ashx?lid=1504446&aid=BP&url=http%3A%2F%2Fchristinereeder1.point2agent.com%2FUtil%2FEmailAgent.aspx%3Flistingid%3D1504446%26uid%3D536883%26fromAgent%3DFalse%26Bb%3DBP%26Cc%3D1504446″>Email Christine</a><br><br><!–Contact Info in the format “Type of contact:number” repeating for each–><br><b>Work: </b>404-552-9595<br><b>Cell: </b>404-323-3533</td>
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   <td style=”padding-right: 12px; padding-left: 12px; padding-bottom: 12px; padding-top: 12px”><!–First 10 details in the format “DetailType: Detail  ” next detail–><b>Address: </b>2142 Parkview Lane <b>Type: </b>Residential <b>Style: </b>Single Story <b>Bedrooms: </b>4 <b>Bathrooms: </b>4 <b>Suite: </b>No <b>Living Area: </b>   <b>Year Built: </b>2004 <br><a href=”http://platform.point2.com/Report/lct.ashx?lid=1504446&aid=BP&url=http%3A%2F%2Fchristinereeder1.point2agent.com%2FListing%2FViewListingDetails.aspx%3FListingID%3D1504446%26ShowCompact%3DFalse%26Preview%3DFalse%26Bb%3DBP%26Cc%3D1504446″>More Details</a></td>
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   <td style=”padding-right: 12px; padding-left: 12px; padding-bottom: 12px; padding-top: 12px”><!–First 500 words of description–>Welcome home to your oasis in the city..where neighbors walk and wave through your cu-de-sac in the evening. Perhaps they have extra time due to their short commute. Spacious gourmet kitchen features Stainless Appliances, Granite, Hardwood Flooring and Cherry Stained Cabinetry. Breakfast nook leads to your relaxing outdoor retreat- the Dining Deck. This home has virtually no yard work- the front area is just enough to “WOW” your guest with curb appeal, the back is all dining deck. Basement is perfect as guest suite or home office. Custom blinds throughout stay for you. The Master Bedroom features a large sitting area, with an expansive trey ceiling. Master Bath is a spa lover’s retreat with jacuzzi tub, two full closets and get-ready-for-the-day areas. Just a few Steps away are the Children’s Playground, Barbeque by the Gazebo, and Dog Walking Path. Old World Charm meets New World Luxury in Bolton.<br><a href=”http://platform.point2.com/Report/lct.ashx?lid=1504446&aid=BP&url=http%3A%2F%2Fchristinereeder1.point2agent.com%2FListing%2FViewListingDetails.aspx%3FListingID%3D1504446%26ShowCompact%3DFalse%26Preview%3DFalse%26Bb%3DBP%26Cc%3D1504446″>More Description</a></td>
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   <td style=”height: 13px; text-align: right”>Brokered and Advertised by Pennington Properties  LID 1504446</td>
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   <td style=”height: 13px; text-align: center;”>Information is deemed to be correct but not guaranteed.</td>
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Easy East Point~ Atlanta’s best kept secret?

I’m always learning new tidbits about Atlanta communities.
While on an appointment in East Point last week, I got to chatting (as you know I do!) with a seller about the community.
I asked, “What do you love most about living in East Point?”? He replied with, “There are so many reasons, let me just write them all down”.
Here is his open letter to you, potential East Point resident.

“Thanks for letting me be a spokesperson for East Point.  Let me start off by saying that my wife and I have both lived in Atlanta for the last 12 years (most of which we didn’t know each other).  Between the two of us we have lived in Buckhead, Emory, Decatur, Grant Park, Vinings, Smyrna, North Lake, Alpharetta, East Lake, and Midtown. 

Here are some great reasons to live in East Point:

1. Ft McPherson.  This is actually the reason we moved here in the first place.  The closing of Ft. McPherson will result in a massive redevelopment of 480 acres of land between downtown and the airport.  That’s 5 times the size of Atlantic Station.  I have attached two links that show the final draft of the plans for the reuse.  The first one is a very large pdf that has lots of detail.  The second is a smaller file that shows that our house will be within 1/4 mile of mixed use and high density retail area with restaurants and shopping as well as 1/4 mile from park space.  In the pictures you can see our house is right between the fort and Langford Parkway.  In a few years, this land will be easily one of the best places to live.  If we weren’t moving to Indiana to be closer to my wife’s family, we would live here for a very long time.  It actually makes me a little mad to be moving.
http://www.mcphersonredevelopment.com/documents/FINALDRAFTReusePlan.pdf
http://www.mcphersonredevelopment.com/documents/FtMc-newsletter-Oct2007-v6.pdf

2. Small town life.  The city of East Point is just plain cute.  Once you et off Langford Parkway you feel like you are miles and miles away from the city.  They have a very small town feel – you should come and see their fireworks display on the 4th of July.  It’s not as big a Lenox, but it is infinitely more intimate and family orientated.  They also have little fairs and markets right downtown throughout the year.  City Hall, the fire department, police station and the library are all within 100 feet of each other (and trust me, going to East Point city hall is so much nicer and easier than City of Atlanta’s).  There is also a park and a great recycling center.  You will often see lots of people riding their bikes along Main Street in the summer because it’s so flat too!

3. Locally owned and operated.  East Point doesn’t have many chains, other than the gas stations and a Taco Bell.  Every store and restaurant is locally owned and operated.  Taco Pete is fantastic – it looks like a little hut, but their food is great and the people are so nice (they actually remember you).  Thumbs up Diner, Q’s, El Roccio, Chick a Loes are all great places to eat.  If you drive down a little further into College Park you can also go to the Brake Pad – a favorite of local cops which is always a good sign for a great place to eat.  East Point also just opened some art store or gallery.  I haven’t been in yet, but I will.

4. Marta.  I work up in Sandy Springs in the king and queen building.  So I am able to take Marta to work every day.  It’s only a 5 minute walk which isn’t bad even when it’s cold or raining.  We were even able to sell one of our cars and live with just one very easily, which was so nice.  $53 per month vs. a car payment, gas and insurance?  I did enroll in the flex car program, so if I NEEDED a car, I would have easy access to one.

5. East Point Corner Tavern.  I was going to add this to the list of locally owned and operated places, but I feel it deserves it’s own number.  This place epitomizes why I REALLY love East Point.  Every where I have lived in Atlanta, there has seemed to be unspoken friction between groups.  That doesn’t happen in East Point.  I promise.  Go up to East Point Corner Tavern on a Saturday night to see Karaoke, or Friday for ‘Adult Trivia’.  You will see men, women, old, young, black, white, straight, gay, rich, poor, hip and square… everyone all getting along and hanging out together.  And that’s true just about everyone in East Point.  Everyone coexists in harmony.  It sounds corny, I know.  But to actually see it in action is a wonderful thing.  This is something that I never experienced in any other part of Atlanta.   I can’t tell you how much I will miss this place when I move.  On a side note, the staff is so friendly, relaxed, and attentive.  Oh, and their food is out of this world – upscale bar food, so they offer salmon burgers but no wings.

6. Utility bill.  City of East Point has you electric, water, sewer and trash on one bill.  Even in the summertime, I have never paid more that $160 in a month.  And I like air conditioning a lot.  Also, you can just put your yard waste along the road and a truck will come by and suck it up and turn it into mulch for the parks.  Obviously it’s nice to not have to bag leaves.

7. Location.  Minutes from the airport (or you can take marta).  You can take back roads to downtown and get to CNN in 10 minutes (my wife worked there, so that’s not an exaggeration).  Langford parkway can either take you to the Connector or to 285. 

If I can think of any more reasons, I’ll let you know.  I really think that East Point has something special going on that people should want to be part of. ”

Now, if THAT isn’t a testimonial for East Point, Atlanta, I don’t know what is!

What do you know about Green Mortgages?

Energy efficient mortgages, also known as Green Mortgages, were designed to allow homeowners to leverage bigger loans by focusing on their commitment to the environment . The concept is based on the premise that a more energy efficient home will have lower utility bills. That savings can be considered income, allowing a homebuyer to qualify for a bigger loan. The green mortgage was born in 1979 when President Jimmy Carter signed an executive order directing federally sponsored secondary market institutions to offer consumers incentives for energy-efficient homes.

To apply for one, you’ll need to provide a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) report. HERS reports indicate that your house meets all energy efficiency guidelines. Homeowners looking to upgrade their home’s energy efficiency can commission a trained Energy Rater to issue a HERS report suggesting efficiency improvements, and provide a detailed estimate for the cost of those improvements, as well as the associated savings. (The cost of the report is usually a few hundred dollars.) Your builder can provide the required paperwork for a new home.
Good stuff!
For more information, please contact Chris at Chris-Reeder.com

Natural Flooring from The Daily Green

Choose Natural Flooring

Wood, cork, ceramic tile and bamboo are healthier than synthetic carpet 

Looking to remodel or replace your old dingy carpets? Think about all-wood floors. Carpets and the pads beneath them are made with synthetic fibers derived from petroleum and are glued together with urea formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a suspected carcinogenic substance and it leaks from your carpets and pads into the air for as long as you own your home.

Carpets also catch dust and allergens such as pet dander and pollen. Even vacuuming and steam cleaning doesn’t remove all of this, and carpets usually gain weight over the years. Carpets also make good homes for fleas and dust mites, making it virtually impossible to remove them from the home without commercial spraying. Finally, there are all the chemical substances used to clean carpets. Very few natural solutions exist to clean these artificial fibers.

Wood flooring eliminates most of these problems. Stick with the hardwood floors, and if possible get bamboo or flooring made from salvaged wood to protect our forests. Wood flooring is easy to install and really not more expensive than premium carpeting. It doesn’t collect dust and allergens so it is definitely recommended if you have either allergies or asthma. It also doesn’t provide homes for fleas or dust mites. Wood is also easier to care for and doesn’t stain as easily when properly sealed.

I would suggest staying away from laminate flooring though. This is usually cheaper and has the look of wood but is made of wood fiber (aka sawdust) glued together with formaldehyde-based glues and covered with a veneer of pressed paper to look like wood. It does come with a long-term warranty but isn’t as durable as true wood flooring.

Of all the wood flooring choices available, bamboo is probably the most environmentally friendly. If you want to soften your wood floors, you can use organic wool or cotton area rugs that are available in a variety of colors and patterns to suit your desire. Area rugs are easier to clean and disinfect than wall-to-wall carpeting because you can take them outdoors to do so. Also you can use them to a really good effect in your home decorations.

Some alternatives to wood flooring include cork flooring and stone or ceramic tiles. Cork flooring is softer than hardwood and usually sold as tiles. It makes a good floor for places where people are standing all the time like the kitchen. It is a very resilient floor and adds warmth to any room. Stone and ceramic tiles come in many different configurations and colors. Usually they are thought of as cooler surfaces, but they also come in warm colors and styles.

If choosing a ceramic tile, make sure the glazes don’t contain harmful substances like arsenic. While this is only a problem if the tile gets chipped, it is better to be safe than sorry. Sticking with as many natural substances as possible when remodeling or redecorating your home is better for the environment in the long run.

Wayne Luke

Going green terminology

Have you been reading articles about going green, and feel a little lost on the terminology?
Below are a few common terms, along with definitions:

AFUE: stands for annual fuel utilization efficiency. A unit with an AFUE of 90 percent wastes no more than 10 percent of the fuel it uses and can save you as much as 27 percent on your heating bill.

EarthCraft: a voluntary residential green building program of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association and Southface Energy Institute that serves as a blueprint for energy- and resource-efficient homes. www.earthcrafthouse.com.

Energy Star: a program of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy that sets energy-efficiency guidelines for homes and household products. An Energy Star home will be 15 percent more efficient than is required by building codes. www.energystar.gov.

Green Label: a program of the Carpet and Rug Institute to improve indoor air quality by testing carpet, cushions and adhesives for their emissions of gases that may cause respiratory irritation or headaches.

LEED: a program of the U.S. Green Building Council that stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It’s a rating system that promotes design and construction that uses less energy, water and natural resources; creates less waste; and is healthier and more comfortable for the occupants. www.greenhomeguide.org.

SEER: stands for seasonal energy efficiency ratio and is the way air conditioners are rated. Generally speaking, the higher the SEER rating, the more efficient it is.

Sustainability: this term suggests looking at the environmental impact over the life cycle of products and buildings from raw materials to the manufacturing to the disposal and possible reuse. Dowdy says a good example is the life cycle of a light bulb. What materials were used to make the light bulb? What resources are used to manufacture it? How long will it be used? What happens to it when it is no longer useful? The idea is that each stage should be considered.

Top Five Going-Green tips for your Atlanta Home

The latest top five tips to easily go-green when selecting and maintaining your home as posted in the AJC today:

• Ask if your home framins is constructed of Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood.

• Service your HVAC system at least every two years and replace filters with each season.

• Turn off lights when they aren’t in use- Take advantage of natural light whenever possible.

• Consider carpet tiles which are easy to replace where there’s damage and have a longer life than roll carpet. These are latest buzz in carpet.

• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. The quickest way you can save energy is just to swap out your light bulbs.

Pretty simple, just making these small changes will impact your energy use- and your bills!

Recycling Do’s and Don’ts

Recycling Dos and Don’ts
Each community has their own regulations on what can be recycled and what cannot. Always check with your community recycling program to see what’s ok before you start. We’ve found that, in most communities, the following recycling dos and don’ts usually apply. OK to recycle: High-quality plastics labeled with number one and two recycling symbols. Food and beverage containers, such as milk, soda, water, salad dressings, etc. Jars and canisters, like peanut butter jars, soap, aspirin bottles, etc. Cleaning products and detergents, including bleach, soap, shampoo, drain cleaners, etc. Automotive and yard care products, but make sure the containers are empty for those like antifreeze, oil, plant food and herbicide containers. Junk or direct mail, including brochures, fliers, white/light envelopes, etc. Aluminum, tin and steel cans, such as soda, beer, tuna, vegetable, etc. Printed paper like newspaper, magazines, phone books, legal pads, etc. NOT OK to Recycle: Plastic bags Newspaper delivery bags Styrofoam Lids from glass containers Pizza boxes Phone books Mirrors Aerosol cans Paint cans Wax paper Food-soiled paper Window glass Ceramics Light bulbs Microwaveable food trays Other types of plastic not labeled as CA Redemption Value or CA Cash Refund, including, household cleaners, cough syrup, shampoo bottles, condiment bottles, cosmetic containers, ketchup bottles, yogurt cups, deli product containers, egg cartons, disposable cups, ready-made lunch containers, etc.

Notice the exterior of your purchase

Maintenance requirements and costs vary considerably for brick, wood, vinyl siding, and stucco.
Daily Real Estate News  |  October 29, 2007Consider the Face of a Home Before Buying
The exterior of a house is a big factor in how much maintenance expense a home owner will face as the years go by.

Before purchasing a house, buyers should ask sellers about previous exterior maintenance. When did they last paint? How much did it cost?

North Carolina contractor John Harmon and real estate professionals from the Charlotte area offer these tips for buyers contemplating which exterior to prefer.

• Wood looks great, but it must be painted or stained and is susceptible to rot and termites.

• Brick is durable, never needs painting, is fire-resistant and energy efficient, but shifts in the soil and constant contact with rain and snow and can cause cracks in the mortar between the bricks. Re-pointing a house is expensive, so buyers should make sure the seller takes care of any problems with deteriorating brick.

• Vinyl siding, if properly installed, is durable and needs little maintenance. Newer vinyls with insulated backing are rigid and energy efficient. From a distance, it looks like real wood. But vinyl tends to fade and can’t be repainted, and some people also think it looks cheap.

• Fiber cement is a durable, low-maintenance siding that looks like wood. It resists fire, water and termite damage. It holds paint well and isn’t as expensive as it once was.

• Stucco looks like concrete. It’s similar to brick in durability, maintenance and price.

• Synthetic stucco applied over Styrofoam has had problem with rot and mold. Anyone interested in buying a house covered with this material should have it inspected by a stucco specialist before buying.

Source: Charlotte Observer, Kathy Haight (10/27/07)

October Home Maintenance

Fall is coming and it’s time to put away the grill, along with a few other home maintenance items below:

• Inspect caulking and re-caulk where necessary

• Prepare landscaping for winter

• Clean and inspect gutters

• Inspect roofing and joints

• Winterize lawn furniture

• Remove screens and brush clean

• Wash windows

• Inspection and cleaning of heating system

• Clean all filters

• Clean heat vents