It's been a busy year!

2015 has been a banner year! 

Here is just a quick glimpse of what I have been up to!

Roswell Country Club

Roswell

Marietta

Smyrna

West Midtown

Old Fourth Ward

downtown Decatur

Smyrna

Sandy Springs

Woodstock

Roswell

Indian Hills Country Club (East Cobb)

West Midtown

Berkeley Hills Country Club (Duluth)

East Atlanta

Norcross

Woodstock

Burckhead

Indian Hills Country Club (East Cobb)

Marietta

Horseshoe Bend Country Club (Roswell)

Brookhaven

My listings have been selling for over 99% of list price and in less than 20 days. 

Thinking of selling? I would love to help!  

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

I recently had an issue arise when a buyer had a survey done and a fence that was thought to have belonged to one property owner actually sat partially on the property of their neighbor. This caused the sale of the home to be postponed while they tried to sort out the issue, which was stressful for all parties involved.  In light of that, I thought I would share some pertinent info on the subject.  This is also the part where I say GET THE ENHANCED TITLE POLICY when you purchase a home! It helps protect you in situations like this!

1. A neighbor builds a fence and a portion of the fence is on the owner's property.  What should the owner do?

• Request that fence owner move the fence onto their property, or

• Enter into an Easement Agreement allowing the fence to remain, but the owner retaining the right to request the fence be removed at any time the owner requests.

• Nothing.  This may result in the loss of property over time.

2. An owner wants to build a privacy fence.  How high can the fence be?

• Most all jurisdictions have limitations on the height of fences, usually six feet for back and side yards and four feet for front yards.

• In order to build higher, a "variance" would have to be applied for and approved.

 3. A neighbor has built a fence higher than allowed by the local ordinance.  What can an owner do?  

• Inform the neighbor of the fence ordinance.  The neighbor may not otherwise know the law exists.

• If the neighbor still does not conform the fence to the local ordinance, call the local zoning or planning office and they will take action to seek conformance.

 4. A neighbor's fence is unsightly. What can an owner do?

• Check the local ordinance to see if the fence is in conformity.  If not, see (3) above.  

• If in conformity, but ugly to you, there is nothing that can be done unless:

• There are restrictive covenants in the subdivision restricting fence designs, or

• The fence poses a danger because of its design or condition, or

• The fence is dilapidated.

In these cases you may have the ability to have the fence removed or redesigned. 5. An old fence used by both owners sits directly on the Property line?  Who owns the fence?  

• The fence belongs to both parties, neither can remove it without the others permission and both are responsible for maintenance.

If a conflict arises over any fence issue, the first step is to try to understand the law and then to contact the neighbor to discuss remedying any situation.  In any of these cases, a lawsuit should be your last resort.  

Staging your home

At the end of the day, there are a few key things that sell a home. First of course is price. Nothing is more critical than pricing it correctly. However, a close second is staging it correctly. A properly staged home - which highlights all your homes pluses and distracts from its negatives - will help you to sell faster and for more money. A service I provide is doing a walk-thru with clients prior to listing their home where we go room by room to assess what needs to be done to get the home ready to sell. This includes staging advice, minor repairs, and any other changes I think might help.  I want the home to look as perfect as possible before the first potential buyer ever walks through the front door. First impressions are everything! 

Click here for an excellent article which gives great tips for properly staging your home, which I encourage all homeowners to read prior to listing. 

These pictures are examples from my listings where I helped my clients to stage their home (while they were still living in it, with their own belongings) and you can see what a difference it makes!