Expiration of the Federal Housing Administration's Property Flipping Waiver

The following information comes to us via a well-known loan officer in the Henry County Market.  Her name is Debbie Miller with Heritage Bank in McDonough, GA.

Debbie Miller is an AVP, Mortgage Banker and can be reached at 770-288-3155, office or 770-630-6579, cell.

Today, the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) Office of Single Family Housing announced that the temporary waiver of FHA’s regulation that prohibits the use of FHA financing to purchase single family properties that are being resold within 90 days of the previous acquisition, expires on December 31, 2014.

The waiver applies to all sales contracts executed on or after February 1, 2010, until 11:59 PM, December 31, 2014. FHA deems a sales contract to be executed when all parties to the contract have signed the contract, and the contract is enforceable under the law of the state the property is located. Mortgages that are made on properties in which sales contracts have been executed after 11:59 PM, December 31, 2014, are not eligible for a waiver of the regulation prohibiting property flipping.  

FHA will not extend the waiver beyond December 31, 2014.
Section 203.37a(c) lists the sales transactions exempt from this rule.The exempt transactions include sales by HUD of real estate-owned (REO) properties under HUD’s regulations in 24 CFR part 291, sales by other federal agencies of REO properties, sales of properties by nonprofit organizations that have been approved to purchase and resell HUD REO properties, sales by state- and federally-chartered financial institutions and government sponsored enterprises (GSEs), and, upon announcement by HUD through issuance of a notice, sales of properties in areas designated by the President as federal disaster areas.  The regulation, including its exemptions, is still in effect.

Open concept homes

Traditional older home or open concept?

view FROM Kitchen

Buyers today will often choose an open concept because they have been told by decorators that it's the way to go. You can see everything! You can watch your children while you are cooking! You can all be together! You're not alone in the kitchen!

But is that really what you want?

I live in an open concept home. My sink is adjacent to a half wall in the living room. My husband's chair is just on the other side of the half wall.

He loves for me to cook, he loves my baking. I love  him to make the coffee every night for the next day.

But when I'm mixing things in my beautiful KitchenAid mixer, or he is grinding the coffe, neither of us can hear the television.

View TOWARDS Kitchen

So, when you are looking at home, try to evaluate how much should be open and how your family uses the rooms in your home. It's not all it's cracked up to be.

Take it from someone who knows.

100% Financing for Rural Buyers

Below is great information about USDA Loans shared by Debbie Miller of Heritage Bank in McDonough, GA.  

If  you have never heard of these loans, they are for people who wish to buy homes in rural areas.  The loan is a 100% loan - no down payment required.  There is a fee involved and the home has to be located in a designated area.

So, if you have questions - call Debbie Miller - her contact information is below.  Once she gives you the nuts and bolts, give me a holler!  I wold be happy to help you find a home.

With the start of USDA’s fiscal year on October 1^st, the following two important changes become effective for the Rural Housing program.

·         Increased Annual Fee

o   Effective with all new obligations as of October 1^st, 2014, the annual fee will increase from 0.40% to 0.50%.

·         Eligible Rural Housing Areas

o   Barring any further Congressional action, the changes to the eligible rural areas that were announced at the end of last year will become effective on October 1^st.

o   Please consult the USDA Income and Property Eligibility web site for details on the areas that will be affected.

§  http://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov – Choose the tab for “Future Eligible Areas”

o   For the state of Georgia, the major change will be the removal of Chatham County from the list of eligible areas.

o   For the current eligible areas, USDA will accept complete submitted applications through September 30^th.

Debbie Miller | AVP,Mortgage Banker

2125 Keys Ferry Court, McDonough GA 30253

o: 770.288.3155| c: 770.630.6579| efax: 404-829-1747

Apply| Email | Linkedin   nmls #588646

Unexpected Consequences - Insurance woes.

Earlier this year, I helped a very nice lady sell her home in Stockbridge.  She had lived there for 20 years.  She was devastated about the sale.  It was a very hard decision for her.  She had taken care of the home, lovingly.  It was in excellent condition.  The reason she sold – she no longer felt safe.  A new “element” had moved into the nearby apartments and into this cute little subdivision.  Now, there were numerous rentals in her sweet little subdivision and she was no longer sure of who belonged or didn’t belong in the subdivision.  She had been broken into twice – horrifying for someone who lives alone.  As anyone would, she placed two insurance claims to cover the damages and the loss of her valuables.

So, we put the home on the market and it sold almost immediately.  It was purchased by an investor; it, too was going to be a rental.  We got through the next few weeks without incident until the day of closing. 

My client had moved out of the home early, even though she had a couple of days after closing to actually move.  She had been moving a little at a time.  The day before closing, she took some things down from the attic and left them on the counter.  They were the last things that she was going to move out on the day of closing.

So, the day of closing, she went to her house for the last time and her key no longer worked. There was a mechanical (non-Realtor) lockbox on the door. The locks had been changed.  She called me in a panic. I immediately called the selling agent to see what she knew about this.  Apparently, the buyer’s staff had mistakenly gone to the house and changed the locks.  But, the most horrifying thing was that her possessions had been taken as well.  She was devastated and in tears. 

When an investor buys a home, they hire people to go in and empty the home - they call this a "trash out".  The good news is that we tracked the workers down and I insisted that they come to closing with her items with an admonition that if anything was missing, we were not going to close.  They came with everything and we closed – end of story, right?

Not so fast.

We started looking for her new house after about a month or so.  We eventually found the cutest home.  She worked with my preferred lender and everything was going along just beautifully.  Until… She started to arrange for her homeowner’s insurance. 

Typically, insurance for such a well-qualified buyer on a purchase price of just over $200,000, should have been between $750 to $1,000.  Imagine her surprise when she couldn’t get insurance from her previous company, nor the next several “big names” she tried.  Imagine her greater surprise when she was quoted $1,800!  Why, because she had had two claims in the same year.  Imagine what this cost would do to a less qualified buyer.  That additional $65 per month could have easily derailed her purchase.

Moral of the story – if you are planning to buy a home and have had recent insurance claims, you may be rendered uninsurable or may have to pay much more than the going rate. This could impact your qualification and force you to buy a smaller home.

To avoid this problem - when you get pre-qualified for your mortgage, don't wait to get a quote on your insurance.  Usually, you only have a set number of days, per your contract, to get full approval for  your mortgage.  Since the amount of your insurance will impact what you are qualified for, you should check on your insurance within your financing contingency period.  

Georgia Association of Realtors(r) Convention - February 2014

I am so fortunate to belong to this trade group.  The Georgia Association of Realtors(r) is the largest trade association in the State. February 3. 2014, was the first day of convention and we were able to go to the Capitol in Georgia to make our voices heard.

This is the Metro South Association of Realtors(r).
I am on the left in fourth row next to railing.
Altogether, there were over 750 Realtors(r).

Did you know that thanks to Realtors(r), the Association was instrumental in having  HB 872 passed that provides a mechanism to track the sale of metals?  The bill provides that if someone sells copper (or other metals) they must either have a license as an HVAC contractor or must show a receipt for a new HVAC system (thus necessitating the disposal of the old system).  There is still more work to do. We are asking our area legislators to fund the bill - we need the budget to have an appropriation for $150,000 to be able to track the sales of these metals.  Stand up and be heard. Let your legislators know this is important.

As homeowners (and owners of more than one rental property), we have had units stolen three times - that's a lot.  Who wants to go through the hastle of having a stolen hvac unit replaced?

As a Realtor(r), I have had my share of stolen pipes and hvac units to deal with on vacant homes that were vandalized.  So, get behind this measure and let your representative know how important it is to fund the bill so it can work as intended.

water heater closet smashed
to find pipes

copper pipes cut off water heater

Wall adjacent to bath damaged to get
a skinny pipe out of the wall

There is another bill coming up relating to solar panels and who has the right to install solar panels and whether someone's desire to install the panels trumps HOA covenants and ownership.  By ownership, I mean, should a tenant have the ability to install panels without the owner's consent.  The way the bill is currently written, it trumps private property rights.

It was a great day and filled with information.

We learned from the Speaker of the House that there were 218,000 jobs created last year in the private sector.  Also, the Port of Savannah will be widened and deepened allowing bigger ships to be serviced at that port.  This will definitely boost the importance of this Port in the South. Stacie Abrahms, the House Minority Leader, stated that we are a "Business Friendly State", but that we Realtors(r) make it a Family Friendly State.

Lastly, we heard from NAR's Chief Economist, Lawrence Yung, that homeownership is at an all time low. We need to get out and educate people as to the benefits of home ownership.  That was echoed by one of our representatives.  In this particular corner of Clayton County, the representative stated that many people don't know the steps to take to buy a home.  Homeownership is important for many reasons.  One fact that Mr. Yung brought out is that the net worth of homeowners vs. renters is approximately $200,000 for homeowners vs $4,000 for renters.

We also learned that of all the real estate transactions done last year (2013), 86% were done by real estate practitioners who are proud to call themselves Realtors(r).  As your South Metro Atlanta Realtor(r), I would be happy to  help you with seller and buyer representation.  Call me, I'm here to help. There are no stupid questions.  If I don't know, I will find out.

Featured Home 4th week of January, 2014 - McDonough, GA Home listed at $1.695 Million.

Wow, I guess in my next life, I can buy this house.

This $1.695 Million home is situated in Henry County's premier Golf Community, Eagles Landing.  The pictures are to die for.  The seller is represented by Atlanta Fine Homes, Sotheby.

As of this writing, it is the most expensive home in Henry County.  If you are interested in seeing this home or others, don't hesitate to contact me to schedule your private showing.

Choose the #1 company in Georgia to represent you when you are ready to buy or sell your Luxury Home. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties,

(If the link to the property does not work, that means it is no longer available. Not to fear - I have more.)

Want to search for homes as you drive through Atlanta area neighborhoods?  Download my free mobile app - it searches both MLS and FMLS!

Either 

• text BuySouthSideAtl to 678-400-6100 or 
• go to this link :  http://app.bhhsgeorgia.com/CarlaHaight

Flipping 101, Part 2

In Flipping 101, we were exploring the posibility of buying this little house to flip.

Yes, you guessed it. We are not going to buy this little house.

We could not get the numbers to work. We are just devastated.

Here is the original foot print. This is a modest, 1963 ranch with a carport and an outside entry laundry room, 1000 square feet. We were going to convert the carport to a bedroom and turn the laundry into a bath, adding 200 square feet.

Here are a few Things we did not count on:

• Rewire the house - $4-$5 per square foot - $4,800 to $6,000.
• Install an LVL- that's a beam.
• Plumbing costs- about $5,000

Add that to demolition and framing, about $12,000

That's over $20,000 and now there's

• interior painting
• exterior painting
• kitchen cabinets and counters
• some HVAC work
• bathroom tile work
• some landscaping...

We were going to do some of this ourselves, but there's still cost of materials.

We had a contractor give a preliminary estimate. He  said "Moving Plumbing is easy''. I heard  "Moving Plumbing is cheap''. ..

He gave an initial estimate of $15-18k and that morphed to - mid twenties! Then the final came in at $35,000!

So, we can't buy the house, because as a flip, the numbers don't work. If your going to live there, it would be fabulous. And actually, you may he able to buy it with an FHA 203K (not KS) loan. You can't do the 203ks because there is some structural work and that loan type does not allow for structural.

Moral of the story: insist on full, accurate figures before you buy the house. We had a due diligence period in order to check everything out and, unfortunately, had to terminate the transaction prior to the end of the due diligence because of our budget.

It would have been nice, don't you think?

The measurements are pretty accurate -just trying to give you a quick visual.

Flipping 101, Part 1

I've watched all the rehab shows. So have you. Flipping Boston,  Flipping Las Vegas, Flip or Flop - more titles than I can remember. Hours and hours of TV- ideas, successes & major problems.

I am a real estate agent. I've been in hundreds of houses. I've been through countless inspections, I'm a major DIYer. My good friend Essie is an excellent decorator & loves "the idea" of doing a flip. We looked in earnest for a couple of months last year & couldn't find anything.

Then there it was. Another friend listed this little, old house-only 1,000 sq.ft. I looked at it for a client. It was a sad little house, my client didn't like it. It hung around. My friend had some nibbles, but no one bought it. The owners eventually lowered the price & after much thought & planning Essie and I decided to buy it.

We are being careful. She talked to her financial planner. I researched the market. I talked to an appraiser. I had a contractor look at it to see if we could make the changes the house needed & still make the numbers work. Possible sales price minus purchase price minus rehab costs, should give us SOME profit. It SHOULD work.

So, we wrote an offer. It was accepted! YEAH!

Contactor called ... he thinks he is off by $3-5K! what???

It's O.K. we got it for a good price. Had the inspection today. Went pretty well. Found out the HVAC is pretty new -YEAH! Found out we might not be able to remove some walls
without extra support, yikes!

It's O.K. still in due diligence phase.

Stay tuned. It's going to be so pretty when we're done! We're refinishing hardwood floors, new cabinets, granite counters, new windows, adding a bedroom & bath. Oh my goodness!

I really hope it works, it will be so pretty when it's done....

See Flipping 101, Part 2

Easy Off Oven Cleaner to make your shower shine

My husband and I own a small rental property in Morrow, Georgia. The tenant moved out after having stiffed us for rent. Of course we had to repaint, put in new carpet, fix the bathroom floor (it had developed a crack) and then found out that the master shower walls were in need of repair.

That's okay though, we have good people to call to do the work that we can't do like installing carpet. We can paint, but don't like to, so we hired a painter. We've got a great handyman and he took care of redoing the tile floor in the hall bath and he is fixing the walls in the master shower.

I've pitched in with some cleaning. I don't know why I get stuck cleaning somebody else's filth! Seems like some people have no concept of how to clean the house! My husband ran the self cleaning oven. Normally there is a light film that you just wipe out, but when I opened the door after the cycle, I kid you not, there was two inches of ash! I don't know what he burned up in there! The shower doors in the master shower were just disgusting. I did those the hard way, Scrubbing Bubbles, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, Dawn Power Scrub and A LOT of elbow grease.

The wall in the hall bath surround was positively BROWN. This is a 1970's era house and the tile is white and harvest gold speckled. With the new tile floor, it really doesn't look bad. But boy, was that tile dirty! Take a look at this picture below.

Thank God for my contractor, Mike Waldner, who mentioned the best way to get the wall clean was with Easy Off oven cleaner in the blue can which is lemon scented. I couldn't believe how easy the wall got cleaned. It saved me hours of scrubbing! All I had to do was spray it on and let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes. Then I used a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and gloves and warm water and just wiped it down.  I followed with scrubbing Bubbles, but probably really didn't need that. What a miracle! I wish I'd had that to clean the shower doors which took me hours to do.

Try it. It will save you lots of time. The tiles are ceramic and the oven is enamel. So, if its safe for the oven it's safe for the tile. You won't be disappointed.

Also Google it. There are many more testimonials about this method.

But, while my mind was wandering while I was cleaning, I wondered, do the companies that make these various cleaners also make the soaps that leave all this residue? Must research that.....

Qualifying for your home purchase

Everyone wants the same thing.  I am not going to reinvent the wheel.  Instead, I am going to direct  you to this article from a trusted lender.

Need a good lender - check out Premier Capital Mortgage and Joe Farro's team of experts.  This is a recent email Joe sent out to keep folks informed:

Shopping for a Low Interest Rate

Buying a home is likely the biggest purchase you will make, and even more likely a purchase that will require a loan. When dealing with a financial commitment such as this, understanding how to get the lowest possible interest rate could mean a difference of thousands of dollars. Home loans are a complicated business, so here are a few tips to help you shop for the lowest interest rate.

Qualifying for the Lowest Rates

Computer models fix a large percentage of the costs of a home loan with strict prequalification.  Loan officers are not able to give every client that walks in the door the same deal.  It is a good idea to be aware of your own credit score and equity, while also comparing rates in your local market, so you know what to expect.
For the best interest rates you'll likely need a credit score of at least 740 and have 20 percent equity. These figures are a general guide and are always changing.  However, if your score is considerably lower than this and you have low equity, be prepared for heavily increased rates compared to the best that are offered.

Be Prepared

The best thing you can do for yourself to make the loan process easier is to plan ahead and be prepared.  Be sure to gather all the necessary documents before you begin; to ensure timeliness and organization.  You should also prepare for the down payment by saving up monthly.  Depending on the lender and type of loan, you may be required to put anywhere from 2.25% to 20% of the purchase price down.  In addition, keep in mind the estimated closing costs, as many tend to forget to budget for these fees.  It’s never too late to start saving.
Another factor to consider is home insurance costs.  If insurance costs for your area are particularly low, it may free up some additional cash for loan repayments.  Tools like the home insurance calculator allow you to plug in all of your information to get an estimated cost for your home insurance.

Understand your Needs

Before going to speak to anyone about getting a home loan, be sure you are clear about what it is that you're looking for and what parameters you have set.  If for any reason they can't be met, be cautious of alternative offers that are suggested to you, as you may be persuaded down a different path.  

Looking Will Lead to the Right Rate

There’s no easy way around it if you want to find the lowest interest rates on a home loan.  You have to spend a long time looking, and you need a strategy.  It may not be something you're particularly interested in but if it saves you a large sum of money, it’s worth it.
You must compare similar policies; otherwise you're wasting your time, as a sensible comparison is almost impossible.  Consider the closing costs, interest rate, and lock period to ensure that they are comparable offers.

Move Quickly

As they say, time is money. Be sure to respond promptly to your lender if they require any additional information from you so you can keep the process moving.
If you've managed to find a great deal on your home loan, waiting around for ages while you try to better it or find the equity required to close the deal, is likely to end up costing you. Shopping around is certainly in your best interest. However with today’s market on the rise, rates are not likely to stay stagnant. So if you find a great rate that fits your needs don’t wait long to close it.
Also look into getting prequalified for a loan. This process is rather simple and can put you in a much better place to buy, as well as give you a great idea as to what you can expect to borrow.
Taking out a home loan is one of the biggest financial commitments you are likely ever going to make.  Make sure you put in the time to do your research and look around for the best possible deal.

Carpet Dents Be Gone! It really works!

Don't let carpet dents keep you from rearranging your furniture.  I had read about using ice cubes to take out carpet dents.  Guess what?  It really works.

I have a night stand that left a rather large indentation on the carpet.  The new night stand is much smaller.

So, I tried the icecube trick - first on a small spot - Success!

and then I did the whole thing!

Love it! All you have to do is lay the ice cubes on the dent, let them melt in, fluff up the carpet with y our hand and let it dry.  (I waited until it was dry before I put the piece back. Didn't want to take the risk of causing a stain on the damp carpet with the furniture leg.)

Make your House Store More

I live in what I consider to be a very nice home.  Just under 2400 square feet.  It's just me and my husband, so we don't use two of the 3 guest rooms.  One room is a home office/kid's hangout room/sewing room. (Ths will be featured in a future post). The other two are truly reserved for guests.

Check out more pictures below!

I hate it when the whole house is junked up with stuff and there is no room for guests.  So, we have made a conscious effort to leave open space in the closets in the guest rooms and to keep the dressers empty.

With that said, we had become busy in our jobs and a little disorganized.  My house was built in 1999. In all closets, the builder had the top-most shelf at 29" from the ceiling. That is an incredible amount of wasted space! My husband is a gem!  He added shelving for me in all the closets.

The coat closet (located in the kitchen area) now has room above the coats for seldom used serving items, the bread maker, the electric griddle and other sundry kitchen items.

The linen closet now has room for all the linens plus other items that need a home and don't get used much. Those have been relegated to the top shelf or two.

The first guest room's closet has lots of open hanging space for guests and holds the few board games we keep for the grandchildren and it houses wrapping supplies and artificial flowers that I change out seasonally.

The second guest room closet has now been maximized and is now the best (second only to my closet - will be featured in another story)!

Over 18" of space inside the closet on either side of the door

add a 16" support - made out of  a 2x3 cut to size

2 x 3 supports on each side, painted the same color as the walls

add melamine covered 16" deep shelving

Top shelf - placques we want to keep and not hang. Other shelves to store items for gifting
andstored for swapping out seasonally.

Added top shelf - some dead storage, seasonal items, linens for this room;Lower shelf haolds craft supplies

Lots of open hanging space for guests

Right side has hanging space for shower curtains, table cloths....

So, this whole project was done for $42 plus about 4 hours of cutting, painting, screwing into the wall.

If someone was "living" in this room, the side shelves could hold sweaters, hats, purses.  And, if this was the case, I would change up the middle section to have one ventilated shelf (where the top melamine shelf is) and have half for long hanging clothes (dresses) and half for for short-hanging clothes (shirts/pants) and would add a lower ventilated shelf at the appropriate height for this purpose.

I guess the whole point is - you have to re-think what the builder gives you and tailor the storage for your needs!

What 9 year old boy wouldn't want a party like this?

Last weekend, my grandson had a tree climbing party.  Yep, he, his friends and cousins all learned how to climb a tree.  A representative of the Tree Climber's International, came to Blackburn Park in Atlanta and rigged a 40+ year old Willow Oak with ropes so they could all climb.

Each child was fitted with a saddle, gloves and a helmet, and after watching the instructor, each climbed up the ropes, up into the tree canopy.  What a wonderful day for this, low 70's slightly overcast and breezy. 

They had a blast - the youngest was 5 and the oldest was 12.  No one cried and they all got up to the top of their ropes without incident. 

I know they all slept well!

For more information go to: http://www.treeclimbing.com/. 

A day at Cubihatcha

The Cubihatcha Outdoor Education Center is a nature preserve located almost directly across from the Noah's Ark animal park.


Working with the children



Every fall, area third graders visit the Center. Their visits are organized through the Henry County Outdoor Education Partnership in collaboration with the Henry County Water and Sewer Authority, the Henry County Board of Education and many other local and regional sponsors.



Moving into a Seller's Market

We have had our share of difficult times trying to sell real estate in Henry County.  Don't believe me?  Take a look at the following picture:

Months of Invwentory for Henry County, all prices

The graph above shows the Henry County Trends over the past 15 months. It sure wasn't fun between November 2010 and March 2011.  But thankfully, we are now in an even market for the most part.

Contrast the County as a whole with homes priced below $100,000.

Months of Invwentory for Henry County, $100,000 and below

The above chart shows the trend for homes priced below $100,000.  Although, the stats were not as bad for sellers from November 2010 to February 2011 in this price point as they were for the County, overall, it was still a buyer's market. 

Starting in March of last year, we have definitely been in a seller's market.  That means that buyers are going to have to act quickly and decisively when they see a house they like.

Is the market turning around overall?  Hard to say.  A lot will depend on forces beyond our control, such as, how much of the shadow inventory will be released into the market; whether interest rates remain low; whether more banks fail, etc.

Want to see information about your area? Contact us and we'll run a report for you!

What do Phoenix, AZ and McDonough, GA have in common?

Planting at Phoenix Airport - cycad surrounded by geraniums

 I didn't have a whole lot of time in Phoenix. I was there to attend the Certified Residential Specialist's annual convention, Sell-a-bration. Going to this event helps me stay up-to-date with what's going on in the real estate industry.

It didn't escape me that there were palms and cycads and bougainvillea everywhere, even some lantana. These are all plants that grow in Florida. With the exception of the cactus, these plants reminded of my time in Florida.



Welcome Center in McDonough, GA

 What I didn't expect was geraniums. Yes, just like McDonough, which has a geranium plant in the center of the city seal, they were in huge beds in lovely shades of pink. Interesting to see that a plant that does so well for us in McDonough, GA, in the summer, will also grow in Phoenix in the winter.

But that was not my only surprise. I sat at lunch with a lovely agent from Sedona, by the name of Beth Larsen. I asked her if Arizona had any industry an she said they grow cotton. Big shock for me! What about you?

Let me know what plants you see when you travel and I'll let you know if they grow in our area.

Trip to Dillard, GA

View from our "Fireside" suite at the Dillard House

What a nice trip we had for New Year's 2012.  I've never been to Dillard, GA.  This year,my step-daughter asked us to join her, and her husband and our grandkids at the Dillard House.

It's only about 130 miles from our house in Henry County.  We stopped at Tallulah Gorge to view the deepest gorge east of the Missippi.  Karl Wallanda walked over it in 1970. Although the water doesn't flow through the gorge, it is still a great view. (The water has been diverted for hydro-electric purposes. However, water is released in the spring and fall from Tallulah dam.  You can check with www.gastateparks.org/info/tallulah to see when water will be released

We had a great suite.  It included a living room with a fireplace, a microwave, refrigerator and sink, a bedroom and nice bath.  The grounds and views were beautiful.  The Dillard complex includes about 30 cottages about 2 miles away.  Each cottage is tucked into a wooded location and includes balconies and decks and a kitchen, living area and one or more bedrooms and baths.

The little towns leading to Dillard are chock full of antique shops an eateries.  The kids had a great time "panning" for precious stones and feeding the goats at a place called "Goats on the Roof". They were also eager to jump in and out of the hot tub in their cabin, naked as jay birds. Lots of fun.

We hope to come back in the fall.

How to make your kitchen store more

Ever since I was a little girl, I've been organizing the kitchen.  I used to do it for my mother on summer vacation.  I used to do that and wash all the china and put it back in the china cabinet - nice memories!

Now, I'm in a ranch style home with no basement.  My kitchen is average with builder grade cupboards and always short on storage.  The pantry is one of those 24" deep cabinets, but if you pack the cabinet, you won't be able get to the stuff in the back.  And, the older I get, the less I want to bend. 

A good client/friend of mine and I were talking last week and she wanted to organize her cabinets with pull out drawers.  I couldn't believe the prices she was quoted. 

Check out these pictures:

Since I'm a big DIY advocate, I decided to tackle this project myself.  I was able to buy slide out "Elfa" shelving from the Container Store and really pack things in.  I only had to make minor modifications by shortening the shelving tower in the lower cabinets.

Let me know if you want any pointers!  The Elfa shelving is on sale sometimes - it's worth it to wait for the sale.

The Rock Ranch, 30 mins south of McDonough, GA

The Rock Ranch near Barnesville, GA

We have six grandchildren and two daughters. This is a treat for me - the daughters are step-daughters and, since I never had kids, the grandkids are always a treat.

Last year we went to Southern Belle Farm here in Henry County.  It was a great, warm, October day.  That  year they had a corn maze made in a likeness of Bobby Cox, the now retired manager of the Atlanta Braves.  The kids went through that and played on everything that was available - a cool slide that goes under ground, a big "jumpy" pillow, they shot the corn canon and Bella (6 years old at the time) got a prize for hitting a target. We went on a hay ride, petted the cows, watched a pig race, fed the goats - great time for all concerned. They all came back to the house.  Monty took the boys and got all of them in the shower and I took the girls - they were dusty and dirty and then we all ate pizza.

Why did my taxes go up?

There are a number of reasons:

• The millage rate has increased; 
• The home was previously owned by an elderly person 62 years old or older and they have an elderly exemption which you are not entitled to;
• The home has increased in value;
• The home was new construction and there was no owner-occupant on January 1  (test for whether homestead exemption should be given);
• The home was a rental property or was foreclosed the year prior to sale and there was no owner-occupant on January 1.

Taxes, as listed in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), are a representation of what the tax office states the property was valued usually the year prior to the sale. Example, tax bill available is for 2010, house sells early in 2011, tax proration at closing is done based on 2010 taxes. Most tax offices publish the tax bill in October; however the assessment is published in the spring. If home is being sold by owner occupant, we may get more accurate information during the year if, in fact, the tax rate is about to change.