Helping the Animals

I've been turned on to a web site which I visit daily to help feed animals in shelters waiting for their forever homes. The motley crew here were all relegated to shelter life, for reasons not of their own making. People fall in love with puppies, but too often when the puppy gets to that "teenager" stage there is not enough patience in the household to help the dog through this awkward stage. Zoe was too small for a breeder to use, I guess, so she was sent to the Atlanta Humane Society. Better than being dropped out on a highway, at least. Winnie may have come from Louisiana as a result of Katrina (she was deathly ill with the canine flu which was going around in Florida and Louisiana) and her family may not have been able to keep her while trying to rebuild their lives. Talley had given birth to 5 litters for a breeder and had probably pushed her limit so was cast out into a shelter. All are wonderful souls I am blessed to share my life with. Other animals in shelters deserve the same chance to find the comfort of a loving home. Please help. Go to http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/tpc/ERA_021208_ARS and
click on the purple button at The Animal Rescue Site and give food to an animal living in a shelter or sanctuary
-- at no cost to you.

While you are there, check out the shopping options!! You can continue to support the shelters and get some cool stuff for you, your pets, and your friends. Additional charities also can be located from this site if you are more passionate about kids, trees, women to name a few.

Other People's Junk

This week there has been been a lot of change going on here in my world (again!) The most dramatic has been the re-painting of the four story townhouse I live in. Gone is the four color mural on the living room/dining room/kitchen wall. Gone are the 17 different colors used throughout the space (this time I limited it to 6 total.) Great work by Jim and his crew at Capital City Contracting (678.794.1966 to reach Jim for a quote.) They have done work for my clients in the past, so I knew what I would be getting--quality work for a reasonable price. Not the cheapest, not the most expensive, but top notch work.

The other thing which is in the process of changing is the furniture in the house. I was missing several key pieces, and was on the hunt for inexpensive replacements. My friend Eileen is in the organization business (that's just the tip of the iceberg as far as what she can do for you) and I'll share more of that later when she gets her new business identity up and running. Eileen shared with me her favorite consignment furniture stores and took me shopping! I am so pleased with what we've found. Not everything is "antique" but everything has more personality than if I had gone to IKEA or Pottery Barn, etc. to locate functional pieces. And easier than running around to a bunch of yard sales. And the prices were not budget busters. This house is going to look so stunning I won't want to sell it! But, the good thing about the pieces of furniture we found, I'll be able to take them anywhere with me, and because I like them for what they ARE not just for what they can do for me, they will work in the future!

Resources

Hey there, it occurred to me that I should mention that as a Realtor I am a resource for you when you need names of various people/companies related to owning a home--painters (who are here with me this week beautifying my own home,) gardeners, decorators, organizers. And the not so glamorous, but necessary, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, pest control folks. And the list goes on. So when the occasion arises, get in touch and I'll be happy to share the names of my favorite folks who can help!!!!

Adventures in Real Estate!

Talk with a group of Realtors, and they most likely all have some amusing anecdote about their work with Buyers, Sellers, Open Houses, etc. Yesterday I had my most "interesting" event to report so far in my 4 year career.

Naked people, squatters, fierce dogs. Nope, none of the standards. I held an house open yesterday. Since it was a cold, winter day it seemed a perfect time to light the fire in the beautiful fireplace. Great idea--the homeowners and agents all agreed. Enter Laura--Hmmmm, gas logs, neat little turn key on the side, lighter, flue open. Seems I'm good to go. Nearly go up in flames, that is!

Anybody know how open the gas line needs to be to get one of these babies going? I do now--turn the gas on a couple of turns, try to ignite the lighter (and waste a second or two with the safety latch,) hold to the decorative coals. Whomp--smell burned hair. Think it is the fibers from my bulky, handknit sweater (I made it myself 15 years ago, and get to break it out once a year in Atlanta.) Turn down the gas as it seems I probably don't need that much. Check for any sparks in the room or on me. Go to the mirror to check my makeup. Discover that I've burned my bangs, my eyebrows, my eyelashes. Spend the next 10 minutes before the open house starts breaking off the burned parts so I don't look like a freak.

Oh, yeah. And open the doors to the cold outdoors to try to disperse the odor of burning hair before the guests show up. Which brings us back to the lovely fireplace which did an excellent job warming the place back up! And being thankful that this will all be but a memory in a month or so when things grow back!

Fun blog for Midtown

One of my friends, who never fails to amaze me with her ability to locate things on the web, came across this new blog called AroundMidtown.com. A husband and wife team share some of the goings-on regarding new restaurants, buildings, etc. in the Midtown neighborhood. Since that area is constantly changing, it helps to have a variety of resources to scan to see who knows what, and if you get the same info twice (in order to give rumors some credence!) Check it out!

Good Advice

Here is an brief article from my daily on-line magazine. I have seen this continue to play out in our Atlanta market as well this winter, with homes going under contract in less than 1 week even with all the inventory. A good realtor will help Sellers to understand these three principles. They are basic to my success, I can tell you that!


Daily Real Estate News January 11, 2008How to Get a Quick Sale in a Slower Market An analysis of the real estate market in the Baltimore area shows that even in a slow market some houses sell quickly — for the same reasons they do in a booming market.In November, when the average time on the market was 105 days, 13 percent of the 1,892 homes that sold in Baltimore and five surrounding counties had contracts in two weeks or less, according to data from Metropolitan Regional Information Systems Inc. Those 251 homes went from listing to selling in an average of seven days. They were typically older, three-bedroom, two-bath houses that sold at an average of $304,355 — about $4,000 under the overall average sale price.An analysis shows that fast sellers in a slow market have three common denominators:

They're priced better than comparable listings.

They show like model homes.

They have a full force of marketing, including enticing Internet photos, behind them.

Great Company!

I like to share news about people and services which make the life of a homeowner easier! With the changes in my life right now, I've discovered a wonderful source to help me pack up my stuff. It's called Used Cardboard Boxes (http://www.usedcardboardboxes.com/index.php) They locate misprints or overstock of cardboard boxes which would otherwise go to the landfill or to be recycled and pack up the sizes commonly used in moving household contents into easy kits which you can buy on-line! They check by your zip code to locate the boxes nearest to you. When they say shipping is quick--do they mean quick. I ordered in the morning; they shipped that afternoon; the boxes arrived the next afternoon! Sure, it looks like I drink a lot of wine (half my boxes were previously going to be used to ship wine) but these are CLEAN, NEW boxes. The kit I ordered included the packing tape, a packing tape dispenser, Sharpie markers and box cutters as well as all the clean packing paper I will need for the number of boxes I purchased. I love that this is an environmentally friendly option to help in a situaion we all find ourselves in at some point or another! Keep this info handy for when you need it, and pass it along to people you know who will be moving. Along those lines, have you told those people who are moving that you know the best Realtor in all of Atlanta? I value your referrals--they bring me great Clients like you!