April 30, 2007

Canton GA Real Estate and Homes for Sale

Canton Georgia Neighborhoods

Canton GA Real Estate truly offers wonderful opportunities for most any buyer. As a whole, Homes for Sale in Canton are younger than the average home in the Woodstock area, simply due to the nature of progress moving outward. Woodstock is a wonderful community, as well, but if you are looking for a newer home, home on acreage or just like the beautiful mountain views and slower pace that some of the neighborhoods in Canton provide, then Canton Real Estate is for you.

Below are a few local communities to consider. If you are interested in Real Estate in Canton Georgia, please give me a ring. I am a Canton Realtor serving all of Cherokee County Real Estate and would be glad to help.

BridgeMill is located in the south western most corner of Canton GA, a stone throw away from the Woodstock border. It is a wonderful golf country club neighborhood of over 2000 homes and offers an incredible amenity package. The developer of this community was also the developer of the Towne Lake area of Woodstock. BridgeMill Homes offer lot sizes between one third to a half acre, depending on the location. There are even a few homes that back up to Lake Allatoona with a winter view. You can search BridgeMill Real Estate by clicking on the BridgeMill link above.

River Green is a young community located a few miles from BridgeMill and not far from the popular Riverstone area in Canton. This community was developed under the "hometown" theme and is also quite large in size. The lot sizes are a little smaller here, but the home styles are very unique, some of which represent victorian floor plans of yesteryear. River Green offers a wonderful amenity package and the neighborhood backs up to protected space along the Etowah River. You can search River Green homes for sale by clicking on the Canton GA Real Estate link above.

Great Sky in Canton GA is also a fairly young community. Great Sky offers some gorgeous mountain views and wooded settings. The trees throughout the community are almost all hardwoods and provide a splendid display of color in the fall. Located near the Riverstone shopping center in Canton, Great Sky provides quick and easy access to shopping, dining and a nite out at the movies. The new Hickory Log Creek Dam Project underway in Canton GA will back up to a section in Great Sky and will provide some lake front lots in the community in the future. You can expect pricing to be in the $600's+, is my guess. You search Great Sky homes for sale by visiting my Canton Real Estate web page.

Canton GA Real Estate offers much more than what I have time to share with you today. I will blog again about the wonderful opportunities in Canton Georgia. Please stop by for a visit in the near future.

April 23, 2007

Information on Cherokee County Real Estate

If you’re thinking about buying a home in the Cherokee County Georgia area, chances are you are overwhelmed with the amount of communities, neighborhoods and homes available in the area. It’s normal to feel this way! Your Cherokee County Realtor will be able to help you understand the pros and cons of each area of Cherokee County you are interested in.

You can find out more about various communities in Cherokee by visiting my Cherokee County Real Estate web site. On my site, you will find more information about wonderful Cherokee County Georgia communities like Canton, Woodstock, Holly Springs, Waleska, Ball Ground, Bridge Mill, Towne Lake and more. With information on everything from school systems to nearby shopping centers, you will no doubt be able to get all the data you need to decide which Cherokee County Georgia Real Estate market is right for you. If you have any questions about Cherokee County Georgia Real Estate or about selecting the right community for your lifestyle, please call me today at 770-402-2900.

April 21, 2007

Cherokee County Georgia Real Estate

The Cherokee County Georgia Real Estate market is one of the hottest markets in the Metro Atlanta Area and offers affordable homes in great neighborhoods. Whether you are looking for a town home, cluster home, golf country club community, acreage, lake or luxury home, the Cherokee County Georgia Real Estate market has thousands of properties to fit your unique style, needs and budget.

You can search for
Cherokee Homes by visiting the Cherokee County page of my website. This search tool will allow you to find all homes currently available in the FMLS System by specific subdivision, zip code and other important features, such as number of bedrooms, baths, basement and more. Now is a great time to invest in Cherokee County Georgia Real Estate!

If you have questions about any Cherokee County Homes you find during your home search, please call me direct at 770-402-2900. I am an experienced Cherokee County Real Estate Agent ready to help you with your buying and selling real estate needs. Please let me know how I can assist you.

April 13, 2007

Loan Pre-Qualification

Cherokee County - Cobb County - North Fulton County

Is loan pre-qualification really necessary? Is it important to you as a buyer? ABSOLUTELY! Loan pre-qualification is probably the most important step you can take before beginning your home search. Not doing so can put you at a big disadvantage. Here's Why:

Buying Power and Loan Programs
Many buyers are unaware of their buying power and loan options, without going through the pre-qualification process first. If you proceed to look for homes in an inappropriate price range, it will equate to lost time and money for you and your Realtor.

Missed Real Estate Opportunities
All the wonderful homes you missed in the appropriate price range, while you were looking for homes in the wrong price range.

Inability to View Certain MLS Listings
Some Realtors, at the request of their sellers, will only allow pre-qualified buyers to view their listings.

Best Time to Shop Lenders and Interest Rates
The best time to shop lenders and interest rates is well before you submit an offer to purchase a home. Some Listing Agents, on behalf of their sellers, will stipulate in the Purchase and Sale Agreement that you cannot change lenders after Acceptance Date, to ensure the loan will close on time. This puts you at a disadvantage if you haven't shopped around before submitting your offer.

Purchase Contract and Loan Exhibits
When you submit an offer to purchase a home, the Purchase and Sale Agreement asks for specific information about your loan. FHA and VA loans both require a separate Exhibit to be attached to the contract. Both of these loans have associated costs to the seller, thus the importance of revealing your loan needs during contract negotiation. Should the need for this type of loan surface after Contract Acceptance, the seller does not have to agree to pay these additional costs. The result is, either you pay these additional costs, if your lender will allow it, or your contract could be nullified.


Loan Financing Contingency
New to the 2007 Georgia Association of Realtor contracts is the "Financing Contingency" section of the Purchase and Sale Agreement. This section of the contract now puts the burden on the buyer to prove they can obtain a loan within a negotiated period of time, after which the close becomes an "all cash deal".

Previously, buyers were allowed all the way up to close to prove their loanability. Due to many loans falling through at the last minute, this process has now changed and it is more important than ever to get Pre-Qualified with a reputable lender prior to shopping for a home!

The financing contingency works like this. The timeframe allotted is negotiated between buyer and seller during your contract negotiation. The average timeframe seems to be about 21 days from Acceptance Date. During this timeframe, you the buyer, should obtain full loan approval, including appraisal, so that you are sure you have a loan in place before the financing contingency is removed.

If you are unable to obtain loan approval in this timeframe, you can terminate the contract under certain circumstances as defined in the Purchase and Sale Agreement, which, by the way, does not include insufficient funds to close. If you surpass the financing contingency deadline, are unable to close and do not meet the criteria listed in your contract that would allow you to terminate your agreement with the seller to buy, then the seller, at the very least, would be able to keep your earnest money. At the worst, the seller could potentially sue you for failure to close, for an amount equal to the purchase price.

Again, extremely important to get Pre-Qualified before starting your home shopping process and to choose a reputable lender that you can trust to get the job done on time!

Required Pre-Qualification Letter with Offer to Purchase
It is common practice that the Listing Agent will require a Pre-Qualification Letter to be submitted with an offer to purchase. Without this letter, the seller may decide to refuse your offer. A Pre-Qualification Letter usually takes a day or so to obtain, depending on the lender. While you are waiting to obtain your Pre-Qual Letter, you risk losing the home of your dreams to another buyer that may come along. Being prepared before hand, eliminates this risk and undue stress.

Contract Negotiation
Submitting a Pre-Qualification Letter with your offer shows the seller you are a serious buyer with the ability to move forward to close. This often puts you in a better place of negotiation, as well.

Competition with Other Interested Buyers
In a competitive real estate market, qualified buyers have the edge. Should more than one offer be submitted at a time on the home you are interested in, it is very likely the seller will choose the buyer that has a Pre-Qualification Letter over one that does not.

Serious Buyer
Some Realtors will not work with a buyer until the buyer is Pre-Qualified, for all the above reasons. The school of thought is that a buyer intent on purchasing a home or property, will be willing to complete this very important process ahead of time for the benefit of all parties involved. Some Realtors will work with buyers that have not been pre-qualified, but the experienced Realtor Professional typically will not and this is the type of Realtor you need in your corner!

As you can see, obtaining a Pre-Qualification Letter is really an important step in purchasing a home! Loan Pre-Approval is even better! Equally as important is choosing the right lender that not only offers competitive interest rates, but whose service you can count on. If you need help in choosing a lender, please let us know.

For more information on buying and selling your home, please visit
Cherokee County Real Estate - Cobb County Real Estate for your Cherokee County, Cobb County and North Fulton County Real Estate needs. When you are ready to get started, please give us a ring! We would be honored to help you through the real estate process.



Why Buyer Representation?

Home Buyers in Cherokee, Cobb and North Fulton County

As a home buyer, it is very important that you seek out Buyer Representation in the purchase of your home, even if you are an experienced buyer. This term has virtually become a real estate buzz word, due to its importance, and we cannot stress the importance of Buyer Representation enough!

With a new home or resale, the right Realtor can save you time and money in your real estate transaction. Your Realtor will also share vital information with you about the area you are interested in, educate you about faulty building products and other important items of interest to you, and handle the details from contract to close. Remember, the Listing Agent represents the seller's fiduciary interests and, therefore, cannot provide this same level of service to a buyer who is interested in their listing!

It certainly makes sense to have Buyer Representation, considering the complexities involved in the real estate transaction. Most of us would consult an Accountant if we needed tax advice and an Attorney if we needed legal advice. In purchasing a home, it is no different. Buying a home is one of the most important investments you will make in your lifetime! It is very worthy of professional representation! Be sure not to select just any Realtor, though. You should choose a Realtor that is dedicated, experienced, good with the details and client oriented.

Our service is free to our buyer clients, as the seller has agreed to pay our fee upon listing their home. The real estate commission is pre-negotiated between the Listing Agent and the seller before the home is put on the market.

Our clients say what sets us apart from other Realtors is our "Personal Assistant" attitude to handle your every real estate need, our attention to detail no matter how small, our sincere desire to help our clients accomplish their real estate goals, our willingness to work at "your pace", our expert marketing ability and our computer age knowledge. These are the things that help us to find and sell your property quickly and effectively.

To hear a word from our past clients, please visit our
Testimonial Collection. To search the entire MLS system, please visit us at Cherokee County Real Estate - Cobb County Real Estate. Here you can can search for homes and find information for the following cities: Acworth, Alpharetta, Ball Ground, Canton, Holly Springs, Kennesaw, Marietta, Roswell, Waleska and Woodstock. In addition, we provide separate web pages for some of the larger communities and subdivisions in the area such as BridgeMill, Town Lake, Bentwater and Brookstone.

Thank you for considering us for your Realtor of choice. If you are ready to begin the real estate process, we would be glad to help. Just give us a ring at 770-402-2900...you'll be glad you did!

Our Client Philosophy

Serving Buyers and Sellers in the Cherokee County Real Estate, Cobb County Real Estate, and North Fulton Real Estate Markets

Our Client Philosophy is simply the old adage of doing for others as we would like to have done for ourselves. The level of expertise, quality service, professionalism and client care that we would expect from a Realtor for our personal needs, is the same level of service we provide to our clients. We think you will be pleased with our high expectations, but please don't take our word for it. Drop by our Testimonial Collection when you have a moment.

Your home is one of the most important financial investments that you will make in your lifetime! Seeking professional guidance to understand current market trends and values; which home and location is right for your needs; securing the best financing for your home; and avoiding the pitfalls of faulty building products or knowing what to do if your current home is affected by these issues, can literally save you thousands of dollars!

Obtaining professional knowledge and advice can make a huge difference in your buying and selling experience, which is why your choice of Realtor is so important! You should be very selective in choosing a Realtor to help you through the real estate process, as not all Realtors offer the same level of service and expertise.

Our clients are of utmost importance to us. We realize when you select us to help you with buying and selling your home, you are entrusting us with your future investment and we don't take this assignment lightly. We are 100% committed, both professionally and personally, to providing a level of expertise, quality service and client care that will exceed your expectations.

We would like to thank you for visiting
HomesByAnita.com in search for your perfect home or property. We strive to make our website a quality experience for all of our visitors and hope you will continue to come back. Here's a sneak peak of a few of our most popular web pages: Canton Real Estate, Woodstock Real Estate and Acworth Real Estate.

When you are ready to begin the real estate process, just give us a ring at 770-402-2900, we would be honored to help with your buying and selling process! It's our business to know the real estate market and our pleasure to put that knowledge to work for you.

Service from the Heart

Specializing in Cherokee County Real Estate, Cobb County Real Estate and North Fulton Real Estate

We have learned a marvelous secret in our wonderful years in real estate. If we provide superior service that comes straight from the heart, our clients will happily keep coming back again and again and will refer our services to their family and friends.

We truly care about our clients and their real estate investment and go to great lengths to provide each client with the devotion, expertise and client care they deserve. From the first phone call to the closing table and many years beyond, we are there with you each step of the way.

What do we do differently than other Realtors? Our clients are the very best advocate of the level of service we provide, so we would like them to share with you the reasons they have been so pleased with our service. Excerpts from our Testimonial Collection are to follow:
You kept me fully informed throughout the entire process. I felt very comfortable with your expertise. You were extremely thorough in your dealings with me. You stayed on top of everything and nothing was left undone.

You are terrific and your professional help was priceless. I'd be so glad to recommend your services.

You explained everything to me and I never felt rushed to make a decision.

Your service was great even after the sale was closed. We would recommend you in a minute.

Your service was absolutely wonderful and I will use you for my future real estate needs. I will tell everyone I know that is planning to buy or sell about you.

Extremely Professional.

Wonderful help and support on selling our prior home and finding the house of our dreams.
Our
Testimonial Collection is available for your perusal by clicking this link. Please stop by when you have a moment.

Thank you for visiting
HomesByAnita.com during your search for the perfect home. We would be honored to provide you with the same level of "Service From The Heart" that our past and current clients have received. When you are ready to begin the real estate process, please give us a ring!

Community Resource Center

Cherokee County, Cobb County and North Fulton County

We thought you might enjoy our Community Resource Center to assist you in your home search. Here you will find lots of valuable information for Cherokee County, Cobb County, North Fulton, Paulding and Bartow, to you help determine which city, county and school district is the best choice for you. Below is a brief description of what you will find there. To access this page of our website, just click on the Community Resource Center link above.

The Fun Stuff
Lots of great links to area entertainment! One of our most popular links is the golf section. Equally as tantalizing is the lake and mountain links. We also offer links to sports, recreation and dining. If you need more information on area entertainment after browsing through this section, revisit the Chamber of Commerce website for the county you wish to live in. They typically have a wonderful collection of things to do in the area, as well.

Chamber of Commerce
The Chamber is a wonderful place to visit and learn more information about the city and county you would like to live in. Their website will typically provide history on the county, a brief history on each city within the county and describe the quality of lifestyle features for its residents. You will also find economic, demographic, education and utility information; tourism, calendar of events and much more. Newcomers to the area can also request a Newcomer Guide from most Chamber of Commerce websites. Very interesting information to browse through!

City Information
A direct link to the city website for each of the following areas can be found on our website. Acworth, Alpharetta, Canton, Holly Springs, Kennesaw, Marietta, Powder Springs, Roswell and Woodstock. Here you will typically find the city history, government information, police and fire departments, education, licensing and permits, ordinances, voting, utility information, parks and recreation, calendar of events, etc. This is also very helpful information.

Education
Our education section is divided into three categories: 1) Colleges and Universities 2) Private Schools 3) Public Schools. Wonderful information here for the education minded buyer! You will find information on which colleges, universities and private schools service the area you are interested in. The Public School category offers a link to the education system for each county. Here you can access the website for each elementary, middle and high school. There are also a few general hyperlinks that provide information on school ranking and test scores...much sought after information and a must see for those concerned about education!

In addition to the above, our Community Resource Center contains links to demographic and economic information, mapping and directions, hospitals, churches, utility providers and local weather.

Thank you for visiting HomesByAnita.com in search for your new home. We hope our website continues to be a helpful tool in your buying and selling process. When you are ready to get started, please do us the honor of representing you. We would like to add you to our growing list of satisfied clients. Just give us a ring at 770-402-2900!

Welcome to My Real Estate Blog

Serving Cherokee County, Cobb County and North Fulton County

Welcome to my new blog dedicated to helping home buyers and sellers in the Cherokee County Real Estate market, Cobb County Real Estate market, East Cobb Real Estate market and North Fulton Real Estate market understand the ebbs and flows of North Georgia and Metro Atlanta Real Estate. Whether you’re searching for a home in Canton, East Cobb, West Cobb, Cherokee County, Woodstock, Marietta, Kennesaw or Acworth, this blog will give you great information for selecting a Cherokee County Realtor, Cobb County Realtor or North Fulton County Realtor, as well as show you the ins and outs of the different neighborhoods and communities in the area.

Feel free to post any questions you have! As always, I am available to help answer your Metro Atlanta Real Estate questions anytime. Just give me a ring at 770-402-2900 or shoot me an email at anita.davis@metrobrokers.com.