Owner: Cobb Real Estate Blog URL:http://www.cobbrealestateblog.com/ Join Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2007 12:37:46 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Real estate blog about Cobb County, Georgia. Information about buying or selling a home, condo, townhome or investment property in Cobb County. Site statistics:Click here
New Construction In Powder Springs: Springbrook Estates 2007-08-13 11:03:41
There is a new subdivision in PowderSprings
called Springbrook Estates
. There will be 196 homes in this neighborhood when all is completed and they are priced starting at the $240’s. Some of the homes can be as big as nearly 3,900 square feet. That’s a nice, big house for the price.
Springbrook Estates is located just a mile off the Silver Comet Trail (directions below) and has the following amenities:
Clubhouse
Pool
Multi-purpose fields
Nature Trails
Playground
Tennis Courts
Please call me or use the contact page to reach me with any questions about Springbrook Estates or other Powder Springs real estate questions.
Directions to Springbrook Estates:
I-285 West to I-20 West (exit 10B). Take Thornton Road (Exit 44)and turn right. Thornton Road will become C.H. James Parkway (Hwy 278). Turn right on Oglesby Road. Turn left on Lewis Road. Springbrook Estates will be on your left and right.
Technorati Tags: Powder Springs, Springbrook Estates, Silver Comet Trail, Powder Sp Read more:Construction
Avignon At Vinings Breaks Ground 2007-08-13 10:20:05 A few weeks back Kairos Development Corporation broke ground on the highly anticipated mixed use development in Vinings called Avignon at Vinings. The pricing has changed a bit (info below) since I last spoke about this Cobb County mixed use development, as well as some of the amenities have been announced.
A Kairos Development “Live Life Community,” Avignon at Vinings will offer residents a full amenity package including a pool; wellness center and a clubhouse with a caterer’s kitchen; and resident wine cellar with lockers and a tasting room. Lovely topography invites homeowners to relax and unwind at outdoor gathering spaces with scenic views of the City of Atlanta.
*** Updated Avignon at Vinings pricing ***
The 25 condos will start in the $400’s
The 85 Townhomes will start in the $750’s
The 25 villas (Single Family Homes) will start in the $1.2’s
Thanks to the Atlanta Daybook for the quote from Kairos concerning the amenities.
Technorati Tags: Kairos Develop
Invest In Your College Students Housing 2007-08-13 09:30:53 If you have a college aged student attending college here in Cobb County or if they are off attending school somewhere else, I have found a four and a half minute video that I want you to watch. It’s from The Today Show, and it talks about buying a house or a condo for your child and then having them live in it with some friends. If the numbers work (and they should work to your advantage before you decide to move forward with anything like this) your child could live rent free during his/her college days. And even better yet, once your child graduates and moves on, you can sell the house for a nice profit.
If you have any questions about buying a home around Kennesaw State University, or any other Atlanta area college or university, please give me a call. I can also answer any questions on this topic if your student is heading out of state for their education.
Technorati Tags: Cobb County, The Today Show
Read more:College
, Housing
Cobb Real Estate Blog Gets A New Look 2007-08-10 10:34:38 As you can see, there has been a face lift to our blog here. I wanted to change the look and the feel of the Cobb Real Estate
Blog, and I think things went really well. I’m still tweaking and adding small things here and there. I also have a bigger surprise that I plan to unveil very soon. This surprise, once it’s finished, will change the functionality of the blog and will surely be useful to many of you who frequently get their Cobb County real estate information here.
If you have any questions about the changes made here today, or if you have any ideas or feedback, I would love to hear them. I also would like to thank James, who was the brains behind this re-design. He took my vague ideas and desires, and turned them into what you see now.
Technorati Tags: Cobb Real Estate Blog, Cobb County real estate
Marietta Mercantile Exchange: A New Mixed Use Development Announced For Marietta 2007-07-30 13:30:43 A development group announced, today, that a $100 million mixed use development will be built in Marietta
on a 20 acre build site along Powder Springs Street between Garrison Road and Sandtown Road. The development will consist of about 1/3 high end residential housing. Also included, will be a national grocery chain, although which national chain will reside their has not yet been determined.
I do not have the exact breakdown of what’s going to be built in the Marietta Mercantile Exchange
. So far I have seen announcements for class A office space, high-end residential flats and townhomes and a “neighborhood retail mix”.
Technorati Tags: mixed use development, Marietta Mercantile Exchange
Read more:Development
, Mixed
Cobb County Votes To Limit Crowded Houses 2007-07-25 08:40:36 I often drive through neighborhoods, where my clients are thinking of buying a house, to get a feel the neighborhood. I like to look at traffic in the morning and evening, how residents keep their lawns and upkeep their homes. I will also, on occasion, get out and speak to a few of the home owners in the neighborhood. Do you want to know one of the complaints I hear a lot? “There’s always 8 cars parked outside.”, or “There are 10 people living in that house.”
When a home turns into a boarding house it can detract from the neighborhood in many ways. It can congest traffic, increase noise, cause a buyer to not choose your home that’s for sale and sometimes just flat out lower your property value. Well, the Cobb County
Commissioners just voted to cut down on these crowded houses.
Under the new law, no more than 6 people can live under one roof. And more importantly, one one person per 390 square feet is allowed to live in any house. That means no more t Read more:Crowded
, Limit
, Votes
Two Highrise Towers Approved For Cumberland Area 2007-07-21 06:38:52 The Cobb County Board of Commissioners approved a plan to build two high rise towers overlooking I-75, near the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center.
“Planning is under way by Grove Street Partners LLC for an as-yet-unnamed office/residential/retail project on a tract bounded by Interstate 75, Akers Mill Road and Cobb Galleria Parkway. Located adjacent to and just south of the $145 million Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, set to open in September, the project is envisioned to include a 15-story, 350-000-square-foot office tower; an 18-story combination 200-room hotel and 38-unit residential condominium tower; a roughly 1,000-space underground parking facility; and amenity retail stores and restaurants.”
Read more:Towers
Kennesaw Given Award As One Of Ten Best Towns For Families 2007-07-20 09:31:29 Yesterday I spoke about how fast Kennesaw was growing. Not only are they growing fast, but Kennesaw, according to Family Circle Magazine, is a great place for families. In fact, Family Circle thinks Kennesaw is one of the top 10 towns in America for families.
“We set out to find communities across the country that combine big-city opportunities with suburban charm, locations that offer an ideal blend of affordable houses, good jobs, top-rated schools, wide-open spaces, and a lot less stress. Here are the results of Family Circle’s extensive research: Perfect places to call home.”
If you would like to start looking for a home or are interested in Kennesaw real estate at all, please give me a call.
Read more:Award
, Families
, Given
, Towns
Kennesaw And Acworth Are Recognized As Two Of The Fastest Growing Suburbs In America 2007-07-19 14:03:14 Forbes Magazine just released their list of the fastest growing suburbs in America
. Two Cobb County cities made the list. Kennesaw was ranked #57 in the country. And Acworth was ranked as the #85 fastest growing U.S. suburb.
Kennesaw
2000 Population - 21,362
2006 Population - 30,936
44.8% Growth
Acworth
2000 Population - 13,801
2006 Population - 18,790
36.1% Growth
Read more:Growing
, Suburbs
Living Green: 16 Simple Steps To Green Your Home 2007-07-17 14:52:13 One of the things that I have decided to do to enrich my every day life, is to live a “little more green”. You know what I am talking about. I want to conserve electricity, lower my energy bills and just simply help the environment in any way I can.
In the beginning portion of my research I came across a blog called, LivingGreen
. The author, Aaron Doyle, is a fellow realtor and an EcoBroker. Her blog introduced me to 16 Ways To Green Your Home. The link is to a .pdf at the U.S. Green Building Council, which takes a more in-depth look at the 16 ways to lower the impact of everyday living. Check that out as well as hop on over and read the Living Green blog.
Switch to Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
Program Your Thermostat
Plug Air Leaks
Tune Up Your Heating and Cooling (HVAC) System
Choose ENERGY STAR® Appliances
Reduce Water Use
Switch to Green Power
Buy Local
Use Low-VOC Products
Use Wood Alternatives or FSC-certifi ed Wood Products
Use Rapidly Renewable Flooring Mate Read more:Simple
West Village Photos 2007-08-16 09:48:13 As you know, I’ve been harping a lot on the new restaurants and retailers in West Village
in Smyrna. I’m just really impressed with the way things are shaping up over there, and you all know how I feel about Blue Moon Pizza.
I’d like to thank Dina, who is the Director of Marketing over at Monte Hewett Homes, for sending me a bunch of photos of the buildings in West Village. These go very well with my construction pictures I snapped back in December. Dina sent me many pictures (I’ll share the rest with you later), but these first few are of the retail shops near the Atlanta Road entrance.
Technorati Tags: West Village, Smyrna, Blue Moon Pizza, Monte Hewett Homes
Georgia 511 Can Help With Your Commute 2007-08-15 13:08:13 Trying to decide whether to take I-75 or Cobb Parkway down to the city can cause headaches in morning traffic. Well, I can’t make traffic any easier on you commuters, but I can tell you about a new phone service that will give you traffic information to help with your driving decisions. And best of all, it’s free.
On Wednesday, the state began Georgia
511 — a free phone service that provides traffic and travel information to commuters 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Callers connect to the system by dialing 5-1-1 from any landline or mobile phone. Callers can get statewide traffic conditions, route-specific information and details on road or lane closures due to construction, incidents or weather. Estimated travel times are available for major roads within metro Atlanta. And connections are available to transit providers, major airports, rideshare organizations, tourism information and 511 systems in neighboring states.
Read more:Commute
Green Real Estate Links: Week 2 August 2007 2007-08-15 08:37:30 I am going to start a weekly post with some interesting “green links” that I find throughout the week. Enjoy!!!
Creating a “green” baby nursery
Mesquite: It’s a Floor Wax and a Dessert Topping
GREEN YOUR APPLIANCES! Refrigerators
SOLAR DECATHLON: Solar house design competition
Helpful Tips For Saving Electricity At Home
Air-Seal Your Home And Save Energy
Read more:August
, Estate
, Green
Kennesaw To Get Free WiFi 2007-08-14 11:17:00 For those of you road warriors out there, this news will surely be enjoyed. At some point in time, next year, Kennesaw will be going WiFi
.
The initial access points will be City Hall, the train depot, the community center, the 33-acre Adams Park and the soon-to-open Swift-Cantrell Park.
The only scary issue I had with this whole thing is the fact that the article states that “The service will be free initially.” I don’t want free initially, I want free forever. I want to drive around aimlessly with my laptop and always have an excellent signal, and I want it free. I want to surf on my Blackberry using WiFi, and I want it free. I don’t want it free “initially”, I want it free… just free.
But in all seriousness, this is great news for Kennesaw. Let’s see if more Cobb County cities can follow suit.
Technorati Tags: WiFi, Kennesaw, Cobb County
Look Over Some Renderings Of Riverwood Mixed Use Development 2007-08-13 20:01:56 Back in May I spoke about Riverwood, the mixed use development just “ITP” on Cobb Parkway. I found some artist renderings of what the project will look like. Enjoy!
Here’s what the whole Riverwood site will look like.
Here’s a commercial portion of Riverwood.
This is the hotel portion of Riverwood.
Technorati Tags: Riverwood, mixed use development, Cobb Parkway
Read more:Development
, Mixed
Shops Open At West Village 2007-08-13 17:48:53 Some of the retailers and restaurants have recently opened in Smyrna’s, West Village
. You can now shop, have a drink or eat at Five Guys Burgers, McCray’s Tavern, Starbucks Coffee, Je Belle’s formal boutique, Nora’s Place with fine arts and crafts, Palo’s Shoe Gallery, Pashmere Ladies Boutique and Blue Moon Pizza.
Now, I just had lunch at Blue Moon Pizza and let me tell you how much I enjoyed it. We ordered two Specialty Moons (Do I really need to explain this one?) to share. We tried the Santa Fe Chicken and the Luna. Both were great, but the Luna was fabulous. I highly recommend it.
Technorati Tags: Smyrna, West Village, Five Guys Burgers, McCray’s Tavern, Starbucks Coffee, Je Belle’s formal boutique, Nora’s Place, Palo’s Shoe Gallery, Pashmere Ladies Boutique, Blue Moon Pizza
Green Real Estate Links: Week 3 August 2007 2007-08-21 06:56:31 Green
ing Your Storage
Turning down the house
a single off-switch for your whole house, to power down all of those nonessential appliances that suck electricity while you’re at work or out on the town.
SOLAR POWERED MOUSE - The Sole Mio
The latest gadget to be turned into a solar powered device is the PC Mouse, thanks to the Researchers at the Delft University of Technology.
CASTLE HOUSE SKYSCRAPER Makes its Own Electricity!
Castle House, a new residential tower project designed by Hamiltons of London
and located at Elephant and Castle in South London, not only advertises itself as an eco-machine, but will generate its
own power on site through a series of wind turbines and a heat and power plant.
Make Your Pool Energy-Efficient And Save Money
X-SEED 4000: World’s tallest tower will house 1 million people
Grant Park resident gets OK for wind turbine - A local Atlanta gem for you…
A 45-foot wind turbine could be erected in Grant Park on Wednesday morning, after neig Read more:August
, Estate
Being Below Average Can Be A Good Thing 2007-08-30 08:42:17 Bankrate just released their 2007 study of closing costs for all 50 states.
Closing costs can be divided into three categories.
Closing costs:
• Origination fees charged by the lender.
• Title and settlement fees charged by third parties.
• Taxes and prepaid items such as homeowners insurance, association fees and prorated interest.
Bankrate’s survey includes lenders’ origination fees and title and settlement fees, and not taxes or prepaid items. The survey was conducted in June.
The average closing costs in America is $2,736. Georgia came in at 31st on the list at $2,655.
Read more:Average
, Below
, Thing
What Not To Do If Facing Foreclosure 2007-09-11 17:10:16 I’ve heard some weird stories on the topic of people facing foreclosure, but this one takes the cake. Apparently, a New York couple facing foreclosure turned their home in to a money making venture. Unfortunately, that venture was an illegal brothel.
Read more:Facing
, Foreclosure
Clark Howard Talks About Georgia Real Estate Tonight 2007-09-10 09:28:59 Clark Howard
, Atlanta’s favorite consumer advisor, is going to be speaking about Georgia
real estate tonight on prime time TV. Set your DVR’s or do it the old fashioned way and tune in tonight at 8:00 PM to watch “Georgia Real Estate
- The Good, the Bad & the Ugly” on WSB TV, channel 2.
The show covers a lot of ground in one hour including:
A local couple struggling with an adjustable mortgage asks Clark what to do about their rising interest rate.
One local woman, on the verge of foreclosure, looks for answers to stop it.
In this buyer’s market, Clark shows you how to make your house stand out from the rest.
Plus, he gives advice on selling a condo and the steps to investing in real estate. And, if you’re looking for a mortgage, Clark has a warning about some new options on the market today.
It’s real estate 101 from Atlanta’s favorite consumer advisor.
WHAT: CLARK HOWARD PRIMETIME
WHEN: Monday, September 10, 2007
TIME: 8-9 p.m.
WHER Read more:Clark
, Tonight
Canvas Cafe And Bakery 2007-09-06 13:15:13 I’ve been out this morning looking at a few new Marietta real estate developments (more on that in the next few posts) and finally stopped in at Canvas
Cafe & Bakery
. I’ve been driving by for the past few months since it opened, but now, with a little bit of computer work to do (yeah, free WiFi) and hunger getting the best of me, it seemed like a perfect time to try the place out.
I was very impressed with my lunch and great coffee. Did I mention free WiFi yet? This will be a new scheduled stop for me when I need to grab some coffee, food and check FMLS.
Canvas is located at 724 Cherokee Street in the medical district of Marietta very close to Marietta Square.
Technorati Tags: Marietta real estate, Canvas Cafe & Bakery
Cobb County To Add Roundabouts To Ease Traffic Woes 2007-09-05 09:39:19
“Hey look kids, there’s Big Ben, and there’s Parliament.”
Hopefully West Cobb County
residents who drive on Villa Rica Road will fare better than the Griswolds when the County installs two roundabouts to help with traffic flow. The two roundabouts will be placed on Villa Rica Road at West Sandtown Road and another about 150 yards east at Irwin Road.
The two intersections in question see close to 11,000 vehicles per day pass by. Currently there are stop signs at each of them.
Info from AJC. Entire West Cobb traffic article here… (link may not be permanent)
The single-lane roundabouts proposed for west Cobb would have a diameter of about 115 feet and cost close to $1 million, including acquiring rights of way. They would be financed by the county’s 1 percent sales tax approved by voters in 2005, county officials said.
Technorati Tags: West Cobb County, Villa Rica Road, West Sandtown Road, Irwin Road
Being Below Average Can Be A Good Thing 2007-08-30 08:42:17 Bankrate just released their 2007 study of closing costs for all 50 states.
Closing costs can be divided into three categories.
Closing costs:
• Origination fees charged by the lender.
• Title and settlement fees charged by third parties.
• Taxes and prepaid items such as homeowners insurance, association fees and prorated interest.
Bankrate’s survey includes lenders’ origination fees and title and settlement fees, and not taxes or prepaid items. The survey was conducted in June.
The average closing costs in America is $2,736. Georgia came in at 31st on the list at $2,655.
Read more:Average
, Below
, Thing
Green Real Estate Links: Week 3 August 2007 2007-08-21 06:56:31 Green
ing Your Storage
Turning down the house
a single off-switch for your whole house, to power down all of those nonessential appliances that suck electricity while you’re at work or out on the town.
SOLAR POWERED MOUSE - The Sole Mio
The latest gadget to be turned into a solar powered device is the PC Mouse, thanks to the Researchers at the Delft University of Technology.
CASTLE HOUSE SKYSCRAPER Makes its Own Electricity!
Castle House, a new residential tower project designed by Hamiltons of London
and located at Elephant and Castle in South London, not only advertises itself as an eco-machine, but will generate its
own power on site through a series of wind turbines and a heat and power plant.
Make Your Pool Energy-Efficient And Save Money
X-SEED 4000: World’s tallest tower will house 1 million people
Grant Park resident gets OK for wind turbine - A local Atlanta gem for you…
A 45-foot wind turbine could be erected in Grant Park on Wednesday morning, after neig Read more:August
, Estate
West Village Photos 2007-08-16 09:48:13 As you know, I’ve been harping a lot on the new restaurants and retailers in West Village
in Smyrna. I’m just really impressed with the way things are shaping up over there, and you all know how I feel about Blue Moon Pizza.
I’d like to thank Dina, who is the Director of Marketing over at Monte Hewett Homes, for sending me a bunch of photos of the buildings in West Village. These go very well with my construction pictures I snapped back in December. Dina sent me many pictures (I’ll share the rest with you later), but these first few are of the retail shops near the Atlanta Road entrance.
Technorati Tags: West Village, Smyrna, Blue Moon Pizza, Monte Hewett Homes
Georgia 511 Can Help With Your Commute 2007-08-15 13:08:13 Trying to decide whether to take I-75 or Cobb Parkway down to the city can cause headaches in morning traffic. Well, I can’t make traffic any easier on you commuters, but I can tell you about a new phone service that will give you traffic information to help with your driving decisions. And best of all, it’s free.
On Wednesday, the state began Georgia
511 — a free phone service that provides traffic and travel information to commuters 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Callers connect to the system by dialing 5-1-1 from any landline or mobile phone. Callers can get statewide traffic conditions, route-specific information and details on road or lane closures due to construction, incidents or weather. Estimated travel times are available for major roads within metro Atlanta. And connections are available to transit providers, major airports, rideshare organizations, tourism information and 511 systems in neighboring states.
Read more:Commute
Green Real Estate Links: Week 2 August 2007 2007-08-15 08:37:30 I am going to start a weekly post with some interesting “green links” that I find throughout the week. Enjoy!!!
Creating a “green” baby nursery
Mesquite: It’s a Floor Wax and a Dessert Topping
GREEN YOUR APPLIANCES! Refrigerators
SOLAR DECATHLON: Solar house design competition
Helpful Tips For Saving Electricity At Home
Air-Seal Your Home And Save Energy
Read more:August
, Estate
, Green
Kennesaw To Get Free WiFi 2007-08-14 11:17:00 For those of you road warriors out there, this news will surely be enjoyed. At some point in time, next year, Kennesaw will be going WiFi
.
The initial access points will be City Hall, the train depot, the community center, the 33-acre Adams Park and the soon-to-open Swift-Cantrell Park.
The only scary issue I had with this whole thing is the fact that the article states that “The service will be free initially.” I don’t want free initially, I want free forever. I want to drive around aimlessly with my laptop and always have an excellent signal, and I want it free. I want to surf on my Blackberry using WiFi, and I want it free. I don’t want it free “initially”, I want it free… just free.
But in all seriousness, this is great news for Kennesaw. Let’s see if more Cobb County cities can follow suit.
Technorati Tags: WiFi, Kennesaw, Cobb County
No New Rezoning For Johnson Ferry 2007-09-28 08:24:55 Cobb County Commissioners decided this week that until, at least, March of 2008 no new rezoning applications would be considered for a commercial stretch of Johnson
Ferry Road in East Cobb.
The three mile stretch in question is between Paper Mill Road and Roswell Road.
Rob Hosack, who heads the office, said his planning and zoning experts want time to develop design guidelines for projects that might replace the office buildings and strip shopping centers.
Source - AJC
Technorati Tags: Johnson Ferry Road, East Cobb
City Of Marietta Adds Sidewalks 2007-09-28 08:10:58 Six sidewalk projects have been started or planned for streets in Marietta
. Funding was established by a 1 percent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). Here’s a list of the streets and when construction should occur.
Rigby Street from Lawrence Street to North Fairground Street: September 24 through October 18
Allgood Road (North Side) from Emerald Glen to East Park Street: October 10 through November 9
Cameron Creek from Allgood Road to Crown Terrace: November 5 through December 3
Laurel Springs Lane (East Side) from Chestnut Hill Road to Powder Springs Road: November 16 through December 7
Polk Street Extension (West Side) from Westborough Road to Whitlock Avenue: December 3 through December 19
St. Anne’s Road (East Side) from Kennesaw Avenue to Atwood Drive: December 13, 2007 through January 10, 2008
Read more:Sidewalks
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