Blog Archives

AAA — American Automobile Association

May 1, 2012 by Thom Abbott

I’m a member of the American Automobile Association or as well all know it Triple A (AAA)! It’s simply the best $84 I spend!

The piece of mind, knowing that if my car or truck breaks down, they will be there to tow me to the nearest mechanic, or if here in Atlanta, they tow me directly to MY mechanic! While I’m a happy customer of AAA, I’m not happy that they do not offer domestic partner benefits. I can’t add my partner, he has to pay for an entire membership on his own. Luckily, we are ususally together, so even if driving his car, we are covered.

The offer discounts on a variety of services….most I’ve never used. But when I do travel, I always search for a AAA hotel rate, and often times it’s the best deal to be had. Here’s some examples of discounts:

Atlanta Braves — Buy 1 Get 1 Free on Upper Box tickets
Denny’s Restaurant — Save 10% on Food and Nonalcoholic beverages (Does Denny’s SERVE alcohol?)
GAP Stores — Save 10% on all in-store purchase
Park ‘N Fly — Save 15% on off-airport parking
Mimis Cafe — Save 10% on food and nonalcoholic beverages

They also offer numerous other travel discounts based on the company, LOTS of discounts on Central Florida attractions, AND Insurance. They have also just opened 3 Car Car Centers here in the Atlanta area.

But by far, the towing service has been the feature I have always used. AAA. Money well spent!

800 Peachtree Street #8306 | Under Contract in Just 10 Hours!

April 30, 2012 by Thom Abbott

Us real estate professionals, we sometimes get a bum rap! A buyer will think we are just pressuring them to buy when we say the market is hot and things are moving. I don’t think it is so much “pressure” as it is us trying to impart our knowledge of the market, to YOU, the BUYER about what is happening. Helping you make an informed decision…that is why we are here.

Might I give you an example of a recent listing I took at Cornerstone Village….

I placed this listing in the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) at 10:30am. I had a showing call 30 minutes later! And we had our offer that we accepted by 9pm that same evening! That is a career first for me….800 Peachtree Street #8306 Under Contract in Just 10 Hours!

What does that mean for the Buyer? You don’t have a lot of time to “sleep on it” when it comes to buying Intown Atlanta Real Estate. In the 6+ years I have been selling Midtown Atlanta, this is the lowest inventory I have ever seen….ever! You don’t have many choices and you are NOT the only Buyer looking!

What does that mean for the Seller? Be realistic, price your home right, and it will SELL! Even short sale, that are often avoided by Buyers because of the length of time it can take to close, are selling! Of course, a “traditional sale” that is not a distressed sale will move quickly when priced right and the Buyer does not have to deal with lender approval of the sale.

If you want to buy Intown Atlanta Real Estate, follow our Buyer’s Check List and be ready to pounce!

If you want to sell Intown Atlanta Real Estate, let’s get you on the market at the right price and you will be moving in no time!

For More Information on how we can best serve your InTown Atlanta Real Estate needs, please fill out the online contact form or call us at 770.713.1505.

We specialize in InTown Atlanta Real Estate single family homes and condomiums. If you are planning to Buy InTown Atlanta real estate, let us help you explore all the possibilities available to you and help you find just the right home you will LOVE!

Please use the following links to Search for Homes by Intown Atlanta Neighborhoods or Zip codes!

Brookhaven/Ashford Park 30319	Buckhead 30305
Buckhead 30327	Buckhead 30342
Chamblee 30341	Decatur 30307
Doraville 30340	Downtown Atlanta 30303
Druid Hills 30329	Dunwoody 30338
East Atlanta/Ormewood Park 30316	East Lake/Kirkwood 30317
Grant Park 30312	Midtown Atlanta 30308
Midtown Atlanta 30309	Midtown West/Collier Hills 30318
Morningside 30306	Morningside 30324

Are you looking for a specific Intown Atlanta neighborhood to focus on? Contact Thomas Ramon Realty and we can set up a search for any specific neighborhood you are looking for!

What To Expect When You Are Expecting | Movie Trailer –Filmed in Midtown Atlanta

April 29, 2012 by Thom Abbott

The movie filming business is hopping in Atlanta! You never know who you will see and when!!

Just this past week, I saw Kevin Bacon in a SmartCar in Buckhead! (Thanks Kevin for going green and not hauling around in a big Surburban….although I’d LOVE to have one!) Anyway….

What To Expect When You Are Expecting was filmed here in Atlanta last summer, and the Lionsgate film was shot at various locations around the Midtown area including Piedmont Park and Smith’s Olde Bar. The film, which stars Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Dennis Quaid, Cameron Diaz, Chris Rock and Anna Kendrick among others, is based loosely on the popular pregnancy manual, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting.”

The movie features four couples who are all expecting children and how they deal with the upcoming additions to their families.

The trailer cannot be embeded here, so here is a link to What To Expect When You Are Expecting! You’ll see lots of the Midtown skyline in the background, and Piedmont Park!

May Calender of Events — Things To Do In and Around Atlanta!

April 29, 2012 by Thom Abbott

WOW! The May Calender of Events is packed to say the least! I’m a member of AAA (American Automobile Association) and each month they put out a magazine called Going Places. In it is a calendar of events of happenings in the Atlanta and surrounding areas. There is some pretty interesting things to do, and wanted to share them with you!

May Calendar of Events In And Around Atlanta

May 4-5 Music Of Motown — Featuring Spectrum — Atlanta Symphony Hall at Woodruff Arts Center www.atlantasymphony.org

Recall the glory days of the Motown label, which is where the Supremes, Temptations, Four Tops and many others called home!

May 4-5 Southeast Georgia BBQ Cookoff Waycross www.GeorgiaFairsandFestivals.com

Southern BBQ is what it’s all about…and let’s throw in some arts, crafts and BBQ vendors to boot!

May 4-6 Barefoot in the Park Festival Town Green, Duluth www.barefootinthepark.org

Fine Food, wine tasting (ya think I’ll be there?) and a joyous Italian festival with performances

May 4-6 Spring Pottery Sale Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, Atlanta www.callanwolde.org

Pottery, ranging from the one-of-a-kind to functional and decorative that were created by pottery instructors and assistants will be on sale!

May 5-6 Dawsonville Spring Fling Festival Dawson County Middle School and the Bowen Arts Center www.dawson.org

These are the fun kind…with everything from flowers, vegetables, spring garden products, food, rides and crafts!

May 6 Fiesta Atlanta Centennial Olympic Park – Downtown Atlanta www.fiestaatlanta.com

The Largest Cinco de Mayo celebration in the Southeast celebrates the 1862 Battle of Puebla victory over the French…

May 10-13 Atlanta Food and Wine Festival — Midtown Atlanta www.atlfoodandwinefestival.com

Well..it IS in Midtown ATL after all, so wanted to call it to your attention! Here you will get to sample Southern Dishes and drinks created by some of the best chefs and mixologists around!

May 12-13 Mother’s Day Arts and Crafts Show Brasstown Valley Resort, Young Harris, GA www.brasstownvalley.com

Well this one will get you a nice ride to the mountains, check out some mountain vistas and then the pottery, jewelry, fused glass and other items in this juried show! Maybe catch brunch at the resort, but I’d get those reservations NOW!

May 22- June 10 Jersey Boys Fox Theatre, Atlanta www.foxtheatre.org

This Broadway smash hit tells the story of four blue-collar kids that made pop music history. Selling over175 million records before they were 30, see the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

May 26 Bavarianfest Festhall, Helen www.helenchamber.com

If it’s Bavarian, it will be at the Bavarianfest in Helen this weekend. From sauerkraut to pretzels! And probably one heck of alot of people!

There is just a slight, and I do mean slight, sampling of things to do in and around Atlanta in May! If you have any events YOU would like to have listed, please post them in the comments below, or email us and we’ll be happy to add them or do an entire feature on the event!

For More Information on how we can best serve your InTown Atlanta Real Estate needs, please fill out the online contact form or call us at 770.713.1505.

Please use the following links to Search for Homes by Intown Atlanta Neighborhoods or Zip codes!

Brookhaven/Ashford Park 30319	Buckhead 30305
Buckhead 30327	Buckhead 30342
Chamblee 30341	Decatur 30307
Doraville 30340	Downtown Atlanta 30303
Druid Hills 30329	Dunwoody 30338
East Atlanta/Ormewood Park 30316	East Lake/Kirkwood 30317
Grant Park 30312	Midtown Atlanta 30308
Midtown Atlanta 30309	Midtown West/Collier Hills 30318
Morningside 30306	Morningside 30324

Are you looking for a specific Intown Atlanta neighborhood to focus on? Contact Thomas Ramon Realty and we can set up a search for any specific neighborhood you are looking for!

You Can BUY It…You Just Can’t RENT It!

April 29, 2012 by Thom Abbott

The smart real estate investor knows that this is a good time to be buying and investing in real estate. Prices are down, as are interest rates, or even some good real estate buys can be had with c-a-s-h! But when you buy a condominium versus a single family home, there is one very important detail to remember…..a Leasing Permit! ALL Atlanta condominium communities have rental caps, usually around 20-25% of the total number of homes in the building. That means that in a building with 392 homes, no more than 98 homes may actually be leased out. You Can BUY It…You Just Can’t RENT It!

What is a Leasing Permit and Where Do I Get One?

Leasing permits are issued and controlled by the Homeowners Association (HOA). Currently, there is a waiting list in every Midtown Atlanta condo building (and most likely Buckhead and beyond!) That waiting period can range from 3 to 7 years. YES…S-E-V-E-N years to get a leasing permit. So as an investor, know that you will not have any income coming off that proeperty anytime soon! Once you have obtained a leasing permit, consider it gold and treat it as such! If your condo becomes vacant, most HOA’s require you have a new lease/tenant in place within 90 days or you will lose your permit!

When working with Intown Atlanta condo buyers, I always advise them to place their name on the waiting list as soon as they can. (Some buildings require you live in the condo for 6 months before you can even put your name on the list.) Your original intention when you buy your Midtown Atlanta Condo may be to live in it…but things change. And if 4 years from now you need to move, and your name is close to the top of the list, you could turn this home into an investment property and lease it out!

You can BUY all sorts of Midtown Atlanta condos….You Just Can’t RENT them!

For More Information on how we can best serve your Midtown Atlanta Real Estate needs, please fill out the online contact form or call us at 770.713.1505.

We specialize in Condominium homes in Midtown Atlanta and other In Town areas of Atlanta. If you are planning to Buy or Sell real estate, let us help you explore all the possibilities available to you and help you find just the right home you will LOVE!

For a Quick Look at Midtown Atlanta Condominiums:

Midtown Atlanta High Rise Condominiums

Midtown Atlanta Mid Rise Condominiums

Perhaps you are interested in Historic Midtown? Take a look at Homes For Sale In Historic Midtown Atlanta

The Park at LaVista Walk |Intown Atlanta Living

April 28, 2012 by Thom Abbott

In real estate, I often find you can’t be all things to all people. But, if you know your neighborhood, you can be of great service to Buyers and Sellers. I love me MyMidtownMojo….if you know me, you know that! But, I’ve wanted to “open things up” and explore neighborhoods around Midtown Atlanta that offer you, the Intown Atlanta Real Estate Buyer some options! Maybe the high-rise condo living of Midtown or Buckhead is not exactly what you are looking for. Maybe you want more rooms? Maybe you want an attached garage? Maybe you want to be close to the action, but not right on top of it?

Well, I’ve found you JUST the right community in The Park at LaVista Walk! This townhome community “kicks it up a notch” with some amenities not often found in townhome living. The townhome part of LaVista Walk shares the amenities of the apartment building next door, but offers some of the lowest monthly HOA fees you can imagine ($160 per month….Yippie!)

I ventured through the models this past week, and for the price, features and location, all I could say was…”WOW!” Current homes in inventory range from $259,900 for a Ballard floor plan to $284,400 for the Kendall. (They have the Kendall listed as a 2 bedroom, but the lower level flex space is easily a third bedroom. The homes are finished off with granite counters, rich stained cabinetry and hardwood floors throughout the Main Level.

The location of The Park at LaVista Walk simply cannot be beat! The intersection of LaVista Road, Lindbergh Drive and Cheshire Bridge Road offers you easy and quick access to Buckhead, I-85 for heading elsewhere in Atlanta, Cheshire Bridge Road for access to Midtown Atlanta and all the fun shops and restaurants along the way, or to Lindbergh City Center with access to MARTA and more restaurants!

If I was in the market for a new Intown Atlanta place to call home, wanted to be close to Midtown Atlanta, but not live in a high-rise…have my own garage, 3 bathrooms, fireplace, dining room, gourmet kitchen….I’d be headed straight to The Park at LaVista Walk.

For more information about The Park at LaVista Walk click here, or better yet, let me arrange your personal tour!

Give me a call and let’s get YOU into one of the existing homes, or the developer in now taking reservations for the next building to be built!

Sorry, but we couldn't find any results in the MLS that match the specified search criteria.

May Calendar of Events In And Around Atlanta

May 10-13 Atlanta Food and Wine Festival — Midtown Atlanta www.atlfoodandwinefestival.com

What is a Leasing Permit and Where Do I Get One?

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