Blog Archives

How Do I Rent My Atlanta Home (Part 2)

March 28, 2012 by Thom Abbott

In my last post about How Do I Rent My Atlanta Home, we talked about what you need to do on the inside of your home to make it sparkle and shine to a prospective tenant. But first impressions go a long way in both buying and renting your home. And that first impression starts on the outside of your home. You’ve probably heard the saying….”curb appeal.”

So, exactly what is “curb appeal” and what do I have to do to Rent My Atlanta Home?

The Lawn — It needs to be mowed, driveway and curbs edged, and the landscape beds looking clean. This is all certainly “do-it-yourself” kinds of things, but if you have already moved, we can help you find a landscape company that will get this ready. You might even want to consider pricing your home rental to INCLUDE lawn maintenace. This can be one of your bigger challenges managing your rental or investment property….how the exterior is maintained.
Shrubbery and/or Trees — At least make sure for your initial rental advertising period, that you have the shurbbery trimmed and neat. Again, that first impression goes along way to not only getting the rental rate you desire, but getting your home rented faster because it looks great from the outside!
Roofing and Siding — We are certainly NOT suggesting you have a new roof installed! But, you might want to check in your attic (if you have one) and make sure there are no obvious signs of a problem. A tenant is much more likely to let such a problem go on for a long time before they report it, and water does all kinds of damage! As for the siding, you just want to make sure things are in place, any caulking needed, etc. Remember, your Atlanta Home For Rent is going to be occupied by a tenant, and a tenant is not inclined to walk around the house looking for issues like you would.
Driveway — ONLY if you have numerous stains, would we suggest a pressure wash. Otherwise, it should be fine.

GREAT! Now that you have your Atlanta Home ready To Rent, give us a call. We will make an appointment to give you a free evaluation of the market, review our unique marketing plans, tenant placement services and our cost saving way to manage your property for LESS money!

Complete our Landlord Evaluation Form and we will be in contact with you as soon as possible!

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!

How Do I Rent My Atlanta Home?

March 27, 2012 by Thom Abbott

There can be any number of reasons that you need to rent your Atlanta home. Whether it’s a job transfer, inability to sell your home for the price you need, or maybe you have taken advantage of the market and purchased an investment property. Whatever the reason, now you are asking, How Do I Rent My Atlanta Home?

A rental home is not much different than a home that is For Sale. Priced right, in good condtion and the right location, and you can have a tenant in place quickly. But there are several steps you need to take first.

Preparing Your Atlanta Home For Rent

If this is a home you have moved out of and are now renting, we first need to get “her in shape!” What exactly does that mean?

Spit clean and spotless — nothing will send a prospective tenant running faster than dirty carpet, bathrooms, windows, you name it…it needs to be clean!!! Whether you do it yourself, or hire a professional cleaning service, clean is mean when it comes to getting TOP DOLLAR for your Atlanta Rental Home!
Paint — A fresh coat of paint will go the farthest in making your home shine. It will make your home sell fresh and new, and may keep a prospective tenant in your home longer. The longer they look, the more likely they will rent. Always, always keep it neutral when you paint. You might leave a children’s room a special color, but the potential tenant may want it for a home office…so best to make it neutral. Painting can probably be done quicker or easier by a professional depending on how quickly you need it done, or how much time you have to do it yourself.
Mechanical/Systems/Appliances — Simply said, they all need to work, and work right. If a burner on the stove does not work, fix it. These little things will add up to less of a chance to lease your home, or later in a lease, a tenant may become frustrated that things don’t work and it could cause “problems.” Let’s not risk that…let’s just have it all working.

In our next post, we’ll talk about the exterior of the home and what needs to be done there. How about a hint? When you Rent Your Atlanta Home, you may only get one chance to make a good first impression.
Read more: https://atlantagahomesforrent.com/how-do-i-rent-my-atlanta-home#ixzz1qJl95Ola

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!

860 Peachtree Street, NE, Atlanta GA 30308 | Spire Midtown Atlanta Condominiums

March 24, 2012 by Thom Abbott

As a real estate agent, I am always asked, “What is your favorite Midtown Atlanta Condo building?” Yikes, I’m always cautious to answer that question, because not everyone wants the same things in a condo building. But, I’ll start by taking a look at 860 Peachtree Street, NE, Atlanta, GA 30308….also known as Spire Midtown Atlanta.

I remember purchasing my Spire Midtown condo back in 2004! It reminded me of what the land rush of the 1800’s to the Western U.S. must have been like, minus technology and all! There was a model of the building located in the center of about a 1000 sq ft. sales center located across the street from the actual building site. And on a wall, there was a listing of the unit numbers for each side of the building. In the time I was in the Sales Center, I would venture that a black dot (reserved) went on a unit number every 10 minutes!

The developer hosted several pre-opening parties where you got to meet your new neighbors! Afterall, Spire Midtown was THE talk of the town! It was the first new building in Midtown following the wildly successful Metropolis Midtown. At the first party, we were given buttons that said “I live on the ____Floor!” So you could look for your neighbors! (I probably still have the button somewhere!)

The moral to this story? I think there is still the same passion about living in Spire Midtown Atlanta. There are still many of the original owners that live in the building. Others, like myself, have sold and moved on for various reasons. But the “community feel” of the building still remains.

In the elevator foyer, electronic screens display various pictures of Spire Midtown, taken by residents of the buildings. Most residents come and go from the parking level elevator foyers…those were upgraded in the past few years to feel more like a lobby themselves, instead of a service entrance. The actual lobby was transformed from the original rather plain design to the inviting one that is now. (It was the subject of MUCH controversy and talk and I’ll leave it at that!)

Another unique feature of 860 Peachtree Street NE is that every residential floor has a hugh picture window at the end of the hallway overlooking Peachtree Street. It makes the hallways brighter, and just gives you a place to go and look out if you want to!

There is hardly a bad view from any home in Spire Midtown Atlanta, and the building’s street level retail has developed nicely with mainstays like Fresh To Order and newcomers like Five Guys Burgers and a soon to open Mexican restaurant.

860 Peachtree Street, NE, Atlanta GA 30308. A.K.A Spire Midtown Atlanta Condominiums. A pretty cool place to call home in Midtown Atlanta!

If You Want A Job, You May Have To Turn Over Your Facebook Password

March 21, 2012 by Thom Abbott

Via Scoop.it – Other Atlanta News Events

Employers get invasive….Imagine being asked for your Facebook ID and Password at a job interview. Just goes to show…if you are in the corporate world, you might want to limit those party pics?
Via www.businessinsider.com

Luxury Homes and Condominiums For Rent in Atlanta GA

March 20, 2012 by Thom Abbott

Looking for a Luxury Home or Condominium For Rent in Atlanta, GA?

Whether you are an executive relocating to the Atlanta area, perhaps a film star or a production executive, you will find everything from luxury in the sky to sprawling mansions that are sure to meet the most discerning individuals or families.

Luxury Homes and Condominiums For Rent in Atlanta GA

So what can you find in Luxury Rentals? Currently (March 21, 2012) there are 50 listings that show Furnished. This of course would be of interest to the Actor/Producer/Film Executive that is not bringing all their furnishings with them for the period of time they will be in Atlanta! There are some 200 listings available that would meet the needs of anyone looking for a longer term rental but actually MOVING to Atlanta and bringing there personal belongings with them.

Since some of the larger homes may be located outside of Atlanta proper, I’ve given you some links to other parts of the city where you will find luxury homes.

Search Luxury Homes and Condos For Rent in Atlanta

Search Luxury Homes For Rent in Alpharetta GA (North of Atlanta)

If you are looking for a Luxury Home or Condominium For Rent in Atlanta GA, contact me to help you find just what you need!

Keep in mind, the above searches do not distinquish between furnished or unfurnished.

If you have special needs (number of garage bays, pool or not, room for a home gym, etc. by contacting us, we can do a custom search based on exactly what you or your client may be looking for.

If you are trying to locate a Luxury Home or Condo For Rent close to a particular area of Atlanta or production facility, we can tailor that search for you! If you are concerned about commute times to the office or production facility or studio, we will be happy to check commute times. (There may be additional fees for this service. Please ask for further details.)

You give us the requirements, and we find the home or condo that is right for you or your client!

Is Your Midtown Atlanta Condo Listed Correctly?

March 20, 2012 by Thom Abbott

Congratulations! You’ve decided it’s time to sell your Midtown Atlanta Condo! The agent interviews are over, the paperwork is done, the lockbox is installed and you are ready for the showings! But they don’t happen!! Did you pick the wrong agent? (Honey, I TOLD you we should of listed with Thom Abbott!) Is the price to high? Maybe you should ask your agent if Your Midtown Atlanta Condo is Listed Properly?

Is Your Midtown Atlanta Condo Listed Correctly?

How do you know? You would hope that your agent knows what they are doing, right? But there are numerous little mistakes that can happen during the listing process that can quickly send your Midtown Atlanta Condo to Forsyth County and Cumming, some 20 miles away! Let’s take a look at some common mistakes and how you might find them.

Your Condo Listed in the the Wrong “Area”

In Metro Atlanta, our two listing services (FMLS and GaMLS) have the city divided into areas but numbers. (For this discussion we will use FMLS numbrs) Midtown Atlanta is in Area 23. Some agents like myself are responsible for putting your listing into the listing service. Others may have a coordinator, assistant or office manager that does this. So, the Area may have been written down wrong, or the agent/office manager could of made a wrong key stroke. By adding an extra “2” to the Area Number, you have just listed your Midtown Atlanta Condo in Forsyth County, about 20 miles NORTH of Midtown! Whoops!

How do YOU, the Seller know if this happened? Well, you do not have any websites that search real estate by FMLS Area’s. So, once your condo is listed, ask your agent to give you a Competitive Market Analysis (CMA) of the neighborhood, or building where you have your home For Sale. If it’s not appearing in that CMA, Bingo!

Your Condominium Name is Spelled Wrong!

NO! Not really? Ah, YES….REALLY! As an agent that specializes in Midtown Atlanta Condominiums, I have specific searches built for all the major condo buildings in Midtown Atlanta. For example, let’s say you live in Plaza Midtown Condominiums and have your condo listed For Sale. I have heard some Buyers and even Owners refer to the building as Midtown Plaza. Well, search for a listing in “Midtown Plaza”, and get nothing. (Midtown Plaza is actually an OFFICE BUILDING located on West Peachtree Street. A search with just the word “Plaza” will also bring up ANY listing with the word “Plaza” and there is another condo community with that word.

So, I as an agent that knows the building names could MISS your listing if the building name is not listed correctly (or SPELLED correctly) on your listing. How do You, The Seller know if this happened? Once your listing is Active, again ask for a CMA of all the condos listed in Plaza Midtown. On the right is an example of a search using just the word “Plaza.” (Note: I do an area search as well to look for EVERYTHING, but does every agent?)

Your Condominium Building Is in the Wrong Zip Code?

Midtown Atlanta is split between TWO Zip Codes….30308 and 30309. And the dividing line does not follow ANY logic! If you live in Spire Midtown Atlanta, you are 30308. Go just two blocks North on Peachtree Street to Metropolis Midtown Atlanta and you are now in 30309! These are the main Zip Codes for Midtown, but if you were searching for Midtown West, it’s in 30318.

One overall way to make sure your Midtown Atlanta Condo is listed correctly is to have your agent provide you a copy of the FMLS AGENT report. We can print reports in a variety of ways, but the AGENT report gives detailed information not visible to the Public. (A portion of one is below.)

THIS is the report you should review in great detail to make sure Your Midtown Atlanta Condo Is Listed Correctly!

Preparing Your Atlanta Home For Rent

Luxury Homes and Condominiums For Rent in Atlanta GA

Is Your Midtown Atlanta Condo Listed Correctly?

Your Condo Listed in the the Wrong “Area”

Your Condominium Name is Spelled Wrong!

Your Condominium Building Is in the Wrong Zip Code?

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