Atlanta Condos For Sale

Will History Be a Part of Midtown Atlanta…or will it be just….History?

by

Most of my blogging is directed at real estate…helping visitors to this site, as well as other potential real estate clients learn about Midtown Atlanta, its housing options, its lifestyle. Most of my posts related to lifestyle are about where to eat, or what to do, or festivals in Midtown and surrounding areas. But there are other things that add to the lifestyle of Midtown Atlanta.

Midtown Atlanta History

Its history. Or maybe we should call it “The Disappearing History of Midtown.”

We all know about progress. Without progress, things would never change. We all get that. But not always, is change a good thing. Especially when it comes to history. I recently just spent 3 weeks in Hawaii. If you’ve never visited the Big Island, I strongly recommend it. But, what I found there, was so many historic and sacred places that were marked and preserved. And people were asked to respect it.

2015-03-03 15.30.57

“Care for the things of the past. Once altered, they are gone forever.”

6thJuniperMidtown Atlanta is again experience a renaissance of sorts with new construction. Apartment buildings are literally going up on every corner! But at what cost to the history of Midtown? Much of the construction IS going into (or on) vacant land or parking lots. But the recent razing of a beautiful historic Midtown home at 6th and Juniper brings into question, are we caring for things of the past? Or is it all about progress and the development dollar.

Here is a link to a GREAT story written by Maria Saporta in the SaportaReport. It pretty much says it all.

I recently saw a thread on Facebook and the outcry from many that they could not believe this home had been torn down. Well, people, it is up to us, or certainly the residents/property owners that live in these areas to decide if they want to preserve their neighborhood, or let it continue to be the bullseye of the wrecking ball.

6thJuniperAfter

The Midtown Neighbors’ Association will host a meeting with preservation experts on Thursday, March 19th from 7-8PM at the Grace United Methodist Church. You can find more information here! 

A big shout out and thanks to Maria Saporta for this story and her photos we have shown here.

More Atlanta Renters Looking to Homeownership in 2015

by

Buying A HouseMore renters are looking to become homeowners in 2015, but it won’t be without some challenges.

The Zillow Housing Confidence Index has indicated that Atlanta’s renters are more confident about the housing market, and some 130,000 plan to buy a home this year. That’s all well and good, but here are some challenges:

Lack of Inventory

If those renters are looking at Midtown or Buckhead for condominiums, they best be prepared to pounce when they find one they like, and have their pre-approval with a lender in place. Limited inventory and almost no new construction on the horizon will make prices continue to rise, and the possibility of multiple bids a continued reality. All those cranes you see over the skyline are not building “For Sale” buildings, but an abundance (and maybe a bit to much) of rental apartments. So when that priced-right condo hits the market, don’t expect it to sit around for long. An inventory example in Midtown…Cornerstone Village has 310 homes, and there are currently only TWO homes listed For Sale.

Saving For A Down Payment

You have to have some “skin in the game” when it comes to getting a mortgage. That means you need to have money for a down payment. Depending on your credit and other circumstances, this does not mean you may need 10 or 20 percent down. You might qualify for other programs that will offer less money down. And you can work with parents or other family members for a potential gift towards your down payment.

Qualifying for a Mortgage

Well, yes….gone are the days of “fog a mirror, get a loan.” You need to qualify for that mortgage. If you have good credit, a job and don’t have oodles of credit card debt or a big car loan, you should be able to qualify for a mortgage. How much, is another story. (You can find our list of preferred lenders here.)

Finding an affordable home or condo

That might be the biggest challenge of all. Prices have certainly rebounded from years past. Another example in looking at Cornerstone Village. A 1-bedroom condo that sold for $78,900 in December, 2013 is now on the market at $137,000! One bedroom homes at Spire Midtown were selling in the $140-170,000 range and are now topping over $200,000 for the same homes!

But according to Zillow, Atlanta’s Housing Confidence Index hit 66.5, up some 4 percent from January, 2014. Renter confidence also climbed 4.6 percent for the same period.

Those that continue to “sit on the fence” will find that jump off more expensive!

PLANS FILED FOR 25-STORY AZURE ON THE PARK APARTMENT TOWER NEAR PIEDMONT PARK

by

Well, it looks like Midtown Atlanta is going to see another high rise building. But condo buyers….not so fast!

PLANS FILED FOR 25-STORY AZURE ON THE PARK APARTMENT TOWER NEAR PIEDMONT PARK

Located at 1020 Piedmont Avenue, the building will rest between 10th and 11th Streets with a residential units wrapped around a five-story parking structure and a 25 story tower. A total of 330 homes. There will be a minimal 2,100 square feet of retail space.

Atlanta Realty Partners filed a building permit with the City of Atlanta and will spend some $2,500,000 to ready the site for construction. That would most likely include the demolition of older apartment buildings on the site.

At this time, MyMidtownMojo.com does not have any “before” photos but will capture them next week.

Azure On The Park Midtown Atlanta Apartments

Shep’s Midtown Ace Hardware Store a Welcomed Addition!

by

Ace Hardware Midtown AtlantaYou know how it is. There you are in your Midtown Atlanta condo, ready to hang that totally awesome painting or art work you just picked up at the Dogwood Art Festival. What? We don’t have any picture hangers? Or Nails? So, down the elevator you go, into the car, out of the garage, down Peachtree Street, left on Ponce and all the way to Home Depot at Midtown Promenade on Ponce. Remember that trip?

Remember no more?

Shep’s Midtown Ace Hardware Store

Where is Ace Hardware Store in MidtownMidtown now has a totally cool, urban hardware store…and you can w-a-l-k to it! A big welcome to The Midtown Ace Hardware Store. It’s located on the corner of Juniper and 7th Streets. That would be on the back side of Viewpoint Midtown and just down the block from the under construction Seventh Midtown.

We’ve already been in the store twice for light bulbs and an HVAC filter. Zach Stafford, the owner is sure to greet you when you arrive or certainly before you leave! The team is attentive, and if there is something you need and they don’t have it, they will get it in stock. They are all about knowing what their customers want in the store!

It’s a full hardware store, just scaled down. Paint, no problem. Hardware, no problem. Lawn and Garden, not only no problem but the store will have a “First For Midtown” outdoor garden center along the side of the store on 7th Street. We can hardly wait to see what they bring in there!

Shep's Ace Hardware Midtown AtlantaAlso unique to the store is a smoothie bar that will open in the next couple months. Hey, get that boost of energy before you start on your next condo project. Residents of Historic Midtown will enjoy the convenience of this store as well, since they too have to make the same trek to the Home Depot!

In speaking with the owner, he will be working with the various Midtown condominium HOA’s to offer Community Discount nights for specific buildings. Now when did you ever hear of Home Depot doing something like THAT!

Welcome Midtown Ace Hardware. Ace IS the place of the helpful hardware man!

What Jobs Are There in the Georgia Film Industry?

by

Drop Dead Diva
Thom Abbott on the set of Drop Dead Diva

Unless you been hiding somewhere, you have to know that Georgia, and Atlanta are swarming with television and movie productions! I attended the monthly meetings of the Georgia Production Partnership (GPP) and the representative from the Film Commission Office usually has 20-30 productions that she reads off every month! Georgia has put into place a very robust tax incentive that is bringing all these productions to Georgia.

What Jobs Are There in the Georgia Film Industry?

But with the “gold rush” of productions being filmed here, comes another problem.

Jobs.

Actually not the jobs, put the people to fill those jobs! The production companies are scrambling to find local, trained people to fill all the positions that are involved with a movie or TV production. They are often times having to spend additional monies to hire people from OUTSIDE the state of Georgia to staff up the production.

Wonder just how many people it takes? Look at the graphic below that appeared in the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

Jobs in Georgia Film Industry

Just look at the construction and transportation people that were needed on Hunger Games that filmed here! (A side note, the transportation people are all union…good luck ever getting into that union! I’ve looked into it and it is an act of congress!)

The State of Georgia is working to put a Film Academy in place in various universities and trade/technical schools to give residents of Georgia a chance for these jobs! 

We have several Facebook Pages for the various studios that are happening in Atlanta. (Not all of them mind you!) You can check them out and “like” them to keep up with happenings. But the studios themselves do not hire most of the help, it is the individual production companies. You want to get to know someone that is already working on movie sets that may be able to help you get your foot in the door!

 

Mercedes Benz Selects Sandy Springs Site for 12-Acre Campus

by

Mercedes Benz Selects Sandy Springs Site for 12-Acre Campus

Mercedes Benz Relocates to AtlantaMercedes Benz, the well-known German luxury auto maker has selected a site in Sandy Springs off of Abernathy Road and GA400 as the site for their new Atlanta headquarters.

The land is part of two larger tracts that straddle Abernathy road and Glenridge Road. According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, both tracts are being purchased by Ashton Woods Homes, and they will in turn sell back the 12 acre parcel to Mercedes. It’s a headquarters district for sure….Mercedes Benz neighbors include United Parcel Service and Newell Rubbermaid. Mercedes will locate on the southern side of Abernathy Road.

Mercedes Benz Atlanta Headquarters Sandy Springs

If they were looking for a location close to MARTA for that “techy, urban” kind of employee, they have a stretch with this site. Abernathy Road is a busy, busy automobile street, and there are no sidewalks on the South side of Abernathy leading to the MARTA station at Mt. Vernon Highway and Perimeter Center Parkway. Not to mention that walk goes along side a stretch of undeveloped land (nothing exciting to engage the pedestrian there….) and then crossing Peachtree Dunwoody Road to get to the station Entrance.  Here is a map indicating the location of the campus and the MARTA station.

Mercedes Benz and MARTA

Driving? Abernathy road/GA400 is another ‘ground zero” for traffic bottle necks, and with the pending construction/re-design of the GA400 and I-285 Interchange just to the south of here….well, maybe they can grab an extra coffee and if they have a company Mercedes…just sit back..and wait.

But, for those Mercedes Benz employees that are inclined to want that urban life style, we can help them find a great location in Midtown Atlanta for condominium living, and near the Buckhead MARTA station Skyhouse Buckhead and Cyan are luxury apartment options. Nearby 10 Terminus and Realm Condominiums are options here as well.

We look forward to helping Mercedes Benz employees feel right at home in Midtown Atlanta and beyond.

 

Thom Abbott

Associate Broker, REALTOR(R)
905 Juniper Street, NE Suite 110
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
770.713.1505 Direct
404.876.4901 Office

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

HomeSmart