Random Topics Archives

Pictures and Blogs! Pictures and Blogs!

November 16, 2010 by Thom Abbott

When I first started writing my blog back in 2007, I saw all these picture on posts. Some of them you could tell were “stock” photos, or they were cartoon in nature. And I read where you should have your camera with you all the time, you never know when you might find a great picture that could be the source of a blog!

So, now I do just that. I’ve built up such a library of pictures that I honestly have a hard time keeping track of them and where they are filed. It’s not uncommon for me to spend 20-30 minutes looking for a certain picture I KNOW I have! I’m doing it partly because Midtown Atlanta is changing SO fast, that you forget what was there a couple years ago! Take these two pictures…the far left is 1010Midtown as it was coming up, and the other is close to topping out! Amazing!

I’ve lived in Atlanta for some 16 plus years now…..and have watched it grow! We seem to make the news quite often for our traffic…and true…it’s getting to be challenging! For those of us that work in the condominium markets of Midtown and Buckhead, it just makes our marketplace, that much better since you can live Intown, and not have the hour+ commute each way! UGH!

Anyway, I thought I’d just share a few pictures to show you where The Thom And Ray Team hangout! Enjoy!

Atlanta’s Backstreet, one of only 3 places in the U.S that was a 24-Hour club (oh I remember it well and miss it as well….)

Made way for progress, and was replaced by Viewpoint!

But Midtown still has the charm it once had, as you can see from St. Marks Methodist Church!

And lastly, here is a “time wharp” of two pictures that really tell it all!

1968 — to today! Wow! We’ve Come Along Way Baby!!

Continental-United Merger Is About to Land!

August 31, 2010 by Thom Abbott

Continental-United Merger Is About to Land!

The Justice Department said on Friday that it has no more antitrust concerns about the merger of Continental Airlines with United Airlines. This combination, when complete, will trump Atlanta based Delta Air Lines which had gained that title when they merged with Northwest Airlines in 2008.

Shareholders at Continental Airlines Inc. and United parent UAL Corp. are set to vote on the deal on Sept. 17, and the Transportation Department has to approve it. The airlines now expect the deal to close by Oct. 1.

We probably will not see much change here in ATL, since neither airline is a big player in the Atlanta Market. However, I would suspect (I don’t travel like I use to so don’t quote me on this…) that as the number of airlines reduce, we may see fares increase.A little less competition in the friendly skies???

Here is a picture of a new United plane, incorporating the United name and the Continental logo.

ContinentalUnited Merger

Hot Time In The City! Tips For Keeping Your Cool Inside!

August 14, 2010 by Thom Abbott

Hot Time In The City (or Country) — Tips For Keeping Your Cool!

Yep. We have certainly been living up to our nickname here in Atlanta this summer…..HOTLANTA! Whew! 90 something everyday! I walk out at 7am on my way to my Midtown Atlanta office and think, “Man, can’t it just stay THIS temperature for the rest of the day?” It doesn’t happen. So, here’s a few tips for YOU to keep you cool in the remaining hot days of the summer.

* Set your thermostat higher when away at work, or away on vacation. About 5 degrees will do it.

* Set your thermostat at 78 degrees or higher and forget it! By raising your temperature you could save about a $100 on your summer power bills

HVAC Repair * Change your air conditioning filter. Whether you live in an older house in Historic Midtown Atlanta, or a new condominium, you’d be amazed at how dirty those guys get. And dirty means less efficiency, and making your a/c work harder. Set yourself a reminder on your calendar.

* Check your doors and windows for leaks. For our condo dwellers, newer buildings are pretty tight, but your older buildings might not be so. If you have cobwebs or high levels of dust, you probably have air leaks. (Shoot, I thought that was just from my extreme desire NOT to do house cleaning….)

* If in a single family home, be sure to make sure your outdoor condenser can “breathe” and is not covered up by landscape shrubs

*Have your system regularly serviced (usually spring and fall) to keep it at its peak performance. In Midtown Atlanta, we condo dwellers often forget that we have a unit somewhere (like maybe on the roof) that should be serviced. Of course this requires a bit of extra planning to the building maintenance people can get your a/c man on the roof.

Just a few cool tips to keep you cool in these remaining Dog Days of Summer in Midtown Atlanta!

Have YOU Met Deltalina? If You've Flown Delta Air Lines, You Have!

August 3, 2010 by Thom Abbott

Have YOU Met Deltalina? If You’ve flown Delta Air Lines, You Have!

The Internet really has to be the most incredible invention since the jet airplane or the automobile. I mean the things you can find are amazing.

For example, I was on another real estate web site this morning (it shall remain nameless) and they had a little video window on the home page. I clicked on it and what did I find…

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rtjV4VS1Ug&feature=related[/youtube]

I always wondered about that lady that does the new Delta Air Lines safety videos….and now I know! And So do you!

Margaret Cho Calls Midtown Atlanta Home

July 17, 2010 by Thom Abbott

Margaret Cho Calls Midtown Atlanta Home!
I’m still working on a blog post (or series) about my recent adventures called working as an extra on various film and TV productions that are happening in Atlanta. But I’ll fill in with tidbits as they come along.

I’ve had the opportunity to work numerous times on the Lifetime TV series, Drop Dead Diva. Depending on the specific set, you may, or may not have much interaction with the actual stars of the show.

Two weeks ago, I was on set with the infamous Margaret Cho, who stars as Terri Lee, the assistant of Jane Bingum, played by Brooke Elliott. At one point I wanted to poke my head in the office where she was sitting and tell her how fantastic she was when she was the star entertainer on an Atlantis Cruise I was on a few years ago. Turns out my partner, Ray Benitez DID talk to her when he was on set and she remember the cruise well!

Margaret took time out to talk with Fenuxe Magazine here in Atlanta. She mentioned that she has moved from Peachtree City to Midtown Atlanta. Well of course, MY first question is why she did not call ME to be her REALTOR!! Second Question….What Midtown Atlanta Condo building did she select? Hmmmm…I don’t have the answer for that own.

But, if Margaret Cho calls Midtown Atlanta home, shouldn’t you?

Let me show you why I love Midtown Atlanta, call it my home, and now, so does Margaret!

Georgia Lottery What's the Numbers?

May 22, 2010 by Thom Abbott

Georgia Lottery. What’s the Numbers?

I’ve always figured the lottery was pretty big money. I don’t mean winning it. (Oh but if I did…..whoops, that’s another topic) I mean how much money it generates. It boggles the mind to say the least.

Just take a look at some of these numbers:

$29 BILLION in ticket sales, 2000-2009
$1.8 BILLION in tickets provided as prizes
$16 BILLION in prize payouts 2000-2009
$7.8 BILLION funding for education 2000-2009
$1.9 BILLION paid in cash commission and bonuses to Lottery retailers

And of course, you gotta spend money to make money, right? So $189 million on advertising (those billboards don’t come cheap) and $87 million for merchandising. That’s some serious money as well.

Georgia Lottery funds go to HOPE scholarships for one thing. It’s nice to know that from 1993-2009 there were 90,824 HOPE students at Univeristy of Georgia alone.

So, there are lots of people playing the lottery for that “chance”. And it certainly shows in the numbers.

HomeSmart