Atlanta Condos For Sale

Data Privacy OneTrust adds 500 Midtown Jobs

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The good news for jobs in Midtown just keeps on coming….as data privacy OneTrust adds 500 Midtown jobs! 

Midtown Atlanta OneTrust adds 500 jobsThe company has developed technology that helps business protect sensitive personal data of employees and customers. (Maybe they could cruise up Spring Street and visit the Equifax office…they seem to need some help!)

As part of a $5M expansion, the footprint of OneTrust’s Midtown office will double. They plan to lease an additional floor in the Midtown Heights office building on Spring Street. The company was launched March, 2016 and is co-headquartered in London. Their software is in demand as the European Union and other regulators are working to protect the privacy of citizens with new laws. 

Businesses are collecting more and more consumer data (seen those crazy ads pop up on Facebook right after you searched for a new car?) and this makes them cyber-hacking hot spots! Just ask Equifax, also located in Midtown…that just announced a massive data breach.

In the ABC article, “OneTrust’s growth is fueled by the macro trends of organizations collecting more personal data than ever before; IoT making this data even more sensitive; big data pressuring organizations to analyze and use the data in new ways; and consumer demand for additional privacy rights,” OneTrust CEO Kabir Barday noted. “All of this is putting pressure on organizations to think twice about how they protect the information they hold.”

OneTrust employees that may be relocating to Midtown Atlanta as new hires for the company will have numerous housing choices…from luxury apartments to high-rise condos.  The Midtown Heights Building is convenient to the Arts Center MARTA station. This area of Midtown is starting to see more construction that should bring dining options nearby. Those looking for more space in townhome living can look at exciting areas like Chamblee and Brookhaven for other options! Chamblee offers the most direct access to MARTA, making for an easy commute to Midtown. 

MyMidtownMojo and Thomas Ramon Realty are ready to help the new employees of OneTrust find just the perfect place to call home! Contact us today at 770.713.1505 or just fill out the Contact Form and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have!

 

 

I Cleared My Rental Wait List

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Renting your Midtown Atlanta CondoIf you have lived in a Midtown Atlanta condo for any length of time, you know it takes….time…to clear the rental waiting list. In fact, about 5 years in most buildings. (Almost every client we have sold a condo to, in various buildings, has cleared the wait list at 4+ years!)

I’ve Cleared My Rental Wait List — Now What?

Great you have permission to lease your Midtown Atlanta condo!

Once you have cleared the waiting list in your condo building, you have a specific amount of time in which to obtain a tenant for your condo. (This too will vary from building to building.) Now you need to find a tenant….that is if you in fact decide to rent your condo. You may decided it’s not the time for you to lease, and then your name will fall off the list and you will have to start back at the bottom. Depending on your personal situation, this can be the perfect time to start your real estate portfolio. You can look at purchasing another condo, or home, and lease this one. So you will need to be looking for that new home, and probably rather quickly based on the time you have to find your tenant. 

How Do I Find My Tenant?

Many homeowners will choose to “go it alone” and try to lease their condo on their own. Not my advice for sure. There are services such as Craigslist and other websites, but do you really want to meet a total stranger, off the Internet in your condo? Ahhhh, I thought not. 

Working with a real estate agent can make this process easier. Not only do we assist you with the marketing of your condo, we give you advice on the best things to do to make your condo more rentalable..and hopefully rent quicker. And an agent may be able to do property management for you, or just help you secure a tenant. Not all agents can, or do, property management. There are pros and cons to using a property management and we can discuss those with you in person. 

Screening Your New Tenant

Finding a Tenant for Your Midtown Atlanta CondoSo who is this person that has expressed an interest in living in YOUR condo? (We understand that you still think of this as your home, but it’s really a real estate investment that we now need to manage. And part of THAT process is finding a good tenant for your home. Most likely, another agent will bring a prospective tenant. Once they complete an application, we will have a credit check as well as a criminal background check completed by a national screening company that we work with. They check past rental references as well. If there are any unusual items on any of the reports, we can ask for further clarification and explanation. Ultimately, it is up to you to make a final decision on the prospective tenant. Of course, you must follow fair housing guidelines.

Fair Housing Act
Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended, prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of dwellings, and in other housing-related transactions, based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women, and people securing custody of children under the age of 18), and disability. 

As part of your leasing process, you can limit the number of occupants (this too may be dictated by condominium rules and regulations), pets, smoking and other things. Like a waterbed. Does anybody even HAVE one anymore?

Move In and Walk Through

Whether you work with a property management company or a real estate agent that offers tenant placement services (which is what I do) you will want to conduct a thorough walk thru at the time the tenant takes possession of the condo. During this walk thru, the condition of everything is noted and documented on the walk through form! We will also take pictures if we feel it will help for clarification at the end of the lease. 

Renting out your Midtown Atlanta condo might seem scary, but we can certainly help it be a much easier and smoother process!

Midtown and the Midtown Alliance

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Midtown AllianceAs I’m on the streets of Midtown Atlanta daily, and especially when I’m on a balcony of a high-rise building, I can certainly look back and remember when __________(fill in the blank) was a vacant lot. But when you talk with a prospective buyer who has never been in Midtown before, they may not realize just how much it’s changed. 

Midtown Alliance and the Midtown Improvement District

Just like train or a car that need an engine to power them, so does economic development. One of the ways this can happen is through a community improvement district (CID). Midtown happens to call theirs the Midtown Improvement District. What’s so important about this?

A CID is a mechanism whereby the property owners agree to self-tax themselves in order to fund infrastructure improvements to a certain area. They establish the boundary and then work to improve that area. (This is a very simplistic explanation of what a CID is. (The Midtown Alliance has more information on their website)

What Has The Midtown Alliance Done in Midtown?

Hmmm…

  • 1000+ new street trees
  • 15+ miles of sidewalk improvements
  • Keeping Midtown Clean and Green
  • $9M of public improvement projects
  • New public art
  • 3,500 light poles

The list goes on, and on. 

And there are social events to engage the residents. Active social media presence on Facebook and Instagram to keep tabs on what’s going on!

In just a 1.2 square mile where the Improvement District functions, look at all that has happened…

Thanks Midtown Alliance!

Midtown Atlanta and Midtown Alliance

What a Atlanta GA Home Buyer Needs To Know

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Buying a home or condominium in Atlanta GA is not something you should do without knowledge and research. With today’s technology, you can do much of that on your own. But…..BUYER BEWARE!!! There is a lot of information out there, and how do you know what’s right, or maybe wrong? You could even think that when reading this post! 

What a Atlanta GA Home Buyer Needs To Know

Atlanta Real Estate MarketWhile you can do this “self-research” I’d strongly suggest you find a real estate agent early in your process. I often start “working” with potential buyers months before they actually make a home purchase. I help them in their research about the home buying process, including meeting with a lender, identifying potential neighborhoods or condominium buildings. 

Here are just a few things or tips to keep in mind as you start the home buying process!

  1. In most cases, a home is the largest asset an individual will have, and is considered one of the safest investments.
  2. Property taxes and qualified home loan interest are deductible on an individual’s federal income tax return.
  3. A homeowner can exclude up to $500,000 of capital gains if married and filing jointly, or up to $250,000 if single or married and filing separately. The home must have been the taxpayer’s principal residence for the previous two years. **
  4. A portion of your monthly mortgage payment is applied to the principal…consider this a monthly investment!
  5. You can live in and enjoy your home as an investment..you can’t do that with a mutual fund!
  6. I can show you ANY home listed you find, whether with another real estate company. Even new home construction that you may see when you drive by a new community. Remember, in each of these cases, the SELLER has someone representing them…and you should have someone representing YOU!
  7. Having been pre-approved with a lender will help you know how much house you can purchase and also help in negotiations with a Seller. Having the Seller know you have your mortgage process underway is a great tool in a demanding Seller’s Market.
  8. You have a right to conduct a home/condo inspection as part of your Purchase and Sale Agreement. This gives you the ability to negotiate repairs or compensation once you know all the facts about the property. (In condominiums, this can also be a time for you to review condo docs and budgets to know more about the building)
  9. A Home Protection Plan can offer you “piece of mind” coverage for select items like appliances, central heat/air and water heaters. If the Seller does not provide this during the negotiation process, you can purchase this coverage on your own. (Of course we can help you with various sources!)
  10. In a “Seller’s Market” don’t be looking for “the deal.” Remember, that Seller has an agent working for them, and hopefully they have priced the home accordingly. (Not always the case!) Focus on finding the right home, within your budget, and then let your real estate agent help negotiate the best terms and price. 

Whether you are ready to buy a home in the next 30 days, or the next 3 months, we are here to help you through the process, from beginning to your Celebration Day when you get the keys to your new home! And we will be here long after to answer any questions, or help your family or friends when they are ready to Buy or Sell! 

Check out our Intown Atlanta Buyer’s Guide for more information! And you can always contact me via email at Thom@MyMidtownMojo.com….by phone or text at 770.713.1505 or with the contact form below. Let’s set a time to meet and I can help YOU with What a Atlanta GA Home Buyer Needs to Know! 

Atlanta Georgia Real Estate

Thom Abbott, Associate Broker

Thomas Ramon Realty @ Palmer House Properties

2911 Piedmont Road, Suite B

Atlanta, GA 30305

Direct: 770.713.1505

Office: 404.876.4901

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Choosing the Right Atlanta Neighborhood

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Whether you are moving across Atlanta, or coming across country, you have a big decision to make. Single, or married or married with kids….one decision you have is choosing the right Atlanta Neighborhood!

What Should I Consider when Choosing a Neighborhood?

Search Atlanta NeighborhoodsOf course, the answer to this question is not a one size fits all! What is important to you will play a major role in where you decide to live in Atlanta. Schools? Walkability? Style of type of house? House or condo? Commute to work? Hospitals? Hmmm. 

Schools

While I personally don’t have children, I understand that schools are important. HEY…they are important even if you DON’T have kids, as quality schools can have a huge impact on property values. I’m happy to help you with resources for school information, but again, what may be important to you and your kids may differ from any website I may offer you. We can always talk and look for resources together. 

Walkability

Much of Atlanta’s mobility is very, very dependent on four wheels! As such, we have traffic and we have commuting issues (see below). But maybe you want to live someplace where you can easily walk to restaurants or retail without the aid of your car. It’s certainly possible in Atlanta, but the type of housing you may want might not match with the walkability. Areas like Midtown Atlanta offer the most walkability, but much of the housing is in the form of condominiums. There is Historic Midtown with single family homes, but they may not be they type of home you are looking for. There are other “pockets” or areas to look at. Decatur, Chamblee, parts of Brookhaven, and others are out there that will offer some walkability. We just have to look at your wants and needs and find that right spot!

Choosing an Atlanta NeighborhoodStyle of House — Condo, Single Family or Townhome

Again, many choices here. And that is where your lifestyle comes in, and what we will talk about during our Initial Consultation. We look at your wants and needs, and they help identify the neighborhoods, or buildings that meet what you are looking for! And we might even point out things you did not think of!

Commute To Work

Yeah…this is a biggie when you look at Atlanta. If you telecommute…awesome! You have lots of options! But where you live and where you work could have a big impact on your quality of life if you spend to much time behind the wheel! Our sister website, MyAtlantaMojo.com has a cool Commute feature in the Search function. Look at a specific listing, and then you can calculate the time it will take you to get to work. It’s pretty cool!

Hospitals or Medical Services

Maybe you are relocating to the Atlanta area to be close to your adult children and their families. But you might want to be closer to doctors or hospitals as you age in place. These are other factors we can look at to decide what neighborhood is right for you!

We are here to help you sell your home and buy the next one. If you found this blog post, and are moving from another city, maybe you have not found a real estate agent to help you there? We can even help with that!! We have a vast network of agents that we know and trust all across the country. Whether it’s Los Angeles or Little Rock, we can help! 

We look forward to meeting you and getting to know you!

 

 

What Is Midtown Atlanta?

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Condos For Sale Midtown Atlanta
Midtown Atlanta Keeps Growing

If your are from the Atlanta area, the chance is better than not, you have been to Midtown Atlanta. Between a festival like the Dogwood Festival, or Music Midtown, a play at the Fox Theater, or an exhibition at the High Museum…all of that is…and happens in Midtown Atlanta. So What Is Midtown Atlanta?

Many years ago, as I was building this website, I was trying to create my own vision of what I thought Midtown was. Why did I love it so much? And love selling condominiums in Midtown? I was actually in Montana when I wrote this…

It’s an elevator ride from home to the street.

It’s waking up with sun streaming in your picture windows

It’s coffee on your balcony as the city wakes up below

It’s lunch at a sidewalk bistro with your OTP friends

It’s a walk to the market for those last minute dinner provisions

It’s dinner with friends and a good bottle of wine

It’s sampling a different restaurant every night of the week.

What Is Midtown Atlanta?

It’s a night of cocktails and conversation in the night life scene

It’s a dramatic sunset across the horizon.

It’s an elevator ride from the street to home. –Thom Abbott

Come explore Midtown Atlanta and find YOUR Midtown Mojo!!!

Not too bad, eh? 

But, I can always count on my friends at The Midtown Alliance to sum it up a bit better. (Well, they have a bigger marketing budget than I do! LOL!) 

 

Thom Abbott

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

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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