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Anthem to take Second Midtown Tower

April 19, 2019 by Thom Abbott

The kinda-giant in health insurance, Anthem, Inc. is going to occupy a bigger part of the Midtown Atlanta office landscape.

Anthem to take Second Midtown Tower

740 West Peachtree is currently under construction for the company, next to the almost complete Coda mixed use development. The addition of 712 West Peachtree and the creation of the Anthem Technology Center mean hundreds of Anthem workers will call Midtown Atlanta home by 2021. The second building is expected to start construction in a few weeks.

In an email quoted in the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Anthem confirmed this expansion:

“We have announced some future changes to our Atlanta-area office locations that will enable us to provide improved worked environments for our employees and enhance our strong collaborative culture, as we focus on creating a better healthcare experience for the communities and customers we serve. We have recently agreed to lease a tower as part of the new Portman Holdings development in Midtown Atlanta at 712 West Peachtree, and plan to consolidate our offices currently in Buckhead and downtown Atlanta to this new location when construction is completed in 2021.”

As stated above, this consolidation of offices in Midtown and Buckhead may, or may not mean additional new people looking to move into Midtown Atlanta to be closer to the new offices. But there are certainly many choices for just that. Just 4 (or so) blocks away, the new conversion, Harper on Piedmont will offer new condominium residences. Headed North from the site you will find buildings like Cornerstone Village, Viewpoint Midtown, Spire and MidCity Lofts. All of these buildings are an easy walk to the new Center. And these are just a few of the many options! The stars on the map below indicate the location of these buildings.

Anthem employees needing to travel are just a couple blocks from the North Avenue MARTA station for easy access to Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The location of the new building to MARTA, would also open up areas like Assembly Doraville and Chamblee with transit access to work.

We look forward to helping Anthem, Inc. employees call Midtown Atlanta HOME! For more information on the living options available in Midtown Atlanta, just contact us at 770.713.1505 or complete the form below!

5 Organizing Mistakes You Could be Making

April 5, 2019 by Thom Abbott

Most of us wish to keep our homes organized. That’s a piece of cake. Yet many individuals have a hard time to maintain their home this way. This is due to the fact that there are some typical actions that can be making it tough for you to remain organized. Here are 5 Organizing Mistakes You Could be Making!

Not Arranging by Feature

Lots of individuals like to sort by shade or group things by their physical similarities. Nevertheless, this could really be making areas such as your closets even a bigger mess. If every one of your shirts are organized by color yet you use specific t-shirts during the week and also other ones on the weekend, this will create you to have to sift with every t shirt you have to find one that is work-appropriate or laid-back enough for the weekend break.

Rather, group things by feature. Maintain all your shoes and also garments organized in a way that makes good sense for your lifestyle and also you will have a better chance of staying arranged.

Organizing Things You Do Not Need

Before you organize your kitchen area or bathroom, sort out what you have and ask yourself if each thing is still essential. For instance, if you are reorganizing cabinets in the kitchen, take every item out of the cabinet and also lay it out before you. Examine each thing and also choose if you must keep it, toss it or give it away!

Now, you only need to organize the products you have left. Organizing items you do not use is a waste of time and will just add to the clutter you are trying to get rid of.

Purchasing Too Many Storage Space Containers

Do you acquire boxes and also baskets with every purpose of getting organized by using them, but they wind up sitting in the garage or your storage unit with a wide variety of unassociated things? Before you invest in storage containers, eliminate anything you don’t really need or use anymore. After that, decide how many and what kind of containers you need, on a list. This way, you buy the right containers for the things you are keeping.

Using Bookshelves as a Storage Unit

It’s easy to transform your shelves into a disposing ground for knick-knacks and also various items you do not have a place for. Actually, the bookshelf should have a really thoughtful design of carefully curated products. Bookshelves are open and also become an eyesore when they’re jammed.

Also the books you display on your bookshelf ought to be the best of the best! Those paperbacks you need to keep…they go in one of those containers.

Furniture Overload

If you stay in a condo or a smaller house, make sure you have the right furnishings for the space you have to work with. For example, just because houses commonly have a formal dining room doesn’t mean you HAVE to have a dining room table. This could make a great home office or theater room! imply you have to. If you condo has a breakfast bar, and you don’t entertain much, consider not having ANY dining table. It just depends on your space and your lifestyle. Save room for that special piece that came from family or as some other meaning to you!

Looking for even more methods to maintain your residence clutter-free… especially if you are thinking about selling … Give us a call today! We are happy to help you with this process, or give you some resources!

NEW! Fulton County Homestead Exemption

March 27, 2019 by Thom Abbott

NEW! Fulton County Homestead Exemption NEW!

There is a NEW Senior Homestead Tax Exemption available for homeowners who are 65 or older, regardless of income, if your primary residence is in Fulton County.

This new age-based exemption was passed in November 2018 and is in addition to base homestead exemption but it requires an application (by April 1) to take effect in most cases to increase the amount of your homestead exemption and effectively lower total property taxes. The deadline to file for this new Senior Homestead Tax Exemption (or for any homestead exemption) is Monday April 1, 2019, to qualify for property tax relief in the current year.

Standard Rule: If primary residence then owner may qualify to exempt up to $30,000 of their home’s assessed value.

NEW IN FULTON – Homeowners over the age of 65 are now eligible for a new senior homestead exemption. It increases the base homestead exemption from $30,000 to $50,000. All homeowners over the age of 65 qualify, regardless of income.

ACTION NEEDED: If Owner already has another 65 and older homestead exemption, this will automatically apply. If not, they must apply online, in person, or by the April 1 deadline.

The following steps will help you file your homestead exemption online:

1. Go to: https://fultonassessor.org

2. Click on “Property Search”

3. Click on “Address Search”

4. Key in the property address, but leave off the suffix (ex: for 123 Main Street, you would enter 123 Main)

5. Click “Search” 6. When results are returned, click on the property owner’s name to be directed to the property profile.

7. On the Profile page, in the lower right-hand corner, the page will provide the Fulton County exemption code (FUL Exep Code).

8. If the FUL Exep Code ends in “S”, the property owner does not need to file (ex: HF01S), but if it does not end in “S,” the property owner will need to file by April 1.

9. To file, visit the following: https://fultonassessor.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2019/01/2019-HomesteadApplication-Revised.pdf to print out the form to take to the Assessor’s Office.

10. To file online, visit: https://iassmartfile.fultoncountyga.gov/

11. Either “Create an Account” or “Login”

12. Click “Homestead Exemption”

To file, the property owner will need the following information:

a. Georgia Driver’s License or valid Georgia identification (Owner and Spouse)

b. Social Security Number (Owner and Spouse)

c. Registration for all vehicles owned (vehicles must be registered to Fulton County)

d. Recorded Deed (for new owners only)

e. Trust Document and Affidavit (if the property is held in trust).

For further assistance, call (404) 612-6440 x 4 or visit:

Peachtree Center North Tower (Main Office) 235 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30303

Fulton County Government Center 141 Pryor Street, Suite 1018 Atlanta, GA 30303-3487

Alpharetta Service Center 11575 Maxwell Road Alpharetta, GA 30009

North Service Center 7741 Roswell Road NE, Suite 210 Atlanta, GA 30350

South Service Center 5600 Stonewall Tell Road, Suite 224 College Park, GA 30349

Atlanta Real Estate Market Brief — February 2019

March 19, 2019 by Thom Abbott

The Atlanta REALTORS® Association has released their Atlanta Real Estate Market Brief — February 2019.

This market brief examines sales and prices in an 11-county area consisting of Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Fayette, Henry and Paulding Counties. ( So take note…this is a really, really BROAD look at the real estate market in Metro Atlanta!)

Overall residential sales were at 3,464 which is a decrease of 7.4% from the previous year. When you look at price (both average and median) you see they continue to gain traction and are ahead of 2018 numbers. The median sales price in February was $264,000, an increase of 5.6% from February, 2018. The average Sales Price was up by 5.3% to $319,000.

What’s The Atlanta Inventory Like?

Inventory increased by 15.7% from February, 2018 with 12,806 active listings. (Remember those MetroBrokers digital signs back in the day that had 80,000, 90,000 and even 100,000 homes For Sale? Shreeeeek!) New listings were up by 15.4% from February, 2018. The month’s supply over a 12-month period decreased to 2.6 months.

Is This A Normal Real Estate Market?

A normal real estate market has 6 months of inventory. Less than 6 months (as indicated above) is a Seller’s market, and more than 6 months is a Buyer’s market. More inventory means buyers can probably get the Seller to negotiate more on price or other concessions. In a Seller’s market, we find homes selling for list price, and even above list price.

My word of caution in a report as broad as this…..real estate is all about location, location, location. These average sales numbers are just that… an average and what you may see in your neighborhood, city or specific condominium building may vastly differ from these numbers. This is why it’s always best to get a real estate professional to give you a market picture for your home and neighborhood/building.

If you have questions about the value of your home, give us a call, or just fill out the form below and we will be in touch with you!

13 Holiday Events Around Atlanta

December 9, 2018 by Thom Abbott

Whether you have family coming into Atlanta to visit you, or you want to join friends or your family here, you might be looking for some things to get you into the holiday spirit. Maybe we found something you’ll find interesting in our 13 Holiday Events Around Atlanta!

(The Title of Each Event or Place is a like to their website, if we found one!)

Lights of Life

Drive through the campus of Life University in Marietta to experience the Lights of Life, open Every night from dark to 9 p.m. on weekdays and until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays through December 31. Since 1989 this light show has grown to encompass more than 1 million LED lights in displays set up along the grounds. Other activities include visits with Santa, pony rides, and concessions.

Through December 13, admission is $5 per car Monday through Thursday and $10 per car Friday through Sunday. From December 14 to 31, admission is $10 per car regardless of day. Additional fees are required for onsite activities and concessions.

Holiday in The Park at Six Flags Atlanta – Thru January 6

Celebrating its fifth year, Holiday in the Park returns bigger and brighter than ever with more than 1 million LED lights, 16 themed areas, 30 holiday rides, a variety of live shows, and plenty of photo ops scattered throughout that would be perfect for next year’s holiday cards.

Open select days through January 6, tickets vary based on age and date. See website for exact pricing and to purchase tickets.

Skating at Park Tavern — A Midtown Favorite! Through January 21st

“The Rink Powered by Pepsi” is a popular ice skating rink that returns with a “Fire & Ice” theme featuring a Neo-Victorian feel and design elements, holiday décor, games, seasonal cocktails, and more.

Through January 21, skating is open to all ages from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday for $15 and on Friday through Sunday for $20. Each evening at 8:30 p.m., The Rink turns into an “ages 16 and up” venue until midnight. Rental skates are included.

Parking is $3 on weekdays and $5 on weekends.

Santa at The Battery Atlanta

This one has all kinds of different hours and options. December 16th for example, is Santa Paws Night when you can bring the family pet.

World of Coke Holiday Highlights

To celebrate the season, this downtown attraction is highlighting the history of the Coca-Cola Santa as well as spotlighting seasonal Coke ads and artifacts from around the world. Guests also can sample seasonable beverages like Apple Pie Sprite and Gingerbread Coke.

Photo ops galore, including with the Coca-Cola Polar Bear, positioned in Santa’s sleigh, and outside the venue by giant ornaments. Ticket prices vary by day and age, so check website for full calendar and pricing. Available through January 1.

Stone Mountain Christmas — Through January 6th

Stone Mountain Christmas invites residents and visitors alike to come experience some of the park’s top attractions all decked out for the Christmas season. See an abbreviated 4-D version of “The Polar Express,” take a ride on the Scenic Railroad as you sing carols, visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. When you’ve finished, how about that holiday photo made with holiday characters Rudolph, Clarice, and Bumble from “Rudolph, The Red-nosed Reindeer.”

Ticket prices vary based on age and date; see website for exact pricing and to purchase tickets.

Milledgeville and The Old Governor’s Mansion – thru December 21

Through December 21, tour the Old Governor’s Mansion to see how the state’s elite celebrated the season in a bygone era. Tickets are $10 per person, $7 for seniors and pre-booked tours, and $2 for students.

Also available will be tours of Rose Hill, a circa-1852 Greek Revival home.

Savannah’s 21st Annual Holiday Lights Tour

If you are headed to Savannah, this is a must do! The Old Town Trolley Tour takes you on a caroling tour as you pass by historic homes and city squares! How fun!

Christmas at Rock Ranch — Who Knew?

The Rock Ranch is a beautiful 1,500 acre working cattle ranch located about an hour south of Atlanta in Upson County. The farm was founded by the late S. Truett Cathy of Chick-fil-A and is dedicated to “Growing Healthy Families!” and “Uniting Families to the Land and Each Other.” It’s a place where families, school groups and businesses can come to enjoy “agritourism.” (Ah, now we know……)

Check the website for more details about travelling around the farm by wagon, riding the Christmas Express Train, the Holiday Gift Shop and the Christmas Cafe.

Festival of the SEAson at The Georgia Aquarium

Festival of the SEAson transforms Georgia Aquarium’s plaza, galleries and exhibits into a winter wonderland, including appearances by Santa and SCUBA Claus, a holiday edition of our live entertainment experience, tree-lighting ceremonies, and Santa Claus events.

Many events are part of your General Admission to the Aquarium, but some could have additional fees. As always, check the link provided above for more information!

Ride The Pink Pig — Lenox Square

Let’s just leave it at that… Individual rides are $3 each, and you can get multi-ride tickets (you know, in case you just can’t get enough of the Pink Pig) for $5.50 for 2 rides and $7.50 for three rides.

Garden Lights, Holiday Nights – Atlanta Botanical Gardens – Midtown Atlanta

Garden Lights, Holiday Nights returns with new features and crowd favorites – including new music and motion for last year’s buzz-worthy spectacle, Nature’s Wonders.

This year brings the debut of the Skylights Lounge in the Skyline Garden. Plus, several larger-than-life plant giants from Imaginary Worlds: Once Upon a Time will be awash in holiday glow.

See the Ice Goddess and Tunnel of Light along with the Orchestral Orbs, Radiant Rainforest, Model Trains and other favorites that continue to make the exhibition a must-see holiday tradition.

A Value Night ticket (We picked Wednesday, December 19) is $24.95 per person. Check the website for other ticket prices based on Value, Regular and Peak night dates.

Ponce City Market

Check the website for a variety of activities going on at this vibrant “re-make” of the historic Sears, Roebuck & Co. building, located on Ponce De Leon Blvd in Old Fourth Ward.

There you have it…..some fun things in, around and outside of Atlanta to round out your holiday adventures! We hope you enjoy one, or many of them, along with all the other magic that IS the Holiday Season!

Atlanta software company FullStory moves to Brookwood

September 25, 2018 by Thom Abbott

Fullstory, a rapidly growing Atlanta software company is going to double its workforce, and move their Atlanta headquarters from Armour Yards.

Atlanta software company FullStory moves to Brookwood

Last year, FullStory raised some $15M to move forward on an aggressive R&D expansion that was projected to add up to 120 new jobs.

FullStory will now build out and lease a 49,200 sq.ft. headquarters in the space that was formerly the Brookwood Kroger. It’s currently occupied by the retailer, Sam Flax. Located at 1745 Peachtree Street, the location will offer employees that want the urban lifestyle to choose from Buckhead to the North or Midtown to the South. Condominium buildings like Viewpoint Midtown or 1010 Midtown are just a couple of the options available in Midtown Atlanta. Meanwhile, in Buckhead, FullStory employees could look at places like Cosmopolitan or Eclipse.

Transit options are a bit far for the location, but one could take MARTA to the Arts Center Station (if coming from the North) and Uber or Lyft back to the offices. But based on the location, there will most likely be ample parking to have employees in their own cars.

The building itself, will be redesigned by the architect, Plexus r+d and will be a blend of the open spaces, but will have “nooks and crannies where employees can squirrel away and focus,” Bruce Johnson, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer told the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

FullStory currently employs about 100 people in their current location at Armour Yards.

As new employees come on board, MyMidtownMojo and Thomas Ramon Realty are here to help them find a new home in Midtown, Buckhead or beyond! Contact us using the form below and we can talk about what you are looking for in your Atlanta home!

Anthem to take Second Midtown Tower

Not Arranging by Feature

Organizing Things You Do Not Need

Purchasing Too Many Storage Space Containers

Using Bookshelves as a Storage Unit

Furniture Overload

NEW! Fulton County Homestead Exemption NEW!

What’s The Atlanta Inventory Like?

Is This A Normal Real Estate Market?

Ride The Pink Pig — Lenox Square

Atlanta software company FullStory moves to Brookwood

PalmerHouse Properties