The Saturday, October 1st party offered many in Atlanta a chance to get a better understanding of the many projects already underway in association with the Atlanta BeltLine, the most comprehensive economic development project in the history of the city. The latest to join the list of affiliated undertakings is the exciting new Jamestown redevelopment of the old Sears building on Ponce De Leon, most recently home to City Hall East. Repurposed as a mix of retail, residential, and commercial, the two million square foot Ponce City Market stands to serve as a crown jewel of the “emerald necklace” that is the Atlanta BeltLine.

The event Saturday night brought together a community of neighbors, advocates, and business and civic leaders, all championing the cause of the Atlanta BeltLine and the promise that it offers. Upon completion, the Atlanta BeltLine should provide more than 1,300 acres of new parks and green space, 33 miles of pedestrian friendly trails, a network of transportation modes to include rail, bus, bike, and streetcar, and the prospect for more than $20 billion in economic redevelopment. All of this built around a 22-mile corridor of existing rail line, some of which dates back to Sherman’s visit. That’s some resurrection!

The Party at Ponce was a festive occasion with a variety of food offerings from local restaurants, tours of the old Sears building, a chance to view conceptual drawings of its future design, and opportunities for guests to learn more about the vision of the Atlanta BeltLine. The centerpiece of this cool fall night under a cloudless sky, though, was a stage erected in the loading area behind the building. There, local music standouts Francine Reed, Shawn Mullins, and Indigo Girls took the stage to perform, each of them making a point to rave about the exciting new developments associated with the Atlanta BeltLine. As the night wound down and the Indigo Girls’ set came to a close, the crowd joined in as a chorus to sing along as Emily Sailers and Amy Ray dusted off an old favorite, “Closer To Fine”. Indeed, with each step in the process of bringing the Atlanta BeltLine project to fruition, the City of Atlanta is closer to fine, and looking boldly forward to a new resurrection.

Find a home near Ponce City Market →

Find a new home along the Atlanta BeltLine →

CREDITS:

Written by Graham Carroll, long-time Atlanta resident and local storyteller

Photo by Ben Rose Photography

1. Get help from a short sale expert
   A real estate agent experienced in short sales can identify which homes are being offered as short sales, help you determine a purchase price, and advise you on what to include in your offer to make the lender view it favorably. Ask agents how many buyers they’ve represented in short sales and, of those, how many successfully closed the transaction.
2. Build a team
   Ask agents to recommend real estate attorneys knowledgeable in short sales and title experts. A title officer can do a title search to identify all the liens attached to a property you’re interested in. Because each lienholder must consent to a short sale, a property with multiple liens, like first and second mortgages, mechanic’s and condominium liens, or homeowners association liens, will be harder to purchase.

   A title search may cost $250 to $300 up front, but it can help weed out less desirable properties requiring multiple approvals.

3. Know the home’s fair market value
   By agreeing to a short sale, lenders are consenting to lose money on the loan they made to the sellers to purchase the home. Their goal is to keep those losses as low as possible. If your offer is dramatically less than the home’s fair market value, it may be rejected. Your agent can help you identify the price that’s good for you. The lender will determine whether approval is in its best interest.
4. Expect delays
   There are two stages to a short sale. First, the sellers must consent to your purchase offer. Then they must submit it to their lender, along with documentation to convince the lender to agree to the sale.

   The lender approval process can take weeks or months, even longer if the lender counteroffers. Expect bigger delays if several lienholders are involved; each can make a counteroffer or reject your offer.

5. Firm up your financing
   Lenders will weigh your ability to close the transaction. If you’re preapproved for a mortgage, have a large downpayment, and can close at any time, they’ll consider your offer stronger than that of a buyer whose financing is less secure.
6. Avoid contingencies
   If you must sell your current home before you can close on the short-sale property, or you need to close by a firm deadline, your offer may present too many moving parts for a lender to approve it.

   Also, consider ordering an inspection so you’re fully informed about the home. Keep in mind that lenders are unlikely to approve an offer seeking repairs or credits for such work. You’ll probably have to purchase the home “as is,” which means in its present condition.

By: G. M. Filisko for the National Association of Realtors, Published: March 19, 2010

This article includes general information about tax laws and consequences, but isn’t intended to be relied upon by readers as tax or legal advice applicable to particular transactions or circumstances. Consult a tax professional for such advice; tax laws may vary by jurisdiction.

G.M. Filisko is an attorney and award-winning writer who luckily has avoided the need for a short sale on her properties. A frequent contributor to many national publications including Bankrate.com, REALTOR® Magazine, and the American Bar Association Journal, she specializes in real estate, business, personal finance, and legal topics.

Join us in cleaning a portion of the Atlanta BeltLine and enjoy your fill of Sublime Doughnuts, coffee and water.

What: Atlanta Beltline Clean-up in honor of Earth Day
When: Saturday, April 16th, 2010, 8:45 am (clean-up between 9 am – 12 pm)
Where: Meet at Sanctuary Real Estate, Inman Park
Details: Please wear boots or sneakers and work gloves

Feel free to invite your spouse, significant other, best friends or anyone else you think might be interested in “doing good” for Mother Earth and for the beautification of our great city!

What: Earth Hour 2011

When: Saturday, March 26, 2011 8:30 to 9:30 pm

Earth Hour is held on the last weekend of March because it is around this time when the Spring and Fall equinoxes occur, and we experience equal sunlight and darkness for 12 hours in both the northern and southern hemispheres. This scenario allows for the greatest visual impact for a global ‘lights out’ event.

Why: To show the actions that individuals, communities and businesses are willing to take to reduce their environmental impact for the benefit of the planet.

Participation in Earth Hour is a sign of your commitment to take personal accountability for the impact on the planet and to make changes towards a sustainable lifestyle.

Taking the first step is as easy as turning off your lights. By switching off your lights for Earth Hour you are acknowledging and celebrating your commitment to do something more for the planet that goes beyond the hour.

Who: Anyone can participate in Earth Hour. Grab your friends, family, and neighbors to participate too! Last year in 2010, over 4600 cities, towns, and municipalities took part in Earth Hour across the world from 128 countries and regions.

Thanks for joining us!

I know I have been enjoying the quiet trail, although I am looking forward to the day that I can run or bike the trail without feeling like an adventure racer. If you have yet to check it out, you better get yourself out there within the next couple of months because construction of a 14 foot wide concrete path is starting now and is slated to be complete by Fall.

Go out there and enjoy the BeltLine in all of it’s still-a-hidden-gem glory and be one of the few that will be able to say, “I remember when… ” And be sure to wave at me as you walk by!

From Midtown Patch:

Soon, you’ll have an easy walk from Piedmont Park to DeKalb Avenue.

Construction is set to start on the two-and-a-half mile BeltLine trail that will bridge several neighborhoods, including Midtown, Virginia-Highland, Poncey Highland, Old Fourth Ward and Inman Park.

A concrete trail will replace the current rocky terrain, which once was railroad tracks. The path will run by three city parks: Piedmont Park, Freedom Park and the new Historic Fourth Ward Park behind City Hall East.

“You’ll see a lot of activity start up in the next month,” said Ethan Davidson, spokesman for the Atlanta BeltLine.

Environmental work will begin any day now, Davidson said. That includes digging, grating and relocating utilities. After that is complete, work will begin on the 14-feet-wide trail. Trees will be planted later in the year, Davidson said.

Construction “will be happening in segments,” he said. The trail should be complete around fall.

For the full story, visit Midtown Patch →

IMAGE CREDIT: Amy Wenk, Midtown Patch

The National Building Museum in Washington, DC recently launched a new initiative to explore how data, technology, and you can improve our cities and lives. They believe that with better information, we can make our cities more intelligent. And they need your input.

Visit Intelligent Cities and share your thoughts on harnessing technology, infrastructure and human capital to create sustainable growth.

From the NBM/Intelligent Cities site:

What makes a city intelligent? You Do.

For as long as we have lived in cities we have reflected on their form, feel, and function. From the launch of the first hot air balloon to the creation of geospatial information software, we have developed technologies that enable us to assess what we have done, what we are doing, and what we wish to do. Today, the scale and complexity of neighborhoods, towns, and cities are unprecedented, and so are our tools for understanding them.

Intelligent Cities, an initiative of the National Building Museum, supported by its partners TIME and IBM and funded by The Rockefeller Foundation, explores the intersection of information technology and urban design to understand where we are, where we want to be, and how to get there.

Intelligent Cities from National Building Museum on Vimeo.

The Intelligent Cities initiative is also featured in TIME Magazine’s Special (also called Intelligent Cities). This special explores the evolving, deep-rooted connections between technology and ever expanding cities — from education and energy to government, health care and transportation.

Come show some love to our favorite charitable organizations while grooving to 70′s love songs, featuring the Susi French Connection. The song list includes disco, classic country, rock and pop hits by everyone from Donna Summer to Neil Diamond to the Bee Gees, Abba and many others.

Wanna sneak peek?

• Doors open at 5 pm
• Opening act: KC Clifford at 6 pm www.kcclifford.com
• The Susi French Connection at 7:30 pm www.susifrenchconnection.com
• $20 in advance
• $25 at the door

Space is limited so GET YOUR TICKETS NOW →

The proceeds from the concert will benefit…
Atlanta Pet Rescue, Athena’s Warehouse and Georgia Organics.

70′s attire is encouraged, so dust off those bell-bottoms and practice your Hustle before the show!

By Tom Kraeutler of AOL Real Estate

When buying a house, it’s a very good idea to get a home inspection before you close your purchase and take possession of the home. It’s not uncommon for a lender to include a home inspection as a condition in your purchase agreement.

AOL Real Estate’s What Works Now tagged along with Kenny Rhodes, a licensed inspector with 20 years’ experience, to get some insights into the home-inspection process and to learn why this unbiased, third-party evaluation is so important to the home-buying transaction.

The inspection “isn’t a pass-fail examination,” explains Rhodes. The inspector’s job is to evaluate a house’s mechanical systems, structural integrity, and safety features, and identify any items that need attention. An inspection allows the buyer to identify any issues with the home prior to the closing.

If a buyer can attend the inspection in person, or walk through the house with the inspector shortly after the inspection is completed, the inspector can point out to him or her what they’ve found. An inspection of the home typically takes three to four hours and covers:

• Structural features, like the foundation.
• Plumbing systems, sinks, pipes, etc.
• Heating, cooling, and ventilation systems.
• Major appliances.
• The condition of the roof.
• The attic and exterior of the home.
• Electrical wiring and breakers.

With his flashlight on his hip and his clipboard in hand, Rhodes heads for the first stop on today’s attic-to-basement tour with the buyer in tow.

Rhodes’s goal, like that of all inspectors, is to assess current conditions and help set priorities for attention. “I’ll tell you what you need to be thinking about,” he says. Some of his comments are suggestions — that is, “get to it when you can” — while others are recommendations for more more immediate action.

Within a few days of the inspection, Rhodes delivers the results to the client — in this case the buyer — in the form of a detailed written report.

While most inspections are performed for home buyers, inspections for home sellers can also be a strategic tool to help uncover potential selling pitfalls well before a buyer is involved.

To find a qualified home inspector, Rhodes suggests, start by asking your Agent for recommendations. You can also use the “Find a Home Inspector” locator on the ASHI website. Inspectors listed there have met rigorous testing and experience requirements, ensuring that you’re put in touch with one of the nation’s most qualified professionals when it comes time to schedule that critical home inspection.

Tom Kraeutler is a Home Improvement Expert for AOL Real Estate and host of The Money Pit, a nationally syndicated home improvement radio program.

Environment
Cars are a leading cause of climate change. Your feet are zero-pollution transportation machines.

Health
The average resident of a walkable neighborhood weighs 7 pounds less than someone who lives in a sprawling neighborhood.

Finances
One point of Walk Score is worth up to $3,000 of value for your property. Read the research report.

Communities
Studies show that for every 10 minutes a person spends in a daily car commute, time spent in community activities falls by 10%.

What makes a neighborhood walkable?

• A center: Walkable neighborhoods have a center, whether it’s a main street or a public space.
• People: Enough people for businesses to flourish and for public transit to run frequently.
• Mixed income, mixed use: Affordable housing located near businesses.
• Parks and public space: Plenty of public places to gather and play.
• Pedestrian design: Buildings are close to the street, parking lots are relegated to the back.
• Schools and workplaces: Close enough that most residents can walk from their homes.
• Complete streets: Streets designed for bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit.

Improve your environment, health, finances, and community! Explore Atlanta’s popular neighborhoods and view the Walk Score for each.

ARTICLE REFERENCE: Walk Score