Love It Or List It In Time For Spring

It’s been a cold Winter but Spring is right around the corner, bringing warmer days, more sunshine and the peak season of the housing market.So now is the time to not only stock up on allergy medicine but to decide if its time for you sell your home. We’ve compiled a couple of things for you to  weigh as you consider if you should love the home you have OR start prepping now to list it in Spring.

REASONS TO LIST IT

Not Enough Space. If your family is growing or you just want more space to entertain family and guests.

Location Location Location. Are you far from work, friends and where you spend most of your time or want to spend most of your time?  It could be time to consider moving to the location you really desire.

Equity. It’s not your dream home but it has served its purpose in more ways than one, giving you shelter and growing in equity. Now you can sell with profit and buy the home of your dreams - thats a really good reason to LIST IT!

REASONS TO LOVE IT

Equity. You have some, but not enough. If you’re in a up and coming neighborhood with the potential that the worth of your home will increase over the next few years - that’s a great reason to continue to love it - make improvements over time to improve your value even more. So when and if the time comes, you would have loved your house so well, it will love you back by bringing in lots of profit to go toward your dream home.

You love it. This is pretty obvious but it’s worth stating.  If you love your home, the location, your neighborhood, school and your family has put down roots there. Stay. Love and be a good steward of a home that you hope to have for many years to come.
You’re living the dream!

So will you LOVE IT or LIST IT? Contact Us Today either way .  .  .
If you’re thinking of LISTING - we can help prepare you for what needs to be done in time for the Spring Market
OR
If you’re going to LOVE IT but curious about what your home is worth

The Season For Giving

What a great season we are in! A time to reflect on all the ways we have been blessed and given so much that it overflows with hearts to give to others. We just wrapped up our grateful series on instagram and facebook  - where we shared the many people and companies we are grateful for.  This month we are transitioning into our giving series. Highlighting how we give back to the community and highlighting many worthy Nonprofit Organizations that we love. We would love if you would check them out and consider giving to them. Read below to learn a bit about them, then click the links to learn more and give if you feel so led. We will also be highlighting them on social media this month so make sure to follow us on Instagram @erikabrownandassociates

OaksATL
The URBAN MISSION focuses on advancing the Gospel of Jesus and His Kingdom among communities in Atlanta experiencing the consequences of injustice, oppression, and poverty. oaksATL is our URBAN MISSION initiative focusing on whole-life-discipleship through gospel-centered community development.

Peace Preparatory
Peace Preparatory Academy seeks to be a place that educates the whole child, supports the whole family, and provides growth and change opportunities for the whole community in a high quality, Christ-centered learning environment.

Bearings Bike
Bearings Bike Shop is a youth development organization where kids in Atlanta can earn and maintain a bicycle while developing the skills and character essential to success in adulthood.

Blueprint58
Blueprint 58 is a community-based mentoring program in the Adair Park and Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Atlanta. Blueprint 58 is unique in its approach to community development, focusing on both fostering mentoring relationships through the local school, and establishing a healthy and positive presence in the neighborhood.

Raising Expectations
Raising Expectations empowers youth in crises by raising academic, social and civic expectations to facilitate high school graduation and post-secondary plans.

& Campaign
To address the socio-political issues with the compassion and conviction of the gospel

Committed to Communities
A small team of concerned real estate professionals in Southwest Atlanta decided to try and do something about the high number of vacant properties after the mortgage crisis left the area looking and feeling depressed.Today, some 5 years later, Committed to Communities has grown into a full-service, not-for-profit social enterprise dedicated not only to showcasing these same neighborhoods in Southwest Atlanta but also to educating the local community, helping empower renters to become homeowners and experience the wealth in experience and possibly the actual wealth that can be gained, through owning a home.

A Home By Thanksgiving

That was the goal! Wendy wanted to host Thanksgiving for her family this year and she will!  When we talked to her about her pathway to homeownership she shared the following  .  .  .

“ I wanted to live somewhere I felt safe, that was near my job and plenty of space for my daughter and granddaughter.  I was also tired of renting.  It felt like I was wasting my money. Now i’m excited to be a homeowner investing in my own property.  The process was quick.  Since I knew what I wanted and had a plan and a goal to host my family in my new home by Thanksgiving.  My advice to those who are renting is to buy a home if you’re able - learn from my story - I was paying $1,000 a month for a small apartment when I could have been using that money on a mortgage.”

It was a pleasure working with Wendy! We are grateful that we got to help her achieve her dream.  We can learn a lot from Wendy.

1. Set Goals! Start with the end in mind. For Wendy, it was picturing her family around the thanksgiving table at her new home instead of a cramped apartment. Maybe for you it’s a yard for your children to play in or being able to decorate your home with your style. Whatever it is, keep it in mind so that it will motivate you to move forward.

2. Know What You Want. She knew the location (near work) and space (enough for 3 people). Knowing this goes a long way helping the process qo quicker.

3. Be Financially Wise. We know that some people need to rent for a season but there is wisdom in turning that corner in investing your hard earned money into a home of your own.

3. Choose A Neighbor You Can Trust - Erika Brown & Associates. We were able to help Wendy in her process and we are able to help you too.  Contact us today if you have goals of homeownership.

2017 Historic West End Tour of Homes Sneak Peak

It is a fun time in the Historic West End these days!! The Atlanta Beltline is set to open late summer along with 3 breweries and a distillery, two new restaraturants, and a housing market that doesn’t look like it’s slowing down any time soon! With the recent record breaking sale of 1174 Oglethorpe at $425,000 everyone in Atlanta has its eyes on Atlanta’s Historic West end!

I read a lot of articles from well-known publications in Atlanta that talk about new developments on the west side and when I scroll down and read the comments although the area has achieved a lot of success over the past 3 years, there is still a very negative view of the West end. The majority of these comments are primarily from people who it seems haven’t been to the neighborhood recently, but nevertheless our neighborhood still has some speculation from outsiders. This is one of the many reasons why the Historic West End Tour of Homes exist!

Check out this sneak peak of a few of the homes that will be featured on the tour. Also, if you’re interested in learning more history on the neighborhood be sure to check out the Insight Cultural Tourism walking tour while your Intown!

The West End Tour of Homes is Saturday, June 24, 2017. Get your discount tickets Here. Use the discount code EBA5off. (The discount expires 6/16/17)

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Victorian at 1050 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd SW

The Wren’s Nest was the home of Joel Chandler Harris from 1881 until 1908.

The structure is one of only a few remaining Queen Anne Victorian homes in Atlanta. It’s a unique example of upper middle class living around the turn of the 20th century. Today, the home features most of the Harris family’s original furniture and belongings.

The house was named after the  wrens  made a nest in the mailbox 120 years ago. If you visit in the spring, you might see that wrens still make nests in the mailbox.

The museum officially opened as a house museum in 1913, with financial support from Andrew Carnegie, President Theodore Roosevelt, and the fundraising efforts of kids from Atlanta Public Schools. The east parlor served as The Uncle Remus Memorial Carnegie Library until 1930. The books eventually became too heavy for the floor, and the library was moved down the street.

Esther LaRose, Harris’ wife, kept the author’s bedroom intact after his death. It is almost completely untouched to this day, aside from cleaning, wallpaper repair, and the occasional changing of the bed linens.

From The Wren’s Nest Website and Facebook Page

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Victorian at 503 Peeples Street SW

Nestled on a quiet residential street in Atlanta’s historic West End, Hammonds House Museum  is a unique setting to explore the cultural diversity  and legacy of artists of African descent.

The Museum is the former residence of the late Dr. Otis Thrash Hammonds, who was aprominent  Atlantaphysician  and a passionate arts patron. The Museum opened in 1988 to continue Dr. Hammonds’ commitment to preserving and celebrating art from the African Diaspora, and offers a year-round calendar of fine art exhibitions and cultural programming.

Hammonds House Museum boasts a permanent collection of more than 350 works dating from the mid-19th century by artists from America, Africa, and the Caribbean. Highlights of the collection include 18 works by master artist Romare Bearden and the oldest known painting by acclaimed landscape artist Robert S. Duncanson. Benny Andrews, Elizabeth Catlett, Sam Gilliam, Richard Hunt, Jacob Lawrence, P.H. Polk, Hale Woodruff, and James Van Der Zee are among the scores of important regional, national, and international artists represented in the collection.

From www.HammondsHouse.org

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Craftsman at 566 West End Place SW

Formerly 33 Bunker and 33 West End Place, the building permit was applied for on April 5, 1910 and completed August 2, 1910.

Bunker Street was named for F.R. Bunker, a West End City Councilman who lived on Gordon  street  (now Ralph David Abernathy)  on  the  site of West Hunter Baptist church.

Bunker street only contained three buildings, all of which were servant’s quarters  for  Mr.  Bunker’s  household staff. He sold the property to developers Eubanks and Gunn.

The first residents were Harry Cooke  Robert,  his  wife  Myra,  their  three  sons and Myra’s mother, Julia Cole. Harry was a bookseller until 1918  when  he passed the Georgia Bar and became  a  lawyer.  He  practiced  law  for  two  years and then became credit manager for F.J Cooledge and Sons, a paint company.

Julia  died  at  the  home  in  1940.  Harry  died  suddenly,  in  his  office,  in  1943.

Myra Robert stayed in their home on West End Place for the rest of her life, dying in November 1967 at the age of 86. She had rented out rooms in the house for the last twenty years.

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Victorian at 1277 Sells Avenue SW

Formerly 285 and 601 Sells Avenue, this house was built in the 1890s. This area was not a part of Atlanta until 1910; early records are scarce.

In 1899, this property was owned by James S. Nichols, a railroad clerk and auditor, and his wife Jennie. They had three daughters.

By 1901, the residents were Mrs. Minnie Ford, the widow of Charles Ford, and her son Alf C. Ford, a clerk with Hartford Fire Insurance Company. Charles Ford died in 1889 at the age of 27 of consumption.

In 1902, the house was owned by three siblings, Benjamin Ward, Maggie Ward and Josie Ward. Maggie and Josie were both nurses. Benjamin lived to be 87 years old and Maggie lived to be 92.

In 1914, the home was sold for $500 to Leonora Raines. Mrs. Raines was a war correspondent in the early years of World War I. She was arrested as a German spy and subjected to numerous other hardships. She visited many active battlefields for her first-hand, authentic reports. She never moved into the house and it remained vacant for several years.

Walter A. Rhodes, and his wife Josie, bought the house in 1920, and lived there until 1934.

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Bungalow at 959 Beecher Street SW

The building permit was applied for on March 13, 1922 and completed July 27, 1922. This home was built as a duplex, containing 12 rooms and 2 bathrooms at a cost of $10,000.

GG Long Co, the builder, constructed more than 150 homes in West End between 1920 and 1922.

The home had many short term residents until Joseph Tommey and his wife, Estelle, moved in as renters in 1930. Joseph was a veteran of the Spanish-

American War, serving for several years in Manila. He was later a baker in Atlanta.They continued to rent 959 Beecher until Joseph Tommey died in 1942. He had lived in the West End community for 28 years.

Later, the extended Bidez family occupied both sides of the duplex. Before moving to Beecher street, RV Bidez, an inventor, built a machine to eliminate radio static, which was a major problem in 1929. He was also a linotype operator for the Atlanta Constitution. His sons served in World War II. Robert received a Purple Heart. Souvenirs he brought home from the front were a .32 caliber Walther gun, a .38 caliber Luger and captured Nazi flags. RL Bidez organized and directed the first student band at Georgia Tech in 1908. The boys learned “ The Rambling Wreck” by ear (the music was not written down until 1912) and were the first to play it at a Tech football game!

Happy Touring!

Appealing Your Property Tax Assessment

Many Atlanta homeowners who have recently received their tax assessments are shocked by the amount. If you are one of those homeowners, there are few things you should know and do moving forward

Be informed on why taxes are increasing so that you can take the needed steps to be prepared in the future.

Some officials are calling for a freeze on taxes this year so that they can revert back to the 2016 amounts and give homeowners more time to prepare for the increase that is most likely to happen in the future

Don’t wait on the possibility of a freeze - if you need to appeal go ahead and do so.

Click here to appeal for Fulton County

Click here to appeal for DeKalb County

 Be sure to check your assessment notice and file by the date printed!

We hope all will go well for you in this process. If you have any questions or need any further assistance feel free to reach out to us!