SOLD U SO!! 1490 Oconee Crossing Circle, Bogart, Georgia

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Great home in immaculate condition,
PLUS it’s located in the desirable North Oconee school district!

1490 Oconee Crossing Circle offers a bright and flowing floor plan with a formal dining room, open kitchen with breakfast room, vaulted great room with gas log fireplace, hardwood floors throughout the main living spaces and a great covered rear porch overlooking the creek!

The home features a split bedroom arrangement with the owner’s suite and two additional bedrooms on the main level, and a fourth bedroom with walk in closet upstairs. Some updates to the home include: fresh paint, newer roof and HVAC systems, newer hot water heater with re-circulation pump. The home sits on a large 1+ acre lot in Oconee County’s Oconee Crossing subdivision.

LISTED AT: $275,000 SOLD

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4 Ways To Know If An Athens Area Neighborhood Is Right For Me

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4 Ways To Know If An Athens Area Neighborhood Is Right For Me

Ask Jennifer… How do I know what the right neighborhood is for me?

 

Today’s customer question of the day… How do I know if a neighborhood will be right for me? Below are 4 thoughts from KW to help you answer this common question.

  1. CHECK OUT THE STATS: Crime data, both the volume of crime and the types of crime, and school performance data are important when thinking about what’s best for your family.
  2. SEE WHAT THE NEIGHBORS ARE DOING: Get a sense of local activities, and see if it looks like a place with frequent block parties or if people may keep more to themselves.
  3. LEARN THE TRAFFIC PATTERNS: Find out if there are frequent jams, or if a nearby farmers’ market limits road access during weekends.
  4. LOOK FOR LOCAL AMENITIES: Make sure you explore the area to find things that matter to you, like local coffee shops or parks.

Your choice of neighborhood can be one of the key decisions in deciding where you’d like to live. The choice of neighborhood in the greater Athens area also normally entails deciding what type of amenities you would like, how close to the city or events you want to be, and more! Don’t leave all this information to chance! We’d love the opportunity to guide you through this process. Submit a request for contact or give us a call today to let us create a custom plan for your next move.

 

 

 

15 Summer Home Safety Tips

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15 Summer Home Safety Tips

One of the crimes most frequently reported to the police is residential burglary

Planning your summer vacation trips away from your home in the Athens area? This can be an exciting time for travel, but be sure to take a few minutes and make plans for your home while you’re away! Burglary safety doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive and there are some steps you can take to help prevent burglary. Please share this checklist with friends, and we hope you have a fun and safe summer vacation!

Tips on Safeguarding Your Home via KW

  • Make sure all exterior doors have good locks-at least dead-bolt locks with a 1″ throw.
  • Always lock up when you go out, even if only for a few minutes.
  • Secure sliding glass doors with bars or locks, or put a broom handle in the door track.
  • Make sure your windows have good locks, especially those at ground level.
  • Make sure all porches, entrances, and outside areas are well lit.
  • Trim any bushes or trees that hide doors or windows.
  • Maintain your yard and keep ladders and tools inside when you’re not using them.
  • Don’t hide your keys under the doormat or in a flowerpot. That’s the first place burglars look! It’s much better to give an extra key to a trusted neighbor.
  • Mark your valuable property like TVs, VCRs, computers, cameras and stereos with your driver’s license number.
  • Keep a record of your property in a safe place.
  • Install an alarm system for summoning emergency help.
  • If you park your car outside, never leave a garage door opener in the car.

When you go away

  • Ask a neighbor to collect your mail and newspapers, and offer to return the favor.
  • Put an automatic timer on at least two lights and a radio. Consider photoelectric sensors to turn outside lights on and off automatically.
  • Tell a trusted neighbor when you’re leaving and when you’ll return. Include an itinerary and phone numbers where you can be reached in an emergency.

SOLD U SO!! 120 Ruthwood Lane, Athens, Georgia

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Beautiful home featuring the sought after
Cherokee Rose plan!

Located in one of Athens’ premier, new construction subdivisions, this home features high end finishes, custom details and quality materials throughout– including site finished hardwood floors throughout the main living space!  There is a formal dining room, which connects to the kitchen through a butler’s pantry. The spacious kitchen features an oversized island, granite counter tops and custom cabinetry. Off of the kitchen you will find the great room with coffered ceiling and a gas fireplace; this overlooks the home’s side patio. The one level plan offers an owner’s suite with double vanities, large tile shower and a walk in closet, along with 2 additional bedrooms and an additional full bath. The convenient location is just minutes to schools, shopping and restaurants!

LISTED AT: $300,000 SOLD

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May 2017 Real Estate Market Update

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May 2017 Real Estate Market Update

Looking for a customized plan in your greater Athens GA market? Give us a call or submit a request for contact today!

SOLD U SO! 1031 Latham Drive, Watkinsville, Georgia

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CLOSE TO EVERYTHING!!

This two story, traditional home is in immaculate condition!The main level features formal dining and living rooms, an open and bright kitchen with breakfast room and work desk, a great room with fireplace and built ins, plus a large laundry room with cabinets and sink and a half bath. The large owner’s suite with updated bath is upstairs, along with three more bedrooms, an additional full bath and a huge bonus room! A large deck overlooks the lovely backyard!

LISTED AT: $315,000 SOLD

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May 2017 Athens Home Care Tips

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7 May Home Care Tips

Helpful hints for maintaining your home

Your home is often one of your largest investments. Take care of your home, and it can provide you with years of enjoyment and memories with your family. You can keep your home in top shape with simple tasks throughout the year. Below are 7 home care tips for May. Check back each month for new ideas each month for your home in the greater Athens area!

Data via KW

  1. Check all decks, patios, porches, stairs and railings for loose members and deterioration.
  2. Check plumbing shut-off valves. Ensure that they turn off and on freely.
  3. Service kitchen disposal by grinding several cups of ice cubes.
  4. Check vents, louvers and chimneys for bird nests and squirrels.
  5. Check lawn sprinkler system for leaky valves and exposed lines.
  6. Inspect exterior siding for mildew. Scrub off as necessary.
  7. Check septic system drain field for flooding.

SOLD U SO!! 8632 Jefferson Road, Commerce, Georgia

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Gorgeous, updated home in Commerce on 3+ acres with lake!

This home offers a completely updated interior featuring granite countertops and stainless appliances in the kitchen,  gleaming hardwood floors throughout, formal dining room, stone fireplace with gas logs in the great room, plus all of the bathrooms have been updated. You can relax in the huge sun room with wet bar or the lovely screened porch with swing — both overlook the multi-level deck, side courtyard with fire pit and lake.

The full basement is partially finished with bedroom/bath and office or den. The detached garage offers 5 parking spaces, plus there is abundant storage space. Almost entire property has underground fencing for pups.

This is truly a special and charming property, on one of the prettiest streets in town…
It’s located just minutes to schools, town and the interstate for commuting.

LISTED AT: $285,000 SOLD

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SOLD U SO!! 276 Chandler Bridge Road, Nicholson, Georgia

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Adorable renovated home on a lovely 1-acre, wooded lot in Jackson County! 276 Chandler Bridge Road features all new interior including: new paint, flooring, cabinets, granite countertops and stainless appliances, plus a new roof and new windows! The home offers an open floor plan with a separate living room with stone fireplace and a large sun room and deck! The home is on county water, but there is also a well on property.

Listing agent is related to the seller.

LISTED AT: $150,000 SOLD

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JWA May 2017 Updates

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Welcome to the Jennifer Westmoreland and Associates monthly news and greater Athens area market update! We hope that you’ll find our updates useful and timely, and welcome your input and questions in regards to what you’d like to see and learn. This month’s highlights include the need to match current buyers looking for area homes, questions to ask yourself before beginning the home buying experience, and more fun information! We look forward to talking with you soon, and hope you have a wonderful weekend!

New Listings Needed! Do These Descriptions Sound Like Your House?

The current market certainly seems to be a sellers market, especially in certain price points and neighborhoods here in the Athens area. Have you been thinking about listing your house due to a growing family, downsizing or for other reasons? Now may be a fantastic time! Take a look below. Here are just a few of our current clients that haven’t been able to find just the right home for them and are interested in purchasing a home here in the Athens and Oconee markets!

  • Buyer – Cash buyer.under 155k in Oconee Couty, Minimum 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, and needs to be in by the end of summer.
  • Buyer – under 130k in Clarke, Oglethorpe, Statham, Bogart, or south Madison county, minimum 3 bedrooms and 2 baths with separate dining room. Must have 2 car garage.
  • Buyer – under 250k in Oconee County. Needs 4 bedrooms and at least 2.5 baths, and would prefer a basement..

This is only a sample of current qualified buyers. Interested in seeing more potential fits for your home? Visit our JWA Blog on current buyers looking for homes to see more options. Ready to discuss listing your home with the JWA? Give us a call (706) 389-9953, e-mail us or submit a request at our website today! We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have and fully explain the process.

4 Questions For Home Buyers In Athens

Owning a home may be your dream, but in order for the purchase to be the happy and satisfying experience it was meant to be, you need to ensure that you are financially and mentally prepared for the responsibilities that come with it.

Some people have a notion that home ownership is like renting, but with the power to have pets and paint the walls whatever color you like. However, while these privileges are available to homeowners in most municipalities, they come with the responsibilities of a mortgage, taxes and home maintenance. Preparing for home ownership requires you to take critical stock of your finances and your expectations. Here are 4 common questions to consider when beginning your home purchase process in our Greater Athens area!

1. Are you ready to buy? – Owning your own home is about more than just being able to decorate any way you like; it’s about being prepared to maintain your home over the years, realizing that part of your income and time will go towards repairs and maintenance. It’s about being willing to take the risks of home ownership with a realistic expectation of the rewards.

2. How much can you afford? – It can be discouraging to find that your salary won’t stretch as far as the home you want to own. However, sacrificing a huge part of your income just to pay the mortgage can very quickly make home ownership a burden rather than a point of pride. It’s better to buy a modest home now and look at purchasing your “dream home” in a few years.

3. What is your debt-to-income ratio? – This is something that lenders take very seriously. Your overall debt should not be more than 40% of your income, and your housing debt should not be more than 32%. What 32% of your income will buy depends on where you want to live. In rural or downtrodden areas for example, it can buy a very comfortable residence and ample acreage. In highly sought-after urban areas however, it may not even buy a 400 square foot bachelor suite.

4. What do you want? – Do you like the idea of cleaning your own gutters? Do you shudder at the thought of lawn care? Would you rather just pay a fee every month and have everything done for you? Would obeying rules about when you can have your garbage cans out bother you, or do you want to live in a neighborhood where everything is ‘just so’? The answers to these questions can help you narrow down the search for the right type of property for you.

Interested in help with some of these questions, or ready to start the buying or selling process? Send us a request for contact for more customized information specifically researched for your needs today!

Planting Pro: Tips for a Healthy, Happy Tree (Article via Keller Williams)

While planting a tree in your yard may seem intimidating, all it takes is a little muscle and some good know-how. Follow these guidelines from the expert arborists at the
Tree Care Industry Association:

  • Measure the height and diameter of the root ball or root spread.
  • Dig the hole just deep enough to allow the first structural root to be at level grade. The diameter of the hole should be two to three times the diameter of the root ball or root spread.
  • Set the tree on undisturbed solid ground in the center of the hole. The tree should be planted so that the root flare, the base of the tree trunk where the roots begin to “flare-out,” will be visible above grade.
  • Backfill with soil from the planting hole, using water to pack or settle the soil around the root ball. Do not tamp soil by stepping on it.
  • Mulch the planting area with 2 – 4 inches of an organic, composted mulch such as wood chips. Do not mulch up to or against the trunk. Start the mulch six inches away from the tree trunk.
  • Trees should be pruned after planting to remove broken, damaged, diseased or dead branches.
  • Stake and/or protect the trunk of the tree if there is a real potential for wind damage or lawn-mower injury. Remove the supportive wires and materials when the staking is no longer needed or the tree could be injured or even killed.
  • Prune to develop a good branch structure once the tree has become established in its new home, usually 1 – 3 years after planting. Never remove more than 25 percent of total foliage in one year.
  • Fertilizing is not recommended at the time of planting.

Team JWA Community Photo of the Month
The Jennifer Westmoreland and Associates community photo of the month for May is from our office! We celebrated May the 4th day with a memorable May the 4th Be With You photo! Would you like to be featured in the next community photo? Submit yout photo of your community good works or real estate photo!

 
Jennifer Westmoreland – Jennifer Westmoreland and Associates Keller Williams Realty Greater Athens
Selling a Home Every 48 Hours!
e | homes@thejwa.com
p | 706-389-9953
706-316-2900
w | www.foryoureverymove.com
www.jwahomes.com

1361 Jennings Mill Road, Suite B-100 Watkinsville, Georgia 30677