Tag Archive for: for your every move

ACCA Santa for a Senior Success

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Jennifer Westmoreland & Associates Supports Seniors at the Athens Community Council on Aging

We had so much fun shopping for seniors at the Athens Community Council on Aging this year, and were happy to support the ACCA Santa for a Senior program! These gifts are on their way to the Athens Community Council on Aging today. They will be gift wrapped at 4pm today at the ACCA, then given to seniors in our greater Athens area community. Thanks to everyone that helped with this program!

Would you still like to help out seniors in our community via the ACCA? Join us in our Meals on Wheels for Pets food drive! For each pound of food you donate to Will’s Pet Pantry at the ACCA in December, we’ll match your donation pound for pound!

Home Care Tips December 2017

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Home Care Tips in the Greater Athens Area

(information via Keller Williams)

Home Care Tips December
You can keep your home in top shape with simple tasks throughout the year. This month, be sure to:

  1. Check your basement windows for drafts and/or cracked panes.
  2. Check on supplies around the home that could will be helpful if there’s a weather related power outage or other emergency. Batteries, non perishable food items, and blankets should be available.
  3. Replace the filter on your furnace to keep it operating as efficiently as possible.
  4. Clean faucet aerators and shower heads.
  5. Reseal grout on counters, walls, and floors to prevent staining.
  6. Drain approximately 2 gallons from water heater to eliminate sediment.
  7. Make sure any decorative lights you put up for the holidays are working properly before hanging them. Anything with a frayed or damaged cord should be discarded.

As always, we appreciate referrals from friends and past clients. If you know of anyone who is looking to buy or sell real estate, please send them our way! Give us a call or submit a request for contact today!

Let’s Talk Turkey in Athens GA

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(Information and photo via Keller Williams)

It’s Thanksgiving again, and Americans everywhere will be sitting down for a hearty meal with friends and family featuring the star of the show – the Thanksgiving turkey.

Did you know these fun facts about the turkey?

1. Contrary to popular myth, Ben Franklin did not advocate for the turkey to become the national symbol of the United States. In a private letter to his daughter, he did write that the recently adopted drawing of the bald eagle in the Great Seal of the United States looked a lot like a turkey, and in jest told her that, “He is besides, though a little vain and silly, a bird of courage, and would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his farm yard with a red coat on.”

2. The wild turkey is one of the world’s fastest birds, capable of flying short distances at speeds up to 55 miles per hour and running up to 30 miles per hour. Most commercially raised turkeys cannot match the speed and ability of their wild counterparts. They are bred in such a way that their large breast muscles prevent them from flying at all.

3. The first meal eaten on the moon by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin was a turkey dinner with all the trimmings.

We hope this holiday season finds you with many reasons to give thanks!

 

8 Home Care Tips for November

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Help Maintain Your Home in the Greater Athens Area

(Information via Keller Williams)

 

You can keep your home in top shape with simple tasks throughout the year. This month, be sure to:

  1. Service your kitchen disposal by grinding several cups of ice cubes.
  2. Make sure any outdoor furniture is put away or properly covered, including your grill.
  3. Pour 1 gallon of water down unused drains.
  4. Clean debris from gutters and ensure down spouts are free of obstruction.
  5. Check for leaks under sinks and toilets.
  6. Check for cracks in your foundation, brick or stucco.
  7. Review emergency procedures and ensure all the members of your family know what to do in the event of a home fire.
  8. Examine your chimney. Clean flue; repair any cracks in flue or any loose or crumbling mortar.

Thinking about selling your home, or looking to buy a first home, downsize or make room for a growing family? Submit a request for contact, or simply give us a call! We’d be happy to provide you with a custom home sale or purchase plan.

This Month In Real Estate November 2017

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November 2017 Real Estate Market Update

(Information and photos via Keller Williams)

Here’s your national market update for November! Interested in what’s going on here in our greater Athens area, or your specific home? Send us a request for contact, or give us a call today at Jennifer Westmoreland & Associates!

decorative image Monthly VideoAccording to the National Association of REALTORS®, existing home sales inched up slightly this September. While buyer demand remains strong in much of the country, these marginal gains reflect the inventory strain that continues to impact many markets.
Interest Rates decorative image   Monthly VideoAccording to Freddie Mac, 30-year fixed rates rose from 3.83 percent to 3.88 percent. This rate remains well below the historical average of 8.90 percent.
Home Sales decorative image   Home Sales Graph   The National Association of REALTORS® reported home sales at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of approximately 5.4 million homes during the month of September. This was an increase of 0.7 percent from August and a decrease of 1.5 percent from September of last year.
Home Prices decorative image   Home Price Graph   The median home price decreased to $245,100 in September, which was down 3.2 percent from August and up 4.2 percent from September of last year. The median home price has increased by approximately $9,900 in the past year alone.
Inventory decorative image   Inventory Graph   There was a 4.2-month supply of housing inventory in September, which was flat from August. The total number of available homes for sale has decreased by 6.7 percent compared to September of last year.
decorative image   Brought to you by KW Research. For additional graphs and details, please see the This Month in Real Estate PowerPoint Report.The opinions expressed in This Month in Real Estate are intended to supplement opinions on real estate expressed by local and national media, local real estate agents and other expert sources. You should not treat any opinion expressed on This Month in Real Estate as a specific inducement to make a particular investment or follow a particular strategy, but only as an expression of opinion. Keller Williams Realty, Inc., does not guarantee and is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of information, and provides said information without warranties of any kind. All information presented herein is intended and should be used for educational purposes only. Nothing herein should be construed as investment advice. You should always conduct your own research and due diligence and obtain professional advice before making any investment decision. All investments involve some degree of risk. Keller Williams Realty, Inc., will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in This Month in Real Estate.

Halloween 2017 at Team JWA

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Happy Halloween from Jennifer Westmoreland & Associates!

We take your home buying and selling needs seriously, and can have fun too! If you value a local real estate team with years of experience, this is it! Before you look at the answer, see if you can guess the theme of each ofthese photos!

Halloween Safety Tips in the Greater Athens Area

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Information and photo via Keller Williams

We all want to keep our little ghosts and ghouls safe this Halloween. Here are some simple reminders on how to protect your trick or treaters so everyone has a great time.

Costume Choices

  • When choosing or constructing your costumes make sure masks fit securely and provide adequate vision and ventilation. Children should also wear shoes that are well-fitting and sturdy.
  • Costumes should be made of flame resistant materials.
  • Accessories can be a real hazard. The best swords and knives are short, soft, and flexible.

Be Seen

  • Add reflective tape to the costume or bag your child is using to carry candy. Walk with a flashlight so everyone can see where they are going and in turn, others will see you.
  • Walk from house to house as a group, and make sure children are accompanied by an adult.
  • Stick to trick-or-treating in well-lit homes in familiar neighborhoods.
  • Look both ways when crossing the street. If there is a cross walk available, use it.
Home Safety

  • Keep candles and jack-o-lanterns away from landings and doorsteps at your home where costumes could brush against the flames.
  • Be sure the walkway to your house is clear and free of any tripping hazards.

Have a great Halloween and don’t eat too much candy!

September Gardening in the Greater Athens Area

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Reminders to help get your garden cleaned up

Information and photo via Keller Williams

September may be the end of the outdoor gardening season for most, but it’s also the time to prepare everything for next spring. Here are a few reminders on what you need to do to get your garden cleaned up and ready for next year!

Harvest and Transplant:

  • Pick your tomatoes, even the ones that are still green, and ripen these indoors.
  • Transplant your outdoor herbs into pots and bring these indoors for winter growth.
  • Tender bulbs should be dug up and moved indoors to a cool and dark area.

Plant for Spring:

  • When the weather cools down, you can start to plant spring flowering bulbs and peony roots.
  • Divide and replant perennials that have overgrown their current space.

Clean and Compost:

  • Remove and compost your annual plants that are spent.
  • Rake and remove leaves.

We wish you and your family a happy Fall. Please keep us in mind if you or someone you know is looking to buy or sell real estate soon.

 

Copyright 2017 Keller Williams® Realty, Inc. If you have a brokerage relationship with another agency, this is not intended as a solicitation. All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Equal Opportunity Housing Provider. Each office is independently owned and operated. 

Tired of the Online Home Search in Athens?

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Tired of the Online Home Search in Athens?

Learn How Team Jennifer Westmoreland & Associates Can Help!

(Article and information via Hannah Harris with Team JWA)

Tired of seeing houses when performing your own online searches at various websites that are already UNDER CONTRACT but say FOR SALE?

We can help!

From the time a new listing is listed on our local Multiple Listing Service (that real estate agents use), it can sometimes take anywhere from 24-48 hours to show up on general real estate websites. More times than not, once you see a popular new listing pop up in the neighborhood you’ve been looking for, it will have multiple offers or even be under contract already! How frustrating!?

But there is hope! Contact Hannah at hannah@thejwa.com, submit a request for contact, or simply give us a call and we can set you up to receive listings that meet your criteria directly from our Multiple Listing Service within the HOUR of it being listed! We have access to the newest homes, often before they are even available online! Looking for something specific like houses under $250,000, a house with a basement or  minimum number of bathrooms, or in a certain neighborhood? We can provide a custom list, plus provide you with each new listing that fits your customized needs as they come on the market. This is just one of the ways that Team JWA’s clients can stay ahead of the game to be one of the first to make an offer when the perfect home is available.

We have a dedicated buyer’s team focused on you, including our lead buyer’s agent Brandon McEachern. Interested in being one of the first to learn of the new listing that fits your needs in a home? Contact us today and we’ll create your custom home purchase plan.

Winterize Your Home in the Greater Athens Area

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Help Winterize Your Home in the Greater Athens Area

9 Hints To Help Protect Your Home as Temperatures Drop

Information and photo via Keller Williams

…Start Saving!

  1. Inspect your roof and replace any damaged or missing roof shingles.
  2. Make sure gutters and downspouts are free of leaves and debris.
  3. Consider a fresh coat of paint or sealer on your deck.
  4. On a windy day, close your windows and feel for air leaks.
  5. Seal any leaks with rope caulk.
  6. Install weather stripping on the sides or bottoms of any leaky doors.
  7. Insulate exposed plumbing.
  8. Remove leaves or debris from your air conditioner’s condensing unit, cover for winter.
  9. If you haven’t had your fireplace chimney cleaned in a few years, hire a professional chimney sweep.
If you need a recommendation for local professionals who can perform this or any other work around your home, I can help! Contact us today, or visit our home resources page!

And as always, if you or anyone you know is looking to buy or sell a home, you can count on me for the utmost professionalism, expertise and results! Submit a request for contact, or give us a call today for your custom plan.