Tag Archive for: Keller Williams

Team JWA Santa for a Senior

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Be a Santa for a Senior in Athens with Team JWA!

Join Team JWA, along with several other local businesses, as we join forces to provide presents to seniors who otherwise might not receive a gift this holiday season. In partnership with Home Instead Senior Care, Athens Community Council on Aging, a local nonprofit, will identify seniors in the community with this need. The program will run from November 3- December 8.

How can you help?

1. Select a Santa ornament from the tree at Jennifer Westmoreland & Associates or any other participating organizations (listed in the photo below)!

2. Purchase item(s) listed.

3. Put Santa ornament and gift(s) together.

4. Deliver unwrapped gifts along with ornament to our office or any of the participating locations.

 

Then bring your wrapping paper and jolly attitude to the Gift Wrapping Party!

December 11th, 4pm at the Athens Community Council on Aging
135 Hoyt Street, Athens

 

Athens GA Community Thanksgiving Feast

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Will you be in Athens and looking for lunch plans for Thanksgiving on Thursday?

Consider going to Five Bar in Downtown Athens for a delicious meal to benefit Project Safe! Information via the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce. FIVE, the restaurant on the corner of N. Hull Street and W. Clayton Avenue, will be hosting their 4th Thanksgiving Day Charity Feast.  A traditional, seated Thanksgiving meal will be prepared by their chefs and served free of charge from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the restaurant.  EVERYONE is welcome.

While there will be absolutely no questions asked, donations will be accepted by those capable of making them.  100% of donations from the event will be given to the non-profit organization Project Safe (www.project-safe.org).

For any questions, visit FIVE at 269 N. Hull Street, or call the restaurant at (706) 543-5515.

 

Holiday Special at Lee Ridge in Watkinsville

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New Construction in Oconee County

Looking for new construction in Oconee County?
Take a look at this holiday special, then submit a request for contact or give us a call today!

Learn more about Lee Ridge and what’s available here.

Greater Athens GA Turkey Cooking Tips

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Are you in charge of cooking the Thanksgiving Turkey this year?

Here are a few reminders for all the chefs out there. (Information and photo via Keller Williams)

Buying the Right Size Bird

It actually depends on how many people you are serving. Smaller turkeys will have less meat and more bone in comparison to their larger counterparts. If you’re cooking a bird that’s less than 12 lbs., you should plan for 2 lbs. per serving. Anything larger, you can plan on 1½ lbs., per person.

Pro Tip: The turkey may be the star of the Thanksgiving meal, but lots of side options can mean your guests may opt for less meat. Take this into account when selecting your bird.

The Great Stuffing vs. Dressing Debate

Different regions of the country are at odds with the correct terminology to use for this delicious dish that essential to every Thanksgiving meal. Outside of the Southern United States, it’s dressing if it’s cooked outside of the turkey, and stuffing if it’s cooked inside.

Regardless of your naming preference, you’ll want to keep one important thing in mind. If you’re cooking your stuffing/dressing inside the turkey, you need to make sure to bring the internal temperature (center of the stuffing) to at least 165°F.

Pro Tip: If you’re committed to cooking the traditional ‘stuffing’ inside the bird, plan on bringing it to full temperature outside of the bird after your meat has reached the right temperature. Waiting until the stuffing reaches the correct temperature can dry out your breast meat, and nobody wants that.

I wish you all the best with your turkey cooking this year. Happy Thanksgiving!

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.

4 Reasons Why Bamboo Is Taking Home Decor by Storm

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Is bamboo a part of your home decor?

(Information and photo via Keller Williams)

Homeowners are often looking for home improvement options that strike the right balance between affordability, functionality, aesthetics and eco-friendliness. Bamboo has been marketed as something of a panacea—a kind of wonder wood that checks all the boxes. Designers, contractors and consumers have all taken note, as bamboo has made its way into homes as flooring, walls, window treatments, furniture and more. Here are the properties that are making this popular material a go-to green choice for interior design materials.

Affordability
Bamboo is a readily available wood…except for the fact that bamboo isn’t a wood at all, but a grass! Therein lies the secret to bamboo’s ascendant success as a housing material: It grows like a weed because it essentially is one. At a maximum of three feet per day, it is, in fact, the fastest growing plant on Earth.

Versatility
Just the one word “bamboo” doesn’t do justice to the range of looks the material offers. It can vary greatly in shades and textures, making it a versatile option for decorators and designers.

Durability
Whether natural or manmade, few materials can match bamboo’s physical properties pound for pound. Because bamboo grows in wet, tropical climates, it is well-suited to resisting rain and wind. In fact, this unassuming reed beats out hardwood, brick and concrete alike in terms of compressive strength, while rivaling steel in tensile strength.

Sustainability
As a growing number of homeowners look for eco-friendly materials in their decor, perhaps no single factor has contributed to bamboo’s modern vogue in interior design more than its sustainability. As it is a grass rather than a tree, it can grow to a harvestable size (often over 100 feet) in a matter of months. This is in stark contrast to the years of water, fertilizer and pesticide required by other timber woods.

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!

Sit. Stay. Sell. The Power Of Pets In Real Estate

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Every pet deserves a home!

Did you know that, at Jennifer Westmoreland & Associates, we are happy to support our local Athens Area Humane Society with each closing? We were happy to donate a percentage of 2017 closings to the AAHS in support of their mission, and look forward to continuing the tradition! Do you have pets in your household? Below is an excerpt from a Keller Williams blog post. Visit their blog page for more information on helpful ways to help show a home with pets. (Information and photo via KW)

“There was a time when selling a home with a pet was a major issue for sellers and real estate agents. Great efforts went into masking odors, eliminating stains, putting up food/water bowls, closing doggy doors, removing litter pans, putting toys away and even finding a place for the pet to be during showings. Needless to say, it required a lot of extra work on top of the other tasks needed to get the home ready for showing.

In today’s market, most of this has changed, and pet-friendly homes are now considered by many to be a benefit.

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With 65 percent of households currently owning a pet, having a pet is no longer a “downside” when it comes to buyers and sellers. However, even though 79 million households have at least one pet, home owners still need to present a clean, pet-stain and odor-free home when listing it for sale.

More than just having pets, an estimated 83 percent of people actually consider the pet a member of the family. This is causing home owners and agents to see pet-friendly homes in a different light.

Agents understand that people are passionate about their pets. But more than understanding that passion is delivering service that meets the client’s specific needs…” (Continued at KW blog post).

3 Small Steps To Prepare Your Home For Rain

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(Information and photo via Keller Williams)

Complete these home maintenance steps before spring rains begin:

  1. Inspect the foundation for low areas and fill with compacted soil to help prevent foundation damage.
  2. Check the wood trim around windows, doors and railings and make repairs before wood rot occurs.
  3. Inspect the deck for discolorations and reseal before warping occurs.

Small tips can add value to your home. A few maintenance steps can help prevent long-term damage.

Thinking about buying or selling a home? Let us be your resource for local real estate information. Give us a call today, or submit a request for contact!