Tag Archive for: oconee

Doing the Homework on Athens Area Schools

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How the neighborhood school can help your home value!

Content via Keller Williams

Even if you don’t have school-aged children, school ratings can have a significant impact on the value of a home. Often, homes that are located within the boundaries of highly rated schools will be highly sought after.

As we search for your new home, we’ll take into account the following:
If you’re a parent, nearby school ratings will likely be a primary concern for you. By supplying you with details on school characteristics and ratings, we’ll make sure you have all of the information you need to make the best decision for your family.
Schools and school districts that show significant ratings improvements over time or areas in which new schools are currently under development could increase the value of nearby homes. This could be an opportunity to find a home that possibly will appreciate quickly.
Our interviews with past clients and members of our community on their firsthand experience with local schools will give you detailed insights and a complete understanding of a school’s quality.

Our commitment to thorough research and analysis of schools is the key to finding your new home.

Contact us today to begin your home search.

 

13 Ways to Help Your Home Sell Faster

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13 easy updates by room to improve your home’s appearance

Getting ready to sell your home, or looking for ways to update the appearance to attract more potential buyers? There are several changes and updates you can make by room that may help sell your home in the greater Athens area faster! Below are 13 easy ways to update your home, room by room, to enhance the appearance to a potential buyer. Would you like more information or a customized plan to sell your home? Give us a call or submit a request for contact and we’ll work with you to create a customized marketing plan for your home.

Information via Keller Williams.

In the Bedrooms:

  • Create a master suite effect in your decorating.
  • Depersonalize bedrooms and decorate in a neutral scheme.
  • Make sure that the beds are made and the linens are clean.
  • Organize your closets, remove unnecessary items and put them in storage.

In the Bathrooms:

  • Do no leave towels around and wipe down the sinks and shower areas after each use.
  • Re-caulk the tub if the caulk is not sparkling white.
  • Repair or replace broken tiles in the shower/tub.
  • Replace shower curtains and keep them clean.
  • Put out fresh towels and decorative soaps.

In the Kitchen:

  • Microwave a small dish of vanilla twenty minutes before a showing and place it in an out of the way place.
  • Highlight an eat-in-area in your kitchen with a table set for dinner.
  • The kitchen and bathrooms should always be spotlessly clean.
  • Expand your counter space by removing small appliances.

 

 

Real Estate on the River – ACCA Golf Tournament Update

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JWA Talks Golf With Kelli from the Athens Community Council on Aging

Tired of your Thursdays being subpar? A little birdie suggested your friends chip in and join us Thursday, May 3rd at the Athens Community Council on Aging golf tournament at the UGA golf course, presented by Jennifer Westmoreland & Associates! Everyone wants a slice of the tournament, so you must register your team today!

4 Home Staging Ideas To Stand Out From The Competition

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4 Home Staging Ideas in the Greater Athens Area

60 percent of homes sell during the summer months, making now the peak season for home showings. When you’re serious about selling your home for top dollar, these staging tips will help your home to stand out against the competition:

(information via Keller Williams)

1. Install an Air-Conditioning Timer – Regulate the temperature to be an optimal 70 degrees Fahrenheit when buyers arrive.
2. Clean Up Outdoor Areas – Rent a pressure washer to clean a patio, deck or driveway, and sweep up debris around the pool.
3. Show Off Built-In Features – Arrange neutral items in small clusters on built-in bookcases, shelves and wall cutouts to show off attractive architectural elements of your home.
4. Stage the Unexpected – Show buyers how livable the home is by staging something fun and inviting. Arrange some rolled up towels by the pool or place a novel next to the rocking chair on the front porch.

 

Interested in learning more about home staging? Visit our professional home staging page. We’d also be happy to provide a custom review of your home in getting it ready to sell! Submit a request for contact today, or give us a call.

8 Home Care Hints for April 2018

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You can keep your home in top shape with simple tasks throughout the year

(Information and photo via Keller Williams)

Here are 8 helpful home care hints for your house in the greater Athens area. This month, be sure to:

  1. Test your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms.
  2. Drain approximately 2 gallons from your water heater to eliminate sediment.
  3. Clean your clothes dryer vent duct.
  4. Vacuum your bathroom vent covers.
  5. Replace or clean your furnace filter.
  6. Clean out your basement window wells.
  7. Clean your refrigerator’s condenser coils to keep it operating efficiently.
  8. Clean around your air conditioning compressor and make sure that it gets sufficient air flow.

As always, we appreciate referrals from my 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.

Love Your Dog and Your Beautiful Back Yard

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Two Tips For Landscaping and Your Dog in the Greater Athens Area

Here are two tips to help you keep your landscape looking top shape for you and your best friend (information and photo via Keller Williams)

1. Set Some Boundaries: Even the smartest pooch in the pack can have a hard time telling which areas of the yard are off limits. Your flower bed or vegetable garden can easily look like fair game, so adding permanent or temporary barriers to these areas may be the best way to keep the peace between you and your pet.

2. Hate those Brown Spots? Watering regularly and keeping your grass a little longer than is typical can help reduce the appearance of brown spots in your grass, but it won’t solve the problem entirely. If you can’t live with the burn marks that come from the nitrogen found in your dog’s urine, consider creating a new special place for your dog to eliminate. A fenced off area or a section of the yard with some gravel that can be easily sprayed down from time to time are great options.

As always, we appreciate referrals from our 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 send us a request for contact today.

Jennifer Talks Real Estate with the Oconee Chamber

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Team JWA’s Jennifer Westmoreland Sits Down with Clint Watson of the Oconee County Chamber of Commerce

Thanks to the Oconee County Chamber of Commerce for the opportunity to talk about real estate, current market trends and more! Watch this video and you can even learn if Jennifer prefers ice cream or potato chips!

How to Reduce Allergens in Your Home

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Help keep your home allergy-free with these 4 simple tips.

Allergies are often associated with the arrival of spring, but indoor allergy sufferers will often find themselves sniffing and sneezing year-round. The culprit? Indoor allergens such as dust, dust mites and pet hair and dander. So how do you make sure your home is a respite from both seasonal and interior allergens and create a healthy environment for you and your family? Here are 4 ideas via Keller Williams for your real estate in the greater Athens GA area.

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, there are several best practices you can adopt to manage allergens in your home:
1. Keep it clean. Regularly cleaning your home will go far in reducing allergens such as dust, dust mites and pet dander.
2. Redo your floors. Replacing rugs and carpets with wood or vinyl floorings will help minimize dust and other allergens that become embedded in fabric fibers.
3. Groom your furry friends. Regularly bathing and brushing your pets will help reduce the amount of dander and pet hair in your home.
4. Go on mold patrol. Be on the lookout for any leaks or moisture in your home as this can cause mold to thrive.

Simple tips like these can create a happier, healthier and more valuable home. Thank you for thinking of us for all of your real estate needs, and be sure to share our contact information with anyone you know of looking to buy, sell or invest in a home. Interested buying or selling your next home? Give us a call today!

8 March Home Care Tips in the Greater Athens Area

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8 Helpful Home Maintenance Hints for March

(Information and photo via Keller Williams)

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

  1. Take a look at your lawn mower and give it a quick tune up. You’ll be needing it soon enough!
  2. Examine the exterior foundation grading/slope and ensure water moves away from your home. If water is collecting near the house, you’ll want to get things fixed right away.
  3. Inspect your roof’s surface, flashing, eaves, and soffits; after winter weather, the roof could use a little attention.
  4. Drain approximately 2 gallons from your water heater to eliminate sediment.
  5. Examine, repair and replace caulk and grout around your tubs and showers.
  6. Service your kitchen disposal by grinding several cups of ice cubes.
  7. Check your window and door screens in anticipation of warmer weather.
  8. Vacuum your bathroom vent covers.

Interested in buying or selling your next home, or know someone that may be in the near future? We’d love to help out! Submit a request for contact or give us a call today. We value and appreciate your referrals!

This Month in Real Estate March 2018 Greater Athens GA

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Interested in What’s Happening in Your Neighborhood? Contact us today

(Information and photos via Keller Williams)

Below is information for March 2018. Submit a request for contact or give us a call today to learn more about your greater Athens area neighborhood market.

March 2018 Market Update decorative image Monthly VideoAccording to the National Association of REALTORS®, existing home sales slid in January due primarily to a significant shortage of available homes on the market. Inventory constraints coupled with a healthy buyer demand put upward pressure on home prices, which can diminish overall sales activity.
   Interest Rates decorative image   Interest RatesAccording to Freddie Mac, 30-year fixed rates rose from 4.15 percent to 4.40 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 January. This was a decrease of 3.2 percent from December and a decrease of 4.8 percent from January of last year.
   Home Prices decorative image   Home Price Graph   The median home price decreased to $240,500 in January, which was down 2.4 percent from December and up 5.8 percent from January of last year. The median home price has increased by approximately $13,200 in the past year alone.
   Inventory decorative image   Inventory Graph   There was a 3.4-month supply of housing inventory in January, which was a 6.2 percent increase from December. The total number of available homes for sale has decreased by 2.9 percent compared to January 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.