Tag Archive for: selling my home

Millennial First Time Home Buyers in the Greater Athens Area

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Millennials Search for Unconventional Down Payment Funds, but at What Cost?

We’ve had several questions from customers recently about unconventional down payment funds, and wanted to share this information with you to potentially help you out! Interested in looking for your first home in the greater Athens area? Submit a request for contact or give us a call today! We’d be happy to walk you through the first time home buyer process and know what to plan on throughout the process!

Information and photo via Keller Williams

By Liz Dominguez decorative image Millennials meeting with REALTOR Rising home prices are standing in the way of millennials who want to buy their first home; however, these challenges are being overcome via some unconventional methods. Millennials are getting creative and finding sources for their down payment by any means necessary. But are these methods hurting the millennial generation financially?

Borrowing from family: Sure, gifted money doesn’t sound bad. But what if the families don’t have the cash to give? Instead, buyers are asking that their parents’ home be refinanced, using the home equity as a way to fund their own home purchase.

Of course, this can be beneficial in multiple-offer situations to get a competitive edge with an all-cash offer, but borrowing from a relative can go south fast. Not being able to pay a bank back can have repercussions like lowering a credit score, but missed payments to a relative can damage familial relations. Is it worth the risk?

Crowdfunding: There are new crowdfunding platforms being introduced every year, and more of them are tapping into the real estate industry. This can be a great way to amass gifted money from friends and family, but not everyone may see it that way. Instead of crowdfunding for their honeymoon, newlyweds are asking their wedding guests to donate toward their first home.

This method can get complicated in the lending world. Buyers will need to look into gifting regulations before accepting any gifted money.

Top 10 New Years Resolutions for 2018

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Here are this year’s most popular resolutions.

(Information and photo via Keller Williams)

It’s that time of year!

If you’ve resolved to ring out the old and start the New Year with clean slate, you’re in good company.

Here are the this year’s most popular resolutions:

10. Find a new / better job
9. Volunteer / contribute more to charity
8. Learn something new
7. Exercise more
6. Spend more time with family / close friends
5. Do more new / exciting things
4. Quit smoking
3. Make smarter financial decisions
2. Lose weight / eat healthier
1. Buy a home or move

Know someone that may need help with #1? At Jennifer Westmoreland & Associates, we’d be glad to help! Submit a request for contact or give us a call to customize a home sale or purchase plan, just for you!

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!

This Month in Real Estate December 2017

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Current Real Estate Trends in the Greater Athens Area

(Information via Keller Williams)

December 2017 Market Update decorative image Monthly VideoAccording to the National Association of REALTORS®, existing home sales picked up in October, overcoming ongoing inventory shortages. Healthy job growth and wage increases are fueling continued strong demand in much of the country.
Interest Rates decorative image   Monthly VideoAccording to Freddie Mac, 30-year fixed rates rose from 3.88 percent to 3.90 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 5.5 million homes during the month of October. This was an increase of 2.0 percent from September and a decrease of 0.9 percent from October of last year.
Home Prices decorative image   Home Price Graph   The median home price decreased to $247,000 in October, which was down 0.2 percent from September and up 5.5 percent from October of last year. The median home price has increased by approximately $12,900 in the past year alone.
Inventory decorative image   Inventory Graph   There was a 3.9-month supply of housing inventory in October, which was a 7.1 percent decrease from September. The total number of available homes for sale has decreased by 11.4 percent compared to October of last year.

Interested in more information on what’s happening in your neighborhood in the greater Athens area? Give us a call, or submit a request for contact today!
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.

5 Tips for Christmas Tree Safety

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Christmas Tree Safety in the Greater Athens Area

(Information and photo via Keller Williams)

 

It’s hard not to get into the holiday spirit when you bring out the ornaments and decorate your tree. Keep in mind however that both real and artificial trees can pose a hazard in your home if they are not properly cared for. Here are a few tips and reminders on how to keep your tree and your family safe

  1. If you are using a natural tree, make a fresh cut across the tree’s base before setting it in the stand and immediately place in water. Keep the tree’s water container full at all times, checking the water level daily.
  2. Place the Christmas tree well away from the heat registers, space heaters, fireplaces, wood stoves, televisions, computer monitors and other heat sources.
  3. Check all Christmas tree lights, other electric decorations and electrical appliances for wear (frayed cords, for example). Use only UL approved electrical decorations and extension cords.
  4. Unplug tree lights and decorations when out of the room or sleeping.
  5. Place the Christmas tree clear of doors to keep the emergency escape route clear of trees, packages and furniture.

Happy Decorating!

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!

 

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.

 

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.