Tag Archive for: watkinsville

Team JWA Pet Food Donation Drive for the Athens Community Council on Aging

Jennifer Westmoreland & Associates “Pound for Pound” December Pet Food Drive

At Jennifer Westmoreland & Associates, one of our passions is in assisting pets in need in the greater Athens area. The Athens Community Council on Aging has begun a Meals on Wheels for pets donation program, and we are happy to help support this effort! As part of the plan, we need your help!

The ACCA Meal on Wheels programs assists with food to over 100 seniors in our community, and many of their clients have pets. Will’s Pet Pantry was created to help support this need, and we’re kicking off an annual “Pound for Pound” pet food donation campaign! Simply drop off pet food to donate to the ACCA at their office (135 Hoyt St in Athens) or at our office (1361 Jennings Mill Road B-100 in Watkinsville/Bogart) during the month of December, and we’ll match your pet food donation pound for pound!

Small bags of pet food are most needed to help with distribution, and our friends at Pet Supplies Plus have generously helped in the initial pet food donation. When you purchase pet food at Pet Supplies Plus, please let them know it’s for the Team JWA/ACCA pet food donation program!

We’re happy to support our community, and appreciate your support as well.

Thank you Buddy for your support of the ACCA!

Team JWA Santa for a Senior

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 CareAthens 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

 

Holiday Special at Lee Ridge in Watkinsville

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.

8 Home Care Tips for November

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

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

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.

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

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.

Best_Friends_-_Dogs_and_People.png

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).

October 2017 Home Care in the Greater Athens Area

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

Home Care Tips October

(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. Replace or clean your furnace filter.
  2. Clean filters for kitchen exhaust fans.
  3. Drain outside faucets and winterize your sprinkler system.
  4. Check your driveway for cracks. Fill cracks and reseal as needed.
  5. Cover your air conditioner and/or remove any window units.
  6. Reverse your ceiling fans to help blow warm air down from the ceiling throughout the room.
  7. Drain approximately 2 gallons from water heater to eliminate sediment.
  8. Pass a lit candle around doors and windows to check for drafts. Weather strip as necessary.
Call today or submit a request for contact to find out what’s happening in our greater Athens area and how we can help!

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.

5 Community Events on Friday the 13th and October

5 Special Events for Friday the 13th and October in the Greater Athens area

(Image via Keller Williams)

It’s Friday the 13th, plus Halloween is coming up soon! Do you have any plans for today, or the rest of the month? Or are you looking for something to do? Our community is always fun of special events and things to do! There are lots of local seasonal events coming up in the greater Athens area. Here are 5 ideas. Visit our JWA page to share your favorite Fall events as well!

  1. Washington Farms in Watkinsville – Have you navigated the corn maze? Visit their page to learn all there is to do at Washington Farms this Fall.
  2. Zombie Farms of Athens – This “farm” is a haunted trail, opening tonight. Are you a fan of haunted houses?
  3. Oconee County Fall Festival in Watkinsville – with an expected 20,000 people attending, there will be lots to see and do. The Oconee Fall Festival is Saturday, October 21st.
  4. Watkinsville Trick or Treat – Bring the kids to downtown Watkinsville on October 31st for trick or treating and family fun!
  5. Boo-le-Bark Boulevard in Athens – A Halloween dog costume parade? Yes! Parade takes place Sunday, October 15th.

 

This Month in Real Estate October 2017

Interested in our local Greater Athens area? Contact us today! Information via Keller Williams.

THIS MONTH IN REAL ESTATE
October 2017
HOME SALES
Home sales increased year-over-year.
5.35 MILLION
Seasonally adjusted annual rate of U.S. home sales
+0.2%since one year ago
-1.7%since last month
HOME PRICE
Home prices have continued to increase year-over-year.
$253,500
Average
U.S. home price.
+5.6%since one year ago
-1.8%since last month
MORTGAGE RATES
Mortage rates remain well below the historic average.
30 year fixed: 3.83%
15 year fixed: 3.13%
5/1-year arm: 3.17%
Historical Average: 8.90%
Source: Freddie Mac
THERE’S OPPORTUNITY IN EVERY MARKET!
Call today or submit a request for contact to find out what’s happening in our greater Athens area and how we can help!

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.