Wind and weather storms have become a serious concerns as of late here in Atlanta.  Last Friday saw destruction to so many areas in the downtown, forth ward and central Atlanta city that no one expected.  There was major destruction to landmarks like the Phillip’s Arena, The World Congress Center, The CNN Center, The Stacks Lofts (aka The Cotton Mill Lofts), The Westin Peachtree, Centennial Olympic Park and much more.  Many Atlantans were awakened to realize that even their secure urban lives can be touched by mother nature at a moment’s notice. 

The PRIME REAL ESTATE team in Atlanta offers the following advice when preparing for such events in the future.  First make sure you have some essential plans in place if the event arises.  First make sure you have a safe place to go when trouble strikes.  Make sure you have a signal for those in your area that everyone understands and recognizes as the warning signal to find safety.  Be sure you are prepared.  The most prepared person is the one most likely to survive even the most catastrophic events. 

For preparation you need to make sure you have a route and destination plan in place that works.  Make sure you determine a safe location that will accommodate your needs.  The location should be in the most interior places of the building.  Exterior walls are the most dangerous.  Next, you should have an evacuation plan in place and then test it to make sure it works.  When determining space requirements in the safety area you choose, allow 5-6 square feet per person.   Keep distance from areas that have debris, equipment or automobiles.  These can become large flying death weapons in a high wind event. 

More information can be found on the National Weather site and the Internet.  Most importantly, be prepared, remain calm and have a good plan that works.  

Come see the spectaculars condos that remain at Avista Condominiums.  These spectacular city homes have beautiful thick and dark hardwoods, GE Profile Appliances, Smart Wiring and much more.  Each home is unique with its own private balcony.  All homes have jetted tubs and separate showers too.  These are truly like nothing else in Atlanta.  Plus the spectacular city views are breath taking.

 You can walk to restaurants like Wolfgang Puck, Mellow Mushroom and much more.  The complex is just off Peachtree Street in Buckhead’s Loring Heights neighborhood.  It is within walking distance to Piedmont Hospital, many restaurants, nightlife, grocery stores and much more.  Walk to anything including nice area parks!  It is also very easy to access midtown and downtown by walking or a very short drive.  This hidden property has so many features. 

The sales center is open Saturdays and Sundays from 1-5PM.  The homes are located at 140 Alden Avenue, Atlanta, Ga 30309.  Stop by today!

Living in Sandy Springs has become a special event, and The Rosedale is no exception.  The Rosedale offers space and new amenities at a price that is second to none. Two bedroom homes begin in the $130s with new hardwoods, stainless steel appliances, lighting and more.  Construction is nearly complete, so the construction pricing will not be in effect much longer. 

There are also some great buyer incentives for contracts by March 30, 2008.  Call Phillip Stampul (404) 542-1104 or Lynette Alston (404) 376-2971 for your personal showing and information.

This great Sandy Springs complex is priced to sell.  Homes are within walking distance of shopping, restaurants, night life, transportation and much more.  This is truly a special hide away community in the heart of all that is Sandy Springs.  The Rosedale is nestled behind a great wall of privacy trees, but is steps from everything.  There is a fantastic pool and picnic area private to the community.  HOA fees are low and include many of life’s expenses within them.  The construction is all brick, so energy efficiency is great.  The community also has plenty of resident and guest parking, controlled door access and an on-site laundry facility.

 Call or stop by today to get your special home at these special prices in exquisite Sandy Springs.  The PRIME REAL ESTATE experts are ready to help you find the right home, the right financing and any other services you may need.  You can see a few of the homes for yourself at www.atlprime.com.  With interest rates and pricing as low as they are, there has never been a been a better time to buy at The Rosedale.  These opportunities will be short lived, so get yours today!

When it comes to selling your home there are a few things you need to do to ensure the quickest sale and the best price.  Most importantly, you need to choose a qualified professional who can get your home noticed in the right places by the right people.  In this day and age, many people are looking to discount brokers for selling their home.  Here the old adage ‘you get what you pay for’ has never been more true.  You may pay less, but you will also get less (and in a much longer selling time).  After all, why would you do all the work and get a lower net on the sale?  It truly pays to have a knowledgeable expert helping you make the right choices and navigate this very challenging market.  Call a PRIME expert in Atlanta to find out more.

In preparation for sale there are also some very critical steps you need to take toward preparing your home to showcase to buyers.  First, make sure that the home is always clean.  Next, go through all the ‘extras’ in your home and remove them.  Making the home as neutral as possible helps your home appeal to more buyers and a variety of tastes.  Not everyone has the same taste as you (and vice versa), so don’t limit yourself to buyers exactly like yourself.  Most everyone is an individual and it does not make sense to limit your buyer pool to people only as yourself.
If you have any specific religious, cultural, or lifestyle suggesting items, they should be stored out of sight until your move.  Additionally, get rid of any colors that may be too far from neutral.  Consider this, if you went to look at a home and your personal preference did not include purple walls with pink trim, how attracted would you be toward that home?  Similarly, if you are of traditional values and you look at a home with lots of pornographic or suggestive art work, how attracted would you be to that home?  Or perhaps you like clean spaces and the home you visit has toys and trash strewn about, how attracted would you be to that home?  This is why we always recommend a neutral clean environment for your perspective buyer.  You want to ensure that they are comfortable in your home and can imagine how their things would fit. 

If the home is too suggestive, cluttered or has too many colors that are hard to match, then your buyer pool has been reduced tremendously.  The experts at PRIME REAL ESTATE in Atlanta can help you with recommendations if you are unsure what works best.  Our agents are trained in how to stage the home to sell.  Call us today at (404) 685-3774 to schedule your personal interview. 

Additionally, when it is time to sell you need to make sure that your home shows up in the right places: in front of the right prospects.  A discount package that only hits a few avenues where buyers look might not fill the need.  that is why the PRIME experts place your home in so many places to get noticed.  I am sure you have heard that ’sales is a numbers game’, and it is.  The experts at PRIME realize that selling your condo in Midtown is not the same as selling your McMansion in Buckhead.  Each property needs a tailored marketing approach.  The ‘one size fits all’ approach you will find from the discounters does not work, and ultimately costs you more than you will ever imagine.

Think about it this way: if you sell your home with a PRIME expert for $400,000 and pay a 6% commission, you will net $376,000 and not have to do any work.  If you use a discount broker statistic show you will get an average of 16% less for your home or $336,000.  Plus, you will have to do ALL the work.  Would you rather have more money and less work, or less money and more work?  Using a PRIME expert who knows where and how to place your your home just makes more since when you add it all up. 

The PRIME team serves areas through out Atlanta like: Midtown, Buckhead, College Park, East Atlanta, Decatur, Poncey Highlands, Virginia Highlands, Fourth Ward and any other area inside the metro perimeter.  We are here to help! 

In an article dated March 6, 2008 | Daily Real Estate News:

NAR: HOME SALES TO HOLD STEADY

There are some great signs of an improving housing market.  according to the article:

“Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says many buyers have been waiting for higher mortgage loan limits.

‘The higher loan limits for both FHA and conventional loans will increase consumer choice and provide greater access to lower interest rates in high-cost regions’, he says. ‘Therefore, a notable rise in home sales can be anticipated in the second half of the year.”

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in January, held at a stable level of 85.9, unchanged from December, but was 19.6 below the January 2007 reading of 106.8.

‘This additional sign of a stabilizing market is encouraging, and our members are telling us there’s been a pick up in shopping activity,’ Yun says. ‘ Our hope is that the increased traffic of buyers looking at homes will translate soon into more contract offers’…..(end of article)”

This is very good news for us here in the Midtown, Buckhead and general Atlanta market as we have seen a fairly stable market in comparison with the rest of the country.  For buyers, there has never been a better time to buy, and for sellers, tensions ease and it is a good time to have your home on the market again.

March 3, 2008

For Immediate Release

Contact: Bru Krebs/Prime Real Estate

                (404) 685-3774

                Carol Smith

                (404) 748-1640

 PRIME REAL ESTATE OPENS OFFICES IN MIDTOWN

(Atlanta, GA) Conceived with the idea that bigger is not always better, Paul “Bru” Krebs has established a new real estate company in the midtown area of Atlanta, Prime Real Estate.  Located at 620 Glen Iris Drive, Suite 102, the firm will specialize ion condominiums, town-homes and single family homes, both new and resale, within the perimeter and builder/developer services on a regional basis.  According to Krebs, a fourteen year veteran of the Georgia real estate industry, there is a need for an independent realty company that focuses on personalized service with ingenuity and excitement; in today’s market, we need to raise the bar to achieve success.

“We are committed to extraordinary service and fulfilling the needs of buyers and sellers alike.  Our priority is customer satisfaction, outweighing all other factors.  The days of empty promises and inexperience are over; the market dictates agents must listen, understand their customers’ needs, and speak with authority and honesty when communicating,” he stated.  “This can only be accomplished with a seasoned team, and agents that are well trained and understand the value of market knowledge.  Part of our recruitment efforts includes continual training and mentoring for all agents.”

Krebs enters the business with a solid background in all aspects of residential real estate.  He started his career as a home builder in South Georgia, where he was quickly acknowledged as an industry leader based on his superior work and service.  He has developed multiple subdivisions, several light commercial projects and completed several major historic renovations.  Coming to Atlanta to focus on real estate sales, Krebs’ professionalism and dedicated service earned him accolades  and awards as a top sales agent at Coldwell Banker/The Condo Store.  He transferred those skills to on-site sales for builder and developer projects, succeeding in accelerated sales and exceeding goals.  Most recently, Krebs was the managing broker for Lifestyles Realtors, LLC, a regional real estate firm specializing in both retail and builder/developer services in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina and Florida.

According to Krebs, PRIME REAL ESTATE will actively seek business in both retail and builder/developer arenas. “We have opened our doors with numerous active listings, a full compliment of staff, and nine full time agents.  Additionally we have three new development projects, two condominium communities in Atlanta, a coastal subdivision and a major $60 million residential development  in South Georgia coastal area.  PRIME REAL ESTATE will be opening a satellite office in coastal Georgia within the next 30 days, and a second branch is planned for Historic Savannah this summer.”  

He continued by saying that the PRIME REAL ESTATE team has the experience, depth of knowledge and desire to excel in the Atlanta and Georgia housing market.  “I recognize the issues facing the marketplace at the present time.  Admittedly, the times are challenging.  This does not mean, however, that people have quit buying and/or selling homes.  The current conditions dictate that skillful negotiations, commitment, intelligence and tenacity are absolute requirements in order o succeed.  We are up to the challenge.  We are building the team from a foundation that represents more than 42 years experience in the residential real estate industry, tapping those individuals with proven success in all facets of the business.”

PRIME REAL ESTATE is offices are open daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.  To reach the office take Ponce de Leon Avenue west from Peachtree Street to Glen Iris Drive; turn right (south) for one block  and the offices will be on the right. Call (404) 685-3774 for specific information or visit the PRIME REAL ESTATE web site at www.atlprime.com.

New News from Prime Real Estate Georgia.  Our coastal offices are set to open on April 1, 2008 serving the Savannah and surrounding areas for rentals, sales and developer services.  This, in addition to our rapidly growing Atlanta team which has just completed its first sensational week of operation.  The next office is planned for Blue Ridge Georgia to open in July.  We already have listings in all the areas and the teams are growing quickly.

 Our web site, atlprime.com has been receiving great leads from our campaigns. Atlanta Real Estate will never be the same.  The PRIME site has fast response with web leads and online chat so that our customers, clients and proeprties get the BEST service in the business.  This helps PRIME REAL ESTATE sell properties for the best price in the fastest amount of time.

Come by and visit Troy Peerless lofts right next to the PRIME sales office in Poncey Highlands.  These unique lofts are magnificent and expect to begin closing in April.  Homes have incredible high ceilings, massively large windows, brick and block walls, Spanish cabinetry, granite counters and much more.  Prices begin in the $120s.

I have toured the property twice this week with clients and they are selling fast.  I am currently working with a customer to get the perfect home at Troy Peerless at the perfect price.  For a limited time PRIME REAL ESTATE will throw in a free home warranty with your purchase at Troy through one of our sales specialists.  Kudos to the develpers for another truly amazing project in midtown. 

 Troy Peerless is located in the loft Enclave next to Ponce Springs Lofts and Glen Iris Lofts.  From this special loft district on Glen Iris you can walk to restaurants such as Eats & El Azteca, shopping such as Home Depot, Borders, Whole Foods & Petsmart and personal services such as Midtown Chiropractic and Dental Centers.  Come to the PRIME office at 620 Glen Iris, Suite 102 for your personal tour of the area.