House Connect - Your Flat Fee Atlanta MLS Listing Service: October 2013

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Meet the Team - Shannon - Customer Care Representative

Reading our employee’s profile is a way to learn how diverse the positions at House Connect are! We employee educated Georgia real estate professionals dedicated to making the most out of your flat fee MLS listing experience. Check out their intro videos below as well as their professional social media pages. We’re proud of who’s working for you & want you to be too!

Meet Shannon - Customer Care Rep

Shannon Douglas is the Customer Care Representative & Liaison for House Connect. Unlike most Atlanta Flat Fee Listing Agencies, House Connect prides itself on customer communication. Shannon is our customers’ main contact person so that House Connect home sellers can reach someone who is knowledgeable of their listing Monday through Friday whether our agents are in the office or out on appointments. Shannon is an Atlanta native who resides in Roswell with her husband & two children. When she’s not helping home sellers promote their Metro-Atlanta residence for a reduced flat fee, Shannon enjoys running & going to the gym.

Check Out House Connect Online:

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/117285474537459892967/117285474537459892967/about

Facebook: http://facebook.com/houseconnectNOW

Instagram: http://instagram.com/houseconnect

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/houseconnect

We also offer plenty of real estate tips online! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, & Pinterest as well as subscribing to this blog. We’re always sharing our market-insider tips on home staging, DIY home renovations, and Atlanta market trends to keep you ahead of the competition. Not to mention the money you’ll save in commission prices!

Please feel free to post comments, send emails, visit our social media pages and the House Connect website, or call us directly at 770-640-6800 for more info. We have dedicated, knowledgeable professionals waiting to assist you with selling your Metro-Atlanta home without the pricey commissions.

**House Connect is a Flat Fee Listing company offering an alternative to the high cost of selling your home. We offer an Atlanta discount realty service which saves thousands of dollars versus using the traditional real estate agency.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Housing Affordability Slips Again; Atlanta Still Makes the Grade

Increased home prices coupled with rising mortgage rates & modest income gain has led to a slip in national real estate affordability. Atlanta, however, remains mostly unscathed.

The second annual Home Affordability Study, conducted by Interest.com, found that home prices rose nearly 16% over the last year in the 25 largest metropolitan areas, while income rose by only around 3% on average. Although all 25 cities’ affordability grade slipped, Atlanta still ranked most affordable big city with a grade of B+ (down from last year’s A).

Investor activity initially caused low supply & high demand, but now owner occupants are gaining more confidence to get back into the market as well, contributing to the national rise in property values.

While the median home price in Atlanta jumped from $103,200 to $143,400 (39%), that is still significantly lower than the national average of $203,500. Nancy See, president of the Atlanta Board of Realtors explains, “Atlanta is so affordable because we have no natural boundaries, unlike most cities, which gives us an unlimited supply of land, and because this land is less expensive.” The ABR president also attributes Atlanta affordability to a plentiful supply of nearby building materials such as wood & brick.

Other factors contributing to Atlanta’s healthy market are below average property taxes, modest insurance costs & a median household income of $54,628, 6% higher than the national median.

This is GREAT news for Atlanta home sellers. It means now’s the time if you’ve been waiting for this peak opportunity in the Metro-Atlanta market to list your property. Right now, you can take advantage of the high demand from eager & financially qualified buyers.

So…are you a Metro-Atlanta home seller looking to avoid paying a pricey commission? Try out our Flat Fee MLS Listing service to sell quickly & save THOUSANDS! Call us today & LET’S GET MOVING!

House Connect also offers real estate tips online! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, & Pinterest as well as subscribing to this blog. We’re always sharing our market-insider tips on Atlanta real estate trends, DIY home renovation ideas, and home staging tips to keep you ahead of the competition. Not to mention the money you’ll save in listing commission prices!

**House Connect is a Flat Fee MLS Listing company offering an alternative to the high cost of selling your home. We offer Atlanta home sellers a discount realty program which saves thousands of dollars versus using a traditional real estate agent.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Atlanta Real Estate Market: Home Buying Still Cheaper Than Renting Says Trulia

It’s time to address the elephant in the room. Everyone in the real estate industry has noticed & been affected by the rising mortgage rates. Rates have increased nationally over 1% for a 30-year fixed from just a year ago. This undoubtedly causes home buyers to question affordability & whether renting would be a better option. No fear, says Trulia…which is good news to agents, lenders, buyers & sellers alike.

In fact, the San Francisco based firm claims that mortgage rates would have to jump to nearly 10.5% on a 30-year-fixed for renting to generally represent a better value, and that nationally, buying a home is 35% cheaper than renting that same property.

The new tool Trulia.com offer helps potential home buyers factor in the cost of actual rent & home purchase, mortgage rate, applicable tax bracket, & length of term desired, to calculate for themselves a “rent versus buy” report.

This is a GREAT tool for home sellers as well. After all, knowledge is power, and what better way to arm yourself than to know how much cheaper buying your house would be to potential customers than renting something similar.

Check out the calculator online & see how your real estate property would stack up, and remember, with our flat fee MLS listing service you have the opportunity to list for just $499 instead of the traditional 3% which means a more competitive listing price OR more money for your pocket. With the House Connect discount realty program, YOU get to decide.

So…are you a Metro-Atlanta home seller looking to avoid paying a pricey commission? Try out our Flat Fee MLS Listing service to sell quickly & save THOUSANDS! Call us today & LET’S GET MOVING!

**House Connect is an Atlanta Flat Fee MLS Listing agency offering an alternative to the high cost of selling your home. We offer Metro-Atlanta home sellers a discount realty program which saves thousands of dollars versus using a traditional real estate consultant.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Atlanta Real Estate Market: Not Quite the End of Urban Sprawl

Last week I (and countless other real estate bloggers) reported on the recent findings that Atlanta market trends are shifting towards walkable urban locations inside the perimeter, also known as WalkUPs. While this is true, it’s not to say that the popular “urban sprawl” of Atlanta is dead just yet. Current market reports still indicate that the suburbs are alive & kicking outside the perimeter (OTP) as well.

First Multiple Listing Service of Atlanta reports:

OTP ‘Burbs: Sept 2012 VS. Sept 2013

Cumming: Sales Volume 14.7% UP Avg. Sales Price .3% UP Avg. Days on Market 25.6%DOWN
Roswell: Sales Volume 23.3%UP Avg. Sales Price 18.5% UP Avg. Days on Market 33.7% DOWN
Marietta: Sales Volume .4% UP Avg. Sales Price .4% UP Avg. Days on Market 37.8% DOWN
Stone Mountain: Sales Volume 2.6%UP Avg. Sales Price 35.7% UP Avg. Days on Market 36% DOWN

So, what does this mean for YOU? If you’re looking to list your OTP Atlanta property, it means now is the time! With inventory low across the board, the demand is HUGE out there for ITP AND OTP property. Here’s a glimpse at some suburban properties we’ve already sold in Metro-Atlanta. See how much they saved & how your real estate property would stack up. With our flat fee MLS listing service, you have the opportunity to list for just $499 instead of the traditional 3% which means more money for your pocket OR a more competitive listing price. With the House Connect discount realty program, YOU get to decide.

So…are you an Atlanta home seller looking to avoid paying a pricey commission? Try out our discount realty service to sell quickly & save THOUSANDS! Call us today & LET’S GET MOVING!

House Connect also offers real estate tips online! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, & Pinterest as well as subscribing to this blog. We’re always sharing our market-insider tips on Metro-Atlanta real estate trends, DIY home renovation ideas, and home staging tips to keep you ahead of the competition. Not to mention the money you’ll save in commission prices!

**House Connect is a Metro-Atlanta Flat Fee MLS Listing company offering an alternative to the high cost of selling your home. We offer Atlanta home sellers a discount realty program which saves thousands of dollars versus using the traditional real estate brokerage.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

ITP Atlanta Market Trend: "WalkUPs" in High Demand

A recent report finds that Atlanta market trends are shifting from the suburbs to walkable urban places inside the perimeter (ITP), also known as WalkUPs as the hub of real estate growth & wealth-creating employment opportunities. The study, Walkable Urban Places by Chris Leinberger finds that:

· Nearly 24% of total Metro-Atlanta jobs are located in established or emerging ITP WalkUPs

· The real estate market for ITP WalkUPs has rapidly increased: 10% in the 90s cycle, doubling to 22% in the 2000s cycle, & more than doubling again to 50% in the current cycle

· 60+% of income-producing Atlanta property was developed in ITP WalkUPs

http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/documents/walkup-wake-up-atlanta.pdf

What does this mean for YOU? If you’re looking to list your ITP Atlanta property, it means now is the time! The demand is HUGE out there. Here’s a glimpse at some “WalkUP” listings we’ve already sold in Metro-Atlanta. See how much they saved & how your real estate property would stack up. With our flat fee MLS listing service, you have the opportunity to list for just $499 instead of the traditional 3% meaning more money for your pocket OR a more competitive listing price. With the House Connect discount realty program, YOU are in control.

So…are you an Atlanta home seller looking to avoid paying a pricey commission? Try out our Atlanta Flat Fee Listing Service to sell quickly & save THOUSANDS! Call us today & LET’S GET MOVING!

House Connect also offers real estate tips online! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, & Pinterest as well as subscribing to this blog. We’re always sharing our market-insider tips on Metro-Atlanta real estate trends, DIY renovation ideas, and home staging tips to keep you ahead of the competition. Not to mention the money you’ll save in commission prices!

**House Connect is an Atlanta Flat Fee MLS Listing brokerage offering an alternative to the high cost of selling your home. We offer Metro-Atlanta home sellers a discount realty service which saves thousands of dollars versus using the traditional real estate agency.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

FAQ: House Connect Vs. Your Brother In-Law

Since launching our Flat Fee MLS Listing service back in January, our listing agents have run into a few common questions that Atlanta home sellers have about our discount realty service. House Connect President & Owner Mike Prewett has decided to take a minute to answer each question personally, so that our readers can better understand what a Flat Fee MLS Atlanta Listing can do for YOU!

House Connect Vs. Your Friends & Family

Check Out House Connect Online:

We also offer plenty of real estate tips online! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, & Pinterest as well as subscribing to this blog. We’re always sharing our market-insider tips on comparative home pricing, real estate market trends, and Metro-Atlanta pointers to keep you ahead of the competition. Not to mention the money you’ll save in commission prices!

**House Connect is an Atlanta, GA discount realty company offering an alternative to the high cost of selling your home. We offer a Flat Fee MLS Listing service which saves Atlanta home sellers thousands of dollars versus using the traditional real estate agency.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Metro-Atlanta Real Estate Market Report

The Atlanta real estate market continues to show strong demand for a limited & declining supply of homes for sale. Owner/Occupant home buyers are being nudged from the market by large institutional investors making it a sad time for residential real estate. We are approaching a crisis-level of low inventory in the metro-Atlanta market.

What does this mean for YOU? If you’re looking to list your house it means now is the time! The demand is HUGE out there. Here’s a glimpse at the current market & how you stack up. With our flat fee MLS listing service, you have the opportunity to list for just $499 instead of the traditional 3% which means more money for your pocket OR a more competitive listing price. With the House Connect discount realty program, YOU get to decide.

So…are you a Metro-Atlanta home seller looking to avoid paying a pricey commission? Try out our discount realty service to sell quickly & save THOUSANDS! Call us today & LET’S GET MOVING!

House Connect also offers real estate tips online! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, & Pinterest as well as subscribing to this blog. We’re always sharing our market-insider tips on Atlanta real estate trends, budget friendly home renovation ideas, and home staging tips to keep you ahead of the competition. Not to mention the money you’ll save in commission prices!

**House Connect is a Metro-Atlanta Flat Fee MLS Listing agency offering an alternative to the high cost of selling your home. We offer Atlanta home sellers a discount realty service which saves thousands of dollars versus using the traditional real estate company.