City of Atlanta Zoning Ordinances
Here is a matrix of the most popular City of Atlanta residential zoning ordinances as of March 1st, 2012. You may click the zoning code for additional information regarding that particular district. Zoning Code Min. Lot Width Min. Lot Area Min. Front Setback Min. Side Setback Min. Rear Setback Max Lot Coverage R-1 200′ 2 Acres 60′ 25′ 35′ 25% R-2 150′ 1 Acre 60′ 15′ 30′ 35% R-3 100′ 18,000 sq ft 50′ 10′ 20′ 40% R-4 70′ 9,000 sq...
read moreMake Your Atlanta Home For Sale Standout from the Crowd.
I’ve written quite a bit on how I make houses for sale in Atlanta stand-out on the internet. With 90% of homebuyers rapidly paging through homes on the internet, the real estate photographs become extremely important. Donna Johnston, who specializes in Charlotte Homes for Sale has written a great article on getting a home to stand out from the crowd. In the article she discusses the importance of real estate photography in the age of the internet: 90% of today’s buyers rely on the internet to find Charlotte homes for sale. More...
read moreA comparison of two sets of photos for the same Buckhead home
Which Buckhead Real Estate Photos are Better? I’m still amazed at how many real estate agents and homeowners treat their marketing photos for the house as an afterthought. If you’re thinking about the sale of your home, consider the fact a typical buyer will probably look for houses in Atlanta Georgia on the internet. Buyers will be paging through hundreds of houses for sale in Atlanta GA. They will be making split second decisions as to whether to review your home further or skip it. Needless to say, the internet pictures are...
read moreAtlanta Property Taxes are Assessed at the Selling Price
I’ve previously written about the recent change in Georgia law, where the selling price of a Georgia house will be the assessed value for tax purposes. The law was a reaction to people owning homes that were assessed, for tax purposes, at values much higher than their true market value. Most of the general public, and a surprising number of REALTORS, still seem to be unaware of this new law. It appears as if Fulton County, and many other counties, are having trouble with the implementation of the change in the law. The AJC recently...
read moreGoogle your Atlanta or Buckhead REALTOR
The amount of potential buyers using the internet for their home searches is around 90%. My guess is in the upscale markets of Buckhead, Virginia Highland, Vinings, Sandy Springs and Dunwood that the percentage is even higher. In short, a professional presence on the internet is extremely important in getting your home sold for the most money. When evaluating agents, look up their website, Google search terms like “Buckhead homes” to see if the agent is ranked on the first two or three pages. You also need to make sure the...
read moreEmpathy For Home Sellers
Often I read other real estate blogs, to keep abreast about what is going in our industry and to see if other agents are doing something creative. Charles Turner’s Portland Real Estate blog is one that I read. I found his recent article on empathizing with home sellers to be insightful and amusing. A fellow Realtor friend says that part of every Realtors license renewal should be that they move every five years so that they don’t forget the feeling of having their home on the market (it’s been six years for us so it is...
read moreFulton County Tax Appeal Timeline
Here is a quick update on my Fulton County Tax appeal: April 2009 – Purchased home in Buckhead, Atlanta for $605,000 February 2010 – Received Fulton County Tax assessment for $1,150,000 March 2010 – Filed “Real Estate Property Tax Return” for $605,000, the purchase price of my home April 2010 – Received Fulton County’s new assessment, after reviewing my request, it’s still $1,150,000 June 2010 – Filed my notice to the Fulton County Board of Assessors, of my intention to appeal my property...
read moreResearching Atlanta property taxes might be antiquated
Smart homebuyers, and their agents, will usually check the previous year’s taxes on prospective homes. With Atlanta’s property taxes, it was considered the prudent thing to do. But now, due to a new law, the “Fair Market Value” will be the sales price. Finding past property tax information might not be as crucial as it used to be. The previous year’s value still matters when determining your pro rata share of the current year’s property tax. It will also give you a proportional point of reference. For...
read moreThe Accuracy of the Zillow Zestimate
On a home-specific basis, I would not use the “Zestimate” for determining the value of a property. But, if you can’t resist the urge, the “Zestimate” is more accurate in mid-range neighborhoods, with similar homes, than upscale areas like Buckhead, Morningside, Sandy Springs, etc… Keep in mind, Zillow’s median error for Atlanta is 21.4%. Zillow clearly states that it’s “a starting point in determining a home’s value.” I’m not sure if it’s even a proper starting...
read moreJuly 2010 Buckhead Home Inventory
I thought this was an interesting chart of the months of inventory trend, for Buckhead (FMLS Area 21), over the last 5 years. 17 months of inventory is still fairly high, compared to 2005 and 2006, but it’s down significantly from the highs of the market crash in late 2008 and early 2009. Overall, it looks like a decent trend. As I’ve defined in previous posts, “months of home inventory” analysis can be a useful tool in understanding the state of the market. It incorporates actual inventory levels and the sales...
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