the

BeatYour BuckHaven real estate resource

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I’m looking for feedback on your favorite BBQ spot in Atlanta for

next month’s postcard of the Top 10 BBQ Spots!

*send your vote to jackie.smith@harrynorman.com

Neighbors & Friends...

There are Buyers Looking for Homes in Your Area. Contact

me for more information:

Seller Needed!

678-357-5227jackie.smith@harrynorman.com

Harry Norman, REALTORS®Jackie Smith

Wow, what a start to the year! The Real Estate market in Brookhaven & North Buckhead has improved since the beginning of the year. I’d say the local market is par with the National Average in improvements. The deals that once existed on the market with severely underpriced foreclosures and short sales are still around, but are much fewer and farther apart than we experienced even at the end of last year! We are seeing more multiple offer situations within our market (at certain price points), which was unheard of in the recent past. Keep in mind that I don’t want to paint a picture of only rainbows and sunshine. The concern of foreclosures still exists. With a focus area of a 1 mile radius from the intersection of Windsor Parkway and Peachtree Dunwoody, there are 5 pre-foreclosures that could hit the market. A pre-foreclosure means the homeowner is delinquent at least 3 consecutive months on their mortgage payment. If we are able to keep a healthy ratio of foreclosures to re-sales in our area, as we’ve done so far, we will be able to absorb them into our market without disturbing our home values. By now, you might be scratching your head thinking if our market is doing better, why aren’t home values increasing yet??? Well, the answer is simple. There is an approximate 6 month lag between changes in demand and changes in value. Keep in mind that movement of foreclosures and short sales will also help to improve values our neighborhood.

On a personal note, we took our son to his first Easter Egg Hunt at Foxhall Resort (Sporting Club) in Douglasville GA earlier this month. He loves playing with sports balls of all kinds. So when he saw the eggs laying in the field, he started screaming “BALLS”…then proceeded to throw a tantrum because he couldn’t stand to wait for the Easter Egg Hunt. Priceless.

What is HARP? HARP is Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP). How does this affect you? HARP is designed to help home owners that have been unable to get traditional refinancing due to the decrease in home value and may not have enough equity or no equity at all. Home owners can actually be upside down on their mortgage and still be eligible.

Who is eligible?• The mortgage must be owned or guaranteed by Freddi Mac or Fannie Mae• The mortgage must have been sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie mac on or before May 31, 2009.• The mortgage cannot have been refinanced under HARP previously• The current loan to value ratio needs to be greater than 80%• The borrower must be current on their mortgage at the time of the refinance with a good payment history in the past 12 months

As of January 9, 2012 HARP Guidelines have changed. Prior to 2012 if you owed more than 105% of your home’s worth you were NOT eligible for this type of refinance. NO LONGER! As of Janu-ary HARP 2.0 has no loan to value restrictions! This loan will also allow for a more appraisal waivers than in the past. Lending on this will begin lending on March 17th so start the process NOW!

How Can HARP 2.0 Help Georgia Home Owners?HARP can also be referred to The Making Home Affordable Program, DU Refi Plus, Freddie Relief and the Obama Refi Program. You may have heard President Obama speak about this in his State of the Union Address. This program coupled with all time low interest rates will help thousands of Georgia residents. There will be a huge backlog once this begins so don’t wait. For more information contact Brad Hartman.

Harp 2.0 can Help.

Underwater on Your Mortgage?

Brad HartmanMortgage Consultant(678) 578-7611 bhartman@cmghl.com

4284 Peachtree Dunwoody Road

• GreatLotorHomeNearHistoricBrookhaven• 3Bedroom/2Bath

• OriginalHardwoods,CozyCarpetedLivingRoomwithFireplaceandAttachedOffice/Library

• SarahSmithSchoolDistrict• Offeredat$575,000

Featured Listings

Brookhaven RegistryOffered at $1,290,000

BerwickeOffered at $1,000,000

Brookhaven LakesOffered at $949,900

BrookhavenOffered at $850,000

Loridan ChaseOffered at $799,000

Windsor at PeachtreeOffered at $785,000

Windsor at PeachtreeOffered at $647,000

Derby HillsOffered at $450,000

760RegistryLn.

315W.Berwickecmn

245TrimblecrestDr.

927CarterDr.NE

4449GlengaryDr.

4610WindsorGateCt.

230WindsorGateCv.

1125OldWoodbineRd.

BrookhavenSale Price: $1,090,000

BrookhavenSale Price: $915,000

Brookhaven EstatesSale Price: $845,000

BrookhavenSale Price: $715,000

The CroftSale Price: $600,000

Dunroven FarmSale Price: $585,000

Windsor ParkSale Price: $573,000

LandmarkSale Price: $545,000

Notable Salesin your area...

Jackie SmithMobile:678-357-5227Office:404-814-9000jackie.smith@harrynorman.comwww.jackiesmith.harrynorman.com

4565ClubDr.NE

1149AntiochDr.

710EstateWayNE

4267ClubValleyDr.

2TheCroftNE

1053DunrovenDr.

3305WindsorLakeDr.

855LandmarkDr.NE

7Co$tly Mistakes Sellers Make...

When it comes to home renovations, it’s no surprise that your biggest bang for your buck is in your kitchen. But, are you looking for ways to update your kitchen without spending a fortune with a full remodel (new cabinets, appliances, etc.). There are economical ways to update your kitchen! A few ideas to consider are:

• Changing your door knobs and hardware – remove outdated back plates• Upgrade your kitchen faucet

• Change your light fixture - consider LED lights• Minimize and Organize – remove unnecessary items from the counters. Organize your cabinets with shelves,

hooks, baskets, etc.• Replace your countertops

• Refinish, repaint, or reface outdated cabinet doors

*Keep in mind that a minor kitchen remodel can yield over a 70% return on your investment.

Kitchen Couture:

There are always appropriate steps to investing in real estate and hopefully, you’ve garnered many of them right on these pages. However, there are also inappropriate steps sellers can walk down when it comes time to put their house on the market. For instance, the seller in Virginia, who thought the half bath the builder had located at the front of the house would really be better situated toward the back of the main level (though all the other similar models had the powder room in the same place for the previous 20 years). He got hung up on this detail so much, that he just had to move it -- and did -- for thousands of dollars, just so he could get it on the market the “right way.” His hang-up may have settled some deep-seated emotional need for him, but it didn’t draw any more buyers, and it drained his bottom line. You might say, that was a costly mistake. Real estate broker and author Sid Davis has identified in his book “A Survival Guide to Selling a Home,” another seven costly mistakes that many sellers make when it comes time to put their home on the market. In my business, I’ve seen each one of these mistakes played out and it just makes me shake my head as to why, sellers forge ahead with unwise strategies, instead of listening to the voice of an experienced professional...

Mistake #1: Putting the home on the market before it’s ready.

Mistake #2: Over improving the home for the neighborhood.

Mistake #3: Pricing the home based on what the seller wants to net.

Mistake #4: Hiring an agent based on non-business factors. Make sure you’re hiring a professional with a proven track record

Mistake #5: Getting emotionally involved in the sale of the home

Mistake #6: Trying to cover up problems, or not disclosing them.

Mistake #7: Not getting your ducks lined up before trying to sell. Avoiding these mistakes is not that difficult. There are plenty of resources and professionals, who are there to help you step over the pitfalls. Do the research early, and listen to that voice in your head (it’s probably the whispers of the finance, real estate, insurance person who’s warning you of a hole you’re about to step into). Sell well.

Ingredients:pp

Instructions:

From My Kitchen To Yours...Scallops with Creamy Bacon Corn Sauce

If you have a brokerage relationship with another agency, this is not intended as a solicitation. All information is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.

• 3 ears of fresh corn, husks and silks removed

• 1 tbsp canola oil• ¼ tsp kosher salt• ¼ tsp pepper• ¾ lb Patagonia scallops• 4 slices bacon, chopped coarsely• 8 oz tomato trinity mix• 1 tbsp blackening seasoning• ½ cup half-and-half• 1 tbsp chives, chopped (optional)

1. Remove Corn husks and silks; slice kernels off cobs put in bowl2. Preheat large sauté pan on med-high. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Place oil in pan, then add scallops, cook and stir 1-2 mins until golden, opaque and firm. Remove pan from heat; move scallops to plate and cover to keep warm.3. Cut bacon into small pieces and put in the same pan. Cook 3-4 mins until crips. Drain fat, reserving one tbsp. in pan. Stir in trinity mix, cook 2-3 mins or until soft. Combine blackening seasoning, half and half and corn; add to pan. 4. Reduce heat to med-low, cook 3-4 mins stirring frequent to prevent sticking. Transfer corn mixture to serving dish. Top with scallops and chives. Serve.

Jackie SmithMobile: 678-325-5227Office: 404-814-9000

jackie.smith@harrynorman.comwww.jackiesmith.harrynorman.com

3405 Piedmont Road Suite 150Atlanta, GA 30305

Market conditions in your neighborhood are enclosed

*Recipe courtesy of Publix Supermarkets