Special offer

Athens, GA Real Estate News

Jennings Mill Country Club in Bogart, GA will again be hosting the Athens Regional Foundation Classic Golf Tournament from Apr. 13 to Apr. 19. Last years tournament was won by Robert Damron. The tournament is benefiting the Athens Regional Foundation, a group of community volunteers that, since 1985, have gotten together to raise money and support for programs and equipment that the Athens Regional Medical Center was unable to support on it's own. The Jennings Mill Country Club golf course is a challenging Bob Cupp designed course and the Nationwide tour players with have 72 holes of golf to test their skills and concentration. Each player on the tour is trying to qualify for or get back to PGA tour and play against the likes of Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson. Volunteers ar...
Comments 2
The Athens area unemployment rate rose in February to 7.3%, up from 6.5% in January. This is 2% lower than the Georgia 9.3% unemployment rate and the U.S. national rate of 8.1%. The Athens MSA, Metropolitan Statistical Area, for employment statistics, includes Athens-Clarke County, Madison, Oconee, and Oglethorpe counties. Oconee County, at 6% has the lowest unemployment rate in Georgia at this time. Athens are employment is stabilized by the presence of the University of Georgia which, this year, while experiencing budget cuts does not anticipate a reduction in force through lay-offs. For information about living in the Athens area, or, the buying or selling of real estate, please call me at 706-207-5290 or click here to email me with your inquiries.
Comments 0
If you are near Athens, Ga on April 4th, stop by the Old Southern Railway Train Station for the 11th Annual Railroad Day celebration. The Athens Community Council on Aging will turn back time and bring the Old Railway Station back to life, if only for a day. There will be fun and interest for all ages, if you like trains. The North Georgia Lego Club will have it's Lego Train layout set up. The Athens Bend Track N Scale Railroad Club will have an almost 40' by 40' layout set up. There will also be model railroad layouts in O scale (Lionel), a S scale (American Flyer), in HO scale, a large Lego display and a LGB scale (a Garden Railroad). And for the little ones there will be Thomas the Train Hands-on-Layouts, inflatable Slide and Train, Trackless train to ride, magician, tattoos, and muc...
Comments 3
By Michelle DeRepentigny, Broker Athens, GA
(Success Realty)
It snowed and snowed! And snowed some more..... Ths Super Puppy - Samson the White Boxer went out to play - while the other 4 in the pack huddled under blankets inside. Spring had just begun to show her colors. When Mother Nature laughed and officially dumped 8.1 inches of snow on Madison County, Georgia - And yes I really was without power, water, or anything for 5 days :) Thankfully, this was a rare occasion for all of us.....See you again in about 10 years Mr. Snowstorm!    
Comments 1
By Amy Anthony-Coile
(WR Starkey -Classic City Team)
Ahhh.  Nothing like a little R & R?  Who can take the time off?  Who can afford it- the market is off?  If I leave town, surely I will miss a deal! Well, at Classic City Mortgage- we have felt a little bit of all of those emotions lately.   I decided late last week to take a long weekend and head out town for my husbands birthday!  I planned to leave late Thursday night so my children could sleep while we drive.  That went pretty well!  On our way up to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee- something happened to me that I had always wanted!  As we were approaching the top of mountain in The Great Smokey Mountain National Park- I saw a black bear walking on the side of the road!  I was estatic!!!!!! So estatic that my excitement woke the kids!  Luckily, we were almost there! Did I mention, A REAL BLA...
Comments 0
The Athens chapter of the Women's Council of Realtors will be hosting it's 4th Annual Chili Cook-Off for the benefit of the Athens Area Homeless Shelter. The cook-off will take place at The TailGate Station, 234 Oak St from 6PM - 9PM Thurs, Mar. 19. There will be something for everyone, with 12 different chili recipes to sample and vote on. Soft drinks are available also, along with fire extinguishers. The Packway Handle Band will be providing blue-grass music for entertainment. For more information and for tickets, click on the Athens WCR website. Come out for some smokin' hot chili and to support a great cause.
Comments 11
Robert Osborne, the host of Turner Classic Movies, will be hosting his 5th Annual Robert Osborne Film Festival at the Classic Center in Athens, GA. 8 select films will be shown over a period of four days. The films are: Goldfinger King Kong (the original) Rear Window Funny Girl Sunset Boulevard For Your Consideration The Godfather E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Also, on Friday, there will be a panel discussion with the topic of "Film Festival Fare: Independent Filmmaking and its Influence on Hollywood." Robert Osborne’s Classic Film Festival is an annual non-profit event of the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. For more information about the festival, and for schedules and ticket information please you can check out the festival website. See you there!
Comments 5
By Paul & Diane Boykin
(Keller Williams Realty Greater Athens)
One of my favorite things about early spring in Athens, GA is driving home down South Milldege Ave. through the UGA farms.  Starting around the first of February the ewes in the pasture start lambing and seeing the little lambs gamboling around the newly green pasture always brings a smile to my face. On a recent afternoon I stopped to try to capture the frolicking lambs but they were not going to cooperate.  However, I did manage to take a few pictures to share of the lambs with their mamas to share with everyone.                                 Sheep Grazing on South Milledge Ave. Athens, GA     There was one nosey ewe that would not leave us alone.  She was clamoring for either attention or food and I suspect it was food that she was looking for!   If you would like more information ...
Comments 0
The Athens Ga unemployment rate rose in January from 5.7% in December 2008 to 6.6%. However, the rate is still well below the Georgia unemployment level of 8.6%. It is also still below the U.S. national unemployment average of 7.6%. The Athens area benefits from the stabilizing presence of the University of Georgia campus. The University, while faced with budget cuts, has been able to avoid any layoffs. As a result, the Athens Ga real estate market, while having a volume slowdown, is still active with homes and property bought and sold every day. For more information on the Athens Ga, and surrounding counties and communities, real estate market, please call me at 706-207-5290 or email me with any inquiries.
Comments 4
 Athens home sales volume was down again in February, marking the 15 consecutive month of sales volume decline. The average selling price was also down about 1% in the same time frame, however, still higher than what it was 12 months ago.      Athens          Date DOM  Average     Median    # sold 1-Mar-08 171  $166,204.00    $140,000.00   1579 1-Apr-08 172  $165,930.00    $141,000.00   1516 1-May-08 173  $166,500.00    $140,000.00   1484 1-Jun-08 174  $168,257.00    $142,400.00   1382 1-Jul-08 173  $171,767.00    $145,000.00   1321 1-Aug-08 173  $175,821.00    $149,625.00   1229 1-Sep-08 176  $173,195.00    $149,625.00   1190 1-Oct-08 178  $174,139.00    $149,900.00   1182 1-Nov-08 181  $173,224.00    $149,838.00   1141 1-Dec-08 185  $173,172.00    $149,800.00   1110 1-Jan-09 184  $173...
Comments 2
By Paul & Jerri Stracener
(RE/MAX Associates Athens)
Robert Osborne's Classic Film Festival is an annual non-profit event of the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.  The event will be March 19-22, 2009 at The Classic Center.   The 2009 festival selections are: Goldfinger, King Kong, Rear Window, Funny Girl, Sunset Boulevard, For Your Consideration, The Godfather, and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. There will be a free Friday matinee showing of Rear Window.  Tickets for other shows are $10 for individual shows or you can purchase a pass to all shows for $60 ($45 for sudents).  Each of the movies in the festival have been carefully chosen - representing different film genres from several different decades. After each of the screenings, some of the talented people who either worked on the film or is a sp...
Comments 0
By Paul & Jerri Stracener
(RE/MAX Associates Athens)
The $8,000 (or 10% of the purchase price) tax credit for first time home buyers in 2009 is actually a tax refund...  See the full article from CNN Money here.    More details from our friend, Terry Berding at Wells Fargo: Here are some of the basic provisions in the bill pertaining to the tax credit for first time home buyers: The tax credit is available only for first-time home buyers. The IRS definition of a "first-time home buyer" is a buyer who has not owned a principal residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase.  There is a $75,000 Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) limit for an individual and a $150,000 limit for joint filers. Higher incomes may receive partial credit up to AGI of $170,000 for joint and $95,000 for individual returns. Up to $8,000 tax credit is availabl...
Comments 0
By Matt Thomas
(Atlas Real Estate Advisors)
The very industry that most believe pulled down the economy didn't get much attention in the recent $789 million economic stimulus plan passed by Congress last week.The Senate had originally proposed a $15,000 tax incentive for homebuyers, but it was watered down before the bill passed. Now, homebuyers that buy before December 1st, 2009 will receive a tax credit of $8,000 instead ... and, the revised incentive is only available to first-time buyers. There are several other minorPersonally, I don't agree with the stimulus package in general, but if the money was going to be spent, it would seem that more attention would have been paid this "problem area".
Comments 3
By Paul & Jerri Stracener
(RE/MAX Associates Athens)
Tips for FSBO 1. You can search the local Tax Assessors website to see what has sold in your neighborhood.  This will help you determine a good list price.  Do consider that the market has slowed about 40% from 2008 so you'll need to adjust your price accordingly. 2. Make sure your house is in tip-top condition.  With so many homes on the market, if you don't give buyers a reason to remember your house, they probably won't.  Make sure you eliminate the clutter and keep the house ready to show at a moments notice. 3. Check out all the websites for posting ads for your house.  The more exposure you can get, the better chance you'll have of getting potential buyers to see it. 4. Be willing to pay a real estate commission if an agent calls.  There are lots of houses for agents to show so ma...
Comments 0
By Matt Thomas
(Atlas Real Estate Advisors)
My firm, Atlas Real Estate Advisors, has recently been working on a market study to determine rental rates for student-oriented real estate in Athens, GA. I remember just 10 years ago when I was a student, $250/bedroom would go a long way towards a reasonable rental unit, but times have changed. Based on what we discovered in our market study, the range is now $250-750 per bedroom, with variations caused by numerous factors. Obviously, location is important, along with quality, age, amenities, etc. Another trend is that cottage-style detached rentals have stolen market share from the more traditional apartment mega-plexes. And, the fewer # of bedrooms a unit has causes the price per br to go up ... a 1-bedroom might be $750/mo in the same complex as a 2-bedroom for $500/mo per bedroom.N...
Comments 0
AARP is once again offerring free tax preparation assistance for low to moderate income taxpayers, with a focus on seniors in the 60+ age group. Help will be available now through April 11 on a rotating schedule among several sites. Assistance is available at the following locations on the days and times listed: Oconee County Library - Mondays , 1 - 5 PM Oglethorpe County Library - Tuesdays, 1 - 4:30 PM Kroger's, 1720 Epps Bridge Parkway,  - Wednesdays - Saturdays, 9:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. Athens Council on Aging, Hoyt St. - 9:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. For more information, such as what papers and information will be required, call 706-543-9511. This is a nationwide service from the AARP Tax-Aide group. For a location near you, outside of the Athens, GA area you can go to the AARP Tax-Aide Locat...
Comments 6
By Matt Thomas
(Atlas Real Estate Advisors)
As a Realtor in Athens, one could easily assume that times are slow for me right now ... not the case! Home values have leveled off and declined in some instances, and traditional home sales are not selling at the frantic pace of a few years ago ... BUT ... transactions are still taking place out there.Investors are buying up distressed and foreclosed properties in Athens, and traditional homebuyers are realizing value in the current low financing rates and rock-bottom pricing. There are certain segments of the market still struggling (new construction, land, development), but this is a great time of opportunity for anyone considering a purchase. There are soooooo many deals out there right now!Please call me anytime if you're considering real estate in Athens, GA or the surrounding are...
Comments 0
By Paul & Jerri Stracener
(RE/MAX Associates Athens)
  Market Comparison Report - Athens/Clarke County 2007 and 2008     Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2007 Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2008 Difference Percentage Property Type Units Dollars Units Dollars Units Dollars Units Dollars Residential 1676 279,829,902 1081 189,690,481 -595 -90,139,421 -35.50 -32.21 Multi-Family 91 13,934,037 27 3,143,843 -64 -10,790,194 -70.33 -77.44 Land/Farm 70 4,789,710 20 2,287,000 -50 -2,502,710 -71.43 -52.25 Commercial 6 1,822,000 18 4,206,249 12 2,384,249 200.00 130.86                   Totals: 1843 300,375,649 1146 199,327,573.00 -697 -101,048,076 -37.82 -33.64  This information, taken from the Athens Area Association of Realtors MLS reports, shows the number of homes sold in 2007 was 1,843.  In 2008, only 1,146 homes sold for a total reduction of 37.82%.   This chart give more inf...
Comments 0
 While pending home sales are up nationally, and existing home sales were up nationally last month, the Athens market sales volume is still down.  However, the decline did slow in January, with annual sales volume down only 1.1%. On the positive side, the average sales price was flat, still up over 5% from the same period in 2008. The median price also remained basically flat from last month and up almost 7% for the year. The days on market increased slightly to it's highest amount in the past 13 months. Athens lagged the national market in sales volume and will probably lag a bit in the recovery. However, average and median sales prices have been relatively flat for the recent 6 months but up for the year, as opposed to the national trend.      Athens          Date DOM  Average     Med...
Comments 0
Then unemployment rate in Athens rose slightly in December from 5.8% to 6.1%. However, that rise still places Athens well below both the U.S. national unemployment rate of 7.2% and the Georgia state unemployment rate of 8.1%. The Univerisity of Georgia is contributing to the Athens employment stability because it has been able to attain spending reduction targets in other ways than layoffs. The real estate market in Athens is also a bit more stable than in many parts of the country. Yes, sales volume has decreased by about 1/3, both the average and median prices of homes has risen. For information on living in and around Athens, Ga or on buying, selling or investing in Real Estate in and around Athens, call me at 706-207-5290. You can also click here to send me an email requesting infor...
Comments 0