As part of the Taste of Brookwood, the Brookwood Band in Snellville is having a silent auction.Several changes are being made this year which will shine the spotlight on the auction. First, the auction area has been moved to the front entrance near the ticketing area for increased traffic. Also, we have moved the bandstand into the commons area, and will make several announcements promoting auction items between performances.The auction is a valuable fundraiser for the band. Do you own a local business?  Do you have items or services you would like to donate? The Brookwood band is a phenomenal music program that enriches the lives of the students it serves as well as the community at large.  Don't let this opportunity slip by to get your business in front of the nearly 1000 community me... 03/13/2008

So, a couple of weeks back I was called upon to perform a consultation for an occupied house.  The real estate agent referred me to this client as I'd staged another listing for her a week earlier.  This smart homeowner decided to stage PRIOR to listing!  Gotta love that!!!!!The consultation included the standard list of things to prepare the house for the listing, primarily to reduce the amount of WALLPAPER in it.  (Almost every room had wallpaper and I'm not even exaggerating.)  I provided options for paint colors for the rooms I recommended as priority to be painted along with referrals for painters.About 10 days later I received a voice mail from the homeowner stating she wanted me to come back and stage some of the furniture and accessories in two of the rooms.  When I returned the... 02/29/2008

There are 19 homes available in The Brookwood High School district from $500,000 on up that have been built since 2006.  Brookhaven offers a totally green home experience. With prices starting at $499,000 for a ranch, this neighborhood is an excellent value for the Environmentally friendly consumer. Havenstone offers a gated community, 3 story clubhouse, multiple tennis courts and exquisite attention to detail. There is still some availability, although homes are selling quickly.Parkwood Estates offers a small cozy community. Only 26 homes are available in this community. Many offer tons of bathrooms and great floor plans.  Worth checking out if a small community is up your alley.Edgebrook offers optional swim and tennis in addition to expansive floor plans. This stately community has g... 02/24/2008

March 29, 2008 5-8:00 p.m. in the Brookwood Commons. Come enjoy an evening of food, fun, music and silent auction. All proceeds benefit the Brookwood band. Some of the best dining establishments in our area will be serving food. In addition, enjoy live music and killer silent auctions where you can get real deals. This is one event that you will not want to miss.  http://www.tasteofbrookwood.com  Jamie ParkerRealtorwww.atlantalandandproperty.comwww.liveinsnellville.com 02/24/2008

When performing a consultation for staging an occupied home I give the home owner all of my suggestions to upgrade and change, regardless of budget.  My feeling is that the homeowner should be educated as to what should be done to properly stage the house in order to expedite the quickest sale.  From that point, the homeowner can determine what is within their budget and what is not.As with most homeowners, they want to spend as little as possible to stage their home.  If they do not take the advice to repaint, remove wallpaper or upgrade light fixtures, for example, then it is my job to do the best I can with what I have to work with and make the space as visually appealing as it can be, AS IS.  It is a challenge but it can be done.Take this dining room for example.  The recommendation... 02/11/2008

Here are some great things to do in and around Snellvile, Georgia.1.  Visit one of the many parks. There is Ronald Reagan Park, complete with dog walk, walking path, skateboarding area, play ground and grills. Briscoe Park is even larger as is Lenora Park.2. Enjoy many of the cultural events. There is the New London Theatre Group and the Aurora Theatre group that are very close to Snellville.3. The Taste of Brookwood and South Gwinnett offers you samples of some of the finest restaurants in the area as well as a silent auction with proceeds benefiting the school.4.  Shiloh, Brookwood or South Gwinnett Band, Orchestra, Drama or Choral concerts.  All have great fine arts programs.  You will have a hard time believing these are students performing.5.  Great dining. Restaurants like Ted's M... 02/10/2008

My wife and I are expecting another bundle of joy.  Along with that also comes the cravings that she has. Yesterday, she was craving pizza. I went online and ordered. As a side note, Papa John's has online coupons- certainly better for the environment than paper coupons. You just click on the coupon and add it to your cart. It couldn't have been easier.When I went to go pick the pizza up, I noticed that there was a new whole wheat crust that they had just come out with.  I had decided to not order my pizza with that because I didn't want to do anyting new with my wife being pregnant. I inquired about the new crust and the girl behind the counter had said it was good and that they had been giving out samples the previous week. At this point, I almost placed an order of breadsticks just t... 02/10/2008

Havenstone is one of east Gwinnetts premier communities. It is a gated communitiy with an average listing price of $587,000 for current homes for sale, it certainly is a neighborhood of prestige. With many tennis courts, a gorgeous clubhouse and lake, it makes for picturesque living just 20 miles or so north east of Atlanta.   Jamie ParkerRealtorwww.atlantalandandproperty.comwww.liveinsnellville.com 02/06/2008

February 15-16 Band Rock a Thon FundraiserFebruary 26, 2008 Orchestra concert 6-8 p.m. March 4, 2008 Time TBA   Band Concert  Jamie ParkerRealtorSolid Source Realtywww.atlantalandandproperty.comwww.liveinsnellville.com  02/05/2008

 March 29, 2008 5-8:00 p.m. in the Brookwood Commons. Come enjoy an evening of food, fun, music and silent auction. All proceeds benefit the Brookwood band. http://www.tasteofbrookwood.com  Jamie ParkerRealtorwww.atlantalandandproperty.comwww.liveinsnellville.com 02/05/2008

New London Theatre will present "Godspell", opening February 15 th, 2008 at 8:00pm.. Godspell" - one of the biggest Broadway and off-Broadway successes of all time - is a musical celebration of the Gospel. With many familiar songs - including the international hit, "Day By Day" - "Godspell" presents the joyful message of Jesus Christ. Godspell (a musical) is a series of parables, taken chiefly from the Gospel of Matthew. These are then interspersed with a variety of modern music set primarily to lyrics from traditional hymns, with the passion of Christ treated briefly near the end of performance. Godspell is the archaic Old English spelling of the word gospel and literally means good news. The hit song, "Day by Day" hit #13 on the Billboard pop singles chart in the summer of 1972. "Gods... 01/28/2008

 Brookwood High School Jazz Band January 22, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. Brookwood High School Orchestra Pre Festival Concert February 19, 2008 beginning at 6:00 p.m. Brookwood High School Chorus Concert February 25, 2008 at 7:30 p.m.Brookwood High School Drama Production: Steel Magnolias  February 13-16 at 7:30 p.m. Brookwood High School Dance Performance Inspired February 26 at 7:30 p.m.  I am working on getting information about Shiloh and South Gwinnett Fine Arts Performance. I will make another post as soon as I get them.  Please plan on attending and supporting your community. 01/20/2008

The Governors office just awarded Brookwood the gold medal for Student achievementBrookwood has the highest SAT scores in Gwinnett County (we have 150,000 students in Gwinnett County Schools)There is a free SAT workshop in the Brookwood High School Commons January 22 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Call the counseling office to register.One student scored a perfect score on the SAT! 12 more a National Merit Semifinalists.  01/20/2008

Hi everyone. If you are thinking of buying/selling in the Atlanta area, now is an incredible time. Interst rates are extremely low.   I know of rates as low as 4.875 for a 15 year and 5.375 for a 30 year. Both are conforming loans.  Deals, especially on the 15 year, like this have not been here for a while. Nehemiah down payment assistance ends in March. If you have been sitting on the fence paying $1000 month in rent to an apartment, now is the time to buy. Nehemiah allows you to get an FHA loan with seller paid 3% down payment.  Don't waste money renting when you can own for the same price. Jamie ParkerRealtorwww.atlantalandandproperty.comwww.liveinsnellville.com  01/18/2008

Average days on the market: 54Average sales price: $477,400Average bedrooms: 5Average baths: 4High Sales price: $525,000 Bright Water still continues to be one of the premier subdivisons in the Brookwood school district. With plenty of amenities including swim, tennis and myriad of community events, Bright Water is a great place to call home. Jamie Parkerrealtorwww.atlantalandandproperty.comwww.liveinsnellville.com  01/18/2008

Snellville continues to do well, with an average days on the market of 75 and getting 97.65% of the list price.  With great schools (Brookwood, Shiloh and South Gwinnett), shopping and the convenience to 78, 316, and 85, Snellville continues to draw interest from buyers far and near. 01/18/2008

Snellville is a great place to live and raise a family. With plenty of parks (Briscoe, Ronald Reagan and Lenora Church), there is always something to do. The schools are excellent and are broken into clusters.  There is the South Gwinnett Cluster, The Shiloh Cluster and The Brookwood Cluster.  Brookwood H.S. is among the best school in the state for academics (based on test scores) and is continuously a top rated school in the state.  There are many great places and neighborhoods to live in in all price ranges, from 100K to over 1 million.  Here are a sampling of some of the neighborhoods in Snellville.The average listing price in Brookwood High School is $373,000 , The average listing price in South Gwinnett High School is $314,000, The average list price in Shiloh High School is $261,... 12/30/2007

Here are a few events that are coming up:January 4 - Blood Drive - 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. To learn more about blood donation opportunities, visit http://www.givelife.org/ or call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (1-800-448-3543) January 8- Rise and Shine Network Breakfast- 7:30 a.m. January 28- Public Hearing/Council meeting 6:30 p.m. work session, 7:30 p.m. meetingFuture events in Snellville's ParksMarch 16,2008: Easter Egg Hunt- Briscoe Park 1:30-4:30 p.m. April 19,2008: Beautification/Arbor Day Briscoe Park 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. May 3 and 4, 2008: 35th Annual Snellville Days- Great Event for the whole family. A Snellville tradition. 12/30/2007

Here are a few events that are coming up:January 4 - Blood Drive - 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. To learn more about blood donation opportunities, visit http://www.givelife.org/ or call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (1-800-448-3543) January 8- Rise and Shine Network Breakfast- 7:30 a.m. January 28- Public Hearing/Council meeting 6:30 p.m. work session, 7:30 p.m. meetingFuture events in Snellville's ParksMarch 16,2008: Easter Egg Hunt- Briscoe Park 1:30-4:30 p.m. April 19,2008: Beautification/Arbor Day Briscoe Park 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. May 3 and 4, 2008: 35th Annual Snellville Days- Great Event for the whole family. A Snellville tradition. 12/30/2007

I am pleased to announce that I am now affiliated with Solid Source Realty. My affiliation with them will help my clients gain the competitive edge that being represented by a big company provides. From marketing to close, my clients will not only receive my expertise, but also receive the expertise of the professionals at Solid Source.  Please check out my websites at www.liveinsnellville.com and www.atlantalandandproperty.com for more information about me and the service that I provide for my clients. 12/17/2007