the 3 most important words in real estate today…..
Location, Location, Location. Real Estate 101 says location is the #1 thing in real estate.
If that’s the case, Old Fourth Ward, Historic 4th Ward, O4W, whatever you call it, should become some of Atlanta’s hottest Real Estate.
If you don’t believe me, here are some of the reasons why: The Atlanta Beltline, Jamestown’s Ponce City Market, and Walkscore.
Let’s take these in reverses order. Walkscore.com, allows you to see how walkable a certain address is. How close the local coffee shop is, local post office, a local park(s), or a great local restaurant, and walkscores in O4W are increasing daily.
Some of Atlanta’s most walkable neighborhoods are Atlantic Station, Buckhead, Inman Park Village, and Midtown. But all four of those pale in comparison to what O4W is quickly becoming.
Atlantic Station: Although Atlantic Station is (somewhat) new, it’s completely walkable, and has plenty of things to do, it’s also: manufactured to be such, and manufactured to make money. The restaurants are some of Atlanta’s most expensive. Ever tried to bring a date to Strip, much less try and feed your family there. Not a big deal if your part of the 1%, but try doing it on a REALTORS® income(LOL). We all like nice things, and nice places, and Atlantic Station is nice. If you decide to pay for a night in Atlantic Station, don’t forget parking. But if you live there parking won’t be an issue for you, but what about your guest?
If we were to create a few scales Atlantic Station would get:
- Walk-ability: 4 out of 5 strides,
- Desirability: 4 out of 5 strides (how desirable are the accessible places), and
- Affordability: 2 out of 5 steps (even if you decide to pay to play, you should have to spend so much to park).
*note, Atlantic Station will be connected via the Atlanta Beltline trails in the future.
Buckhead: Whenever somebody moves to Atlanta, they have to go to Buckhead. Like Jan Brady once said “Buckhead, Buckhead, Buckhead”. Problem is, Buckheads not what it used to be? It has Lenox Square, Phipps Plaza, Tower Place, and The Buckhead Diner, but try walking from one to the other. Then again, they have one of my favorites “The Atlanta Fish Market”. If only I could afford to live there, I may, but not if walkable is what I was looking for. In Peachtree City (30 miles south of the city), they have made getting around on Golf Carts trendy, but if you tried it in Buckhead you’d become part of the wrong 1%. You’d be roadkill.
I’m a lover of the area, but not sure it’s walkable. At least once a year I venture to Buckhead with the plan to let my feet do the walking (or running), but even at 7 in the morning on the 4th of July, people are in a hurry to get outta that place.
If we were to use that same scale from above, Buckhead would get:
- Walk-ability: 1 out of 5 strides,
- Desirability: 4 out of 5 strides (who doesn’t want to be close to the Governor’s Mansion?), and
- Affordability: 1 out of 5 steps (Unless your paying less than 14% in taxes).
*note, the Southern tip of Buckhead will be connected via the Atlanta Beltline just North of Piedmont Hospital.
Inman Park Village: Gotta LOVE this area. With restaurants like Parrish, Barcelona’s, and Pure, the none of them will break you. Some of the condo’s around there are more affordable than they were designed to be (thanks to the real estate down turn). And the surrounding neighborhood, Inman Park, is one of Atlanta’s most historic. The 1% again must love the area, but it’s not exclusive to them with current listings in the low $100,000’s. But all of Inman Park & Inman Park Village is accessible from O4W. Now connected by the Beltline trail.
Using the same scale from above, Inman Park Village would get:
- Walk-ability: 4.5 out of 5 strides (Beltline Trails, Freedom Park Trail, and the Historic Old 4th Ward Skate Park),
- Desirability: 4 out of 5 strides, and
- Affordability: 3.5 out of 5 steps.
Midtown: Talk about walkable, wow, this place is walkable. Ra, Mid-city Grill, The W, The Lowes Hotel, and Piedmont Park. This place would be hard to beat. I have a client now thinking about opening a Cigar bar in the area, but at $47s.f., another wow!!!! Again, nice to know it’s reachable via The Beltline (starting to see the theme yet?).
Using the same scale from above, Midtown would get:
- Walk-ability: 4.5 out of 5 strides (Beltline Trails, and Piedmont Park),
- Desirability: 4 out of 5 strides, and
- Affordability: 2 out of 5 strides.
Historic Old 4th Ward: Almost as old as Inman Park, Old 4th Ward holds connections to more of Atlanta’s history. Most don’t realize that Morris Brown, Spelman College, and Morehouse College all originated in Old 4th Ward. Atlanta’s most significant resident grew up in Old 4th Ward, Martin Luther King Jr.. HDDC (Historic District Development Corporation) has done an outstanding job of restoring Auburn Ave, the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site, and Ebenezer Baptist Church. Home to The Atlanta Civic Center, and the beginning of Freedom Park (and The Carter Center Presidential Library), Masquerade music venue, and Copenhill (Civil War landmark). All making Old 4th Ward something current & long time residents take much pride in. Today, thanks in part to the Atlanta Beltline, historic places are getting new much needed attention, and now development is getting it right. Historic Old 4th Ward Park, the new skate park, Ponce City Market, and The Beltline, all reasons to check it out. Although we recognize and appreciate the history, embracing “new” might not be a bad thing.
Working in Real Estate in days past, Location, Location, Location may have been the most important 3 words in the industry, but as gas prices hover around $4/gallon, and traffic has become a 7 day a week issue, the 3 most important words in real estate in reference to Quality of Life are quickly becoming: Walkable, Walkable, Walkable.
Using the same scale from above, Historic Old 4th Ward would get:
- Walk-ability: 4.5 out of 5 strides (Beltline Trails, and Piedmont Park),
- Desirability: 4.5 out of 5 strides (Ponce City Market, Masquerade, and Historic Old 4th Ward Park)
- Affordability: 4 out of 5 strides (Check out this listing in Block Lofts).
Part 1 of 3.
Save the date for our next Committed to Communities event on March 10, 2012!
Atlanta REALTORS®, led by The BeltLine Team of Morris & Raper Real Estate Consultants and EpiCity, are holding a community wide open house event on Saturday, March 10, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., which includes a free neighborhood cookout at the host house, located at 772 Elbert Street, which is undergoing a green renovation by Vis Viva energy and services. The event is aimed at encouraging residents to strengthen and stabilize their historic neighborhoods by eradicating vacant homes and increasing homeownership. Committed to Communities was created to showcase affordable, single family homes in various stages of renovation while inviting neighbors to show off the beauty and uniqueness of their Atlanta Beltline neighborhood.
The March 10 event will include walking tours of open homes in Adair Park, Sylvan Hills, and Capitol View from The BeltLine Team and EpiCity.
For more information about Committed to Communities, including event times and locations, please visit www.CommittedToCommunities.com.
Atlanta BeltLine downpayment assistance is expiring!
It’s official – we’re nearing the expiration of the downpayment assistance program from the Atlanta BeltLine! We just received the following information directly from Invest Atlanta (recently renamed from the Atlanta Development Authority):
Invest Atlanta has a cut off date of March 16th to receive complete/approved lender files for DPA processing. It is strongly suggested that lender applications be taken no later than February 1st to guarantee the loan will close before the deadline of April 15th. From the date of lender application it takes approximately 60 days to process DPA loans for closing.
If you have been thinking about buying a home along the Atlanta BeltLine, now is the time to make a move! In the next few weeks, lenders will stop accepting applications (our lenders are telling us February 15). We do not know when this type money will be available again. You can see eligible homes for sale on www.livealongthebeltline.com. If you’re ready, we’re here to help you find a great home.
If you are selling your DPA-eligible home along the Atlanta BeltLine, this is an excellent time to make one last marketing push to advertise your property with downpayment assistance (we suggest having your agent add it in to your FMLS public remarks).
While Atlanta BeltLine funds are going away, other downpayment assistance programs are still available (like the new Neighborhood Lift program from Wells Fargo). We can help you navigate through those types of loans as well.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at info@thebeltlineteam.com. Thanks!
Ponce City Market tunnel to the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail
The BeltLine Team real estate group met up with folks from Jamestown and Greenstreet Properties for a quick tour from Ponce City Market (formerly City Hall East) through the third floor tunnel that connects to the long, corrugated steel shed overlooking the Atlanta BeltLine’s Eastside Trail. Check out the video here!
BeltLine Best Buy: 630 Gillette Avenue, an historic Adair Park mansion for sale near the Atlanta BeltLine!
You could own a piece of the past with this Historic Adair Park mansion, event hall, brick bungalow home, and two-car garage! This cluster of four buildings centers around a large courtyard on a corner lot with almost one acre of land. The main house, built in 1892, is an all-brick, three story home with a magical quirkiness. This home is listed for sale as both a commercial property and as a multi-family property since it could be converted into an amazing space for artists, musicians, or a non-profit or purchased by someone looking to renovate it and live in the main house while renting out the other buildings.
Wrap-around porch with views of the downtown Atlanta skyline!
This complex is two blocks from Adair Park 1, .5 miles from West End MARTA Station, and .5 miles from the future trails, transit, and parks of the Atlanta BeltLine!! Close to downtown and major highways I-20 and 75/85!
Next to the main house is the event hall (seen in the forefront here) that face Gillette Avenue.
An iron gate with stone pillars runs the length of the property that faces the road – over 400 feet of street frontage! Arched gates welcome you home whether on foot (at this entrance) or in a vehicle (at the driveway entrance).
The event hall (on the left) and the main house (to the right) as they face the inner courtyard. The brick bungalow is off to the right of this photo.
Wide, southern front porch with architectural details!
This elegant, colonial-style home has spacious rooms with large windows, fireplaces, and hardwood floors. The kitchen, with its vaulted ceilings, is stocked with commercial-grade appliances and wood block countertops. It even has a huge chef’s island in the middle for your culinary needs!
Skylights from the vaulted, beamed ceilings project natural light into this professional kitchen.
Gorgeous bay windows with patterned, leaded glass on first and second floor.
Original curved walls and curved staircases lend an historical air to this mansion.
Make the third floor your master suite with this huge room and accompanying private bath.
Behind the main house, facing Metropolitan Avenue, is a 3 bed, 1 bath brick bungalow.
This brick bungalow is one of FOUR building on this corner lot in Adair Park!
You may think that when we say “event hall,” we’re overstating the purpose of this next building, but it truly is an event space with high ceilings and a completely open floor plan.
The white columned exterior of the event hall.
The interior of the event hall at 630 Gillette Avenue.
If you have questions about this property, please feel free to call Derrick at 404.389.4918 or email info@thebeltlineteam.com and we’ll get back to you. You can also check out the full album of photos on The BeltLine Team’s facebook page.
SOLD! The Lofts at Reynoldstown Crossing sells all homes to 28 sets of buyers
It might just be the quickest sale of an entire condo building in Atlanta’s recent residential real estate history: the Lofts at Reynoldstown Crossing sold all 28 of its homes in one fell swoop on December 10, 2011. This is wonderful news for the Atlanta BeltLine, who bought the foreclosed condo building this past summer, fixed it up, and presented them to the public again this fall. This is the Atlanta BeltLine’s first residential real estate purchase (not something they’re in the habit of) and the fact that they, with the help of the Marketing Directors, pulled it off brings a sigh of relief to all involved. The Marketing Directors operated under a contract with the BeltLine to advertise the Lofts at Reynoldstown Crossing and to create an excited, orderly approach to selling all of the lofts in one day leveraging a drawing system. In a previous blog post, we explained the drawing system and showed interior images of the lofts.
38 sets of potential homeowners waited patiently as 28 winning names were called in the Lofts at Reynoldstown Crossing drawing
Congrats to this Atlanta Public Schools teacher who won one of the Community Land Trust homes at the Lofts at Reynoldstown Crossing
And congrats to the Atlanta Police Department winners of the Lofts at Reynoldstown Crossing drawing
The sale of these lofts really showcases the BeltLine’s and the City of Atlanta’s commitment to affordable housing and to creating more density along the BeltLine corridor. These lofts are located at the intersection of Memorial Drive and the Atlanta BeltLine’s eastside trail (just north of Glenwood Park). We look forward to seeing all of these contracts close in February and see moving trucks out front!
As lofts sold, the Marketing Directors marked off the claimed homes
Home buyers from around Atlanta toured southwest Atlanta homes as a part of Committed to Communities
The BeltLine Team and EpiCity would like to thank all of the potential home buyers, neighbors, and guests that came by to tour southwest Atlanta open homes and BeltLine neighborhoods this past Saturday! With every Committed to Communities event that we do, we come closer and closer to our goal of increasing homeownership through affordable buying opportunities, to getting rid of vacant eyesores in the neighborhood, and attracting more commercial amenities. Most of these renovated homes are also eligible for downpayment assistance from the City of Atlanta.
Representatives Aaron and Taylor from the Atlanta SHINE program attended Committed to Communities to tell people about energy efficient rebates for remodeling your home.
We had home buyers come from a variety of neighborhoods, such as Sandy Springs, Midtown, and East Atlanta. They started out at 1383 Graham Street in Capitol View where they picked up maps of almost a dozen open houses and then toured through the Sylvan Hills, Adair Park, West End, and Westview neighborhoods in addition to Capitol View and Capitol View Manor.
John Mangham of EpiCity talks with a potential home buyer in southwest Atlanta
You can read more about Committed to Communities on our website. In 2012, we will have six open house events in southwest Atlanta in the following neighborhoods: West End, Westview, Adair Park, Sylvan Hills, Capitol View, and Capitol View Manor. So stay tuned!
Homebuyers and neighbors stopped by for a hot dog lunch at Committed to Communities
The Atlanta BeltLine neighborhood of Old Fourth Ward featured in New York Times
Just a quick blog post today! If you missed it, I recommend checking out this article about the Old Fourth Ward in the New York Times. Old Fourth Ward is one of the 45 BeltLine neighborhoods and a historically black neighborhood home to the birthplace of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It’s a beautiful neighborhood of historic homes that has waxed and waned in popularity over the years and lately has been on the upswing again. Check out the slideshow and the highlights from the New York Times’ travel section! The opening photo is of Historic Fourth Ward Park – a jewel in the BeltLine neighborhood of Old Fourth Ward – located along the Atanta BeltLine’s eastside trail.
Learn more about Old Fourth Ward and search for homes for sale on The BeltLine Team’s website!
Committed to Communities open house tour in southwest Atlanta with a holiday toy drive for kids
Atlanta REALTORS®, led by The BeltLine Team with Sanctuary Real Estate and EpiCity, are collaborating again with a Holiday Open House Tour on Saturday, December 10, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. in the Capitol View, WestView, and Adair Park communities in Southwest Atlanta. In addition to the home tour, everyone is invited to bring a toy for the Salvation Army holiday toy drive. Following the home tour, there will be a cook-out for all those attending the event, as well as friends and neighbors.
Look for the Committed to Communities signs in front of the dozens of homes we'll be holding open
Each open house event is aimed at encouraging residents to strengthen and stabilize their neighborhoods through homeownership and their “Sphere of Influence”. Committed to Communities was created to showcase affordable, quaint, and historical communities, and the great character of the single family homes in various stages of renovation while inviting neighbors to show off the beauty and uniqueness of their Atlanta Beltline neighborhood.
Southwest Atlanta neighbors catch up at a previous Committed to Communities event
The open house tour will include over a dozen homes for sale in the Capitol View and WestView areas, including homes on Graham Street, Hartford Avenue, Beechwood Avenue, Everhart Street, Westmeath Drive, and Stokes Avenue. The residence on Graham Street will be the home base for the event. Check the Committed to Communities website for additional sites to be added to the home tour.
1052 Allene Avenue is a completely renovated bungalow that not only faces a future BeltLine greenspace, but is also right around the corner from Adair Park II with fields and playground.
Each home boasts quality renovations and a steadfast commitment to true affordability, with prices ranging from $79,000 to $134,900. HomeTown Lender (formerly America Home Key) will be on hand to help calculate mortgage payments, discuss lending options, and answer other questions. Representatives from the City of Atlanta’s SHINE program will be available to educate attendees about SHINE and its rebate offerings. SHINE (Sustainable Home Initiative in the New Economy) is a residential rebate program offering City of Atlanta single-family homeowners the ability to receive up to $3,500 in rebates towards qualifying energy efficiency improvements. Georgia Power EarthCents representatives will also be available to share information about their Home Energy Improvement Program and its rebates.
Somebody is going to fall in love this open floor plan, hardwood floors, big kitchen, and FOUR adjoining fireplaces!
“We’re excited to show off some beautifully remodeled homes and to continue to improve this wonderful part of Atlanta,” said John Mangham of EpiCity. “And if you’re getting a tax refund this year, you can use that money to help invest in your new home.”
Says Derrick Duckworth of The Beltline Team, “It’s the perfect time of year for families to buy a home and to start the new year in their new home. It’s also a great time for us to give back, by holding a toy drive in conjunction with the open house tour.”
For more information about Committed to Communities, including event times and locations, please visit www.Committed to Communities.com.
Nicole Zeliff of America Home Key talks mortgages and loan options with visitors to the open houses
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About The BeltLine Team:
The BeltLine Team are expert REALTORS® who specialize in helping people buy and sell residential and commercial real estate along the Atlanta BeltLine, The biggest redevelopment projects in the country that will result in 22 miles of transit, 33 miles of trails, and thousands of acres of parks in intown Atlanta. Derrick Duckworth, founder of The BeltLine Team, focuses on the 45 neighborhoods that will be connected by the Atlanta BeltLine with a special emphasis on his own Southwest Atlanta communities. Duckworth also sits on the Beltline Affordable Housing Advisory Board, The Atlanta BeltLine Partnership’s Speakers’ Bureau, works with the Annie E. Casey Foundation on affordable housing in the area, and is currently establishing the Atlanta BeltLine Chamber of Commerce. For more information about The BeltLine Team, please visit http://www.TheBeltlineTeam.com.
About EpiCity:
EpiCity, a premier provider of personal and professional real estate services, is based in Atlanta, Ga. EpiCIty has raised private equity to buy and renovate homes and rejuvenate neighborhoods in and around metro Atlanta. In addition to the renovation operation, EpiCity also has a construction division, Epic Homes Atlanta. For more information, call EpiCity at 404.872.1031, or visit http://www.EpiCity.com.
Media contacts:
Jenny Pittam, The BeltLine Team of Sanctuary Real Estate
404.389.4932, jenny@thebeltlineteam.com
Julie Chalpan, EpiCity
770.363.7085, Julie@FocusUnlimitedpr.com
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