Whether you are choosing a school for the first time for your child or your child is making the transition to a new school, you probably have many questions. What are your options? How much choice do you really have? What's the best option for your child and your family? Where should you begin?

As a parent of two I also understand the struggle that many families go through when deciding on whether to send their children to Public School vs. Private School. 

There are a few fundamental differences between public and private schools, but here's the bottom line: There are great private schools and there are great public schools. The trick is finding the school that best fits your child's needs. You may also want to consider public charter schools or home schooling. It's a good idea to research the schools that interest you and, to get a true picture of the school, visit in person.

Below I have provided links to resources that will better equip your family with knowledge of the United States Public Schools and their ratings by district and county. Additionally, information on available United States Private Schools by location.

NATIONWIDE PUBLIC SCHOOL SEARCH & RATING COMPARISION

NATIONWIDE PRIVATE SCHOOL SEARCH

Whether you are choosing a school for the first time for your child or your child is making the transition to a new school, you probably have many questions. What are your options? How much choice do you really have? What's the best option for your child and your family? Where should you begin?

As a parent of two I also understand the struggle that many families go through when deciding on whether to send their children to Public School vs. Private School. 

There are a few fundamental differences between public and private schools, but here's the bottom line: There are great private schools and there are great public schools. The trick is finding the school that best fits your child's needs. You may also want to consider public charter schools or home schooling. It's a good idea to research the schools that interest you and, to get a true picture of the school, visit in person.

Below I have provided links to resources that will better equip your family with knowledge of the Forsyth County Public Schools as well as information on Forsyth County Private Schools.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN FORSYTH COUNTY:

Forsyth County Elementary Schools & Ratings

Forsyth County Middle Schools & Ratings

Forsyth County High Schools & Ratings

PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN FORSYTH COUNTY & NEIGHBORING COUNTIES

Forsyth County Private Schools

North Fulton County Private Schools (Alpharetta)

Hall County Private Schools (Gainesville)

Hiring a REALTOR who works in and KNOWS the neighborhood will give you a distinct advantage over the rest. I am a resident of Cumming, GA, and nothing means more to me than serving the current and future residents of the Metro Atlanta Community. If you are interested in buying or selling a home and you are seeking RESULTS,  Please contact Amber today via phone at (678) 481-0390 or email Amber.Steiner@SolidSourceRealty.com.  You may also check out our website PictureAtlantaSold.com  or ForsythFineLiving.com for additional resources and information.

 
View Map (Satellite Hybrid) 

Homes from the $300's to the $1M's

Welcome to the Nationally Awarded Vickery Planned Community located in Cumming, Georgia. Cumming is situated in Forsyth County, the fastest growing County in Georgia and 12th fastest growing in the Nation. Vickery is a classically inspired neighborhood development rooted in traditional town planning designed by Andres Duany of Duany Plater-Zyberk.  Vickery exemplifies the best of neighborhood building and planning practices with an eye toward a classical architectural style.

In addition to timeless architecture, Vickery has many other unique things to offer. Among the standard amenities you will find here are award winning portfolios of designs and the Classic series of homes offered at Vickery provide a standard of luxury, detail, and customization not found elsewhere in the Atlanta Area.  Additionally the preservation of the natural landscape, convenience of having shops, offices, schools, and recreational areas within walking distance, a permanent YMCA, are second to none.

The overall The Vickery Master Plan consists of the following planned structures and amenities:

• 214 total acres
• 431 Single Family Detached Homes
• 125 Townhomes, Lofts and Live-Work
• 150,000 Square Ft. Retail and Office
• 50,000 Square Ft. YMCA
• 75 Acres Parks and Green Space

VICKERY AMENITIES: Recreational activities are a central part of the Vickery community.  The Amenities for Vickery Include: Competition sized Swimming Pool, Clubhouse w/ Snack bar, Multi-use playing fields, Tennis Courts, Basketball Court, Multi-use Walking Trails.  Additionally, Vickery's master plan allocates over 25% of the total property to green spaces (75 acres) which include: Formal Parks, Open Green Spaces, Natural Trails, Ponds, and Nature Preserves.

The YMCA has built a phenomenal facility as an anchor to Vickery.  The "Y" features: An Aquatics Center, Gymnasium, Basketball Courts, Aerobics Center, Fitness Center, and Meeting Rooms.

Vickery Village has become a spectacular anchor of shops, restaurants, boutiques, and office space for the Vickery Community as well as Forsyth County.  You may Click Here to download a PDF View of the Vickery Village Plans, Courtesy of TSW.  Amongst the retailers and restaurants open for business are: Carta Bella, The Pear Tree, Rosemonts, Bennett & Brandi, E.K. Taylor, Vickery Cleaners, First Security National Bank (FSNB), Banking Center, LuLu's Nail Salon, My Michelle, Lavender, SOGNO! Gelato, Lanier Family Healthcare, Atkins Park Tavern, and Cinco Mexican Cantina.

CONVENINCE & LOCATION: Vickery is conveniently located within minutes of Georgia 400, Hwy 141 and the North Pointe Mall. This proximity is ideal for commuters to the technology district of Alpharetta as well as the best shopping and dining around!

Just a short drive further North and you can see the beautiful Lake Lanier area, Blue Ridge Mountains, and many renowned state parks including Amicolola Falls.  A short drive further South and you are in the heart of Atlanta's shopping, world recognized dining, and attractions. 

SCHOOLS & RATINGS: Check out the Schools Zoned for VICKERY and their ratings below:

• Vickery Creek Elementary  
• Vickery Creek Middle
• South Forsyth High

ADDITIONAL VICKERY RESOURCES: Vickery now has a custom intranet - an "electronic community" where you can interact with your neighbors from the comfort of your home or office.  Be sure to check out Vickery Village.com and Medallion Performing Arts for additional community information.

FORSYTH COUNTY TAX FACTS:  Why pay more . . . .Moving to a new community can be exciting and overwhelming. Forsyth County has worked hard to maintain an enviable community atmosphere for living and raising a family while keeping the tax for property at a reasonable level. To compare the difference please download my Free Metro Atlanta Property Tax Chart to see for yourself.

VICKERY'S REALTOR OF CHOICE: Hiring a REALTOR who works in and KNOWS the neighborhood will give you a distinct advantage over the rest. I am a resident of Cumming and nothing means more to me than serving the current and future residents of this community. If you are interested in buying or selling a home in the Vickery Community:  Please contact Amber today via phone or email (678) 481-0390 or amber.steiner@solidsourcerealty.com.  You may also check out PictureAtlantaSold.com for additional resources and information.

In recent weeks I have had many people contact me inquiring about any "FREE TOOLS" that are out in the market place that I would recommend. While I use many marketing tools and avenues that are not free, I do believe in maximizing your resources and your budget.  So I have compiled a list of many of the "FREE" tools that I have utilized either in the past or currently to share with you all.  I hope you find these useful! and best of all they won't break your "Piggy Bank" 

http://www.pdfonline.com/

(This fabulous tool converts just about any document type to a PDF file for FREE and sends it to your email within seconds)

http://www.coolarchive.com/  

(This tool has an awesome Free Button generator, Free logo generator, and tons of other free icons and web tools) An example of one of the button's I created with this tool is in my blog: http://activerain.com/blogsview/121388/Georgia-Property-Tax-Rates

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

(Free small version stock photos (great for web sites and blogs).  You can get the larger photo's for a small fee if you wish to purchase a much larger copy. Renee Burrows Las Vegas, Nevada Real Estate actually shared this site, so I can not take credit for this one ;)

http://www.flyinside.com/

(Free Virtual Tour options, the free version is sufficient, but you may upgrade to get additional add-on's if you like)

http://imageshack.us/

(Free Image hosting, and you do not have to sign up for an account)

http://www.fileden.xom/

(Free online file storage, I use this to upload files, fliers, brochures, and other content and link it into my blog posts for people to download the articles if they wish) See my example in my blog by clicking on the "Download Article Button" once inside here http://activerain.com/blogsview/121388/Georgia-Property-Tax-Rates 

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/lookup.htm  

(Free Website Content/Webmaster Tools)

http://www.point2agent.com/

(Free Real Estate Website, with no hosting charges, or set up fee's for the standard package.  Most people are already utilizing one of these sites, and they are fabulous for being FREE)

http://spiderweblogic.com/Html-Tag-Generator.aspx

(Free HTML Tag Generator, convert basic text to HTML for your blogs etc.  This is very basic, but it does the trick if you do not have any programs on your computer capable of this)

http://www.sawitonline.com/

(Free Listing Enhancer for Craigslist and similar sites)

http://www.postlets.com/

(Free listing Enhancer for Craigslist and similar sites)

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/FX100595491033.aspx  

(Free Newsletter Templates, Powerpoint Templates, and a ton of other helpful templates.

http://www.gururealestateflyers.com/  

(Free Real Estate Marketing Flyer Creation)

http://www.webuildpages.com/tools/  

(Free Internet Marketing and SEO Tools)

http://www.freesitedesigner.com/  

(Free Website Designer, and the templates are pretty attractive from a marketing perspective.  I am using this tool to build a secondary feed in website that I have)

https://signup.zoomerang.com/registration/free.aspx 

(Free version of a fabulous online survey software, a great tool to use to poll your current customer base and SOI.) 

Metro Atlanta Property Taxes

A Monthly house payment consists of several variables, however the majority of it is principal and interest ("Mortgage P&I" ). The other major portion of the payment is property tax.

Homestead Exemptions:

Generally, a homeowner is entitled to a homestead exemption on their home and land underneath provided the home was owned by the homeowner and was their legal residence as of January 1 of the taxable year.  

The State of Georgia offers homestead exemptions to all qualifying homeowners.  In some counties they have increased the amounts of their homestead exemptions by local legislation above the amounts offered by the State.  As a general rule the exemptions offered by the county are more beneficial to the homeowner.

Senior Citizens, Disabled Veterans, and or Surviving Spouses of an Armed Services Member, or Civil Services Member may be granted additional tax benefits under the homestead exemption provision.  Please CLICK HERE to find out if you qualify.  You may click the following link to download the Georgia Homestead Exemption Application

Metro Atlanta Homestead Exemption Allowances By County (Not All Counties Are Listed Below)

• $2,000 for Jackson, Paulding and Spalding;
• $4,000 for Carroll and Newton;
• $5,000 for Bartow and Cherokee;
• $6,000 for Douglas;
• $7,000 for Coweta and Dawson;
• $8,000 for Forsyth;
• $9,000 for Fayette;
• $10,000 for Barrow, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb and Hall;
• $12,000 for Henry;
• $15,000 for Fulton and Rockdale.
• For Fayette, Gwinnett, Henry and Walton, call the tax commissioner for exemption information.

Annual Property Tax Calculation:

To estimate your monthly real estate tax payment, multiply the total appraised value of your home by 40 percent. Deduct from this amount your homestead exemption. Now, divide the balance by 1,000. Multiply this amount by the millage rate listed below. This final figure is your estimated annual tax; divide by 12 to calculate your estimated monthly property tax.

Annual Property Tax Example:

If you base the tax on a $250,000 home in Cherokee vs. Forsyth vs. Fulton vs. Cobb, it would be:

(250,000 X .40) (minus homestead exemption Amt) / 1000 = value X millage rate = Property Tax Annually

Cumming  (Forsyth County)= 22.63 X 92	= $2,082 per year	or $174 per month
Woodstock (Cherokee County)=29.63 X 95	=$2,815 per year	or $235 per month
Alpharetta  (Fulton County)=36.43 X 85	=$3,097 per year	or $258 per month
Marietta (Cobb County)=29.94 X 90	=$2,695 per year	or $225 per month

"THE ABOVE TOTALS INCLUDE THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION."

 

METRO ATLANTA REAL ESTATE MILLAGE (TAX) CHART

BARROW COUNTY                           millage Auburn Bethlehem Braselton Carl Statham Winder Unincorporated 33.56 28.36 28.36 28.36 33.79 28.47 28.36 BARTOW COUNTY                             millage Adairsville Cartersville Cartersville Annex Emerson Euharlee Kingston Taylorville White Unincorporated 32.64 28.48 28.48 28.71 28.71 28.71 28.71 28.71 27.39 CARROLL COUNTY                             millage Bowdon Bremen Carrollton Mt. Zion Roopville Temple Villa Rica Whitesburg Unincorporated 33.64 26.88 27.85 28.81 24.85 32.00 31.68 33.10 24.85 CHEROKEE COUNTY                            millage Ball Ground Canton Holly Springs Little River Fire Nelson Oak Grove Fire Waleska Woodstock Unincorporated 32.00 30.00 31.22 26.50 25.29 26.50 30.76 29.86 26.50 CLARKE COUNTY                           millage Athens Bogart Winterville Unincorporated 33.05 36.63 35.60 33.05

CLAYTON COUNTY                           millage College Park Forest Park Jonesboro Lake City Lovejoy Morrow Riverdale County-Fire Non-Fire 38.57 35.60 34.91 34.78 32.91 34.01 36.51 32.91 29.01 COBB COUNTY                             millage Acworth Austell Kennesaw Marietta Powder Springs Smyrna No Fire District Unincorporated 37.44 30.31 38.00 29.94 38.25 36.36 27.19 29.75 COWETA COUNTY                           millage Grantville Grantville-New Haralson Moreland Newnan Newnan-New Palmetto Senoia Senoia-New Sharpsburg Turin Unincorporated 28.14 30.64 28.28 30.15 29.92 32.42 30.08 34.19 34.19 30.88 28.08 27.49 DAWSON COUNTY                            millage Dawson County 22.43 DEKALB COUNTY                             millage Atlanta Avondale Chamblee Clarkston Decatur Doraville Lithonia Pine Lake Stone Mountain Unincorporated 43.89 47.76 41.56 48.37 50.59 44.35 49.12 51.96 47.20 39.30

DOUGLAS COUNTY                             millage Austell Douglasville Villa Rica Unincorporated 32.64 32.64 35.62 28.79 FAYETTE COUNTY                            millage Brooks Fayetteville Peachtree City Tyrone Unincorporated 31.79 31.08 33.63 33.88 30.19 FORSYTH COUNTY                            millage Cumming Unincorporated 22.63 22.63 FULTON COUNTY                             millage Alpharetta Atlanta College Park East Point Fairburn Hapeville Johns Creek Milton North Fulton Palmetto Roswell Sandy Springs South Fulton Union City 36.43 43.86 39.39 41.99 34.83 42.44 34.44 34.44 34.44 34.33 35.91 34.56 35.56 39.33 GWINNETT COUNTY                           millage Auburn Berkeley Lake Braselton Buford Dacula Duluth Grayson Lawrenceville Lilburn Loganville Norcross 37.84 36.20 32.10 26.90 36.50 37.29 34.60 34.41 36.36 41.10 38.63

millage Rest Haven Snellville Sugar Hill Suwanee Fire & Rec. 32.10 35.75 35.90 37.87 32.10 HALL COUNTY                            millage Buford Clermont Flowery Branch Gainesville Gillsville Lula Oakwood Unincorporated 25.05 26.90 29.74 34.03 26.90 26.90 29.38 25.55 HENRY COUNTY                        millage Hampton Locust Grove McDonough Stockbridge Unincorporated 26.23 35.69 37.48 37.47 37.51 JACKSON COUNTY                           millage Arcade Arcade Fire Braselton Commerce Harrisburg F.D. Hoschton Jackson Trail Fire Jefferson Maysville Maysville Fire Nicholson Nicholson Fire N. Jackson Fire Pendergrass Plainview Fire S. Jackson Fire Talmo W. Jackson Fire Unincorporated 33.64 32.60 33.96 29.43 32.99 33.96 32.30 33.81 36.56 32.33 33.04 32.00 32.07 36.11 32.89 32.96 33.11 32.92 31.23 LUMPKIN COUNTY                            millage Dahlongea Unincorporated 28.20 23.01

NEWTON COUNTY                            millage Covington Mansfield Newborn Oxford Porterdale Social Circle Unincorporated 39.37 36.95 33.59 36.39 40.57 36.17 31.67 OCONEE COUNTY                            millage Bishop Bogart High Shoals Watkinsville Unincorporated 28.77 30.60 28.49 30.71 26.18 PAULDING COUNTY                            millage Braswell Dallas Hiram Unincorporated 31.22 28.01 24.22 24.22 ROCKDALE COUNTY                            millage Conyers Unincorporated 45.98 36.08 SPALDING COUNTY                            millage Griffin Orchard Hill Sunnyside Unincorporated 41.09 37.41 36.82 35.50 WALTON COUNTY                            millage Between Good Hope Jersey Loganville Monroe Social Circle Walnut Grove Unincorporated 30.25 30.25 30.25 38.78 36.52 33.36 30.25 30.25

 

Hiring a REALTOR who works in and KNOWS the neighborhood will give you a distinct advantage over the rest. I am a resident of Alpharetta, and nothing means more to me than serving the current and future residents of the Metro Atlanta Community. If you are interested in buying or selling a home and you are seeking RESULTS,  Please contact Amber today via phone at (678) 481-0390 or email Amber.Steiner@SolidSourceRealty.com.  You may also check out our website PictureAtlantaSold.com for additional resources and information.

I am sure you have received the frequent spam email attacks from all over the world that go something like: "Dear Sir, XYZ died in XYZ country, and is worth millions of dollars tied up in an American Bank.  There is no next of kin, so we would like for you to retrieve the money on our behalf, and in return you will get to keep X% for your trouble." 

These scams seem to be more prevalent each passing day; however most of us typically delete them immediately and report them as spam to the search engines.  Unfortunately there is a new avenue that these fraudulent individuals are honing in on: Text Messaging to personal cell phones!

So you can imagine my shock today when I personally received a Text Message via my business cell phone soliciting this same type of scam.  The number that was populated appeared be a Malaysian country code. The message read exactly like this:  "From: 01160163429407  I just view your website and i take interest.  Can u be able to call me because i have important business to do with u?"

Granted most of us realize that these scams exist, and we pay no mind.  However, utilizing the "Text Messaging" avenue, they could quite possibly be "texting" children, teenagers, and unsuspecting consumers who aren't aware of this type fraud.  My concern is that if someone responds back via text either with a simple "Not Interested", or "Stop Harassing Me" that they could be feeding into an information vulnerability or premium rate calling similar to 900 numbers.

Apparently in Europe and Australia this has been a major issue as well.  So much so that the European & Australian Governments are taking action and alerting their consumers.  Please check out the following article for additional reading: Text Messaging Scam Alert

I recently came a cross a Chicago-based real estate broker Mark Nash, author of "1,001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home," and he recently conducted a survey of 5,000 real estate agents (receiving 923 responses). The survey focused on what buyers want and don't want when buying a home. 

The overall results of the study indicate that buyers are looking for features that will still be desirable in 10 years. Trendy features like bamboo floors and bowl-shaped, above-counter sinks are "cool," but sometimes turn out not to be practical for everyday use. Knowing what is hot now and what used to be hot is the key to understanding the real estate market and successfully selling a home. With more choices on the marketplace than ever, buyers are becoming choosier and want homes that are move-in ready with no renovations needed.

Here are some of the interesting results of the study:

HOT:

-Old fashioned plank floors, weathered or recycled woods and wood paneling over kitchen appliances

-Storage space: Linen closets, dressing areas, luggage rooms, etc. Storage space seems to attract the attention of buyers right away

-Glass tiles in kitchen and bathrooms: This feature can be found in homes constructed in many different time periods and seems to have staying power

-Two home offices: Many recent homebuyers are professionals with a dual-income household. Having two, adequate sized home offices better facilitates working from home which is a real plus

NOT HOT:

-Spiral staircases: These once-popular features have lost favor with the aging population and families. For older residents, they are hard to maneuver and for families they provide an unwanted hazard for young children. Spiral staircases also make it extremely difficult to move furniture from room to room

-Stainless-steel appliances: Once (and still is in some areas) a must-have for new homes, many owners have complained about the hassles of keeping appliance surfaces clean. This is especially a detriment for families with small children and/or pets

-Glass front cabinets: Not good for owners who cannot keep the dishes in their shelves lined up neatly

-Vessel-style sinks (bowl-shaped, above-counter sinks): Still considered a very popular and hip item in some areas, many owners have found that vessel-style sinks allow water to be inadvertently splashed on the floor and clean up is more of a chore. This is especially the case during parties or other gatherings when the sink gets more use

Bamboo floors: Very attractive and hip feature but not durable enough for families with small children. Bamboo is softer than most woods and doesn't stand up well to heavy everyday use. Bamboo wood finishes also fade in direct sunlight causing uneven floor markings.

I would love to hear your opinions and what you are seeing in other parts of the country.  Being a Realtor specializing in the Atlanta market, I am still seeing a lot of the trendy décor and styling and it doesn't seem to be cooling off as much as in other parts of the country.  I have a very diverse client base in that they like styles ranging from contemporary to traditional, however there seems to be this eclectic theme that is pouring over into the more traditional homes now (i.e. incorporating the vessel sinks and class door cabinetry.)   

View Map (Satellite Hybrid) 

Welcome to the desired Ashebrooke subdivision located in Cumming, Georgia . Cumming is situated in Forsyth County, the fastest growing County in Georgia and 12th fastest growing in the Nation. Ashebrooke is a Swim/Tennis community conveniently located within minutes of Georgia 400, Hwy 141 and the North Pointe Mall. This proximity is ideal for commuters to the technology district of Alpharetta as well as the best shopping and dining around!
This fabulous community offers the Award Winning portfolio of designs offered by Sharp Residential.  The Classic series of homes offered at Ashebrooke provide a standard of luxury, detail, customization and affordability not found elsewhere.  Homes sizes start at the 4 Bedroom/3 Bath range up to 6 Bedroom/5 Baths, of which the majority of homes in Ashebrooke also include a full daylight terrace/basement level.  This is still a new community as the builder completed their final stages of building in 2006.

Community Amenities Include: Olympic Sized Swimming Pool & Community Pool House, Tennis Courts, Basketball Courts, Private and Secure Playground, and a Community Gazebo for relaxing.

Just a short drive further North and you can see the beautiful Lake Lanier area, Blue Ridge Mountains, and many renowned state parks including Amicola Falls.  A short drive further South and you are in the heart of Atlanta's shopping, world recognized dining, and attractions. 

View a Virtual Tour of Ashebrooke

Check out the Schools Zoned for Ashebrooke and their ratings below:

• Cumming Elementary
• Vickery Creek Middle
• Central Forsyth High

Hiring a REALTOR who works in and KNOWS the neighborhood will give you a distinct advantage over the rest. I am a resident of Cumming and nothing means more to me than serving the current and future residents of this community. If you are interested in buying or selling a home in the Ashebrooke Community:  Please contact Amber today via phone or email (678) 481-0390 or mailto:amber.steiner@solidsourcerealty.com.  You may also check out PictureAtlantaSold.com for additional resources and information.

                                        

I don't know how many of you use Craigslist, Live Deal, Oodle, Ebay, ect. for your Real Estate Ad's, but if you aren't currently using Craigslist you should.  Craigslist get's 5 BILLION Page Views per month and is a fabulous tool if you can make your post stand out amongst all of the other posts.  The downside to Craigslist is that the posts look so bland unless you are an HTML guru.  So for those of you non-guru's out there, and even those guru's who want to save a ton of time you have to check out this FREE service for spcicing up your HTML Based Ad's.  It is called Sawitonline.com, and there is no catch!  I have tried to find one, so that I could report a pro and a con, but so far it has been great for me.  Here is a sample of one of the Sample Ad's on Craigslist created with Sawitonline, it isn't my ad but it will show you some of their capabilities.  In addition to the ad some of their FREE features include:

• Photo Gallery and Slideshow
• Virtual Tour
• FlyerCreator
• Open Houses
• Directions
• Unique URL
• PDF Version
• Email Distribution
• Listing Counter
• Manual Submission Copy and paste HTML versions of your listing into hundreds of classified ad websites such as Craigslist, LiveDeal, edgeio, Oodle, Google , eBay, blogs and any other website that supports HTML content.
• Contact Reply Form
• Instant Home Value
• Mortgage Calculators
• Local Weather Information
• Local School Information
• Real Estate and Mortgage Glossary
• Moving Center

If this sounds a little like an infomercial I apologize, but when I stumble across FREE tools that colleagues and comsumers can benefit from I get so excited!

Metro Atlanta is the right choice for anyone seeking steady upward growth, in a marketplace without significant downside risk. Atlanta Facts to Know: The population of Metro Atlanta is 4.9 million people expected to grow 10.7% in the next 5 years Over the past 20 years Metro Atlanta has drawn more in-migration than any area of the country due to the area's job growth, quality of life, and low cost of living. Metro Atlanta is forecasted to be the 3rd largest job generator over the next decade. Atlanta ranks 3rd behind New York City and Houston for the number of Fortune 500 headquarters and more than 80% of Fortune 1000 companies have operations in Atlanta. Coca-Cola, Home Depot, UPS, SunTrust, Delta Airlines, Cingular, AIG, Cox Enterprises, among others call Atlanta home. Atlanta leads the nation in attracting highly educated 25 to 34 year-olds, the most coveted demographic. They come for the jobs, affordable housing, cultural opportunities, and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, one of the busiest airports anywhere in the world. Atlanta is also known as a great place to live. In addition to being the economic powerhouse of the Southeast; Atlanta has a pleasant climate; world class shopping, dining and entertainment; major national sporting events and professional teams; museums and extensive cultural opportunities. What it means for the Market?  Population growth, job growth, quality of life, and a great business climate does not guarantee, but usually adds up to a great place to invest in real estate. Again, Metro Atlanta is the right choice for anyone seeking steady upward growth, in a marketplace without significant downside risk. Whether you are an Investor, a business, or a residential buyer/seller I will help you identify properties that will outperform the local averages in terms of appreciation. Contact Me today to get started on your search for that "perfect" property! Sources: CarterUSA, Claritas, Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Atlanta Business Chronicle.