Once again, Money Magazine recognized Suwanee, Georgia as one of the best places to live in America. The city was selected as number 35 in 2009 from over 2400 small towns (populations of 8,500 - 50,000). The city's commitment to historical preservation, community involvement, planned development and greenspace keep this thriving city among the best places to live in America and a premier destination for businesses and residents moving into metro Atlanta.
Highlights of Some Upcoming Events
Community Garden Plan Approved - City Council approved the master plan for Suwanee's community garden on July 28. Team Agro-Engineers created the plan with help and input from City staff members and citizens on the Founders Committee. The first 50 garden plots of the project's phase one should be available in time for planting in spring 2010.
Free community concerts - There will be two big concerts in the Suwanee Town Center Park amphitheater during the month of August.
August 15th - Suwanee will host Los Angeles-based, Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling recording artists, Tonic at the Town Center Park amphitheater. Come out to hear their new music along with their 1998 hit “If You Could Only See,” from the band’s debut album Lemon Parade.
Forbes Magazine and the Atlanta Business Chronicle recent articles listed the Atlanta metro area as #13 of the top 25 US cities to buy a home in today's economy. The research and articles confirm that Atlanta's growth, opportunities and available housing provide buyers with great investment options.
The research focused on the average price per square foot, frequency of real-estate transactions and distribution of sales-activity throughout numerous large metropolitan cities. Some relative stability or improving stability in the housing market combined with the lower home prices has been attracting more buyers in many areas including Atlanta. Multiple offers are becoming common places for some of the distressed homes (short-sales and foreclosures) on the market and this is helping to reduce inventory.
If you have money to invest or the ability to obtain financing, then real estate is readily available as an excellent investment for the future. The wide variety of incentive programs for tax credit and buyer assistance make this market even more attractive and the metro-Atlanta area has proven to be a good location.
High school graduates throughout Gwinnett county continue to excel academically and are recognized on a national level for their excellent achievements. Recipients for the 2009 National Merit Scholarships and the Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarships include several graduates from local Gwinnett county high schools.
Out of over 2800 students selected for the National Merit Scholarship, 14 graduates representing six different high schools within the Gwinnett County Public School system were chosen. The list of National Merit Scholars included two graduates from North Gwinnett and one from Collins Hill here in Suwanee. The other high schools represented were Brookwood, Parkview, Norcross and Duluth high schools.
The Robert C. Boyd Honors Scholars included 12 Gwinnett County Public School graduates representing 12 different high schools, including Suwanee's North Gwinnett, Collins Hill and Peachtree Ridge.
Congratulations to all the scholarship recipients and to the outstanding work of the high schools here in Gwinnett county.
For a complete list of the student names and more information, check out Heather Darenberg's article in the Sunday (6/28) Gwinnett Daily Post.
Although the current economy and budget shortages within Gwinnett county caused the county to cancel the traditional Gwinnett Glows celebration for this year's 4th of July, there are still several places throughout the county to enjoy the music, fun and fireworks on Friday and Saturday evening.
Check out all the scheduled in events in today's Gwinnett Daily Post.
What do you see as the future of Pierce's Corner? Pierce's Corner, dating back to 1910, is a beacon shining back on Suwanee's past and on the quaint beauty of the Old Town Main Street revitalization. A big part of Suwanee's appeal and charm is the combination of a thriving, growing, progressive community along with the preservation of its interestingly diverse history. This combination will be most vividly displayed as the Old Town Main Street area and Pierce's Corner continue to be developed into a modern mixed-use district using the historic buildings and surroundings as the foundation. The property known as Pierce's Corner with its large 1910-vintage brick building stands out as a major part this area's future.
This article is intended to peak your curiosity and get comments about more specific ideas from you as citizens, residents and visitors to Suwanee for the future use of the property bordered by Main St, Scales Rd and Jackson St including the historic Pierce's Corner building. Even with our recent economic struggles, renovation and revitalization projects have been taking place all over Gwinnett county as residents look to preserve the past with tasteful modern businesses for entertainment, relaxation, shopping and services. Give your comments and let your friends and neighbors know what businesses you would frequent at Pierce's Corner in Old Town Suwanee. If you haven't seen the Old Town area in a while, then cruise on down Main Street and check it out.
The Old Town Main Street area is one of the key components in the recently completed Downtown Master Plan and which included, as always in Suwanee, a great deal of input from the residents of our community. The previous Old Town Master plan in 2002 included resident input and suggestions for the future of the Old Town Main Street. The citizen inputs for the Old Town district plan generally called for a mixture of retail, residential and commercial offices in a pedestrian-friendly environment while maintaining the historic environment. Many of these ideas have already been implemented with the restoration and renovation of several Main Street properties for businesses which include Revival Hair Salon, Main Street Photography, Allstate Insurance and other office and retail businesses.
When we were kids, we loved to buy or mix up a bottle of soapy water and blow bubble. After a while, you learn some of the many factors involved in getting the biggest possible bubble to last as long as possible. You have to have just the right mixture of soap and water. There needs to be just enough breeze to keep the bubble aloft, but not so much that the bubbles break before taking flight. And finally, you have learn to blow just the right amount of air at just the right speed for just the right length of time so that you make that perfect bubble. This process can take a long time, maybe a whole afternoon and maybe even require a whole new batch of soapy solution.
One thing that always held true is that whenever the bubbles burst they would spray "stuff" on anyone nearby. The bigger the bubble--the more stuff that gets sprayed when they burst. The closer you were to the bubble when it burst, the more "stuff" gets on you. Many times, it was your little brother or sister or a neighbor who caused the bubble to burst, but you still got "stuff" on you if you were nearby.
Well, we blew the housing "bubble" up way beyond its capacity for the conditions. We over mixed the solution with higher and higher home prices that seemed to hold well enough at time, but that's probably because we were blocking most of the financing "breeze" with extra risky loans that eventually broke free. The whole housing "bubble" game got to be so much fun that more and more people joined in, and mixed more of that solution of bigger, more expensive houses and more neighborhoods. Unfortunately, most people weren't taking the time necessary to really examine all the critical factors needed for safely blowing up the biggest possible bubble that would stay aloft for a long time.
The bubble burst, and it was a huge bubble, so we are all trying to wash the "stuff" off of us and sometimes off our neighbors. The clean up may take a while, but just like those backyard bubble sessions, everyone needs to do most of their own clean up work.
Are you a first-time homebuyer? Don't be too quick to answer that question, because you might be very surprised to find out that you actually are a first-time homebuyer. The correct answer to this question could actually qualify you for up to $7,500 (interest-free loan) from Uncle Sam.
Before I go any further, let me clearly disclose that I am not an expert tax or financial adviser so after reading this short post you may need to consult a professional tax adviser before proceeding.
Now, are you really a first-time homebuyer? Well according the federal government and the Internal Revenue Service, you qualify as a first-time homebuyer if you meet the following definition:
This means that first-time homebuyers and those who have not owned a home in the three years prior to a purchase can qualify for the credit. IRS Website FAQ Link
So, if you (and/or your spouse) have not owned a home during the last three years, then you qualify as a first-time homebuyer and are eligible for the new Tax Credit of up to $7500 if you purchase a home before July 1, 2009. This definition may include many different families who under various circumstances have NOT purchased or owned a home during the past three years. The family may have relocated and have been renting a home for the past three years while deciding where, when and how to purchase a new home. Individuals or families may have gone through some life change circumstances which have prevented them from purchasing or owning a home during the last three years, such as divorce, financial or medical struggles, unstable employment, etc. For these individuals, as well as individuals who have never purchased a home, the new Tax Credit program can offer an additional financial benefit to purchasing a home along with today's lower-priced homes and lower mortgage interest rates. Please note that in my opening paragraph I referred to the Tax Credit as an "interest-free loan," because this is money that does have to be paid back to the federal government over the next fifteen years without any interest. (i.e. - $500/year for 15 years = $7500)
Don't let the words "first-time" cause you to ignore a potentially great opportunity!
Construction began early this week on the new pedestrian crosswalk connecting Town Center Park and the Old Historic Suwanee area. This crossing over the busy Buford Highway just south of the Suwanee Dam Road intersection will be equipped with a new state-of-the-art pedestrian HAWK crossing signal (High-intensity Activated Crosswalk).
Pedestrian HAWK Signal System
This system allows for safe pedestrian crossing only when needed without restricting or interrupting normal traffic flow when pedestrians are not present. Solid black traffic signals are mounted horizontally over the street, but the high-intensity lights are not powered on unless activated by the pedestrian switch. Once activated the lights flash YELLOW then solid RED to stop traffic while the pedestrian crosses, then the lights go black again. The HAWK system’s initial installation in Tucson, Arizona has been highly successfully. Suwanee’s installation will be the first in the state of Georgia and should prove to be a tremendous compliment to the, soon-to-be-finished, tunnel beneath the railroad tracks which provides a direct pedestrian connection between Old Historic Suwanee and Town Center Park.
Let’s take a walk to the other side of the tracks!
Residents will now be able to travel by foot directly between Town Center Park and the attractions of Old Downtown such as the library, Playtown Suwanee and historic main street shops. Walkability is one of the increasingly important factors in attractive, sustainable development, and Suwanee is striving to address this important future need for all residents while maintaining its historic nature.
Bring your buyers or see for potential buyers. Enjoy some refreshments and check out this REDUCED PRICE listing in Lawrenceville's Brookside Plantation subdivision.
Great 4BR/2.5BA with the master-on-main, cul-de-sac location with completely updated kitchen and master bathroom for the greatly reduced list price of $150,000.00. FMLS #3780259
Online Flyer with photos, video and greater description.
Everyone knows that the most important factor in real estate is "Location, Location, Location." Even the most novice person on the streets has heard this well-known saying for years and years. As simple as it sounds, the reason this saying is so widely known and applied when discussing real estate is because the statement is TRUE and always has been.
Well, it has always been applicable until 2008, when suddenly it appears that all real estate can be discussed on a nationwide basis and lumped together as a single unified commodity. The truth is, and I understand that I'm preaching to the choir for the most part, there is no national housing market. The "national housing market" being discussed and lamented for the past several months is actually made up of thousands of very "real" individual neighborhood markets in your communities and mine, where the true market values should be and normally are determined by, you guessed it......Location, Location, Location.
Now, I am not ignorant enough to think that our economy does not have serious problems or that the real estate industry is not suffering from mistakes made during the boom years of easy loans and soaring demand. I know that the high number of foreclosures, short-sales and bank-owned properties have a tremendous impact on neighborhood markets, and has drawn attention at a national level. However, I do believe that the overwhelming fear and lack of confidence has been increased by misrepresenting the problem with a constant barrage of news on declining "national housing" prices. The truth is most of us will suffer to some degree during these challanging times and many will suffer more than others, but it also true that some bold individuals will flourish because they make wise choices and take courageous risks based on the actual conditions in their specific location, not based on national averages.
Part of our role as real estate professionals is to help communicate to the public and educate the public that real estate is local, has always been local and will always be local. The news about the market in another part of the country does not universally apply in our communities. It is our role to find out what the market is doing in our specific community. This may require us to focus even more intensely on even smaller segments of our communities....even down to neighborhood levels.
We need to be able to accurately advise our clients, buyers and sellers, on their realistic options. In today's market, those options may not always be in our immediate best interest, as agents, for all neighborhoods, but in the long term we will all benefit from a market that operates on the best local information and facts. The challenges and opportunities are all unique to the location.
We still buy and sell real estate based on Location, Location, Location. In fact, one of the first questions agents ask of their buyers is, "Where are you interested in living?"
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
Once again, 
High school graduates throughout Gwinnett county continue to excel academically and are recognized on a national level for their excellent achievements. Recipients for the 2009 
What do you see as the future of Pierce's Corner? Pierce's Corner, dating back to 1910, is a beacon shining back on Suwanee's past and on the quaint beauty of the Old Town Main Street revitalization. A big part of Suwanee's appeal and charm is the combination of a thriving, growing, progressive community along with the preservation of its interestingly diverse 
The previous 
When we were kids, we loved to buy or mix up a bottle of soapy water and blow bubble. After a while, you learn some of the many factors involved in getting the biggest possible bubble to last as long as possible. You have to have just the right mixture of soap and water. There needs to be just enough breeze to keep the bubble aloft, but not so much that the bubbles break before taking flight. And finally, you have learn to blow just the right amount of air at just the right speed for just the right length of time so that you make that perfect bubble. This process can take a long time, maybe a whole afternoon and maybe even require a whole new batch of soapy solution.
Are you a first-time homebuyer? Don't be too quick to answer that question, because you might be very surprised to find out that you actually are a first-time homebuyer. The correct answer to this question could actually qualify you for up to $7,500 (interest-free loan) from Uncle Sam.
Open House - Sunday (1/11/09) 2:00 - 5:00
Everyone knows that the most important factor in real estate is "Location, Location, Location." Even the most novice person on the streets has heard this well-known saying for years and years. As simple as it sounds, the reason this saying is so widely known and applied when discussing real estate is because the statement is TRUE and always has been.
estate industry is not suffering from mistakes made during the boom years of easy loans and soaring demand. I know that the high number of foreclosures, short-sales and bank-owned properties have a tremendous impact on neighborhood markets, and has drawn attention at a national level. However, I do believe that the overwhelming fear and lack of confidence has been increased by misrepresenting the problem with a constant barrage of news on declining "national housing" prices. The truth is most of us will suffer to some degree during these challanging times and many will suffer more than others, but it also true that some bold individuals will flourish because they make wise choices and take courageous risks based on the actual conditions in their specific location, not based on national averages.
;)
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