That's right, I'm changing my professional I.D. I'm not just a real estate agent anymore. I am a Change Agent now. I'm going to personally help our president-elect effect change for our nation by helping troubled homeowners avoid foreclosure.  

You see, my love of houses is not the only thing that drew me to this profession. I got into real estate when I saw the 'bust' coming, because I knew there would be a lot of people needing a very specific kind of help. I set out from the beginning to learn how to give that help.

To that end I've become a Certified Distressed Property Expert, and not a moment too soon. Nowhere is the default and foreclosure process faster or more brutal than in the state where I practice: Georgia. As a REALTOR working in the south metro Atlanta, Georgia area, I hear many heartbreaking questions from troubled homeowners:

"My interest rate is about to adjust up, but my income hasn't kept pace with inflation. What do I do now?"

"My employer has already cut back our work week and now they've announced layoffs are likely. What if I can no longer pay my mortgage? What can I do?"

"I've got to relocate, but my house isn't worth what I owe on it. I can't pay rent there and a mortgage here. What happens when I miss my mortgage payments?"

"What if I can't keep my home?"

"What should I do? What should I not do?"  

My neighbors, my community and my country are in distress due, in part, to the state of real estate. That's why I'm writing this blog series for distressed Georgia homeowners, to share with them everything I've learned about avoiding foreclosure in Georgia. Because it's time. In fact it's already too late for some of my Georgia neighbors, but I hope it will be right on time for my readers.

When people are facing the threat of foreclosure, they are embarrassed, depressed and stressed. They need someone who can help them out of a traumatizing situation. My CDPE expertise allows me to step in and handle the sale, help them compile the necessary paperwork, and work with the bank on their behalf. That aids the economic recovery in a small but very significant way.

Over the next few weeks I hope to answer many readers' foreclosure prevention questions in these blog entries. I've also put together a free e-book on the subject, which is available from a new website, http://AvoidGeorgiaForeclosure.com. I invite other Gerogia real estate, banking and law professionals to add their input and comments here. Our neighbors need all the prevention help they can get.

Here's another good reason to consider Ellenwood, Georgia real estate: Sugar Creek, a place where families can play together.

Golf and tennis enthusiasts who buy homes in Ellenwood, GA may choose from several conveniently located clubs and courses when it's time to get their game on.  This weekend, my huband Vince and I visited the Sugar Creek Golf and Tennis Center in Dekalb county for a little R&R. We arrived in the early evening as the late summer day was just cooling down a bit, and were greeted by the jazzy musical strains of a local quartet who were laying down smooth sound on the clubhouse veranda. As we approached, the tennis courts were all occupied and the happy laughter of people having fun filled the air.

Now, I've never been good with a tennis racket, but I do have clubs and will travel. The 18-hole facility at Sugar Creek has been a favorite of South East Atlanta and Ellenwood residents since it was built in 1977. Tucked away on several wooded acres off Bouldercrest Road slightly south of I-285 Exit 51, the par 71 champion course features 6,200 yards of manicured greens with a course rating of 72 and a slope rating of 127. What a great way to walk off a few calories and breathe in a lot of fresh, country air.

The Staff at Sugar Creek Golf Course will assist you with tee times, reservations, planning and hosting private and corporate outings, junior golf camps, individual and group golf lessons. Among the reasons why Sugar Creek enjoys such continued popularity for those in and around Ellenwood are its many amenities, including:

• Full service practice facility including a large lighted driving range, putting green, practice bunker and grass tees.
• Full service clubhouse including: pro shop, snack bar, lockers showers, club repair, and advance tee times.
• Dynamic women's and men's golf associations.
• Annual Passes, Junior and Senior Rates
• Excellent Junior Golf Programs
• Partnerships with DeKalb County Schools, Churches and YMCA'

We won't talk about my golf score. I play for fun. My favorite game is "best ball." Suffice it to say that all levels of play are welcome at Sugar Creek. So on the way  out, I picked up a brochure and invitation to join the women's golf association, where I can learn to better my game plus benefit from the clinics, discounts on range fees, apparel, individual golf lessons and various outings. They offer a men's golf association, a church league, a Junior Golf program and a Seniors Play Day. We were pleased to see several groups of young players practicing on the driving range and putting green. Now we'll have to bring our own grandsons out to hit a few balls after school.   If you'd like to check out Sugar Creek Golf and Tennis Center, here's some information to help you get started:

 
Location: 2706 Bouldercrest Rd SE
Atlanta, GA  30316-4812

Phone: (404) 241-7671
http://www.sugarcreekgolf.net

Got Georgia on your mind? For home buyers seeking a family-friendly neighborhood with roomy homes and spacious yards in the booming metro-Atlanta area, one suggestion is Ellenwood, GA, located in south Dekalb County and close to everything that's happening in Atlanta. The town of Ellenwood boasts a small-town, neighborly feel, while having access to all the city life of Atlanta. Located just a few miles south and east of Atlanta, it is convenient to everything that attracts people to the area. 

One of Ellenwood's most sought-after communities for moderately up-scale home buyers is Misty Lake. Featuring elegant, traditionally styled homes with European stucco or three-sided brick exteriors on handsome landscaped lots, this sidewalk community sits on rolling hills surrounding it's signature lake.

Students living in Misty Lakes subdivision benefit from the Cedar Grove Elementary, Middle and High Schools in the Dekalb County public school systems. High school graduates and adults may benefit from the many excellent colleges and universities in the area.

If you'd enjoy working in the big city, yet coming home to the quiet comfort of a bedroom community that's still close enough to downtown to enjoy all the amenities a destination city has to offer, you owe it to yourself to check out Misty Lake.

It's easy to get where you're going when you start out from Misty Lake. Located on River Road near the Bouldercrest Road intersection, Misty Lake's superb location affords a suburban lifestyle yet makes it easy for homeowners to get to any other destination in the metro Atlanta area, as it is convenient to three interstate highways -- only three minutes from I-285, four minutes from I-675, and five minutes from I-20. The community is a 10-minute drive from Hartsfield International Airport and a 15-minute drive from downtown Atlanta.

Residents can take advantage of the best school, work and play options the metro area has to offer, yet enjoy the peace and security of a family-friendly suburban environment just minutes from the outlet shopping mall in Tanger, the Eagle's Landing Country Club (home of the LPGA event in the area) in Stockbridge, Clayton State University in Morrow, and the Atlanta Motor Speedway and NASCAR racing events right down the road in Hampton. 

The Misty Lake subdivision began construction more than a decade ago, and the initial work on the final phases got underway about a year ago. Homes in the final phase are priced from the low $200,000s to the high $200,000s.

The home sites in the newest section are sized from 13,000 sq. ft. to 30,000 sq. ft. with most being slightly less than one acre in size, and lake lots being somewhat larger than the other home sites in the community.

Newly built homes in Misty Lake contain a long list of upscale features, including ceramic tile and marble in the foyer, kitchen and baths; hardwood floors; a jacuzzi tub with a separate shower in the master bath; built-in microwave oven; white and oak cabinets; and extensive trim packages including crown molding, decorative trims. and chair rails in various motifs.

The real estate market of metro Atlanta, Georgia is already showing signs of a bounce-back. Fueled in part by the still steady influx of newcomers, Atlanta REALTORS are happily getting busy again.

A few reasons for this upswing come immediately to mind.

For one thing, Atlanta is the biggest business hub of the southeastern states. People from all around the globe are still relocating to the area for it's business opportunities and job growth, numerous colleges and universities, mild climate, livable communities, and world class cultural and entertainment venues.

For another thing, home prices in this market never blew up like they did in most other major markets in the U.S., so there was not much of a real estate bubble to burst. Home prices here are still an attractive alternative for potential home buyers who may have been priced out of their markets in the north and the west.   

The thirteen-county area that comprises Metro Atlanta has much to offer, but I personally think the southside communities hold the best value for new residents looking to get a lot of bang for their buck.  

For those who love living right in the thick of the things, there are numerous in-town communities to choose from south of the Interstate-20. Some feature gentrified single family homes situated on historic streets, and others boast sought-after converted lofts or brand new high-rise condominiums.

But if you'd prefer to come home to the quiet comfort of a family-friendly bedroom community that's still close enough to downtown to enjoy all the amenities a destination city has to offer, you'll want to check out Ellenwood.  

Ellenwood, Georgia enjoys a small-town, neighborly flavor, while having access to all the city life of Atlanta. Located just a few miles south and east of Atlanta, it is convenient to everything that attracts people to the area. This neighborhood has seen over 30 percent growth in population since 2000, and 58 percent growth from 1990 to 2000.   

Because Ellenwood is uniquely situated at the crossroads of three counties -- DeKalb, Clayton, and Henry -- it's students may be served by one of three different public school systems. High school graduates and adults will have a chance to benefit from the excellent colleges and universities in the area. Future residents have a lot of housing options to choose from including single family resales, townhomes, condominiums, and many new home communities.  

It's easy to get where you're going when you start out in Ellenwood. The town is surrounded by four major highways and is just a few minutes ride from downtown Atlanta. Ellenwood residents can take advantage of the best school, work and play options the metro area has to offer, yet enjoy the peace and security of a family-friendly suburban environment just minutes from the outlet shopping mall in Tanger, the Eagle's Landing Country Club (home of the LPGA event in the area) in Stockbridge, Clayton State University in Morrow, and the Atlanta Motor Speedway and NASCAR racing events right down the road in Hampton.

These are just a few of the reason why people are moving to Ellenwood, Georgia.

It's true.

 I'm addicted to buildings. Always have been.

 I suppose it's the artist in me. The same uncontainable imagination that helps me create characters and paint pictures, also flings me headlong into the hidden mysteries of houses. I can't help myself.

 I doubt there is any help for me. I am hopelessly enamored of houses of every size, shape and age. You want me to buy your sappy romance novel, just put a big house on the cover. (Some of you can relate, I know it.)

 You see, the lovely, interesting,  or surprising has always delighted my eye. The marvel of architecture old and new, captivates my mind. I am seduced by the sensual dance of light and shadow, of line, texture, color and design. These thrill me. The audacity of skyscrapers, for instance, makes me laugh out loud and feel like skipping. Even now, at my age.

 But it's houses that most stir my blood. Because houses are about people's real, intimate lives, and yes, people do make my world go 'round. I love people like God loves people. I do.

 People and houses go together.

 So, houses, and the stories that unfold behind their decorative doors and sparkling (or even grimy) windows, the secrets they keep, the joy they bring, the lives they nurture -- houses and the history and promise they hold never fail to catch my imagination and run with it. I love houses for the people (and pets) who have lived in them, live in them now, and and those that will live in them someday.

 A favorite game of mine is to read a house like a book.  As a child traveling the streets of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with its many and varied neighborhoods, I would amuse myself by imagining all the interesting people and their amazing lives. From rowhouse to mansion, shotgun to multi-storied flat, to the fancy painted Victorian ladies, I loved them all. Even the rather plain post-war framed homes tenaciously hugging the hillsides, or the mid-century brick ranches and split-levels of my own working-class neighborhood just west of downtown. It's a love affair that has never for a minute waned or faltered.

 I lived a few places since those girlhood days, from coast to coast and north to south. I now reside and work in Atlanta. America is a treasury of wonderful homes of every imaginable style. Every state has it's share of pure gems, and Georgia is no exception. Atlanta and it's surrounding communities are a house-aholic's dream!

 And that's why I'm doing what I do. After years of flirting with the idea of someday getting into real estate and actually making houses my business, I finally made the leap. And let me tell you, even in this challenging market cycle, I have no regrets.

 Because I get to do what I love -- houses.