Living in Dacula Ga for the last 9 years I never knew how many people came out for the annual Dacula Memorial Day Parade until today. It was so impressive to see so many people come out in support of our troops and celebrate our freedom. I'm almost ashamed that I never went to the parade until this year. Driving through Dacula it was amazing to see all the people.....kids and parents and grandparents. It's billed as the largest Memorial Day parade in the southeast. The weather was kinda soupy but the rain held off except for a few sprinkles. The parade started in the Hebron Baptist Church parking lot and ran all the way down Dacula Rd into the downtown area. There were several veterans in the parade including WWII and Vietnam Vets. Lots of old cars and tractors and a marching band and they were all throwing candy, which my daughter thought was the coolest thing since Halloween is a few months away. This was her first parade and it made a big impression......mostly because of the candy! She hasn't eaten any of it yet but mommy and daddy have!!
Here are some sights from the day's festivities...
Steve Rider REALTOR with Keller Williams Realty Lanier Partners Braselton Ga, selling homes in Winder, Braselton, Dacula, Lawrenceville, Buford, Grayson, Loganville, Monroe and surrounding areas of Barrow, Walton and Gwinnett County Georgia. Go to www.SteveRider-Realtor.com to see my featured listings or search for your new home.
If you're looking for a home in Northeast Georgia contact me either by clicking on the email link or call me toll free at 800-765-0460 or 404-663-7063 direct. I have over 5 years experience selling real estate and I'm a life long resident of my coverage area.
Copyright Steve Rider All Rights Reserved Dacula Ga Memorial Day Parade- Thousands Come Out to Pay Tribute
Ga. House Bill 261 passed May 11 and allows for an $1800 or 1.2% of the purchase price (whichever is less) tax credit over the next 3 years. This credit is in addition to the $8000 Federal Tax Credit and is available to all buyers, not just first time buyers! You can claim $600 a year over the next 3 years and any amount not used will carry over and there are no income restrictions. You will still be eligible for this credit if you purchase a foreclosure property as well.
Okay Gwinnett home buyers.......here is even more incentive to GET OFF THE FENCE! With all the banks and Wall Street companies getting bailouts these days isn't it time you took advantage of it too?
Here is the press release from Governor Sonny Perdue
ATLANTA - Governor Sonny Perdue today signed House Bill 261, which provides a $1,800 tax credit for home purchases. The credit, which would be taken over three years, takes effect immediately and is meant to spur activity in the housing market.
"The housing tax credit is a strategic investment that strikes at the root of this economic downturn. Much of the financial turmoil we have seen stems from a severe downturn in housing," Governor Perdue said. "Families interested in buying a home will now have an additional incentive to act."
The bill provides an income tax credit for the purchase of a single family residence during the next six months. The amount of the credit will be the lesser of $1,800 or 1.2 percent of the purchase price. A taxpayer may claim one-third of the credit available in each taxable year, and may carry forward unclaimed amounts.
For first time homebuyers, the state credit would be in addition to the federal tax credit authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The federal credit gives first-time homebuyers a credit equal to 10 percent of the purchase price, up to $8,000. The state credit is available to all buyers for six months.
"I'm proud of Governor Perdue for signing this legislation, and I'm proud to have brought it before the state legislature. This bill will put people to work, reduce the inventory of unsold homes, and kick start Georgia's economy," said Rep Ron Stephens.
"Jumpstarting the housing industry will mean more money flowing through our economy and more customers for Georgia's real estate professionals, appraisers, closing attorneys, and others who depend so heavily on regular market activity. This bill is a signal that we are doing all we can to spur Georgia's economy and lead the nation in financial recovery," said Rep. Larry O'Neal.
If you are on the fence about purchasing a home in the Gwinnett area and would like a consultation on the feasibility of your move, call me today and I will give you a no cost evaulation of your home buying situation.
Steve Rider REALTOR with Keller Williams Realty Lanier Partners Braselton Ga, selling homes in Winder, Braselton, Dacula, Lawrenceville, Buford, Grayson, Loganville, Monroe and surrounding areas of Barrow, Walton and Gwinnett County Georgia. Go to www.SteveRider-Realtor.com to see my featured listings or search for your new home.
If you're looking for a home in Northeast Georgia contact me either by clicking on the email link or call me toll free at 800-765-0460 or 404-663-7063 direct. I have over 5 years experience selling real estate and I'm a life long resident of my coverage area.
Copyright Steve Rider All Rights Reserved More Tax Incentives for Gwinnett County Home Buyers
Okay I got behind over the weekend so today I'm posting two new zip codes. This post includes 30045 in Lawrenceville.
Gwinnett County home sales are improving every month. Today we will look at another of Lawrenceville's zip codes 30045. This zip covers an area east of Sugarloaf Parkway and includes downtown Lawrenceville, just past Gwinnett County Airport then south to the Tribble Mill Park area. The western border is Ozora Rd and portions of Hwy 124. The southern portion of 30045 is somewhat rural with horse farms and large tracts but still is only 10 minutes from downtown Lawrencville. There are several estate style neighborhoods in this area like Trail's End, Tapestry Ridge, and Helen's Manor as well as starter home neighborhoods and move up homes. There are several new schools being built in this area of Gwinnett County too. Archer High School will be located off New Hope Rd, and Bay Creek Elementary will be off Cooper Rd in Grayson. Go to Gwinnett County Schools website for district information.
Here are the Lawrenceville home sales statistics for zip code 30045 for April.
The number of homes sold in April was down from March in 30045 but that is the case with most areas of the county due to spring break vacation falling in this period. Average Days on Market was down though compared to March. If you want more info on your neighborhood or if you're considering a move to Lawrenceville Ga, contact me and I'll help you find the perfect home for your needs!
Steve Rider REALTOR with Keller Williams RealtyLanier Partners Braselton Ga, selling homes in Winder, Braselton, Dacula, Lawrenceville, Buford, Grayson, Loganville, Monroe and surrounding areas of Barrow, Walton and Gwinnett County Georgia. Go to WWW.SteveRider-Realtor.com to see my featured listings or search for your new home.
If you're looking for a home in Northeast Georgia contact me either by clicking on the email link or call me toll free at 800-765-0460 or 404-663-7063 direct. I'm a life long resident of this area with life long knowledge of the market.
Copyright Steve Rider All Rights Reserved Lawrenceville Ga Homes for Sale- Today's Zip Code 30045
Today's featured Gwinnett County home sales zip code report is......drum roll please...........30044!!!
This is one of Lawrenceville's many zips and includes communities like Brookwood, Bethesda, and Northwood Country Club. The boundaries run from west of Sugarloaf Parkway, south of Hwy 316 down to Hwy 124 and over to just west of Ronald Reagan Parkway. Neighborhoods in this area are Enclave at Brookwood, Churchill Commons, Flowers Crossing at the Mill, and Longmont at Sugarloaf. Click here for a custom search of all homes for sale in Gwinnett County zip code 30044.
Here are the home sale stats for zip code 30044 for April 2009.
Active listings in 30044 as of 5/4/09
Expired listings in April 2009
Sold Listings in April 2009
If you're interested in what's going on with home sales in other areas of Gwinnett County, contact me and I'll be happy to discuss it with you. Click on the zip code to see previous posts on 30019 and 30043 in Gwinnett County .
Steve Rider REALTOR with Keller Williams RealtyLanier Partners Braselton Ga, selling homes in Winder, Braselton, Dacula, Lawrenceville, Buford, Grayson, Loganville, Monroe and surrounding areas of Barrow, Walton and Gwinnett County Georgia. Go to WWW.SteveRider-Realtor.com to see my featured listings or search for your new home.
If you're looking for a home in Northeast Georgia contact me either by clicking on the email link or call me toll free at 800-765-0460 or 404-663-7063 direct. I'm a life long resident of this area with life long knowledge of the market.
Copyright Steve Rider All Rights Reserved Lawrenceville Ga Homes for Sale- Today's Zip Code 30044
How does the housing market look in your neighborhood? There are many websites out there that say they can give you accurate sales and value info on your area but do they really? I'm not sure what algorithms these sites are using but most of them are usually way off in determining the value of your home. There are some that are closer than others but they all have something in common.....they all rely on the local MLS and tax assessors to get their information.
So my question is why go to those sites when you can consult a local Realtor and find out real time and accurate information?
Yesterday I started reporting on homes sales in Gwinnett County by zip code for the month of April. Yesterday's post was Dacula zip code 30019. I'll post a different zip code everyday throughout the month until I've covered them all. If you're wondering about what's going on in your neighborhood and you don't want to wait for me to post it, just email me and I'll be happy to pull your specific area and discuss it with you. Heck, I can even be more specific and get down to a specific subdivision!!
Today's we'll look at Lawrenceville Ga zip code 30043 which covers an area north of hwy 316 from the I85 split east to just past the Gwinnett County Airport. This includes the Collins Hill area, Discover Mills, Gwinnett County Airport, Gwinnett College, and the UGA Gwinnett Campus.
Homes sold in Lawrenceville Ga zip code 30043 in April 2009
If you have any questions about the data provided here or would like a market analysis of your home please don't hesitate to contact me.
Steve Rider REALTOR with Keller Williams RealtyLanier Partners Braselton Ga, selling homes in Winder, Braselton, Dacula, Lawrenceville, Buford, Grayson, Loganville, Monroe and surrounding areas of Barrow, Walton and Gwinnett County Georgia. Go to WWW.SteveRider-Realtor.com to see my featured listings or search for your new home.
If you're looking for a home in Northeast Georgia contact me either by clicking on the email link or call me toll free at 800-765-0460 or 404-663-7063 direct. I'm a life long resident of this area with life long knowledge of the market.
Copyright Steve Rider All Rights Reserved Lawrenceville Ga home sales
Gwinnett County Georgiais a very large county with many cities and many zip codes. So starting this week I'm going to feature a different zip code each day with market stats and info related to the real estate market in that zip code. Real estate is very localized and what's happening in some areas might not be happening in others so if you're considering relocating to the Gwinnett County area or maybe you already live in Gwinnett and just want to move to the other side, you can come here to get local sales info to help you stay informed.
This information is helpful for buyers and sellers. Currently we are in a buyer's market with a surplus of inventory. If you're a seller in this market, you need to be patient and also flexible. Price is the number one component of selling a home right now and the homes that are priced right are selling. If you're a buyer the ball is in your court. There has never been a better time to buy with the lowest rates in 50 years and deals everywhere. Don't miss the boat!!
Since I live in the Dacula Ga zip code 30019, we'll look at some analysis of that area. The town itself is relatively small with approximately 4600 people living within the city limits. Most of the area residents live in the unincorporated areas with a Dacula address. Communities like Hamilton Mill and Harbins are located in this 30019 zip code. Click here for a previous post on the growth in the Dacula area.
Expired listings in Dacula zip 30019 for April 2009
Sold listings in Dacula zip 30019 for April 2009
You can go to www.steverider-realtor.com to and click on the "MLS Search" tab to see all available listings in Dacula and surrounding towns as well.
Steve Rider REALTOR with Keller Williams RealtyLanier Partners Braselton Ga, selling homes in Winder, Braselton, Dacula, Lawrenceville, Buford, Grayson, Loganville, Monroe and surrounding areas of Barrow, Walton and Gwinnett County Georgia. Go to WWW.SteveRider-Realtor.com to see my featured listings or search for your new home.
If you're looking for a home in Northeast Georgia contact me either by clicking on the email link or call me toll free at 800-765-0460 or 404-663-7063 direct. I'm a life long resident of this area with life long knowledge of the market.
Copyright Steve Rider All Rights Reserved Dacula Ga Home Sales
I previously posted about a "difficult listing" that I took and how it's not difficult because of price or location but because it was owned by a close friend that was killed in a motorcycle accident. This house was his pride and joy because he built it and selling it is very hard for his mother but will bring some closure to the situation. Unlike every other home I've sold this one has a little more emotional attachment even though I know as a Realtor you should keep emotions out of it. Obviously this is not possible here so as with any other client I'm going to market the home to the fullest and also be a shoulder when she needs it. I'm sure closing day will be tough for both of us.
There are not too many 2.5 acre tracts left in this area so there's no doubt this is a valuable selling point. Here is a link to the plat.
In addition to the acreage, there is also a detached 2 car garage with plenty of space for parking for an RV or boat. Unbelievable storage above this garage too.
Steve Rider Realtor with Keller Williams RealtyLanier Partners Braselton Ga, selling homes in Winder, Braselton, Dacula, Lawrenceville, Buford, Grayson, Loganville, Monroe and surrounding areas of Barrow, Walton and Gwinnett County Georgia. Go to WWW.SteveRider-Realtor.com to see my featured listings or search for your new home.
If you're looking for a home in Northeast Georgia contact me either by clicking on the email link or call me toll free at 800-765-0460 or 404-663-7063 direct. I'm a life long resident of this area with life long knowledge of the market.
Copyright Steve Rider All Rights Reserved Gwinnett County Home for Sale- 2.5 Acres & No Subdivision Less Than 5 Minutes to Mall of Ga!
If you live in Gwinnett County then I don't have to tell you about the award winning Gwinnett Parks and Recreation Dept. named the #1 park system in the nation in 2008 by National Recreation and Park Association. But if you're considering moving to the Gwinnett area then you'll want to know about the newest jewel in the impressive collection of county parks we have here. Harbins Park is the newest and largest of the over 40 parks currently open in Gwinnett County and is 1795 acres of Equestrian, hiking and biking trails as well as picnic areas, a huge playground for the kids, rental pavillions and open areas. Located in a more rural area of the county but still only 10 minutes to either Lawrenceville or Dacula this park is within a few miles of many desireable neighborhoods. Here is a short list of the neighborhoods in the area......
Alcovy Landing Biltmore Woods Ewing Estates Alcovy Ridge Bullock Estates Enclave at Stonehaven Amberly Glen Crossroads Great River Arden Crest Edwards Estates Harbins Landing Estates Barimore Place Crystal Lake Plantation at Bay Creek
The Master Plan of Harbins Park shows future growth and expansion to include a skate park and recreation area for teens but here are some of the current areas of the park open to the public.
The main playground has two sections, one for the smaller kids and one for bigger kids. The main playset has three levels and multiple slides and the kids love it, including my daughter!
This pavillion is available for rental for parties, family get togethers, etc.
There are currently 8 miles of mountain biking trails open with another 5 to be added soon. These trails are rated intermediate to advanced. I have yet to ride these trails but will update this post once I have for those of you who are avid mountain bikers.
If you're moving to Dacula Ga or Gwinnett County and want to find out more about what's going on in our community, contact me and I would be happy to help!
Steve Rider REALTOR with Keller Williams RealtyLanier Partners Braselton Ga, selling homes in Winder, Braselton, Dacula, Lawrenceville, Buford, Grayson, Loganville, Monroe and surrounding areas of Barrow, Walton and Gwinnett County Georgia. Go to WWW.SteveRider-Realtor.com to see my featured listings or search for your new home.
If you're looking for a home in Northeast Georgia contact me either by clicking on the email link or call me toll free at 800-765-0460 or 404-663-7063 direct. I'm a life long resident of this area with life long knowledge of the market.
Copyright Steve Rider All Rights Reserved Gwinnett County Parks Opens 1795 Acre Multi Use Park
There's a new sport that's catching on all over the country......
It's called "Fence Riding". It's kind of like what you see the kids on the skateboards doing with the rail on the steps only there's a fence and a potential buyer involved. The fences vary in style, shape and height but the buyer's are all the same, they can't make up their minds to jump off on one side or the other. I've heard there are professional leagues starting up all over the place and soon we'll have the "US National Fence Riders Championship". Hundreds of the best fence riders all over the country will compete to see how long they can hold out while being offered a 4.75% 30 yr fixed interest rate on a house that's priced $50k off fair market value.
If you're a Realtor you deal with this on a daily basis and with any luck and some training you know how to coax these folks off the fence. To me it seems that the better the market gets for buyers the more they are holding out. The only explanation I have for that is they think since it got this good it might get even better. Ahhh, the dreaded "Bottom of the Market Syndrome". The only cure for this affliction is an increase in prices and rates which leads to another disease called "I should've listened to my Realtoritis" because by the time they're cured the best deals are gone.
If you're one of these Fence Riders there are many reasons to stop this nonsense and yes, I'm going to list plenty of those reasons.
The first thing any buyer should realize is that no one will know exactly when the bottom is reached until it starts to improve. Which means values start to increase along with mortgage rates and sellers start to gain more confidence. This will eventually turn this buyer's market into a seller's market. All things are cyclical and real estate is no different.
Secondly, the best priced homes are what's selling right now and they're selling fast. If you're not ready to buy then don't look until you're ready. The best deals are being purchased by motivated buyers that have their financing ready to go and don't have to sell another property to purchase one. You'll only get frustrated and be heart broken when your dream home is purchased by someone else who was ready to buy. Check out this previous post on purchasing a foreclosed home.
Third, if you have a home to sell and you're worried about not making any money or possibly losing money on that sale, you can usually make up your losses on the buying side. I know that's not like having cash in your pocket but long term it could be very beneficial. Most foreclosed homes are deeply discounted by the banks that own them so buying a home with instant equity is a very real possibility. That equity will be compounded by rebounding values and that equity is where you make up the losses you might have taken on the sale of your previous home and although it might take a few years to see that return, it's real. Click this link to read about a great example of instant equity from a previous post.
Let's see, what else is there.......?
Lenders are making loans! Don't let the media fool you, there is money to lend but the requirements have tightened and banks now require more down payment. The days of 100% financing are over with the exception of the Rural Development loans in certain counties in North Georgia. I'll explain those a little further into this post. If you are worried about whether you qualify for a mortgage, the first thing you need to do is call your loan officer. If you don't have one contact me and I'll refer you to one. Find out where you stand financially, you might be surprised! On that subject, talking to your lender should be the first step in purchasing a home. Especially in this day of bank owned properties flooding the market, as I said before the buyers getting the deals are the ones ready to buy and if you don't have a pre-qualification letter from a lender or at least have talked to one you're not ready. Sellers these days want to know the buyers making offers are qualified to buy the house and don't want to waste time with ones that aren't. Have that letter in hand when you start looking and save the time later on because that could be the difference in getting the house of your dreams or losing it to another buyer.
Rural Development is available in most of Barrow County, Jackson County and Walton County. RD is a USDA backed loan that requires no down payment and no PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance). This can lower your payment significantly and could mean the difference between qualifying and not qualifying for a loan. If you're considering buying in one of these areas and want more info on this loan program, contact me.
The Federal Government wants you to give you an $8000 tax credit! That's right, a tax credit and this one doesn't have to be paid back. If you're a first time buyer and you close before Dec 1 2009, you can get this credit on your 2009 tax return. Here's the best thing....if you don't use the entire credit the difference is given back to you!! Why wouldn't you want to take advantage of that? Check out the full details here.
As you can see, there are many reasons why you should get off the fence and get started purchasing that home you've been dreaming about. Don't wait too long because "I should've listened to my Realtoritis" is a very painful!
Steve Rider REALTOR with Keller Williams RealtyLanier Partners Braselton Ga, selling homes in Winder, Braselton, Dacula, Lawrenceville, Buford, Grayson, Loganville, Monroe and surrounding areas of Barrow, Walton and Gwinnett County Georgia. Go to WWW.SteveRider-Realtor.com to see my featured listings or search for your new home.
If you're looking for a home in Northeast Georgia contact me either by clicking on the email link or call me toll free at 800-765-0460 or 404-663-7063 direct. I'm a life long resident of this area with life long knowledge of the market.
Copyright Steve Rider All Rights Reserved Riders of the Fence
I took a difficult listing today. Not because it was in rough shape, or because the seller wants to overprice it or because it's in a bad neighborhood but because it was once owned by a very close friend that was killed in a motorcycle accident. You talk about difficult try finding a middle between helping a grieving mother and friend and trying to make a commission. This listing has such a long back story that one blog post wouldn't explain it all so let's just say the property has been in litigation for over two years and has just now been released to my friend's mother who contacted me to list it. We were friends since high school and roommates for 6 years after.
The other part of this story is the friend I'm speaking of always dreamed about owning his own home. He had lived in apartments and duplexes all his life and wanted to build his own home. He worked as a superintendent for a local homebuilder for many years before his dream came true in 2002. He was able to get a construction loan and purchased a 2.5 acre tract not far from a very bustling area in Gwinnett County. Construction began and he supervised every facet of the job from the pouring of the slab to the fixtures installed in the kitchen. Taking pictures through the entire process and keeping them in a scrapbook. He was very proud of this house and it showed in the finished product. He even kept the blueprints, original plats, and electrical plans all together with the scrapbook. His dream had come true and I remember the first time I walked into the finished product. I was impressed and happy for him but it sure was a lot of house for one person!
A couple years later he built a detached garage and poured a driveway to it. When we were in high school and years after we always were doing something to our cars. Typical guys I guess but none of us had a garage or shop of our own to be able to work on them. Another dream of his was realized when this garage was finished and it is nice. Two car with storage and plenty of room for other stuff too.
While his mom and I were at the house today talking about all that needs to be done to get it ready for the market it was hard not to think about him and my emotions took over. As a Realtor it's not good to get emotionally involved with any listing but this is a different situation obviously. Since she lives over two hours away from the house, there will be a lot of extra work involved for me but I have offered to do it. He was an only child and his mom only has me and a couple other friends to rely on. Closing this house will bring some level of closure to this long and difficult situation and anything I can do to make that day come quickly will be done.
The listing will be on the market within a couple of weeks and we have priced it well so hopefully someone will buy and love this house as much as he did. I can only hope that he is watching and is pleased with what we are doing. Check back in a couple of weeks and I will post the listing.
Steve Rider REALTOR with Keller Williams RealtyLanier Partners Braselton Ga, selling homes in Winder, Braselton, Dacula, Lawrenceville, Buford, Grayson, Loganville, Monroe and surrounding areas of Barrow, Walton and Gwinnett County Georgia. Go to WWW.SteveRider-Realtor.com to see my featured listings or search for your new home.
If you're looking for a home in Northeast Georgia contact me either by clicking on the email link or call me toll free at 800-765-0460 or 404-663-7063 direct. I'm a life long resident of this area with life long knowledge of the market.
Copyright Steve Rider All Rights Reserved Gwinnett County Georgia I Took a Difficult Listing Today.
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If you live in Gwinnett County then I don't have to tell you about the award winning 
It's called "Fence Riding". It's kind of like what you see the kids on the skateboards doing with the rail on the steps only there's a fence and a potential buyer involved. The fences vary in style, shape and height but the buyer's are all the same, they can't make up their minds to jump off on one side or the other. I've heard there are professional leagues starting up all over the place and soon we'll have the "US National Fence Riders Championship". Hundreds of the best fence riders all over the country will compete to see how long they can hold out while being offered a 4.75% 30 yr fixed interest rate on a house that's priced $50k off fair market value. 
;)
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