Nan Johnston's (nanjohnston) Blog

  1. It's that time of year again... the sun is out and the weather is warmer and that means.....CARPENTER BEES at my house.  If you have ever had these attack your house every spring, you will know what I mean.  If you ever go to someone's house that has cedar siding, and they have a badminton b...

        Although this investment property in Newnan, Ga. had recently had the hardwood floors refinished and had been freshly painted throughout, it still needed some "fluffing" to make it more appealing. By just adding a few furnishings and accessories, a potential tenant can judge the size of t...

The past few months, I've been spending time re-vamping a rental house that I own. This is a cute little cottage that I purchased almost 30 years ago. I was single, had a Realtor Dad and Builder Mom and not only did they encourage me to purchase the house they also persuaded me to remodel it and ...

Here's a guestion for all my real estate and accounting buddies.  Will a know home buyer qualify for the $8000.00 tax credit if the owner holds the mortgage for a purchase?  I'm sure someone out there knows.  Thanks, Nan Johnston

Vacant Staging - How it works I get a great many inquiries about staging vacant houses and how it works. These inquiries can be either from real estate agents or home owners that have vacant property and are considering having the property staged so that it will show better. Most people think tha...

I get a great many inquiries about staging vacant houses and how it works. These inquiries can be either from real estate agents or home owners that have vacant property and are considering having the property staged so that it will show better. Most people think that you just put a few pieces of...

  I've just returned from  a paint workshop at Gregory's Paint & Flooring in Duluth, Ga.  and let me tell you... paint is changing! Rebecca Dumas, a design consultant and owner of this fantastic establishment was full of knowledge about the new LOW-VOC and NO-VOC paints available by Benjamin Moor...

Good News: Spring is here! The flowering trees are gorgeous and the birds are building nest for their babies.Bad News: The pollen is intense and the birds often build their nest in areas where their not welcome, such as at the front door or in the garage.We have to take the bad with the good, don...

Happy New Year!    It's time to pack up the Christmas and Holiday decorations, get organized  and live in a less cluttered environment. While you are putting away your decorations, consider going through them and culling out the ones that you haven't used or put out in a few years.  If your house...

Last Thursday, I had coffee with Karen Dembsky and we talked about the staging business, our families and our pets.  We both had recently had to put down our beloved dogs, mine of 9 years and hers of many more years.  These pets become our family members and wrap themselves around our heart and w...