The Benefits of a Recession or Down Market

In times of recession most people are fearful and uneasy. They are worried about their jobs, mortgage, bills, etc. We are currently experiencing a slowed economy which has created an economic crisis. The Chinese character for crisis is composed by combining two different characters; one represents fear and the other represents opportunity. While the current state of our economy creates fear it is also important to look at the opportunity that it presents.

Refinance Your Home
During a slowing economy it is standard practice for the Federal Reserve to make interest rates extremely low in the attempt to ward off or get out of a recession. This is a great time to refinance your home and lock in at a lower rate.

Declining Real Estate Prices
The law of supply and demand is at work. A surplus of homes and land for sale will result in falling prices which creates a buyer’s market. Because fewer people are looking to buy versus individuals trying to sell, fewer people benefit so prices fall rather than increase. If you are a first time home buyer, someone who is “buying up” or an investor this is a great time to buy.

Time to Streamline Finances
Prior to most recessions is “the boom”, a period in which the economy flourishes, when this happens individuals and businesses often lard up the muscle with fat. Money is spent foolishly and budgets do not dictate how money is spent. A recession forces both individuals and businesses to diet…to trim down and get back into shape. They look at ways in which they can better spend their money and how to maximize the value of every dollar spent. A shift occurs and money isn’t spent as freely as it is during times of rapid growth.

The Rebate Check
Starting in June most Americans will receive a check or direct deposit from the IRS, possibly for $300, maybe $600, or perhaps $1,200 or somewhere in between. The check is an advancement on 2009 returns so the money isn’t exactly free…consider it more like an advancement from the government or a “no-interest” loan.

Undervalued Stocks and Bonds
Simply put; buy low, sell high. In a bull market short-term investors ride the rising tide…in a bear market it is the long-term investor that prevails. This is a great time to buy stocks because many are undervalued due to the current economic state of the nation. The market will eventually bounce back and those that have invested and bought low will reap the financial rewards when they sell high.

Lower Credit-Card Rates
Individuals with good credit rating are now in a position to ask for favors from their lenders. It is common that during a recession credit-card companies see a greater amount of delinquent payments, and as such it becomes important they keep their good, paying customers. As such, if you have good credit you can request to have your interest rates lowered and annual fees waived.

Vacation
Vacation get-a-ways and resorts suffer in times of recession and as such they tend to offer great deals and packages…take advantage of this great opportunity!

Become an Economist
That’s right…put your minor in Economics to use and woo your friends with your understanding of the economy!

Redistricting Could Impact Roswell Students

A new high school in North Fulton for Johns Creek is currently under construction at the intersection of State Bridge Road and Medlock Bridge Road scheduled to open August 2009. The new high school will impact current Roswell students because existing attendance zones will be modified to create the new school’s attendance zone. The redistricting may impact Centennial, Northview and Chattahoochee High Schools.

Redistricting is determined by a round of three community meetings to gather information needed to draft a redistricting proposal that meets the North Fulton community’s needs.

Round 1: Introduces the redistricting process, residents form small groups and participate in facilitated discussions, and the staff gathers information to create proposals to the board.

Round 2: Reviews the redistricting process, introduces the proposed attendance zone plans, facilitated discussions, and staff gathers input to revise the proposals into draft plans.

Round 3: Reviews the process again, reviews the draft plan(s), facilitated discussions, and staff gathers input to finalize a recommendation for the Board of Education.

Once the staff has submitted its recommendation to the Board of Education the plans “sit on the table” for no less than a month to allow the staff to make alterations. The board then takes its final vote for the redistricting plans in September 2008.

At the first redistricting meeting, there were roomfuls of parents from the other two schools and just 7 people from Centennial. Roswell residents will need to be in attendance to ensure they have a say in the redistricting process.

The next two meeting times are:

Autrey Mill Middle School

Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park to Open in May

The Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park is scheduled to open this year in May. It is being built just off Westside Parkway near GA 400 in Alpharetta. The 12,000 seat amphitheatre is expected to hold approximately 55 events during its inaugural year including concerts, community events and movie nights.

The amphitheatre is the outdoor home to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. In addition to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra this summer will also feature these famous performers: The Eagles, Steve Miller Band, Stevie Nicks, Steely Dan, moe w/spcial guest Keller Williams, Tom Petty (my personal favorite!), Foreigner & Bryan Adams, Rush, Julie Andrews with the ASO, Yes, and Rod Stewart…there will be plenty of more scheduled in the coming months!

Spring Cleaning: Pressure Washing & Gardening

I bought my first house this past December. The house I bought was a foreclosure in Terramont Subdivision in Roswell. The house needed mostly cosmetic work and I have been working diligently to rehab and “modernize” it. The inside of the house is nearly complete and with the warm weather I have begun to focus on projects outside of the house.

A few weeks ago I rented a pressure washer from the Home Depot, just down the road from me on Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell…the cost including supplies was right around $100 for the day. I had enough time to pressure wash the concrete around the pool as well as the covered deck. I had to return the pressure washer before I incurred any additional charges so I was unable to get to the driveway, front sidewalk, or the house itself. Looking back it would have made sense to buy vs rent because you can get a pressure washer new for around $200-$300…I probably have a day or two worth of washing still to do.

Check out the before and after shots of the concrete around the pool below:

Last week my girlfriend Elika and I spent the weekend moving clay from the backyard to the front, filling a hole that was a result of building material waste from when the house was originally built. We purchased 35, 44lb bags of topsoil from Home Depot to mix in with (using a roto-tiller we bought, not rented) the remaining clay in the backyard to prepare for new landscaping. We still have three sides of the pool left to get ready, but we completed the biggest section.

I don’t want to have to pay a landscaper to do the work to my landscape, but I also don’t know where to begin. Neither Elika nor I know much about gardening so I sent an email to a few agents in our Keller Williams Realty - First Atlanta office asking if anyone could suggest a “master gardener” local to Roswell who could help us create design plans that we could then follow and do the work ourselves. My email led me to Tara Dillard who has quite the extensive and impressive resume. She has written five books, hosted various gardening television programs, written for magazines, served as an instructor and speaker for various groups, and the list continues.

For reasonable professional fees Tara has agreed to meet with me at my house in Terramont to create my landscape plan. The plan will incorporate plants, such as azaleas, camellias, and hydrangeas to ensure something is blooming everyday…something that if I attempted on my own I most likely wouldn’t achieve.

I’ll be sure to follow up with additional blog posts and pictures as I work on this project.

Terramont Subdivision in Roswell is a Great Place for First Time Home Buyers

For those of you that may not know, I purchased my first home, a foreclosure in Terramont Subdivison in December of 2007. I initially looked at homes in Roswell in the subdivisions of Lake Forrest, Martin’s Landing, Sherringham, and Barrington Farms as well as in the subdivisions of Berkshire Manor and Summercrest in Alpharetta. As a first time home buyer I wasn’t looking to spend much over $200,000. I really love Terramont Subdivision because of it’s great location, just off of Holcomb Bridge Road and close to Georgia 400. It is close to both Perimeter Mall and North Point Mall and not a far drive to downtown Atlanta and lots of restaurants.

Newly Installed Landscape Watering Restrictions for Roswell

Residents of the city of Roswell may get a one-time 30-day exemption for watering newly installed landscaping to allow watering from midnight to 10 a.m. for three days a week by obtaining a certificate through the EPD Outdoor Water Use Registration Program.

There are three ways to obtain your certificate. Each requires you to view a presentation and pass a quiz.

• At your County Extension Office.

• At a retail garden center.

• Online.

All newly installed landscapes must be registered online through the EPD Outdoor Water Use Registration Program. They must also be registered on the city’s Outdoor Water Registry and post the permit issued.

The Rosewater Theatre’s Grand Opening Gala Benefits NFCC

The Rosewater Theatre, Roswell’s newest professional quality theatre, is thrilled to announce that they will be holding their Grand Opening Event at their new location in Roswell on Saturday, May 3. You are invited to join us for a spectacular night of entertainment benefiting North Fulton Community Charities. The Rosewater Theatre proudly presents the wonderful smash hit Broadway musical Nunsense, which premiers May 3 and runs through May 24. However, on May 3, The Rosewater Theatre is donating all the profit from ticket sales to North Fulton Community Charities.

Nunsense is a hilarious talent show staged by the five survivors of the Little Sisters of Hoboken nunnery, the rest of the sisters having died from eating vichyssoise soup prepared by their cook, Sister Julia, Child of God. The remaining nuns parade their talents at a variety show staged to raise funds so that the last four of the dearly departed can be buried. The score pulses with merriment and unabashed desire to make you laugh with songs so spontaneous and comic interludes paced at break-neck speed. It may sound like a rather morbid premise but the result is an uplifting, heavenly wee slice of musical comedy. Nunsense offers a cornucopia of hilarity for the whole family, proving conclusively that NUN rhymes with FUN!

“We are thrilled to be bringing this phenomenal musical to the Roswell area,” states Lisa Sherouse Riley, Managing Director and owner of The Rosewater Theatre. “We have been performing professional quality shows at the Cumming Playhouse for almost 4 years now and we are so pleased to be bringing the same quality productions to the North Fulton area. We are even more thrilled to be able to have the opportunity to benefit North Fulton Community Charities,” Riley adds. “Donating proceeds from the performance of a show is something we have done for the past four years in Forsyth County and now we have expanded to the North Fulton County area we feel privileged to be getting involved with NFCC.”

Tickets for “Nunsense” are normally $16 & $18 but for the May 3 performance, all tickets will only be $15 each plus tax. Tickets can be purchased by calling ahead to The Rosewater Theatre Box Office at 770-640-5500, or online at www.rosewatertheatre.com. The Rosewater Theatre, located at 633 Holcomb Bridge Rd is easily accessible from Georgia 400. Parking is free. For more information go to www.rosewatertheatre.com.

World’s Top Disc Golf Pro Slated for North Metro Tourney

The top-rated professional disc golfer in the world is among the players registered for the 4th Annual Atlanta Open disc golf tournament to be held at East Roswell Park in Roswell and Central Park in Cumming April 5-6. Ken Climo of Clearwater, Florida currently has the highest Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) rating of any player in the world. Climo has won the Disc Golf World Championship tournament a record 12 times and the U.S. Disc Golf Championship five times.

This year’s Atlanta Open will also feature at least ten other men’s players ranked in the top 100, as well as three of the top 20 women’s players, including fifth-ranked Carrie Berlogar. The Atlanta Open has also been designated as one of a small number of tournaments to function as qualifying events for the U.S. Disc Golf Championships (USDGC) and the U.S. Amateur Disc Golf Championship.

“The pros are being attracted to this year’s tournament for several reasons,” said tournament director Rand Eberhard, “including the word-of-mouth among players about the success of last year’s tournament, a strong competitive field, and the substantial purse being offered. But probably the biggest single factor was our selection as a USDGC qualifier. This is one of the earliest qualifying events on the schedule, so it gives players a chance to lock up a slot in the USDGC early in the year.” The USDGC, held annually at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina, is the premier disc golf event and the last major tournament on the PDGA tour. This year’s USDGC will be October 1-4. The top five finishers in the Pro divisions of the Atlanta Open will be accepted as qualified competitors in the USDGC.

Player interest among amateurs has been high. The full field of 90 pros and 72 amateurs includes players from at least 15 states, as far away as California, Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, Texas and Massachusetts.

“This is a unique opportunity for Atlanta to see the world’s top player in action,” said Eberhard. “Other nationally ranked players competing in this event are Brad Hammock of Decatur, Phil Arthur of Woodstock, Kevin McCoy of Senoia, Eric McCabe of Emporia, Kansas (currently ranked 16th), Michael Hoffman of Raleigh, NC, and Eric Roadhouse of Louisville, KY, all of whom are in the top 100.”

Both of last year’s Open division champions are returning to defend their titles: Men’s Open winner J.D. Ramirez of Allen, Texas, and Women’s Open winner Sarah Stanhope of Easley, South Carolina. Fifth-ranked female pro Carrie “Burl” Berlogar of Pleasanton, CA, who has won over two dozen tournaments since 2003, will challenge Stanhope and 14th-ranked Courtney Peavy, an East Point native now living in Senoia. “This is the most impressive field for an Atlanta-area tournament in quite a while,” said Eberhard.

For more information on the Atlanta Open, contact tournament director Rand Eberhard at randeberhardgmailcom or 706.408.4150, or assistant tournament director Imran Khan at imrankhan771hotmailcom or 770.328.6799. Find it on the web.

For more information on the Professional Disc Golf Association, tour player rankings, or disc golf in general, visit the PDGA web site.

East Roswell to Get New Library

The Fulton County Board of Commissioners at its March 19th meeting accepted the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library’s master plan for a complete revamping of the county’s current 34 libraries and the addition of eight new libraries.

As part of the plan, Roswell will receive a second library of 15,000 square feet to east Roswell. In addition the North Fulton cities of Alpharetta and Milton will also receive new libraries. Alparetta and Milton will both receive a 25,000-square-foot library, the Alpharetta library will replace its current 10,000-square-foot library.

The Board of Commissioners will still have to decide how to pay for the $150 million plan. The most likely way will be through a bond referendum for voters to approve at the presidential general election November 2nd.

No New Redevelopment Plans to Take Place of Roswell East

The Charlie Brown Roswell East development came to a halt triggered by opponents to the plan who were concerned that its 19 high-rise towers, some as high as 27 stories, would change the city’s “small town charm” with the modernity of the plan. Many people, including opponents of the plan felt that a new project would be proposed or perhaps a more scaled-down version of Roswell East would come to fruition, however nothing has emerged to take its place.

Many business owners and Roswell residents are concerned about the city’s commitment to economic growth. Neighboring Alpharetta’s mixed-use Prospect Park is proceeding smoothly. The city of Alpharetta isn’t using the economic slowdown as a reason not to build and instead is doing just the opposite. The city is using the slowdown to prepare for the next surge, quickly making a name for itself as the most improved in North Fulton County.

One business owner in particular, Geoff Kokosza, managing partner of VIII Fifty restaurant and lounge in Holcomb Woods Village shopping center is concerned about the city’s commitment towards redevelopment. “One of the reasons we came over here was that we thought the city was serious about redevelopment,” Kokoszka said. “We wanted to get in early.” Kokosza is just one of the many business owners that are affected and concerned about the lack of redevelopment in Roswell.

As a homeowner living in a subdivision of Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell I too am concerned. No redevelopment plans could result in a decline in Roswell’s housing market fueled by more desirable neighboring communities of Alpharetta, Johns Creek and Milton.

Roswell Mayor Jere Wood mentions East Village, the 500,000 square foot commercial development off of Holcomb Bridge Road that will be anchored by a Super Target store. However, beyond that, nothing is happening. Wood stated that there is currently no communication between the city and Roswel East developer Charlie Brown.

To those that blame the economy as the reason for the lack of proposed developments in Roswell, I’d love to have an explanation why that doesn’t seem to affect the city of Alpharetta.

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