Horseshoe Bend

We were drawn to the Horseshoe Bend Neighborhood back in 1998 when we made our move from St Louis, Missouri. As we were driven around by our then Real Estate agent, we were also surprised by the small town Historic appeal of Roswell Georgia. Offering everything from great outdoor activities to antique and upscale shopping and fine restaurants, this awesome location just felt right. We chose Horseshoe Bend which is a large subdivision comprised of about 1200 homes subdivided into smaller groups appealing to a variety of income levels. The original tract was developed around Willow Lake in the late 1970’s. This is a gorgeous setting with mature Hardwoods, Pine Trees, and beautiful natural and introduced landscaping. Homes surrounding this lake vary in price from $375k to $800k plus, and worth every penny as you look out through your sun room window at your private lake view. If you are a fisherman like me you would certainly enjoy hopping in your boat on a whim and catch a few bass for some afternoon fun!

If you fancy River life, the very name Horseshoe Bend is a semi-circular boundary formed by the Chattahoochee River where homes can range up to $2,000,000.00, and usually have expansive lots with tremendous views. A big part of this bend in the river surrounds the Horseshoe Bend Country Club where several of the golf holes parallel the beautiful river setting. This challenging course has undergone a major renovation a couple of years ago and the result is extraordinary!

The main artery, Steeple Chase Drive, is striped for running or cycling on both sides for safe travel, and is intermixed with paved trails accessing the two lakes and their respective open/play areas. Offering Swimming at an Olympic size pool, world class golf, many PGA professionals have played here, a world class Tennis facility, hiking, cycling, and my favorite fishing, what more could you want in a neighborhood?

Horseshoe Bend Homes for Sale

Have You Googled Yourself Lately?

I have just returned from an advanced technology conference. One of the first of its kind in Atlanta for real estate professionals. It was called RETechSouth and was designed for leading Real Estate professionals and teams, like the RKiHomes Team, that understand the impact that technology is having on the Real Estate world. Our goal is to leverage technology and bring it to our clients wherever possible to assist them in buying or selling a home. As a result, we want to surround ourselves with leading experts that have their pulse on the impact of technology in the Real Estate world.

We learned some great stuff from pioneers and industry leaders like Jonathan Washburn and Bob Stewart from ActiveRain, Mary McKnight from RSS Pieces, Rudy Bachraty from Trulia, Kevin Boer from 3Oceansrealestate.com, Pat Kitano from Transparent RE.com, Dustin Luther from 4realz.net and Jason Benesch from Real Estate Tomato.

I was particularly facinated to learn that one of the criteria to be hired by “Google” is that if your name is typed into a Google search and nothing comes up, you don’t get the job! But it doesn’t stop there. Google is now actively used by college admissions offices when evaluating student applications and even on the dating scene to do “a little research” prior to that dinner date…I guess there is no such thing as a “blind date” any more!

A My Space or Facebook page can tell an employer, a college recruiter, and yes, even a Realtor, a great deal about you, your personality, and the friends you hang out with. So, if you haven’t done so lately, “Google Yourself” to find out more about your “on-line image”! Not impressed with what you see? It is time to build your on-line resume, just as you used to work toward building an impressive paper resume!

Just Moved and Don’t Know Where to Find the Nearest Pharmacy?

Relocating to a new city or moving to a new area can be a bit overwhelming as you try to learn your way around in unfamilar territory. Recently I found a very helpul website that can at least get you started: www.walkscore.com. Just type in your new address and click on “Go”. Walk Score shows you a map of what’s nearby and calculates a Walk Score for any property. In just seconds you will find the location and distances of nearby ammenties, from pharmacy, and restaurants, to grocery stores and fitness centers.

Do I Need a Permit When Finishing Off My Basement?

Recently one of my client’s posed this question to me…”Do I need to get a permit from the county when I finish off my basement?” When getting bids from contractors, most were pushing back on this as it creates so much of a hassle for the contractor and adds delays and expense to the process. My client was concerned about whether not getting a permit would impact them when it came time to sell their house.

Here has been my experience with basement permits….rarely have I seen it come up as a question from a potential buyer as to whether or not the remodeling was permitted….especially if it is professionally completed.

It was also implied in the original client’s email to me that the contractor(s) thought not obtaining a permit could impact the square footage calculation upon resale of the home. That was news to me, so I also called an appraiser/past client of mine to get his take. He confirmed that they never take into consideration whether or not a basement has been permitted when assessing a home’s value on an appraisal. At the same time, finishing a home’s basement may not carry the same value as the main living spaces of the home…it all depends on the quality of the finishes.

However, the one person that would take permitting and square footage into account is the tax assessor…which is why people often do not get permits, they don’t want to increase their tax base because their s.f. has increased.

I think the more important thing to do is ensure that any contractors that are hired to finish your basement are qualified guys that will build to code. Should you go to sell, there is a question on the Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement that asks if there was any work done that was not permitted. You disclose it there and just indicate that you used professional contractors that built to code (I have not really seen this typically questioned by buyers even if disclosed as such…again, if it looks professional). If the Buyer still has questions, they can conduct their own general inspection as part of the normal home buying process to ease their concerns.

Ultimately, the decision is yours as to whether or not you require permits and the amount of risk/expense that creates for you as a result. In my real estate experience the only time I have seen the question of permits come up has been when there is a poor quality of construction (like on an older home that was remodeled) or perhaps a deck that was built near a flood plain or something like that.

New Water Rates for Roswell Residents

Beginning this month, the City of Roswell will implement new water rates for its customers. The change in rates is in hopes to further enhance particpants of residents to conserve water, provide funding for maintenance and upgrades to the water system, and to maintain a stable water rate structure.

Water Rate Changes

First Tier: 0 – 10,000 gallons
New rate: $3.70 per 1,000 gallons
Old rate: $3.71 per 1,000 gallons

Second Tier: 10,001 – 20,000 gallons
New rate: $7.40 per 1,000 gallons
Old rate: $5.96 per 1,000 gallons

Third Tier: Above 20,000 gallons
New rate: $11.10 per 1,000 gallons
Old rate: $6.99 per 1,000 gallons

Customers will also see a bimonthly service charge of $7 on your bill for a standard residential meter (3/4 inch).

Chart with detailed analysis of new rate structure.

Shallots $1 Sushi Monday and Tuesday Night is Grrreat!

What’s even better than Shallots’ $25 all you can eat sushi (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights)? Their $1 sushi nights on Monday and Tuesday.

My girlfriend Elika and I joined our friends Brian and Tiffany at what is becoming our favorite local (within a five mile radius of our house) sushi restaurant. Prior to last night’s visit we had been to Shallots only a handful of times eating both Thai and sushi cuisine. Our group was skeptical of $1 sushi, but to our amazement it is the best deal in town. For $2 a roll (4 pieces) you can order rolls like the Volcano, Caliente, Spicy Tuna, and several others. We ate quite a bit and our bill was just over $20…if we weren’t as hungry I’m sure we could have kept it below $15.

I really showed my age by posting this…finding the cheap food in town, but it is also GREAT food. My girlfriend and I are constantly trying out new restaurants in Roswell. Not always to find the cheapest meal, although sometimes that may be the case! We moved to Roswell in January of this year; we are food connoisseurs trying to accomodate ourselves with the great restaurants in Roswell.

Keep Roswell Beautiful Benefits From Big Creek Wetlands Walk-a-Thon

Looking for a way to be an active member of your community? Look no further. Participate in the Big Creek Wetlands Walk-a-Thon and Festival on Saturday, May 3 from 9 a.m. until noon to raise funds for Keep Roswell Beautiful.

Prizes will be awarded to the groups that raise the most money in the following categories: Homeowner’s Association, School, Civic Organization and Individual.

Download an application or call 770.641.3715 for more information.

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