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Development Team Delivers on 12th & Midtown Vision with Unique Dining Experience along Crescent Avenue

ATLANTA (July 17, 2008)—The 12th & Midtown development team has signed leases with four new-to-Atlanta restaurants—Ri Ra Irish Pub, RA Sushi, Piola and Noon|Midtown—slated to open at 1010 Midtown, the first phase of 12th & Midtown, in early 2009.
Located along Crescent Avenue, each of the restaurants will have a dynamic street presence that will entice diners to experience Ireland, Japan, Italy and more. Eateries will include:
- Ri Ra Irish Pub
- RA Sushi Bar Restaurant
- Piola
- Noon|Midtown
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Continue Reading July 17th, 2008
Other News
Other News Summary
New Financing Option Makes Mortgage Qualification Easier at Perimeter-Area Community

ATLANTA (July 23, 2008) – Villa Sonoma, a resort-style property known for its winning combination of upscale affordability, impeccable amenities and ideal location, has obtained FHA-loan approved status. The community was recently approved for all mortgages obtained with help from the Federal Housing Authority, and since approval has seen 75 percent of units sold financed with a FHA mortgage.



These mortgages offer more flexible qualifying guidelines for borrowers with reasonable debt-to-income ratios. Advantages of a FHA loan include:
- Smaller down payment requirement at the time of purchase (some as small as 3 percent)
- No minimum credit score requirement
- Ability to use financial gifts toward down payment and closing costs
- No income limits (there are limits, however, as to how much one can borrow)
- Competitive interest rates
- No prepayment penalties
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Continue Reading July 23rd, 2008
Smyrna, GA (July 14, 2008) Leading local real estate office, ERA Executive Realty, will host a “Foreclosure Bus Tour” on Saturday, July 26, 2008 from 9:30 am – 2:30pm. The tour will feature 8 – 10 bank owned properties in the price range of $140,000 - $200,000 in the South Fulton area. It is open to the public. Participants will have the opportunity to view the homes, talk with lenders about financing, and even make an offer with the assistance of an ERA Executive Realty agent on the spot.
“Whether people are in the market to buy a home or they are simply exploring their options, this tour will provide valuable information on the foreclosure buying process,” said Janelle Dorvil, Broker/Owner. “This is part of our commitment to meeting the real estate needs of our community, and we encourage all to attend.”
The Atlanta market is a hotbed for foreclosures, or bank-owned homes. According to RealtyTrac, Georgia foreclosure activity for June 2008 increased 21 percent from June 2007, giving Georgia 8,714 properties with foreclosure filing in June 2008- the nation’s eight highest total. Many foreclosures are selling for large discounts as the banks want to quickly dispose of these assets.
Visit our website, www.ERAexecutives.com to reserve a seat on the foreclosure bus tour. Space is limited! The tour fee is $20/per person in advance and includes breakfast.
About ERA Executive Realty
ERA Executive Realty is a tech savvy real estate brokerage company serving the Metro Atlanta area. ERA Executive Realty provides a wide range of services to its clients including purchasing, leasing, and selling residential and commercial real estate. For more information, visit our company website at www.ERAexecutives.com or email info@eraexecutives.com.
July 17th, 2008

MARIETTA, Ga. (July 2, 2008) – On Thursday, June 19, 2008, over 120 Marietta residents and public officials, including Marietta Mayor Bill Dunaway, attended the preview of Meeting Park, Marietta’s new mixed-use neighborhood developed by Winter Properties. Guests were impressed with the walkable community and its proximity to the historic Marietta Square, which is only two blocks away.
“Meeting Park has been designed to appeal to an inter-generational market of young professionals, urban families and empty nesters,” said Winter Properties president Bob Silverman at the grand opening. “Meeting Park will be a true community of successful people, young and old, who want to live in a traditional neighborhood where you can walk to restaurants, shops, theatres and museums.”
When complete, Meeting Park will be a community of approximately 280 homes, townhomes and condos; seven restaurants and 10,000 square feet of neighborhood retail and office buildings for professional firms. Homes range in size from one-bedroom (starting at 1,244 square feet) to large three-bedrooms, with prices ranging from $238,900 to $578,900. The development is in keeping with a hometown feel while enhancing the existing Marietta lifestyle.
Continue Reading July 8th, 2008
Move leverages expertise of three distinct areas to create Atlanta’s most comprehensive residential sales and marketing company.
ATLANTA (June 30, 2008) – Effective July 1, 2008, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage will combine the resources of its new home sales and marketing divisions – Builder Developer Services and The Condo Store – to become Atlanta’s most comprehensive real estate sales and marketing company. Maintaining their own brand identities, the teams from each of the divisions will blend to support the sales and marketing efforts for Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage as well as developers and builders of single family homes, town homes and condominiums. This integration culminates 18 months of strategic planning.
Previously, each division had its own support team. Now, talent from sales, marketing, market intelligence, business development, training, technology, relocation and accounting are combined to form a single support team under the leadership of Charlotte Sears, president of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage; Brad Horner, president of The Condo Store; and Bob Romano, Executive Vice President of Builder Developer Services.
Continue Reading July 8th, 2008
A house in the country will always have its appeal. But lately more homebuyers are preferring the city, for reasons ranging from the sheer excitement of the surroundings, to the rescue of impoverished areas and the preservation of shrinking green space.
One prime area of urban housing growth is the type of site known as “brownfields.” These are often-abandoned commercial and industrial spaces that have outlived their original uses but, with the right environmental cleanup, can be converted to housing or even entire neighborhoods. Older suburban homes and large new developments have lost none of their popularity, but for the right buyer the urban option is one worth exploring.

Clearly, urban living is not for everyone – it usually attracts single professionals and couples without children. But the lifestyle has aspects that would appeal to anyone. Two major attractions are cutting down on a long daily commute to city employment, and taking advantage of the area’s cultural scene.
Continue Reading May 28th, 2008
Energy costs are on everyone’s mind, and alternatives are a hot property – though many homebuyers aren’t sure how to find and evaluate them. There are a number of technologies to choose from which can help make your next house the home of the future.
Alternative energy gives new meaning to the real estate mantra of “location, location, location” – what works in sunny California may be different from what works on the windy plains. But just as there are many styles of homes for buyers’ diverse tastes, there are varied options in energy systems – with more than one sometimes working hand-in-hand for the same house.
Wind Power
Wind power – an ancient energy source now seen in high-tech “windmill farms” with tall propeller-like turbines – has come down in the cost for generating electricity by over 80 percent since 1981. Geothermal energy – home heating powered by underground steam warmed up by the temperature of the earth itself – is a source getting more attention in the American West.
Relocate
Relocating homeowners can choose to move to areas where wind generation is lowering electricity costs, while geothermal energy has applications for both large-scale power plants and individual homes. There has also been progress in residential settings with fuel cells, power systems that convert natural gas fuel to electricity through a chemical reaction with hydrogen, producing just water as a byproduct.
Photovoltaic (PV) Systems
Perhaps the most familiar and popular source of renewable alternative energy remains the sun itself. Photovoltaic (PV) systems, which convert sunlight to electricity, have shown great energy-bill savings and homeowner satisfaction. These systems, which have been likened to a car that makes its own gas, are now available in the form of roof tiles that can integrate attractively with regular roofing.

Households that use roof tiles have found some 80 percent of their electricity needs supplied by them. The homes can remain on the conventional power grid for the rest; at sunnier times when the home produces more energy than it can use, it goes back into the grid and credits the homeowners’ account, literally turning back their electric meter. Across the country rebates from utility companies and tax credits from government are available for such setups. It’s a way of contributing not only to the global community by using up less nonrenewable energy, but also to your own neighbors by freeing up conventional power.
Solar tiles are growing in popularity with home-development builders, and are seen as paying for themselves in savings and simplicity of maintenance. The savings increase considerably in combination with energy-efficient appliances. For example, in Sylmar, California’s Village Green complex, this mix is a standard feature and the average resident has been shown to pay one-tenth in monthly utility bills what other town residents pay.
Your local real estate professional can help advise you on what energy alternatives are most available and may work best in your area. A little shopping around may shed light on options that make yesterday’s technological dreams today’s homeowner dream-come-true.
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Solar Panel Photo credits: clownfish (My Urban City)
May 28th, 2008