Strong September Home Sales Expected

With homebuyers rushing to complete their home purchase before the first time home buyer tax credit expires, a report Friday is expected to show strong September sales.

Home resales are expected to show an almost 5 percent increase to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.35 million, up from 5.1 million in August, according to economists polled by Thomson Reuters. If the report meets forecasts it would be the best month for home sales in more than two years.

The National Association of Realtors’ report is scheduled for 10 a.m. EDT.

First time homebuyers and investors both are taking advantage of the low mortgage rates, short sales, foreclosures, and overall discounted homes.  The buyers are also eligible to take advantage of the tax credit of 10 percent of the sales price, up to $8,000 so long as the sale closes by November 30, 2009.

With concerns about the housing market still prominent, Congress is considering several proposals to extend the tax credit for first-time buyers. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., want to extend it through June 30, and expand it to include all home buyers, at an estimated cost of $16.7 billion.

One potential roadblock, however, emerged this week. There are concerns that some of the 1.5 million applications for the tax credit are fraudulent.

At a hearing before a House subcommittee Thursday, J. Russell George, the Treasury Department’s inspector general for taxes, questioned the legitimacy of some 100,000 claims for the credit, potentially including some illegal immigrants and 580 people under 18. The youngest taxpayers to apply for the credit were 4 years old, his office said.

While the program has widespread support in Congress, there are growing concerns about the costs. The cause, said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., “is a worthy one.” But “I hope we can find ways to pay for it.”

Only a Few Spots Left to Become a Bowen Penny Power Finalist

Bowen Family Homes’ Penny Power Promotion gives home buyers the chance to win a new home for only $.01…that’s right a penny!  Real estate agents have the opportunity to win $50,000.

In order to compete for these grand prices, participants must first become finalists to compete on November 10th for the grand prizes.

Individuals can become a finalist by being one of the first 100 home buyers and 100 Realtors that successfully toss a penny into a fish bowl from 10 feet away.  There are currently 59 home buyer and 77 Realtor finalists.

Realtors earn penny tosses three different ways:

• Earn one toss by touring a Bowen Family community or by attending a Penny Power Event
• Earn three tosses by previewing a Bowen Family Home with a client
• Earn five tosses if their client writes a contract on a Bowen Family Home

Home buyers earn penny toss three different ways:

• Earn one penny toss by touring a Bowen Family community
• Earn three tosses by becoming pre-qualified to buy a home with a Bowen Family Home preferred lender
• Earn five tosses if the homebuyer is under contract or writes a contract on a Bowen Family Home

Don’t hesitate to schedule your showing now with the 6-foot-plus Aaron Hofmann of H2 Realty.  Not only will he take the time to answer your real estate questions, he’ll also give you some pointers on how to make your penny toss swoosh in the fish bow.  Contact us today to set up your home showing in one of the Bowen communities.

Research Firm Predicts New Home Construction to Rebound in 2010

Housing market research firm Metrostudy predicts a 37.9 percent decline in 2009 housing starts to a total of 562,000, but a steady increase in starts during 2010.

“Homebuilders are still challenged by economic conditions, and also by the lack of credit from banks, but there are some positive trends,” said Brad Hunter, Metrostudy’s chief economist and national director of consulting.

Most builders’ new home inventory is now under control.  The past few months have been a time for builders to look internally and “trim the fat” so to speak.  With most builders having things under control they can now again start to look towards future projects.

Whether the $8,000 tax credit is extended or not we should see a rebound in new home construction in 2010.

Tips for Winterizing Your Home

Now is a good time to start preparing your home for the winter months.  As temperatures begin to drop, your home will require maintenance to keep it in tip-top shape through the winter.

Below are ten tips to help you prepare your home for the winter:

1. Furnace Inspection – Call an HVAC professional to inspect your furnace and clean air ducts.  Be sure that no flammable material is nearby the furnace.  Stock up on furnace filters and change them monthly.  Do what I’ve done and switch out your thermostat for a programmable thermostat.  This is an easy task to do and it will help save you on your utility bills.
2. Get your Fireplace Ready – If your chimney has not been cleaned for a while, call a chimney sweep to remove soot and creosote.  Get a supply of firewood and store it in a dry place away from the exterior of your home.
3. Check the Exterior of your Home – Inspect the exterior of your home for cracks and exposed entry points around pipes; seal them.  Use weatherstripping around doors to prevent cold air from entering your home and caulk around windows.  If your home has a basement, consider covering window wells with plastic shields.  Switch out summer screens with glass replacements…if you have storm windows, install them.
4. Inspect Roof, Gutters & Downspouts – Check flashing to ensure that water cannot enter your home.  Replace worn roof shingles or tiles.  Clean out your gutters and use a house to spray water down the downspouts to clear away any debris.
5. Service Winter Specific Equipment – Drain gas from lawnmowers, replace worn rakes, store summer lawn furniture and gardening equipment, and buy a supply of ice-melt to keep on hand.
6. Check Foundations – Rake away all debris and edible vegetation from around your home’s foundation.  Seal up entry points to keep small animals from crawling under the house seeking warm shelter.  Tuckpoint or seal foundation cracks…mice can slip through the smallest of cracks.  Inspect sill plates for dry rot or pest infestation.
7. Install Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors – Buy extra smoke detector batteries and change them when daylight saving ends.  Install a carbon monoxide detector near your furnace and/or water heater.  Test all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they work properly.  Buy a fire extinguisher or replace an extinguisher older than 10 years.
8. Prevent Plumbing Freezes – Locate your water main in the event you need to shut it off in case of an emergency.  Drain all garden hoses and store them.  Drain air conditioner pipes and, if your AC has a water shut-off valve, turn it off.  If you leave for vacation, leave the heat on, set to at least 55 degrees.
9. Prepare Landscaping & Outdoor Surfaces – Trim tress if branches hang too close to the house or electrical wires.  Ask a gardener when your trees should be pruned to prevent winter injury.  Seal driveways, brick patios, wood decks.  Move sensitive potted plants indoors or to a sheltered area.
10. Prepare an Emergency Kit – Purchase indoor candles and matches to use during a power shortage.  Find the phone numbers for your utility companies and store them near your house phone.  Buy a battery back-up to protect your computer and other sensitive electronic equipment.

Cobb County Dog Parks

Below is a list of “known” dog parks in Cobb County.  If you know of any additional dog parks located in Cobb County, please provide their name, directions and a description of the park in the comments section below.

Acworth Dog Parks

• Pitner Road Dog Park. Cobb County Dog Park. The dog park is comprised of two adjoining but separately-fenced play areas for off-leash dogs with approximately 2 acres of space for larger and one acre of space for smaller dogs. The dog lots have both open-space and shady, wooded areas with benched seating for dog owners. Each area has dog water fountains and “poop-mit” stations providing bags for owners to pick up after their pets. A gravel access road and parking lot with 50 parking spaces. A combination picnic shelter and restroom building (presently with four picnic tables) sits on a rise and overlooks the playground and dog lots. A multi-function playground for children ages 2 to 12 is between the picnic shelter and the dog lots and can be easily seen from the seating areas of both locations.

  Location: 2450 Pitner Road. Directions: From Cobb Pkwy Northbound. Turn left at Barrett Pkwy NW 1.8 mi. Turn right at Stilesboro Rd NW 6.1 mi. Slight right at Brookstone Dr NW 0.6 mi Turn right at McLain Rd NW 0.2 mi Turn left at Pitner Rd NW 0.4 mi Turn right to stay on Pitner Rd NW 1.2 mi.

Kennesaw Dog Parks

• Frank Boone Dog Park. Located inside of Swift-Cantrell Park. Swift-Cantrell Park’s 1.4 acre off-leash dog park has 6-foot-high perimeter fencing, two separate run areas (for large and small dogs), a watering station, dog wash area, and disposable plastic waste bags and receptacle stations. The dog park is open from sunrise to sunset. Location: 3140 Old 41 Hwy. Directions: (just west of Kennesaw Elementary School)

Marietta Dog Parks

• Lewis Park. Dog Park at the back end of the baseball field. Park Benches, Picnic Tables, Pet Station with Plastic Bags. Location: 475 Campbell Street. Directions: 75 north to exit 267B (the white water exit…i think it’s 120 North) turn left. continue for about 2 miles (crossing over Cobb pkwy). turn right on Cherokee street. make first left onto sessions street. continue past church St. and Campbell hill St. make right on St. josephs way. park is on the right.
• Sweat Mountain Park (East Cobb). 4 acres. Off Leash Dog Park. Marietta, Georgia. Two fenced areas, one for large dogs and one for small dogs. Nice shaded area, fenced, benches, trash cans and doggie bags, water. Location: 4346 Steinhauer Rd. (approximately one mile north of Lassiter High School). Directions: From I-75 (N) & Canton Rd Conn NE, Marietta: Head northeast from Canton Rd Conn NE. Bear right and head toward Sandy Plains Rd NE. Turn left at Trickum Rd NE. Turn right at Shallowford Rd NE. Turn left at Steinhauer Rd NE. Go 1.2 miles and turn right just past short bridge into park entrance. The facility is located at Sweat Mountain Park, which is in northeast Cobb County on Steinhauer Road, approximately one mile north of Lassiter High School.

Smyrna Dog Parks

• Burger Park. Off-Leash park. Small dog area for 30 lbs and smaller and a large dog area. Location: 680 Glendale Place. Directions: Just west of South Cobb Drive and south of Windy Hill Road in Smyrna and is adjacent to Belmont Hills Elementary School. Not sure where there’s parking, except perhaps on weekends at the school.
• Lake Court Park. Just opened, right off S. Cobb Drive in Smyrna City limits. Location: 3500 Lake Drive. Directions: Right off S. Cobb drive near Concord.

Check out our list of North Fulton dog parks.

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