Before purchasing a home, it's important to make sure the community is qualified and meets all the needs you forsee for the future. For some, that means areas for children to play, good schools and sidewalks. Others are inclined to buy a home in a community with a golf course, swimming pool, lawn regulations, standard mailboxes and street lamps.

All of these regulations and amenities are likely responsibility of the Homeowner's Association (HOA). HOAs can be imperative to maintaining the appearance, value and community in general. The developer typically creates the HOA and as homes sell, the committee is handed over to the community to manage.

Depending on the needs of the residents as well as the reputation of the communities, HOAs function differently. Atlanta golf community, Heron Bay Golf & Country Club has a Homeowner's Association that is run by the developer, Minerva Properties. Also providing help for community based decisions are four formal committees: Safety and Pool, Positive Standards,, Social Activities and Community Liaisons. Volunteers are elected to form these committees, and Heron Bay residents can live worry free, enjoying a positive community year round. Heron Bay committees play a vital role in the community, facilitating neighborhood safety or get-togethers, HOA and its committees are the heart of the community happenings.

With HOAs being such an important part of the development you are considering purchasing in, it is important to make sure you are comfortable with their policies. Some questions to ask include:

•·What are the HOA fees?

•·Are the fees monthly? Annual?

•·How often do the fees change?

•·What do fees include?

No matter what you are looking for in a community, the balance of Heron Bay Golf & Country Club is likely to be a good fit. For more information about the Heron Bay HOA, or the community in general, call 770.957.5633. The information center is open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and on Sundays from 1-5 p.m.

The figures below are simple. In the Woodland School District of Henry County, GA, single-family home sales of $100K and below make up just over 40% of the total sales for the last 6 months. That's 49 out of 120 sales total.

Now, look at the pending or under contracts report below. There's a glimmer of hope for homes priced in the $350K to $400K. I'll be looking that up to get the scoop on that. For now, it looks like a particular neighborhood may have had a great sale.

Okay. Now, look at the inventory below. Again the $100K price range is where there is sales activity, but also where there is some competition. You can compare these figures for the Woodland School District to an earlier post that has the same figures for all of Henry County, GA.

Now, if you live in the Woodland School District and you are thinking about selling in the next six months, please remember that the last six months aren't necessarily an indicator of what the market will do the next upcoming six months. Remember, there is a tax credit for move-up buyers, not just first-time home buyers.

If you are even thinking of selling your home in 2010, you can contact me for a no-obligation, no pressures, no hassles, free consultation of what you need to do now to get ready to sell. My contact info is to your right.

We knew there was a possibility of snow probably 4 days ago and now it may have arrived. I don't know for sure. But, I did just get an email with the announcement that Henry County schools have cancelled all practices and after-school athletic activities.

That sounds silly to people who have spent any part of their lives up north where snow is just part of every-day life. So if you're one of those people who thinks it's hilarious that we southerners shut down because of a snowflake let me explain.

We don't have the road equipment to deal with any icing of roads. It doesn't make sense to spend our tax-payer dollars on road equipment we MIGHT use once or twice a year if we use it all. Besides that fact, do you really want people who have no experience driving in ice in snow on the road? Do ya?

Yeah, we will probably shut down if there is any significant snowfall. We will be all snuggled up in our homes thinking about the beach.