About Atlanta's Cascade

If you want to get away from it all, Guilford Forest offers a retreat-like atmosphere and a prestigious address. Known as the gem of southwest Atlanta’s Historic Cascade area, Guilford Forest is an established neighborhood with a mixture of less than 400 custom and semi-custom homes. The subdivision resembles any other middle class suburban community. But make no mistake, it is an affluent neighborhood, home to many of Atlanta’s African American elite.

About 20 years old, Guilford Forest was established, and was built over the years in several phases. The final phase, called The Highlands at Guilford Forest still has 16 new construction opportunities currently available for prospective homeowners. The builder for the community is John Wieland Homes, and at today’s price point for new home sales in the community ($450K - $500K), there is no better builder in the southeast. All new homes showcase distinctive elevations by award winning custom home architect, Boye Akinola. All of the home interiors are semi-custom.

This is a swim/tennis community. Onsite amenities include a state of the art club house, fitness center and playground. The grounds are meticulous. The pride the homeowners take in this neighborhood is obvious. The community is not gated (there is no need for a gate), although individual property owners may install rear fencing with the approval of the homeowners association. You’ll find an assortment of luxury cars and some spectacular country views throughout the subdivision.

Guilford Forest is home to such notables as the renowned Reverand Creflo Dollar, former Atlanta Hawks Coach (and now New York Knicks Assistant) Mike Woodson and former chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court, Leah Ward Sears.

What You Want To Look Out For At Guilford Forest:

• Home prices have taken a bit of a nose dive since the pre-crash glory days (primarily for some of the older homes), so many current resales are likely to be short sales
• Public schools zoned for the area are not top ranked (although residents with school-aged children will find a collection of top performing private schools to choose among)

What You’re Sure To Like About Guilford Forest:

• The homes enjoy comfortable acreage and are not sitting on top of each other
• The homes are protected by a 5year/20year warranty, unsurpassed in the industry
• The community showcases abundant African-American royalty living at its finest

No wonder Guilford Forest is still one of the most sought after neighborhoods in Atlanta. It is a neighborhood of some of Atlanta’s most esteemed residents living in some of the most fabulous custom and semi-custom homes, designed by an award-winning designer and built by one of the most respected builders in the southeast. Likewise, the market now offers buyers some of the best opportunities to get into a quality-built home in a prestigious community at a bargain price, or to get a great value on a newly constructed designer home.

Written by Cheryl Dukes, this is number 3 is a series about interesting places to live in and around Atlanta. (See previous posts about Glenwood Park and Edgewood Atlanta.) If you would like to own or sell a home in Guilford Forest, call me at 770-475-1130 x4486.

Next up: Country Club of the South and Atlantic Station

Bring your buyers to Grande View Estates located in the heart of prestigous cascade area location at get the 10k agent bonus. I have 3 beautiful custom homes that the builder is willing to negotiate price. Call me Johnnie Colquitt at 404-317-7630

South Fulton location

Do you always ask the bank on a short sale to issued a payoof statement to your seller without recourse? I do. I just got a fax from a seller we closed in March 08. The bank want him to sign a promissory note of $40,000.00 on a house they no longer owned. However, while I was requesting the short sale payoff from the Loss Mitigation Specialist, I specifically requested that he signed a no recourse letter that I fax to him on my company letter head. He did and fax back to me which clearly show company name and fax number on the edge of the paper. I kept a copyin the closed file and a copy to my seller at that time.

I fax the signed copy to the bank, and was told that the Lost Mitigation Specialist is no longer with the company, so the bank had to swallowed the $40k since their employee signed the letter of payoff without recourse. I am not sure if bank agent misplaced the letter or what, but my seller was happy to know there would not be a $40k balance hanging over their head.

Agent's please when doing short sale always request a no recourse letter. The last thing you want is for a seller to tell the world you misrepresent him/her

Happy Selling Rainer's whereever you are. It's going to be alright