Lilburn, GA

Back in February, 2008, I attended an event for agents at Legends at Parkview. At that time I was impressed with the quality of the homes offered in the community. I was also impressed with the philosophy of the builder, Sean Mayfield of Mayfield Homes. I also liked the style of the homes, and the layouts were quite nice.

The problem was that they launched the community just as the market was collapsing around them. And while they were strong at the time, it didn't last...

This premiere community has slid into foreclosure. The remaining homes (there were 8, now there are 4 left) and the lots are all for sale by the bank. So, now is the opportunity to buy into a luxurious community at fire sale prices... bank-owned prices.

Three of the properties are built on a basement, all have 3 car garages. One is a 5 bedroom/4 bath, and the others have 4 bedrooms/3.5 baths.

The properties that are currently available are priced at:

• The Waterford on a basement - $563,400 $489,900 5br/4ba
• The Addison on a slab - $589,900 $439,900 4br/3.5ba
• The Addison on a basement - $614,900 $479,900 4br/3.5ba
• The Victoria on a basement - $735,000 $524,900 4br/3.5ba

As an aside, I really like the Addison. It has an exceptional garage. Aside from the spaces for 3 cars, there is about an 8' wide area along one side that would be perfect for motorcycles and/or tools.

Obviously the prices are pretty well discounted for the remaining units in the Legends at Parkview. There aren't that many opportunities to jump into this level of luxury in a bank-owned new home community. The foreclosures have really pushed the prices down here... They have sold 4 homes since June. These will sell before long... There were several buyers coming in to visit while I was there... on a Wednesday afternoon.

I took a few minutes today to stop in to Garner Creek at Parkview, in Lilburn, GA. I have been there a few times before, just checking things out. Each time there several more homes that are built and sold. But I hadn't taken the time to really check out the properties that were available.

There are currently 11 properties showing up in my MLS in Garner Creek at Parkview. I went in 5 of them today and shot a few pictures in each. I was actually quite impressed with several of them. The construction looks solid, and the fixture are luxurious. While one of the floorplans seemed a little odd to me, the others were quite nice. Several of the properties also featured unfinished basements, and one had an unfinished upper level bonus room that would be an excellent teen suite or office... or hobby room.

The Master Suites were all quite generous, and most also featured large kitchens. The units built on basements all had decks, and the one on a slab that I looked at had a nice patio area. Most of the homes also had 3 car garages. One thing to note is that a couple of the plans had VERY deep garages for at least one of the stall... a great bonus.

Take a look at the pictures. If you are interested in Garner Creek at Parkview or any of the other fine communities in and around Lilburn, GA, let me know. There are some beautiful homes in this area, and we are quite convenient to most of the Atlanta Metro Area. At the same time, you can get a lot more house for the money that areas closer to Downtown.

I guess I should also take a moment to mention the community amenities:

• Junior Olympic Pool
• Lighted Tennis Courts
• Playground
• Walking Trails
• 3000sf Clubhouse with a Fitness Center

It is also VERY convenient to Mountain Park Park and the Mountain Park Branch of the Gwinnett Library. The Mountain Park Aquatic Center is also nearby... as is Bruster's Ice Cream (this is very important).

I held an open house today in Lilburn, on 590 Baltimore Ave. During the open house I had the opportunity to speak with several first time home buyers. The conversations with first time home buyers in Lilburn, GA, were certainly enlightening...

Keep in mind that the home I as holding open was priced at nearly $400,000. In this area, that isn't the normal territory for first time home buyers. And these folks were no exception... looking primarily in the $150k-$200k range.

Of course we talked about properties that were available in their price range, and Lilburn has some really nice properties for sale in that range, but we talked about something else. The something else was the tax credits that are currently available.

Basically, there are two tax credit propgrams currently available:

• the Federal First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit of (up to) $8000 that expires after November 30th
• the Georgia Home Buyer Tax Credit of (up to) $1800 that is slated to expire at the same time

All of them were well aware for the federal incentives... but none knew about the state incentives. I know that a lot of us real estate agents are writing about it, and I also know that we are talking about it to our clients... but the word still isn't out to everyone.

I should also mention that the Georgia Tax Credit is NOT limited to just First Time Home Buyers...

On the other hand, all of them were quite aware of the deadline for the Federal First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit. In fact, they had all started their search to specifically make sure that they had time to get everything together before the deadline. Some were also not considering short sales because of the timeline... and the emotional rollercoaster of waiting for third-party approval.

Each of these First Time Home Buyers had also chosen the Lilburn, GA, area for specific reasons... and cost wasn't the primary motivator. Convenience was... Only a few years ago the primary motivator of location for many was how far out they would have to go to get the house and yard they wanted. Now more buyers are taking into consideration things like commute time, commuting costs, taxes, schools (none of them had kids yet, but schools were a consideration) and convenience to services and amenities.

Finally, of note, is that the majority were not aware that the buyer's agent was generally paid by the seller and that the buyer's agent's comensation wasn't likely to affect the seller's fees. One thought that if they didn't have an agent they would be in a better negotiation position.

It was both fun and educational to spend the time primarily listening to their impressions and opinions. Working with First Time Home Buyers in the Lilburn, GA, area is both fun and rewarding. After all, I am placing new neighbors, not just random buyers. I live where I prefer to work.

Dogs in Lilburn, GA, want to walk, run and play...  They want to go to the park...  Luckily, Ronald Reagan Park at Five Forks has a pair of doggy recreational areas for our sniffy companions.  

The two areas are set aside for dogs under or over 20 pounds.  There is also a dog run that connects the two areas and allows drag racing dogs room to get up to speed. Both areas also feature some obstacles for the dogs to play on, and even a Doggy Water Bar. 

Dogs in Lilburn have it made... being able to shirk the leash and spend some quality time running with the other four legged floor vacuums. 

But, Ronald Reagan Park isn't just one dimensional.  There is a great play area for kids, a large field that is excellent to kick a ball around it, horse shoe pits, a small skateboard park, basketball, walking trails and several pavilions. 

The park is part of the award-winning Gwinnett County Parks system.  With facilities ranging from indoor and outdoor aquatics centers, ball fields and biking trails to green space and waterways, Gwinnett County Parks & Recreation is making sure that residents have plenty of options to get away without going away... even dogs. 

And that isn't even the only option for dogs in Lilburn to hit the park and play with their peers.  Lilburn City Park has a great walking trail that runs along Camp Creek, Mountain Park Aquatic Center has walking trails, as does Mountain Park Park.  

We will be holding open a really cool home in Lilburn that has two 2 car garages, 4 bedrooms, 3½ bathrooms, a full finished basement, sitting on over 3 and a half acres. Lots of folks are wondering what is hiding up the hidden driveway... now is the chance to find out.

The house will be open from 2-5pm on Sunday, July 26th, 2009.  The address is 590 Baltimore Ave, and the website is the same.

from LaneBailey.com