Tucker, GA

HANDY ACE HARDWARE IN TUCKER GEORGIA

Like other small towns Tucker also has its share of new development. US Hwy 29 is home to shopping centers, Walmart, Home Depot and assorted chain restaurants. But you also get some small town flavor mixed in. Handy ACE Hardware on Hugh Howell Road in Tucker Georgia is known for stocking hard to find items and great personal service.

This old fashioned hardware store has an inventory stretching back in time to the 50s and 60s. You will be hard pressed to find a hardware item this store doesn't have a replacement part on hand to sell. Advice is dispersed freely.

Hand lettered note hanging on the nuts and bolts aisle

"Unattended children will be given an expresso and a free kitten"

Great folks, great service.

NEW LOCATION IN OLD BOWLING ALLEY

Handy ACE Hardware in Tucker Georgia is movinginto the building across the street (Note: across from the back side of the store on Cowan Road) that formerly housed the bowling alley.

ENGLISH TEAM SHOPS HANDY ACE HARDWARE

The English Teamhas shopped at Handy Ace Hardware for years as we sought out hard to find items for houses we were renovating. It is difficult to stump the experts at Handy Acew Hardware as they almost always have a solution for your hard to find hardware and building needs. If possible, bring in the part or piece of hardware you want to replace. We guranntee you will get personal service as you buy the parts for your repair.

TUCKER ANIMAL HOSPITAL STAFF ROCKS

Millie, a 14 month old English Springer Spaniel, recently joined our family. We are Millie's second set of parents and are delighted in every way with her adoption into our family. Millie brings joy and happiness into our lives and we are blessed by her presence.

Naturally, we wanted to make sure our new family member is healthy. Fortunately, we knew exactly where to go for the care Millie needs. My daughter Hannah called to set up an appointment for Millie at Tucker Animal Hospital with Dr. Kathleen Tucker.

TUCKER ANIMAL HOSPITAL STAFF ROCKS

As soon as Hannah and Millie walked in the door, the staff at Tucker Animal Hospital were oohing and ahhing over Millie. Kathleen MacHarg, Ann McRae, Emily Smelker and Emily Castle immediately put pets and their parents at ease when you walk in the door. After we got through with the paper work, Brad Kazinske, a kennel assistant, came and guided Hannah and Millie to a check up room in the back. Brad gently removed Millie from Hannah's grasp and took her to be weighed.

DR. KATHLEEN TUCKER VETERINARIAN

Dr. Kathleen Tucker greeted Millie and gave her a head to toe inspection and check up. Brad held Millie while Dr. Tucker carefully looked Millie over and then gave her the necessary shots for the next 6 months. Millie did great. Dr. Tucker then gave Hannah some tips about caring for Millie and talked about what to feed Millie (Iams). She also discussed a time for Millie to come in and be spayed (October).

BOARDING

We planned a weekend out of town at exactly the time Millie went in to heat. Millie needed a safe and secure home while we were out of town. Thankfully Tucker Animal hospital boards pets while their families are away. This was our first separation from Millie and we were apprehensive about the parting. It hurt a bit when Millie practically leaped in to Zac Hale's arms when he came out to get her. Where do they find these kennel assistants?

GROOMING

The next time we head out of town we will ask Linda Beamon and Chris MacHarg to groom Millie. Millie is the most beautiful dog in the world and a visit to the groomer will keep Millie looking her best! Tucker Animal Hospital staff rocks!

TUCKER GEORGIA REAL ESTATE GETS BOOST FROM EMORY UNIVERSITY AND CDC EXPANSIONS

Recent expansions and job growth at Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have stimulated the housing market in Tucker, Georgia a suburban neighborhood a short commute away from the Clifton Corridor and the Emory Campus. Tucker is served by MARTA and CLIFF commuter bus systems.

Much of the housing in Tucker is priced under $250,000 and is affordable for first time home buyers. Many homes were built in the 1960s and 1970s and are perfect for home buyers who need a low price barrier for purchase.

Brick ranches and two story traditional homes are available in the $250,000 price range. These homes have great "bones" but many could use some updating in the kitchens and baths. Hardwood floors are common and large lots (100 foot width) are the norm. A significant portion of the homes have basements.

Tucker is served by Tucker High School which will open a brand new campus in August 2009. Tucker HS offers an International Baccalaureate degree. Tucker Middle School was recently constructed. Among the award winning elementary schools serving Tucker are Idlewood Elementary School, Livsey Elementary School, Smoke Rise Elementary School, Brockett Elementary School, Midvale Elementary School. Information about these schools is available at www.englishteam.com

Tucker is also home to a number of restaurants on the Atlanta Journal and Constitutions TOP 50 List every year. We partcularly enjoy the fish tacos at Tacqueria Los Hermanaos. Matthews Cafeteria has been around since the 50s and nothi8ng has changed! The food is great..fried chicken, meatloaf, turkey and cornbread dressing along with fresh vegedtables, home made cobbler and pies. Yum!

If you are interested in exploring housing options in Tucker Georgia, please visit www.englishteam.com where you will find our featured Tucker listings plus a search engine that will allow you to search all Tucker Homes.

TUCKER GEORGIA REAL ESTATE GETS BOOST FROM EMORY UNIVERSITY AND CDC EXPANSIONS and our housing inventory is starting to reflect the increased demand. There is still plenty of inventory to choose from, but the best deals are starting to get smapped up.

Sally English

The English Team

RE/MAX Executives, Inc. Atlanta Georgia

www.englishteam.com

NEEDED CASH FOR COLLEGE TUITION

It is no secret the real estate market has been stuck in low gear. However, my personal expenses have not geared down as quickly and I needed cash for one daughter's college tuition (Vanderbilt University) and another daughter's private school tuition (The Lovett School).

PUT INVESTMENT HOME ON THE MARKET

My husband Tim and I decided to put one of our investment properties on the market to generate some cash flow. We had been renting this 1960s brick ranch for about 10 years and the tenant moved out in May (bought a new home nearby).

HOUSE PREPPED FOR SALE:

Tim got the house prepped for the market using all the advice and techniques I pass along to my sellers (www.englishteam.com). New paint inside and out, lawn manicured, new light fixtures and fans, lots of cosmetic changes, removed old wallpaper etc. The house looked great!

FIRST FEEDBACK FROM MARKET

We had showings immediately but no real interest. One buyer bought a more expensive home down the street that we thought had less to offer than our property. After three weeks we got on the move again and refinished the hardwood floors (approx $1,500) and they looked great. We also got some prices for granite counter tops (around $1,800)

FINALLY A BUYER

After a month on the market we got an offer. The buyer was a nice young man purchasing his first home, The offer was "low" but he was well qualified and serious. We sat on the offer overnight, prayed about it, and made a counteroffer that was far less than we had anticipated receiving for the home, but met the buyer halfway so to speak. A win-win solution. The buyer accepted the counter offer.

INSPECTION

Though we sold the home "as is" the buyer had the right of inspection and promptly had an inspector at work. No real surprises though a couple of items that needed attention. The surprises came when the buyer got bids to replace the roof. Though fully functional, the buyer had stated early on that he had budgeted to replace the roof and HVAC. Both bids came in higher than expected. The roofing in particular had really gone up. Bids came in $8,000 to $11.000 and the buyer had budgeted $6000.

NEGOTIATING THE INSPECTION

The buyer is very conservative and we knew he would not finalize the sale if he had to put out additional cash. Should we let this buyer walk and hope for something better?

No, I took my own advice and met the buyer halfway on an additional contribution for the roof. About $2,500 additional expense that I had not budgeted.

If you are selling a home in this market, you have got to make some sacrifices. Do not look at comparable sales older than 3 months when valuing your home. And anything from 2008 is totally out of date and will not be helpful in valuing your home for the present market.

Sally English

The English Team

RE/MAX Executives, Inc. Atlanta Georgia

www.englishteam.com

Atlanta Real Estate - First Time Home Buyers in Atlanta GA

Once you've found your "dream home", you and your agent will write a purchase agreement. In Georgia, the purchase and sale agreement was written by the Georgia Association of Realtors. While much of the agreement is standard, there are a few areas you and your agent can negotiate:

The Price -- What you offer on a property depends on a number of factors, including its condition, length of time on the market, buyer activity, and the urgency of the seller. While some buyers want to make a very low offer, just to see if the seller will accept, this often isn't a smart choice, because the seller may be insulted and decide not to negotiate at all. It's definitely a fine line and one that you and your agent will have to discuss at length.

Closing Costs -- You are able to ask that the seller pay a portion of your closing costs -- usually up to 3% of the purchase price -- but keep in mind that the seller may not be willing or able to significantly reduce the purchase price AND pay the closing costs. When negotiating, you have to look at the situation from the other side (the sellers side) as well.

Example: If the listing price is $300,000 and you ask for $10,000 off the purchase price and $5000 in seller paid closing costs, the seller will net $285,000 ($300k - $10k - $5k). The seller views this offer as $15,000 off the listing price. The seller's main concern is usually their bottom line.

Due Diligence Period - In Georgia, this was formerly called the "Right to Terminate Period". Usually we can negotiate 7 to 10 days to inspect the property, conduct appraisals, negotiate repairs and if you aren't satisfied with the results, you are able to terminate the agreement without penalty.

The Move-in Date -- If possible, be flexible on the possession date. Remember that most sellers need to purchase a new home after they sell their home to you, so as the buyer, if you offer the seller 24 to 72 hours to vacate the home after closing, it will be greatly appreciated by the seller and most likely, they will choose your offer over others!

Additional Property Often the seller plans on leaving major appliances in the home, however, which items stay or go is often a matter of negotiation.

Typically you will not be present at the offer presentation; we will present it to the listing agent and/or seller. The seller will then do one of the following:

• Accept the offer

• Reject the offer

• Counter the offer with changes

By far the most common is the counter offer. In these cases, your agent's experience and negotiating skills become powerful in representing your best interests. When a counter offer is presented, you and your agent will work together to review each specific area of the counter offer, making sure that you move forward with your goals in mind and ensuring that your Buyer's Agent negotiates the best possible price and terms on your behalf.

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If you have any questions about the home buying process, please email or call me anytime.

KERRY LUCASSE :: ATLANTA REAL ESTATE CONSULTANT :: 404.432.1844