Mary Macy - Top Agents Atlanta Metro

Both the City of Canton and Woodstock GA have provided for Tree Recycling this year. Trees can be mulched providing wood chips or can be used for wildlife habitation for fish in the local lakes. Free Tree Mulch will be made available and tree seedlings at these cities as follows.

In Canton, take the trees to Boiling Park 1200 Marietta Hwy Canton, GA 30114 (770) 720-7578 Directions: Take I-575 North, then take GA-5-BR N/GA-20 W/GA-140 W exit-EXIT 16-toward GA-140/Canton, keep left on GA 5 and at the traffic light turn right onto GA-5 BR N/GA-140/Marietta Highway, Follow GA-5 BR N/GA-140/Marietta Highway for approximately .6 mi Boling Park is on left just after Etowah River.

In Woodstock, under their "Bring One for the Chipper Day". Take Trees to Rope Mill Park starting the day after Christmas and any day until January 6 from 9-4. Rope Mill Park is at Olde Rope Mill Road just off Ridgewalk North of Woodstock, here is the website map for the park: http://www.woodstockga.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DID=45
You can bring a shovel to the park during the first week of January and get free mulch!!!

On January 7 you can go to Rope Mill Park and get free seedlings for Christmas Trees for next year. provided by Keep Georgia Beuatiful Campaign.
In Woodstock, Advanced Disposal will pick up Christmas Trees set at the curb on regularly scheduled pickups the first 2 weeks of the new year.

Additionally the Galt's Ferry, Victoria Falls Day Use Areas and Sweetwater Campground are staging area for Tree drop offs until January 7. Trees from this area will be used for fish habitat.

Lots of ways to recycle your tree in Cherokee County. Happy New Year 2012.

It looks like no one will be evicted over the holidays, at least if their loan is owned by a Government Sponsered Enterprice such as Fannie or Freddie. Fannie Mae and the GSE's have announced a moritorium on Foreclosures from December 19 until January 2. In the announcement Fannie said that loan servicers will continue on administrative processes and it will not cancel pre or post foreclosure, just that evictions will be suspended for the holidays.

So it sounds like if the property is occupied that the evictions will be suspended at least if it is a government owned loan for the Holidays. That should be a relief and a blessing to some homeowners during this stressful holiday season to at least know that they will have a reprive for the holiday.

The article was published here by DS Servicing News: http://www.dsnews.com/articles/gses-announce-foreclosure-moratorium-for-holidays-2011-12-01

We live in a beautiful community with a big heart as big as our Southern Hospitality and we believe in making a place for everyone, including Bob.

You see, Bob does not like Police officers or the Police Department in our city as a whole. He tends to go ballistic around Police Cars in general, jump on their cars, attempt to inflict damage on their tires and has been known to chase them down the street. Despite all of this, our fine city, including the mayor has made a place for Bob.

Heck, Mayor Donnie Henriques even pardoned Bob in a special ceremony. For those of you who do not live in Woodstock, Bob may not be of any importance to you or if you don't love wildlife you may not appreciate this story. If you live here you will understand the backup of traffic and the commotion that has been caused by Bob, but it goes further than this, it has solidified our community in a common cause to do something to keep traffic slow to preserve wildlife and this beautiful animal.

Bob has his own facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BobTheTurkey Bob goes there daily to thank the many people who come to his page to profess slowing down their cars in traffic. I am certain he has lightened up some travelers days just to watch him chasing up and down the street is enough to put a big smile on your face in the Georgia Traffic.

Bob has his own You Tube Video:

Our Mayor granting a Pardon to Bob

As you can see Bob is a large Wild Turkey and there has been about as big a debate over Bob's name (some call him Tom, Some Phyllis and others when traffic is backed up in his presence call him other things that are not appropriate to post). Bob is a large 21 pound turkey with black tipped breast feathers. It appears Bob is Male Bird and he has been the talk of the town and quite a celebrity here in Woodstock for some time. There are colorful signs that have been posted urging people to slow down and use caution when driving near Serenade Lane which is the Turkey's hangout. There is even a website with a petition to post Turkey Crossing signs at Bob's favorite crossings.

With Thanksgiving and the holidays upon us, we were all grateful that Mayor Donnie Henriques pardoned the Turkey and with the city ordinances not allowing discharge of firearms within the city limits and all of the grateful citizens posting signs to watch out for the large bird, perhaps Bob will continue to survive the Police Department Vehicles and local Traffic and be with us another season for next Thanksgiving. Woodstock is truly a very special place and I am grateful for our mayor and the many great citizens who care about animals like Bob.

The Woodstock Real Estate Marketplace has performed much better than most of the Metro Atlanta. Overall the market in Atlanta is at a an all time low point in pricing. Overall Sales are below 2003 levels and prices are at over 20% below October 2010 for the month of October 2011. Average days on the market remained at 89 days up 1 day from the 88 in October of 2010.

Although Prices dropped further in October, sales volumes increased, so that is good news. Sales in October 2011 were up to 106 sales in 2011 from 69 in 2010, that is a 53% increase. Average Sales Price dropped from $189,642 in 2010 to $159,219 on average a drop of 19%, much better than the overall Atlanta Market. Average days on the market increased from 83 to 97 days year over year.

There are currently on average 5 months of inventory based on last months sales volumes in the marketplace with 535 active homes in Woodstock. Sales in the $250K to $350K range have over 9 months of inventory. The market will break to a more seller's lent market when inventories break below 6 months of inventory overall and stay there to the spring market. Sales below $100K are at this point in Woodstock, but that is a result of the bank holding off Foreclosure inventory from the market. We still don't know the effect of this shadow inventory or when the banks will begin to release it into the marketplace.

The market in November and December tend to be the slowest market times of the year, however, homes do sell in this market time and typically the inventory is lower making it possible for homes that would not sell in higher competitive spring and summer markets to sell. With the lower interest rates this is a great time to consider selling a home that will possibly have higher competition in the spring and summer markets to come. Call us today if you have questions about marketing your home in the winter market. We will be glad to assist in getting you the information you need to make an informed decision.

Because Johns Creek and Milton Homes are still oftentimes listed as Alpharetta Homes, it is difficult to do an individual report for each city. Since only us natives really understand all the new city boundaries and people tend to shop Alpharetta as an area, I am still having to report this area as Alpharetta, so bear with me for a few more months and maybe the public will become more informed about the individual cities. This area has performed better than overall than most of the Atlanta Metro Suburbs in October. Overall the Atlanta Market is at a an all time low point in pricing since electronic records were started in the mid 1990's. Overall Sales are below 2003 levels and prices are at over 20% below October 2010 for the month of October 2011. Average days on the market remained at 89 days up 1 day from the 88 days October 2010.

The Alpharetta, Johns Creek and Milton Areas all have good news. Sales in October 2011 were up from 100 sales in 2010 to 142 sales in 2011. That is a 42% increase for October 2011. This is also one of the few areas where the Average Sales Price increased from $364,243 in 2010 to $414,830 in 2011, on average an increase of 14%. That does not mean that values necessarily went up, but that people overall were willing to buy higher priced homes with less lower priced inventory. Average days on the market dropped from 117 days in 2010 to 95 days in 2011, a good drop in market time.

On average there was 8 months of inventory based on last months sales volumes in the marketplace with 1094 active homes. Sales in the $600K to $800K range have over 10 months of inventory. The market will break to a more seller's lent market when inventories break below 6 months of inventory. In the $300K to $350K price range is currently at 6 months of inventory, however that is at October sales rates where the November, December & January volume tends to usually be slower.

The market in November and December tend to be the slowest market times of the year, however, homes do sell in this market time and typically the inventory is lower making it possible for homes that would not sell in higher competitive spring and summer markets to sell. With the lower interest rates this is a great time to consider selling a home that will possibly have higher competition in the spring and summer markets to come. Call us today if you have questions about marketing your home in the winter market. We will be glad to assist in getting you the information you need to make an informed decision.