Join Red Robin Group for our free Home Buyer Seminar and we'll answer all your questions about the home-buying process. We'll even go through the process of obtaining financing, how to find the home that's right for you, and we'll show you how to avoid bumps in the road from the moment you go under contract all the way to the closing table.

Now that Congress has passed the tax credit extension, many buyers are kicking back for the holidays and waiting for early spring to pick up where they left off. But did you know there are distinct advantages to buying before the end of the year?


LOW INTEREST RATES: Typically, interest rates dip when the market slumps. And in a normal market, that time is usually around the end of the year.

In fact, in December of last year, mortgage applications were at an all-time high. Why? Because interest rates dipped to an insanely low level.

Currently, rates are still at record lows. And as we slide into December, based on the latest news from Bernanke and the Fed, they certainly aren't going up anytime soon.


TAX SAVINGS. Closing on your new home by Dec. 31, 2009, means you can deduct mortgage interest, property taxes and points on your loan on your 2009 income tax return. You can also deduct the interest costs associated with a home equity loan. These deductions are significant, especially in the early years of your loan when you are paying off so much interest.


HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION QUALIFICATION. In Georgia, there's a property tax exemption called "Homestead Exemption." It's pretty simple: if you claim a home as your primary residence, you get to file for an exemption.

Having a Homestead Exemption in place can mean taking a pretty good chunk out of your yearly property taxes, sometimes up to 35%. But, you must be living in the home on January 1 for the year that you file the exemption in order to receive it.

Let's say you're looking to spend about $175,000 on a home here in Atlanta. If you found a home where the seller does not live there - perhaps they either moved away months ago, have tenants in the house, or the property is bank-owned - there's probably no existing Homestead Exemption in place. If you closed on this home by December 31, 2009, your lender will still have to estimate your portion of your monthly property tax escrows at the full taxable rate. But because you will be living in your home on January 1 of 2010, you'll file your Homestead Exemption for 2010, and you'll get a nice surprise when your tax bill comes later in the year: not only will your property tax be greatly reduced, but you'll probably receive a notice from your mortgage company letting you know that your mortgage payments are now going to be lower due to the the lower property tax. You may even get a refund from your escrow account!


SELLERS ARE MORE MOTIVATED. Many sellers are anxious to sell by the end of the year so that they, too, can enjoy tax savings on the next home they purchase. That means you have more leverage during negotiations and they may be willing to accept lower than their listing price.

Generally speaking, your housing choices during the fall are still healthy. By December there are traditionally fewer houses on the market. October and November are great months to go house hunting.

This year, due to the first-time buyer tax credit, many sellers were putting their homes on the market in early Fall in anticipation of the tax credit expiring December 1. But now that it's been extended, these same sellers are willing to do whatever it takes to get their house sold sooner than later. So watch for dropping prices on these homes as we approach the holidays.


IT'S EASIER TO MOVE. Many moving companies are booked many weeks in advance during the rest of the year. But around the holidays, it's just so much easier to secure the services of a moving company or a rental truck on shorter notice.


A NEW HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. Get in, get closed and get on with your life -- plus, the holiday season is a great time to celebrate your new home with family and friends!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP NOW ONLINE!


Or, click the image above to sign up over the phone!

If you've been watching the market tumble since mid-last year, you've probably got some concerns about buying. You think if you wait, maybe the market will slide some more, and then you can make your move.

Well, what if you found the perfect home as soon as you clicked the next listing on Realtor.com? If the pics look great, it's in the neighborhood you want and the price is right, what's stopping you? Especially with $8,000 in federal tax credits -- not to mention $1,500 in Georgia tax credits --just dying to jump in your hands?

You've got questions, we've got answers.

Join Red Robin Group for our Home Buyer's Seminar and we'll be sure to help you out. Our seminars are conducted by agents from Red Robin Group with a little help from our awesome in-house lender, Brandon Byrd with Southern Residential Mortgage.

Our next seminar is Monday, September 21, 2009 from 7:00 to 8:30 PM at Red Robin Group's new office at 749 Moreland Ave SE, Suite A-102, Atlanta, GA 30316 (in the Little Azio plaza).

The first hour will cover the mortgage process and will be facilitated by Brandon. We'll take a break for refreshments, and then jump into the home buying process for the second part of the seminar, which will be facilitated by Christina Rumbaugh, REALTOR & Buyer Specialist with the Red Robin Group.

This is a great opportunity to ask questions, find out more about the real estate market in Atlanta and learn how you can take advantage of an unprecedented buyer's market sooner than later.

To register right now, go to http://seminar.redrobingroup.com or call us at 404-933-4210.

And if you have any friends, family, co-workers or neighbors looking to buy soon, be sure to pass this along.

We look forward to seeing you there!

-- Christina, Rob and Melissa

"I'm ready to start looking for a foreclosure. My first home. A short sale. The deal of a lifetime. But I've never bought a home before. What do I really need to do to get started?"

You've got questions, we've got answers.

Join Red Robin Group for our Home Buyer's Seminar and we'll be sure to help you out. Our seminars are conducted by agents from Red Robin Group with a little help from our awesome preferred lender, Brandon Byrd, with LoanSouth.

Our next seminar is Thursday, May 28, 2009 from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM. The first hour will cover the mortgage process and will be facilitated by Brandon. We'll take a break for refreshments, then jump into the home buying process for the second half of the seminar, which will be facilitated by Christina Rumbaugh, REALTOR & Buyer Specialist with the Red Robin Group.

This is a great opportunity to ask questions, find out more about the real estate market in Atlanta, and learn how you can take advantage of this unprecedented buyer's market sooner than later.

The seminar will be held at Red Robin Group's new location at Ormewood Square, which is in the same complex as Little Azio on the corner of Moreland Avenue and Ormewood Avenue. The address is 749 Moreland Ave SE, Suite A-102, Atlanta, GA 30316.

To register, click here or call 404-933-4210. And if you have any friends, family, co-workers or neighbors looking to buy soon, remember to bring them along!

Red Robin Group has a new home in the neighborhood. Come by and see us at our new location in Ormewood Square, located at 749 Moreland Ave (by Little Azio & E2 Coffeehouse). Our office hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00-6:00.

We're pleased to have served so many of our neighbors and we're excited to have a permanent home in the community. Our primary goal in opening this office was to be able to give our buyers and sellers even better "right-around-the-corner" service.

Thank all of you again for your continued support and referrals, and we look forward to being an even bigger part of the Grant Park, Ormewood Park and East Atlanta communities in the coming year.

Red Robin Group
Associated with Keller Williams Realty Intown Atlanta
749 Moreland Ave, Suite A-102
Atlanta, GA 30316
ph 404-254-5206
info@redrobingroup.com