Tina Fountain

Located in the popular Chapel Hill Golf and Country Club subdivision, this home has 6 bedrooms and 5 full baths. The gourmet kitchen has granite counters and stainless appliances, the master suite has a fireside sitting area and spa bath.

More details can be found at: 9921 Hamilton Drive

Visit tinafountain.com for more information on homes for sale in Atlanta including Atlanta luxury homes for sale, and homes for sale in Douglasville. We can also be reached at 404-842-1555.

Perfectly situated on a private 2 acre lot in the exclusive Shoals at Arbor Hill, this Chatham Builders custom home is fully equipped with 5 bedrooms and 5.5 baths. In addition to the high end details the home features a covered porch with fireplace and grilling area, home theater, and a whole house generator.

To schedule a private showing contact Tina Fountain Realtors at 404.842.1555, more details can also be found at: 318 Edwards Brook Lane.

Visit tinafountain.com for more information on homes for sale in Atlanta including Atlanta luxury homes for sale. We can also be reached at 404-842-1555.

Located in the gated St. Ives Country Club subdivision, this executive home has 5 bedrooms and 4.5 baths. Other features include custom Plantation shutters, granite counters, stainless appliances, hardwood floors, home theatre and more.

Additional details can be found at: 1058 Wild Dunes Way

Visit tinafountain.com for more information on homes for sale in Atlanta including Atlanta luxury homes for sale. We can also be reached at 404-842-1555.

Centrally located within the city of Atlanta and just mere minutes from Midtown and Downtown, is the upper-class community of Tuxedo Park.

Home to some of the most luxurious and grand estates in the city, Tuxedo Park real estate prices start in the mid $700,000s and reach the $20 million mark. Although the impressive estates and homes encompass a diverse range of styles and sizes, these historic homes are most noted for their Georgian, Italianate, Tudor and Greek Revival styles.

This distinguished community has very easy access to one of Atlanta's most popular landmarks - Chastain Park. Featuring athletic fields, a golf course, equestrian center, swimming pool, art gallery and incredible outdoor amphitheater, Tuxedo Park has a world of culture and entertainment just a stone's throw away.

In addition to an abundance of recreational, entertainment and social events and activities, Tuxedo Park residents also have access to excellent education as they are served by some of Atlanta's finest schools. Luxurious estates, gorgeous woodlands and landscaping along with educational and social opportunities make this community one of the most sought-after in the state.

Tina Fountain Realtors, an Atlanta Real Estate company serving the entire metro Atlanta area including Brookhaven Homes For Sale and Tuxedo Park Homes For Sale.

In the last 20 years, investment and mortgage brokers have made a killing refinancing mortgages and using the accumulated home equity to pay off debt. A Second Mortgage, a term that in my parents day, was only whispered in dark alleys, has all but been replaced by the politically acceptable "Line of Credit". For many home owners, this is as common as a credit card.

Many borrowers begin innocently enough, refinancing in order to take advantage of lower interest rates. Once their advisor points out how much equity is available in their homes, then the wheels start turning. We could pay off the credit cards, finally renovate the kitchen, or take that trip to Hawaii we've always dreamed of. Then suddenly, after a home appraisal and a few signatures, you're debt-free; except for your mortgage, which has increased by 20%. In addition, you now have a handful of empty credit cards, just ripe for the picking. If you think this is an exaggeration, just type in the phrase "home equity loans" in your favorite search engine, and be prepared to get over 5 million results.

When I was growing up, paying off your mortgage was the goal of every home owner. This was more than a goal, it was a way of thinking that was ingrained and passed on from parent to child. People sacrificed vacations, and the term "reuse & recycle", didn't exist; the concept was an automatic given. Most large purchases were planned, with the attitude "don't buy it until you can pay for it."

This is not to say people didn't go bankrupt or face large debt, but overall the attitude and acceptance toward refinancing was very different. Sadly, now many of those diligent homeowners who saved all their lives are now victims of the latest mortgage trend; the Reverse Mortgage. No longer able to afford to live off their savings, these retirees have agreed to mortgages that will basically turn over their properties to the hands of the bank when they die.

How did we get to this point? How did we evolve from a society where a Second Mortgage was considered shameful, and absolutely the last resort; to a place where refinancing is as commonplace as a applying for a credit card.

Many will argue that the change in thinking is simply the result of a new generation that never lived through the Depression. These are the children of parents whose motto was save versus spend, and who are now breaking free of those imposed values.

The other obvious contributor is simply inflation. Take an "I want" society, increase the rate of inflation, minimize wage increases, and something has got to give. Add to this, easy access to credit and you have the perfect formula for a debt ridden economy.

Here are some examples of inflation in action based on an income of $40,000.

In 1960, that $40,000 would be the same as having $291,014.86 today.

In 1970, that $40,000 would be the same as having $222,011.34 today.

In 1980, that $40,000 would be the same as having $104,539.32 today. (hmmm...maybe something to do with the 18 percent energy hike in 1990 - that's for another article).

In 1990, that $40,000 would be the same as having $65,906.96 today.

It's all relative, you say, "Wages have gone up since 1960, it all balances out".

That's true, wages have increased, but not nearly enough to compete with the rate of inflation.

According to the Consumer Price Index Detailed Report for March 2008:

"Consumer prices rose 4.1 percent in 2007, the largest increase since 1990.

Energy and food inflation increased significantly in 2007; Energy prices rose 17.4 percent in 2007, its biggest jump since an 18.1 percent increase in 1990. Food prices also recorded their biggest increase since 1990, increasing 4.9 percent in 2007 (see Table 1).

Increases in energy and food inflation alone accounted for the acceleration in overall inflation in 2007."

The average wage increase is in the 2 percent range. That's the high end and if you are lucky to have a job. The current national unemployment rate is at 9.4 percent.

Have we as a society, swung too far in the other direction? Would we be in this mess if we had of retained more of those Depression era values. It's hard to say, but suddenly I have more respect for the frugal ways of my grandparents.

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