I was at an Atlanta Falcons tailgate party about three years ago, down in “The Gulch.” “The Gulch” is going to be the subject of another blog post soon, but in the meantime – if you don’t know about “The Gulch” and want to know exactly what it is – click here.

I looked up, and saw that on the very top of an old, decrepit building that sits at the edge of the US federal government buildings was a massive graffiti name tag  – actually two tags – quite an accomplishment, and because of the limited and probably dangerous access, quite an effort just to get the names up there.

Those nicknames, HENSE and BORN have been tags that I have seen for years around town. I have immense respect for the staying power of GREAT graffiti artists.

I have immense disrespect for those who vandalize, and I tried to run off untalented taggers when I was living in Inman Park – so to me, the HENSE and BORN tags on top of the dilapidated building are artistic, cool and worthy of respect – they are an improvement to the building.

So, when the Rocky Ford Road and Arizona Avenue underpasses were recently improved with beautiful new artwork that covers the depth and breadth of the walls, I was quite happy – these displays are not likely to be painted over with stupid, unskilled tags, cursewords and generally weak, eyesore sprays from amateurs.

I found this photo of the lovely artwork at the Arizona Avenue MARTA bridge on HENSE’s website – great artists can turn an eyesore into a street level, free gallery. I write this post to say thanks to HENSE for doing cool work and to anyone else involved in enabling these improvements. Read more about HENSE and this particular piece, here.

He calls it Float – “The public works are roughly 18×100 feet and painted with exterior latex enamel and aerosol on concrete. The pieces were funded with a grant awarded by the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs. These murals are now an asset of the City of Atlanta and will be included in the permanent collection of public art.”

Lets see more of this! The Beltline is leading the way…stay tuned, and maybe, just maybe, the punkass, untalented taggers will remain on the sidelines and away from our beautiful Intown neighborhoods…

It means “to have a common center.”

I just learned that in the world of fiber optics, the definition of concentricity is about being “well-centered.”

At any given real estate brokerage office with more than a few agents on staff, even the most free-wheeling and independent agents are part of the culture – the good, the bad, and the ugly.

At my “market center” in Decatur, Georgia – we live up to the title of market center. We sit in the center of our core submarkets and we dominate the numbers in FMLS Area 52 – the “Greater Decatur” submarket. We also have significant market share in the nearby areas both inside and outside the perimeter. How do we do it? Well, pretty much just like other successful, mature Keller Williams market centers do it.

1. provide the The Best Technology tools to our agents

As technology continues to transform the ways in which buyers search for homes and real estate professionals communicate with their clients, Keller Williams Realty’s, agent driven technology development group is on the forefront of advances that continue to sharpen our agents’ competitive edge.

Read about our latest technology initiative, the eEdge, which is making news in the real estate industry!

2. offer The Best Training and Coaching in the area

A commitment to training and coaching at every level is at the heart of what sets Keller Williams Realty apart. Keller Williams University provides an industry-leading curriculum addressing every aspect of success in real estate. Multimedia training is offered online, via KWConnect, the real estate industry’s most innovative distance learning program. Among the industry’s top tier coaching programs, MAPS Coaching, led by Dianna Kokoszka, is having a profound impact on the careers of thousands of real estate professionals.

3. offer The Best Wealth-Building Opportunities

In keeping with the philosophy that agents are partners and stakeholders in the success of the business, Keller Williams Realty has created a distinct profit sharing program in which approximately 50 percent of every market center’s profits every month are returned to those who have contributed to a market center’s growth by attracting productive associates to the office. To date, 14 Keller Williams associates have earned more than $1 million in profit share and fully 23,769 associates are participating in the profit share program.

Read the recently published White Paper on profit share.

Find out how profit share is changing lives.

4. instill A Culture of Caring

Become part of something bigger…

Keller Williams Realty is a company that changes lives. The culture is as diverse as the countless ways in which associates and market centers commit themselves to finding and serving the higher purpose of business, and is united by cohesive understanding of our Mission, Vision, Values, Beliefs and Perspectives.

During the first, annual nationwide RED Day, which is now a companywide tradition, 22,000 associates participated in a coordinated effort to give back with their local communities.

At the heart of Keller Williams culture in action is KW Cares, a public charity created to reach out and support each other during times of extreme and unexpected hardship

Now,  take all four of those components of success, and find it in action at Keller Williams Metro Atlanta – my market center in downtown Decatur, GA.

1. technology is driving the success of our agents – we have 100% adoption of an online “paperless” real estate processing platform, we train and certify our agents on many MLS tools, research tools, and business operational tools that are in play today – we make things happen for our clients with savvy use of the latest and greatest technologies

2. the best local training and coaching comes from our association with Rick Hale – one of the top real estate agents in Georgia, and the owner/operator of 4 market centers that comprise the Heart of Atlanta Group. Our group is one of the top places to work in Atlanta according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Name another real estate office that can claim that!?

I can name another one – can you? No surprise – it’s another Keller Williams Group…

3. the best wealth building opportunities – in the past year, we’ve had Kay Evans, Bob Kilinski, Jennifer Barnes, Shaun Rawls (twice) and one of KW’s leaders in individual agent profit sharing Aaron Kaufman, plus attornies, accountants, and financial planners, all come to our market center and work with our agents on wealth building. There is not another real estate office in Georgia who can claim that who’s who list.

4. a culture of caring in Decatur, GA – In 2012, we will have a big Decatur Red Day in May! We will host our fourth annual charity event The Taste of the Town in August. We have fun things and heartwarming things and socially bonding things happening on our calendar every month.

One guy, our Team Leader for 13 months, Sean Damman stands as a shining example of the culture in our market center. We are proud to have him as our day to day, face to face, or better yet – IN YOUR FACE, leader – he’s a real estate agent first, with a decade long track record of success. When he left Re/max a few years back, he took full advantage of the technology, the coaching, and the wealth building opportunities at KW Metro Atlanta and shifted his entire team’s business so that he does not have to operate it on a day to day basis. He leads our team of nearly 100 agents. Sean, like Rick Hale, like Gary Keller, sets a terrific example.

And Sean cares. He proves that daily.

What’s really cool is that we are celebrating our TENTH ANNIVERSARY as a market center later this year – we see ten plus more years ahead of continued success, and we welcome anyone to call, stop by or inquire online about what we are up to.

I know that this has been a long blog post, but I hope that it helps some of you who might be looking for some CONCENTRICITY!

We got it in Decatur…

Sellers can still get the highest possible list-to-sell ratio and sell their homes as quickly as possible if they are willing to put their trust in two time trusted principles of real estate: condition and price.

Since 72% of all sales transactions are “equity” transactions – not distressed, not some odd luxury transaction and not an estate sale, the chances are favorable for sellers who “get it.”

Here are the the top ten features that attract buyers according to the Keller Williams Realty International survey conducted for our 2011 Market Navigator booklet.

1. Location – favored by 69% of buyers

2. Neighborhood – favored by 55% of buyers

2. Floor plan – favored by 37% of buyers

3. Updates to the house – favored by 36% of buyers

4. Curb appeal – favored by 30% of buyers

5. Square footage – favored by 28% of buyers

6. Back yard – favored by 25% of buyers

7. A great kitchen – favored by 23% of buyers

8. Lot size – favored by 22% of buyers

9. Age of the home – favored by 18% of buyers

10. the final 4 – Garage, Style, Flooring and Commuting range – all favored by about 15% of buyers

If you are selling real estate in metro Atlanta – if you are distressed by a real estate problem in metro Atlanta – please call me. I am a capable navigator in this market, and I would appreciate the opportunity to help you accentuate the positive with your property…

We told everyone who had an interest in the eventual $217,000 sale of a gorgeous 4/2/1 in August 2009 that a nifty new shopping center is coming soon to Parkview. Now, it’s real – Parkview Station is coming in the Fall of 2010.

I’ve been hearing about the redevelopment of Parkview Plaza, a rather dilapidated and lowly looking 1960’s built shopping center, ever since I moved Intown in 1998. The rhetoric started to pick up in 2007, and lo and behold the roof is getting a skin over, the front facade is getting a facelift and the whole place will be filled with tenants by Autumn 2010…we hope.

Here’s  a video with a quick look at the project, shot on Monday February 8th.

So, if you’ve read my blog posts before, you know that I take occasional subjective leaps. Here’s another one:

Parkview is also the name of a storied drug and alcohol treatment center that once existed in Nashville, Tennessee.

Country music legend and pioneering television star, Porter Wagoner sang a song that Johnny Cash wrote for him, “Committed to Parkview” on his final LP and here is a video that he cut with Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives that offers a haunting interpretation of the lyrics that Mr. Cash wrote – the legend is that both Johnny and Porter were once patients at Parkview and ultimately, they both kicked some demons there…

The players on this shopping center redevelopment are all veterans of nearby redevelopment projects, so with a neighborly heart I want to see them succeed with a bustling shopping center filled with nice stores, bars, restaurants and healthy local businesses.

I took my old friends at The Fresh Market and their broker on an Intown tour back in 2007, and they concluded that the opportunities on Memorial would not work for them. I think that The Fresh Market would be a perfect fit in  our Kroger / Publix / Wayfield / Aldi / Piggly Wiggly world of eastern Dekalb County, but really, I’m selfish and what do I really know about shopping center demography?

I know that the redevelopment team are committed to Parkview Station, but lets hope that they don’t get “committed” to “Parkview” in the risky process of making money in commercial redevelopment nowadays…

On Friday, January 22 I filmed this quick look at the Home of the World Famous Ghetto Burger.

I saw that the property is listed for sale in my multiple listing service, so I decided that it was time for a couple of quick videos – this snack bar is a very successful “sole proprietorship.”

I like to call it a “soul proprietorship” because Miss Ann is the heart, and soul of her little place at 1615 Memorial Drive Kirkwood, ATL, Zone 6, GA 30317.

I’ve eaten here twice and waited for over an hour in a standing room only crowd, and left the premises, unfed, three times…

The burger is everything that “they” say that it is. They starts with the Wall Street Journal, and many other media mouthpieces and food-aholic burger-eaters.

But I’m not writing about burgers, I’m writing about Intown Atlanta real estate.

Here is a paraphrased version of  the listing agent’s public remarks:

“A snack bar – home of the Ghetto Burger. After 37 years, Ann is ready to sell.

Ann will agree to to stay for a period of time with the new owner.

The Ghetto Burger was named the “Best Burger in America” by the Wall Street Journal.”

If you watched the first video, then you saw my 2 minute, exterior review of the premises. As my friend Alex says – “it’s just a snack bar, right?”

Yes, a snack bar is exactly what it is. And, I’ll bet that the property is about 1/2 acre, with a little less than 100’ of Memorial Drive street frontage. Somebody built a sturdy little snack bar here in 1969, the listing agent advertises 20 parking spaces but I only count 5 or 6, and Miss Ann had property taxes last year of just $597.00…

I filmed this next video of the immediate commercial real estate neighbors nearby – certainly, this area is loaded with traffic, and if we get 2 more grocery stores “re-installed” within a mile of each other on Memorial by 2013, which is my prediction, then the traffic will get even heavier.

A grocery store and other decent retailers, are about to load up the Parkview Plaza, about 1/2 mile to the east, this year.

Right now the biggest driver of traffic on east Memorial Drive is Miss Ann.

How much is her $1.5 Million offering worth, without her?

Along the way, you’ll see the edges of Hawthorn Park’s 6 acre greenspace and you’ll see all 47 of the houses in Hawthorn Park, an island in the middle of Kirkwood.

You’ll see one of my competitors signs, leaning and lacking erection too – I always get a kick out of that, especially when the sign has only been in the ground for 18 hours.

But I digress…check this out – it even features an MLK Day civil rights music soundtrack with Stevie Wonder singing “Heaven Help Us All.”

Now, here’s the prettiest house in Kirkwood – from my perspective. It is impeccable. It’s priced under the recent average price for a new or newer 3 bedroom 2 and 1/2 bath property in 30317. It’s loaded with extras – check this video out. I start the video in the custom Master Bedroom closet…

If you want to study some photos and contemplate this house a little longer, please click here for the virtual tour.

Just $395,000!

Thanks for watching! Call me if you want to see “The Prettiest House in Kirkwood!”

So, someone asked – is Kirkwood, my neighborhood, a safe neighborhood?

Well, I live on an island in the middle of Kirkwood… I’ve lived here for 5 years. My wife and I are raising our young daughter here, and we join hundreds of other families in Kirkwood who are here doing the same thing.

In addition, hundreds of people have lived in Kirkwood for decades and crime is always a concern-check out some other Trulia Voices Q&A on crime, and you’ll see that this subject arises about Kirkwood and other Intown Atlanta neighborhoods, frequently.

Yeah, so my island is called Hawthorn Park-a 47 home community of recently built houses with a lovely 6 acre park next to it.

Before I lived in Kirkwood, I lived in APD Police Zone 6, in Inman Park. Zone 6 HQ is in Kirkwood, so I began visiting the neighborhood back in 1998. Kirkwood has way less crime than we did back then, and for 2 years we have had a terrific citizen run Security Patrol that adds about 25 hours of uniformed patrolling a week, in addition to the 2 police beat officers that patrol the area, 24×7.

That being said, we have our share of crime. If you live in the city limits, you are 4x more likely to be a crime victim than if you do not.

Start there.

Is Kirkwood safe? Well, let’s look at it like I do when I’m advising my clients-qualifying a Kirkwood purchase starts with understanding that your Kirkwood purchase requires a street by street, immediate neighbor by immediate neighbor evaluation. Choose the right house. Once you purchase, choose to be practical with basic, smart security.

Simple.

Is Kirkwood “safe?”

Well, we had a storm 3 weeks ago that ripped down some old growth trees and if you were standing underneath one of those trees, then you were certainly in an “unsafe” part of Kirkwood that night.

We barely had one crime on my island in 5 years and it happened back in September.

Barely-some dudes tried to break in to what they thought was a vacant house, but my neighbor was inside. He screamed like a girl, and they scrammed.

Safety is relative.

For those who are concerned, well, there is always the suburbs, featuring a united nations of gangs, drunken yuppies on golf carts, Whitney Houston behind the wheel of an Escalade, steroid fueled rednecks, and murder/suicides on a much grander scale than us boring old Intowners can possibly create.

Take into account the following facts:

1. The <$200K price range had a more severe impact (-24.9 percentage points) on the percentage of listing price realized after a price reduction, but all price ranges are affected heavily when a reduction is necessary

2. The lower price range impact was likely amplified by the number of foreclosed properties in that price range

3. Between $200K and $999,999, Sellers who don’t price their property right the first time are losing anywhere from 5-8% on the sale … that doesn’t even account for the lost capital – time is money, and monthly debts must be paid, month after overpriced month

In the past 2 weeks, we’ve concluded the following, in addition to this bold statement about the effect of price reductions:

A. Sellers are paying some or all closing costs in about 71% of Intown transactions

B. Most Listing Agents and Sellers, most of the time are off by about 7% List vs. SOLD on Intown sales

C. The Median Sales Price is down 10.1% through the first half for the Intown neighborhoods we surveyed

Here are the submarkets that we studied…

1. Ansley Park and Morningside southward to Inman Park and Reynoldstown – that includes Midtown and VAHI

2. Eastside Atlanta Dekalb – the neighborhoods East of Moreland and Briarcliff, plus Johnson Estates and southward to Edgewood and Kirkwood – all North of I20

3. Southside Atlanta Fulton – Grant Park, Summerhill, Boulevard Heights, Ormewood Park, EAV

4. Greater Decatur – South of Mercer U, down to I20 at South Dekalb Mall

If you seek a detailed, street by street market analysis of your neighborhood, or if you are tired of hearing the same old thing from real estate agents and so-called property marketers, then call The Rootdown Group. You will be glad that you did…

A. Sellers are paying some or all closing costs in about 71% of Intown transactions

B. Most Listing Agents and Sellers, most of the time are off by about 7% List vs. SOLD on Intown sales

C. The Median Sales Price is down 10.1% through the first half for the Intown neighborhoods we surveyed

Here’s what we looked at…

1. Ansley Park and Morningside southward to Inman Park and Reynoldstown – that includes Midtown and VAHI

2. Eastside Atlanta Dekalb – the neighborhoods East of Moreland and Briarcliff, plus Johnson Estates and southward to Edgewood and Kirkwood – all North of I20

3. Southside Atlanta Fulton – Grant Park, Summerhill, Boulevard Heights, Ormewood Park, EAV

4. Greater Decatur – South of Mercer U, down to I20 at South Dekalb Mall

So, those who get this get the quick sale. We’ve found that most of ya want a quick sale, don’t ya?

The Rootdown Group gives good advice to Sellers - call us. We would appreciate the opportunity to earn your business.

Seller Paid Closing Costs

1. Ansley Park and Morningside southward to Inman Park and Reynoldstown – that includes Midtown and VAHI

2. Eastside Atlanta Dekalb – the neighborhoods East of Moreland and Briarcliff, plus Johnson Estates and southward to Edgewood and Kirkwood – all North of I20

3. Southside Atlanta Fulton – Grant Park, Summerhill, Boulevard Heights, Ormewood Park, EAV

4. Greater Decatur – South of Mercer U, down to I20 at South Dekalb Mall

Based on my experience, these numbers seem even higher  – like 90% of the time or more. That being said, I’ve also experienced two transactions this Summer where appraisal almost caused the deal to fall apart and the Buyers ended up paying their own closing costs, among other concessions, in order to make the deal work.

It’s business as “unusual!”