Homeowners are adding outdoor spaces to their homes that are much more like indoor living areas. From outdoor kitchens to outdoor living rooms, buyers are spending time outdoors with friends and family while entertaining. Angelo Surmelis, host of 24 Hour Design on HGTV says, "Homeowners are creating spaces outdoors even in cool clients, and finding ways to use them all[...]
I am saddened to report the death of Judi Lovall earlier this week. She was a true icon of the Atlanta real estate industry and we will all miss her. Lovall's 30 year career in new home sales and marketing started in South Florida where she sold condos for more than a decade. She moved to Atlanta in the 1990s[...]
The trend toward green building seems to be garnering further support and momentum. Nation's Building News, the official online weekly newspaper of NAHB, sites statistics on the importance of energy efficiency to homeowners. They site the 2006 Energy Pulse survey by the Shelton Group. This study finds that 86-percent of Americans would choose a home based on its energy efficiency. Interestingly[...]
We pleased to announce that www.AtlantaRealEstateForum.com is consistently ranked as one of the nation's top 50 real estate blogs by www.BlogTopSpots.com/real-estate/ The blog, launched in fall 2006, was created to disseminate news about Atlanta's real estate industry. This site offers information for industry insiders, as well as those searching for their first home. Topics on the blog range from job[...]
A recent article by the Atlanta Journal Constitution states that growth in suburban Atlanta has "all but destroyed" prospects of preserving Civil War battlefields in Cobb County. Several sites in Cobb County have been named among America's 10 most endangered. Cobb County's 2884 acre Kennesaw Mountain Battefield Park preserves historic earthworks, cannon emplacements and monuments. The day use park operates from[...]
Atlanta Sales & Marketing Council (SMC) won the GOLD award at the Nationals for Best Sales & Marketing Council (250 - 500 members) for the 2005 - 2006 year. This award, presented by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) during the International Builders Show, honors Sales & Marketing Councils for outstanding organization, programs, education, community involvement, promotion and membership[...]
After visiting the Sharp Residential clubhouse at Parkstone on Thursday, I realized that people in Atlanta can get lots of decorating ideas at the model homes in many different communities. Many of these are decorated by designers and people in the real estate industry who have an eye for design. The clubhouse at Parkstone is beautiful -- a large kitchen with[...]
Day one of the Social Media Conference was very informative. Marilynn T. Mobley, Senior VP with Edelman presented an excellent session. She encourages anyone thinking about launching a blog to think like a CEO and to review the following items: Why do we need to do this? What's the real cost (launch & employee time)? What's the ROI - is it going to make[...]
I'm participating in a 2-day seminar on Jan 30 & 31 presented by Business Capital Edge. Called Social Media 2007, it focuses on blogging and podcasting. Here are a few of the areas they will address: how to achieve corporate buy-in to launch a social media program steps to setting up and managing an effective blog how to market a blog internal and[...]
David Clough has been named President of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association. Founder of Waterford Homes, Clough has been in the residential construction business for 32 years. "Service will be the theme of my year at the helm of the HBA -- service to our members, to our industry and to our customers, today's home owners," Clough said. "I'm excited[...]