|
| ||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||
With a combined 11 years of real estate experience, Chastain, Jenkins and Leathers incorporates a fresh approach to Real Estate sales, marketing, consultation and property management..
The firm focuses primarily on new construction and is involved in all phases of real estate sales including land acquisition, concept development, product design, marketing implementation, and sales to closing.
Athens "Goes Green"¯ to Host 2nd Annual Green Life Expo
4 February 2010 | 11:42 am
Athens was recently voted one of the "50 Greenest Cities in the nation"¯ by Popular Science Magazine, so the timing of this event could not be more perfect. The Classic Center and the Athens-Clarke County Recycling division hosted the 2nd annual Green Life Expo January 29th and 30th. After its huge success last year, characterized by sold out booth space and attendance in the thousands, this year was sure to bring even more people together to learn about how "going green"¯ helps save the environment and save you money.
Guests were encouraged to bring recyclables including electronics and Styrofoam to the conference, where Athens-Clarke County would collect them to be transformed into other usable goods. Friday's events were aimed at the business community, featuring seminars ranging from "Benefits of Building Green"¯ to "Think Green, Be Green, and Save Green with Styrofoam Recycling"¯, while families were encouraged to bring the kids on Saturday to learn about gardening, eating locally, and outdoor fun. Along with more than 15 educational seminars, the expo allowed local companies to set up booths on the showroom floor to showcase their expertise in environmentally friendly business endeavors.
Veronica Imery, Chastain, Jenkins and Leathers, LLC's very own NAR Green Designated Realtor, set up a booth at the Green Life Expo with her husband's company, Energy RaterCorp. RaterCorp performs energy ratings on new and existing homes, and received a positive response at the expo. Veronica enjoyed meeting new and interesting people at the expo and informing them about her green designation. "People were surprised there is a green designation for Realtors,"¯ she says. Veronica's designation enables her to better recognize green features in homes, especially structural components that decrease total energy consumption. She hopes in the future to be able to help sellers identify what makes their home green, because those factors have become increasingly valuable to homebuyers in recent years. 
"I think we've gotten a lot of things that make our lives more comfortable, but at the same time we need to start thinking over what we are doing for our kids and grandkids and how we can be sure we have all the natural resources we need [in the future],"¯ Veronica says.
People in Athens are already taking steps to green their lives, like riding bikes or walking, moving closer to work and school, or eating locally, but there is so much that can still be done. Events like the Green Life Expo are wonderful methods for educating a large amount of people on simple steps they can take to relieve some of the pressure on the environment as well as their wallets.
Single Cup o' Joe
19 January 2010 | 12:16 pm
Sarah Chastain Ellis, our Broker writes:
“This year for Christmas my father-in-law gave us a Keurig coffee maker. I had not ever really heard much about them, and I certainly had not used one. However, I can’t really imagine not having one now.
They are the best thing to happen to coffee! It also brews the world’s perfect cup of tea. Amazing! And it’s the cleanest coffee maker on the world—-which makes my clean freak husband happy. We love the variety of coffee and teas you can choose from, and everyone can have a different cup in only 15 seconds. The only bad part is that while they certainly have great coffee choices, I am ready to see Athens-own Jittery Joe’s in K-cups. Not only do we love to support local, but we really love their coffee! So, Jittery Joe’s, Bob Googe, and others, what can you tell us? Any negotiations in the works?”
Energy Star Tax Credits
8 January 2010 | 9:57 am
Are you curious if your house is eligible for some dramatic savings on your income taxes this year? Before you file, check out this link below to see if your house qualifies for the Energy Star Tax Credits!
http://energystar.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/energystar.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php
New Policy to Keep Homes Out of Foreclosure
4 January 2010 | 8:57 am
The Obama administration announced a policy change that could greatly affect the housing market allowing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac the opportunity to offer some greater loan modification programs to homeowners in distress. This could keep the number of homes out of foreclosure and help declining home values in high-foreclosure areas. To read the entire article, please see below:
“The Obama administration announced a blockbuster policy change over the holidays that didn’t get a lot of press attention, but will affect the housing market for years.
The Treasury department said it is now committed to support Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with as many billions of dollars as is necessary to get them through the next three years. There’ll be no limit whatsoever anymore.
Previously the Treasury had limited its support to $200 billion apiece for the two formerly-private, now government-controlled, mortgage finance giants.
From here on, the Treasury said in its policy announcement, there will no "uncertainty about the (government’s) commitment to support the firms as they continue to play a vital role in the housing market during the current crisis."¯
Though some critics howled that the Obama administration is writing a blank check, the significance of the move for real estate is potentially huge, for several reasons.
Number one: Fannie and Freddie provide funding for well over half the U.S. mortgage market — making home sales and purchases possible for hundreds of thousands of consumers.
Number two: The fact that the two companies have an explicit, full faith and credit backstop from the U.S. Treasury means that Fannie and Freddie can borrow in the capital markets at more favorable rates. Those lower costs of capital can then be passed along – at least in part – to home loan borrowers in the form of lower interest rates.
Finally, a key reason for the policy change – which also included permission for the firms to retain larger mortgage-asset portfolios – is to help Fannie and Freddie provide deeper loan modification assistance to greater numbers of seriously troubled borrowers.
Both companies are now expected to reach out and offer loan principal forgiveness to delinquent and underwater home owners – something that the current Obama loan modification program does not permit.
Partly as a result, Obama’s "Home Affordable Modification Program,"¯ or "HAMP,"¯ has been only minimally successful in attracting the participation of borrowers in the deepest trouble – especially those so far behind and underwater that they are walking away from their houses, sending back the keys to their lenders – and ultimately losses to Fannie and Freddie.
If the revised policy helps keep larger numbers of home owners out of foreclosure and out of walk away mode, the impact on local real estate markets and home values could be significant over the coming couple of years.”
-Kenneth R. Harney for Realty Times
Keep Your Home Safe for the Holidays
22 December 2009 | 9:21 am
The Athens Clarke County Police Department is advising homeowners and tenants in Athens to be extra careful this holiday season. Most of the tips below are common sense, but it’s easy to forget important habits in the hustle and bustle of family and friends. Take a minute to read through this list—it could be a good checklist for implementing a safe routine before and while you are away.
- Lock all doors (utilizing deadbolts if available) and windows upon embarking on your holiday trips. If you have a sliding glass door in your home or apartment, place a dowel or commercially available sliding door lock in the channel.
- Arm your alarm system whenever you leave your home, especially for an extended period. Also make sure that you have updated emergency contacts with both your alarm company and the police department. (*If you need to update the police department, call (706)613-3345 to do so.)
- Consider the purchase of a light timer, or leave lights on prior to leaving. If you are environmentally conscious, use a CFL bulb to save on energy usage.
- If leaving for your holiday trip, consider taking high value items with you, or in the case of larger items that are hard to move, consider moving them to a closet to conceal them. (Examples of the sorts of items that have been frequently stolen in our recent burglaries are: laptop computers, flat-screen televisions, gaming systems like the PS3 or XBOX360, iPods and other mp3 players, and jewelry.)
- If you have friends or neighbors that you trust that are staying behind, ask them to keep an eye on your home/apartment.
Give Some Local Cheer This Year
10 December 2009 | 2:15 pm
The holidays are a great time to be in Athens. Because the Classic City is home to so many talented artists, we have the privilege of shopping locally for Christmas gifts. From handmade mittens to fine art, you can find something for everyone on your list at one of the many holiday markets. This weekend we plan on attending a few of these exciting sales!
The Holiday Sale at Mary Engle's studio in our very own Leathers building, Thursday, Dec.10 from 5pm-9pm is sure to be full of exquisite finds. It will feature wall pieces, plates and sculpture by Mary Engle and jewelry by Courtney DiCarlo. For more information, visit her website:
White Tiger Holiday Market from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, December 12, at White Tiger Gourmet, 217 Hiawassee Ave. will be stocked with a variety of handmade and vintage items made by Kenneth Kase and other local artisans, along with tasty treats from White Tiger.
www.whitetigergourmet.com or (706) 353-6847
Brick House Studio Holiday Market will take place on Sunday Dec. 13 from noon-5pm at Brick House Studio in Crawford.
Happy Shopping!
More Water News for Clarke County
2 December 2009 | 7:33 am
The Athens Banner Herald reported in Sunday's paper that new business and residences could start pouring into Northeast Georgia in a couple of years. In July, a federal judge ruled that Atlanta has been taking water illegally from Lake Lanier for decades, and in 2012 the Army Corps of Engineers will be tightening Atlanta's water usage from Lake Lanier, forcing residents and businesses to move to better hydrated counties. Barrow, Jackson, Clarke and Oconee Counties all pull their water from the Bear Creek Reservoir and all are nowhere near their capacity for usage from that reservoir—-some counties using only an estimated 1/5 of their allotted water each month. Oconee County Commission Chairman said, "Growth follows the water lines. That's just the way it is."¯ With the opening of the Hard Labor Creek Regional Reservoir in Walton County in 2014, we should have plenty of water in our area!
View the article: http://onlineathens.com/stories/112909/new_530036237.shtml
Free Water Saving Devices from The ACC Water Business Office
19 November 2009 | 9:08 am
Did you know that as an Athens-Clarke County resident, you can get valuable water-saving devices at no charge?
You just need to follow the following steps:
1. Complete the water audit form in the brochure "How Water Efficient is Your Household?” which you can get by calling the Water Conservation Coordinator at 706-613-3729 or by visiting http://www.accpublicutilities.com/index.asp
2. Bring completed form, or your water bill, to the Water Conservation Coordinator at the Bobby M Snipes Water Resource Center, 780 Barber St
3. Pick out the water-saving kit you want:
- Indoor water-saving kit, includes high efficiency shower head, aerators, and leak detection tablets
- Outdoor water-saving kit, includes hose nozzle, soil, moisture meter, and hose repair kit.
For more information contact the Water Conservation Coordinator at 706-613-3729 or marilynhall@co.clarke.ga.us
Hotel Indigo: Another Great Addition to Athens
2 November 2009 | 7:56 am
Stephanie Leathers writes:
“I took a tour of the Hotel Indigo in Downtown Athens, GA yesterday with my good friend and colleague, Richard Moore. Robert Jahn, the General Manager gave us the grand tour of the facility. Athens’ only Gold Leed Certified Hotel I learned is one of only five in the nation. Another gemstone in Athens, the Hotel Indigo is so incredibly cool in it’s aesthetic – “Southern Farmhouse Modern” is the way Jahn says their designer has coined the look! We positively loved it! The courtyard is very inviting and we were intrigued by the water feature and it’s environmentally friendly re-use of the water from the catchment system. Richard and I agreed that we would love to return for the Wednesday evening “Canine Cocktail Hour” where guests are invited to bring their pets for an after work drink. We saw a queen and king suite that were delightful in their attention to detail (stainless steel recycling buckets in the rooms – also, a Guide To Athens in every room could not be missed!) We saw the VIP Penthouse Suites that are too much fun with a billiards table and baby blue baby grand piano! The Rialto Room downstairs is Athens best kept new secret – a truly grown up space for entertainment. I am excited to go back. Thanks to the team who has put this hotel and music venue in Athens, GA.”
Stephanie Leathers is a REALTOR with Chastain, Jenkins and Leathers, LLC in Athens, GA. Her office is located on Pulaski Street in the historic Leathers Building. She can be reached at 706.255.6239 or via the web site www.cjandl.com.
Home-Buyer Tax Credit Extended!
29 October 2009 | 9:25 am
The senate has agreed to extend and expand the current tax credit! On Wednesday the Senate voted to extend the tax credit and to expand it to current homeowners, not just first time home-buyers. Now homeowners who have owned their house more than 5 years are eligible for a $6500 federal tax credit if they sell their current house and buy a new home.
First-time homebuyers who go under contract by April 30, 2010, and close on their home by June 30, 2010, are eligible for an $8000 federal credit.
Read more here:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/2009-10-28-homebuyer-tax-credit-deal_N.htm
