Ernst & Young Announces IT Center in Alpharetta

On the heels of the General Motors announcing that they will open an IT Innovation Center in Roswell, creating 1,00o jobs over then next 3-5

Ernst & Young announces plans to open a global IT center in Alpharetta.

years Ernst & Young announced that it will also be opening a global IT center in Alpharetta within  5 years. The Ernst & Young facility will create approximately 400 new jobs. The new positions will be filled by a combination of new employees and relocating existing employees.

IT and software are the largest contributor to Georgia’s economy and workforce. In recent years North Fulton specifically has become known as a great place for IT and tech companies. Alpharetta is in the top 10 of cities considered for tech jobs and IT start-ups on multiple lists. In an interview with Trade & Industry Development, mayor David Belle Isle of Alpharetta was quoted as saying:

“We are excited to welcome EY to Alpharetta, the Technology City of the South,. This decision serves as a continuing reminder that more and more global companies look to Alpharetta as the No. 1 city to locate their technology efforts.”  

The next few years we are going to see big changes in the landscape and employment possibilities in North Fulton.  While not IT related, The Avalon development  has already broken ground  and we will see the positive impact of that project in the next 12 – 18 months. It will add jobs and housing to our communities. These two powerhouses are not only going to add jobs, but continue to make North Fulton known as a place for technology. This is an exciting time to live in our area!

Read Full Post »

General Motors to Create 1000 Jobs in Roswell

On last Thursday some very exciting news came out of Governor Nathan Deal’s office. It was enough to make everyone in North Fulton end their

General Motors brings jobs to Roswell. Photo © General Motors.

week with a smile on their face. General Motors will open an IT Innovation Center in Roswell, creating 1,00o jobs over then next 3-5 years. The Roswell location will be one of four such centers across the U.S., two of which are already open in Austin, Texas and Warren, Michigan. The fourth will be announced later this year.

According to GM’s Chief Information Officer, Randy Mott,

These Innovation Centers will design and deliver IT that drives down the cost of ongoing operations while continuously increasing the level and speed at which innovative products and services are available to our GM customers.

The company plans to begin recruitment immediately for database experts, developers, project managers, and other IT professionals. This is great news for college graduates and industry veterans looking for a new challenge.

It is also great news for homeowners looking to sell their existing home. Such a large volume of jobs, will undoubtedly bring more buyers into North Fulton communities. If you have been putting off getting your home ready to list, don’t wait any longer.  Finish those last jobs you have planned or give The Cueny Team a call if you are having trouble figuring out where to begin. Our team is experienced in helping sellers assess their homes and determine what can be done to grab a buyers attention. It will probably be easier than you think and it always helps to have a fresh pair of eyes! We are ready for you!

To read more about the new plant opening visit The North Fulton Chamber of Commerce website.

Read Full Post »

The Atlanta Beltline makes intown trips faster

Atlanta has long been a car-centric city, but the Eastside Beltline’s opening is providing residents of nearby neighborhoods an alternative to the car. Despite the possibility of sitting in traffic, is the car still a faster option?

FOX 5′s Justin Gray decided to put it to the test by seeing which could get across town quicker: a bike, a car or a runner. They began at one end of a newly-paved trail in Inman Park and headed to Piedmont Park – a 2.25 mile trip on the trail.

So who won? Click the video to find out!

Click the video to find out who reaches Piedmont Park first!

Read Full Post »

Homes for Sale in Crabapple Crossing Elementary School District

Crabapple Crossing Elementary is one of the best schools in North Fulton and was named a 2012 National Blue Ribbon school. Check out this selection of homes for sale in the Crabbapple Crossing district.

Secluded private estate with 7 bedrooms, 6 full and 3 half baths. Offered at $1,999,900 by Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty. Please click on the image for more photos and additional information.

Custom showcase home on lake with 7 bedrooms, 7 full and 3 half baths on 2.43 acres in premier neighborhood. Offered at $1,250,000 by Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty. Please click on the image for more photos and additional information.

Surrounded by award winning schools, parks, and dining why not call this 6 bedroom, 6 full and 2 half bath estate home! Offered at $999,000 by Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty. Please click on the image for more photos and additional information.

Wonderful traditional home with finished terrace level located on a private professionally landscaped lot with 4 bedrooms, 3 full and 1 half baths. Offered at $399,000 by Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty. Please click on the image for more photos and additional information.

Beautiful five bedroom home in sought-after swim/tennis subdivision, Brierfield. Offered at $364,900 by Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty. Please click on the image for more photos and additional information.

Also to search more homes for sale in Crabapple Crossing Elementary click here to search homes for sale in this area on my website.

Read Full Post »

Walkway Landscaping Offers a Friendly Welcome

Add color and curb appeal to your home with a statement-making front landscape

Sprawling and beautifully manicured front yards line the streets of Metro Atlanta, no doubt about it. A well-landscaped yard creates curb appeal and helps your property retain maximum value. The walkway to your front door is one of the most important elements of the overall landscape because it greets guests to your home even before you do!

So whether you prefer something simple to fit into your traditional exterior or crave something extraordinary for a grand estate, there’s a perfect landscape scheme for every front walk. Below are a few tips and tricks, as well as shining examples of how to spruce up your outdoor spaces.

Green up the grass

If your house has a front yard, make sure it‘s neat and green. You don’t want bare spots, sprawling weeds, or an untrimmed appearance.

“It’s so simple to go to Home Depot, buy fertilizer, apply it every six weeks, and water it,” says Mitch Kalamian, a landscape designer. “It will green up.”

If the yard looks really scruffy, you may decide to invest in some sod. According to the National Gardening Association, the average cost of sod is 15 to 35 cents per sq. ft. If you hire a landscaper to sod your yard for you, labor will add 30% to 50% to the total cost of the project.

This Milton home for sale at 545 Treyburn View features a very green, well manicured lawn. Currently listed at $559,000, click on the image for more photos and information from Andrea Cueny of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty.

Add colorful planting beds

Flower beds add color and help enliven otherwise plain areas, such as along driveways and the edges of walkways. In general, annual flowers are a bit cheaper but must be replaced every year. Perennials cost a bit more but come back annually and usually get larger or spread with each growing season.

If you’re not sure what to plant, inquire at your local garden center. Often, they’ll have a display of bedding plants chosen for their adaptability to your area. Also, they‘ll be inexpensive because they’re in season, says Peter Mezitt, president of Weston Nurseries in Hopkinton, Mass. Try pansies in the summer, and asters and mums in the fall to add vibrant color. “That’s what we do around the entrance to our garden center,” Mezitt says.

Line it up

A row of simple shrubbery flanking the walkway to your front door feels clean and classic. Boxwoods are a great choice for imitating the look of one cohesive hedge.

Currently listed at $369,000, this beautiful brick home in Marietta features shrubbery that lines the driveway and directs you to the front walk. Click on the image for more photos and information of 143 Gant Quarters Lane from Andrea Cueny of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty.

For longer front walks, try incorporating shrubbery with different layers of height. Multiple heights add depth to a landscape and tall shrubs can mimic the effect of a beautiful gate.

5215 Estate View Trace in Suwanee is currently listed at $489,000. Along the front walkway shrubbery with different layers of height frame the front porch and highlight the dramatic double doors. Click on the image for more photos and information from Andrea Cueny of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty.

Add landscape lighting

For homeowners who have made a sizeable investment in landscaping, it makes sense to think about adding another 10% to 15% to the bill for professional lighting. “You can’t see landscaping after dark,“ says Brandon Stephens, vice president of marketing for a landscape lighting firm in Lubbock, Texas, “and buyers are not always looking at houses on a Saturday afternoon.”

The cost of a system runs from $200 for a DIY installation to more than $4,000 for a professional job. If you‘re doing it on your own, the key is to light what you want people to see, such as mature trees and flowering shrubs.

Source: HouseLogic

Read Full Post »

Sotheby’s International Realty Acknowledges Record Sales in Atlanta

Sotheby’s International Realty releases a monthly newsletter to all affiliate offices announcing record sales and upcoming brand news. I am so proud to announce that they featured our company and one of my sold listings!

Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty in Atlanta, Ga., was number one in sales over $1 million in the metro area year-to-date as of April 30, according to Trendgraphix. They also were number one in Buckhead for sales above $750,000 for the same period!

Mark Bhaggan’s listing, 2750 Habersham Road, the third highest sale in Atlanta in 2011.

The firm recently enjoyed two record sales as well. Mark Bhaggan sold a $6.5 million home there, the third highest sale in all of Atlanta for 2011.

The second most expensive home sold in North Atlanta, 215 Manor Lake Way, also known as Mariposa.

Andrea Cueny and Rhonda Haran also sold a $2.17 million home in Alpharetta in just 33 days! It was the second highest sale in the North Atlanta market in 2011.

The firm also recently opened its third office, located at 1545 Peachtree Street in Atlanta!

Read Full Post »

Luxury condos finally see significant sales uptick

Source: Atlanta Business Chronicle

Written by Anne Schwall. Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty’s SkyRise Group Vice President

First quarter sales for the Atlanta housing market have confirmed what real estate agents having been praying over for the last four years: housing sales are up.

Better yet, they have continued to stay strong.

Brokerages are experiencing sales volumes they have not seen in five years. At Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, closed transactions during April topped $100 million, a record in sales volume since the founding of the company five years ago- a great sign the market is truly rebounding.

The most telling sign of a market recovery is that sales are up in all housing sectors, single family and condominium in both Buckhead and the submarkets just outside Buckhead, according to statistics from First Multiple Listing Service.

The luxury condominium market, which has felt the greatest residential pangs in this downturn, is finally seeing a significant uptick in sales. The Sovereign, within the 50-story Buckhead mixed-use tower 3344 Peachtree, closed seven luxury condominium transactions in the first quarter, with an average sales price of more than $1.6 million each.

These first quarter sales numbers match the sales numbers for all of 2011.

There is a wide spectrum of pricing in the luxury condominium market. Homes at the St Regis are at the top of the list, topping over $750 per square foot. Even at this ultra premium pricing, the St Regis closed two homes in the first quarter with an average sales price of more than $4 million.

Another project in the luxury segment is the Ritz Carlton Residences, which averages $360 per square foot. The Ritz sold 11 condos during the first quarter at an average sales price of $800,000.

All of these luxury properties are located in Buckhead and boast the most prestigious addresses on Peachtree Road or West Paces Ferry.

Stepping just outside of Buckhead, another property in the luxury market that also experienced first quarter sales success is the Aberdeen in Vinings, where four homes sold during the first quarter with an average sales price of $900,000.

These strong sales in the luxury market mirror the same robust sales at all price points for the condominium and townhome markets of both Fulton and Cobb County. Sales at all price points for residential attached homes are up 9 percent in both counties from first quarter 2011. As inventories continue to shrink and supply and demand get back in line over the next several months pricing, yes, might even begin to inch upward making a true rebound sustainable.

Read Full Post »

Beat the Summer Heat with Atlanta’s Splash Playgrounds

Roswell now has two premiere spraygrounds for you to enjoy this season. Opening Memorial Day Weekend, you will double your fun all summer long. Photo Credit: City of Roswell, GA

We all love our local neighborhood pool but one of the best ways to have fun with your kids in the summer is to visit one of the many splash fountains around town. Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty gathered a list of the metro Atlanta water playgrounds, fountains and spraygrounds. Here are some budget friendly places to beat the heat and have fun. Don’t forget to pack sunscreen, a water bottle, a towel and perhaps a change of clothes!

Perkerson Park Splash Pad - Intown Atlanta

Funding for the Perkerson Park splash pad came from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation through the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs. The splash pad features the artwork of Maria Artemis in a series of granite boulders that form a fountain and double as seating. In-ground spray elements are designed for three age groups: young children, four to seven years old, and eight years and up.

Admission is free, and the hours are 6:00 am-11:00 pm every day.

Big Splash Fountain – Suwanee

Suwanee’s Town Center Park hosts this fountain. It’s big and has geysers of varying heights, which means that everyone from one-year-olds to teens can have fun. It also has a great location – surrounded by the restaurants of Town Center Park, the amphitheater, and a large grassy field. You can ride bikes or walk dogs on the trails around the fountain, and there are a couple of good choices for ice cream as well.

Big Splash Fountain is open from 10:30-9:30 daily, from April 1 – October 1. Admission is free.

Duluth Town Green – Duluth

Town Green in Duluth is a lovely place surrounded by grassy terraces and porch swings. They also have an amphitheater and a few restaurants, including an ice cream shop. The splash fountain in the middle is circular with a large center geyser.

Admission is free, and the hours are 9:00-10:00 every day.

Village Pavilion Fountain at Mall of Georgia – Buford

This fountain is basically a big circle, but you are at the second largest mall in the Southeast, and there’s a lot going on. Visit the  food court and many other restaurants that are nearby for a bite to eat before water play!

Admission is free, and the hours are 10-9 M-Sa and 12-6 on Sunday.

Sunflower Fountain at Atlanta Botanical Garden – Intown Atlanta

The Botanical Garden is great for kids! You might think it’s just a nice place to take your mom, but many exhibits have appeal for children (carnivorous plants, anyone?), and they have a separate children’s garden. Furthermore, they realize that people visiting the garden in the summer will be braving the heat, and they provide misters throughout. Best of all, at the entrance to the children’s garden, there is a small splash fountain area. It’s very charming and sunflower themed. There are bathrooms located conveniently next door.

Admission to the Botanical Garden is $18.95 for adults and $12.95 for children 3 and above. They are closed on Mondays.

Centennial Olympic Park Fountain of Rings – Intown Atlanta

The Olympic Park Fountain is undoubtedly the most famous fountain in Atlanta. Plenty of parking surrounds the park, and many musical, film, and family events take place there. You’ll also find a children’s playground.

Daily music shows at the fountain occur at 12:30, 3:30, 6:30, and 9:00. The park is open from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and admission is free.

Laurel Park Sprayground – Gainesville

Laurel Park Sprayground is in a huge lovely park that, in addition to ball fields, playgrounds, and lake views, also has a water playground for kids. It only costs $1.00, and it’s very well designed. The variety of sprinklers and water sprayers will keep children playing for hours. The outer edge of the fenced-in sprayground has benches and picnic tables, and the floor slopes in toward the center, so you don’t have to get wet if you don’t want to.

Open late May – Sept. 1. 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; Noon-5:00 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays. Admission: $1. Recommended for children 11 and younger.

Roswell Spraygrounds – Roswell

Roswell has two spraygrounds: one at Riverside Park and one at East Roswell Park. Both parks have great playgrounds as well.

Open for the season on Memorial Day weekend. Hours are 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Riverside Park’s fountain is closed on Tuesdays, and East Roswell Park’s fountain is close on Wednesdays. Admission is $1.

Did we find them all? Do you know of any not listed here? Leave a comment with additional ideas to beat the summer heat!

Sources: Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty company blog and About.com

Read Full Post »

State of the Atlanta real estate market – first quarter 2012

David Boehmig, Co-Founder and President of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty takes three minutes to describe the state of the Atlanta residential real estate market as first quarter 2012 closes.

Filmed at the Sovereign, a luxury condominium building located in Buckhead.

Significant Recovery in Condo Market in Atlanta – First Quarter 2012

$15 million in sales YTD 2012 have happened at the Sovereign, and the overall Atlanta condo market is seeing a recovery as well.  Units under contract have increase 34% over same quarter in 2011, and the average sales price of multi-family homes is up also.

Single Family market – Metro Atlanta

New sales activities have increased 16% on homes under contract Q1 2012 vs Q2 2011

Homes over $150k – have increased 12% quarter over quarter and homes listed at over $500k have increased by 6%

Buckhead

Pending home sales – highest month of pendings in April compared to the previous 15 months

Intown

Days on Market – has dropped from 96 days to 89 days

Alpharetta/North Atlanta

Pending sales – there were 600 last year Q1, and in Q1 2012, there are 700 homes that have sold

Consumers and buyers are seeing this as a great time to buy.  Altanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty is experiencing wonderful internal growth as well.  Now is the time to buy…begin your search for a new home in metro Atlanta here.

Interested in the luxury market of Atlanta mansions? Check out the top five most expensive homes sold through April 30, 2012 here. 

Read Full Post »

Beautiful living rooms in homes for sale Intown Atlanta

This soothing living room is just the first lovely impression in a home that has been entirely renovated. Located ideally in Virginia Highlands at 890 Drewry Street. Offered at $595,000 by Andrea Cueny of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty. Please click on the image for more photos and additional information.

Only blocks from Atlanta/Midtown’s Piedmont Park, this renovated home located at 356 6th Street has beautiful hardwood floors and an exposed hardwood ceiling in this cozy living room. Offered at $415,000 by Andrea Cueny of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty. Please click on the image for more photos and additional information.

A beautiful townhome in Buckhead, 1101 Collier Road is located near the interstate, shopping and restaurants. The cheery living room features hardwood floors and is easily hosts large furniture. Offered at $141,900 by Andrea Cueny of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty. Please click on the image for additional photos and information.

Read Full Post »