SOLDbyNat.com Real Estate Services

There are many reasons for wanting to have a home of your own like a place to raise your family, share with friends and feel safe and secure.  While investment opportunities rank high for most people based on the fact that homeowners’ net worth is over forty times higher than that of renters, so do the tax benefits that reduce tax liability. Taxpayers who have owned and used a home for at least two out of the last five years, can exclude a maximum of $250,000 of gain as a single taxpayer and up to $500,000 of gain for married taxpayers filing jointly. If the gain on a principal residence exceeds the allowed exclusion, the balance is taxed at the lower long-term capital gains rate rather than the marginal tax rate of the homeowner. Homeowners can deduct the interest paid on up to $1,000,000 of acquisition debt used to buy, build or improve their first or second home.  They may also deduct the interest on up to $100,000 over acquisiti...

Congratulations to these SMART SELLERS !  See why selling their home during the winter paid off BIG... While most homeowners interested in selling don't want to be bothered during the winter/holidays and are going to wait until the Spring, these sellers made a brilliant decision to do the opposite and it paid off. They were under contract in under 2 weeks and received multiple offer! It may be cold out, but the market is still hot! If you are thinking about SELLING YOUR HOME, here are a few reasons you should not wait until it warms up. In the winter, inventory is lower by an average of 20% and so is competition. In the winter time, people who are searching for a home are   serious   buyers.  How many “tire kickers” do you know who are willing to get out there and search for a home in the cold, rain, wind or snow? In the winter time, the amount of traffic going through a client’s home is much less because there are less people in the marke...

Everyone knows that ice can make a drink cool or reduce swelling, but if you put it on your cell phone, it might just save your life. The concept is simple.  Make a contact record in your address book with the name “ICE”, which stands for In Case of Emergency.  In the note section of the record, you would list your name, blood type and medical conditions along with prescriptions and physicians.  You’d also list the people and their phone numbers that can be contacted in case of an emergency. Several years ago, a British first responder came up with the idea when his emergency unit responded to a call where the victim was unable to communicate due to illness or trauma.  The victim’s wallet didn’t indicate specific persons to be notified in an emergency.  The fireman went through his cell phone to try to identify a relative and wasn’t successful. That’s when he came up with the idea of a universal entry into ...

Appreciation and tax savings are legitimate contributors to an overall rate of return on rental real estate but what if you didn’t consider them at all.  If you only looked at one or two, very conservative measurements, you might decide to invest especially knowing that there are more benefits that will accrue to your investment. If we bought a property for cash, collected the rent and paid the expenses, the amount left would be called Net Operating Income.  In the example below, if would generate $7,200 a year which would be a 7.02% cash on cash rate of return which is considerably higher than the current 10 year treasury rate of around 2.3%. If we place a mortgage on that property, the rate of return actually increases due to leverage.  After the principal and interest are paid, the net operating income obviously decreases but the cash on cash rate of return increases to 9.10% because the borrowed funds means less cash invested. Another contribution to th...

I love my neighborhood of Loganville, Georgia . First of all, I think my subdivision has great curb appeal. Spacious lots, wide streets, homeowners keep up their properties, and the HOA is active. Not to mention I have/had great neighbors! I don't have to go far at all for stores, restaurants , or fresh produce. There are several small businesses, and there is still a mix of city and country. Plus, the city is often putting on events and hosting opportunities for neighbors to get out and mingle. Being that I'm a Realtor and have sold home in many different cities in Georgia, I know everyone doesn't feel as warm as I do about my neighborhood. Being a Realtor has actually given me a better appreciation for it! Prior to getting into real estate, I worked my 9-5, came home, pulled in my garage, and put the door down before I got out. I knew my neighbors to the left and right of me, but that was about it. Can you relate? Becoming a real estate agent gave me the push to bec...

Congratulations to my clients on relocating to Georgia and buying this 7 bedroom, 5 full bathroom, 3 story home! I pray their family enjoys this home for many, many years to come. _____________________________ Working with this family made it ever so clear why it is important for buyers to have their own representation when making any home purchase; new construction or otherwise. Here is why... QUESTION: Buying a new construction home - Do I need an agent? ANSWER: The simple answer is YES! WHY: When you are buying ANY home, whether a resale or new construction, you need your own representation. Builder sales reps represent the builder. Often builders have their own agents on site to answer questions, assist people who walk in, and ultimately help with a purchase. Builder reps provide a valuable service: They can explain differences between models and floor plans and share information about financing options, upgrades and specials. But it’s important to remember that b...

Natasha, It's hard to put in words how you have changed our lives for the better . It's not just about getting us to a new house - lots of realtors could have done that. But it was the WAY you got us to the PERFECT new house for us… The first time we met you was on Labor Day, a holiday, when most offices are closed. We weren't your clients yet, you didn't even know us, and yet you were willing to meet a family of strangers, on a cold and rainy holiday, to go look at a house. From that very first day, you listened to us, you answered thousands of questions, and you were so patient with us . And you pushed us, just enough, to really identify exactly what we wanted, and then to take the steps to get it. We knew we wanted to sell our house… but you helped us sell it over the asking price by advising us about how to de-clutter, what to do with our pets, when to show the home, etc. We had offers on the first day!!! And you understood that our lifestyle - both...

Fresh holiday trees are beautiful, smell great and really add to the spirit of the season.  Following some proven safety tips might help you avoid a disaster and keep the Grinch away. Select a tree with fresh green needles that don’t fall off when touched or when the trunk is tapped on the ground. When trees are cut too early, they have a greater risk of drying out and can become more dangerous especially with electrical lights. Cut 1” to 2” off the base of the tree before placing it in the stand to facilitate it drawing water to the limbs and quills. Trees require water similar to cut flowers or they’ll dry out. Tree stands should hold at least one gallon of water and it should be checked every day.  A six foot tree could use up to a gallon of water every two days. Position the tree a minimum of three feet or further from heat source like fireplaces, space heaters, heat vents or candles.  ...