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THIS WEEK February 16th-March 1st Les Miserables Aurora Theatre February 16th-April 15th  The Art of T.J. Haugh Gwinnett Historic Courthouse February 16th-February 28th  All that Jazz Visual Interpretations The Lona Gallery February 16th - March 1st 4000 Miles Aurora Theatre Tuesday, February 24th 12:00 PM Not One Dollar More: How to Save in 2015 Cornerstone Coworking Saturday, February 28th 7:00 PM Mardi Gras Party Gwinnett Ballet Theatre Click for details    Thinking about relocating to Lawrenceville, GA?  Let's chat about what Lawrenceville and surrounding cities have to offer! You can reach me at (404) 857-2508 or email me . ------------------------------------------------------------...

There are many reasons people want a home with the most frequent responses being a place of their own, to raise their family, share with their friends and feel safe and secure.  These are all strong motivations fueling the American Dream of owning your own home . The motivation is so dominant that buyers are willing to make sacrifices to have their dream come true.  According to the 2014 National Association of REALTORS® Home Buyers and Sellers Survey, 72% of first-time buyers cut spending on luxury or non-essential items.  They also cut spending on entertainment, clothes and even cancelled vacation plans. The value of getting their own home is more important than the immediate gratification of things that are considered less important.  While qualifying guidelines were increased last year, there are still more buyers purchasing homes at near record-low mortgage rates.  Are you looking to purchase your 1st home or forever home in Walton, Gwinnett, o...

Insurance is a way to hedge the risk of a possible loss on an asset that a person or entity cannot afford.  The cost of the coverage is determined by risk and exposure to the insurer and reflected in the premium. Another way to say it is: don’t buy insurance when you can afford the loss.  If you have a mortgage on your home, you must have insurance.  It is probably prudent for most people to have property insurance but certain coverage might be avoided because you can afford the loss if you were to have an occurrence. Call your current agent and review your insurance coverage.  Ask if there are any available discounts whether your property qualifies for now or after certain improvements are made.  Monitored alarm systems, dead bolts, smoke detectors, updated electrical, certain types and ages of roofs among other things may be eligible for individual discounts.  Compare the newly revised coverage and premium with other reputable agencies and insur...

Even if you’re having a professional help you with your income tax return, you need to provide them with information on the money you spent that might be deductible.  Look at the following list to see if any of these things need a little more investigation to determine if they apply to your situation. If you refinanced your home for the second or subsequent time in 2014, there may be points that can be taken as an interest charge. Compare mortgage interest, property taxes and other eligible itemized deductions to your standard deduction to see which will give you a larger deduction. If you’re paying mortgage insurance premiums with your payment, you may be eligible to deduct them. If you purchased a home in 2014, there may be some deductions found on the HUD-1 form you received at closing. If you purchased a home in 2014 and the seller paid points on your behalf in order to get a mortgage, you may be able to deduct them. If you purchased and install...

Over 50% of homebuyers don’t shop to find the best interest rate for their mortgage.  While a buyer would rarely purchase the first home they look at, they will accept the rate and terms offered by only one lender. While the borrower and the property affect the rate and terms that a lender may offer, it is not to be said that all lenders will offer the same terms and rates to the same buyer.  Credit score, home location, home price and loan amount, down payment, loan term, interest rate type and loan type all affect the interest rate but different lenders can interpret this information differently. Shopping around to compare rate and terms for a mortgage is a reasonable exercise considering that a half percent lesser interest rate could not only lower the payment but the cumulative interest that is paid while that loan is outstanding. Some borrowers don’t shop the mortgage because they are concerned that having their credit checked multiple times could a...

    If you bought a home last year, remember to file for your Homestead Exemption to help you save on property taxes. Under Georgia law you are entitled to a Homestead Exemption (a reduction of your property taxes) for any property that you have been occupying as your primary residence as of January 1,2015. THIS IS NOT AUTOMATIC – YOU HAVE TO FILE. You can find the Homestead Exemption Application form online for most Georgia counties on their  respective Tax Commissioner’s website. YOU WILL NEED TO FILE WITH YOUR COUNTY’S TAX COMMISSIONER BY APRIL 1, 2015* IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION THIS YEAR. Once you have filed, the exemption will remain on your property until there is a change in ownership (i.e., you do NOT need to refile every year). In order to complete the application, you will need several items as detailed on the application form. These will likely include the tax parcel ID number and the recorded deed book and page number of your vesting d...