Patricia Hermes / Author and Mom Coming to Gwinnett County
Related Posts: Area Information, Hamilton Mill Communities
hi 
I am looking forward to having my mom and oldest brother visit Gwinnett County and Hamilton Mill this weekend. My mother, Patricia Hermes, has written over 50 childrens books over the past 25+ years and has been invited to have a book signing at the Mall of Georgia Borders bookstore this Saturday at 2pm. Come out and say Hi. She has also being interviewed on Fox 5 Atlanta on Monday morning.
If you have kids in the 8-13 year range, chances are you have a book or two of hers on your bookshelves.
Here is a little more about mom: Patricia Hermes is the author of almost fifty books for readers from early middle grades through young adult, as well as two nonfiction books for adults. Her books have won many awards and recognitions: American Library Association Best Book, Smithsonian Notable Book, C.S. Lewis Honor Book, Ira Children’s Choice, as well as many state awards, four of them for the novel, “You Shouldn’t Have to Say Goodbye”.
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Hamilton Mill - How does the Real Estate Market Impact Our Community
Related Posts: Area Information, Diamond Dwellings, Hamilton Mill Communities, Hamilton Mill Real Estate
hi
In the past month or so we have seen a number of homes go into foreclosure in Hamilton Mill which are now being marketed for sale in the local listing systems.
What is going on here? Life, that is what is going on. As the United States economy struggles to gain its footing and jobs are being eliminated in many sectors, tough times are falling on some of our neighbors and friends and you know what, you may not even know it is happening around you.
Just the other day I was talking to someone in Hamilton Mill and he made the comment to me that he was totally unaware of “John Doe’s” financial problems and wished that John had talked to him about it. He had a feeling something was going on. John always used to keep his home and yard very well kept and then 6 months or so ago he noticed things seemed to be a little different. John lost his home and now is looking for alternative housing and a decent paying job.
Here is something to think about.
The real estate market struggles as well as the mortgage crisis is hitting so many different areas of our economy that most of us do not even think of, but take a look at who is being effected.
If new or resale homes do not sell:
Loan Officers do not write new loans, Appraisers do not appraise homes, closing attorneys do not close loans, moving companies do not move you into your new home which means furniture stores do not sell furniture which is sold to them by salespersons for the factory, lighting stores do not sell lights, painters do not paint and landscapers do not put out new landscaping products which they buy from the nursery who hire people to plant and care for the beautiful plants you planned to landscape with. Also, since you will not be doing all the home projects you wanted to, Home Depot and Lowes and other stores are not selling the products they were a couple of years ago. If sales are down there, what about all the people that were selling their products to them.
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Hamilton Mill - Gwinnett Braves Update
Related Posts: Area Information, Diamond Dwellings, Hamilton Mill Communities
hi
Have you been by the new Gwinnett Braves stadium lately? I drove by today and things are starting to come together. If you are not aware, the Richmond Braves, the AAA farm team of the Atlanta Braves is moving to Gwinnett County to open play on April 15, 2009. This is a very exciting time for baseball fans in the Gwinnett County area. Personally I cannot wait. I have been to numerous minor league baseball games and there is just something different watching the minor leaguers play versus the big boys.
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Sold! Sanborne Terrace - Hamilton Mill
Related Posts: Diamond Dwellings, Hamilton Mill Communities, Hamilton Mill Real Estate
hiDiamond Dwellings is pleased to welcome a new neighbor to Hamilton Mill. We just sold another Hamilton Mill home yesterday. This home is located in the Ashebrooke section and sold for 98% of list price.
Why did the home sell? It was priced right ($299,900, Five bedroom, four full baths). The home was in immaculate condition, and word of mouth was important in the sale of this home as well as our internet marketing were all key factors to getting this home under contract and sold.
There are over 120 homes for sale in Hamilton Mill as of this writing, and to get the traffic and ultimately offers that get homes sold all of the above mentioned items are crucial to selling success.
Why are these factors important to you as a seller and buyer?
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Cirque du Soleil is coming to the Gwinnett County area again!
Related Posts: Area Information, Diamond Dwellings, Hamilton Mill Communities
hi
Cirque du Soleil is coming to the Gwinnett County area early in the New Year with a new show called “Kooza.” The signature blue-and-yellow Grand Chapiteau (Big Top) will be erected at Atlantic Station from Jan. 2-Jan. 18.If you did not get a chance to see the show last time, (I did not) this year is a must see. I am planning on bringing the Bride. Hmm, maybe a great Christmas present.
Tickets are on sale now on the Cirque website.
“Kooza” is described as the story of The Innocent, “a melancholy loner in search of his place in the world.” It will emphasize the Montreal-based company’s love of clowning and acrobatic traditions.
Let’s hope “Kooza” will be as impressive as “Corteo,” which played Atlantic Station during the 2006 holiday season.
If past experience is any indication of the shows success, you can bet that Cirque will extend its Atlanta run beyond Jan. 18. Stay tuned for more details later.
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Existing Home Contracts Rise in June 2008 - Hamilton Mill
Related Posts: Area Information, Diamond Dwellings, Hamilton Mill Communities, Hamilton Mill Real Estate
hiHome sales contracts signed in June unexpectedly rose across the country, but still were well below year-earlier levels, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday.
The trade group for Realtors said its Pending Home Sales Index, based on contracts signed in June, was up 5.3% to 89.0 from a downwardly revised 84.5 in May.
It was the highest reading for the index since October 2007, when it was at 89.8. But the index was 12.3% below year-ago levels.
The pickup in June signings was sharply contrary to forecasts by economists polled by Reuters, who had expected home sales contract signings to decline 1%. This news comes as a surprise to some but there are numerous reports that the overall market has eased and sales will continue this upward trend.
The association’s senior economist, Lawrence Yun, said the swings in monthly signings “indicates a housing market in transition.”
“This is welcome news, because a rise in contract activity is necessary for an overall housing recovery,” Yun said.
Contract signings rose in June by 9.3% in the South, by 4.6% in the West, 3.4% in the Northeast and 1.3% in the Midwest.
The realtors said the improvement in contract signings “appears to be broadening” and expressed hope that housing legislation signed into law last month will further encourage buyers. The legislation offers a tax credit to first-time home buyers and aims to ward off some foreclosures.
For more information on this article or discuss the current real estate market please contact me at 678-279-4717.
Matt Hermes
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Gwinnett County Schools Back in Session August 11th
Related Posts: Area Information, Diamond Dwellings, Hamilton Mill Communities
hiGwinnett County Schools Back in Session August 11th.
Well, another summer has passed and the kids will be heading out bright and early Monday morning to start another year of school in Gwinnett County. My wife Carmen, headed back to school this Monday to get her room ready for the arrival of students and there is a sense of excitement in the air as school approaches for our Gwinnett County Students.
With the start of school, there is a lot to look forward to. Numerous new schools in Gwinnett County are set to open. The newest school closest to my subdivision, Hamilton Mill, is Puckett’s Mill Elementary. As many know, this past spring there was a huge debate as to how the Hamilton Mill neighborhood would be effected by the new school. At one point, the neighborhood was to be divided and half the kids would continue to learn at Duncan Creek Elementary and the other half travel to Puckett’s Mill. This sent the neighborhood into action and after a few months of negotiations, letter writing, and presence at the school board meetings we were able to get all of Hamilton Mill into the new school.
On a personal level, for me the start of school means I can get back to working on a more productive level out of my home office. Can anyone say “peace and quiet”. Ahhh, I can start to think again without the constant interuptions from my the elementary school age kids. For those stay at home mom’s it is a chance to get back into the gym, play some tennis, relax and have some well deserved free time again.
Have a great school year Gwinnett County, and keep us in mind if you or someone you know is looking to buy or sell real estate in Gwinnett County.
Matt Hermes
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Hamilton Mill Sales Statistics: Home Sales / Under Contract / Active Listings
Related Posts: Diamond Dwellings, Hamilton Mill Communities, Hamilton Mill Real Estate
hiOne of our goals at Diamond Dwellings Realty at Mill Creek is to provide Hamilton Mill homeowners accurate information on the current real estate market in our Home Town.
We have compiled the following data for the Hamilton Mill Subdivision from the Atlanta FMLS listing system (some data may also be from Georgia MLS) as of August 4, 2008. These are the current active and sales data for the month of July 2008.
Recap: We are still in a VERY competitive market and pricing, incentives and flexibility are key factors in getting homes sold. Our Team at Diamond Dwellings continues to be the market leader in both closings and pending sales. We are your choice for all yor real estate needs.
Current Homes listed for sale in Hamilton Mill: 118 (Down from 128 as of July 4, 2008)
Highest Price Home: $1,250,000 / 2048 Bakers Mill Road (New Construction)
Lowest Price Home: $215,000 / Lake Heights Circle
Average List Price: $408,381 - Down $3,000 over July
July 2008 Hamilton Mill Real Estate Sales: 5 (same as May and June 2008)
Diamond Dwellings Realty Participated in 20% of these closed sales. Market leader in this area again for the Fourth month in a row.
Highest Price Home: Sale Price: $520,000 / 3414 Mill Place Court (Original Asking Price: $625,000)
Lowest Price Home: Sale Price: $289,000 / 3361 Walkers Ridge Road (Original Asking Price: $324,900)
Current Pending Hamilton Mill Real Estate Sales: 9
DIAMOND DWELLINGS IS PARTICIPATING IN 33% OF THESE SALES - MARKET LEADER IN THIS AREA!!!
While the July sales are not what we’d hoped for in Hamilton Mill — Or all of Gwinnett County, the activity level has picked up as compared to Q1′08 and we have seen an improvement in the “pending/under contract” homes that are scheduled to sell. If you or someone you know is waiting for the market to level out to find that “deal” now is probably the time to take a hard look at your purchase opportunities. Do not wait and miss the bottom.
If you would like additional listing information on any home in Hamilton Mill email us at mhermes@diamonddwellings.com or call me at 678-279-4717. We will be happy to email a list of available homes for your review.
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Hamilton Mill Sales Information for 2nd Quarter 2006 vs. 2007 vs. 2008
Related Posts: Area Information, Diamond Dwellings, Hamilton Mill Communities, Hamilton Mill Real Estate
hiIn Diamond Dwellings effort to provide the residents of Hamilton Mill and the surrounding area with the most up to date and useful real estate information we have compiled a comparison of home statistics for the second quarter of 2008 and the numbers are amazing.
Stats are from the dates of 4/30 - 7/30/ 2006, 2007 or 2008.
2008 homes sold in the last 90 days: 23
Same Period 2007: 36
Same Period 2006: 65
2008 Sales are down 33% over same year period 2007 vs. 2008
2008 Days on market: 100
Same Period 2007: 66
Same Period 2006: 63
2008 Days on Market are up 33% over same year period 2007 vs. 2008
2008 Average sales price: $385, 013
Same Period 2007: $395,596
Same Period 2006: $386,736
2008 Average Sales Price is down 2.5% vs. 2007
2008 current pending sales: 12
2008 # of expired listings: 40
Same period 2007: 51
Information compiled from the Georgia MLS and FMLS listing service and is believed to be accurate.
For additional information or if we can answer any questions for you please feel free to contact Matt Hermes at 678-279-4717.
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Top 10 Cities to Buy a Home - Altanta GA
Related Posts: Area Information, Diamond Dwellings, Hamilton Mill Communities, Hamilton Mill Real Estate
hiAs many experts predict, the bottom of the current housing market collapse is close to, if not past us and with that news the Atlanta GA. real estate market in my opinion is getting ready to make a turn for the better. In the coming months the market should stabilize and with the new Housing Bill signed by President Bush, buying a home should be easier for many who have been wanting or waiting to buy.
What the Bill should do is cause a ripple effect through the industry. As first time home buyers (or those that have not bought in the past three years) start to purchase lower cost homes, those who are able to sell will typically purchase more expensive homes, which allows those persons to “move up” as well, and so on and so on. How long this process takes to unfold I cannot answer, but in the past couple of weeks we are starting to see an increase in lower end home contracts which is a good sign.
With that being said, a recent article in Forbes magazine ranked the Top 10 Cities to Buy a Home and Atlanta Ga was ranked as the #10 spot to buy.
Financially, at least, the best places to buy houses are those where buying costs less than renting, tax incentives are attractive, and there’s an opportunity to build equity. Forbes magazine surveyed the 40 largest metropolitan area housing metrics looking for cities where home prices have appreciated over the last two years. It also measured vacancy rates. They also gave extra points to cities where rents are significantly higher than a buyer would pay for the same home. No surprise that Texas dominated the magazine’s list because of its healthy job market and growing tax revenues.
Here are the 10 cities that topped Forbes’ best-places-to-buy list:
1. Houston 2. Austin 3. St. Louis 4. Philadelphia 5. San Antonio 6. Dallas 7. Charlotte 8. San Francisco 9. Jacksonville
10. Atlanta
Source: Forbes, Maurna Desmond (07/14/08)
If you have any questions please give me a call to discuss.
Matt Hermes
Diamond Dwellings Realty
678-279-4717
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