17.5%
The percentage increase of homes sold in 2011 vs. 2010 in Forsyth County Ga. 2217 single family homes were sold in Forsyth County in 2010, that number for 2011 was 2606.
On the last day of each month I post a “Big Number” or interesting figure related to real estate in our area.
Tags: The Big Number
Earlier this month the AJC reported that some lawmakers are pushing to change an outdated law banning things like pagers in schools to allow students to bring their own devices to school as part of the educational arsenal. We are talking about North Atlanta so why wouldn’t most kids have iPads, iPhones, ultra-thin notebooks, etc. Forsyth County has already asked for and received waivers to allow students there to B.Y.O.T. bring your own technology.
Late To The Game Or Playing With Fire?
Good questions that arise out of this are; do students really need to bring these devices? Will it help assist or augment the curriculum or is it simply an opportunity for them to more easily post to facebook and watch youtube videos? Will students that don’t have access at home to these devices find themselves at a disadvantage?
Schools already have spent 10’s of thousands of dollars on media centers or computer centers and interactive whiteboards. There are those that think technology can become a crutch for student’s, stifling learning. These same fears were around when calculators were first introduced into classrooms.
On the other hand, most kids currently have or already use the technology at home. If high school students aren’t already familiar with most business applications (word, excell, powerpoint) as well as specialized programs (photoshop, iMovie, etc.) they’ll need to become familiar with it soon after high school. Also, investing in the network and not the devices alleviates the need for schools to buy or update technology.
Cambridge High School
At a recent discussion with the principal of the new Cambridge High School in Milton Dr. Spurka is promoting a B.Y.O.T policy. His goal will be to have the network and platform at the school to accommodate the student’s technology. He envisions a different kind of media center, modeled somewhat after Lambert High School with technology tables that allow several students to share space, connect to large monitors and have group learning / studying opportunities.
My Thoughts
To me it makes perfect sense. This should already have been implemented years ago, but we know school systems tend to move slowly and costs are always an issue. Anything we can do to to engage student’s and push access to information and study materials is a benefit. Creating an environment in school that is collaborative rather than individuals sitting in rows behind their own school computer has benefits that far outweigh the negatives. For those that think having the technology present will cause more distractions I say look at 98% of students that not only have smartphones but can text with their hands behind their backs. Teachers have learned and will continue to learn how to manage technology, but the benefits of technology far outweigh the concerns.
Your thoughts?
Tags: Forsyth County Schools, Technology
I was curious how foreclosures sales have compared to ordinary re-sales over the past year in Forsyth County. I’m not sure what possessed me to pull these other numbers, most of which are only interesting but not actionable, but here they are.
There were 2600 homes sold in Forsyth County in 2011. Throw into the mix Short Sales, Estate Owned homes, Corporate Owners, Agent Owners and so on. The only groups I didn’t look at were a few investor owned homes and new construction. Here’s what they look like:
So, There isn’t anything terribly surprising here but there are a few things I noticed:
1. Re-sale homes get a higher sales-price-to-list-price ratio than any other type of sale except Active Adult homes.
2. Short Sales and Foreclosures have nearly the same SP/LP ratio but foreclosures sell 54% faster (no surprise there).
3. Foreclosures sell for a higher SP/LP ratio than Agent Owned homes, just interesting.
4. Nothing sells faster than homes where owners were transferred, and they get almost 91% of asking price!
So, the biggest take-away I hope people find is that distressed sales (foreclosures and short sales) sell only for a modest discount over other property types. If you think you’re going to get a foreclosure for 70% of asking price - you’re not getting that foreclosure.
Tags: Foreclosures, Forsyth County Market Statistics, Short Sales
It’s Listember! You know, that month when everyone puts out a list of stuff. Not to be left out, we’re doing the same.
Looking back at the end of the year, it’s always fun to see what the most expensive homes sold were for a particular area. Of course, homes on Lake Lanier are an obvious pick as a location for high priced listings; there are two in this group. Another two are located in St. Marlo Golf and Country Club. The last, well…you’ve all heard of this home: Le Reve. An over-the-top 72 acre estate that was built for $50 Million. Originally listed for $45 Million as a foreclosure, the bank dropped the price to $28 Million in January of 2010 eventually getting down to $16.25 Million when it was put under contract in June of 2011.
2015 Trammel Road, Cumming Ga - Sold For: $9,500,000
What they got:7 bedrooms, 9 ful baths and 11 half baths. I don’t care how many daughters you have, there will always be a bathroom available in this home! I wrote about this property before, you can read about it here.
8165 Royal Troon Drive, Duluth Ga - Sold For: $2,250,000
What they got: 7 bedrooms, 8 full bath and 2 half baths and 13,832 square feet.
9005 St. Marlo Fairway Dr., Duluth Ga - Sold For: $1,425,000
What they got:Brick, 6 bedrooms, 6.5 baths, finished terace level and nearly 10,000 sq. ft.
7520 Colony Drive, Cumming Ga - Sold For: $1,400,000
What they got: Brick, 5 bedrooms, 6.5 baths, beautiful pool and a fabulous panoramic view of Lake Lanier.
3810 Duck Cove Way, Cumming Ga - Sold For: $1,300,000
What they got: Brick, 5 bedrooms, 5.5 baths stunning stacked-stone ranch on deep Lake Lanier water with your own putting green, tennis courts and pool.
But It Isn’t All Bad News
Comparing homes sold in Forsyth County for November Year-Over-Year (YoY) shows that home sales prices are still suffering downward pressure, but other areas show a marked improvement.
Unit sales, for residential detached homes, is up over 25% from November of last year, but the average sales price is down slightly, just over 2.3%. Median sales price also, down 2.2%. A more positive data point is average days on market, which is improved over 6% from November of last year. These numbers, while not all good, are far better than the June YoY figures I reported for Forsyth County Home Sales.
What is really interesting is that homes without a price reduction (meaning they were price correctly from day 1) sold almost 4 times faster and for 8% more on average than homes that were listed too high and required one or more price reductions. If that isn’t a compelling reason to price appropriately, I don’t know what is.
Bottom Line
More homes are selling but still at slightly depressed prices (for the county as a whole). There are some zip codes that are seeing modest price increases. And it’s critical to price your home accurately from day one.
Note sure about your situation? Email us and we’ll help you decide if now is the right time to list your home.
32%
The percentage of November home sales in Forsyth County that are distressed sales (foreclosures and short sales). With lags coming in over the next week, this number will probably increase another 2-4%.
On the last day of each month I post a “Big Number” or interesting figure related to real estate in our area.
Tags: Foreclosures, Short Sales, The Big Number
Thanksgiving is the week we all reflect on what we are thankful for, so I’m sharing 3 reasons why anyone searching for real estate in Forsyth County can be thankful.
You see, even though inventory is down considerably from this time last year and sales are up (by 25%), it’s not all pumpkin pie and whipped cream.
No. 1 - Average Sales Price
The average sales price in Forsyth County for October 2011 is $236,093, down 12% from October 2010’s $268,038
No. 2 - Median Sales Price
Down 16.5% from $246,625 in October 2010 to $206,000 in October 2011.
No. 3 - Distressed Sales
There were 37 distressed sales (short sales, bank owned, government owned) in October 2010. That number for October 2011 is 61, an increase of 65%.
Is there any good news for Sellers?
In some areas. Average sales price to original list price is 91.5%, up 3% over last year. In some price ranges, inventory is lower than it’s been in many, many years. For instance, right now there is only 4.5 months of inventory for homes under $200,000. So, there are pockets of good news for some home sellers.
But we just put a buyer under contract in a 4100 sq. ft., 4-side brick home with a 3-car garage and unfinished basement for $380,000. With deals like that around I think buyers have much more to be thankful for.
Let us know if you need help finding your sweet deal and here’s hoping you all get the big side of the wishbone this year. Happy Thanksgiving.
Last week the Forsyth County Board of Education approved the final district lines for the 2012-13 school year. As you can imagine, it’s difficult to satisfy every family and community with changes as large as these.
You can view the maps for the Forsyth County High School Lines, Forsyth County Middle School Lines and Forsyth County Elementary School Lines here. Below is a comprehensive list of Subdivisions with the schools they are moving from and to:
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TO: |
FROM: |
Subdivision Name |
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ELEMENTARY |
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Chestatee |
Coal Mountain |
Colonial Club Estates H.J. Bennett |
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Cumming |
Sawnee |
Highlands at Sawnee Mountain |
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Cumming |
Coal Mountain |
Bailey & Pirkle Coal Mountain Estates County Home Hammond & Bailey Maple Springs Nichols Creek |
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Cumming |
Chattahoochee |
Antioch Woods Ivy Bluff Jewell Davis Lanier Heights R.P. Otwell South Shore |
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Kelly Mill |
Cumming |
Ashebrooke Barrett Downs Great Oaks Green Valley Greenwood Acres (partial) Greenwood Estates Greystone Forest Holbrook Acres Holbrook Manor Oakwood Estates Olde Field Chase Ridge Mill Acres Rivendell Sienna Stablegate Farms Thorngate Union Station |
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Kelly Mill |
Sawnee |
Calvin Thompson Canterbury Farms Carriage Park Carriage Post Fieldstone Court Fieldstone Enclave Fieldstone Glen Fieldstone Park Harris Creek Meadow Crest Preserve at Fieldstone Ryans Bluff
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Kelly Mill |
Vickery Creek E.S. |
Brighton View Telfair The Park at Kelly Mill Westbrook |
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Sawnee |
Coal Mountain |
Arbor Meadows Fox Chase Madison Springs |
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TO: |
FROM: |
Subdivision Name |
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MIDDLE SCHOOL |
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Liberty M.S. |
Vickery Creek M.S. |
Aaronmoor Bethwicke Briar Meadows Brookside Brookvalley Farms Carters Creek Castille Concord Farms David Jenkins Derby Downs Evans Farm Hamptons Grant Huntington Hyde Park Indian Meadows Legacy at Prathers Farm Madison Marseille Notting Hill Old Towne Bethelview Post Gate Powell Lake Farms Rosewood Lake Seasons Preserve at Hyde Park St. Andrews Crest Summer Walk Sweet Briar Tallantworth The Enclave at Waterford Villages at Concord Farms Waterford |
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TO: |
FROM: |
Subdivision Name |
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MIDDLE SCHOOL |
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Little Mill M.S. |
Otwell M.S. |
Bald Ridge on Lanier Bansley on Lanier Bay Colony Beaver Cove Beaver Ruin Beaches Bryan Estates Casaroga on Lanier Cleburn Henderson Columns at Pilgrim Mill Crescent Pointe Darryl Downs Deerwood Estates Et Cetera Guy Tate Henderson Hillside Hill Top at Young Deer Holly Hills J.G. Holtzclaw J.P Fowler James F. Merritt Lakeridge Linger Longer Estates Martin & Daniel Mincey Woods Pilgrim Bay Pilgrim Mill Landing Pilgrim Mill Point Pilgrim Mill Station R.H. Newbury Shady Shores Sinclair Shores Sundown T.W. Henderson Village at Bald Ridge Williams Shores |
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TO: |
FROM: |
Subdivision Name |
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MIDDLE SCHOOL |
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Otwell Middle |
Liberty M.S. |
Chadwicks Crossing Chamblee Estates Dyer Farms Friendship Estates Highlands at Sawnee Mountain Hunters Chase Lake Astoria Mountain Valley Estates Phoenix Heights Sawnee Plantation Sawnee View Farms Sherwood Forest Surrey Hills Westward Westward II |
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Otwell Middle |
North Forsyth M.S. |
Arbor Meadows Bailey & Pirkle Coal Mountain Estates County Home Fox Chase Hammond & Bailey Maple Springs Nichols Creek |
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Otwell Middle |
Vickery Creek M.S. |
Barrett Downs Olde Field Chase Stablegate Farms Union Station |
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TO: |
FROM: |
Subdivision Name |
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HIGH SCHOOLS |
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Forsyth Central H.S. |
North Forsyth H.S. |
Adams Landing Arbor Meadows Austin Harbor Autumn Cove Bailey & Pirkle Biscayne on Lanier Breeze Bay Breeze Bay Colony Breeze Bay on Lanier Bridgeport at Young Deer Chattahoochee North Chattahoochee Oaks Chickory Creek Coal Mountain Estates Collins Point Columns at Pilgrim Mill Country Springs County Home D.W. Lungsford Deer Creek Place Deer Creek Shores Deer Orchard Driskell Shores Fox Chase Gentry Meadows Gordon Cahoon Green Acres Estates Hamilton Court Hammond & Bailey High Gables Holland Cove Indian Knoll Kings Point Lakeside Manor Estates Lanier Village Lighthouse Harbour M.C. Davis Madison Springs Maple Springs Mountain View Mountain View Estates East Natures Peace Nichols Creek Oak Ridge Oak Shadows Offshore at Lanier Paul Spicer Pinnacle Pointe Quail Ridge North Robbs Crossing Robbs Farm Robert F. Mullins Rotham Estates Shadewater Estates Southlake Estates Stone Creek Troy E. Collins Turner Cove Walker Cove Walnut Hill Estates Whispering Pine Young Deer Harbour |
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Forsyth Central H.S. |
West Forsyth H.S. |
Barrett Downs Olde Field Chase Stablegate Farms Union Station |
Better than a foreclosure, this distressed lake home is part of a bankruptcy sale. That means no lengthy wait on counter offers.
Built in 1971 but had a renovation some years back. The home has great curb appeal but needs some work. For the buyer with vision and desire, it’s a no-brainer. 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and a finished basement. Comes with a single-slip dock but a permit for a double-slip.
But wait, there’s more: a double lot. It will need to be confirmed that the other lot is buildable, but a great opportunity either way.
Want to take a look? Let us know!
Not what you’re looking for? Search For Lake Lanier Homes Here.
-26%
The percentage drop in inventory of single family homes since last year for Forsyth County.
On the last day of each month I post a “Big Number” or interesting figure related to real estate in our area.
Tags: Add new tag, The Big Number
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