Downsizing?

Sometimes the motive for selling a home isn’t about upsizing, it’s about downsizing. It is certainly a new term in the “new normal” and we are hearing it a lot in the real estate industry.  My daughter, who owns an estate sale business, is currently getting numerous calls from clients that are downsizing and simplifying.  Downsizing is, many times, about increasing your home’s amenities while decreasing the work and upkeep of a larger home.  There are a lot of reasons for downsizing your home AND your life!

• You want less space to maintain, both inside and/or out
• You want something smaller to save energy
• The kids are gone and you just don’t need as much space
• You want to simplify and live differently
• You want less responsibility and would like to make travel more of a priority
• You want to put more dollars in savings

It’s really about your needs and your preferences about your living environment and your life!  You may want to live in a condominum or townhome that may offer particular amenities like a golf course, tennis, club, etc.  Or, you may choose to move to the mountains and look at a beautiful river and see no neighbors at all and be more attuned to nature and only ten minutes from town. You may want to live closer to your children or further away.  The great thing is that you have lots of options and can truly make decisions that fit your lifestyle and budget.  If you are someone purchasing for the first time, their are currently incentives to purchase in 2009, a tax rebate.  Whatever your needs, keep in mind that there are options available to you in creating the living environment that best supports you and your family!

RELIEF TO COME?

The Senate wants a $15,000 tax credit for all Homebuyers!  All homebuyers, not just new home buyers- would be entitled to a $15,000 federal tax credit and no qualification caps would be placed on their income, under the recently introduced legislation.  This new language was introduced by our own Senator Johnny Isakson (Georgia) who is one that really understands the real estate industry.  Johnny Isakson was a broker and top realtor in Atlanta for over three decades!  The language was introduced by Sen. Isakson who says that a $8000 first time homebuyer tax credt that became law last year “has made a difference” but he KNOWS we need to expand that.  Senator Isakson says he has bipartisan support from a least nine senators, including Banking Committee chairman Chris Dodd, D-Conn.  The $8,000 FTHM tax credit is set to expire in December 1, 2009 and has income caps of $75,000 for an individual and $150,000 for a couple.  The Morgage Bankers Association and National Association of Realtors have already voiced their support for the bill.

Anywone in this economy knows that this type of incentive will make a difference in the real estate market and I would encourage you to write your Senator and keep up the pressure on our current  administration to put a continued focus on the real estate industry!  All of that said, and it is an important piece of information that I wanted to pass on, we all need to be informed about what is happening in real estate today and I will KEEP YOU…informed.  Stay tuned for more!

ASK ANITA

Summer has arrived (this weekend) and it really FEELS like summer!  Good thing being in the mountains makes a difference,  often ten degrees or more from downtown Atlanta and many people have discovered that very fact by locating to the  North Georgia Mountains.  Since this is my first blog, let me give you a brief history of myself and The Wheeler Group, Inc.  I started The Wheeler Group, in 1984 in Atlanta (I can’t believe it’s been 25 years!)  It was a very humble beginning  with myself and two others in a small office in the Cumberland Mall area of Atlanta.  Prior to starting my own company, I was the Vice President of Southeast Realty and prior to that an associate with The Oxford Group.  Both of these companies specialized in commercial real estate and in particular shopping centers and land development.  I entered, the illusive arena of commerical real estate with a background and degree in fashion merchandising and marketing.  A single mom, with a small child, I wanted to do something creative that would use my merchandising background and not limit my earning potential.   I learned very quickly to lease shopping centers and sell land!  I was lucky to have not one, but two of the best mentors in the business, Dan Dupree and Tom McAuley. (Dan Dupree/President of Cousins Properties and TomMcAuley/IRT Properties.  I learned a great deal from both mentors and within a short time was up and running with my own company that specialized in shopping centers and consulting.  Named one of the Top women Entrepreneurs in Atlanta and in “my element”  I truly enjoyed my real estate work and those that I trained and worked with!  Fast forward to 1998 and I had made a major move to North Georgia to live and continue in the real estate business.  I had built a very successful commercial real estate company and management company however, decided I wanted to live something and do something related, but different.  Following my intuition, which is a major part of who I am,  I started working with luxury properties, including land, residential, commercial and whatever made sense.  My lifestyle change, living on a farm, and working whereever my calling was….worked for me and for my clients.  I sold a retreat center, a bed and breakfast, numerous parcels of large land tracts, river properties, leased a fabulous property in downtown Atlanta and worked with wonderful people that were looking for lifestyle  properties all over North Georgia and Atlanta   My clients were looking for a professional real estate person to either sell their property or find that unique property that they were looking for.  Something that inspires and connects to more than “just a home”.  We all know that “HOME” means something very different from a house.  We all have dreams and envision a lifestyle we want to live, that touches who we are as a person and adds value to our life and is a “smart” investment in the long term!  I love real estate and I love the creative aspect of being in the process from beginning to end.  All of that said….I welcome you again, and stay tuned for more real estate news!  If you have something to sell or need real estate advice.  Call…