Gov. Brian Kemp has officially announced the state of Georgia would begin to allow certain businesses to open in hopes of encouraging a return to normalcy. Many of us have been anxious to head outside and go about our days as we would have nearly 3 months ago.

With what’s considered our ‘new normal’, we must all be taking precautions to ensure the safety of ourselves and those around us when we are in public spaces.

1. Wear your mask

This has been one of the most crucial changes when we go outside now. Always have a mask with you. There are some businesses that won’t allow you inside without the proper mask so always make sure you are wearing yours.

2. Have your hand sanitizer handy

Keeping a travel sized bottle of hand sanitizer with you can make a huge difference when you aren’t near soap and water.

3. Be careful about what you touch

Remember to be mindful and don’t touch anything if you don’t need to. Keeping your hand sanitizer handy is extremely useful while you’re out as well, just in case you do touch something.

4. Keep your distance

Stay away from people, keeping a minimum of 6-feet distance when in public spaces. Many stores have placed stickers on the ground so you can know exactly how far apart you should be. There are many ways to remember how far apart you shound be when social distancing too!

5. Find open outdoor spaces for recreational activities

If you plan on partaking in outdoor activities, find open spaces with lots of room so you can keep your distance from those around you. If it looks too busy and can’t find enough space to keep your distance, try another day. It will be there tomorrow!

6. Keep up with official patronizing guidelines

Wherever you are, you will find guidelines on best practices to stay safe while visiting public spaces. Always read and follow these rules to ensure the safety of you and everyone around you.

7. Don’t neglect sterilizing your car

Wiping down your car steering wheel, handles, mirrors, and other times you usually touch after a trip to the store can make a big difference. Try sanitizing your car every time you get home from your errands.

Despite much uncertainty revolving around the real estate industry in recent weeks, the market has proven to remain stable and has been showing signs of growth with new listings up 12.1% since April. Atlanta remains the 9^th hottest housing market according to Atlanta Agent Magazine, and many are seeing now as a prime time to sell, with interest rates at historical lows and buyers wasting no time while house shopping. This has provided some optimism for those unsure about what’s to come of the Atlanta housing market.

With more serious people looking for homes and less inventory available, listing prices have seen a slight increase of 6.6%, but even so, it has yet to deter buyers. Homes continue to go under contract with pending listings up 6%, and overall under contracts up a complete 10%.

Real estate sales across metro Atlanta have experienced notable growth, revealing stable and promising conditions for new to market homes. For more information on market trends in regard to current nation-wide circumstances, contact us.

 

 

Source: FMLS. All Areas, attached and detached from 4/24 to 5/1 and 5/1 to 5/8

6 Ways to Celebrate Memorial Day at Home

Memorial Day is an annual holiday reserved for honoring our fallen heroes in the United States. While typically we would be outside with family and friends at a parade or a BBQ, this year will be a little different.

There are many ways to still celebrate and honor those at home. Here are our top 6 ways to celebrate Memorial Day without leaving home.

 

Remember What Memorial Day Represents

Remind your family why we celebrate Memorial Day and what it represents; honoring those who have fallen while serving our nation. 

Take a Moment of Silence

An important Memorial Day tradition is observing one minute of silence at 3:00 p.m. throughout America known as National Moment of Remembrance. Take time and dedicate one minute to those who have served our country.

Create Memorial Day Crafts

There are several fun crafting activities you can create at home using items you likely have around the house.

Bake Patriotic Treats

Get in the kitchen and have some fun! Get online and search for patriotic baking recipes you can do at home.

Listen to and Read Veteran’s Stories

Youtube and History.com have several stories available for you to read, watch, and listen to in honor of Memorial Day. Gather the family around as you dive into first counts of our national history.

Donate

Reach out to your local food banks and other programs and see if they are in need of donations. There are also many programs dedicated to our veterans who you can donate to online.

• American Veterans Center
• Memorial Day Flowers Foundation
• National Veterans Memorial and Museum
• Purple Heart Homes
• Still Serving Veterans

Watch a Memorial Day Concert
Each year PBS hosts their Memorial Day Concert on Sunday’s. You can watch their annual concert on PBS, or online.

 

Atlanta’s cityscape has undergone a major makeover over the past decade, and the majority of these changes came (or are coming) to Midtown, such as 1065 Midtown, One Museum Place, and Atlantic Station’s newest, District Lofts. The latest of them all, 550 North Highland, has recently begun sales to deliver 16 townhomes priced in the high $700’s and mid $800’s, located in the coveted Poncey-Highland neighborhood, bringing luxe living to one of Atlanta’s hippest places to live.

Poncey-Highland is one of the most vibrant and welcoming neighborhoods in Atlanta, sitting just a few miles northeast of Downtown. The name originated from its proximity to the intersection of North Highland and Ponce de Leon avenues in the 1970s. Cozily nestled between Virginia Highland, Old Fourth Ward, Inman Park, and Candler Park, you can easily say Poncey-Highland is the center of it all. Between the early 1900s to the late 1930s, the neighborhood was comprised with a collection of residential and commercial areas, with an industrial corridor that was developed between the mid-1920s and 1950s. Now, a lot of those industrial buildings have been refurbished to fit the community’s ever-changing needs, like the Ford Factory or the Telephone Factory which have both been converted to modern-living lofts.

The neighborhood offers the urban lifestyle people crave without being in the middle of Atlanta’s bustling downtown scene. “550 North Highland puts buyers in the heart of the action,” says Christa Huffstickler, Founder & CEO of Engel & Völkers Atlanta, “Near highlights such as Ponce City Market, The Atlanta Beltline, Freedom Park, and a multitude of shopping and dining experiences.” Plus, the community is very active and tight-knit. You can always find folks jogging the Beltline trails, day and night, and there is a year-round farmers market at Freedom Park every Saturday booming with organic and sustainable produce.

Poncey-Highland itself has been seeing changes aside from 550 North Highland with an influx of businesses coming to the area, such as the opening of the 65,000 square foot Beltline Kroger located at 725 Ponce in

October of last year, or Ruby Chow’s, a new fine-dining Asian fusion restaurant, bar and lounge that opened its doors a little under a month ago. And, there are also plans to realign Williams Mill Road, making right turns easier for drivers turning unto North Highland and creating space for a large patio area at Manuel’s Tavern, which located right across from the 550 N Highland townhomes. This is amongst what Poncey-Highland already has to offer making it highly sought after, and with a vast selection of homes from single-family to industrial lofts, there’s something for everyone’s taste when moving to the neighborhood.

We are proud to be a part of the city’s growth and with our latest development in the works, we are excited about the future to come. If you would like to know more about the projects or looking to relocate soon, contact us! We have many knowledgeable Advisors waiting to assist you with your buying or selling needs.

 

Born in the small town of Black Mountain, not too far from Asheville, Susie Proffitt was named Ms. North Carolina during the statewide beauty pageant. Winning her title opened an assortment of opportunity and she soon began working for a top cosmetics company, traveling around the nation before being promoted and moving to New York.

She eventually moved to Atlanta and started doing auditions for commercials and landed a position as a host of Atlanta’s Best New Homes, a weekly show on FOX 5 Atlanta showcasing new homes being built throughout the city. She soon became the producer of the show and continued her way up until she was president for an amazing 14 years.

Although the show was all about real estate, Susie Proffitt didn’t consider it a career for a very long time. “Even when I was doing the show all I did was go in and out of brand new homes, all the time,” she says, “and what did I watch on TV? HGTV every night. It was a passion I never knew I had until much later in life when I got my license. [Before that] I never ever thought about becoming a realtor.”

Being on the show provided her with a broad, yet unique knowledge of homes being built in Atlanta, the many vibrant communities, and the market that have allowed her to flourish when she finally worked to receive her license. Before joining Engel & Völkers Atlanta, in her first year of real estate, she gained “Rookie of the Year” status by her former brokerage. Her ability to utilize her distinctive skills and diverse connections have proven successful when working with her clients and completing transactions.

One of her biggest idols is her mother. “My mother was the most influential person in my life… she was always the driver. She didn’t complain, she just did what she had to do. And she was a successful person later on in life. She ended up buying a little clothing store in a shopping center and had never done anything like that before. She had it for over 25 years and people came from everywhere to shop with her. So, I grew up helping her and being influenced by a go-getter mom. She didn’t let anything stop her.”

When not closing deals one of her favorite things to do is bargain shopping with her friends or relax at home with her rescue dog. She loves spending time with her family and traveling throughout the city. Although she travels a lot she wouldn’t call anywhere else home but Atlanta.

With nearly everything closed, many people are out of work, food pantries and other vital nonprofits are struggling with a drop in donations and volunteers, and many people who are more at-risk need us more than ever. There are still ways we can help if we are able. Even the smallest act of kindness can go a long way. Here are a few ways you can contribute during such unprecedented times.

Support small business and low-wage employees

Patron business that are still open and tip a little more. Many restaurant employees don’t have paid sick leave and depend mostly on tips, and with many people practicing social distancing, businesses everywhere have been cutting hours. A little can go a long way, so if you can, give.

Check on those who are at-risk in your neighborhood

Take a second to make sure your most vulnerable neighbors, such as the elderly, and the immobile, are OK. See if they need anything or take some time to chat with them. Even a little hello can make someone’s day.

Donate to your local food bank

Feeding vulnerable residents and keeping them safe from COVID-19 is becoming a challenge with many stores out of even the basic necessities. If you can, donate food and toiletries to your local food bank. Take time to volunteer if you’re able to as well.

Stay in touch from afar

With so many ways to stay connected with people online, now if the time to utilize these platforms. Video chat with friends, play online games, and watch movies together using Netflix Chat, a new feature on Google Chrome that lets you stream with friends and chat while enjoying your favorites shows.

Donate to your local blood bank

Right now, the American Red Cross has an ongoing critical need for blood product donations as uncertainties remain during this coronavirus pandemic. Blood drives continue to be canceled at an alarming rate and patients need a sufficient blood supply throughout the many weeks of this crisis and beyond. Click here to find your local blood donation center.