Maris returns to Atlanta after a brief stay at SeaWorld San Antonio, while the beluga whale habitat was undergoing cleaning and improvements. The 15-year-old female, who was born at the New York Aquarium, is 11 feet long and weighs more than 900 pounds. She will be joined by newcomer Beethoven.  Beethoven was the first successful beluga whale calf born at SeaWorld San Antonio and spent most of his life at Point Defiance Zoo. The 18-year-old male is 13 feet long and weighs more than 1740 pounds.

Beluga whales are born dark grey or brown and turn white as they age. The beluga is the most vocal of the toothed whales and has earned the nickname “sea canary.” This whale is a slow swimmer capable of bursts of speed of about 5 to 6 miles per hour. It has the ability to swim backward. The beluga whale is also called the “white whale.” The word “beluga” is derived from a Russian word meaning “white.”

As always, the Georgia Aquarium is a fun place to visit, spend an hour or spend a day!

This article can also be found at my website Experience Roswell Georgia

There have been cases where the tenant has been threatened with legal action by the foreclosing bank.  Yes, this would be intimidating given the bank has a staff of lawyers and deep pockets.  But there are tenant advocacy groups who can suggest what to do in these cases.  They can fight for you and what’s right.

This article can also be found at my website Experience Roswell Georgia

The combination of the homebuyer tax credit and low interest rates is helping to boost home sales. The National Association of Realtors reported last week that sales of existing homes rose by 14 percent in the fourth quarter.  The homebuyers tax credit is in affect until April 30th, and benefits both first time homebuyers as well as existing homebuyers.

This article can also be found at my website Experience Roswell Georgia

Examples of sensitive documents include old tax returns, junk mail and dated documents with personal information, old pay stubs, etc.  There is a limit of five boxes or 200 pounds of paper per vehicle.

Event is open to Roswell and non-Roswell residents.  The Recycling Center is located at 11570 Maxwell Road on the corner of Maxwell and Hembree Roads.                   

If you can’t make it on Saturday, make note of future 2010 Shredfest dates:

May 15th, August 14th and November 13th.

This article can also be found at my website Experience Roswell Georgia

Georgia residents who replace an existing appliance with a new Energy Star qualified appliance purchased after February 12, 2010 are eligible to apply for the rebate. Rebates are paid to the approved applicant in the form of a Visa Prepaid card.

Residents can apply for one rebate per category per address up to $1,200 total. Eligible categories are household appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, air conditioners, hot water heaters, etc.  You can get a $50 rebate for a refrigerator, up to $99 for a dishwasher and $199 for a gas furnace to name a few.  Since this is a first-come-first-served program, once the funds run out the program is over. 

It’s suggested that you check the availability of funds at www.georgiarebate.com. The funds available are updated automatically as applications are received. The rebate application and specific rebate amounts you can receive can also be located on this website.

This article can also be found at my website Experience Roswell Georgia

Prices in Magnolia Walk range from high $200,000’s for a home on a slab to mid $300,000’s for a home on a basement.   There were 3 sales last year in 2009.  Two homes on slabs sold for an average of $275,000. The other home was on a finished basement and sold for $330,000 in 17 days.  The seller received 99% of their asking price.

Currently there is only one home on the market in Magnolia Walk.  The home is on a fully finished basement, has 5 bedrooms and 3 ½ baths and over 3,000 square feet.  The asking price is $359,000.

Though the Magnolia Walk community doesn’t have a swimming pool or tennis court, it is a short drive to both Roswell Area Park and the Chattahoochee River Park.  And who can beat living so close to all the wonderful shops and restaurants on Canton Street?

This article can also be found at my website Experience Roswell Georgia

When buying a HUD home, will HUD pay any closing costs?
Yes. When you submit your bid, you can request HUD to pay your closing costs up to 3% of your bid. This amount will be subtracted from the total net to HUD, which will help determine which bid HUD will accept.

If you have any additional questions regarding HUD properties, feel free to email me at sellingatlanta@earthlink.net.  I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

This article can also be found at my website Experience Roswell Georgia

6.  Freshen up the basement – Homeowners with cement block or poured concrete walls can have a contractor fill in cracks with hydraulic cement and then paint them with waterproofing paint.  Adding a topcoat of paint adds color.  Painting the basement floor with a good heavy-duty cement floor paint, really gives your basement (and garage for that matter) a clean look.

7.  Add a room – If you have a large space that can be enclosed to create a new bedroom for just the cost of adding a wall, it might be a good idea to consider.  The roughly $400 wall could recoup $1,000’s in resale value.

8.  Spruce up cabinet fronts – We all know updated kitchens can only help in your resale efforts.  The least expensive move to updating cabinet fronts is simply reconditioning them at roughly a cost of $1,000.  Reconditioning them basically means taking out the nicks and scratches and reconditioning them with oil and adding new, updated hardware.  For $1,500 to $4,000, homeowners can replace the cabinet doors and drawer fronts.  For $4,000 to $12,000, homeowners can have all cabinets refaced. 

9.  Replace light fixtures – replacing overhead lighting in the foyer, bathrooms and kitchen provides a lot of bang for the buck.  If the kitchen has track lighting, homeowners can spend roughly $450 to $600 to have an electrician replace it with recessed canned lights on a dimmer switch.  For about $700, installing pendant lights over a kitchen island goes a long way to upgrading a kitchen.

10. Tech-up the garage – the garage always seems to be the last area of the house homeowners consider upgrading.  Consider replacing the garage door opener with a remote touch-pad entry system.   At a cost of $425, your garage will look like it has a high-end system.

This article can also be found at my website Experience Roswell Georgia

Not only is Bristol Oaks a quiet neighborhood where everyone knows your name, its also not very transient.  Only 3 homes sold in 2009; it’s just that no one wants to leave!  Bristol Oaks offers traditional style homes on slabs and basements and all are either stucco or brick.  The highest sale in 2009 was a stucco home on a fully finished basement for $355,000.

During this down real estate market, sales prices have remained relatively steady in Bristol Oaks.  The average overall sales price in 2009 is down just 3.25% as compared to the average sale price from 2 years ago.  Not bad, considering since some neighborhoods are experiencing decreases in value up to 30%.

If you’re interested in a neighborhood with a great Roswell location and stable values, make sure to visit Bristol Oaks.

This article can also be found at my website Experience Roswell Georgia

The even better news is that all the work will take place between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. so as to avoid morning and evening rush hours.
  
Construction is expected to be complete this summer.  But until then, expect delays along this corridor while the intersection improvements are being made.

This article can also be found at my website Experience Roswell Georgia