We had a fantastic experience working with Melissa Wakamo to sell our home in Grant Park and purchase another in intown Atlanta.  Having lived in Grant Park for over 11 years, we knew Melissa well and had watched over the years as she grew Red Robin Group into such an impressive organization.  So, it was an easy decision for us to approach Melissa when we were ready for a move.

 During our early discussions, we felt that we would have a tremendous amount of support in staging our house and getting it ready to list. However, thanks to Melissa’s amazing contacts within the neighborhood, we ended up selling our house for asking price before we even listed it.  With two young children and a dog, we are still breathing a sigh of relief that we were able to escape the inconvenience of staging and showing our home! 

 At the same time, we knew that the market had changed drastically and that inventory of available homes was very low.  We were very worried about buying a new home in a sellers market.  Thankfully, Melissa was there for us.   She spent time going over the limited inventory available so that we could be educated about the current market and know what we wanted in our new home.  Then, when a potential home came on the market, she was there with us within hours of it listing.  We ended up in a multiple offer situation, which was nerve-wracking and stressful, but in the end, we got the house!  We felt so fortunate to have Melissa by our side through some difficult and complex negotiations.  There were several opportunities where our purchase could have fallen through, but Melissa put in some long hours to keep it on track.

 On a personal note, Melissa was always very easy to work with.  She is very good at providing you with open and useful communication.  We never felt as if she was feeding us some unhelpful “real estate line”.  In addition, we always felt that she really had our best interests at heart and was doing everything that she could to help us achieve our goals.  Plus, Melissa is just a fun person.  We would whole-heartedly recommend her to anyone we know.  We also had a great experience with the whole Red Robin office and appreciated the support of Natalie, Jan and everyone else who helped us through this process.

Red Robin Group and the judges are proud to announce the Coloring Contest winners! 

Neighbors young and old were asked to use their imagination and color or craft our popular bird logo. Over eighty entries poured in from all around Grant Park, Ormewood Park, and East Atlanta.  We showcased the entries in our Ormewood Avenue window and on our Facebook page.

Our Facebook page also features all of the Honorable Mentions. You can see the Facebook photo album here.

Our panel of judges included long-time Grant Park resident and neighborhood advocate, Paul Zucca, and District 1 City Council Representative, Carla Smith.

All of the winners and honorable mentions are included in this compilation video. Enjoy! 

Click here to view the embedded video.

3 & Under

For ages 3 and under, Sam Gatewood won for his mixed media interpretation. The judges really liked that Sam made a nest for his bird and used tissue paper to make the feathers.

Thornton Wilder received an Honorable Mention for his exuberant and colorful mark-making.

3 & Under Winner: Sam Gatewood

4 to 6 Years Old

For ages 4 to 6, Molly Wooden of Grant Park won for her three-dimensional feathered interpretation, complete with a worm dangling from the bird’s beak.  

Two additional children received an honorable mention: Bailey Adams-Williams for a tissue paper collage and Danny Bonner of Ormewood Park.

4-6 Years Old Winner: Molly Wooden

7 to 9 Years Old

For ages 7 to 9, Annabelle Craven of East Atlanta won for her colorful patterning. Samantha Canto received an Honorable Mention. 

7 to 9 years old Winner: Annabelle Craven

 10 to 11 Years Old

For ages 10 to 11, Evelyn Craven of East Atlanta won for her paper mosaic. Violet Schwartz received an Honorable Mention

10 to 11 Years Old Winner: Evelyn Craven

 12 to 17 Years Old

For ages 12 to 17, John Shumaker of Athens, Georgia won for his social media interpretation. It appears he was in the neighborhood and stopped by Grant Park’s Six Feet Under for meal when he tore out the coloring page from the Porch Press and colored his entry.

12 to 17 Years Old Winner: John Shumaker

 18 & up 

For the 18 & up category, Christy Atkins won for her “I need coffee” entry. Flossie Mae Grier of East Atlanta, age 79, received an Honorable Mention for her brightly colored red robin.

18 & up Winner: Christy Atkins

Home Design for the Birds: Build or Decorate a Birdhouse

Spring break is the perfect time to help the birds find their best nest! Join Red Robin Group and Art Attack on Thursday, April 11th for a fun morning of birdhouse building and decorating.

Creative instructor Susie Antell of Art Attack, a local “traveling art studio for your petite Picasso,” will lead kids ages 3-10 in building and decorating their own birdhouses. We will talk about bird houses and ‘person houses,’ and how they are similar and different – and we might read a story or two about birds and their homes. Cupcakes will be provided by Endulge.

When: Thursday, April 11th, 10-11:30am

Where: Brownwood Park Recreation Center

Space is limited! This event is FREE, but registration is required.

(If the registration form above does not work, click here to register.)

Sponsors

 

If you have any questions, please contact me at natalie@redrobingroup.com.

An FHA mortgage is about to get a lot more expensive.

The first change going into effect will have borrowers obtaining an FHA mortgage after April 1st paying more for their annual mortgage insurance premiums (MIP). The FHA will increase its MIP by 10 basis points, or 0.1 percentage points, for all new loans. This will raise the annual FHA MIP to 1.35% for most borrowers and while this increase is not too significant it does equate to an increase of roughly $16.00 a month on a loan amount of $200,000.00.

Unfortunately that’s not the worst of it. Returning to its pre-2001 policy, the FHA will no longer cancel the annual MIP once an insured mortgage reaches 78% loan-to-value (LTV). Instead, the annual MIP will be assessed until the end of the mortgage term or for the first 11 years of the mortgage term, whichever occurs first for all borrowers putting down 10% or more.  For borrowers making a down payment of less than 10% FHA will assess the annual MIP until the end of the mortgage term or for the first 30 years of the term, whichever occurs first.

It’s not all bad news though.  There are alternative options to an FHA loan that can allow you to get into a mortgage with less money down!  Check back in May for information on Fannie Mae’s Flex low down payment option and tips on what you need to be doing now to qualify for this mortgage!

You contact Brandon with any additional questions or to discuss how he can assist you with your mortgage needs.

 About the Author:

Brandon Byrd
AVP & Mortgage Banker
NMLSR License # 209657
LoanSouth NMLS# 690971
Phone: 404.915.8252
Secured Fax: 770.685.7011

Equal Housing Lender.  BankSouth Mortgage, LLC dba LoanSouth, a wholly owned subsidiary of BankSouth.  NMLS #690971.  990 Hammond Drive, Suite 210, Atlanta, Georgia 30328.  Subject to credit approval.  All information is believed to be accurate but not warranted.  For information only, it is not guaranteed to be comprehensive.  The information provided has been based on rules and regulations issued by  the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  Terms subject to change without notice.  Please reference Mortgagee Letter 2013-04 at www.hud.gov and contact a mortgage banker for further information.

Did you see our coloring contest in the April issue of the Porch Press?  Neighbors young and old, use your imagination and color or craft our Red Robin Group birdie for a chance to win fabulous prizes! 

Print the coloring page here.  

There are six age group categories, including 3 and under, 4-6, 7-9, 10-11, 12-17, and 18 & up!

Selected and winning entries will be featured in our office window on Ormewood Ave and will be posted on the Red Robin Group Facebook page.  Our engaging Facebook page is the best place to keep up with us! Not a fan a Red Robin Group?  Click here to “like” us on Facebook.

How to Enter:

Mail or drop off your coloring page: Red Robin Group, 749 Moreland Ave, Suite A-102, 30316  Attn: Coloring Contest. Entries must be postmarked by April 19th. Winners notified and announced on Facebook on April 26th!

Send your “petite Picasso” to Art Attack on Monday, April 1st

If you’re looking for a unique opportunity for your “petite Picasso” to work on his or her work of art, Susie Antell of  Art Attack will use the coloring sheets during her art lesson at Hodgepodge Coffee Shop on April 1st at 11:00am.  The cost is $8 for the class and open to budding artists ages 2-10 years old.

If you have questions about this contest, swing by the Red Robin Group office or call me at 404-254-5206 ext. 7.

Follow Red Robin Group on Facebook to get a behind-the-scenes look at submissions and meet our distinguished panel of neighborhood judges, including District 1 Atlanta City Council Representative, Carla Smith and Grant Park resident Paul Zucca!

Strong signs of economic improvement both locally and nationally have made consumers more confident, and the housing market has been a beneficiary of these improvements.  Better than expected job growth and lower unemployment in February have contributed to a growing economy.  Consumers are showing they are ready to be out of a recession!

So, what does all this mean to Atlanta home buyers and sellers?

Buyers can expect to find low levels of inventory, at least in the forseeable future.  Gone are the days when an agent could take their buyer out for months to look at homes.  Many agents are networking on a grassroots level to seek out properties for their buyers prior to them being listed.  And, many buyers are finding themselves in very competitive multiple offer situations for the few properties that are available.  Buyers should make sure they are working with an agent who has a strong network and can advise them on making a competitive offer that will be attractive to a seller.

Sellers are experiencing some much needed relief from the strong buyer’s market of recent years.  Good homes that are priced right are selling quickly.  It’s great to have multiple offers, right?  One caveat is that the appraisal process is keeping home prices from rising too drastically, which is probably a good thing. We don’t want to go back to an inflated bubble market.  

What we are seeing is a steady increase in prices — Corelogic reported that home prices are up 9.7% nationally. Very good news indeed.  Sellers should make sure to choose an agent who is intimately familiar with neighborhood comps and the appraisal process to help ensure that the contract price is justified in periods of high demand and multiple offers.

Whew!  That’s a lot to take in.  Hang on folks, we’re in for a wild ride in the coming months!

This house type is widespread throughout the entire country, and is most often associated with the development of the Levittown communities  in the 1940s. While Abraham Levitt’s suburban neighborhoods certainly were some of the most concentrated development of American Small Houses, the type has its beginnings in the 1930s, concurrent with the establishment of the Federal Housing Administration. During the Great Depression, Americans had a drastic need for low-cost housing. According to the Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, this need combined with ”unprecedented collaboration on the part of the federal government, the building industry, the architectural and engineering professions, the building trades, university ‘extension’ programs, building code officials, and home-loan finance institutions” to create a “clear national goal of providing well-designed, well-built, affordable, small single-family houses.” This phenomenon is unique in American history; no other country has ever put such concerted effort and focus into the development of single-family housing, thus the American in American Small House.

The ideal of the American Small House can be summed up by this line from the 1936 FHA guide book, Principles of Planning Small Houses: “a maximum accommodation within a minimum of means.” Accordingly, the American Small House is compact, and typically features four rooms: a living room, kitchen, and two bedrooms (bathrooms are not counted as a room in architectural terms, but American Small Houses almost always have just one bathroom). Some smaller versions have only one bedroom – this was the minimum size for which FHA would guarantee mortgages – and some larger versions have a separate dining room or a small bonus room. The houses are two rooms deep and often have a small side or back porch. They usually do not have a front porch, but rather just a stoop. Initial exterior ornamentation was minimal.

The beauty of these houses was – and remains today – in their simplicity, which lends itself to limitless possibilities of use and expansion. During the 1930s, through the World War II years and into the postwar period, people bought these houses as “starter homes,” and later finished off the basement, the attic, or added more rooms as their families grew. Other families chose not to expand, as they saw no need beyond the space the house already provided. Like buying unfinished furniture, the lack of ornamentation meant that homeowners could customize and personalize their homes in whatever style they chose. So, although Levittown and similar developments may have featured rows of identical houses when they were initially built, it wasn’t long before each house bore the unique decorating and gardening style of its owner.

Today, the American Small House is experiencing a resurgence in interest, as more and more Americans are realizing that downsizing one’s home can hold many positive results. A larger house means higher utility bills, and the compact size of the American Small House offers coziness and comfort with less money spent on heating and cooling, and less of an environmental impact in so doing. There is also less space to insulate, seal, and otherwise maintain. Additionally, as a growing portion of homeowners are single individuals, couples without children, or empty-nesters, new markets are emerging for the American Small House beyond its original target market of young families. Like the widepread ranch house, American Small Houses are solidly built and bear the high-quality craftsmanship of an earlier age. They feature hardwood floors, mud-set tile, and unique features that maximize usable space, such as built-in shelving and butler’s pantries.

American Small Houses abound in the neighborhoods Red Robin Group serves – Ormewood Park, Grant Park, and East Atlanta. The next time you are out for a walk or bike ride, or on your daily commute, look around and notice all the American Small Houses around you! They vary in shape, size, and configuration, but they have one thing in common: these houses have served Americans well for over 70 years, and will continue to do so for many more decades to come.

 Find out more:

• Georgia Historic Preservation Division’s presentation on the American Small House (PDF)
• A Short History of the Small House Movement

Fans spotted the company’s iconic bird throughout local neighborhoods served by the brokerage.  Intown neighborhoods such as East Atlanta, Grant Park, and Ormewood Park each had at least one visit from the popular red-breasted robin.  

Last week the bird was spotted in East Atlanta Village at the site of General McPherson’s Monument at the corner of Monument and McPherson Avenues.

Later in the week, the red robin was at Zoo Atlanta in Grant Park checking out the flamingo exhibit. After that he flew over to  the Ormewood Park Presbyterian Church.  This week he flew back to Grant Park where he was perched atop a fence at Burns Mansion.

Winning entries to the various contests were given a coupon for a free scoop of Morelli’s Ice Cream flavor called “Robin Egg,” available March 18.   You can read more about Red Robin Group’s collaboration with Morelli’s Gourmet Ice Cream here.

Become a Facebook fan of Red Robin Group and participate in the next neighborhood contest! 

Realtor and Broker Melissa Wakamo of Red Robin Group admits that “Robin Eggs” were one of her  favorite  childhood candies.  It was her idea to team up with another Ormewood Park business to concoct an  ice cream treat inspired by her company name to share with the community.

Morelli’s has been touted as the “fourth best ice cream shop in America,” according to Bon Apetit magazine, and their flavors have quickly become a local favorite.  It just so happens that their Ormewood Park location is just steps away from the Red Robin Group office in Ormewood Plaza at 749 Moreland Avenue.

If you didn’t win a coupon for a free scoop of “Robin Egg” ice cream from Red Robin Group’s Facebook page, you can swing by Morelli’s and try the flavor for yourself.  Next week  ”Robin Egg”  will be listed on the board as a flavor of  the week.  

The last opportunity to try this custom flavor will be at the Ormewood Park Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 31st at 10:00am in Jacci Fuller Woodland Garden Park. Red Robin Group will be serving up free samples after the egg hunt.

Not a fan of Red Robin Group on Facebook? Like us now and get the latest scoop on intown Atlanta real estate and participate in community contests. 

Jacci Fuller Woodland Garden Park is located at the corner of E.Confederate and Gilbert streets.

Parents need to drop off  one dozen plastic, stuffed eggs for each participating child. Ideas for egg stuffing surprises include stickers, bouncy balls, pencil toppers, coins, tattoos, and nut-free candy. Families can drop off their eggs between March 25^th – March 29^th at the following locations:

1. Red Robin Group at 749 Moreland Ave, Suite A-102, Atlanta, GA 30316
2. The Winkle’s Home at 934 Alloway Place, Atlanta, GA 30316

 The age categories for this hunt include the “Young Bunnies” for ages 3 and under and the “Fast Rabbits” for ages 4 and up.

Red Robin Group will be providing their own custom flavor of ice cream called “Robin Egg” crafted by Morelli’s Ice Cream for families to enjoy after the egg hunt. In addition, Red Robin Group 

staff and their families will be attending the event.                         

For information about volunteering, click here.