Aging Well Worshop January 10th

Swan Coach House

After taking a trip through the beautiful Swan House, make certain to enjoy a wonderful meal at the The Swan Coach House located adjacent to the main house.  Once used as the actual coach house for the property, the Swan Coach House was transformed into the restaurant we know today in 1967 by the ladies of Atlanta's Forward Arts Foundation.  It includes a beautiful gift shop, art gallery and restaurant to enjoy.   My friends and I celebrated the holiday season with a delicious lunch, toured the art gallery, and the Swan House mansion.   Swan Coach House is located at 3130 Slaton Drive N.W., Atlanta, Georgia. The coach house hosts many daytime events, tea time events, and even a take out menu.  Wonderful Southern food!

I recommend you visit the Swan Coach House during the holidays or any day.   Here are a few pictures from our day:  Swan Coach House.

No matter what your real estate needs are, I can help. If you are looking to sell your home, please give me a call 678-656-6627 for a free market analysis.   You can also get a Home Market Value or visit me, Pam Santoro at http://www.pamsantoro.com/ .

No One Sells a Home Like a Mom!   

Swan House is a Step Back in Time

The Swan House was designed for the Inman family by architect Philip Trammel.   Edward and Emily Inman moved into the house in 1928.  Edward was the heir to a large cotton brokerage.

Shortly after moving into the house, Edward passed away leaving Emily the mansion.   Emily remained at the Swan house with her oldest son and his family until her passing in 1965.   In 1966, the Atlanta Historical Society purchased the Swan House to preserve the beautiful mansion, its furnishings, and the 28 acre estate.   When you have some free time, visit the Atlanta Historical Society and walk through time in the 1930's in the Swan House.  It's a real treasure in Atlanta.

My friends and I had a lovely day at the Swan House last week.  Take a look at the beautiful mansion: Swan House.

 No matter what your real estate needs are, I can help.  If you are looking to sell your home, please give me a call 678-656-6627 for a free market analysis.  You can also get a Home Market Value or visit me, Pam Santoro at http://www.pamsantoro.com/ .

No One Sells a Home Like a Mom!   

Santa is Coming

Santa’s coming!   Are you ready?    Soon Santa will be climbing down your chimney to distribute presents to everyone on his “Nice List”.  Milk and cookies are waiting for him by the Christmas tree.  Decorations are all out and perfectly displayed with twinkling lights aglow.  

Remember to put the dishes in the dishwasher before you leave, make your beds, put any miscellaneous items away, and set the stage for your future home buyer.   Kitchens and bathrooms should be sparkling clean.   You should have fresh tiles in the bathrooms.  Family pictures should be put away.   The refrigerator should not be covered with notes or magnets.   Your house should look like a model home which will entice a buyer to love it and want to live there.

If you are looking to sell your home, please give me a call 678-656-6627 for a free market analysis.  No matter what your real estate needs are, I can help.  You can also get a Home Market Value or visit me, Pam Santoro at http://www.pamsantoro.com/ .

No One Sells a Home Like a Mom!  

Hansel and Gretel Buyers

Gumdrops and candy are a sure way to attract buyers and create curb appeal.   Take a lesson from the Witch in “Hansel and Gretel” :  Sugar plums, gingerbread and frosting are pleasing to the eye and to the taste buds.   Always make sure your home is ready for any potential buyers who may be driving by.  When a house is listed for sale, it should have great curb appeal to entice a buyer inside for a better look.

If you are looking to sell your home, please give me a call 678-656-6627 for a free market analysis.  No matter what your real estate needs are, I can help.  You can also get a Home Market Value or visit me, Pam Santoro at http://www.pamsantoro.com/ .

No One Sells a Home Like a Mom!  

Aging Workshop - Georgian Lakeside

Lots of us are part of the sandwich generation raising our families and taking care of our parents.   If you are feeling overwhelmed worrying about your parents or even planning for yourself, this workshop is for you.   We’ll discuss topics like finances, assisted living, insurance, downsizing, moving and more. 

You are all cordially invited to the Aging Parents Workshop on Tuesday, November 15^th,  2016. 

Refreshments are from 6:00PM to 6:30PM

Workshop starts at 6:30PM to 7:30PM.

Location:  Georgian Lakeside – Assisted Living and Memory Care

1070 Hardscrabble Road, Roswell, GA   30075 (678-367-4744)

Register at Eventbrite

This event is hosted by the following:

Pam Santoro, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services of Georgia
Mary Becker, Best Deal Movers

Erica Ramsey, The Rhoads Group
MaryJo Bowser, Griswold Home Care

Mike Mahoney, Commonwealth of Atlanta LLC

Kristine Evjen, Welcome Home Moves

We are encountering more people coordinating the next steps for their parents and in-laws.  We'll discuss the documents needed for inevitable financial and health decisions, housing choices available, health and caring services available in the home, and insurance needs and savings.  

Please feel free to join us at this free event.  

Learn how to empower yourself and your parents.

Mayfield Dairy Tour with Ice Cream Finish

If you love ice cream and are looking for a cool tour to take with your family or friends, I recommend the Mayfield Dairy Tour (1160 Broadway Avenue, Braselton, GA  30517).  For under $5, you get a tour of the dairy plant, learn all about pasteurization and different kinds of milk, practice milking a pretend cow, and eat ice cream in the parlor.   Yum!  

Growing up in the country, I remember the cows being milked, the pasteurization process, and separating the cream.  When I was young, I even rode a cow down the hill and into the barn.    I don’t think I’d be brave enough to do that now.   The tour explained the process of getting the milk from the farm to the dairy plant to you.   It was very educational and entertaining. 

As you can see, we had a great time visiting the Mayfield Dairy.   Thanks Lois for organizing our outing.

The tours run hourly on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9AM to 5PM with the first tour at 10AM and last tour at 4PM.   On Saturday, tours run hourly from 9AM to 2PM with the first tour at 10AM and last tour at 1PM.   For more info, call 1-888-298-0396 or check out their website at http://www.mayfielddairy.com/about-us/take-a-tour#visit-us-in-braselton-ga.

No matter what your real estate needs are, I can help.  Visit me, Pam Santoro at http://www.pamsantoro.com/ or contact me at 678-656-6627.

No One Sells a Home Like a Mom!   #AlpharettaHomesforSale

First Impressions Start at the Street

When a buyer arrives at your house, they should feel welcomed.   First impressions start at the street. 

There are many simple ways to spruce up your yard and the exterior of your house. 

• Put out new mulch or pine straw in your flower beds.
• Add some seasonal flowers to make the front yard more vibrant.
• Power wash the sidewalks and driveway. 
• Clean the light fixtures and windows.
• Paint the front door.
• Trim the shrubs.
• Stage your porches and decks for relaxing or entertaining.
• Put out a new welcome mat.
• Walk around your house to check exterior paint and walkability of the yard.
• Rake the leaves.
• Keep trash cans and hoses out of the front view of the house.
• Remove and store the window screens to give a clean look both inside and out. 

These are just a few ideas to make your house more welcoming.   For more ideas, check out my Pinterest Board Home Staging Like a Pro.  Remember sometimes plain old elbow grease and a small amount of money will increase your curb appeal and bring that buyer home.

No matter what your real estate needs are, I can help.  Visit me, Pam Santoro at http://www.pamsantoro.com/ or contact me at 678-656-6627.

No One Sells a Home Like a Mom!   #AlpharettaHomesforSale

Aging Parent Workshop at Belmont Village

You are all cordially invited to the Aging Parents Workshop on Tuesday, October 18^th, 2016.

Refreshments are from 6:00PM to 6:30PM

Workshop starts at 6:30PM to 7:30PM.

Please join us at the Belmont Village at Johns Creek, 4315 Johns Creek Parkway, Suwanee, GA   30024 (770-813-9505)

Register at Eventbrite

This event is hosted by the following:

Pam Santoro, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services of Georgia
Mary Becker, Best Deal Movers

Erica Ramsey, The Rhoads Group
MaryJo Bowser, Griswold Home Care

Mike Mahoney, Commonwealth of Atlanta LLC

Kristine Evjen, Welcome Home Moves

We are encountering more people coordinating the next steps for their parents and in-laws.  We'll discuss the documents needed for inevitable financial and health decisions, housing choices available, health and caring services available in the home, and insurance needs and savings.  

Please feel free to join us at this free event.  

Learn how to empower yourself and your parents.

Aging Parents Workshop at Belmont Village at Johns Creek 10-18-16

Are you looking for resources?   Do you feel stressed about raising your family and taking care of your parents too?   Are you part of the sandwich generation?   This workshop is for you.   You are not alone.   

You are all cordially invited to the Aging Parents Workshop on Tuesday, October 18^th, 2016

Refreshments are from 6:00PM to 6:30PM

Workshop starts at 6:30PM to 7:30PM.

Please join us at the Belmont Village at Johns Creek, 4315 Johns Creek Parkway, Suwanee, GA   30024 (770-813-9505)

  

Register at Eventbrite

This event is hosted by the following:

Pam Santoro, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services of Georgia
Mary Becker, Best Deal Movers

Erica Ramsey, The Rhoads Group
MaryJo Bowser, Griswold Home Care

Mike Mahoney, Commonwealth of Atlanta LLC

Kristine Evjen, Welcome Home Moves

We are encountering more people coordinating the next steps for their parents and 
in-laws.  We'll discuss the documents needed for inevitable financial and health decisions, housing choices available, health and caring services available in the home, and insurance needs and savings.  

Please feel free to join us at this free event.  

Learn how to empower yourself and your parents.

Are you ready to stop renting and buy a home?

                                         

Are you ready to stop renting?  

Are you ready to stop dreaming and purchase a house of your own?  

Do you have enough money saved?

Once you decide that you are in the market for a home, you need to talk to a professional who can help you navigate the process.   Hiring a Realtor like me will help you with searching for a home, negotiating an offer, working through inspections, getting you to the closing and into your dream home. 

The first part of the process is obtaining a pre-approval letter from a lender.  Then you’ll know what you can comfortably afford.   This will not only define what your price range is and explain your loan options, but provide you with one of the documents needed when submitting an offer on your house.   Now the search begins.

Start thinking about features your dream home should have, and make a list:   Are you trying to buy near your office?   Do you want a certain school district?   How many bedrooms and baths?  Do you want a swim and tennis neighborhood?  Do you need a fenced or level yard?  Do you need a terrace level or basement?  What size house are you looking for?  

No matter what your needs are, I can help you with all your real estate needs.  

Visit me, Pam Santoro at http://www.pamsantoro.com/ or contact me at: 678-656-6627.

No One Sells a Home Like a Mom!  

Next Tuesday - Aging Parents Workshop

If you are part of the #sandwich generation, taking care of your family and your parents, please come to the Aging Parents Workshop.

You'll get tips on finances, insurance, home care help, veterans benefits, aging resources, how to make a transition go smoothly, and even ways to retro fit your home to make it safer for your loved ones.

So join us on Tuesday, September 13th at 6PM at the Tapestry House Assisted Living, 2725 Holcomb Bridge Road, Alpharetta, GA 30022 (770-649-0808).

Register at Eventbrite

This free event is hosted by the following:

Pam Santoro, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services of Georgia
Mary Becker, Best Deal Movers

Erica Ramsey, The Rhoads Group
MaryJo Bowser, Griswold Home Care

Mike Mahoney, Commonwealth of Atlanta LLC

We are encountering more people coordinating the next steps for their parents and 
in-laws.  We'll discuss the documents needed for inevitable financial and health decisions, housing choices available, health and caring services available in the home, and insurance needs and savings.  

Learn how to "Empower Yourself and Your Aging Parents".

Where Are We Going? Housing Development Trends in the Atlanta Area

Atlanta Housing Development Trendy? Maybe so.

With interest rate hikes on the horizon many potential home buyers (and realtors) are wondering where the housing market is headed for Atlanta. In particular, where are the "hot spots" or trending development areas for the 2016-2017 real estate market? With both the millennials and baby-boomers in competition, the Atlanta area real estate offerings (and the suburbs surrounding it) could lead to some interesting housing development trends.

Sunshine Kids Auction on November 4th

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices of Georgia

Alpharetta | North Fulton Branch's

SILENT | LIVE AUCTION

Benefiting The Sunshine Kids!

Where: Roswell River Landing

245 Azalea Drive Roswell GA 30075

When: November 4th starting at 7pm

Dinner Provided by: Ensign Building Solutions

Live Music!

Tickets are $25

To purchase tickets to this event or donate to the auction, please go to Sunshine Kids Auction November 4th.

The Sunshine Kids was established in 1982 and  is a non-profit organization dedicated to children with cancer. 

Aging Parent Workshop Sept 13

You are all cordially invited to the Aging Parents Workshop on Tuesday, September 13th, 2016.

Refreshments are from 6:00PM to 6:30PM

Workshop starts at 6:30PM to 7:30PM.

Please join us at the Tapestry House Assisted Living, 2725 Holcomb Bridge Road, Alpharetta, GA   30022 (770-649-0808)

Register at Eventbrite

This event is hosted by the following:

Pam Santoro, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services of Georgia
Mary Becker, Best Deal Movers

Erica Ramsey, The Rhoads Group
MaryJo Bowser, Griswold Home Care

Mike Mahoney, Commonwealth of Atlanta LLC

We are encountering more people coordinating the next steps for their parents and 
in-laws.  We'll discuss the documents needed for inevitable financial and health decisions, housing choices available, health and caring services available in the home, and insurance needs and savings.  

Please feel  free to join us at this free event.  

Learn how to "Empower Yourself and Your Aging Parents".

Are We there Yet? House Buying with Kids

Well Lets All Load Up!

House Buying with kids in mind (and in tow) can introduce a whole new dynamic to the house search quest. Home buyers are not only searching for  a comfortable place that meets their own needs but often seek the perfect sized home, in a popular school area, with lots of  amenities. In addition, as a Mom (as well as a realtor) I can attest to the spirited tactics of going on house tours with children tagging along. However,  keeping a few simple tips in mind can not only help you find a home that meets your family's needs as well as keep your sanity while on the hunt.

Sellers or Buyers’ Market, Which Direction Are We Heading?

Watch for Signs

Is it a Sellers or Buyers’ Real Estate Market? At times finding the right path in the complicated real estate market means understanding which way the road is headed. Without knowing which direction the market is going and having no available roadmap, many home sellers and buyers can be left at a dead end. Yet when buying or selling a home, there are signs within the marketplace that if followed correctly, will have sellers packing to leave and buyers on the freeway to home ownership.

Be a Warrior, Baths and Kitchen Home Improvements That Sell!

Weekend Warriors Unite for Home Improvements!

So it is pretty common knowledge that when looking at home improvements that will get your home sold quicker, it is kitchens and bathrooms. Still, even small home renovations can be pricey if you are not careful. So the best option is to figure out what is easy to do, cost effective and can be done in a timely manner. Still stumped? Well check out these tips for the kitchen and bath “weekend warrior” home improvements that sell without costing you an appendage.

I'm Not Ready For the Rest Home Yet, Purchasing a Senior Adult Home

Being a Senior Does Not Mean I Give Up a Life

All of us know we are headed into the season of living as a senior adult. Some of us are getting there a bit quicker than others as a matter of fact. Yet for most of us, buying a home that caters to senior adult living can feel like you are being put out to pasture rather than finding the freedom of retirement. However, this does not have to be the case. Still, whether choosing a home for yourself or your aging parents, there are some unique points to consider when looking for a house that meets the needs of seniors.  Here are a few common real estate features for senior adults to look for, when searching for a home that meets your unique needs.

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill in Alpharetta

 Tony and I enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Firebirds Wood Fired Grill in Alpharetta across from Avalon.  It's been open an short time,  but it is becoming a new hot spot.

The food, service and atmosphere are wonderful.  

The tortilla soup and spinach salad were superb!  (Worth every calorie.)

There's a wonderful wine selection to pair with any meal.

Meet a client or a friend for lunch or dinner. 

Happy hour features a wide assortment of beer, wine or unique cocktails.  

Firebirds is another great restaurant to add to our favorites.

Enjoy mouth watering steak or seafood on the grill or a specialty salad, soup, sandwich or appetizer.  They have something for everyone.   

Visit the Firebirds Wood Fired Grill on 2665 Old Milton Parkway in Alpharetta, Georgia. 

 It will soon become one of your favorite restaurants too!

I Want to Buy a House but Need Financing, Finding Your Perfect Mortgage

Finding Your Perfect Mortgage

When it comes to buying a home for the first time, many potential home buyers can become discouraged by the prospects of finding Home Financing. Knowing which mortgage, they best qualify for and provides the greatest benefits for their needs can be confusing. But by knowing some of the most frequent mortgage offerings home buyers can make an informed decision that helps them select the perfect mortgage for the perfect home.

Which Mortgage is for Me?

Ribbon Cutting at the Black Walnut Cafe - July 25th

Kurt Schleinz, the General Manager of the Black Walnut Cafe, on 5805 Windward Parkway in Alpharetta presented Kathy Swahn, the Executive Director at the Drake House, with a check at the ribbon cutting on Monday, July 25th.   During their opening weekend, the Black Walnut Cafe held an event benefiting the Drake House.   

The Drake House helps women and children with short-term housing, education, mentoring and empowerment programs.   It provides support for homeless mothers and their children to work toward self-sufficiency.  The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce Leadership North Fulton Program worked with the community to create the Drake House. It's wonderful to see how the business community works together to help families in need.  As you can see by Kathy's and Kurt's smiles, it was a great day for a ribbon cutting and for the Drake House.

If you are looking for a new restaurant, stop by the Black Walnut Cafe.

They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Don't forget happy hour too!

Beautiful atmosphere indoors and out.

And service with a smile.