Six Simple Steps to Increase Your Home’s Value

Thinking of selling your home? Buyer demand is high while inventory is at an all-time low, so you want to make sure you take advantage of market conditions and get the most for your home. Before placing your house on the market, there are simple steps you can take to increase the value of your home – ranging from quick, affordable changes to small renovations.

1. Make the outside of your home look as good as you can. You don’t have to hire a professional landscaper. Instead, look for any areas where the landscaping is overgrown. Some simple pruning and trimming can go a long way. Remember, the outside of your home is the first thing that potential buyers and the appraiser will see. We also recommend fresh pine straw or mulch, pressure washing your walkway and driveway and adding some annual plants for color.
2. Enhance the lighting in your home. You can add things such as brighter light bulbs, removing heavy drapes that do not let in natural sunlight, and keeping your blinds open. To make a small room seem brighter, use a high wattage light.
3. Complete the maintenance that you may have neglected. Check the insulation levels in the attic; repair plumbing leaks; fix a rotted stair or rail on the porch; make sure that windows open, or replace broken screens. Buyers will notice these as detractors, and it may lower their bid.
4. Examine your front door. Is it welcoming? Does the doorbell work? An inviting entrance will make a great first impression. In fact, many buyers will decide on their interest level in the home within the first seven seconds.
5. Paint your walls a neutral color. Buyers want to imagine a blank slate. At the very least, touch up areas of the walls the have marks or chipping paint.
6. Spruce up your bathroom and kitchen. While you can add new fixtures, there are smaller changes that will resonate with buyers. Deep cleaning helps. Remove stains, clean any mold, mildew or soap stains. Replacing peeling or stained caulking can help the bathroom look cleaner and brighter.

Contact An Agent Today
When you’re ready to list your home, let us help you find ways to boost the value. We’ll guide you through the home selling process, working to protect your interests every step of the way.

At Karen Cannon, Realtors, we are local real estate experts for Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, and North Atlanta. We live, work and play here, and our agents are hand-picked for their connections in the community. Our highly effective marketing program allows us to shorten the number of days on the market for the homes we list. We’ve even put homes under contract sight unseen!

If you are thinking about selling your home, call us at 770-352-9658.

Dunwoody: A Strong Public School System for Students of Any Age

Dunwoody is known as home to some of the best public schools in Dekalb County. Many families choose this desirable address due to the school districts. Many of the area schools are STEM schools, and offer Discovery programs for high achievers. No matter what age your children are, there’s bound to be a good fit at one of the outstanding area schools.

Elementary Schools

Austin Elementary School
At Austin, instructional programs are designed so that each student is challenged, but experiences success and develops a good self-image. The faculty employs innovative teaching strategies and cooperative learning, and children are exposed to the total curriculum. Austin received the 2017 Student Achievement Platinum Award for the highest performing schools from the Governor’s office. This is the third consecutive year that the school has received a SSAS (Single Statewide Accountability System) Award. Austin is building a new school facility, which will be completed in August of 2019.

Programs offered at Austin include:

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)
Chess Club
Student Council
Media Squad
Odyssey of the Mind (develops creative thinking and problem solving)
I-BAT (provides students with academic, physical and social support)
Aftercare Program (homework help, fitness activities, and enrichment clubs)

Vanderlyn Elementary School
At Vanderlyn, they stress a positive and challenging educational environment, designed to inspire life-long learning, international thinking, and productive citizenship.

Programs offered at Vanderlyn include:

STEM
Media Center
Math Team
Reading Bowl
After School Activities (Chess Club, Dance Club, Track Team)
Social Media Policy for Students
After School Extended Day Program

Dunwoody Elementary School
Dunwoody is a safe and supportive environment designed to develop a desire to learn, an appreciation for diversity, and an understanding of the world in which we live. Students are encouraged to think creatively.

Programs offered at Dunwoody include:

STEM
Media Center
Clubs and Activities (Chess, Dance, Singing)
Reading Bowl
Hebrew Enrichment Classes
Extended Day Program
Social Media Policy for Students
Spanish and French Afterschool Classes

Chestnut Charter Elementary School
At Chestnut, educators believe in collaborating between home and school to educate the whole child. The goal is to develop young people who are enthusiastic, knowledgeable, well rounded, physically active and thoughtful.

Programs offered at Chestnut include:

STEM
Chess Club
Library Club
Garden Club
Media Center
Social Media Policy for Students
After School Extended Day Program

Kingsley Elementary School
The mission of Kingsley is to establish and strengthen relationships between home and school in order to promote high expectations of students, staff and parents. Educators aim to provide a nurturing and creative environment for the students.

Programs offered at Kingsley include:

Student Council
Media Center
Social Media Policy for Students
After School Extended Day Program

Middle and High Schools

Peachtree Charter Middle School
Peachtree follows the state curriculum, but as a charter school, they have been given County and State approval to move beyond the syllabus and further enhance education based on student’s needs. They foster teamwork with students to help them reach their personal and academic goals.

Programs offered at Peachtree include:

STEM
Athletics (volleyball, baseball, basketball, cheerleading, football, track, cross-country, gymnastics, lacrosse, wrestling, softball, tennis)
Yearbook
Art Club
Band
Jazz Club
Drama Club
Mathletes
Student Government
Odyssey of the Mind
School Newspaper
Snowboarding Club
Media Center
Social Media Policy for Students

Dunwoody High School
Dunwoody’s vision is symbolized by the acronym Wildcat PRIDE: Personal Responsibility In Developing Excellence. Educators strive to help students learn to be productive members of an increasingly diverse society.

Programs offered at Dunwoody include:

23 AP classes offered
The Academy of Finance
Mass Communications
Engineering and Technology
Air Force ROTC
Athletics (volleyball, baseball, basketball, cheerleading, fencing, football, track, cross-country, gymnastics, lacrosse, wrestling, softball, tennis, swimming, golf)
Marching Band

Dunwoody’s innovative public schools are one of the top reasons families choose to call this area home. Many of Atlanta’s best private schools are also in close proximity. The diversity of the area is reflected in the curriculums and teaching styles offered here, as is the sense of community that binds Dunwoody residents.

Dunwoody: Home to Atlanta’s Best Suburban Neighborhoods

Dunwoody has a population of about 48,000 people, and is known for it’s ethnic and cultural diversity. The median age in the community is 37, with many young couples moving to the area to start and grow families. While Dunwoody is known for it’s shopping and dining, the city also has 7 major parks and more than 170 acres of green space. Just 10 miles outside of Atlanta, Dunwoody residents experience the small town lifestyle while still remaining ‘inside the Perimeter’ and close to Atlanta.

Here are a few of Dunwoody’s most desirable areas.

Dunwoody Village
This is the heart of historic Dunwoody, with Colonial Williamsburg architecture and a true sense of place. The community centers around the Dunwoody Village Shopping Center, which was built in the 1970s and gave the district its name. The shopping center set the tone for the unique architectural identity of the area, and all other construction since then has followed suit. Dunwoody Village is home to the iconic Dunwoody Farmhouse. Originally built in 1906, the restored farmhouse is home to many community events and a landmark in the area.

Perimeter Center
This community formed around the Perimeter Mall when it was built in 1971. The mall was built at the intersection of two major highways, GA 400 and I-285, and the surrounding neighborhood spans the Fulton county line into Sandy Springs. The construction of the mall spurred the development of major office, residential and commercial development in the area, which is also accessible via the Dunwoody Transit Station for the MARTA public transit system. Perimeter Center is one of metro Atlanta’s largest job centers, employing hundreds of thousands of people. State Farm recently built a regional headquarters here, and more development of condos, shops and restaurants is planned to encourage the ‘live, work, play’ lifestyle in the Perimeter area.

Georgetown
The Georgetown area developed in the early 1960s and is a walkable area with lots of ‘live, work, play’ options. Both single-family residential subdivisions and a retail district are located here. Overdevelopment in Georgetown was one of the main reasons for the push to incorporate the city of Dunwoody. This area is located near I-285, bordering the city of Chamblee.

The Branches
This popular swim and tennis neighborhood is located between Mount Vernon Road and Spalding Drive. Part of the neighborhood is in Dunwoody, and part of it is in Sandy Springs. Residents here can enjoy the Branches club, situated on six wooded acres with creeks. The club includes a clubhouse, two outdoor pavilions, a swimming pool, tennis courts and a playground.

Wyntercreek
The Wyntercreek subdivision boasts Colonial Williamsburg style brick and wood homes, shaded by mature leafy green oaks, magnolias and dogwoods. Just a 10-minute walk from shopping, dining and retail, this 30-year-old neighborhood is a favorite with those looking for close-in living without the hassles of a long commute. Wyntercreek is an active neighborhood with a Swim & Tennis Club, and lots of parties and social gatherings.

Redfield
One of Dunwoody’s most desirable neighborhoods, Redfield is a community for all ages. This is a pedestrian friendly area within walking distance to restaurants, grocery stores, banks and other services. The neighborhood also has a Swim & Tennis club.

Winters Chapel
This district is named after Winters Chapel, which has been a fixture in town since the 1870s. Winters Chapel is also the name of the main road through the area, which was an important 19th century route connecting Decatur and Roswell. This district is a prime location for light commercial and retail development. It’s also home to two large parks connected by sidewalks. One is a ¾ mile long linear park running along the Twin Lakes water reservoir that is popular with runners. The other, Windwood Hollow Park, offers tennis courts, a children’s play area, a picnic pavilion and a walking trail. Winters Chapel is located along Dunwoody’s border with the city of Peachtree Corners.

Tilly
The Tilly area is home to Georgia State University’s Perimeter College campus, and to Dunwoody’s signature Park – Brook Run. Brook Run offers wooded walking trails, a children’s ply area, a dog park, a Veterans Memorial, and a community garden.

Dunwoody offers residents big-city convenience and amenities, without the big-city price tag. It’s a place of ease and livability, with a strong sense of community and culture. It’s no wonder that this area is one of the most coveted in metro Atlanta.

At Karen Cannon, Realtors, we are local real estate experts for Dunwoody, Sandy Springs and North Atlanta. We live, work and play here, and our agents are hand-picked for their connections in the community. Our clients know about homes coming on the market before anyone else. And our highly effective marketing program allows us to shorten the number of days on the market. We’ve even put homes under contract sight unseen!

If you are thinking about selling your home, or are interested in moving into Dunwoody, Sandy Springs or the surrounding areas, call us at 770-352-9658.

Karen Cannon, Realtors Welcomes Polly Frederick to Our Team

Part of the successful formula that makes the Karen Cannon, Realtors team so dynamic is the expertise and corporate approach our team takes towards real estate, along with our team’s incredible knowledge of our surrounding communities.

Polly Frederick is an intricate part of the Dunwoody and Sandy Springs communities. She embodies what we look for in team members. Polly has lived in Dunwoody for 25 years, but more importantly, she’s been an active member of the community.

Anyone can live in a neighborhood and know the street names and available properties. As a Realtor, Polly far exceeds that. She is connected with the people of Dunwoody. She has raised her kids among other families and has been active in schools, charities, and her church. Polly and her husband have three children together: their oldest daughter is 19 and is a freshman at UGA, their middle child is a junior at Dunwoody High School, and their son is 13. He is in the 8^th grade and attends Peachtree Charter Middle School. In her spare time, Polly enjoys exercising, traveling, going to the beach, and she roots for Alabama and Georgia football.

Aside from have a keen eye and the knowledge of the Dunwoody area, she is also familiar with the surrounding areas of Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, and Chamblee.

We asked her a few questions so that you could get to know her a little more.

KCR: What would you tell someone who is considering living in your area?

Polly: You can’t beat the location! Dunwoody is like a small town in a big city. It is close enough to Atlanta to take advantage of what a big city has to offer, but has a tight-knit community. I love that it’s conveniently located close to all major highways, which makes it very accessible. We pretty much have everything you need: great schools, parks, shopping, and restaurants. What more could you want in a city?

KCR: Tell us about your connection with the Dunwoody community?

Polly: I have lived in the Dunwoody area for 25 years, and I am very familiar with the area and the market. This personal connection will make for a very special experience when working with buyers and sellers in this area.

KCR: Why do you find real estate so rewarding?

Polly: I think for me, successfully finding the perfect home for my buyers and negotiating to make sure I am able to get the best price possible for them is the most rewarding aspect. I take great pride in is successfully marketing my seller’s home and bringing them qualified buyers who will pay top dollar.

KCR: What can someone expect when they meet you/work with you?

Polly: I am a hard worker, dedicated and professional. I am organized and provide excellent customer service to my clients. I provide the information my clients need to make one of the most important decisions in their life- buying the perfect home.

Karen Cannon, Realtors is excited to welcome Polly Frederick to the team. Ready to buy your perfect home in the Dunwoody area? We encourage you to give Polly or anyone else on our team a call at (770) 352-9658. Are you interested in joining our team? Click HERE.

Dunwoody: A Thriving Commerce Hub With a Rich History

Dunwoody is a northern suburb of Atlanta, and one of the city’s most desirable neighborhoods – sought after as an urban center for dining and shopping. The 13.2 square mile parcel is close to downtown, but maintains a small town neighborhood feel.

The city of Dunwoody didn’t exist until 2008, when the area was officially incorporated after a community-led movement. But even before the community was officially recognized as a city, residents of the area have long identified themselves as living in Dunwoody – not Atlanta. The area has always had a distinctive history separate from the rest of DeKalb County.

Dunwoody’s story goes back hundreds of years, and the area has always been known for thriving commerce. The area was first inhabited by the Cherokee Indian tribe of the Creek Confederation. Because of its proximity to the Chattahoochee River, the Dunwoody area was the largest and busiest trading center in the vicinity. By 1820, Cherokee farms had popped up along the river, and white settlers began to arrive and create homesteads.

Dunwoody is named after Charles Archibald Dunwoody (1828-1905), who was the son of John Dunwoody, one of the founders of the Roswell Manufacturing Company mills in nearby Roswell, Georgia. By 1853, the area had two cotton mills and employed about 300 people – making it the largest cotton factory complex in North Georgia. In order to transport mill products to Atlanta during the Civil War, a railroad was built between Atlanta and Roswell. This was the first line of transportation that linked the Dunwoody area to the city of Atlanta. Though much of the railroad was destroyed in the war, Charles Dunwoody chose to build a new home in the area after the fighting ended.

A new railroad – the Roswell Railroad – was constructed after the war, designed to run between Roswell and Chamblee with a stop in Dunwoody. This line would carry produce from Dunwoody and fabric from the mills in Roswell into Atlanta, and Dunwoody soon developed as a crossroads community. The area continued to grow long after the railroad was shut down in 1921.

Dunwoody is the home to several historic sites, including the city’s oldest building, the Ebenezer Primitive Baptist Church, which was built in 1829. The church is home to a cemetery where several of the founding fathers of Dunwoody are buried. Other landmarks include the Cheek-Spruill Farmhouse (1906), Swancy Farmhouse (1889) and Railroad Section Gang House (1880).

Today, the area is known for good restaurants and upscale shopping opportunities. Perimeter Mall, located in the heart of Dunwoody, boasts some of the best shopping in the Atlanta area. Dunwoody is also home to some of the area’s best school districts and draws lots of growing families. Conveniently located at the intersection of GA 400 and I-285, it allows residents to be close to the action, but still enjoy a quieter way of life. It’s an ideal central location when one spouse works up GA400 and the other commutes to midtown or downtown Atlanta.

With a high livability score, Dunwoody offers lots of local amenities and a true neighborhood feel, good schools and high graduation rates, and a stable housing market. The city has a population of about 48,000 residents and is known for its cultural diversity, a strong and connected community, and mix of singles and families.

The area continues to be a hub for commerce, with several corporations making their home there, including State Farm’s new regional headquarters, UPS, Cox Communications, InterContinental Hotels Group, Porsche Cars North America and Peachford Hospital.

Dunwoody continues to be popular with young families looking to upgrade to a larger home, empty nesters who may want to downsize, young professionals who love the easy access to Buckhead and the live/work/play lifestyle, and anyone looking to escape the chaos of the city in exchange for a better quality of life – without giving up proximity to all Atlanta has to offer.

If you are thinking about selling your home, or are interested in moving into Dunwoody, Sandy Springs or the surrounding areas, call us at 770-352-9658.