10 Questions With Karen Cannon

Karen Cannon is the pioneer of her own path.

From working in the technology field with CIOs from Fortune 500 companies to working in the residential market by renovating and selling homes, Karen has carved a niche for herself in the real-estate market. By combining her expertise with that of her husband, together they formed Karen Cannon Realtors, a company Karen describes as more than one’s average real-estate business.

The Karen Cannon Realtors vision is rooted in the communities it serves. Ask and Karen will tell: she sells homes because she loves where she lives.

Patch: When did you first know that selling homes was the path for you?

Cannon: I began my professional sales and marketing career working in the technology field with CIOs from Fortune 500 companies, such as Coke, Delta and many others. I learned early on how to communicate in this fast-paced and evolving field and to provide value to clients who expect excellence. At the same time, my husband, Anderson, was working in the residential real estate market by renovating and selling houses.

We decided to combine our collective expertise in order to form Karen Cannon Realtors — a company we believed from the beginning would be more than your average real-estate business. From the start, our vision was to be firmly rooted in the communities we serve. We sell homes because we love where we live.

Patch: How do you maintain your competitive edge in the real-estate industry?

Cannon: Plain and simple, we maintain our competitive edge by knowing our market inside and out. We live, work and play in the communities we serve, so when a client is looking to move to North Atlanta, we are well versed in the areas and neighborhoods that will meet and exceed their expectations. We take pride in forming relationships with our clients, and we know we’ve done our job when they refer friends or come back when they’re ready to purchase another home.

Anyone who works with us knows that KCR is always changing, adapting and reinvesting in technology to give our clients the cutting-edge marketing they deserve. From start to finish, we are invested and dedicated to making this a positive and rewarding experience.

Patch: What is the most unusual or most extraordinary thing to ever happen to you while showing a house?

Cannon: In our business, we take the time to discover our client’s priorities and desires for their dream home. I’m able to show them properties and some they may not have considered before. A wonderful client once told me that she would never want to live in a ranch-style house.

After visiting many properties that fit her original ideal, I decided to take her to a ranch-style that I believed would suit her perfectly. After seeing it, she sat down at the kitchen table and cried because she loved it so much. It is so rewarding to make a client’s dream come true and sometimes it happens in the most unexpected ways.

Patch: What is your outlook for the future of Karen Cannon Realtors?

Cannon: Karen Cannon Realtors is the strongest we’ve ever been! Our team is growing and well positioned throughout North Atlanta as local experts in the areas our clients are seeking to make home. Throughout the year we proudly participate in activities that make a difference, such as supporting local schools, teams and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

We love being invested in our communities and are thankful to work alongside clients, friends and neighbors. We are excited as we live, work and grow throughout Atlanta!

Patch: What’s your definition of success? How do you define success?

Cannon: Success to us is helping clients find their dream home. It’s helping sellers find the best buyer for their property. It’s helping make the home buying and selling process as smooth as possible. Success is the KCR team coming together to make a difference in the lives of our clients and communities.

We love when previous clients refer a friend or family member or come back when they want to move again. We love staying in contact and hearing how people are doing in their homes. We love the relationships formed in the work we do. We’re dedicated to the people we serve from start to finish and beyond because we are also neighbors.

Patch: What sets one realtor or broker apart from another? How are you personally unique?

Cannon: Since we are independent and not a part of a franchise, we are able handpick a team of people to work for each client. We have experts throughout the process to help our clients while the agent focuses on selling the home.

Instead of our agents competing with each other, they help each other, which allows us to allocate our resources where they are needed most. We also offer a higher level of marketing, starting with a custom, five-foot-tall, estate yard sign, a 3D virtual tour, and social media postings for each listing.

Our local connections also allow us to connect buyers and sellers better than anyone else – in fact, we sold over 10percent of sales prior to listing.

Patch: What is your advice to someone who is looking to a buy a new home?

Cannon: When clients decide they would like to buy a home, we perform a needs analysis in order to understand their goals, needs and timeline. We know that moving is a very personal and important event so we strive to understand how we can best serve them.

Finding the right home is something KCR takes great pride in and because of our connections in the community and with past clients and contacts, we often know of homes that become available before they even go on the market.

Patch: Tell us about your 3D Open House feature.

Cannon: We make technology a priority at KCR and have invested in a 3D camera. This allows us to be the only local broker to offer 3D virtual tours for every listing. Potential buyers are able to “tour” all of our homes online with amazing accuracy.

Reporting indicates the 3D imagery secures far more online traffic than the typical virtual tours, which translates into greater and faster home sales.

Patch: What advice would you give to someone interested in selling his or her house?

Cannon: Although it is a seller’s market, you still need to set your home apart by making it look its best. Whether you’ve bought and sold many homes, or if you haven’t sold in 30 years, we guide you every step of the way. We do all we can to help our clients maximize the sale of their home.

Our experience in home renovation and inspection enables us to spot any issues that might slow a sale. Our staging and 3D virtual tours provide the highest level of marketing of any real estate agent in our area. We prep your home for sale, price it correctly, market it thoroughly and have the best team as your advocate.

We provide strategy, professional photography, and unique marketing to attract buyers looking in Dunwoody and Sandy Springs. That’s why we’ve sold more than 100 homes in 2016 in an average of 21 days and at 98 percent of the list price.

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.

Dunwoody Patch 10 Questions With Karen Cannon From Karen Cannon Realtors – by Chloe Morales

Real Home Value Calculator: Assessed Value vs Market Value

Understanding a home’s true market value is about more than pictures, software assessments and price-per-square-foot. Whether you’re a current homeowner thinking of selling or are house-hunting, it’s crucial you understand what factors affect home valuation. By partnering with a local market expert, sellers will avoid pricing their house out of the market (the kiss of death in real estate) and buyers will ensure they get a good deal on their next home.

So, how do you accurately calculate a home’s value? After all, the value a home is assigned by its town or county and the one it’s given when it’s listed are often dramatically different from one another. Which one is accurate and what does it all mean? Read on to learn more.

Assessed Value vs Market Value: What’s the difference?

When it comes to home value, you’ll often hear two terms, assessed value and market value.

A home’s assessed value is often the lower number of the two, and is the value given by your municipality or county. Investopedia defines assessed value as “the dollar value assigned to a property to measure applicable taxes.”¹ Although property tax laws vary, assessors commonly arrive at this number by taking into account the following:

What comparable/similar homes are selling for in your area.
The value of recent improvements.
Income from renting out a room or space on the property.
How much it would cost to rebuild on the property.

A home’s market value, or Fair Market Value, is the price a buyer is willing to pay or a seller is willing to accept for a property. A skilled real estate professional will arrive at the value using a variety of metrics, including:

External characteristics, such as lot size, home style, the condition of the home and curb appeal.
Internal characteristics, such as the number of rooms and their size, the type and condition of the heating or HVAC system, the quality and condition of construction, the flow of the home, etc.
The sales price of comparable homes that have sold in your area.
Supply and demand; that is, how many buyers and sellers are in the area.
Location; that is, the quality and desirability of your neighborhood and other community amenities.

Why are these values often so different? An assessor usually estimates your property’s market value during a reassessment or if you make a physical change or improvement to it.² As a result, a property may not be reassessed for many years. While your home’s market value may fluctuate with the market, your home’s assessed value is more likely to remain steady.³

What Determines a Home’s Value?

You’ve likely heard the motto of real estate: “Location, location, location.” This means a home’s value relies on its location. While the home and structures on the property will likely depreciate over time, the land beneath it tends to appreciate. Why? Land is in limited supply and a growing population puts increased demand on the housing supply. As a result, values increase.⁴

Other factors that affect your home’s value include the function and appearance of the property, how well the home and other structures are maintained and whether the home is a lifestyle property, such as a ranch style with mountain views or beach bungalow.

Ultimately, the best indication of a home’s value is the overall supply and demand of the market. This is why we recommend you partner with a real estate professional who takes all of these factors—the assessed value, local market conditions, home features and has physically walked through and experienced your home— into consideration to determine the most accurate market value.

How to determine if a property is comparable to yours.

Both assessed value and market value are partially determined by the sales price of similar, or comparable, homes in the area. To determine if a home is comparable to yours, look for the following characteristics:

Lot size
Square footage
Home style or similar architecture
Age
Location

While you may not find a home with the same exact characteristics as yours, you’ll likely find a few that are close. To account for any disparity, adjust the sales prices of the comparable properties. Look at the differences between your property and the one in question and determine if the differences increased or decreased the sales price and by how much. For example, if your home has two bathrooms and a similar home only has three, estimate how much that extra bathroom increased the sale price of the similar home. The adjusted sale price is the estimation of what the property would sell for if the properties were exactly the same.²

Where can you find comparable sales?

Fortunately, you can find comparable home sales in a variety of places.²

Your local assessor’s office is able to provide a list of recent sales you can browse and compare or a sales history of a particular house, home style or neighborhood.
Your municipality. Many cities keep local sales information in their offices or post it online.
Online databases, such as a real estate database
Your local newspapers may offer some real estate information in the form of quarterly sales reports in the business or real estate sections of the newspaper.
Our office. We regularly do Comparable Market Analysis of homes in our local area.

How to calculate your home’s value.

By answering a few questions about your home, property and the local market, you can begin to estimate your property’s value. We’ve also included a worksheet for you below…

Home Value Questions:

When was your home last assessed?

What was its CMA assessment value?

What is your area’s average sales price?

What is your area’s average price/square foot?

Structure:

Is the architecture and exterior structure of the home consistent, superior or inferior to other homes in the area?
Does the era or genre (Modern, Victorian, Ranch, Cottage, etc.) add a premium based on current design trends?
How does the floor plan and room size proportions of the home compare to other homes on the market?

Interior Structure:

How does the kitchen compare to others on the market?
- Updated or outdated
- Floor plan
- Appliance packages
How does the Master Suite compare to others on the market?
- Size
- First/second floor
- Updated or outdated
- Access to Master Bath
How does the Master Bath compare to others on the market?
- Updated or outdated
- Shower and bath
- Flooring

Outside Areas:

Are there views, outdoor living areas or recreational areas?
- Pools
- Ponds
- Patios
How does the landscaping and hard-scaping compare to the market? (e.g., built elements such as walkways, patios, decks, etc.)

Overall Condition of Home

What is the level of repair needed to compete with other homes?
Does the home need to be staged? How does it show?
What curb appeal projects are necessary to be consistent with others on the market?

Home Assessment Worksheet

If you want to accurately assess a home’s value, it’s crucial to know about the market activity of our local area. We can help! Give us a call to get the scoop on the local market.

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.

Sources:

Investopedia http://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/assessedvalue.asp
New York State Department of Taxation and Finance https://www.tax.ny.gov/pubs_and_bulls/orpts/mv_estimates.htm
Realtor.com http://www.realtor.com/advice/sell/assessed-value-vs-market-value-difference/
Investopedia, http://www.investopedia.com/articles/mortgages-real-estate/08/housing-appreciation.asp?lgl=myfinance-layout

What’s Your Home Buying Power?

If you’re in the market for a new home or investment property, one of the first questions you’ll probably ask is, “What can we afford?” Many buyers become so caught up in how much they can afford that they don’t realize their total buying power—that is, the total amount of purchasing potential they actually have.

Buying Power Defined

Your buying power is comprised of the total amount of money you have available each month for a mortgage payment. This means the money you have each month after fixed bills and expenses. Any money you’ve saved for a down payment, the proceeds from the sale of your current home, if applicable, and the amount of money you’re qualified to borrow all impact your buying power as well. When you take all of this into account, you may find you are able to purchase a larger home or a home in a more desirable neighborhood, or you might realize you should be looking for homes in a lower price range.

What About Housing Affordability?

Housing affordability is a metric used by real estate experts to assess whether or not the average family earning an average wage could qualify for a mortgage on the average home.¹ Although this figure is essential to creating a comprehensive overview of the real estate market, it’s not a factor you should consider in your home search. What may be considered affordable to you based on your income and other factors may be different than what’s affordable to the average buyer.

Why Buying Power Matters

A common misunderstanding is that a home’s list price determines whether or not you can purchase it. Although it’s important to look at the price tag, it’s essential to consider what your monthly payment will be if you own the home. After all, the purchase price doesn’t include the housing-related expenses, such as annual property taxes, homeowner insurance, associated monthly fees and any maintenance or repairs. Figuring out the payment will prevent you from overestimating or underestimating your buying power. After all, you’ll live with your monthly payment, not the sales price.

Once you have clarity on your buying power, you’ll be able to buy the home you want, instead of settling for a home because you feel it’s the only one you can afford. It will also prevent you from becoming “house poor,” a common term for someone who’s put all their money toward the down payment, leaving them nothing left over for fees outside of their monthly house payment. Both scenarios can negatively impact the lifestyle you want to live. Understanding your buying power can help you get the home you want without sacrificing the lifestyle you desire.

If you haven’t sold your current home yet, a Comparative Market Assessment (CMA) will give you a general idea of how much you may get for your home based on what other homes have sold for in your area. Contact our team for a FREE CMA!

Calculating Your Buying Power

You might be wondering, “How do I know what my buying power is?” Buying power is calculated by adding the money you’ve saved for a down payment and/or the money you made from selling your home (minus fees and mortgage payoff) to all of your sources of income and investments that could be used to make your monthly payment. Make sure to include your monthly pay, commissions or tips, dividends from investments, payments from rental properties or other monthly income you receive as well as the loan amount you’re willing to finance and qualify for.

Most lenders advised buyers to spend no more than 35 to 45 percent of their pretax income on housing, meaning all your income and sources of revenue prior to paying taxes. Make sure you factor in not only your mortgage payment, but also property tax and home insurance to the cost of housing.² However, other financial experts advise spending no more than a very conservative 25 percent of your after-tax income on your housing expenses.² Whether you plan to spend the average, play it conservative or split the difference is up to you.

Traditionally, mortgage lenders have targeted the ideal housing expense amount to be a ratio of 28 percent or less.³

However, these figures bring up an important point: you don’t have to spend all of your savings and available monthly income on a mortgage payment. It’s important to set money aside for regular home maintenance, unexpected repairs and monthly fees, such as a condominium or homeowners association fee. While the above ratios are commonly accepted, a lender will look at your total financial picture when they decide how much they’re willing to lend. It may be tempting to take out a large loan in order to purchase the home of your dreams, but keep in mind the less money you have to borrow, the stronger your buying power may be.

4 Things That Impact Buying Power

Credit score. A great score can help you lock into a lower interest rate.
Debt-to-income ratio. The lower the ratio, the better risk you may be to lenders as long as you have an established credit history.
Assets, including the documentation of where the money for the purchase is coming from and the mix of your investments.
Down payment. The more you’re able to put down, the less you will have to borrow. With a down payment of 20 percent or more, you won’t have to purchase private mortgage insurance (PMI) and you may also be able to negotiate a lower interest rate.

How to Save for a Down Payment

If you’re thinking of buying a home one day, one of the first steps to take is to start saving for a down payment. Here are some tips to make saving easier.

First-time buyers:

Set a savings goal. One way to figure out how much to save is to use the average sales price for homes that are similar to what you want and figure out your target down payment percentage. For example, if homes are selling for $200,000 in your area and you want to put 20 percent down, you’ll have to save $40,000. Set a goal to save that amount within a specific time frame; just keep in mind the longer you save, the more the average selling price will change. Although the majority of buyers saved for six months or less, 29 percent of all buyers (and 31 percent of first-time buyers) saved for more than two years for a down payment.⁴
Cut back on expenses. Review your monthly expenses and look for ways to save. Twenty-nine percent of buyers cut spending on non-essentials items and 22 percent cut spending on entertainment while they were saving for a home.⁴Think about items you can live without or cut back on temporarily while you’re saving.
Look for ways to boost your income. Get a side job or sell items online or at a garage sale to increase your income in a short amount of time. Be sure to save any windfalls you get, including your annual income tax refund or work bonuses.
Check out home-buying programs. Your state, county or local government may offer special programs, such as grants, for first-time buyers to use.
Ask your family. Thirteen percent of all buyers, and 24 percent of first-time buyers, were given money from family or friends to use toward the down payment of their home.⁴

Repeat buyers:

More than 52 percent of repeat buyers used the proceeds from the sale of their primary residence toward the down payment on their next home.⁴ Similarly, 76 percent tapped into their savings accounts.⁴ If you’re thinking of buying another home, here are more ways to save more money, in addition to the tips listed above:

Rent a room. If you have an income flat (or mother-in-law unit) attached to your home, rent it out and channel the income into a high-interest savings account.
Make your money work for you. If you don’t plan to buy for at least five years, invest it and let the compound interest work for you. Discuss this option with your financial planner or broker to see if this is ideal for you and your goals.
Tap into your 401(k). If you have a 401(k) plan, you may be allowed to borrow a portion of it, the lessor of up to $50,000 or half of its value, for your down payment. Remember, it’s a loan so you’ll have to pay it back. If you leave or lose your job before you’ve repaid the loan, you’ll have between 60 to 90 days to repay the balance or face stiff taxes and penalties.

If you want to buy an investment property

Whether you’re buying a second home or a rental property, here are a couple tips to save for a down payment.

Tap into your equity. If you’ve paid off or paid down your mortgage on your primary home, you may be able to tap into your equity to purchase another property. Contact your lender to learn more about a HELOC or home equity loan.
Get a partner. Find a friend or relative who’s willing to purchase property with you. Typically, you’ll split the costs and profits equally. Just make sure to work with an attorney to create a partnership agreement to fit your situation.

Work Out Your Buying Potential

What’s your buying potential? Fill out this worksheet to get an estimate.

Housing Expense Ratio:
1. Monthly income before taxes
2. Multiply line 1 by 0.28	X 0.28
3. Monthly mortgage payment (PITI) should not exceed this amount	= $
4. Monthly income before taxes	$
5. Multiply line 4 by 0.36	X 0.36
6. Total monthly payments on all debts (including mortgage) should not exceed this amount	= $
7. Subtract the total monthly payments on all outstanding debts (e.g., car loans, credit cards, student loans, etc.)	– $
8. The monthly mortgage payment should not exceed this amount	$
9. Look at line 3 and line 8. The lower figure is an estimate of the maximum mortgage payment in consideration of your income and debts.	$
10. Multiply line 9 by 0.80	X 0.80
11. This equals portion of your mortgage payment that is the principal and interest only	$
12. Use the table below to see the size of the loan you may be able to obtain with this monthly mortgage payment.

Source: Iowa State University Extension, What is your house-buying power?

Monthly Payment on 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage

Loan amount	3%	3.5%	4%	4.5%	5%	5.5%	6%
$50,000	211	225	239	253	268	284	300
$75,000	316	337	358	380	402	426	450
$100,000	421	449	477	506	536	568	600
$150,000	632	674	716	759	804	852	900
$200,000	842	898	954	1012	1072	1136	1200
$250,000	1052	1123	1193	1265	1340	1420	1500
$300,000	1263	1347	1431	1518	1608	1704	1800

Didn’t see your desired loan amount? Use the table below to estimate your monthly payment (principal and interest) per $1,000 of your loan. To figure out an estimated loan payment, multiply the factor by the number of thousands in the amount of your mortgage.

For example, if you intend to borrow $400,000, with a loan term of 30 years at 4% interest, multiply 4.77x 400 = $1908 per month.

Interest Rate	15-Year Term	30-Year Term
	Monthly Payment	Monthly Payment
3%	6.90	4.21
3.5%	7.14	4.49
4%	7.39	4.77
4.5%	7.64	5.06
5%	7.90	5.36
5.5%	8.18	5.68
6%	8.44	6.00

Source: HSH.com http://www.hsh.com/mopaytable-print.html)

Don’t forget to factor in property taxes and insurance. These are often added to your principal and interest of your mortgage payment—the money used to pay down the balance of your loan and the charge for borrowing the money. Since these numbers vary, contact your county assessor’s office for the current property tax rate and your insurer for a home insurance quote. Once you have these figures, divide each by 12 to estimate how much they’ll add to the above payment amounts.

Do you want a clearer picture of your buying power? Would you like to see what kind of homes you can get with your buying power?

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.

Sources:

National Association of REALTORS https://www.nar.realtor/topics/housing-affordability-index/methodology
Moneyunder30.com https://www.moneyunder30.com/percentage-income-mortgage-payments
Credit.com https://www.credit.com/loans/mortgage-questions/how-to-determine-your-monthly-housing-budget/
National Association of REALTORS, 2016 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers
Iowa State University Extension, What is your house-buying power? https://store.extension.iastate.edu/product/pm1460-pdf
HSH.com http://www.hsh.com/mopaytable-print.html

Top 5 Home Design Trends of 2017

The current trends are all about utilizing rich color, maximizing texture and creating comfortable interiors you can’t wait to relax in. Use these trends to get inspired to makeover your home’s interiors and create spaces you love that also appeal to your personal style. Remember, if you plan to sell in the next few years, you may want to avoid doing anything dramatic and instead incorporate small changes that would appeal to buyers.

Why are these trends gaining popularity?

The underlying theme of these trends is creating a home environment you love; one that appeals to your emotions and feels like a retreat from the stresses of the world. Although the home is a place where you can relax and spend time with loved ones, work expectations are beginning to blur the line between work and home. Even if people don’t work from home specifically, many are stretching their work hours into their evenings and weekends to complete work projects.

It’s no wonder the Nordic concept of hygge (most often pronounced “hoo-gah”) has become a hot trend. A centuries-old concept, incorporating hygge in the home means creating simple and comfortable spaces that make you feel cozy and safe and appeal to your senses.¹The emphasis is on simplicity and fostering positive experiences, whether you’re spending time with family, reading a good book or catching up on work emails.

WARM AND RICH COLORS.

Whether you want to play with a bold color or stick with neutrals, one thing is clear—paint is the foundation of a great design. Painting your interiors has a return on investment of about 75 percent and is a relatively inexpensive project to complete, costing between $25 to $100 for paint alone.²If you’re thinking of refreshing your home’s interiors with a coat of paint, popular colors include warm taupe, fresh green and dark tones. These colors are popular choices because they evoke feeling of warmth and coziness when you walk into a room.

Wondering how to pair these colors? Taupe is the perfect alternative to traditional neutrals, such as gray and white, and goes well with cool blues, earthy greens and deep shades of wine. Green goes well with other earthy shades, such as copper and moss, as well as deep plum and bright pink. If you’re hesitant to paint your walls green, incorporate it into your home by way of accent pillows, rugs, lamps, vases and other accessories or add a few house plants.

If you’re interested in adding more drama to a room, include bold, dark colors. Dark shades add color and sophistication to any space. Plum and dark gray pair well with pale blues, warm whites and light gray.

Try one of these Colors of the Year:

Poised Taupe – Sherwin Williams
Greenery – Pantone
Shadow – Benjamin Moore

RICH MATERIALS.

Lux materials create a space in which you can’t wait to kick off your shoes and relax at the end of the day. The Danes use a mixture of materials and pattern as a way of adding character and interest; however the overall look still needs to adhere to a color palette to prevent it from looking distracting.

Natural materials and textures allow you to maximize the comfort of the bedroom, living room or family room. Wood accents give rooms an earthy feel. Incorporate rustic wood sculptures, trays and furniture into your space. Choose furniture made with sustainably harvested wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or use reclaimed wood for an environmentally friendly alternative.

If natural elements aren’t your style, but you want to add more visual interest to your room, try mixing patterns. Although it may have been avoided in the past, mixing stripes, florals and geometric prints actually help ground a space as long as the patterns feature complimentary colors or different shades of one color. If you’re worried about going overboard and making your room look “busy,” focus your mix in one area of the room. For example, add throw pillows in a variety of patterns to your sofa.

GOING GREEN.

According to a recent study from the American Psychological Association, people are more stressed than ever, with 24 percent of adults reporting they’re experiencing “extreme stress.”³

Top sources of stress include work and money. By incorporating small changes, like making your house more energy efficient, you can start to lower your bills and get back to relaxing and enjoying life like the Danish do (who consistently top the polls as the happiest people).

Save money on your energy bills by sealing the “envelope” of your home, which includes the windows and doors, walls, floor and roof. The better insulated your home is, the less heat will escape and the lower your energy bill (and stress level) will be.

The most heat loss occurs through the walls of the home: up to 35 percent of heat loss, to be exact.⁴ Ceramic insulating paint is a space-inspired coating of paint mixed with ceramic compounds and applied to interior or exterior surfaces. It seals your walls and prevents heat from escaping, which means reduced energy bills all year long.

THE FUNCTIONAL HOME OFFICE.

Twenty-four percent of employed people do some or all of their work at home.⁵ Since more people are working remotely than ever, home offices are becoming more popular. Even if you don’t plan on working from home, a home office gives you a place to pay bills, work on personal projects, plan your family’s schedule and more. Home offices tend to be multifunctional, serving as a guest room when family and friends visit, and have the potential to meet other needs that arise.

The key idea behind hygge is to enjoy the environment around you and for each room to be a sanctuary to sink into at any given moment. Your home office is no exception! Maximize your productivity, efficiency and focus by painting the walls shades of green or blue.⁶ If space is an issue, create a nook by installing docking and tech cabinets that are big enough to store a printer and other small office equipment and files without taking over the room.

If you don’t have room in your home for an office, look no further than your backyard. Shedquarters, small structures or sheds built in the backyard for use as an office or home-based business, are an attractive option for homeowners who don’t have a room to dedicate to an office and don’t wish to add on their homes. while the jury is out on how much value these structure add to a home, they can convert easily into a storage shed if you plan to sell in the future.

SPLURGING ON KITCHEN RENOVATIONS.

The kitchen is often the busiest, most hectic room in the house and one of the top renovation projects with a high return on investment.⁷ We do more than cook meals there; it’s where homework is done, bills are paid, weeks are planned and more.

Kitchen remodels consistently show a respectable return on investment. According to the 2017 Cost vs Value Report from Remodeling magazine, a minor kitchen remodel touts an 80.2 percent return on investment.⁸You don’t need to overhaul your entire kitchen to make it more hygge. Smaller additions can transform it into a relaxing and functional space you enjoy spending time with friends and family in.

What does a “minor kitchen renovation” entail? In addition to replacing the fronts of your cabinets and drawers, it also includes replacing out-of-date appliances and fixtures. You may also consider replacing countertops. Quartz and quartzite are becoming more common as are other green laminate options, including ones that mimic stone, wood and concrete. Laminates install in less time, often over the existing countertop, make it an ideal choice for busy homeowners as well. Other hot kitchen trends include incorporating sustainable materials like bamboo into your countertops and floors and water filtration systems.

Want to improve the look and feel of your home’s interior? Are you thinking of upgrading to a home that better fits your changing needs? Call us—we’d love to help you achieve all of your home-related dreams.

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.

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2017 Client Appreciation Party

We recently hosted a Client Appreciation party and it was a huge success! It was a Mardi Gras-style party with authentic New Orleans cuisine, live music and lots of great prizes!

We had a great time visiting with new and past clients. You won’t want to miss our next one in June – more details coming soon.

Special thanks to Laura O’Brien from Function who helped to plan the event.