5 Female Trailblazers in Real Estate History

According to the National Association of Realtors, the U.S. residential real estate industry is dominated by women with 63 percent of all Realtors are female. In 2011, Trulia found “that there are more women real estate professionals in every state than male real estate professionals.”

‘But women weren’t always dominant in selling homes. According to NAR’s history of women in Real Estate, when the association first started in 1908, its membership was entirely male, despite 3,000 women working as brokers nationally. Their first female member, Corrine Simpson, a broker from Seattle, Washington, wouldn’t join until 1910. And though organizations like NAR didn’t explicitly ban women from joining, organizations did require local real estate board membership, and these boards did explicitly ban women. So, just like so many times in history, women decided to create their own professional organizations.’

Here are 5 women who took a first step that paved the way for many of the women in residential real estate today:

Ebby Halliday

Any woman who started and owned a business in the late 1930’s was almost by definition a trailblazer, but Ebby was not satisfied with owning her own hat boutique. She easily transitioned to residential real estate and dominated the Dallas market for decades. She credited her success to simple hard work and caring about the needs of others.

Ebby died in September 2015, but her real estate firm continues to sell homes. At the time of her death, the firm was the largest independently owned residential real estate services company in Texas and the 10th-largest in the nation. The firm closed 19,200 transactions in North Texas that year with a sales volume of $6.64 billion. Ebby Halliday in 1968 from a retrospective on her life that appeared in the Dallas News.

Dorcas Helfant

Dorcas was the first female president of the National Association of Realtors. She elected to the office in 1992 and was also the first woman to serve as the president of her state association. Her service to others in her profession included a key merger of her own real estate firm with other Caldwell Banker firms that provided “an effective career track for our associates.”

In addition to her leadership in the real estate field, Dorcas is a past chair of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia Chamber of Commerce. She served as president of the Virginia Aquarium Foundation and was named Hampton Roads Woman of the Year in 1990. Dorcas currently is vice-chair of the Foundation Board of Virginia’s Community Colleges. Dorcas Helfant

Abby Hamlin

As the founder and president of Hamlin Ventures, Abby has blazed trails where most women and many men fear to go. Her stated goal is to use real estate and urban design to enhance people’s lives. She has won recognition for her development in Brooklyn for formerly homeless and low-income individual. Her firm remains one of the few successful female-owned development firms.

Abby is a civic leader as well as a noted developer. She has served as a board member of the Van Alen Institute for Public Architecture from 2001-2010 and as the chair for the last 4 years of her tenure. She is currently a Trustee of Art Omi, a board member of Trainor Dance and of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. Abby Hamlin

Tracy Dodson

While women have been very successful in residential real estate, commercial real estate has been a much more difficult market. Only 35% of professionals in this sector are women, and virtually all of them work in property management. As vice president of brokerage and development at Lincoln Harris in Charlotte, N.C. Tracy is one of the pioneers in commercial real estate development.

“In this industry, it’s hard in a lot of ways. You have to have a lot of success to work your way up,” Dodson told Bizjournals.“It’s not just the hours. You’ve got to have successful projects and you’ve got to have successful deals.” Tracy Dodson

Debra Cafaro

Debra has blazed a trail of success. She took over the helm at Ventas, a publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) in 1999, the firm was facing collapse. The sole tenant of the properties was bankrupt and had stopped paying rent. The firm had a market cap of $200 million and $1 billion in debt. In addition, there were claims of Medicare fraud.

Now, Debra is recognized for returning shareholder 3,981.3 % for the 16 years ended December 31, 2015. She is one of only 23 CEOs named by Harvard Business Review for four consecutive years and one of only two women on the 2017 list. This same year Forbes Magazine recognized her as among the 100 most powerful women in the world.

A portion of this article was written by Christian Miller for www.sharestate.com on December 2017.

Other sources: apartmenttherapy.com

Dunwoody, Georgia: Perfect for Young Families

Dunwoody is a growing community just north of the perimeter in North Atlanta. It’s close proximity to I-285 and 400, make it a perfect location for young families who may have a commuter. In addition to its location, Dunwoody offers many preschools, great elementary schools, new parks and community events. Whether you are thinking of starting a family or looking to move to a family-friendly community, take time to discover Dunwoody.

Commute

There are a lot of companies based in the perimeter area either in Dunwoody or Sandy Springs. Employers like IHG, State Farm, APEX Systems, Convergent Outsourcing, UPS, Newell Rubbermaid, First Data and Centene. To maintain sanity and quality of life, experts suggest trying to live close to work whenever possible. Atlanta’s traffic is ranked as some of the worst in the world. Living in Dunwoody means a few miles to I-285 or 400, two MARTA stations, or a few side-streets.

Preschool and Elementary Schools

Dunwoody has A LOT of preschools. Dunwoody Baptist Preschool, Montessori School of Dunwoody, Kingswood UMC Preschool, Dunwoody United Methodist Preschool, the Weinstein School, Dunwoody Christian Academy, North Atlanta Preschool, Dunwoody Prep, Kindercare, and Primrose to name a few. If you are looking for a community that takes early education seriously, look no further than Dunwoody. The Dunwoody cluster of DeKalb County Schools has 6 public elementary schools: Austin Elementary, Vanderlyn Elementary, Kingsley Elementary, Dunwoody Elementary, Chesnut Elementary and Hightower Elementary. An experienced Realtor can offer insight as to the niche accolades that make each school special and the right fit for you.

Windhollow Park source: Atlanta Parent Magazine

Dunwoody Parks and Recreation

It’s truly amazing the amount of acreage (180 to be specific) that Dunwoody has devoted to outdoor recreation. Brook Run Park is the largest park in not only Dunwoody, but the region at 110 acres and is ranked among the best in Atlanta. It includes a large children’s playground, 2-mile loop multi-use trail, skate park, dog park, community garden, event pavillions, baseball fields and general purpose rec fields coming soon. Dunwoody Park is attached to the Dunwoody Nature Center and “includes a significant nature preserve with hiking trails, Wildcat Creek, a playground in the woods, and nature classrooms.” Plus six other new or updated parks including The Dunwoody Trailway. This multi-use trail which connects across three distinctive parks in the City of Dunwoody: Brook Run Park, Pernoshal Park and Georgetown Park. Equipped with bicycle repair stations, the trail then leads to more outdoor adventures within Georgetown Park, a perfect place for a game of bocce, a relaxing stop at a pavilion or a newly built children’s playground furnished with comfortable shade awnings. In April 2019, the new pedestrian bridge over the north fork of Nancy Creek was completed. The 145-foot bridge connects Dunwoody’s Georgetown Community with Perimeter Center. Future plans for the trail incorporate connections to other parks in the city.” The Nature Center and Donaldson-Bannister Farms also host fantastic summer camps and school break camps for school aged children.

Dunwoody 4th of July source: Atlanta Parent Magazine

Celebrations

The Dunwoody Fourth of July Parade is hosted by the Dunwoody Homeowners Association and the Dunwoody Reporter. 2,500 participants walk or ride in the 2-mile stretch that brings in close to 32,000 spectators. It is the largest Independance Day parade in Georgia. It includes floats, bands, cheerleaders, animals, veterans, antique cars, etc. and it ends with the Boy Scout’s BBQ lunch. The Dunwoody Homeowners Association also hosts the annual Light Up Dunwoody Festivities. Santa sits outside of the Cheek-Spruill Farmhouse and the evening ends with the lighting of the Christmas Tree and Menorah. Bands, dancers, performers, balloon artists and cookie decorating makes it a favorite family tradition. Dunwoody has numerous trunk-n-treat events put on by churches and at Brook Run Food Truck Thursday the week of Halloween. The Dunwoody Police Department hosts numerous community engaging events that foster a sense of community. Everything from Coffee with A Cop, Pizza with the Police, car seat safety checks, cpr classes and national night out.

When You’re Ready to Move

If Dunwoody sounds like the place for you, call Karen Cannon Realtors. We are one of Atlanta’s top producing Realtor teams and have strong ties to the community. One of our experienced agents can listen to your priorities and assess the perfect area and home for your unique real estate situation. We find out about homes for sale before anyone else, and make sure that our clients see them first. The homes we list sell faster and for a higher percentage of the listing price than those listed with other local agents. Check out our Dunwoody homes for sale now! We have the skill to get the job done, and the heart to make sure it’s done right.

Should I List Now Or Wait Until Spring?

It’s that time of year and we know what you’re thinking: is it worth it to list now or wait for spring? While the spring may bring a surplus of buyers, quality is better than quantity. Here’s why we recommend sellers list now.

There’s Less Inventory

We understand that listing your home in the winter may sound unorthodox but it can be done successfully. The winter months are a great time to sell because fewer listings are on the market and there is less inventory for buyers to choose from. Most sellers are waiting until spring and summer, which can create a great opportunity for you!

“Many sellers are hesitant because their yard and trees are not green and nothing is blooming – but that is the case with everyone else – selling or not selling. But it’s best to get out sooner, beat the competition, and potentially have your home stand out to more buyers,” Karen Cannon explains.

Concerned about moving before the school year ends? We’ve been able to help our clients negotiate terms to accommodate their schedules while capitalizing on the time of year and reduced inventory.

More Motivated Buyers

If a buyer is house hunting in the winter, they could be more motivated to purchase. Many winter buyers are comprised of empty nesters looking for a change, millennials who’ve been waiting for the right time, and corporate workers transferring into the city for a new job. In fact, January is the most popular month for corporate transfers.

“We have helped many sellers sell in January/February by helping them prep in December/January. Last year, we sold more homes in Q1 than we had in previous years by helping our clients get a head start in prepping and we’re doing the same thing now,” says Cannon.

If you are looking to sell and buy, it’s ideal to sell now so that when you’re ready to buy you can make a more compelling offer. After the closing, many of our clients have rented their home back from the new owner, allowing them more time to find their next home. We create a win/win situation for both buyers and sellers to save our clients from having to make a double move.

If you’re looking to get ahead of the competition and list your home in Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, Roswell, and the surrounding Atlanta area, give us a call at 770-352-9658 or send us an email at info@KarenCannon.com. You can check out our current listings here.

3 Reasons to Buy in the Fall and Winter

Despite the misconception that the fall or winter months aren’t prime times for buying a home, buyers can save a lot of money and even reap some tax benefits. Here are a few reasons why you should buy your home before the new year.

Less Buyer Competition

While many buyers have already rushed to buy their home in the spring and summer, coasting into the market during the fall and winter months allows you to appeal to more sellers since they aren’t getting as many offers. Your offer will be among the few that sellers will have to choose from, which can give you an edge. Lenders, appraisers, and inspectors also have more availability after the spring and summer rush, ultimately getting you closer to closing.

More Motivated Sellers

You’ll find that sellers can be more motivated during the fall and winter because their home either has been sitting on the market for months with no luck or they’ve made a sudden decision to sell and need to sell quickly. At the end of the year, many sellers are feeling the pressure of selling their home since most buyers have put their home search on hold until the beginning of the year.

End-of-Year Tax Benefits

Some of the greatest perks about year-end home buying are the tax benefits. Closing on your home by December 31st allows for some sweet mortgage-related deductions. Home loan interest, property taxes, and interest costs can be used as deductible items when filing your taxes and save you hundreds of dollars. While access to these benefits doesn’t disappear on January 1st, but if you want to claim these deductibles as soon as possible it’s best to buy before the new year. According to the National Association of Realtors, new homeowners can deduct a percentage of purchasing expenses in the tax year when the home was purchased.

At Karen Cannon, Realtors, we are a team of experts who can help you find your dream home even during the holidays. If you’re looking for a home in Roswell, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, , and the surrounding Atlanta area, give us a call at 770-352-9658 or send us an email at Info@KarenCannon.com. You can check out our current listings here.

5 Reasons You Should Sell Your Home During the Holidays

Just after reading the title of this blog, you might be thinking something along the lines of “no way, I’ve always heard that spring is the best time to put my house on the market.” Let us be the first to tell you that is no longer the case.

Here’s why putting your home up for sale during the holidays can be a smart move:

Low Supply, High Demand

One of the greatest benefits of having your house on the market during the winter is simply the fact that not many people will be doing the same. The majority of homeowners still believe that spring and summer are the best times to sell their home. With greater demand than supply in the colder months, you’ll have less competition and a greater chance of selling your home.

Top Agents Know How to Maximize This Time of Year

Expert Realtors understand the advantage of selling a home this time of year and have unique plans and resources to attract the best buyers. Whether buyers are relocating for a job or transferring into a new school, a knowledgeable agent will be able to market to the right buyers and agents.

People are Ready to Move

If people are actively looking for homes during the holidays, there’s a good chance they need to move quickly. Therefore, they are more serious about buying a home. Most of the time, people only want to spend their holidays house hunting if they really need to move. If that’s the case, your odds of being able to sell your home quickly are looking “merry and bright.”

Decorated Neighborhood

Last but not least, remember the appearance of your neighborhood. Any potential buyer will be paying attention to the area around the home they’re interested in. With the holidays just around the corner, your neighbors will likely adorn their homes and yards with holiday decorations. The festive decor and hanging lights will have most potential buyers feeling welcome in the neighborhood before they even view your home. If you decorate your listed property, keep a tasteful and simple aesthetic in mind. Overdecorating can make your property feel crowded and unappealing. We recommend adding just a few warm touches to make the home feel cozy.

Expedited Transaction Process

There are typically fewer transactions, loan applications, and home inspections around the holidays. Selling your home this time of year creates the potential for an expedited transaction process. That means a faster turn-around once you have found a committed buyer and a less stressful holiday season for you!

If you’re thinking of selling your home in Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, or the North Atlanta area, we can help. Give us a call us at 770-352-9658 or email info@KarenCannon.com. You can also check out our current listings here.