Brookhaven: An Affluent Community With Historic Charm

Brookhaven is an affluent community just outside of Atlanta that maintains its historic charm while creating a balance of city and suburban lifestyle elements. Conveniently located approximately 12 miles from downtown Atlanta, Brookhaven appeals to both singles and families with its upscale shopping, fine dining, arts festivals and parks.

The Brookhaven area has been known for being the home to prominent Atlantans since the 1900s, when they began building summer cottages in the community. In 1910, a group of investors from the Mechanical and Manufacturers Club purchased the land on the north side of Peachtree Road as the site of a planned community surrounding a golf course called Brookhaven Estates. The Brookhaven Country Club was built in October 1910, and in 1911 a nine-hole golf course was built, becoming Atlanta’s second largest golf course. In 1913, Atlanta’s Capital City Club leased the Brookhaven Country Club and purchased it in 1915.

The golf course was expanded along with the housing developments surrounding it. The area was incorporated as the city of North Atlanta in 1924. By 1928, eight homes on the lots along Club Drive and Stovall were built and sold. Country Club Estates was developed in 1929, covering Winall Down Road, most of Vermont and Stovall, Calvert Lane and part of Narmore. The city of North Atlanta was later disincorporated due to the city’s leaders requesting a referendum on a new city charter.

The homes in Brookhaven include designs by a number of well-known Atlanta architects of this period, including Hal Hentz and Neel Reid. Major commercial and residential development took place from the 1950s to 1970s. In 1984, the Brookhaven MARTA Station opened, and in 1986, The Capital City Club and many of the homes in the neighborhood were placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The area surrounding the club is now officially known as “Historic Brookhaven.”

Since its disincorporation, the Brookhaven area has been part of the city of Decatur. The members of the community brought up incorporating Brookhaven in 2007 because they wanted to secure zoning, planning, land use, police, and fire protection instead of having Decatur officials make those decisions. In 2012, Brookhaven was incorporated with 55% of voters in support of the change. It was the 11th city created in Dekalb County, and remains the largest city in the county, stretching over 12 miles.

Today, the area is known for its unique shopping and restaurant options. Town Brookhaven is Brookhaven’s newest development, filled with a multitude of shops, services, and restaurants. The Northeast Plaza is another large retail center that focuses on discounts and Hispanic-oriented stores. And Buford Highway (also known as the International Corridor) offers a variety of international restaurants and shops.

Brookhaven is home to more than 50,000 residents, Oglethorpe University, Murphy Candler Park, the historic Peachtree Golf Club, and Emory Healthcare Practice Facility. There are 14 beautiful parks, 11 hotels, two lakes, and a variety of businesses located there. It’s a suburban gateway between Midtown and Downtown that attracts people from all walks of life. Whether you’re a looking to downsize or ready to lay down new roots, Brookhaven offers something for everyone.

At Karen Cannon, Realtors, we are local real estate experts for Brookhaven, 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 Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs or the surrounding areas, call us at 770-352-9658 send us an email at Info@KarenCannon.com. Check out our current listings here.

Seven Spectacular Events to Make Your Labor Day Weekend Special

School is back in session. Your routine has returned to normal. And you’re ready for an extended weekend of leisure. Look no further because we’ve got you covered. Here are seven fun-filled Atlanta events fit for families, friends, and couples!

For Families

Fall Festival At Atlanta Convention Center: Bring the whole family to party on Peachtree for Labor Day. This family-friendly festival starts at 12:00pm and ends at 7:00pm. Bring in the fall season with endless food, games, and activities for everyone. You can find more information on the event’s website.
Stone Mountain Labor Day Weekend: Celebrate Labor Day weekend at the beloved Stone Mountain Park August 31st-September 2nd. This scenic experience will feature the Lasershow Spectacular and an extended fireworks show every night! The fun won’t stop there. You’ll also have the chance to take on the SkyHike® (the nation’s largest adventure course), Geyser Towers®, Summit Skyride, Dinotorium, and much more! For more event details, click here.
Macalicious Vegan 2019 Labor Day Bash: Start your fall by feeling fit at this tasty vegan bash, Monday, September 2nd! You’ll find plenty of vegan and raw food vendors as well as non-food vendors at this free family outing. Dance the day away with the live DJ while indulging in free food and drink samples. Tempting? We think so! Grab more information here.

For Couples

Sky High Hot Air Balloon Festival: What could be more romantic than a peaceful hot air balloon ride or watching the beautiful display soar into the distance? The magical weekend begins with the spectacular Friday Night Balloon Glow, where dozens of balloons will light up the night. You’ll also be able to enjoy delicious food and drink specials, resort amenities, and scenic views for those Instagram posts! Can you say perfect Summer send-off? Click here for more festival details!
VinoTOSA Wine Tasting: This national wine-tasting is the ultimate haven for wine lovers. Taking place August 20th from 8:30pm-11:00pm in Downtown Atlanta, VinoTOSA is the Country’s largest wine tasting of African American winemakers! Guests will get to sample a vast inventory of wines and the first 200 guests will receive a complimentary wine glass. This lovely night will also consist of contemporary artwork and music! Find tickets and details here!

For College/Young Adults

Dragon Con: Add a little variety to your Labor Day weekend with DragonCon! This festive event is the largest multi-media pop-culture convention for science fiction, fantasy, gaming, comics, and much more. So, grab your best Syfy costume and join the party! Click here for more event details!
Taste Of Soul Atlanta: Food & Music Festival: This free tasty festival is the country’s premier food fest for Soul Food and Music. The weekend will be full of irresistible food, sensational sounds, and unforgettable fun. This is definitely the place to be for foodies on Labor Day weekend. Click here for details and ticket information.

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 send us an email at Info@KarenCannon.com. Check out our current listings here.

cheerful young black couple holding sold sign and celebrating their house been sold

Tips for First Time Home Sellers

When buying your first home, it’s normal to be a bit scared – but also excited about plans for the future. You’re anxious to fill your home with memories, and selling is the furthest thing from your mind. However, as time passes and your family grows or kids move out, you might start thinking about looking for a home that’s more suitable for your current lifestyle.

Once you’ve made the decision to sell, it’s common to have a lot of questions about the process, pricing and preparations necessary to put it on the market. It can seem daunting at first, but the KCR team is here to answer your questions and walk you through every step. Here are some tips to help you prepare to sell your first home.

Expect Emotions to Run High

It’s normal to be emotional about your home, and it’s okay to shed a few tears when you start the selling process. You’ve celebrated holidays, entertained friends and family, and hopefully made some great memories in this home. However, as soon as you’ve made the decision to sell, your home becomes a financial asset. You have to think of it as your “property.” As hard as it is, try to remove any emotion from the sale of your property.

First Impressions are Everything

Your property’s condition will determine whether you make a quick sale or struggle through the process. Improve your property as much as possible before putting it on the market – within reason. This means taking a good look around and repairing the small problems that potential buyers will notice. Repair leaking faucets, touch up paint, de-clutter common areas, and plant fresh flowers. Try to see your home as a buyer would when they enter for the first time.

Don’t Try to Go It Alone

Selling your home in Atlanta without a Realtor may seem like a good way to avoid paying commission, but you may end up costing yourself more money if the house lingers on the market or you don’t get top dollar. Often, homes that are listed ‘by owner’ are overpriced (due to the homeowners’ emotional ties to the house and inability to see its value clearly) and may sit on the market for months. In many cases, the seller takes a price that’s less than the market value out of sheer frustration.

At Karen Cannon, Realtors, we understand the current market trends and are knowledgeable in home values so that we know how to price your home correctly to help you maximize the value. Once the house is listed, we’ll walk beside you every step of the way – from the initial conversation with a buyer to the contract and paperwork details.

For every house we list, we provide professional photography and videography, home staging, 3D virtual tours and social media promotion. In fact, 10% of our homes sell prior to listing because of our comprehensive marketing efforts and our connections within the community. Selling your first home can be stressful, and it is our job to take the stress of selling off your shoulders.

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

How to Tackle the 4 Most Common Types of Clutter

Whether you are making room for a new addition to the family or downsizing, de-cluttering is a must. We know how difficult it can be to decide what to keep and what to ditch. First, you have to understand just what kind of clutter is piling up in your home. Here are the 4 most commons types of clutter and how to tackle each:

Clutter Without a Home

Some of your clutter isn’t actually clutter; it just doesn’t have a home. It could be mail you haven’t opened yet or books that are piling up because your bookshelf is overflowing. This type of accumulation is going take a few extra steps because it’s not about a ditch or keep pile.

You have to be a little bit more strategic in creating storage space. It may require buying a few storage bins, but it will be worth it to see everything in their rightful place. Clear and labeled plastic containers work for most items in the home whether it’s a temporary or permanent solution to your clutter. Try to place your containers where they make the most sense. A small container for the mail should go wherever you normally drop your mail off when entering your home. A larger container can be placed next to the shelf for any books that won’t fit.

Aspirational Clutter

This type of clutter is the stuff that you buy in hopes to someday use. It’s just like the coffee table book you keep on display but have never sat down to read. Whether it’s the set of golf clubs collecting dust or the skiing wardrobe for that vacation that never seems to get booked, we are all guilty of making aspirational purchases.

If your purchases have started to pile up and you’re not using them, it could be time to find them a new home. Ask yourself questions like: Am I really interested in golf? Do I really plan to go skiing? Am I actually going to use this or that? If you say maybe or no to any of these questions, you may want to put them in the ditch pile or try to sell them.

Bargain Clutter

You may have guessed from the name, the type of clutter we’re referring to – bargains. If you can’t resist the urge to buy when there is a good sale and often find your purchases stacking high, you may have some bargain clutter. It can seem easy to justify a purchase when it’s on sale, but that doesn’t mean you should bring it into your home.

The best way to tackle this kind of clutter is to go through all of your items and determine what you actually need. If you don’t need it, put it in the ditch pile. Next time you see a sale, think long and hard about whether you are buying just because.

Sentimental Clutter

If you’re afraid to throw out your old baby blanket or your child’s first pair of shoes, you could be holding onto sentimental clutter. This is the hardest clutter to get rid of because there is an emotional attachment to these items. Deciding what to throw out and what to keep may stir up some emotions.

Carefully choose just a few items to hold onto as mementos. Which items bring you the most joy? Always remember that getting rid of things is not getting rid of the memory. Determine what is really meaningful and what’s just stuff. It’s understandable to want to keep old love letters or birthday cards, but they don’t have to take up space. Take a digital scan and create a folder on your computer or a hard drive. You can reclaim your space while having the option to go back through them if you want to take a walk down memory lane.

You should also think about if the size of your house and whether the items that are filling it suits your lifestyle. Some of our clients, for example, are ready to downsize. With kids out of the house, they are typically looking for a home that is just for them. On the other hand, some of our other clients have outgrown their home as their family grows, so decluttering can help in the packing and moving process. Whether you’re interested in something bigger or smaller, Karen Cannon, Realtors can help you find something that is perfect for you.

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.

Benefits of Using Virtual Tours to Attract Buyers

As technology evolves, so does the selling and buying experience. Now, there are more immersive and interactive techniques being used in real estate. At Karen Cannon, Realtors, we always have our ears to the ground with the latest technology that can enhance and improve our clients’ buying and selling experience. When 3D Virtual Tours became available, we hopped on board to offer this enhancement as a part of our service, and we have seen great success ever since. We offer a truly immersive experience so that buyers can feel like they are in the home. If you’re a skeptic, we’re here to tell you there are some great benefits to using virtual tours to attract buyers.

It captures potential buyers in remote locations

Let’s face it; moving to another part of town can be hard let alone another state! Virtual tours open up the opportunity to capture buyers from all over the world. With our 3D Virtual Tours, we have a specialist that uses a unique 3D camera to capture every single angle of your home for buyers to later explore on our website. It’s a virtual walkthrough that buyers can enjoy no matter where they are and no matter the time of day.

It gets more eyes on your home

One of the goals of having virtual tours available is to find buyers seriously interested in your home quickly. The virtual tour is like an “always open house,” and the client can spend as little or as much time in each room as they want. The longer a client spends looking through sections of your home, the more they can imagine themselves owning it. Studies have shown that virtual tours get 49% more qualified leads and get 40% more clicks than listings without.

There are times when only one partner is available to view a listing in person. The 3D virtual tour allows both parties to get a feel for the home. In addition, if a buyer is interested, but wants others to weigh in on a home, the 3D tour gives them the opportunity. Whether it’s a parent or a spouse, they can view the home at their convenience which can help move these along in their decision making.

It showcases your home in pristine shape 24/7

Showcasing a property is just a part of the home-selling process. Your home has to look great whenever we showcase your home to potential buyers, and some sellers find this to be a hassle. While showing a home in person will most likely still happen, the 3D virtual tour allows buyers to step inside of your home, virtually, whenever they want to and for as long as they want to. It also offers a floor plan and dollhouse view that allows the seller to virtually place furniture to give them a visual idea of what the home would look like furnished. The seller won’t feel as rushed as they normally would for say an open house or a showing because it is on their time. Having that added time allows the buyer to decide if they are serious about buying. If they are, they will reach out to us to either make an offer or see the home in person.

We provide 3D virtual tours for every listing as well as home staging, professional photography, and videography. We also provide unique and targeted social media marketing tactics. As we mentioned before, the goal is to get serious buyers interested in your home. The 3D tour introduces buyers to the home. Whenever they’re ready to view the home in person, we always have an agent available.

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.

Source: Matterport