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.

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.

Source: Matterport

City Springs District: Sandy Springs’ New Downtown

We have loved seeing the growth of our community over the years. Now the 6th largest city in Georgia, Sandy Springs has continued to evolve as more people call it home. One of the newest additions to Sandy Springs is the City Springs District that opened in May of 2018 and is being dubbed the “new downtown.” It’s located on the corner of Johnson Ferry and Roswell Road and has quickly become a destination for visitors and residents alike. Here’s a brief rundown of what you can expect:

Entertainment

When the weather is nice, the City Green will be bustling with couples and families. This gorgeous four-acre park in City Springs is surrounded by fountains inspired by the beautiful Chattahoochee River. Its many shaded areas are perfect for reading a good book, playing a game of chess or enjoying a picnic. Kids love the interactive fountain and music lovers get to enjoy local and national talent perform on the covered stage.

If you’re looking for more formal entertainment, City Springs is also home to a performing arts center with two theaters that offers entertainment year round. The Studio Theatre hosts smaller productions, conferences and corporate meetings while the Byers Theatre hosts larger theatrical productions. The calendar is filled with exciting shows to check out.

Dining

You can grab coffee with a colleague or meet friends for lunch at one of City Springs’ two popular restaurants. City Bar, located near the performing arts center, is the perfect spot to grab a coffee or a cocktail before or after the show. Flower Child is a restaurant that prides itself on fresh ingredients with a menu that’s made from scratch every day. There are three more restaurants scheduled to open in City Springs: Nam Kitchen, The Select, and Cafe Vendome.

While it is still in its infancy, City Springs is already proving to be a popular go-to spot for Sandy Springs residents. The next time you’re looking for something to do on a sunny day, check out City Springs. You won’t regret it!

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.

Fall Maintenance Tips For Your Home

While we love the beautiful colors of fall and the family-friendly festivals here in Atlanta, we can’t help but think that winter is quickly approaching. As fall prepares us for the frigid winter temperatures to come, we often head to our closets and basements to pull out the boots and heavy coats. But it’s also time to prepare our homes to bear the weather, too. Winter can be very unpredictable and can wreak havoc on not only your home but your wallet, too. Here are 6 maintenance tips you can do this fall to prepare your home for winter:

Clean Gutters and Downspouts:

Once most of the leaves have fallen, clean out gutters and downspouts (hire a helper if you are not comfortable on a ladder). Clogged gutters during rainstorms can cause water to pool and damage your roof or siding.

Check Safety Devices:

At least once a year, do a top to bottom review of your home’s safety features. This is also a good time to gather the family together for a review of your fire evacuation plan.

Test smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors; replace batteries as needed.
Check the expiration date on your fire extinguisher and replace if needed
If you haven’t checked your home for radon, fall is a good time to do so — as the weather gets cooler and windows stay shut more often, radon is more likely to become trapped in your home.

Care for Trees and Shrubs:

While we admire the beautiful orange, red and yellow leaves, they won’t last long. When they do start to fall, they can quickly blanket your lawn. While you’re raking them away, inspect the trees close to your home or power lines and give them a good trim, if needed, to prevent falling limbs from causing a power outage. If you have trees near power lines, be careful! Call a professional if you are concerned.

Check the Exterior of Your Home:

While you are outside, take a walk around your home to look for any signs of damage to the roof, siding, and foundation. Spotting any damages early can help you plan financially and schedule repairs prior to winter. You should also check for any tiny gaps that little critters might be able to crawl through to keep warm. Fill those holes and cover large gapes securely to keep wildlife out.

Protect the Pipes:

While we may be in the south and freezing temperatures are few, we still need to protect our pipes when those frigid temperatures come. Protect your pipes from freezing temperatures (below 32°) by shutting off water to exterior faucets. Be sure to drain hoses and store them indoors.

Schedule a Chimney Cleaning and Heating System Maintenance:

If you have a fireplace in your home, make sure that it is cleaned, maintained and working properly now before you turn it on in the winter. And before turning the heat on in your home, make sure to change out the filter in your furnace. If you notice anything not working properly, connect with an HVAC professional prior to winter. Be sure to add a chimney cap if you don’t already have one — it will stop critters from crawling down your chimney!

Don’t get overwhelmed by these preventative maintenance tips. You have a few months to tackle everything on this list; take it one step at a time.

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 North Atlanta area, call us at 770-352-9658.

Why You Need A Real Estate Agent To Help Buy Or Sell Your Home

When it comes to buying or selling a home, many people believe that they can do it on their own. However, the decision could be costly and cause a lot of headaches. Homebuyers and sellers need a professional agent on their side to be an advocate for them throughout the process and after closing. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports that 87% of buyers purchased their home through a real estate agent, and real estate agents represented 89% of sellers. And in a 2017 Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers, only eight percent of recent home sales were For-Sale-By-Owner (FSBO) sales. This is the lowest share recorded since the report started in 1981. FSBOs typically sell for less than the selling price of other homes listed with an agent.

There are many benefits to hiring a Realtor, both mentally and financially. Here are the top three benefits we hear about from buyers and sellers:

Local Market Expertise

Homeowners who decide to list without a real estate agent tend to struggle with setting the price. Often, homeowners put a high price tag on the house because of what they think their home should be worth. The danger here is the emotional attachment and bias a seller has towards their home. Realtors look beyond feelings and think through things objectively. They possess expert knowledge on current market conditions that helps them set a fair and objective price. This experience helps owners get the most for their home without scaring away buyers. An agent will also be able to ensure that buyers have an understanding of a home’s true value. Pricing a home correctly in this market will help you maximize the value vs. setting a price too high and having to lower it later on.

Professional Connections

Real estate agents can act as a resource during every step of the buying or selling process, and often have a list of preferred providers who they have worked with in the past that they can recommend. This can include mortgage brokers, appraisers, inspectors, lawyers, landscapers, contractors and many more. Hire the right agent and you’ll tap into a list of vendors to help you. It’s in the best interest of the agent to make sure that the home buying or selling process goes smoothly so that you are more likely to refer him or her to a friend.

Neighborhood Familiarity

Good agents know the ins and outs of the neighborhoods where they work. For buyers, an agent can guide you in finding the right home in a specific area. They are familiar with factors like the age of the homes, school ratings, traffic/commute details, and accessibility to shopping or public transportation. For sellers, agents will know which areas are selling well and which areas are not. Agents should know the values and have dates to price the home correctly. They will be able to realistically help you evaluate a home’s value. Also, good agents have local connections that can help you find homes before they come on the market, which is especially important in this low inventory market.

At Karen Cannon, Realtors, we are local real estate experts for Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, and North Atlanta. We live, work, and play here, and we hand-pick our agents for their connections in the community. 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 buying or selling your home, call us at 770-352-9658 or email us info@KarenCannon.com

Sandy Springs: Southern Charm Just Minutes From the Big City

Incorporated in 2005, Sandy Springs is home to about 101,000 people, and is known for its traditional southern charm and hospitality. It is one of the most picturesque areas of metro Atlanta, both because of the gorgeous homes and tree-lined streets, and the 22 miles of shoreline on the Chattahoochee River that runs through the city. Close to Atlanta, but with a spirit all it’s own, Sandy Springs has always been independent and unique.

Visit Sandy Springs

Here are a few of Sandy Springs’ most desirable areas:

Downtown

Although it’s not a typical downtown, the area bounded by Abernathy Road to the north, I-285 to the south, Sandy Springs Circle to the west and Hildebrand Drive to the east is defined by residents and local businesses as ‘Downtown Sandy Springs.’ This is the location of the actual sandy springs that the city is named after. The springs can be found in Heritage Green, a four-acre city park operated by the non-profit Heritage Sandy Springs. The city has long-term plans to create a mixed-use municipal complex in the Downtown area, and to add more roads to the district in a more traditional street grid pattern. The new Sandy Springs City Hall will be complete in the summer of 2018, and this area – called City Springs -is expected to become the heart of the city. The new civic and cultural center will be home to city offices, a performing arts center, a theater, meeting space, both retail and residential spaces and underground community parking.

Riverside

Riverside is the western district of the city, on the border of Cobb County. It runs along the Chattahoochee River and is a residential area marked by winding, hilly roads. Riverside is an affluent area of Sandy Springs, and is home to the top-rated public schools in the area.

Dunwoody Panhandle

This is a residential area bounded by the Dunwoody city limit to the south, the Chattahoochee River to the north, Georgia 400 to the west and the Peachtree Corners city limit to the east. The community’s name comes from the fact that it is wedged between the river and Dunwoody, forming a geographic panhandle. This is a unique area of the city, and had been considered part of Dunwoody for many years. Many residents of this area still refer to their address as Dunwoody.

Perimeter Center

This is a commercial and business district surrounding the Perimeter Mall. Although about 40% of Perimeter Center, including the mall, is located in Dunwoody, the western 60% of the area is in Sandy Springs. This is mostly comprised of office buildings and Pill Hill, a collection of hospitals and doctors’ offices. The popular Hammond Park is also located in this area.

North Springs

This community is the northernmost area of the city, and is defined as the space west of Georgia 400, east of Brandon Mill Road and the Chattahoochee River, and north of Abernathy Road.

Sandy Springs ITP

A portion of Sandy Springs extends inside the perimeter to the Atlanta city limit. This area is affluent and centers around scenic, mansion-filled single-lane roads. It’s home to Chastain Park and Chastain Amphitheater, as well as excellent schools.

Powers Ferry Landing

Powers Ferry Landing is a business district just east of the river crossing.
Sandy Springs residents love their city and share their passion by staying active in the community through citizen volunteer programs. There is a long-held belief that Sandy Springs is a friendly gathering place, and part of the charm has always been the community spirit found within the city and the welcoming attitude of its residents.

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.