The Week in Review:

The month of May has not been kind to mortgage interest rates. Although economic news was mixed last week, the upward trend that started at the beginning of the month remains intact. Interest rates moved higher by approximately .125% on the week.

What to Expect:

There are several economic releases at the end of the week; However, Bernanke’s testimony on the state of the economy to the Joint Economic Committee this Wednesday has the most potential to influence the markets. The big question: When will the Fed stop supporting the bond and mortgage markets? Currently, three Fed Presidents favor a phasing out of the bond purchase program. Will additional Fed Presidents follow suit?

Stay tuned…

For transactions closing in:

Next 15 Days: Lock

Next 30+ Days: Lock

Courtesy of:

Bob Bregitzer
Southeast Mortgage

Click here to start your Smyrna Vinings home search.

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Vinings Business Association Luncheon

You are invited to the Vinings Business Association (VBA) Monthly Luncheon on Tuesday, June 4th from 11:30am – 1:00pm at Social Vinings!

The featured speaker for the luncheon will be Georgia Department of Labor Commissioner Mark Butler. Mark Butler became Georgia’s ninth Commissioner of Labor on January 10, 2011.

Commissioner Butler, the first Republican to head the Georgia Department of Labor, is committed to fostering a new era in Georgia in cooperation with Gov. Nathan Deal. Commissioner Butler believes, the state has been presented with an opportunity to start over, reshaping the way it views the operations of a labor department as well as its relationship to economic development and the private sector.

Vinings Business Association Luncheon is held monthly on the first Tuesday of each month. Lunch is $15.00 for Members and $20.00 for Non-Members. Lunch Program is from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm. Guests are always welcome.

Lunch will be held at Social Vinings Restaurant at 3621 Vinings Slope Drive, Atlanta, GA 30339 (next to QuikTrip gas station). If attending lunch, you must register at least 24 hours in advance to guarantee your lunch. You can now pay online and avoid the line!

You must register online even if you are paying at the door. This will guarantee you a seat and lunch.

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Commissioner Butler, the first Republican to head the Georgia Department of Labor, is committed to fostering a new era in Georgia in cooperation with Gov. Nathan Deal. Commissioner Butler believes, the state has been presented with an opportunity to start over, reshaping the way it views the operations of a labor department as well as its relationship to economic development and the private sector.

As you can see, we’ve been tracking the market for quite some time. We sell a lot of Smyrna Vinings homes, condos and townhomes and one of the major reasons is that we specialize in the area, we know the inventory of homes for sale and understand the trends, statistics and all the local pertinent information necessary for you to make an informed decision.

As you’ll notice, the green bar is 2007 and we were selling a lot more condos and townhomes in 2007. Sales dropped continuously in 2008, while 2009 stabilized and picked up in the fourth quarter largely due to the first-time home buyer tax credit. 2010 saw the market peak in the late Spring and Summer. Smyrna Vinings condo saw slow and steady improvement in 2012 and has only improved in 2013. Buyers are finding it harder to resist today’s interest rates in the 3s and the attractive prices. It really is the perfect opportunity for a home buyer.

The Active Listings chart depicts Smyrna Vinings condos and townhomes currently for sale. You’ll note that total active listings peaked in 2008, which can be explained based upon sales dropping significantly in 2008, which resulted in Smyrna Vinings townhomes and condos sitting on the market longer. In 2009, we saw the active listings drop significantly and this can be tied to the economic uncertainty, which resulted in a lot less development of new condos and townhomes for sale in the Smyrna Vinings market.

This trend has continued. What we see now in the current market is that active listings are lower than any of the past six years. One interesting point about this is you have less competition if you want to sell in today’s market. If you’ve thought about selling and just aren’t sure, be sure to contact us or find out how much your home is worth. And if you’re looking to buy, inventory is thin and you’ll be fighting over the best properties with other buyers.

One other important statistic that we like to track is how we gauge the health of the Smyrna Vinings townhome and condo market. Months of inventory is a calculation that takes the current amount of homes for sale and divides that by the number of homes that have sold in the last 12 months. What the result means is if no more homes were listed, how many months would it take, based upon the past 12 months activity, to sell all the homes currently for sale. A result of 6 months is considered a healthy market, less than 6 months a seller’s market and more than 6 months, a buyer’s market.

What you can see in the chart above is that months of inventory dropped significantly in July and August last year and has stayed down since then. Ever since then, inventory has continued to shrink as demand outpaces supply. The highest amount of bloat and most severe buyer’s market was in January of 2009 with significant improvement coming at the end of 2009 and throughout 2010. After a wild and bumpy ride in 2011 in terms of inventory, we’ve really seen inventory continue to drop since mid 2012. As sales increase there are not enough new condos and townhomes coming on the market to replace those sold. If inventory drops further, we’ll continue to experience a lot of multiple offer situations like we have over the past year.

That’s your Smyrna Vinings condo and townhome activity recap for April.

Hope that was helpful and don’t hesitate to contact us if we can help you sell your Smyrna Vinings condo or townhome or find your new Smyrna Vinings townhome or condo. And don’t forget that we offer the most extensive Smyrna Vinings condo and townhome search in the area.

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The Smyrna Summer Concert Series for 2013 kicks off on Saturday, June 8th from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

There is plenty of fun, great music and good vibes on the Village Green as we kick off the Smyrna Summer Concert Series. The Cumberland Collective is a community of independent singer/songwriters and musicians from across the U.S. It’s American sound at its best. Call it “Americana,” or call it an artful and powerful mix of amazing talent with the soul of all great music of this land, but don’t miss it. Learn more at www.CumberlandCollective.com.

The Smyrna Summer Concerts are a great time to spend with friends and family. So plan now. If you have not reserved a table for the concert, then be sure to plan accordingly. A blanket, some chairs, small table will do wonders. Be sure to call your friends to make sure they have it on the schedule and then start planning some great appetizers, drinks and desserts to bring to the festivities. If you find yourself at the concert and run out of libations, then head over and see Rene at The Wine Cellars for a wonderful selection of wine or craft beers.

If you are still interested in a table for the concert, it may not be too late. Smyrna Summer Concert table reservations must be made in advance and in person at the Wolfe Adult Recreation Center (884 Church Street). Non-residents can reserve tables starting on May 28th.

The City of Smyrna concerts are Litter Free events. Keep Smyrna Beautiful will have recycling bins next to the garbage bins throughout the concert area for all concerts. You can recycle your glass, plastics, and aluminum cans. Thanks for helping us keep Smyrna clean, green and beautiful!

200 Village Green Circle, Smyrna, 30080.

Admission: Free

For information call 770-434-6600, or for sponsor information email twallace@ci.smyrna.ga.us.

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City of Smyrna Memorial Day Ceremony

The City of Smyrna will be holding the Memorial Day ceremony at the 20th Century Veterans Memorial on May 27, 2013 at 9:30 a.m.

The Smyrna ceremony is organized by members of the community and it is those members of the community who officiate. Join us on this day to honor and appreciate our commitment to peace through strength and sacrifice.

Seating will start after 8:00 a.m. and pre-ceremony/ceremony activities will begin promptly at 9:30 a.m. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held in the Smyrna Community Center (200 Village Green Circle, Smyrna, 30080).

The ceremony is sponsored by the City of Smyrna and coordinated by the Smyrna Veterans Committee, an organization composed of the City of Smyrna, The Veterans Memorial Association of Smyrna, and American Legion Post 160. The ceremony is a public event and all are invited to attend and participate in this memorial service to honor those who have sacrificed in defense of our nation.

To purchase a paver for the Memorial, please access the form – Purchase a Paver.

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The Smyrna Business Association is excited to announce their Alive After Five networking event for May. This will be held at Fifth Third Bank.

This networking event will be held on Thursday, May 23rd, 2012 from 5:30-7:30 pm.

Enjoy an evening of networking with industry professionals in a comfortable, upscale and entertaining atmosphere.

Appetizers + Drinks + Door Prizes

Don’t miss out on this fun event!

Admission is free.

Location:

Fifth Third Bank is located at 2197 Cobb Parkway, SE, Smyrna, GA 30080. Their phone number is 770-431-9166.

Be sure to bring plenty of business cards. Click here to RSVP.

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Vinings is a very old community with a unique history.  Called Crossroads at first, Vinings is where Hardy Pace operated a ferry that allowed people to cross the Chattahoochee River and where the Western & Atlantic Railroad headed north on its way to Chattanooga. Susan Kendall, the author, is the manager of the Vinings Library.  She has been in Vinings for over 20 years and used her reference skills and acquaintances with the people in the community to compile a book on Vinings for Arcadia Press’ Images of America series.

The Vinings Historic Preservation Society will host a book signing with Susan Kendall on Thursday, May 16th from 6-8pm, at The Old Pavilion on Paces Mill Road.

Come and meet Susan and take home your own autographed copy! Signed copies  also make great gifts for your friends, family and clients!

Each copy is $21.99 and cash, check and charge will be accepted at the event.

Parking is across the street in the Piedmont Medical building.

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The City of Smyrna Parks & Recreation Department needs your input for a new master plan. If you were unable to attend one of the two public meetings held earlier this Spring, you have not missed your opportunity to participate and provide input. You have until May 15th to complete the survey.

Smyrna is currently involved in updating a system-wide parks and recreation master plan. When completed this plan will help the City set priorities for parks and recreation facilities for the next 10 years. As city leaders strive to improve the quality of life in Smyrna, plans of this nature are critical.

This process is being implemented by the Smyrna Parks and Recreation Department with the assistance of a team of professional consultants from GreenRock Partners. A primary goal of the planning process to ensure the success of the plan is to find out what park and recreation needs are desired by the citizens of Smyrna.

There are a total of 24 questions and it takes just a few minutes to complete.

Click here for the Smyrna Parks & Recreation Survey and fill in the blanks and help your Parks & Recreation Department meet your needs:

The Cobb Chamber of Commerce will be holding their 2013 Business-to-Business Expo on Thursday, May 16th from 3-7pm.

Known as the premier Chamber sponsored business to business exposition in the area, this annual event is held for the promotion of local businesses and corporate networking. More than 150 companies showcase their products and services to over 1,500 attendees. Open to the public, this event keeps participants on the competitive edge with networking, idea sharing, product introduction and service solutions attracting executives at every level.

The EXPO is FREE to attend.

Click here for more information or to register for the Business Expo.

The EXPO will be held at Cobb Galleria Centre, Two Galleria Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30339.

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Mark your calendars for the 8th Annual Mableton Community Day on Saturday, May 18th.

Festivities begin at 8am with a 5K race (sponsored by Wellstar), followed by a Kids’ Fun Run (sponsored by Cobb & Douglas Public Health/We Can!), jumpies, Kids’ Corner (sponsored by Primrose School at Providence Pavilion), entertainment, food, a classic car show, historic Mable House tours and the vendor area. This year, the Kids’ Corner will have a petting zoo. Health and wellness activities for folks of all ages are sponsored by the Atlanta Regional Commission, Cobb & Douglas Public Health and AARP. Parking, admission and historic Mable House tours are free. There will be a charge for race registration, jumpies, and food and refreshments.

The day concludes at 2pm except for historic Mable House tours, which will be available until 4pm. Come back that evening for the first Candlelite Concert of the 2013 season. Milkshake Mayfield returns to play smooth jazz and gospel music. General and lawn area seating will be free of charge and tables down in front will be available for a nominal charge. Gates open at 6:30pm and the concert will start at 8pm.

There are still volunteer opportunities to help run the event while showing support for your favorite non-profit or the community in general. Come to the next Public Rally April 15th, 7pm, at the Mable House Arts Center to find out how you can be an active part of this 8th annual community celebration.

For more information about Mableton Day 2013, its sponsors and 5K Race registration, visit MabletonDay.com.

The 8th Annual Mableton Community Day will be held at the Mable House complex at 5239 Floyd Road, Mableton, Georgia 30126. You are encouraged you to walk if you can!

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