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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The Vinings Historic Preservation Society is pleased to announce the 8th Annual Vinings Golf Classic. This year’s tournament will be played Tuesday, May 21st at Pinetree Country Club in Kennesaw, GA. Pinetree Country Club has hosted the Georgia State Amateur Championship three times and will be hosting this prestigious event again in 2013.

The SOHO Pairings Party will be held Sunday evening, May 19th, at SOHO, the Zagat award-winning restaurant located in historic Vinings. Serving contemporary food in a lively environment, SOHO is a longtime neighborhood favorite and annual sponsor of the Vinings Golf Classic. Entertainment, food and libations are included with your ticket. We will also have a live and a silent auction. You or your business can be a part of the auction by donating an item or service.

All of Vinings is invited to this party and you don’t want to miss it!

Click here to register for the 8th Annual Vinings Golf Classic.

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This chart shows you the past 12 months of home sales at any given point. As you’ll notice, the green bar is 2007 and we were selling a fair amount more homes in 2007. Sales dropped significantly in 2008, with the drop becoming more pronounced toward the last quarter of 2008. That would be the beginning of the financial meltdown. 2009 home sales started off about 32% off the level just two years previously in January 2007. We saw Smyrna Vinings home sales continue to drop in 2009, but then leveling off in late summer and actually seeing sales pick up toward the end of the year. Typically, you expect sales to be higher in the late Spring and early Summer, but that hasn’t been the case in 2007-2010.

We’ve really seen a lot of improvement in Smyrna Vinings home sales over the past year. Traditionally, home sales level off in the late Fall/Winter. However, that was the case, particularly with strong December sales spilling into this Spring. Low interest rates and great prices continue to drive Smyrna Vinings home buyer demand. Pending contracts remain strong, so expect to see a continued strength in home sales in 2013.

The Active Listings chart depicts Smyrna Vinings homes currently for sale. The general shape of the annual graphs are pretty consistent until we get to this year. What is different is that we’re just seeing a lot fewer homes on the market than in years. As a general rule, we’ve seen inventory increase in the April to June range and then see the amount of Smyrna Vinings homes for sale reduce towards the end of the year. This year, we’ve seen a small increase in inventory in February, but it’s starting from a historically low amount, so we still have the lowest inventory levels for February this year versus the past seven year. Whereas in past years homes may have taken 90 days to sell causing inventory levels to increase, we’re now seeing a lot of homes sell within two weeks. As the inventory shrinks, you will expect to see homes sell quicker as there are fewer homes for buyers to choose from and when the right home pops up, the patient buyers will be ready to jump. While sales have increased, it’s likely sales would be much higher if there were more homes for sale. There’s just not enough homes for buyers to choose from right now.

As sales are improving, we’re also seeing prices increasing as well. We’re going to continue to see more equity sellers in the market and fewer distressed properties as we move forward over the next couple years. This will result in continued low inventory levels as the number of equity sellers that can afford to sell will be outnumbered by buyers eager to take advantage of prices that are still depressed and interest rates that are phenomenal. 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. Less competition is a good thing if you’re ready to sell.

One other important statistic that we like to track is how the overall health of the Smyrna Vinings home 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 we can see from the chart above is that we have lower inventory levels right now than at any point in the past five years. Compare that with the highest amount of bloat and most severe buyer’s market in July of 2009 with significant improvement starting in mid-2010 and continuing through today.

In April, inventory levels were at 3.9 months of inventory versus 7.5 months just a year ago. Unlike 2012, we’re starting with very thin levels of inventory. We expect to inventory levels to remain low as long as interest rates remain low. Pending contracts at the end of April increased further, indicating strong sales for May. Technically, we are now in a seller’s market based on current inventory levels. What this means as you will continue to see prices slowly rise from here as demand outpaces supply.

That is your Smyrna Vinings homes sales activity recap for April 2013. Hope that was helpful and don’t hesitate to contact us if we can help you sell your Smyrna Vinings home or find your new Smyrna Vinings home.

Click here if you’d like to know what your Smyrna Vinings homes is worth.

Click here to start your Smyrna Vinings home search.

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