Ariel Starke - East Cobb Residential Real Estate

08/04/2026

Can you check any or most of these boxes?

🔲 selected your current home out of many other options
🔲 Factored in school scores when choosing your home
🔲 Had the ability to stay with family, in an Airbnb, or in a rental if there was a gap in permanent residency
🔲 You sleep in a room separate from your children
🔲 You don't fear for your safety in your neighborhood
🔲 You have the financial ability to have issues repaired in your home
🔲 You make more than 2x what you pay for monthly housing costs

I could go on but I if you can check these boxes, I would love to recommend this book, which is nonfiction and based in Atlanta. This book discusses those with jobs who are not truly homeless on the street, but reside in locations like extended stays or rooming houses.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/252701820-there-is-no-place-for-us

It is easy to judge those who can't afford to be homeowners, but some folks are born into a system they truly struggle to beat. Homelessness of the working but underpaid in Atlanta is so pervasive, and this particular form of being unhoused is unique and often overlooked.

I have no solutions but urge you to read this book to consider your own situation relative to much of Atlanta.

Through the unforgettable stories of five Atlanta famil…

06/24/2026

This is obviously a tragic scenario, and I feel horrible for any loved ones of this family.

I'm wondering if you had bought a foreclosure to flip or live in, and you found out this had happened, would you fight to keep and renovate the home anyway, or would you try to release it back to auction?

A mother and her 22-year-old son have been identified after three sets of human remains were found in a foreclosed Burlington, Conn., home on Sunday, June 14. The third victim has yet to be identified.

06/15/2026

The year was 1997:
Elton John's new version of "Candle in the Wind" was the billboard 100 chart topper, the movie Titanic was dominating theaters, Tiger Woods won his first Masters, and the iconic Longaberger Basket building was finished.

Longaberger baskets were hand woven and signed on the bottom by the weaver, and became a direct-sales behemoth across the country in the 1980s-90s.

The iconic Newark, Ohio headquarters became a roadside attraction holy Grail to many enthusiasts, including myself 😂🫣. Now it's for sale for $8.5 million.

Over 180,000 sf, fitness center, auditorium, incredible atrium, heated underground executive parking... This office space deserves someone to come save it.

Did you ever have Longaberger baskets? I found a sweet photo of Cora and myself with our Longaberger picnic basket purses I put at the end 🥹. The company still runs an active website.

Real Estate photos Courtesy Shai-Hess Commercial Real Estate LLC

https://www.wkyc.com/article/money/business/how-the-longaberger-basket-empire-slowly-unraveled-after-2000-peak/95-621101017

https://www.shai-hess.com/Property-Listings/?propertyId=820577-sale

05/12/2026

Winning behavior: moving to be near your daughter (and goals for my future self to be near the kids).

I snapped this pic of my gorgeous client before she even stepped into her new house the first time we saw it! I knew from the listing that it was going to be the ONE.

Did I mention it was the first house I showed this darling couple?
Life experience = knowing what you want. The more homes you've owned, the more you can identify what you do and don't like before you even do the investigatory drive-by.

Most precious factor of the whole transaction was that my dear friend Alyssa Justice trusted me with her parents - this means so much much to me!!

Congrats Carl & Maria on your beautiful new home: you can't beat a 3.3 mile drive from the grandkids!

Thank you Reece Cohen- Branch Manager + Campbell & Brannon for the dream collab as always.

05/05/2026

This time of year brings many recognitions, and I'm ever so grateful for this one. Each year, Atlanta Magazine selects the top 5-10% of all Realtors to qualify in their Real Estate All-Star category.

In an industry where many agents only close a few homes a year, I'm honored to be chosen by YOU to be your go-to East Cobb Expert. Thank you for your business and your trust. 🫶🏻

04/25/2026

Would you sign this Barkerage Agreement?

Did I mention he can't be trusted with pillows? (Iykyk 🫣😬) There goes your staging.

03/13/2026

We bought our first place mid-twenties and I have to agree that the house you have to fix is still better than no house at all, especially if you plan to stay put.
That very first house we owned needed new back yard drainage (we dug it ourselves!), pool pump repairs, shower repairs, pest exclusion, all new siding, flooring remediation, garage insulation, and so much more... but it became a simple path to purchasing our next home. You can pay a landlord's mortgage, or you can pay your own!

New Realtor.com research finds that buyers who purchase in their early 30s can net 22.5% more in wealth by age 50 than those who wait.

Amanda and Vincent DeRise beat the odds, closing on a 140-year-old New Jersey fixer-upper at 31 and 32 after getting outbid on move-in-ready homes, and have since poured $175,000 into renovations. "We've sacrificed so much," says Vincent. But with that early purchase locked in, the couple is on track to capture the full wealth-building power of homeownership before many of their peers have even started looking.

03/08/2026

The one with the amazing screened in porch 🤩

NEW LISTING, Coming Soon🏁

Gorgeous luxury estate home in charming Browns Mill, hitting the market this Thursday, March 12!

🔹6 bedrooms, 4.5 baths
🔹6400+- sf
🔹 Library + office
🔹 Finished terrace level
🔹 Master on Main
🔹 Home gym
🔹 Finished Basement
🔹 Swim/ Tennis community
🔹 Craft room/ second office

Offered for $789,000
5552 Blue Aster Court, Powder Springs
Exclusively listed by //

Reach out today to schedule your showing!
470.585.4303

03/07/2026

What I'm about to say may feel like it starts a little randomly, but stick with me here:

You may think it doesn't matter who your kids are friends with in middle school, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

My husband Brian, and Ryan, pictured here, became besties in middle school and have been like family ever since. Throughout high school at Pope, college in separate places, all of us being together all the time in Houston as young adults, and now back in East Cobb... Those middle school buddies have stuck together. Alyssa and I are thrilled to be part of the fold now (me for nearly 17 years and her for about 8!).

Yesterday was a really fun moment as they closed on their forever home, and I was so honored to have been able to guide them through the process.

So be picky and be welcoming about who your middle schoolers have as friends (we are currently right in the thick of that as parents) because they are possibly going to be part of each other's lives for a very long time. 🥰

Congrats Singer Family, and thank you for your trust!
Glad you are only 10 minutes away now! 🚗💨

03/05/2026

Very exciting day for this little girl because her new home is Under Contract and through all contingencies!

There is nothing more special than raising your kids in one house for their whole childhood: so many memories created, friendships grown, and nostalgia built.

It's easy to lose sight of the whole purpose sometimes when there are difficult negotiations or unexpected repairs, but this is why I do it!
I'm so thankful for the opportunity to make this magic for families.