Andy Bailie Real Estate Services Powered By Keller Williams Metro Atlanta

07/22/2024

PSA for all Georgia Homeowners:
Y’all, you know that lovely piece of paper you get every year from the County? The one that says your home value has increased and thus your property taxes are also going up? Yea, that one!
If you turn that document over, you’ll find instructions on how to appeal the value (if you feel it’s too high)
In the past, if you appealed and won, your tax value was ‘frozen’ for 3 years which was a nice feature/benefit of appealing but…
… those days are no more🙁
Beginning next year, your appeal freeze goes away so you may be faced with the unenviable task of appealing every year.
DRATS!
The article below highlights the details but, in essence, this is a bit of a step backwards for GA Homeowners.
As always, you’re more than welcomed to contact me and I can explain further. I’m happy to help.

05/01/2024

We Just Listed A Wonderful Home!
~ 3 Quiet Acres + HUGE Garage/Workshop

04/08/2024

https://portal.onehome.com/en-US/share/1230039T12115
Who wants to be our neighbor? This beautiful, riverfront home is just down the street from us and we'd LOVE to have y'all as neighbors!

Make your dream home happen with OneHome™. Browse properties, find rates on mortgages and insurance, and collaborate with your real estate agent in one place.

03/05/2024

Hey Y'all -
Did you purchase a home as your PRIMARY RESIDENCE last year, If so (regardless if I was your Agent or not) be sure to file for your HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION prior to April 1, 2024.
* What is Homestead Exemption? It's the discount that the County (and sometimes the city) gives on your annual property taxes.
* Do I/We qualify for this? That depends... If you purchased in 2023 and the home you bought is 'where you lay your head down at night' then, yes, you're eligible to file (and get the discount)
* Do I have to file every year? Nope! This is a One-And-Done thing! The discount applies for as long as you own that home.
* What To Do: Go to your County Property Tax Website, Type "homestead exemption" in the search bar and go from there. Nowadays, most of these sites make it super easy but if you need help, lemme know and I'll guide you through the process.
* Please Note: You'll need to do this as well if the TITLE of your property changed due to a divorce, quit claim deed, death, or other issues. Again - this can sometimes be VERY confusing so let me know if I can help.

02/28/2024

Realtor Tip for Home Buyers in this crazy market:
• Asking for a $10,000 redux in PRICE saves you about $75/mo. for the next 360 months 🥵
• But, that same $10,000 towards closing costs gives you an immediate benefit at closing or…
• A $10,000 credit to buy down your interest rate could save you about $250/month. (depending on your purchase price)
Choose your options wisely, folks!
When negotiating on your home purchase, ask your Realtor and your Lender what the best course(s) of action may be.

02/05/2024

Sometimes we work with Buyer clients who want to save money by skipping the home inspection.
Yes, Home Inspections can be an added expense in the home purchase process but skipping it is never a good option. NEVER.
Here’s why:
• You lose negotiating power with the Seller(s), especially if the inspection reveals a major issue.
• You may unknowingly inherit some costly repairs.
• The inspector may uncover some health or safety issues (think mold, a fire hazard, etc)
• Some needed repairs may not be covered by insurance.
Also - and this is rare - a home inspection will not uncover any major issues. The home has been well maintained and all systems are in safe/good working order so the buyer thinks ‘I just wasted all that money on an inspection!’
Not True! You just gained Peace of Mind knowing that you purchased a home that should provide years of hassle free ownership helping to sleep well at night.
TLDR: When purchasing a home, DON’T skip the home inspection to ‘save money’

01/12/2024

This PSA is for my Georgia friends but others may benefit as well?
Y'all - it's gonna get REALLY COLD next week. Metro ATL temps for Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday low temps will be in the teens.
Take measures this weekend to stave off issues later.
* Raise your t'stat a few degrees - now's not the time to save a few bucks on your heating bill.
* Open the cabinet doors under the kitchen/bathroom sinks - this allows warmer air to circulate under there where the pipes are.
* let your faucets drip
* Outdoor spigots too! Let 'em drip!
* Run by an Auto Zone, etc, and have them check your radiator coolant level. It's probably fine but it couldn't hurt to have them check (plus it's FREE!)
* Snuggle (That's the fun part of cold weather!)
* Is your home heated with a Heat Pump? If so, change the setting to 'emergency heat' and make sure the little drain hose (usually a clear hose about 3/8", like surgical tubing) isn't blocked with frozen condensate. If it is, that will trigger an issue and your heat pump will just shut down. It's an easy fix with a hair dryer.

IF you suffer an issue or frozen pipe, call me and I can steer you to a reputable plumber or contractor to help you out.

11/08/2023

Heads Up!
Hey yall, have you recently received your new homeowners insurance renewal notice? Your auto insurance notice?
We did and are pretty startled with the rate increases!
I called our insurance broker and she shared that auto parts (especially computer chips) as well as building material prices have succumbed to inflation and that claims have increased significantly.
Thus… those increases must be passed onto us
Who do I know that in the insurance industry that could shed some light on this?
A 25%-30% increase year over year is unsustainable!

10/24/2023

Some think I’ve retired from Real Estate. FAKE NEWS!
I’m still out here helping folks with their home sale/purchase needs.
Yes, interest rates are high and homes are hard to find these days but,why not let ME do all the heavy lifting for you?
Here’s my latest closing where we finally find that ‘just the right’ place for my clients.
So… who can we help next?

09/01/2023

I had this unfortunate experience just last week.
They ended up listing with an agent who quoted them (what I believe to be) an unreasonably high listing price.
Folks, the market isn’t what it used to be!
Listen to your Realtor to get maximum exposure and the best possible price.