Atlanta Real Estate News

Bees, Wasps, Mosquitoes, and Ants Are Out In FULL FORCE This Summer

Thursday, July 29, 2010

It’s the time of the year when children are outside playing games and the grill is always sizzling with delicious summer fare. While it is nice to be outside enjoying the warm weather, it’s not fun getting stung by one of summer’s most infamous pests: fire ants, wasps, mosquitoes and yellowjackets. These potentially harmful pests can rapidly invade an outdoor living space, quickly putting an end to your summer fun.

“Stinging insects send more than half a million people to the emergency room every year,” said Arrow Pest Control Expert Shay Runion. “Fire ants, in particular, can prove to be extremely dangerous to young children. What might appear to be a tall mound of dirt in the yard or sandbox is actually a fire ant mound. Simply touching the nest with a stick, can aggravate it, potentially leading to multiple, painful stings.”

Here is some information about these pests and the necessary steps to prevent them from overtaking your outdoor living space:

* Red Imported Fire Ants: Fire ants get their name from the painful sting they leave behind on their victims. Known for the large nests they built in tall mounds, fire ants can usually be found in landscaped areas or near the foundation of a home. To prevent fire ants from entering the home, seal all cracks in and around the home.

* Mosquitoes: Mosquitoes are summer’s most “notorious” pests, known for the painful, itchy welts they can leave behind after attacking their victims. Mosquitoes are willing to go the distance to get what they want, often traveling up to 14 miles to feed. Mosquitoes can also mature from eggs to adults very quickly, usually in 10 -to- 14 days. They lay their eggs in stagnant water. Mosquitoes are most active during dusk and dawn hours. Where possible, remove all sources of standing water from your property and don’t forget about unused swimming pools!

* Wasps: Wasps are the most aggressive of the summer insects. They are unique in that they do not need to be provoked to show their aggression, often attacking humans for no apparent reason. One wasp can sting its victim multiple times, leaving behind localized pain and swelling and can cause more serious allergic reactions in some cases. Wasp nests are found near roofs and in plants. If a wasp nest is found on a property, a pest professional should be contacted immediately.

* Yellowjackets: Yellowjackets typically create their nests in the ground, attics or basements. If their nest is disturbed, yellowjackets will attack and potentially sting their victim multiple times. Yellowjackets feed on protein and sweets, so it is important to keep all food covered, in a sealed container when having an outdoor barbeque. It is also important to make sure all trash cans have a secure lid.

- Information gathered from Arrow Exterminating

Posted in: Intown Atlanta Real Estate News

A 3.8 Percent “Sales Tax” on Your Home?

Friday, July 23, 2010

Q: Does the new health care law impose a 3.8 percent tax on profits from selling your home?
A: Yes and No. The first $250,000 in profit from the sale of a personal residence won’y be taxed, or the first $500,000 in the case of a married couple. But investment property will be hit and those who have higher incomes will pay when selling their personal residences.

Starting in 2013, the 3.8% Medicare surtax would hit average, middle-class investors in real estate. A middle-class taxpayer who happens to sell real estate for a gain in a particular year would be liable for this new tax, regardless of how low his/her income might be in other, more typical years.

The truth is that only a tiny percentage of home sellers will pay the tax. First of all, only those with incomes over $200,000 a year ($250,000 for married couples filing jointly) will be subject to it. And even for those who have such high incomes, the tax still won’t apply to the first $250,000 on profits from the sale of a personal residence - or to the first $500,000 in the case of a married couple selling their home. (The Internal Revenue Service says that to qualify for the $250,000 / $500,000 exclusion, a seller must have owned the home and lived there as the seller’s “main home” for at least two years out of the five years prior to the sale.)

Those who would have to pay the tax might include, for example:
A single executive making $210,000 a year who sells his $300,000 ski condo for a $50,000 profit. His tax on the sale of that vacation home would amount to $1,900, in addition to the capital gains tax he would have paid anyway.
An “empty nester” couple with combined income of over $250,000 a year who sell their $1 million primary residence to move to smaller quarters. If they cleared $600,000 on the sale, they would be taxed on $100,000 of the profit (the amount over the $500,000 exclusion). Their health care tax on the sale would amount to $3,800 over and above the usual capital gains levy.

- Scott Askew

Posted in: Intown Atlanta Real Estate News

A Quick History of The Fourth of July

Monday, July 12, 2010

Independence Day commemorates the formal adoption by the Continental Congress of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 in Philadelphia. Although the signing of the Declaration was not completed until August, the Fourth of July holiday has been accepted as the official anniversary of U.S. independence.

But, did you know the original resolution was introduced by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia on June 7, 1776? Mr. Lee’s resolution led to a committee being formed during the Second Continental Congress meeting on June 11, 1776 with the express purpose of drafting a document that would formally sever our ties with Great Britain. The committee included Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston.

The document was crafted by Jefferson, who was considered the most eloquent writer (nevertheless, a total of 86 changes were made to his draft!) The final version of the Declaration of Independence was officially adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4th.

The following day, copies of the Declaration of Independence were distributed and, on July 6, The Pennsylvania Evening Post became the first newspaper to print this extraordinary document.

On July 8, 1776, the first public readings of the Declaration were held in Philadelphia’s Independence Square to the ringing of bells and band music. All of this occurred even though some of the Congressional delegates were not even present; New York, for example, did not even vote on the resolution until July 9th. (Did you know that that not a single signature was placed onto the Declaration on July 4th? While most of the fifty-six names were in place by early August, one signer, Thomas McKean, did not actually sign the Declaration until 1781!)

Eventually, the ‘tradition’ of celebrating Independence Day spread to other towns both large and small, and was marked with processions, oratory, picnics, contests, games, military displays and fireworks. And in 1941, Congress declared the July 4th a legal Federal holiday.

Now that you know the actual history of the 4th of July Holiday, let me suggest you try your best to make it to Moscow, Vermont for their 4th of July celebration one year. It is the neatest celebration of our Independence I have ever witnessed. Small town Americana. For more info, give me a call!

Posted in: Intown Living

Cheap Eat of the Week - Lunacy Black Market

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Lunacy Black Market (http://www.lunacyblackmarket.com) located on Mitchell Street downtown is not a restaurant I would have even known about had someone not sent me an article about it. It is in a very unassuming block that frankly smells a little too much like urine for me to spend any time there without a specific purpose. However, I was intrigued by the fact that the chef is Paul Luna of Eclipse de Luna (http://www.eclipsediluna.com) and Loca Luna (http://www.loca-luna.com) renown, and the promised inexpensive, delicious menu. So, I drug a visiting friend downtown one day recently for lunch and I must say it exceeded expectations despite the pungent odor on the street.

The Chow Down Atlanta blog (http://www.chowdownatlanta.com) that first tempted me mentioned that ingredients were sourced fresh at nearby Sweet Auburn Curb Market. You can tell. Reminiscent of another great cheap eat, Doc Chey’s Noodle House, they were serving a special appetizer made up of string green beans flash fried with some sort of delicious Asian ginger concoction. While Doc Chey’s and even P.F. Chang’s similar appetizers are quite good, the individual beans inside of the string pods were so fresh that they still held individual texture and crunch; the opposite of mush that clearly set the ingredients apart from competitors.

The lunch menu is mostly made up of sandwiches, salads and soups. In addition to the appetizer described above, we also sampled the chicken, spinach and goat cheese sandwich, balsamic pork sandwich, mozzarella and tomato sandwich and the very scrumptious cabbage salad with gorgonzola, toasted walnuts and vinaigrette. All fantastic. Very fresh, small plate portions and nothing over $3.50. My understanding is the dinner menu keeps items at a max of $5.00. I will definitely be checking that out soon.

My only real complaint relates to the interior. In an effort to strike a sparse casual lounge/tea room type atmosphere, much of the seating is not actually comfortable for enjoying a meal. The wait staff however, was very warm and hospitable and truly seemed concerned that we had a great dining experience.
Lunacy Black Market, 231 Mitchell Street, Atlanta, GA 30303

- Ashlee Heath, REALTOR