Q. Favorite neighborhoods? 

A. I’m not sure I have an absolute favorite. The wonderful thing about being an actor in this town is that your constantly changing the location where you work. If you’re at Theatrical Outfit, you get to hang downtown on Luckie Street. If you’re at the Alliance, you can enjoy Midtown. Right now, I’m loving my time at Horizon in Little Five. There’s always something interesting going on there. Although, I get jealous whenever I see who is playing at the Variety Playhouse, since I know I can’t go to the show because I’m doing my own!

Q. Hidden Atlanta gems?

A. This might seem out of left field because I’m an actor, but I’m going to say the Atlanta Hawks and watching them at Phillips Arena! I’m originally from New York but I’ve adopted the Hawks as my NBA team, and I’m always so sad to go to those games and see the stadium half empty. They’re a really fun team and need some Atlanta love!

Q.  You meet someone who tells you that they’re “just not that into live theater”.  How do you sell them on what they’re missing?

A. There is NOTHING like live theatre. There’s a reason why the art form has been around since the beginning of language! What’s special about attending a play or a musical, is the knowledge that you could see a show on Friday and go again on Saturday and it would be completely different. You can’t cut and print live theatre as you can in film. It’s human and it’s ever-changing. Seeing the actors just a few feet away from  you and not on a flat screen is always a more exciting and rewarding experience. 

Q. What is Avenue Q, and why is it a must-attend?

A. Avenue Q is a Tony Award Winning musical that crosses Sesame Street with South Park or Team America Humor. Oh, and it’s all done with puppets. And Gary Coleman is a character in the show. It uses hilarious lyrics to tackle issues such as racism, struggles with sexuality, not fitting in, and even the internet’s porn epidemic. It’s far and away the funniest show I’ve ever done, but the wonderful thing about the show is the heart at the center of the play. It’s about finding your purpose in life, accepting things you can’t avoid, and appreciating what you have, no matter how bad things get. You WILL have fun!

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What you may not be familiar with is what’s called “Private Remarks”. This is where real estate agents communicate showing instructions, pet warnings and additional information that they think might be pertinent for other agents to communicate to their clients. As you might expect, private remarks are typically pretty boring. Today, however, I ran across some private remarks that I just couldn’t help but share:

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT OWNERS HAD CATS AND THERE IS A STRONG CAT URINE SMELL SINCE THE HOUSE HAS BEEN SITTING VACANT WITH LITTLE AIR CIRCULATION

These remarks were attached to a home that has already been sold, so clearly they didn’t scare the eventual buyer too much. On some level, they’re quite appropriate- imagine walking into that home without the cat urine warning? Definitely something I’d like to know before showing a home.

Of course, on the other hand, it’s definitely information that might lead me to skip the house entirely.  I can’t speak for my buyer clients, but the stench of cat urine is usually an unspoken deal killer.

Never a dull moment, folks. Never a dull moment…

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I really like this house.  I know you will too.   If you know anyone who might be thinking about a move to Roswell, let me know.  This one should be their first and last stop.

Learn more about this absolute stunner at: http://thebesthouseinroswell.com/

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1) – There are less newly constructed condominium units on the market. According to the AJC there are a bunch of Atlanta developments on the verge of finally selling out. The market hasn’t been terribly forgiving for the overbuilding binge, so any news about increasing sales – even at dramatic discounts – is a positive sign.

2) – Our city is receiving more strategically placed garbage cans. The additional garbage cans are part of City Councilman Kwanza Hall’s seven point plan to help resusitate the stretch of Boulevard that runs from Freedom Parkway to Ponce de Leon Avenue. Known around many homes simply as “that stretch of Boulevard where you never want to run out of gas,” this area is in dire need of… something. Only time will tell if Hall’s plan is a solution or just a temporary salve, but I give him credit for stepping up to the plate.

Atlanta, I have a feeling that it’s going to be a great year!

Edit Credit: Atlanta Journal Constitution, East Atlanta Patch

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Bad clip art, you'll always have a home at A Is For Atlanta!

Its been a couple of weeks since I professed my love for my listing over at The Brickworks. If you’ll recall, I touted its perfect location (right on the BeltLine, in the heart of Inman Park), size, condition and price. What I may have skimped on  just a tad was information about the homeowner association (HOA).

If you’re a home buyer in 2012 and you’re considering a condominium or townhome development, the health of a homeowner association is an absolutely critical component to your decision-making process. When you’re buying in a condominium community, you’re buying more than four walls. You might also be buying the shared cost and responsibility of a pool, workout room, private road, landscaping, liability insurance, termite issues, water bills, security, roof, delinquint fellow homeowners and more. Did you read about the HOA down in College Park that didn’t pay their water bill? College Park shut down their water service. There were four transactions in that building in 2011. I wonder if those folks ever looked over the association’s budget or meeting minutes. If they had, they would have saved themselves some serious grief, not to mention a chunk of change.

So perhaps I’m referring to a pretty radical example of association neglect, but I believe that it’s a fairly salient point that no homebuyer should overlook. Looking over The Brickworks HOA information, I was really impressed with what I read. Not only did the association provide a detailed budget, but they noted sizable funds in both their operating and reserve accounts. Collections are strong (unlike certain associations that have been devastated by foreclosures), long-range planning projects are underway, and good governance seems to be evident in every nook and cranny that I’ve inspected.

Whether you’re thinking about purchasing my listing in The Brickworks – a smart decision in my mind – or a condo elsewhere, do make sure that you’re looking at association issues carefully.  Nothing worse than moving in and finding out that the water is being shut off…

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For whatever reason, it bugs me when an agent puts down “check Mapquest” or just “Mapquest” in the “directions” section of a listing. I’m not sure why. I mean, clearly all know where to find Mapquest, and access to smartphones is increasing by the second (I’m pretty sure that one day I’m going to come home to find that my 20 month old daughter has an iPhone). And looking on Mapquest is for many not only a totally acceptable option, but the preferred option. If I didn’t have a GPS in my car, I might do it myself.

Perhaps I’m subconsciously judging them for referring to Mapquest and not Google Maps. Right or wrong, I put using Mapquest on par with AOL for email, Netscape for web browsing and Friendster for social networking. I know, I’m a digital snob.

At the end of the day, I suppose that my distaste stems from the perception of laziness that “check Mapquest” implies. We’re hired by our clients to do absolutely everything in our power to sell their property as fast as possible, for as much as possible. It might be that the overwhelming majority of the people looking at the listing know exactly where the property is… but it only takes one. Directions might provide context for exactly where the house is. Directions might help articulate how close the home is to a popular coffee shop, a beautiful dog park, or a high-falutin’ sub-division. Yes, it is entirely possible that something as banal as the description in the directions section might actually help sell a property faster, and for more money.

Or not.

Regardless, if it only takes two minutes to fill out… there’s no reason not to.

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Ivy Zelman, however, is not just any expert.  She is the housing guru, a veteran housing sector equity analyst who was one of the first to warn of the bubble back in 2005.  Leafing through the Wall Street Journal this week, I picked up an interesting nugget from Ivy worth sharing:

“There’s a lot of pent-up demand for housing.  More and more people want to be homeowners but have been on the sidelines because they feel no urgency to buy.  Now, rising rents are going to push them to make that decision to buy sooner.  Inventories have been coming down, showing very healthy declines.  If that continues, I’d be much more confident that we’re at the bottom.  Housing won’t take off, but it can rebound from its anemic levels of the past few year.”

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Q.  There’s a guy in Wisconsin named Don Gorske who has reportedly consumed over 25,000 Big Macs in his life.  How many pizzas would you estimate that your most faithful customers have ordered?

A. We would say that for the past 8.5 years, we have had some customers ordering at least one pizza a week. So, a conservative number would be 400-500. However, there are quite a few people that are in 3 to 4 times a week for lunch, ordering our Two Slice Lunch Special. There is no telling how many they have had.

Q. Favorite Atlanta neighborhoods?

A. We love Virginia Highland for the restaurants, shops, walkability, Piedmont Park, and of course the gorgeous homes.

Q. If you could create the ultimate home kitchen – cost not being a factor – what would it look like?

A. First it must be Viking and Sub-Zero inspired. Also very large, with lots of work and prep space, and a huge bar for everyone to gather ’round. Everyone would expect a pizza oven, so we wouldn’t want to disappoint them.

Q. When you’re not eating at Blue Moon Pizza, where do you like to dine out?

A.  Some of our favorites are Rathbun’s and Kyma, however, we don’t get there as often as we’d like. But since we are on the go a lot between the four restaurants, we stick to places that we know are quick and easy and that the food and service are consistent. Houston’s is a great example of that.  So often we will try the latest and greatest new spot ,but find ourselves always going back to the reliable spots.

Q.  What is Blue Moon Pizza, and why is it awesome?

A.  Blue Moon Pizza is a warm and friendly neighborhood restaurant that happens to serve pizza. It’s awesome because we have something for everyone, such as a full bar, a gluten-free menu, and other great menu items besides pizza. We are a great place for date night, families, office luncheons, softball teams…the list could go on and on. Our entire staff truly understands hospitality and knows that getting to know and taking care of our guests is the only key to our success.  They are the people that pay them, not the two of us.

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Below is a letter that I penned to International superstar Mo’nique, upon hearing of her recent real estate related lawsuit:

Dear Mo’nique,

I’ve always been a fan of your work, from your comedic turn in Soul Plane to your tour de force, award-winning performance in Precious.  So, I was chagrined to read that you were suing your Atlanta landlord.  While I never intended for my first blog post of 2012 to read like an advice column to a celebrity of your stature, I felt that I could offer some valuable advice to others who might find themselves in a similar situation.  A few helpful thoughts to avoid conflicts like this in the future:

1.  All real estate contracts- leases included- should spell out everything in writing.  According to your claim,  you had a verbal agreement with your landlords that allowed you to renege on your rental contract within the first 60 days.  It’s frustrating how things turn out once the first check is cashed and your boxes are unpacked.  Everyone seems to remember the verbal agreement a little differently.  It’s an easy conflict to avoid- always put everything in writing, no exceptions.  Period.

2. Whether you’re buying or renting a home, always conduct a pre-move-in inspection.   Had you walked through the home prior to moving in, you most likely would have smelled the pervasive urine smell, or at least the poop stench.  At that point, you could have asked your landlord to address the smell, or just opted to not move in.  By moving in and living in the home for some time and  then “discovering” the scent, you opened yourself up to both a sticky and stinky situation.  A pre-move-in inspection really protects both parties, leaving little doubt as to what condition the home was in prior to the lease start.

3.  Never rent a home that Jamal Crawford once lived in.  Just kidding.  I absolutely love the former Hawks star, and have no idea who lived in your home previously.   I found it hard, however, after reading about your lawsuit,  not to think of Crawford’s recent Atlanta real estate lawsuit.   His landlord claimed his dogs caused $28,000 in damages, including carpets that stunk of dog urine and toilets clogged with dog food.

4. Make sure that renting is the right decision.  Mo’nique, your finances are none of my business.  But $22,000 a month for a 24 month lease is a ton of money in Atlanta.  That’s nearly $530,000 for a two year rental.  For $530,000, you could have purchased a pretty nice place outright.  It may not have been as posh as the rental – I’m assuming that the property in question was fit for a Russian oligarch -  but would have cut the landlord out of the picture.

5.  If renting is the right decision, make sure that you’re getting good value.  I don’t know where you were renting, but I do have some access to market data via the First Multiple Listing Service (FMLS).  According to FMLS, there were only 13 rentals over $10,000 in Atlanta over the course of 2011.  When Queen Latifah was in town shooting earlier this year, she rented out Jane Fonda’s absolutely pimptastic penthouse.  It listed for $10,000, but according to FMLS it was negotiated down to $8,000 per month.  No idea if there was any room to negotiate on your property, but prior to signing a lease you may want to double check the comps, just to make sure that you’re getting good value.

6. The next time you’re in town, bring me on board your team to serve as your Realtor.  I want the best for my clients, and dealing with a lawsuit over a stinky, potentially mold infested rental house is the opposite of that.  Next time you’re in town shooting, I’ll find you a fantastic rental home.  I’ll negotiate good value for your money.   I’ve worked with Hollywood-folk, as well as professional athletes, and I understand the special needs that a high profile client expects.  I’ll insist that the lease includes anything and everything.  We’ll do the most thorough pre-move-in inspection known to man.  You will thank me in your next Oscar acceptance speech and I will start a blog called MisforMonique.com.

With regards,

Jon Effron

Associate Broker and Realtor

Keller Williams Intown

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