Premier Atlanta Moving Company – 770-667-5023

Throughout the part year, employment opportunities were springing up all over the Atlanta metro area. According to a report by Biz Journals, more than 37,000 positions were added, a figure compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The sign of added positions speaks to the overall economy of the area, which has shown positive growth and hopefully a continual upward trend. The Stone Mountain movers have learned that two areas seemed to outpace others in terms of field growth: Trade, transportation and Utilities and also Professional and Business Services. The latter has grown to outnumber jobs pre-recession, which is a pretty remarkable feat for any industry.

Other areas with job growth were in manufacturing, information technology, and education and health services. While there were many jobs added to the Atlanta area, there were also some industries that suffered losses such as construction and financial activity. 2011 to 2012 follows another strong year, where the 2010 to 2011 period saw 34,400 jobs added.

It’s a new year, so why not inject some new fresh energy into your Atlanta home? Redecorating can be a daunting and stressful task, but there are little decor tricks you can utilize that will freshen up your space without doing much damage to your wallet. The Atlanta movers want to share feng shui tips that will have your home reaping positive energy throughout 2013. Feng Shui is a Chinese art form of creating a living space that promotes peace, health, and romance, among other characteristics.

Open the front door. Allow energy to flow into your home in the most literal sense, by opening your front door. Lure opportunity to come knocking on your door by placing red items and accents on your front door–red attracts energy, luck, and fortune.

Get rid of clutter. Clutter sucks the energy out of your home. Declutter everything–closets and attics included!

Promote balance. The five elements should be in your home in even amounts (in every room if possible): wood, earth, metal, fire and water.

Bring nature inside. Plants not only serve as the earth portion of the elements listed above, they also encourage fresh air inside and promote serenity.

Hang mirrors strategically. Mirrors reflect energy, so you should hang them in areas where energy flow needs a boost. Be cautious hanging mirrors in the bedroom, which can detract from sleep quality.

Keep chi inside. Placing furniture in a line blocking the back door can keep chi from floating right out of your home, what the Chinese call “runaway chi.”

Enhance the peace in your room. Keep electronics out of the bedroom. Place things you want between the mattresses, such as a dollar bill to encourage financial luck. Don’t store clutter and other high energy items under the bed.

Place photos with purpose. Family photos in the bedroom are a no-no, as that room is reserved for you and your partner. Put these in the dining or family room.

Buying a new home can be a daunting and overwhelming task. Luckily, the Atlanta movers are here to help you avoid common mistakes and errors that homebuyers sometimes make. With our help, you will be more likely to avoid getting yourself in a sticky situation or over your head.

1. Resist Impulse Purchasing. Buying a house is a huge monetary commitment. Don’t let a realtor or seller pressure you to act immediately and avoid missing out–you may end up locking yourself into a mortgage that you really can not afford.

2. Having no boundaries. You should have a clear idea of the house you want, from the number of floors to the size of the driveway. Going in without a plan or a strategy opens you up to wasting time viewing houses that aren’t a right fit and also homes that may be out of budget regardless of sticker prices–such as high utilities or HOA fees.

3. Avoiding mortgage pre-approval. You should absolutely be pre-approved for a mortgage. If you come across a house that meets your criteria and expectations, a pre-approval is likely to help you lock in a mortgage without tapping your foot waiting on the lender.

4. Trying to go it alone. Cutting corners and avoiding using industry professionals can not only hurt you financially in the long run, but you may be agreeing to a contract you don’t completely understand. You need to pony up the money to pay a real estate lawyer, a home inspector, and an agent.

Follow our tips and you should be on the way to a happy and easy home buying experience. Best of luck!

Metro Atlanta is seeing new construction pick up–in the commercial sector this time around. New apartment buildings are certainly popping up all over the metro area, but there is also some growth in the non-residential industry that is slow but steady in Atlanta. The Atlanta movers have learned that the Associated Builders and Contractors are predicting spending to rise for that sector by 5.2 percent in 2013.

In Atlanta, October marked a point where the city had reported significant new job additions in the area within the professional and business services industries. Economic  strengthening in the area has been a catalyst for new construction underway, as well as out of town investors looking to take advantage of off-peak Atlanta housing and land prices. Other areas looking to likely expand in 2013 include power, lodging, health care, and manufacturing.

The housing market in Atlanta is still regaining it’s footing, so the need for competitive selling tactics and creativity is clear. The Atlanta movers are here to help you come up with cutting edge selling techniques that will help you move your home off of the stunted seller’s market.

Enlist your friends. Offer incentives and see who can help you find a buyer. You never know who’s cousin, friend, or co-worker is looking to relocate.

Find out about the past. Maybe your neighborhood is where a famous actor used to live, or a song was written about a street nearby. Do some digging and find out historical facts about where your house is located and use that to appeal to potential buyers.

Write about it. Explain what you love about the house, why you initially moved in, how it shaped your family, and how the years have been. Leave a copy for home showings our use it as reference.

Make your open house an official party. Rather than a steady flow of people in and out, fix a time for people to come hang out and spend time in the home. They may grow attached and voila, you can nab a buyer!

Atlanta is one of the areas in the nation that has seen a slow (to none) process of recovery in the housing market. The question remains- what will happen to the Atlanta housing market in 2013? While other metro areas have gained momentum, the Atlanta movers are nervous by the lack of activity here in our southern metropolis. The current status is a mixed bag: home sales are up, but listing prices are down. Median prices are rising, and new foreclosures are down, but existing foreclosure sales are increasing.

Foreclosure and short sale properties are still at a point for investment in Atlanta. Well off areas like Buckhead and Midtown are holding on to listing prices between $320,000 and $850,000, which is down about 1 percent from last year.

Developers are also eying Atlanta as a promising venue for new golf courses, senior homes, and other attractions aiming to target retirees and lifelong residents. Sit tight as we all wait and see what 2013 will bring our beloved city of Atlanta.

In the Atlanta area, rental rates are on the rise, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Rents from neighborhoods throughout the metro area are hiking up around $100 a month, and the average rent in the Atlanta area for an apartment has risen about $15 from last year monthly. The Atlanta movers know the market is strong enough where landlords can necessarily charge whatever they want, but as the housing market gains in pricing, rents follow suit.

Rents in Marietta have risen 6.5 percent and Alpharetta rent has risen 3.94 percent. Reportedly, North Fulton County still has the highest rent, and more popular areas of the Atlanta metro are seeing steady increases in monthly rental prices.

Job growth is a reason for the rental spikes, as more people seek to relocate to Atlanta and thus require housing in the area. One additional appeal to the rental properties is the freedom from a mortgage, which is a big deterrent for many young people.

According to a recently published Jones Lang LaSalle report, Atlanta is ranked #10 out of 20 major metros nationwide in terms of technology development. The rankings were compiled by studying various factors, such as tech jobs, number of tech companies and firms, and venture capital funding. The Atlanta movers have learned that the technology sector of Atlanta’s job market has generated over $113 billion in revenue and about 4.6 percent of jobs–about 30,000 individual positions to be specific.

Buckhead has been a drawing point for many tech companies looking to plant Southern roots. Atlanta’s Buckhead area and surrounding neighborhoods is a notable region for young professionals and new employees entering the work force. North Fulton has been filled with call centers and IT operations companies, and Midtown has been an area for creative digital media.

Atlanta has been an area with a traditionally strong real estate market, however recent reports have shown a struggle for the regions to retain and rebuild a solid home value for existing properties for sale. Businesses and investment groups are still buying up properties in the region before the market rebounds and prices strengthen, though local professionals are wondering just when that will be.

Many homeowners in Atlanta are still struggling to hit equilibrium for their existing mortgages. The Atlanta movers know the market is certainly at an interesting point–drastically low inventory, but not a pricing point that reflects the low availability of homes. Typically in a supply & demand schema, prices would have risen–however we haven’t seen that here in Atlanta. Prices are slowly picking up, but is it enough to say we are on the road to recovery? What to you think, Atlanta residents?

For the fifth month in a row, housing prices in the Metro Atlanta market have risen. A recent report that was released shows that the prices are rising in the region, but they are still lagging in comparison to January 2000 pricing levels. Alarmingly, Atlanta is one of the few major metro areas where home prices seem to have stalled. The Atlanta movers, along with analysts and real estate agents are looking the silver lining. Despite lagging figures, the growth in home pricing over the past July-August period is at a rate of 1.8% growth, almost double the national rate of 1%. In the bigger picture however, prices this past August were 6.1 percent lower that August 2011.

So what’s holding Atlanta back? A variety of real estate troubles, such as high foreclosures, underwater homeowners (55%!), and a very low inventory of available homes for sale. In desired areas of town,  there is plenty of demand, but not enough homes available in these areas to really boost the median pricing.