Snapshot of Current Metro Atlanta Housing Market

Are you considering buying or selling a home this year?  If so, take a look at this summary of the current housing inventory for Metro Atlanta and surrounding counties, provided by Mark Lintz, real estate agent for Signature Properties.  These numbers, which were collected on July 28, 2011, reflect the average and median list prices for single family homes and condos/townhomes.

According to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), prices fell slightly in the second quarter of 2011.  Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, believes home prices have been moderating. "Median home prices have been moving up and down in a relatively narrow range in many markets, which shows a stabilization trend," he said.
Affordability remains high.  The national median price, which is currently $171,900, is down slightly (2.8 percent) from the second quarter of 2010.  In addition, interest rates are still fantastic, at 4.51% for a 30 year fixed, and 3.69% for a 15 year.
In a nutshell, if you are looking to buy a new home, you may want to take advantage of these favorable market conditions.  On the other hand, if you are planning to sell your home, holding off for the time being is probably your best bet, if possible.

Housing Inventory Snapshot
	Average List Price	Median List Price
Cherokee County, GA
Single Family under $500K	$214,632	$194,400
Single Family over $500K	$915,245	$679,000
Condo/Townhome under $250K	$132,447	$132,697
Condo/Townhome over $250K	$299,816	$289,900
Cobb County, GA
Single Family under $500K	$206,979	$184,900
Single Family over $500K	$911,455	$700,000
Condo/Townhome under $300K	$143,386	$137,000
Condo/Townhome over $300K	$533,877	$403,544
Dawson County, GA
Single Family under $500K	$269,155	$264,000
Single Family over $500K	$786,096	$650,000
Condo/Townhome under $200K	N/A**	N/A**
Condo/Townhome over $200K	N/A**	N/A**
Dekalb County, GA
Single Family under $500K	$187,014	$159,900
Single Family over $500K	$787,598	$650,000
Condo/Townhome under $300K	$133,410	$125,000
Condo/Townhome over $300K	$461,104	$365,000
Forsyth County, GA
Single Family under $500K	$261,720	$249,900
Single Family over $500K	$814,000	$684,500
Condo/Townhome under $250K	$163,341	$159,900
Condo/Townhome over $250K	$319,527	$325,000
Fulton County, GA
Single Family under $600K	$249,718	$230,000
Single Family over $600K	$1,405,260	$954,000
Condo/Townhome under $300K	$152,767	$149,900
Condo/Townhome over $300K	$646,357	$420,000
Gwinnett County, GA
Single Family under $350K	$160,224	$149,900
Single Family over $350K	$686,952	$495,000
Condo/Townhome under $200K	$102,066	$99,500
Condo/Townhome over $200K	$260,637	$249,900
Hall County, GA
Single Family under $450K	$193,616	$174,900
Single Family over $450K	$1,053,236	$663,600
Condo/Townhome under $300K	$143,649	$129,900
Condo/Townhome over $300K	N/A**	N/A**

Not All Granite is Created Equal

In today’s market, when granite companies are a dime a dozen and prices are all over the spectrum, you may wonder if there is really a difference.  Is granite granite, and if you’ve been to one granite company, have you been to them all?  Trust us when we say– you get what you pay for.  A poor granite job can result in a whole host of problems; including unsightly seams, uneven edges, unstable sinks that could potentially fall out, and lesser quality, un-reinforced stone that could fracture around seams or sinks.

At Pizazz Floors & Interior Design, we work with the leading granite fabricators in Metro Atlanta and the industry, and offer the most up-to-date equipment and technology to ensure the highest quality job.  Here are some of the technologies you can find assurance in when you partner with Pizazz:

SlabSmith- this software takes high resolution pictures of your selected slab and shows what it will look like on your countertop layout.  This allows for patterns in your granite to be matched for smooth seams and the most visually pleasing layout.  View a brief SlabSmith video for more information.

Digital Templating & Cutting of the Stone- a template of your countertops is programmed into a CNC (computer numerical controlled) machine, and the stone is then cut using a water saw controlled by the computer.  This ensures a precise cut, as opposed to cutting by hand with a grinder (a common practice among granite companies), which can lead to imperfections and uneven edges.

Superior Seam System- To minimize the size of your seam, a technology known as Gorilla Grip is employed, which uses air pressure to pull the seam together.  Once the seam is as small as possible, we use a special under mount stitching method with high-quality glue and Corian blocks to ensure the seam will stay in place.  An industry-approved specialized paint mixture is then applied to match the color of the seam as closely as possible to your countertops.

In addition to these technologies, when you select Pizazz for your new granite countertops, you can also expect:

- Premium, 3cm stone (no seconds, 2cm stone, or remnants pieced together from different lots)

- Steel-rod reinforced cutouts

- PermaShield stain protectant and sealant

- Certified, licensed, English-speaking installers that have been background checked and drug tested

You may also have been hearing a lot lately about granite resurfacing.  This procedure places a manufactured overlay on top of your existing countertops.  As this is an engineered product, you do not have the character or movement of natural granite, it is less durable, and it does not add the same value to your home as solid granite.

With countless colors and styles of stone available, there is sure to be a granite countertop for you and your budget.  And with Pizazz, you only pay for the square footage of your job, not the whole slab.  Your Pizazz “Granite Concierge” (as we like to call it), can help you select the perfect granite for your kitchen renovation, educate you on the entire process, and answer any questions you may have along the way.  For more information on granite countertops, please call us at 678-687-6893.

Spotting the PizazzFloors.com Truck Could Be Worth up to $250!

Where’s Waldo?  Who cares?!  But spotting the PizazzFloors.com truck could save you up to $250!   After just getting our new work truck wrapped in vinyl lettering from In-Depth Wraps, we are ready to show it off!   To get our customers involved, we’re going to make it worth your while to find this new cherry red F-150.   If you spot the PizazzFloors.com truck anywhere around town, just post exactly when and where you saw it on our Facebook wall, and we’ll give you $150 off your next design project with us.  To sweeten the deal, if you snap a picture of the truck and post it, we’ll make it $250 off!   Use your discount towards hardwood, carpet, tile, granite, kitchen & bath remodeling, or whatever your home design need might be.  We realize you may not be ready to do a home renovation right now, so your discount will be good for up to six months from the time you spotted the Pizazz truck.

Plus, check our Facebook page often for updates, because we are also going to be giving away gift cards to local restaurants just for finding the Pizazz truck with no purchase necessary.

With all the driving we do around Metro Atlanta, it won’t be hard to find us.   Just keep an eye out, and you could save some cash!

Rules:  Does not apply if Pizazz truck is in your driveway for consultation.  Pizazz must verify that the time and place the truck was spotted is accurate.  Limit one discount per household.  Not valid with any other offers or for previously contracted jobs.  Project must total $2500 or more.