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**

Facebook Community Pulls Together to Raise Money for St. Jude

We'd like to give a BIG thank you to everyone who supported our fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital this past weekend!
In an effort to raise money for the organization and get the community involved, members of Pizazz Floors developed an idea where on a given Friday, for every new person that liked our Facebook page, we would donate $1 to St. Jude.  The fundraiser kicked off bright and early Friday morning, August 5th. Things began slowly, with only 6 new likes by 10:00 AM, and we were starting to get a little worried that we may not be able to get the fundraiser off the ground. But through a lot of determination and a lot of posting, things started to pick up as the day progressed. Followers of the page began spreading the word, encouraging their friends to support the cause, and posting messages about the fundraiser on their own walls. By the end of Friday, 103 people had liked the page, bringing the donation total to $103. Although the fundraiser was only supposed to go on for the day, we still wanted to raise more, so we continued our efforts through the weekend. The fundraiser ended Sunday night with $154 raised for St. Jude, and an increased awareness about the life-changing work of the pediatric cancer research center. We will present St. Jude with our donation this week, and we are looking forward to doing more fundraisers in the near future!

Fundraiser for St. Jude Hospital Starts Today

Each year, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Atlanta treats an average of 5,700 patients across the country, all with one thing in common- they all have a catastrophic childhood illness, usually cancer.   Through research and treatment, St. Jude's mission is to find a cure for children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.  St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance.  No child is ever denied treatment because of the family’s inability to pay.

This Friday, please Like our Facebook page and help us reach our goal of $250 to support the amazing work of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

8 Secret Ingredients to Creating a Tuscan Style Kitchen

Is it the peaceful, rolling hills of the Italian countryside, the quant cobblestone streets, the rich taste of wine straight from the vineyard, or the robust flavors and aroma of Tuscan cuisine?  It’s hard to put into words the charm and allure of Tuscany, but it’s something we often try to emulate in our cooking, building, and decorating.  If you’re looking to bring a little piece of Tuscany into your home, creating a Tuscan style kitchen may be the perfect way to do so.  Here are a few ideas to get you inspired:

-Color: Use varying shades of yellow and orange, like gold and burnt terracotta, as the cornerstone of your design, especially on the walls.  But don’t be afraid to use pops of color, like flaming red, luminous blue, and emerald green in your accent pieces.

-Walls: Intricately layered walls will give your kitchen that Old World charm.  To create this effect, try a painting technique, such as sponging or antiquing.  If you aren’t familiar with these forms of painting, you may want to hire a professional for optimal results.  If you decide to take on the challenge yourself, home improvement stores have books and specialty paint and utensils to help you master these techniques.

-Cabinets: Rich, dark tones are best suited for your cabinetry.  Also, you’ll often find cabinets without doors in a Tuscan themed kitchen, in which you can display your kitchen accessories (see Accessories below).

-Backsplash: The kitchen backsplash is often regarded as the heart and soul of a Tuscan kitchen, and it can make a big splash in your room.  Rust, gold, cream, and green are popular color choices for the backsplash.  You may also want to consider a mural made of tumbled stone tiles to bring out the iconic Tuscan spirit in the space.

-Counters: Stone counters, such as granite, slate, and travertine, are essential to your Tuscan inspired kitchen.

-Floors: For your flooring, stone or quarry tiles in earthy shades will capture the essence of the Tuscan décor.  These flooring choices will make you and your visitors feel like you are standing in the heart of a Tuscan villa.

-Furniture:  Dining with the family continues to be a symbol of Italian tradition and culture, so a large kitchen table holds a great deal of significance.  Luxurious table linens and chair cushions in sultry shades can add extra interest and style to your table.   In addition, an island is another integral part of a Tuscan themed kitchen.

-Accessories: Displaying actual kitchen items is the best way to accessorize your cooking space.  Rustic dinnerware, urns, spices in glass jars, pots and pans on metal racks, copper and pewter vessels, potted herbs, wine accessories, wrought iron candle holders-- all are perfect finishing touches to your Tuscan kitchen.

With these suggestions (and a little help from your friends at Pizazz Floors), you’ll be on your way to creating a true Italian kitchen.  Then instead of dreaming of that little café in Tuscany, just grab some family, friends, food, (and of course the vino) and enjoy your own Tuscan inspired kitchen.

Choosing the Right Color Carpet for Your Home

As a kid, if you know Roy G. Biv, you know color.  But as you get older, color isn’t quite so simple anymore, especially when it comes to decorating your home.  In fact, the human eye can distinguish over 6 million different hues!  Oatmeal, Bagel, French Vanilla…no we’re not talking about breakfast items, but color swatches, all of which may appear remarkably similar.   Color can affect the mood, tone, and function of a room, and is usually the most important element in a decorating scheme.  And because color is so important, we want to give you a few pointers that may help in your color selection process, especially when choosing carpet.

First, it’s important to touch on the three general color areas- warm, cool, and neutral.  Warm colors, like orange and red, create a more lively, exciting feeling and emotional response.  Family rooms, kitchens, and casual entertaining areas are the more popular areas to display these colors.  Cool colors, like pale greens and blues, elicit a more restful, serene aura, and are often used in more formal rooms and bedrooms.  Neutral colors, like beige and taupe, actually work both ways because they compliment the other colors in a room, making them an appropriate carpet choice for any room in the house.

When considering the color of carpeting, it is important to look at the room structure itself.  Small, narrow rooms will appear more spacious with a neutral carpet that subtly blends with the wall.  Lighter carpets will also capture more light, adding airiness to the room.  Likewise, a large or disproportioned room can become cozier with a strong color that contrasts the wall.  A well-planned carpet color can enhance the positive features of your room and even make up for some architectural limitations

Now that you have considered your room structure and determined the mood you want your room to set, here are a few tips when selecting your carpet:

• Always examine carpet samples in different lighting.  What may look like a soft cream in fluorescent lighting may look more like a sandy beige in a hallway with a small amount of natural light.  Bring your carpet sample into the room(s) you are having carpeted and examine it in the center of the room, in a dark corner, and against a window.  Also, be sure to view the color in the daytime and at night to get an accurate sense of how the carpet will look under all lighting conditions.
• Avoid matching colors.  A successful decorating plan more often blends colors and tones rather than directly matching them.  Wheat colored carpet, putty colored walls, and antique white ceilings will produce a more visually pleasing flow than having all surfaces the same color beige.
• Be careful with manufacturers’ names for carpet colors.  One manufacturer’s name for a carpet may be substantially different from another manufacturer’s same color name.  Your best bet is to choose a color based on your eye, not the manufacturer’s name for the carpet. 
• Try to think “long-term” when selecting your carpet.  Consider how your preferences may change over time, and ask whether your carpet selection will work with your developing taste in the future.  An impulsive carpet choice can haunt you down the road, while a carefully selected carpet can delight you for years to come.

The selection of carpet color is an integral part of your home’s design strategy.  If color is still a little overwhelming, fear not!   Your Pizazz design consultant can help navigate you through the color selection process and collaborate with you to create a design plan you’ll love.  Visit Pizazz Floors Website for more design advice and ideas.