Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Good morning and Merry Christmas!

I hope this holiday season finds you in good spirits and surrounded by your loved ones. This is a great time of year to reflect on our blessings and all that we have to be grateful for.

I'm spending the day with my family and have seen many friends in the past few days. I am truly blessed!

One of my friends, Dorothea, gave me an interesting present. Its a statue of Quan Yin, a Buddhist God. This is by far the most unique Christmas present I've received. I must admit that I wasn't familiar with Quan Yin but I did some research online and learned that Quan Yin is known as the Goddess of Mercy and people often look to her for wealth, protection, and children.

Quan Yin is pictured on the right. Perhaps she will bring us all prosperity in the new year!

Back to the Auction!

I just found out that there will be two more model home furniture auctions before the end of the year. If you haven't been to one of these, you should check it out. I've written two posts about this already. My friend Emma bought a sofa for $75 and my other friend Benita bought a sofa and loveseat for $200 total. The deals are amazing!

The first one is actually a warehouse auction so there should be a lot more stuff than you would normally find at your typically auction. The last time I went to one of these, they were selling boxes of lamps for $25-$40 and artwork in sets of 5 for $20 and up. Great deals!

The warehouse auction is on Saturday, December 29th in Cumming. The second auction is the next day in Atlantic Station.

Here are the details:

Saturday, December 29, 2007
Warehouse Auction
1445 Pilgrim Mill Rd
Cumming, GA 30040
Preview Furniture at 8AM
Auction Begins at 10AM

Sunday, December 30, 2007
Atlantic Station
395 Laurent Street Unit 3
Atlanta, GA 30363
Preview Begins at Noon
Auction Begins at 2PM

Here are a few things you should know about the auction:

1. Everything is sold as is. There are no refunds on items purchased.
2. There is a 15% buyer's premium on items purchased so if you buy something for $100, it will actually cost you $115 plus tax.
3. Payment can be made with cash, check, Visa, or Mastercard.
4. You must take your purchases with you the same day. There are people at the auction for a couple of hours after it ends so you will have time to rent a truck if necessary. Your best bet for a last minute rental is Lowe's or Home Depot. I know a mover that may be available both days if you decide to buy something and don't know how you'll get it home. Let me know if you need the number.
5. There are people on hand that can help you load heavy furniture into your vehicle.

I'm looking forward to the auction. Hopefully I'll see you there!

4 Days Til Christmas

I was at the mall on Wednesday and the outlet earlier today and they were packed. You can tell that Christmas is right around the corner. If you have procrastinated with your Christmas shopping, its best to make a list and head out early. Forget about shopping online. Its too late to get anything in time for Christmas.

If you can't stand the idea of going to the mall, try in store pick up. This can be done at stores like Circuit City, Linens N Things, Best Buy, Sears, and Crate and Barrel. This will definitely save you time since you will have paid for everything online. Just head to customer service to pick up your items.

If you have to be out in the stores, wear comfortable shoes and have a plan. The worst part of last minute holiday shopping is roaming around while you try to figure out what to buy.

Model Home Funiture Update!

My good friend Benita attended the model home furniture auction this past Monday and she got a ridiculous deal on living room furniture. She bought a Bassett sofa and loveseat for $200 total. Talk about exciting! The loveseat is in the picture on the right.

Another auction is in the works before the end of the year. There will be a warehouse auction on Saturday, December 29th. I don't have the details just yet but will post them as soon as I know more.

Hope to see you there!!!

Babyface in Concert!!!

I had the pleasure of attending the Babyface concert Wednesday night at the new Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. It was a great concert! Babyface has an incredible collection of songs he has written and produced for himself and many other artists.

The evening started with his opening act, Ayo. She took the stage for about 30 minutes with her acoustic guitar and was awesome. Its not personally my style of music but she is very talented and has a beautiful voice.

Then Babyface took the stage and had everyone singing along. He started out with a song from his new cd, Playlist. Then he went into a few of his older hits like Whip Appeal and Never Keeping Secrets, and then went into a medley of songs he wrote and produced for other artists like Bobby Brown, Boys to Men, Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, the Deele, Madonna, Karyn White, TLC, and other artists.

It was a great show. Babyface doesn't tour often so if you get a chance to see him, don't pass it up!

Trump Towers Atlanta

Earlier today I previewed Trump Towers Atlanta. Okay, that's an overstatement. There isn't anything to see just yet but I toured the sales office, got great info on the development, and saw a "model" of the kitchen and bath.

It goes without saying that its beautiful and comes with great amenities. For instance, there are private elevators to the residences. You will share an elevator with two of your neighbors so it will be much more secure than your typical condo development. Also, all the parking is valet so you won't have to worry about having a decent parking space or the time it takes to maneuver through a 7 story parking garage. If you have groceries or packages, the valet will bring them up for you. Very posh.

The developers are counting on the Trump name to bring in buyers and they may be on to something. So far, they've sold over 80 units in the first tower out of 336. That's pretty good considering they've just opened up a sales office and don't have a true model home. With a starting price right around half a million dollars for a 1,008 sq ft one bedroom unit, its definitely a lifestyle that you are purchasing. Its may also a good investment. An associate of mine had a client that reserved a unit months ago for just under $400,000. That same unit is now selling for $500,000+.

If you are interested in floor plans or more detailed pricing, click here to send me an email.

Housing Assistance for Police Officers

Are you a cop in the city of Johns Creek? If so, the city has money for you to buy a home. Johns Creek is promoting home ownership for police officers by offering an additional $600 per month for housing.

While this helps offset the cost of housing, it is still out of reach for many in law enforcement as the average home price for the area is about $400,000. There are, however, a few deals if you know where to look. For instance, the 4 bedroom home pictured above is currently listed for $199,000. Click here to send me an email if you'd like more information.

Another option for police officers is the Good Neighbor Next Door Program offered through HUD. A police officer can purchase a HUD home for 50% of the purchase price as long as its located within a revitalization zone and occupy the property for at least 3 years. If you qualify for FHA financing, you can move into your new home with only a $100 down payment and finance your closing costs. This is an incredible deal!

The Good Neighbor Next Door Program is also available to teachers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians. This is a wonderful opportunity available to those whose work makes all our lives better. Keep up the good work!

Model Home Auction!

Calling all bargain hunters! Three model home communities will be auctioning furnishings this Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Paul Thomas Homes' in Dacula, Atlanta, and Suwanee are in the close out phase and selling furniture from its model homes.

This is an awesome opportunity to get great deals on furniture. My good friend, Emma, bought a brand new sofa for $75 at an auction this summer. Even if you aren't looking for furniture, you can find wall art, mirrors, lamps, vases, and all kinds of decorative items.

Here are the details:

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Harbins Landing Estates

1417, 1427 & 1437 Rolling View Way

Dacula, GA 30019

Preview Furniture at 9AM

Auction Begins at 11AM

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Stonewall Manor

5595 Jamerson Drive

Atlanta, GA 30349

Preview Furniture at Noon

Auction Begins at 2PM

Monday, December 10, 2007

Collinswood Park Townhomes

247 Bell Grove Lane

Suwanee, GA 30024

Preview Furniture at 5PM

Auction Begins at 7PM

Here are a few things you should know about the auction:

1. Everything is sold as is. There are no refunds on items purchased.
2. There is a 15% buyer's premium on items purchased so if you buy something for $100, it will actually cost you $115 plus tax.
3. Payment can be made with cash, check, Visa, or Mastercard.
4. You must take your purchases with you the same day. There are people at the auction for a couple of hours after it ends so you will have time to rent a truck if necessary. Your best bet for a last minute rental is Lowe's or Home Depot.
5. There are people on hand that can help you load heavy furniture into your vehicle.

The furniture pictured above will be sold during the auction in Dacula this Saturday.

See you there!