inDECATUR

The Allin's (of Cake and Ale) add a 2nd level to home

When it came time to find more space for their growing family, Kristin and Billy Allin had only one way to go: Up.

By adding a second floor they didn’t have to disturb the yard and gardens around their 1926 Craftsman home in the heart of Decatur. It also allowed them to work within the footprint of the existing structure.

HMC | AJC | 10/5/2008

Decatur couple restores 1912 bungalow

Together, Eric and Karen Blue unleashed a torrent of creativity and love of Eastern motifs and color to restore a 1912 bungalow in Decatur.

HMC | AJC
republished at Next Stop ... Decatur

Tibetan Buddhism infuses Emory home

Turn off busy North Decatur Road into a sleepy subdivision of brick 1940s houses, walk up to a stained glass door, and enter the oasis of tranquility that is Pam Wedding's home.

As retired vice president of public affairs for Turner Broadcasting System, Wedding has turned her lifestyle down a notch. Her home reflects the influence of Tibetan Buddhism, even to the untrained eye. In April, she came out of retirement to become project coordinator for the Emory-Tibet Partnership at Emory University.

BM | AJC | 7/22/2008

Decatur family does home re-do, with help of Decatur firm

It took months of preparations for Mike and Kim Pascale to reach the point of beginning the remodel of their 60-year-old Decatur home. The couple and daughters Miller, 7, and Ella, 6, moved out of their 2,000-square-foot house last month. They will live in a townhome in Glenwood Park for a year, while they wait for a renovated kitchen and a new family room, bedroom, laundry room and wet bar.

The couple paid to have HammerSmith, a Decatur-based full-service design and renovation firm [at 807 Church St], create three concepts that incorporated their wish list in different ways and at different prices. "They were really able to take what we had in our budget, take a list of requirements and consolidate it together with cool concepts," Mike said.

HammerSmith owner Warner McConaughey said he recommends folks start with a broad scope. Talk to five different types of professionals, including an architect, design-build firm and general contractor.

LJ | AJC | 6/26/2008

Think you can't afford a home?

If you feel you've been priced out of the intown market, you should know about programs designed to help home buyers afford single-family homes, townhomes and condos in all parts of the city. The city of Atlanta, the Atlanta Development Authority and the state of Georgia all have grant and loan programs available for qualified buyers.

The Georgia state Department of Community Affairs offers the Georgia Dream Homeownership Program with low-interest fixed-rate first mortgage loans and down payment and closing cost assistance for home buyers who meet income and/or job requirements. Different programs are available for those living in metro Atlanta and for the remainder of the state. For more information, review the Georgia Dream Homeownership Program.

CWC | AJC | 6/22/08

But, don't buy more house than you can afford, or you might lose it later, as many Georgians have.

Dave Ramsey [who is on 640AM from 3-5 every weekday] says your house payment should not exceed 1/4 of your monthly income. He also recommends you make a home-buying decision in light of your current situation and plans.

Metro Decatur homes on foreclosure tour

A dozen people paid $49, or $65 per couple, to spend five hours Sunday checking out other people's broken dreams and possibly find a deal.

Real estate agents have held private foreclosure tours, but last weekend's tour may have been the first in metro Atlanta open to the public. It drew home-seekers, investors and even tax-lien purchasers.

At stop No. 5 on the seven-house expedition, the group examined a 4-year-old, two-story home on Glenvalley Drive in Decatur that looked beautiful in the dappled sunshine of a color photograph.

In March 2006 the house sold for $275,000. It sold again in May 2007 as a foreclosure, bringing $206,550. Now the lender had it back and was asking $176,900.

KD | AJC | 2008May21Tue

A home on Ridgeland Drive was a steal at $165K. It's now being fixed up.

N. Candler

This complex of ten townhouses on N. Candler between Howard and Church (just a block from downtown) has some of the best landscaping in Decatur. (It looked even better before the watering restrictions.)

The garages are around the outside (see image in continuation).

One of the units is currently for sale for $452K. If interested, call Jill Bennett at 404-378-7787.

The "green" house in Oakhurst

K.C. Boyce and Michelle Frost figured they needed more room.

The 950-square-foot bungalow they bought just before getting married in 2002 wasn't big enough for the family they hoped to raise. But they loved that little bungalow and its location in the Oakhurst neighborhood of Decatur. After looking around for another house, they decided to stay put. 

This was a project Boyce had prepared for all his life.

Ken Edelstein | Creative Loafing | 2008Apr16Wed

Atlanta developers delay projects to let demand catch up

Atlanta's intown condominium market experienced a deadly combination of factors in 2007, as supply surged in the first half of the year and demand fell during the second half.

But there was brighter news, as unsold inventory stood at 7,252 units on Dec. 31, compared with 7,417 six months prior.

Now developers have delayed projects to allow demand to catch up to supply, said David Haddow, president of Haddow & Co. in Atlanta, which researches the metro condo market. Haddow released his year-end market report Feb. 1.

Atlanta Business Chronicle|2008Feb08Fri

This probably explains why some approved Decatur developments seem to be on hold or proceeding at a snail's pace.

Developers trying to obtain approval for new projects must anticipate a 18 month turnaround.

AJC features the Smith's home on Church St

Ed and Lucinda Smith's home on Church Street is featured in an AJC photo gallery.

These homes are just north of Forkner Drive.

My sister keeps her place looking this good all the time.

A guy featured on Fox 5 this AM suggested buying even more art than you have room for, and rotating it, as if your home is an art gallery. Lucky are those who can afford that (and the storage space).