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Each year Newsweek ranks the top 2000 high schools in the country. They are ranked by which schools are the most effective in turning out college-ready grads. The list is based on six components: graduation rate (25 percent), college acceptance rate (25 percent), AP/IB/AICE tests taken per student (25 percent), average SAT/ACT scores (10 percent), average AP/IB/AICE scores (10 percent), and percent of students enrolled in at least one AP/IB/AICE course (5 percent).

Northview High School is the highest ranked Metro Atlanta school on the list, higher than Walton who has traditionally been the no. 1 school in years past. Not so coincidentally, Northview ranked No. 1 in Atlanta Magazines list last year. There were only 4 Metro area schools that ranked in the top 500 nationally. The top 10 Metro Atlanta schools with their national ranking out of the 2000 schools are:

197 Northview High School in Johns Creek
203 Walton High School in Marietta
214 Johns Creek High School in Johns Creek
377 Pope High School in Marietta
518 Chattahoochee High School in Johns Creek
580 Sequoyah High School in Canton
641 Harrison High School in Kennesaw
665 Parkview High School in Liburn
728 Kennesaw Mountain High School in Kennesaw
739 Alpharetta High School in Alpharetta

Other North Atlanta schools were:

797 Lassiter High School in Marietta
893 West Forsyth High School in Cumming
913 Centennial High School in Roswell
975 Milton High School in Milton
1038 Roswell High School in Roswell

Cambridge High School, just finishing it’s inaugural year, was not ranked.

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This beautiful property on Hopewell Road, just north of Downtown Alpharetta, is one of the most gorgeous parcels available today.

Sited on just under 3.5 acres, you’ll find a renovated ranch with huge master suite and 3 other bedrooms with beautiful privacy behind. The open floor plan looks out to the private pool and outdoor entertaining space.

A large detached garage comes with a finished apartment above that makes a perfect in-law suite or office for your business. The barn has two stalls, tack room and plenty of storage.

This home is perfect if you have horses or if you just want out of that subdivision life and like the privacy of owning acreage.

Search Homes For Sale In Alpharetta

The Details

• Offered at $579,900
• Updated Kitchen
• 5 bedrooms, 4 baths
• Cozy fireplace in Family Room
• Large, Open Floorplan
• Fresh Paint Inside & Outside
• Master Bath Updated w/ Travertine
• Patio and Covered Screened Porch
• Pool and private back yard
• Over-sized 2-car garage
• Apartment / In-Law Suite above garage
• Barn with 2-stalls, tack room and storage
• Just under 3.5 acres

click on photo to enlarge

On the 12th of each month I post a “Chart Of The Month” on local or national real estate.

A tale of two types of foreclosure states, judicial and non-judicial. Georgia is a non-judicial foreclosure state which means the banks don’t have to sue the owner to take possession back. The result is a greatly reduced backlog of foreclosures. Note in the chart below how most of the states with judicial requirements have the highest percentage of loans still in foreclosure.

{click on chart to enlarge}

With less than 179 units on the market in North Fulton, across all price ranges, sellers of townhomes and condos are sitting in the driver’s seat. Nearly 800 units have sold over the past 12 months, which equates to less than 3 months of inventory.

At the bottom of the market there were so many townhomes and condos for sale it didn’t seem like we would have ever consumed that inventory. When we saw peak inventory in our market there were over 2000 units available in North Fulton County alone. But now, inventory is down and competition for buyers is high.

Search Alpharetta Townhomes For Sale

Even better news for sellers; townhome / condo prices have climbed at a faster rate than we’ve seen for single family homes. Looking at the first quarter of 2013 compared to first quarter of 2012 the number of units sold jumped 35%. Average sales prices rose 31% and the median sales price rose from $118,000 to $167,000, translating to an increase of 42%.

While prices have risen, the biggest reason for the jump in median sales price has to do with the lower price points disappearing and more expensive properties selling again. Founders Mill in Roswell and Academy Park in Alpharetta are seeing properties move briskly at prices over $400,000

Search Roswell Townhomes For Sale

42%

The increase in median sales price for Condos & Townhomes in North Fulton – comparing the first quarter of 2013 to the first quarter of 2012.

On the last day of each month I post a “Big Number” or interesting figure related to real estate.

Welcome to our blog, we’re glad you’re here. If you’re new to liveinalpharetta.com, sign-up for our e-Newsletter to get our posts delivered to your inbox monthly.

Welcome to our blog, we’re glad you’re here. If you’re new to liveinalpharetta.com, sign-up for our e-Newsletter to get our posts delivered to your inbox monthly.

Milton and Alpharetta are full of your typical subdivisions but something else that many people love about the area is the wide open spaces and horse farms. Horse properties are like snowflakes, no two are alike. But some have what I call “dual personalities”. Let me give you an example.

Horse Farms in Alpharetta and Milton

Let’s say you have a very large, nicely appointed estate home. Over 6000 square feet. It’s on four to six acres and there is a barn with a couple of stalls. No real pasture, some grass but mostly trees.

Or, let’s say you have an updated 1800 square foot ranch that was built in the 1970′s on 10 acres with a large, beautiful 8-stall barn complete with wash room and tack room. The home has fenced pastures, a riding ring, maybe even a hay barn.

Both of these homes could be priced in the $800,000 to $1M range. Someone looking for a nice estate home might not care at all about the acreage and barn and would compare that home to homes in communities with similar high-end homes.

On the flip-side, a horse person in that price range would love the facilities and acreage but would likely rule out a small updated ranch when spending that kind of money.

Choose Your Focus

If you don’t really have adaquate property for horses or need too many improvements (stables, fencing, pasture) then talking about horsed for a 4 acre wooded property won’t make sense.

The key with a dual-personality property is to pick the personality that will drive the price. Your marketing should focus on that.

Searching for horse property? Contact Us

On the 12th of each month I post a “Chart Of The Month” on local or national real estate.

This chart reflects monthly home sales for North Fulton and East Cobb over the past three years.

{click on chart to enlarge}

The answer is yes…I’ll explain.

I can tell you, anecdotally, that almost all home buyers in the $1M+ range either want a pool or will put a pool in. Anytime I have a home without a pool listed in excess of $1M, nearly every buyer asks if the back yard will accommodate a pool. In that price range a pool is an important feature.

It’s strange then that homes without pools over $1M seem to sell faster. Over the past 12 months, in North Fulton, homes without pools listed over $1M spent 25% less time on the market than homes with pools. I can’t give you a definitive explanation as to why but a guess might be that those homes with pools were, on average, more expensive and therefore took longer to sell. Pools are important but so is price – not really a surprise.

Homes in lower price ranges with pools consistently sold faster than homes without pools, 30% to 40% faster to be exact. Because there are far fewer homes with pools, the low supply ends up driving demand.

Homes For Sale in North Fulton

An important point to keep in mind though is return on investment. Only put a pool in if you will enjoy and use it. Don’t ever do it for an investment, appraisers typically give a pool a value between $15,000 and $20,000. It may help your home sell faster but it won’t increase the value dramatically.

The best option? Buy a home with a pool, thank the seller for putting it in and enjoy the gift!

11%

The increase in average sales price year-to-date for homes sold in the Milton High School, compared to the same period last year.

On the last day of each month I post a “Big Number” or interesting figure related to real estate.

Welcome to our blog, we’re glad you’re here. If you’re new to liveinalpharetta.com, sign-up for our e-Newsletter to get our posts delivered to your inbox monthly. Or, subscribe to the RSS feed in your browser.

Welcome to our blog, we’re glad you’re here. If you’re new to liveinalpharetta.com, sign-up for our e-Newsletter to get our posts delivered to your inbox monthly. Or, subscribe to the RSS feed in your browser.

If you haven’t heard – inventory is tight. Buyers are scrambling to find homes in great condition and there is little to choose from. But here is a new opportunity in the Donamere subdivision – in the Chattahoochee High School district.

Right now, in the Chattahoochee district there are only 14 homes on the market in the $300k – $350k price range. That is less than 4 months of inventory.

Inside you will find this home is crisp, sharp and move-in ready with an open, flowing floorplan. The Bright and airy 2-story great room boasts a floor-to-ceiling stacked stone fireplace. The kitchen has high-end stainless steel appliances and is open to the great room – perfect for entertaining. The Master bath has been updated with travertine, an oversized shower and a huge walk-in closet. Great light fixtures throughout home. The private and level back yard has a patio that is open but a covered, screened porch offers additional outdoor dining options. Fresh paint inside and out, manicured landscaping. Great schools and fantastic location.

Search Homes For Sale In Donamere

The Details

• Offered at $329,900
• High-End Kitchen Appliances
• 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths
• Cozy fireplace in Great Room
• Large, Open Floorplan
• Fresh Paint Inside & Outside
• Master Bath Updated w/ Travertine
• Patio and Covered Screened Porch
• Private back yard
• 2-car garage

click on photo to enlarge