John H. Mason's (jmason2) Blog

Strong and steady is the name of the game in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell housing market. Not only have prices remained unchanged in the area, but building permits and consumer demand have stayed largely stable, too – despite higher mortgage rates and other headwinds.It seems the National As...

This article is very important to my Residential Real Estate business as close to 30% of my transactions in 15 years have been with International Buyers or Sellers coming to or relocating from the North Atlanta Metro-Area.  This part of Georgia has been strong for International buyers as the publ...

I purchased my first home in University City, a suburb of St. Louis Missouri in the winter of 1982 when interest rates were hovering around 18% but in those years a starter home was only $75,000 to maybe $99,000.  I have worked with so many first-time homebuyers in the north Atlanta suburbs and ...

It may be hot, and the kids may complain but there are plenty of things to do and see in Cumming on the 4th of July:  City of CummingIndependence Day 5k/10k and 1k: The 8th annual Independence Day Run will take place on Saturday, July 1 at 8 a.m. This run takes place through downtown Cumming and ...

Here we go again; another prediction that home prices will be falling. As real estate brokers we have heard this now for almost 3 years, and could there be some truth to it; possibly.  I just don't see it yet in the northern suburbs of Atlanta, GA.   Housing is perhaps the most consequential cat...

As you read through this article you will see that Pittsburgh PA, and St. Louis MO have some of the most affordable homes in the US....having lived in both cities for a number of years, that isn't a compelling incentive for me to move back to either.....just saying.Even in a housing market that h...

For those of you, like myself that live and work in the North Atlanta suburbs, the GA400 Express Lanes Project is long overdue and most likely to cause more travel and commute disruptions for years to come.  GDOT has already begun the work needed to replace bridges over GA400 at Pitts Road in San...

Every year my family attempts to surprise "MOM" with a different event or restaurant for Mother's Day and this year the Atlanta area has plenty of great ideas, events, and restaurants from which to choose:   Festival Fun The Georgia Mineral Society’s 54th Annual Mother’s Day Weekend Gem, Mineral,...

When I purchased my first home in 1981, mortgage brokers could not lock in buyers at a rate because they were escalating by the day....so my first home purchase mortgage rate the minute I closed in St. Louis, MO was 18%.... and I was darn glad to get it before it went even higher!Today’s homebuye...

Beautiful Avalon in Alpharetta, GA: A Hop-A-Long Easter Egg Hunt the Saturday before Easter..... April 8 @ 8:30 am - 10:30 am and its Free. Children will collect ten eggs and bring them to the trade-in tent to receive a bag of treats. The 8:30 a.m. hunt is for ages 0-3, and the 9:30 a.m. hunt is...