When you move in to a new community, there is always that period of time when you wonder where all the good restaurants are. as a local Realtor I think it is my job to help you through this time of need! Well, I am here to tell you that when it comes to Chinese food in Woodstock Georgia you cannot do better than Song's Garden! Why am I posting information about a local restaurant? Because I think their Sesame Chicken dish is one of the best I have ever eaten, and while on my diet that is what I am craving most! Seriously, Song's Garden delivers or you can pick up some of the best Chinese food around. Everything is made fresh that day and Song and his wife Mei know just about everyone in the Towne Lake community. I highly recommend Song's Garden, so if you are in the area, stop by and sa... 02/09/2011

In this weekly feature we review corporate-owned, lender-owned and foreclosure properties that have come on market in the last seven days in Woodstock, North Fulton and East Cobb County- here are the results: Woodstock Homes for Sale North Fulton Homes for Sale East Cobb Homes for Sale Our favorite "pick" this week is a foreclosure in Woodstock at the Glens at Kingsgate.  This home is a 4 bedroom, 2 full bath and 1 half bath home and was built in 2000.  Homes in the neighborhood would normally sell at around $200,000- this home is now for sale at $139,000. Remember, as always, that these "deals" aren't always what they seem- sometimes banks and corporations list their homes at or near market value regardless of their condition, so you always want to make sure you know what other homes h... 12/14/2010

Finding the perfect Woodstock home is challenging enough these days.  With so many options in resales, foreclosures, short sales and more it can be very tough to know what to settle on.  Another crucial aspect to Woodstock home searching is locating the right home in the specified school district.  Below are some examples of neighborhoods in specific school districts in Woodstock, Georgia.  Click on the link for homes currently available in each neighborhood or subdivision. Woodstock Homes and Real Estate within Little River, Mill Creek, and River Ridge Districts Woodlands200k-350k Woodlands Glen220k-330k Woodlands Enclave290k-340k Lakestone300k-350k Woodstock Homes and Real Estate within Woodstock & Carmel Elementary, Woodstock Middle, and Woodstock High School Districts North Towne170... 12/10/2010

  4000sq Ft Home! Woodstock Home REDUCED TO $199,000       505 Oconee Ct, Woodstock, GA 30188   $199,900   Property Type: Single Family MLS Number: 4128969 Year Built: 1980 Square Feet: 4700 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 3 Lot Size: .69 Garage: 2 Stories: 2 Company: Solid Source Realty Agent: Jennifer K. Giraldi         **Rare Find**Large 4000sq ft Updated Home!A True Must See!Too many upgrades to list!Silestone kitchen,Large Breakfast Nook,New Bathrooms,Gigantic living areas!Multiple staircases,Tons of storage!Plenty of luxury touches throughout!Enormous Laundry Room,Well maintained,Beautifully landscaped,Lush greenery,Cul-de-Sac lot,Elegant wrap around front porch!Awesome rear deck,Fire Pit,Playground,Large finished basement w/ bathroom,Fenced backyard,Storage Shed,Walking Distance to schoo... 11/09/2010

Prospective homebuyers don't always think about schools when looking for a home- maybe they don't have children or they've grown up and moved out.  However, we think schools are ALWAYS an important consideration when looking for a home.  Why?  Because the success or failure of schools will, over time, affect whether property values rise or fall. So, what research should you be doing as you are looking for a home to buy?  If you don't have children and don't plan to have any while in this home, you likely can get a comfort level after doing only some basic research.  We like GreatSchools and SchoolDigger: along with useful statistics, GreatSchools will rank the schools in the city you are researching on a scale of 1-10 and also posts reader reviews; SchoolDigger ranks on a 5-star system ... 10/29/2010

Mortgage Interest Tax Deduction and Home Ownership: Will the current plan of action by our government  help the recovery of the economy and the housing market?  The Wall Street Journal reported that President Obama was considering reducing or eliminating some of our itemized deductions in order to raise money to reduce our nation's debt.   The most important itemized deduction to homeowners in-line to be reduced or cut is the mortgage interest tax deduction.  While Obama's plan is being presented as a money raising strategy, it is effectively a tax hike.  Economic recovery is tied to the value of our homes.  Eliminate the home mortgage interest tax deduction and we lose one of the best motivating factors for individuals who currently don't own the roof over their head to seek home owner... 10/27/2010

Time for another edition of our weekly feature- we've once again reviewed corporate-owned, lender-owned and foreclosure properties that have come on market in the last seven days in Woodstock, North Fulton and East Cobb County- here are the results: Woodstock Homes for Sale North Fulton Homes for Sale East Cobb Homes for Sale Our favorite "pick" this week is a foreclosure in the Towne Lake area of Woodstock.  This home has 4 bedrooms and 3 full baths, was built in 1999.  With 2282 sq ft, this home in Deer Run Trails sold for $225,000 in 2004 and is listed for $159,900. Remember, as always, that these "deals" aren't always what they seem- sometimes banks and corporations list their homes at or near market value regardless of their condition, so you always want to make sure you know what ... 10/27/2010

Downtown Woodstock GA will once again host the Woodstock Art and Wine Festival on November 6th and 7th.  This lively 2 day event started in 2009 and will once again feature great art and entertainment.  Add in special kid's events to the special wine tasting area and you have a fun weekend for the whole family! The Festival area will be next to Pure Taqueria according to Premier Events, the producers of the event.  According to their website, more than 60 vendors are expected once again.  The wine list for tasting has not yet been posted so check back as we get closer to the event date. Admission to the 2010 Woodstock Art and Wine Festival is free in the art and entertainment areas; wine tasting wristbands are $20 for adults.  Downtown Woodstock is always a great venue for fun events, s... 10/22/2010

  4000sq Ft Home! Woodstock Home       505 Oconee Ct, Woodstock, GA 30188   $224,900   Property Type: Single Family MLS Number: 4128969 Year Built: 1980 Square Feet: 4700 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 3 Lot Size: .69 Garage: 2 Stories: 2 Company: Solid Source Realty Agent: Jennifer K. Giraldi         **Rare Find**Large 4000sq ft Updated Home!A True Must See!Too many upgrades to list!Silestone kitchen,Large Breakfast Nook,New Bathrooms,Gigantic living areas!Multiple staircases,Tons of storage!Plenty of luxury touches throughout!Enormous Laundry Room,Well maintained,Beautifully landscaped,Lush greenery,Cul-de-Sac lot,Elegant wrap around front porch!Awesome rear deck,Fire Pit,Playground,Large finished basement w/ bathroom,Fenced backyard,Storage Shed,Walking Distance to schools,This is a gorgeou... 09/29/2010

Recently listed a home for sale that's about 15 years old.  As I was walking through the home with the owner, I complimented on the new bathroom tile floor.  She laughed and replied "it's Pergo".  My first thought was this is tile how can it be Pergo and started asking questions.  Again she told me it was a laminate product from Pergo and extremely well priced.  I know Pergo makes laminate wood flooring and this looked like travertine tile so I knew I needed to learn more.  What I learned I want to share with home sellers.  If you are looking to replace a kitchen, bath, sunroom, or terrace level floor, this may be just what you are looking for.   This product is called Presto Beige Tumble Marble and made by Pergo Flooring.  As I did my research I found Dupont also made similar products ... 09/29/2010

Time for another edition of our new weekly feature- we've once again reviewed corporate-owned, lender-owned and foreclosure properties that have come on market in the last seven days in Woodstock, North Fulton and East Cobb County- here are the results: Woodstock Homes for Sale North Fulton Homes for Sale East Cobb Homes for Sale Our favorite "pick" this week is a foreclosure in Woodstock at Bradshaw Park- this home was built in 2007, has 4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, one half bath, granite countertops in the kitchen and is on an unfinished basement. Remember, as always, that these "deals" aren't always what they seem- sometimes banks and corporations list their homes at or near market value regardless of their condition, so you always want to make sure you know what other homes have sold f... 09/22/2010

For more and more of us, the Golden Years no longer means just sitting in your rocking chair or in front of the TV.  Many of us, and if you're not us, your parents are(!) want to continue our active lifestyles but with less of the "honey-do" tasks such as mowing the lawn or painting the house.  So if you're considering a lifestyle change, look no further than Woodstock, GA. Located 30 miles Northwest of downtown Atlanta, Woodstock is located on Interstate 575 in Cherokee County. Established in the 1880s on the Louisville and Nashville railroad line, the community includes a downtown area with shopping, dining, entertainment and residential living.  Today the old train station is a restaurant and landmark.  Around the city are numerous active adult communities.  On the East side of Inter... 09/22/2010

Have you ever went into your closet or your cellar to look for a photo of vacation, someone's baby photo, a memorable day and spent literally hours going through the photos to find it and then avowed to get all the photos scanned someday. Someday never gets here and it is a daunting task to scan all those photos and decide on names and put them on the disc.  Like everyone over 35 we have photos dating back decades of relatives, holidays, memories and family gatherings most hidden away and seldom viewed if not effectively forgotton.  Many of these photos were taken by parents, grandparents and loaded with  memories. Well I was reading Barrons this morning and ran into the Gadget of the week.  Well there is a new company called ScanMyPhotos.com.  They will send you a large box and you fil... 09/12/2010

Time for our weekly feature- we've once again reviewed corporate-owned, lender-owned and foreclosure properties that have come on market in the last seven days in Woodstock, North Fulton and East Cobb County- here are the results: Woodstock Homes for Sale North Fulton Homes for Sale East Cobb Homes for Sale Our favorite "pick" this week is a foreclosure in Woodstock in Cornerstone Park- this Homes by Brumby built home originally sold for $275,000 in 2007 and is now for sale at $239,900. Remember, as always, that these "deals" aren't always what they seem- sometimes banks and corporations list their homes at or near market value regardless of their condition, so you always want to make sure you know what other homes have sold for in the neighborhood/area and how the neighborhood/area is ... 09/01/2010

Looking for a Woodstock GA. neighborhood? You may want to consider the Woodlands community located off Highway 92 just East of Trickum Road. This master-planned development includes single family homes and townhomes. The community has several neighborhoods including The Glens - move up homes, The Enclave - large homes with premium finishing touches, The Park - starter homes, The View - single level homes, and The Court - townhomes and attached single family. Woodlands was built by Pulte Homes and range in age from 6 years to 12 years. Homes for sale at the Woodlands in Woodstock GA. are priced from $150,000 to $380,000. Homes are of a traditional style with one and two story homes. Some homes will have basements depending on the lot. Lot sizes are 1/4 acre to 1/2 acre. Many homes are on... 08/29/2010

The Treasury Department recently released its progress report for HAMP (Home Affordable Modification Program) in July citing a redefault rate of 2% on the permanently modified loans.  The HAMP program which is available on Fannie and Freddie Mac Loans publishes monthly all of the information at www.financialstability.gov Guess that there was a slight error in that figure and the Treasury quietly reissued the default assessment to be more like between 6 and 10%.  Since up until around 6 months ago there were less than 100,000 modified loans through this program, the figures will probably go much higher considering the fact that these homeowners for the most part were already in positions of financial strain from the faultering economy.  Barclays and Fitch believe the figures will be more... 08/28/2010

More change is coming soon to Downtown Woodstock GA.  Glassbaker, a maker of handmade glass beads for jewelry sold worldwide is soon moving to the current location of Priest Home Furnishings on Main Street.  According to the Cherokee Tribune, the company, which currently employs eight staff members and 80 artists that make the beads, will be moving into the 24,000 sq ft location and will have a retail storefront to sell merchandise.  According to owner Mary Guay, Billy Peppers of the Downtown Development Authority, "was unbelievably helpful" in coordinating the deal and assisting the company in obtaining a low-interest loan to help the company purchase the building. Along with the move, Glassbakers will undergo a name change to Woodstock Arts Glass.  Peppers believes that companies like... 08/24/2010

    POTENTIAL SHORT SALE IN A FABULOUS NEIGHBORHOOD! INGROUND HEATED POOL 3-6FT DEPTH W/ PEBBLETECH, AND SALT WATER CLEANSING SYSTEM, HUGE, FENCED BACKYARD, NATURAL GAS LINE RAN TO THE GRILL AREA, SCREENED-IN PORCH, SPACIOUS MASTER ON THE MAIN W/GORGEOUS MASTER BATH, DOUBLE VANITY, OVERSIZED WALK-IN SHOWER, LEADED GLASS WINDOW, GOURMET KITCHEN W/FRENCH COUNTRY CABINETRY, JENNAIRE DOUBLE OVENS, GE MICROWAVE, GAS COOKTOP, HUGE WALK-IN HIDDEN PANTRY, VAULTED KEEPING RM W/FPLC, 2-STORY VAULTED GREAT RM, OFFICE/DEN ON MAIN, LG SECONDARY BDRMS, HUGE BONUS RM, 3-CAR GARAGE, PLUS Features Bedroom: Master On Main, Split Bdrm Plan Master Bath: Double Vanity, Sep Tub/Shower, Whirlpool Tub Kitchen: Breakfast Area, Breakfast Bar, Cabinets Other, Counter Top - Stone, Keeping Room, Pantry - Walk-in D... 08/22/2010

  Beautiful Home in Towne Lake! Excellent Woodstock Value!     4018 Watkins Glen Drive, Woodstock, GA 30189 USA  For More information please visit our Towne Lake Real Estate site. $209,900   Property Type: Single Family MLS Number: 4056905 Year Built: 1989 Square Feet: 2120 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 2.5 Lot Size: .3 acre Garage: 2 Stories: 2 Company: Solid Source Realty Agent: Jennifer K. Giraldi       08/13/2010

  Fabulous Woodstock Short Sale On 1 full acre!!     400 English Ivy Way, Woodstock, GA 30188   $219,900  For More info please visit our Woodstock Real Estate site! Property Type: Single Family MLS Number: 4096808 Year Built: 1999 to 1999 Square Feet: 2416 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 2.5 Lot Size: 1 acre Garage: 2 Stories: 2 Company: Solid Source Realty Agent: Jennifer K. Giraldi         Wow! A Must See Beautiful Brick Home on 1 acre,Minutes from Alpharetta,Roswell,Well Maintained,Plenty of Upgrades,Tiled Bathrooms,Spacious Bedrooms,Side Entry Garage,Double Oven,Large Kitchen,Light & Bright,Fireplace,Gigantic Backyard,Great Family Neighborhood! 2 Car Garage Air Conditioning Appl - Central Vacuum Appl - Dishwasher Appl - Gas Ovn/Rng/Ctop Appl - Self-Clean Oven Auto Garage Door Back Yard Base... 08/13/2010