Don’t Forget to Apply for the Forsyth County Homestead Exemption
If you purchased a new home in Forsyth County, GA which acts as your primary residence, you won’t want to forget to apply for your Homestead exemption before April 1st.
The Homestead Exemption allows for a partial exemption on a portion of the assessed value of your primary home which lowers the amount of property tax you owe. If you do not apply before April 1st you will wait a full year before your application is processed.
TO FILE IN PERSON YOU WILL NEED:
· DRIVER’S LICENSE OR STATE ISSUED ID: Address on your license must match the address of the property. (If the address on your driver’s license does not match the property address, you must supply your Forsyth County motor vehicle registration or voter registration.)
· COPY OF RECORDED WARRANTY DEED
· IF YOU MOVED HERE FROM ANOTHER STATE OR COUNTY AND STILL OWN YOUR PREVIOUS HOME, YOU MUST PROVIDE PROOF FROM THAT JURISDICTION STATING THAT YOUR PREVIOUS EXEMPTION HAS BEEN REMOVED.
Link to Forsyth County Information Page
WHERE TO FILE:
FORSYTH COUNTY TAX ASSESSORS
110 E. MAIN STREET, SUITE 260
CUMMING, GA 30040
Click here to FILE ONLINE
OFFICE HOURS:
8:30 – 5:00
MONDAY – FRIDAY
770-781-2106
NOTE: Regular and Floating homestead application are available for download On Tax Forms link. Please note: The application must be notarized, and required documents as shown above must be attached. A notary is available in the county office at no charge.
This Cumming GA Real Estate blog is hosted by Gayle Barton of BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HomeServices Georgia Properties.
I specialize in Real Estate sales in the following Forsyth County, North Fulton County and East Cobb cities: Cumming, Suwanee, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Duluth, Milton, and Roswell. Other areas are serviced by request.
Gayle Barton South Forsyth Real Estate | Cumming GA Real Estate
Gayle Barton Cumming GA Real Estate | South Forsyth Real Estate
Forsyth County GA Real Estate Market Update Video
Video – Forsyth County Real Estate Market Update. Just click the video below for the latest real estate market update for Cumming, GA. You may also view additional real estate market reports for Cumming, Suwanee, Alpharetta, Roswell, Milton, Johns Creek and many other markets in the metro area.
See your home’s current value – Quick, Easy and FREE!
Click here to view Homes for Sale in Cumming, GA or Forsyth County.
This Cumming GA Real Estate blog is hosted by Gayle Barton of BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HomeServices Georgia Properties.
I specialize in Real Estate sales in the following Forsyth County and North Fulton County cities: Cumming, Suwanee, Alpharetta, Milton and Johns Creek. Other north metro-Atlanta suburbs are serviced by request, so please call.
Gayle Barton Forsyth County Real Estate | Cumming GA Real Estate | Mountain Crest Homes For Sale
Gayle Barton Cumming GA Real Estate | Forsyth County Real Estate
Disclaimer: Information contained in this post is deemed reliable on the date of publication, but it is not guaranteed and it is subject to change without notice. All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Gayle Barton and may not be used without the expressed written permission.
Gayle Barton South Forsyth Real Estate | Cumming GA Real Estate
Gayle Barton Cumming GA Real Estate | South Forsyth Real Estate
5 Reasons to Sell Before the Selling Season Picks Up
A common thought in real estate is never list your home in the winter offseason. Perpetuated by industry experts, agents and repeat sellers alike, this saying encourages many would-be sellers to wait until the spring peak to list their homes. However, studies show that homes listed in the winter offseason not only sell faster than those in the spring, but sellers often net more above their asking price at this time.1 Don’t wait until spring to sell. If you’ve been thinking of selling your home, here are five compelling reasons to list now.
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Take advantage of low inventory. Since most sellers are waiting until spring to list, local inventory falls during the offseason. However, there are still motivated buyers who are ready to move now and don’t want to wait that long to purchase a home. According to the National Association of Realtors, 55 percent of all buyers purchased their home at the time they did because “it was just the right time.”2 These eager buyers may flock to your home. You may not need to try as hard to make your home stand out in the sea of other similar homes. With less competition, more buyers, some of whom may have otherwise overlooked your home if you listed during the peak, will express an interest to buy. While you’ll likely have fewer showings in the offseason, buyers who do visit will be more serious about writing an offer. Your home will likely sell faster than it would have during the peak season.
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Set a higher listing price. Homes sold during the offseason sell at a higher price, on average, than those sold during the spring and summer peak. There are many reasons for this. First, motivated buyers are willing to pay closer to the asking price for a home. Second, homes are more likely to be priced right and reflect the economics of not only the local market, but the neighborhood as well. Often, homes listed during the peak may be priced to compete with other homes in the area and neighborhood. Sellers may be pressured to sell for less than the list price in order to encourage buyers to choose their home out of the others on the market.
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You’ll receive more attention. While our team always strives to give you the personal attention you deserve, when you list during the offseason, we’re able to work more closely with you to ensure your home is prepared for its debut on the market. We can also take more time to answer your questions, address your concerns and prepare you and your home for the sale.
Additionally, if you’d like to hire a tradesperson to handle routine maintenance or undertake a minor home renovation before you list, you may be able to take advantage of flexible scheduling and cheaper rates. Many of these professionals experience a winter offseason as well, and will be able to focus their time and attention on you and your project.
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Easier to maintain curb appeal. Curb appeal is intended to attract the buyers who are just driving by as well as those who saw your home online and wanted to see it in-person. It sets the stage for what interested buyers can expect when they step foot in the home during a showing or open house. If you list your home during the peak of the selling season, you may exhaust your time your energy maintaining curb appeal. You’ll likely spend most of your free time mowing the lawn, weeding, trimming shrubs and hedges, planting flowers in pots and in flowerbeds, pulling spent blooms and watering it all to ensure it looks lush and healthy on a daily basis. After all, a lush landscape will attract potential buyers and set your home apart from other similar homes in the area.
The offseason eliminates the pressure to maintain a picture-perfect front landscape. Since most grass, shrubs and plants go dormant at this time of year, you’ll have less to maintain. If you live in an area that experiences a traditional winter, your landscape will be covered with snow. Even if you live in a milder climate, you may not have to mow as often, if at all. It’s still important to ensure your exterior appears well-tended, so make sure your walkway and front porch remains free of snow, ice and debris.
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Tap into the life changes of buyers. Many buyers receive employee raises and bonuses at the end of the year. If they’ve been saving to buy a home, this extra money may allow them to reach their goal for a down payment and put them on the path to becoming a homeowner. Additionally, companies often hire new employees and relocate current ones during the first quarter of the year, creating a strong demand for housing. If you live in an area that’s home to a large company or has a strong corporate presence, this may be the perfect time to list.
Thinking of Listing in the Offseason? 3 Things to Do Before You List
Get your home ready to list by following these tips.
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Schedule maintenance. Buyers, especially first-time buyers, want a home they can move into right away; they don’t want to repair the roof or the furnace or replace windows with blown thermal seals before they move in. Do the scheduled maintenance and make repairs before you list your home for sale.
In some cases, it may help to have an inspector do a pre-inspection of your home. A pre-inspection will make you aware of any major, potentially deal-killing, issues that will have to be addressed before you list. It also gives you an idea of minor issues that a potential seller may want repaired. Overall, it helps you to accurately price your home and may protect you from claims a buyer might make later.3
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Create light. Balance out the lack of natural light outdoors by turning the lights on inside. Since people naturally tend to buy emotionally, turning on the lights helps create a sense of warmth and coziness. Light a fire in the fireplace, if you have one, fill your home with the scents of the season, such as vanilla or fresh baked cookies, and put a throw blanket on your sofa.
If you plan to paint the interior of your home before you list, consider an off-white shade to create consistency throughout your home and make the space feel larger and brighter. If you have photos of your garden or the home’s exterior in the spring or summer, display them so interested buyers can get a glimpse of what the home looks like in other seasons..
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Give your home a thorough cleaning. Cleaning puts your home in its best light. Clean and polish all the horizontal surfaces of your home, including countertops, window sills and baseboards; have the curtains dry cleaned or otherwise laundered; wash windows, glass doors and their tracks; vacuum carpeting and polish all wood surfaces, including the floor.
Additionally, this is a great time to pack any personal items and family photos as well as sort through your belongings and donate items you no longer use. This not only eliminates any clutter, but it also gives you less to pack and move when you sell.
If you’re thinking of selling, give us a call! We’d love to help you position your home to sell in our market.
This Cumming GA Real Estate blog is hosted by Gayle Barton of BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HomeServices Georgia Properties.
I specialize in Real Estate sales in the following Forsyth County and North Fulton County cities: Cumming, Suwanee, Alpharetta, Milton and Johns Creek. Other north metro-Atlanta suburbs are serviced by request, so please call.
Gayle Barton Forsyth County Real Estate | Cumming GA Real Estate | Mountain Crest Homes For Sale
Gayle Barton Cumming GA Real Estate | Forsyth County Real Estate
Sources: Time, October 30, 2015
National Association of REALTORS, 2016 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers
Forbes, August, 27, 2013
Top 7 New Year’s Resolutions for Cumming, GA Home Sellers
With the start of the New Year, thoughts naturally turn to change. If one of your New Year’s Resolutions is to sell your home, then making the right resolutions can help you sell your home quickly and for the best possible return.
Top 7 New Year’s Resolutions for Home Sellers
1. Move Up Spring Cleaning – Time to do your spring cleaning now. Declutter, depersonalize and make the home look roomier.
2. Stage Your Home – Whether you hire someone or do it yourself, this is the time to rearrange your furniture to make your rooms look bigger and brighter.
3. Think it Through – Before you spend money on renovations and upgrades, think carefully and don’t overspend by guessing.
4. Take Care of Neglected Repairs – This is a great time to hire a handyman or break out the tool belt to take care of deferred maintenance and take care of minor repairs.
5. Interview Real Estate Agents – Hiring a real estate agent is critical to your success. Take the time to interview a number of agents and choose the right one for your needs.
6. Check out the Competition – Go see homes listed for sale in your area and adjust your timing, staging and pricing based on the market.
7. Prepare Mentally – Selling a home can be stressful. Be prepared for low offers, picky buyers, drop-by agents and odd terms. Prepare yourself now so you will take them in stride when you’re on the market.
Check out these other posts that you might also find interesting:
- Organizing Your Home – Getting Started
Organizing Your Home – Linen Closet
Organizing Your Home – Kitchen Cabinets
Organizing Your Home – Kitchen Drawers
Organizing Your Home – Pantry
Secrets to a Quick Sale
Clearing Out The Clutter
Have questions about the selling process? Call me for a quick, no obligation chat.
This Cumming GA Real Estate blog is hosted by Gayle Barton of BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HomeServices Georgia Properties.
I specialize in Real Estate sales in the following Forsyth County and North Fulton County cities: Cumming, Suwanee, Alpharetta, Milton and Johns Creek. Other north metro-Atlanta suburbs are serviced by request, so please call.
Gayle Barton Forsyth County Real Estate | Cumming GA Real Estate | Mountain Crest Homes For Sale
Gayle Barton Cumming GA Real Estate | Forsyth County Real Estate
3 Reasons That Make 2019 Prime for Forsyth County Rental Property
Recently, investment commentator Rebecca Lake presented the kind of analysis that would warm the heart of Forsyth County rental property proponents. Her report appeared on the U.S. News website under the title “3 Reasons to Invest in Single-Family Rentals.” The piece was all the more persuasive because of its fresh perspective: according to the author, 2019 looks to be an especially advantageous year for rental property investments.
Since Lake’s article was aimed at the financial community, it occasionally lapsed into FinanceSpeak like “…there tends to be a ‘beta’ between the rental market and the stock market.” Especially for Forsyth County investors looking for relief from the stock market’s volatility, that translates into English as “daily swings in stock prices don’t affect real estate investors like equity investors.”
The “3 Reasons” in a nutshell:
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The 2019 outlook is strong. With demand growing and supply limited (most notably in entry-level housing), one analyst predicts rent increases “landing in the 5%-7% range.” That would outpace even commercial real estate prospects.
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Housing is bolstered by low unemployment. (Last Friday’s announcement of surprisingly strong employment numbers reinforces that “bolstering”).
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Renter profiles are changing. Renting single-family homes has “become the new norm” among three well-populated consumer groups: renters who lack a home loan down payment; consumers who wish to remain flexible where housing options are concerned; and those who fear that real estate values might soften in the future.
As an ironic twist, members in that last group—those who fret about real estate values—might well decide to remain as renters even as they acquire a rental property investment. It would be perfectly logical after they discover that throughout the Great Recession, single-family rentals didn’t have a single down year in occupancy or rental rates.
Since every locality differs in rental property performance, Forsyth County investors are well served when they have access to the market know-how of an experienced local Realtor®.
That may not be FinanceSpeak, but it does translate into: call me!
Please feel free to call or text me at 404-710-0204 (or drop me an email) if I can provide you with more information about this article, or if I can assist you with buying or selling your
South Forsyth County real estate.
This Cumming GA Real Estate blog is hosted by Gayle Barton of BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HomeServices Georgia Properties.
I specialize in Real Estate sales in the following Forsyth County and North Fulton County cities: Cumming, Suwanee, Alpharetta, Milton and Johns Creek. Other north metro-Atlanta suburbs are serviced by request, so please call.
Gayle Barton Forsyth County Real Estate | Cumming GA Real Estate | Mountain Crest Homes For Sale
Gayle Barton Cumming GA Real Estate | Forsyth County Real Estate
Cutting Through the Confusion in Mortgage Credit Scoring
“It can be kind of confusing.” – Tom Quinn, V.P Business Development for myFICO in “The Scores That Matter in Mortgage Lending.”
Unless you’re a buyer who falls into the all-cash category, once you begin to zero in on buying your next Cumming, GA home, you will already have been paying close attention to your bill-paying reputation. You will probably have requested one or more of the free credit score reports the reporting agencies furnish free of charge once a year.
Mortgage lenders use Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax in differing ways, and since each follows its own system to rate your creditworthiness, their scores differ. And it’s more complicated than that because the agencies offers lenders different scores depending on the type of loan being considered.
In fact, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau once ordered TransUnion and Equifax to pay millions of dollars in fines “for deceiving consumers about the usefulness and actual cost of credit scores they sold to consumers.” (So Equifax’s Score 5 differs from its Score 8—and Experian’s Score 2 differs from TransUnion’s Score 4…and so on.) FICO will sell consumers access to “28 of the most widely used” score versions—but when you try to find out which scores any given lender is currently using, you’re unlikely to come up with a useful answer.
That means that the successful way to navigate the system is common sense-based. As FICO acknowledges, though evolving credit models “keep pace with changing consumer credit behaviors,” all have a “similar underlying foundation.” All are designed to show the lenders who’s likely to pay obligations faithfully.
So keep an eye on your reported scores, dispute any black marks that are inaccurate, and take all the well-publicized steps that create strong scores: use a variety of credit types, make payments on time, etc. It’s as simple as that.
Establishing and maintaining strong credit is a career-long affair—and buying your next Cumming, GA home will be a major hallmark in that career.
When Does Paying Off a Credit Card NOT Help Your Credit
Need a referral to a mortgage lender? Get pre-approved here!
Please feel free to call or text me at 404-710-0204 (or drop me an email) if I can provide you with more information about this article, or if I can assist you with buying or selling your
South Forsyth County real estate.
This Cumming GA Real Estate blog is hosted by Gayle Barton of BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HomeServices Georgia Properties.
I specialize in Real Estate sales in the following Forsyth County and North Fulton County cities: Cumming, Suwanee, Alpharetta, Milton and Johns Creek. Other north metro-Atlanta suburbs are serviced by request, so please call.
Gayle Barton Forsyth County Real Estate | Cumming GA Real Estate | Mountain Crest Homes For Sale
Gayle Barton Cumming GA Real Estate | Forsyth County Real Estate
8 Tips for Selling a “Petite” Home in Forsyth County GA
When you decide to sell your home for the maximum return, it’s important that you recognize all of its selling points: both the positive and negative. I can help with that, but as a starting point, if your Forsyth County house is a bit on the smallish side, you probably already know it. There is a good chance it’s one reason you’ve decided to move on.
The good news is that once you recognize that your Forsyth County home’s other fine points might be overpowered by the relative lack of spaciousness, there are measures you can take to downplay that drawback. The most important actions are those recommended for every Forsyth County home for sale, large or tiny:
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Do away with excess furniture
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Add light everywhere you can
To minimize any “cramped” feeling:
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Ditch the drapes (especially the heavy ones)
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Do away with the tchotchkes
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Go with solids instead of prints in everything from wallpaper to artwork. In fact—
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Lose the artwork
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Consider removing interior doors where they chop up the home’s “flow”
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Minimize your color palette—experts even suggest a single color everywhere!
Selling your “petite” Forsyth County home for the best price will involve putting its outstanding features front-and-center—but that will only be possible if the magnitude issue doesn’t overpower everything else. You’ll want prospects to think “I LOVE that place!” first, and only “We can make do with the smaller space” as an afterthought.
Here’s an article with a few more tips to help you Organize to Make a Small Home Feel Bigger
Marketing Forsyth County homes is my specialty. I hope you’ll give me a call!
Please feel free to call or text me at 404-710-0204 (or drop me an email) if I can provide you with more information about this article, or if I can assist you with buying or selling your
South Forsyth County real estate.
This Cumming GA Real Estate blog is hosted by Gayle Barton of BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HomeServices Georgia Properties.
I specialize in Real Estate sales in the following Forsyth County and North Fulton County cities: Cumming, Suwanee, Alpharetta, Milton and Johns Creek. Other north metro-Atlanta suburbs are serviced by request, so please call.
Gayle Barton Forsyth County Real Estate | Cumming GA Real Estate | Mountain Crest Homes For Sale
Gayle Barton Cumming GA Real Estate | Forsyth County Real Estate
“Stunning” Real Estate Story Line Not So Stunning After All
Forsyth County GA real estate activity may not necessarily reflect national trends, but anytime U.S. news media pick up on an interesting storyline that includes the phrases “home sales” , “plunge” and “stunning”, that can definitely have an effect on how Forsyth County buyers and sellers approach their own plans. Recently, one of those stories percolated up through the new media.
It followed the release of December’s home sales numbers, which declined by 6.4%. This was truly an unusually large decline—though hardly the “plunge” that “Stuns Real Estate Agents” (the Newsmax headline).
CNBC, which usually offers a more steady-as-she-goes viewpoint in its Realty Check column, also reported that the drop in home sales “has real estate agents baffled.” They thought the agents’ bafflement was largely due to the fact that the month hadn’t produced “some sort of change in government policy” such as a tax change. Sizeable sales volume moves can usually be tied to such gyrations. Apparently, CNBC discounted the unnerving effect that the jittery stock market had inflicted on many people’s nerves in December. The Dow’s record-setting dive mid-month should have been hard to discount entirely; but at any rate, that kind of performance had mercifully vanished with the new year.
The National Association of Realtors®’ chief economist, Lawrence Yun, wasn’t stunned. He expected that a decline in consumer confidence had a lot to do with the drop. But he was somewhat puzzled that sales volume numbers “do not reflect the lower current mortgage rates.”
By week’s end, those rates remained at a three-month low, averaging 4.45% for the week according to Freddie Mac. With the announcement that the partial government shutdown is over (at least for the moment), Forsyth County home buyers and sellers might have had their own confidence newly restored—at least enough to see if they could take advantage of the real estate value embodied in those low home loan interest rates. If that’s your own inclination, I hope you’ll give me a call!
Please feel free to call or text me at 404-710-0204 (or drop me an email) if I can provide you with more information about this article, or if I can assist you with buying or selling your
South Forsyth County real estate.
This Cumming GA Real Estate blog is hosted by Gayle Barton of BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HomeServices Georgia Properties.
I specialize in Real Estate sales in the following Forsyth County and North Fulton County cities: Cumming, Suwanee, Alpharetta, Milton and Johns Creek. Other north metro-Atlanta suburbs are serviced by request, so please call.
Gayle Barton Forsyth County Real Estate | Cumming GA Real Estate | Mountain Crest Homes For Sale
Gayle Barton Cumming GA Real Estate | Forsyth County Real Estate
Art or Science? Tip for Making Forsyth County Homes “Happy”
Is your home “happy”??? In general, happy homes sell faster! I have found that most buyers know whether they would buy a home or not within 30 seconds of walking through the front door. If they are turned off at the entry, there’s really very little reason to continue the home tour.
Creating a happy home would have to weigh in as among the most rewarding of all endeavors—and, you’d have to believe, that requires a goodly dose of what lifestyle gurus call “the art of good living.” That’s why one general interest article in Realtor® Magazine deserved at least a double-take with its headline, “The Scientific Secrets of What Makes a Home Happy.”
Really? Happiness is not generally thought to be something that lends itself to scientific scrutiny: graphs and charts and mathematical precision. If there truly are scientific ways you can make Forsyth County homes happy ones, it promised to be worth looking into – especially if you are thinking of selling!
In fact, the piece did have a scientific basis—research findings that identified conditions that produce high levels of self-reported “contentment.” The “secrets” may not be shrouded in mystery, but four of the leading ones seem sensible:
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Long commutes are mood killers: Researchers found a strong correlation between easy access to workplaces and contentment.
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Clutter costs happiness: UCLA’s Center on Everyday Lives and Families found that “high densities of objects in the home” raised female subjects’ stress levels (measured by presence of the hormone cortisol). Men apparently didn’t notice.
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Know your neighbors: Relationships with neighbors leads to a sense of well-being—as anyone in Forsyth County can probably tell you!
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Pay down the mortgage: Even the researchers admit that this one is easier said than done, but when the “debt dwindles” the “mood rises.”
There was one tip that I might question: “paint your walls green or yellow.” The source was a university in Holland—but since it might be true that color preferences vary by continent, there’s cause to hesitate. For the record, the study suggests yellow walls for playrooms (to spark “creativity and playfulness)” with green for bedrooms (engendering “comfort and serenity”). I’m just not sure that this translates to the American market…
Here are a few articles with helpful ideas:
10 Pro Staging Secrets for a Quick Home Sale at Top Dollar
Quick Back Yard Staging without Breaking the Bank
Top 8 Home Design and Remodeling Trends for 2019
Selling Forsyth County Homes Isn’t All about Clutter (or is It?)
One tip that’s no secret at all is that happy Forsyth County homes start with the choice of the right property—which is where I can help. Give me a call today!
Please feel free to call or text me at 404-710-0204 (or drop me an email) if I can provide you with more information about this article, or if I can assist you with buying or selling your
South Forsyth County real estate.
This Cumming GA Real Estate blog is hosted by Gayle Barton of BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HomeServices Georgia Properties.
I specialize in Real Estate sales in the following Forsyth County and North Fulton County cities: Cumming, Suwanee, Alpharetta, Milton and Johns Creek. Other north metro-Atlanta suburbs are serviced by request, so please call.
Gayle Barton Forsyth County Real Estate | Cumming GA Real Estate | Mountain Crest Homes For Sale
Gayle Barton Cumming GA Real Estate | Forsyth County Real Estate
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