Tag Archives : Canton Street

“Behind the Curtin” provides an inside look at local homeowners’ beautifully-crafted houses, giving insight into what it takes to renovate, upgrade, and style the most coveted parts of their dream homes. In this video series, industry expert and business owner Joanne Curtin explores local homes while interviewing their owners who live well in their homes to better understand their thought processes when making important decisions. Join Joanne to get a look into the world of luxurious real estate one wonderful home at a time.

“Behind the Curtin” Episode 4 – Downsizing to a Townhome in Roswell, Georgia

WATCH THE FULL EPISODE HERE

Lucy Hintz lives in Roswell, Georgia. She recently downsized to a townhome near Canton Street. She divides her time between her home in Roswell and her second home in the Bahamas.

Joanne: Where did you live before moving to Roswell? What made you choose a new townhome?

Lucy: I have lived in Roswell, in a single-family home. But I had always wanted to live in a walking, shopping, dining community. I’ve always wanted to live near downtown Roswell. Another thing is, my husband had cancer, so we knew that it was time for us to get out of the responsibility of the really big house. We were also looking for a turn key we could have without overwhelming issues.

Joanne: What specifically about this property did you like?

Lucy: When we moved in to this unit, our basement was not finished so we had an opportunity to create what we wanted. We have another full bedroom and bathroom down there. I have grandkids, so when they come there is lots of space. I also have a fabulous deck so the outdoor space is awesome too.

Joanne: What did you do to improve your property?

Lucy: We’ve done a lot of things. We changed the wood floors on the main level, which is a beautiful upgrade. My kitchen was solid white, and I’ve taken the island and painted it to a dramatic blue. We finished the basement in full and built a patio outside with stones and made it home. We also put in bookshelves on both sides of the fireplace with separate beer and wine coolers. And we added a built-in bar with quartz countertop.

Joanne: Did you work with a designer?

Lucy: No, this is all us. We had a lot of people that worked for us at our former home. And I purchased the art at local interior design stores.

Joanne: What is your favorite room in the house?

Lucy: It would be the deck. We open up the French doors on the main level, where we can have a breeze and enjoy bringing the outdoors in.

Joanne: What were some of your favorite places to buy home furnishings?

Lucy: We got rid of everything from the old house. All the furniture came from Arhaus. For the art, I went everywhere from Kudzu to 13 Hub. I used Carpet Depot for flooring.

Joanne: What’s one splurge in your home you could not live without?

Lucy: I splurged on this whole house. My bed and the bedding came from Arhaus and it was a big splurge. Arhaus had a wonderful sales representative. And I don’t know if a lot of people are like me, but I stick with people who are helpful and good at what they do.

Joanne: What have you learned from this process of moving from a big house?

Lucy: It’s not as difficult to let go of things as we think it is. And to use an estate sale group was key. And I’m not just tooting the horn for you, but finding a realtor that really understood what we were trying to do was so important. Previously we had trouble selling our home. Your team are the ones who really transformed it. It was a matter of 30 days and we had an offer on that house.

Living in a neighborhood means we all just look after each other. I think when you’re looking for a different place in life, it’s important that you are in a community that’s similar, that has a lot of the same interests that you.

Joanne: Is there anything you would do different that someone else could learn from?

Lucy: I guess I would say, I think it would have been better to finish the basement prior to moving in.

Joanne: Is there any advice on what you think should not be skimped on?

Lucy: I just think once you find your home, make it your home. Don’t wait because whatever you put off is something you’ll never get around to, something else will take priority.

Raise your hand if you know what a 1031 Exchange is.
Anyone?

If you’re a real estate investor, we’re betting YOU’RE raising your hands. Both of them.
We always say that there’s no greater investment than real estate. That’s true whether you’re buying a home in which you can live or whether you’re buying homes to hold as actual investments, not unlike buying stocks or bonds.
Investors—just like The Curtin Team—know that homes are great sources of equity, not to mention boons for their tax returns, paths to greater cash flow, better diversification of their portfolios, and great ways to counter the effects of inflation.
Real estate is a GREAT investment.

But what happens when it’s time to sell an investment property?

That’s a tricky question and if you don’t have a REALTOR who’s well-versed in how to handle these transactions, you could be left holding the bag (which could be woefully free of money).
When you have a REALTOR who understands real estate investment, however, and the intricacies of a 1031 exchange, you’ll be sitting pretty when all is said and done.
With a 1031 exchange, an investor can sell a property, reinvest the proceeds, and defer ALL capital gains taxes. That’s right, ALL. To give an example, if you sold a property and had $200,000 in capital gains, you’d be subject to taxes of around $70,000, meaning you’d only have about $130,000 left to invest in a new property. After making a down payment and assuming an LTV (loan-to-value) ratio of 75%, that means you’d be able to buy a new property worth about $520,000.
But with a 1031 exchange, you’d be able to use the entire $200,000. If you had the same down payment and LTV as we cited in the previous example, you could buy a property worth about $800,000.

If you think the 1031 exchange sounds like a great idea, you’re right.
But it’s crucial—CRUCIAL—that your REALTOR understands the rules and regulations related to these exchanges. If they don’t, you could find yourself in financial hot water, and nobody wants that. There are dates and deadlines to which investors must adhere, or they’re forced to pay penalties.

The Curtin Team is well-versed in 1031 exchanges and understands their ins and outs; we know that when your investments are on the line, there’s no room for error, no time for dilly-dally. We make sure that your investments—your hard-earned money—are protected.

If you’re interested in investing in real estate and have questions, or if you’re thinking of selling an investment property, talk to us. We’re experienced with investors and will make sure your dollars are working as hard as they can for you, and that they’re kept safe.

The real estate market is constantly shifting. Do you know how to position yourself for success as a buyer or a seller? Our team of real estate experts will be available to answer your questions on August 10 at 10am (Eastern Time). Dial into our Zoom call and join us for an informative Q and A.

Register Here
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

On Wednesday, March 23rd, Curtin Team Cares hosted its First Annual FUNdraiser at Deep Roots Wine Market in Roswell, GA. Supporters of Curtin Team Cares were invited to SIP! SWIRL! and SUPPORT! Deep Roots Wine Market graciously donated wine samples to guests and donated a portion of the evening sales to Curtin Team Cares. Raffle prizes were donated by clients and friends of the Curtin Team, including gift certificates for products and services.

Curtin Team Cares raises money with every successful The Curtin Team home sale. Combined with the generosity of businesses, caring individuals like you, and fundraising events, we provide an ear, shoulder, heart, hand, and the resources to empower the vulnerable and strengthen communities for all.

As owners of a successful real estate company, The Curtin Team at Keller Williams Realty, Tom and Joanne Curtin wanted a way to give back to the communities that propelled their success. This passion for the local community led to their founding of the non-profit Curtin Team Cares in 2018, where the mission is to empower the vulnerable and strengthen communities for all.

We wanted to take a moment to thank everyone that came out to support us at our grand opening event on January 25, 2018, those who shared kind words and supported from a far! We could not do this without our amazing clients, vendors and of course our wonderful team!

We had such a wonderful time and hope that everyone that had the chance to celebrate with us did too.  We are thankful for our business partners, together we all achieve more. We are grateful to those who took the time to come out and celebrate with us, the best part was having time to relax and enjoys one another’s company.

And for those who couldn’t make it, thank you for watching our video and we look forward to connecting soon. We expect 2018 to be our best year yet and thank you in advance for trusting us with your business and those you refer to us. 

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Home Styling | How to “Undecorate”

As I was packing away decorations after the holidays it occurred to me how similar the task is to home styling.  It’s what I like to call “undecorating”. Undecorating is the process of removing personal and specific decorations, leaving behind a more neutral palette. Having a clean palette is important to attract potential buyers. When the slate is clean, buyers can imagine themselves living in the space.

Get Organized

As new year resolutions are made and we vow to get more organized, this is a wonderful time to start preparing your home to beat the spring selling rush. When you’re packing away holiday decorations go ahead and pack up family photos, decor and personal items. Not only will you be de-cluttering, but you’ll also get a jump start on packing items that you’ll have to pack later anyway!

Where Do I Start?

It’s easy to get overwhelmed, so start off easy. Begin with your junk drawers, closets and pantry.  Make three separate piles: one that you keep, one for donation, and one that goes straight to the trash.

Closets should be about one third full so that prospective buyers can see the amount storage is available. Pack away clothing that’s not in season. Use storage baskets and containers in drawers, cabinets and the pantry for a simple and tidy look. Once you have tackled the de-cluttering you can focus on larger projects. Keep in mind that as the spring market approaches, the busier contractors get and the longer it takes to get on their schedule.

Use these easy tips and you’ll be able to stick to your New Year’s resolution and be ahead of the spring market!