Is There Still Time to Buy and Move Into a New Home Before Year-End?

Nov. 14, 2012 - PRLog -- There’s still time. According to Ben Christopher, co-broker/owner of RE/MAX Greater Atlanta, potential home buyers still have a few weeks to find a home, get it under contract and close in 2012.

The East Cobb-based real estate firm’s mortgage partner, Fairfield Mortgage, is routinely closing homes in 25-30 days and Senior Loan Officer Joanne Rotella sees December 1st as the latest date possible in order to take ownership by year’s end. Her direct website, http://www.joannerotella.com, has a tab called "Homebuying Guides" which features five, free downloadable guides about various aspects of the home-buying process, including an application checklist and a home-buying checklist.

By closing in 2012, home buyers will have a bit of an added advantage at tax time as well in April. While they will have larger deductions once they have owned the home an entire calendar year, home buyers will be able to itemize expenses for any property taxes they paid in 2012, any mortgage interest paid and can deduct parts of the closing costs.

“Any buyers and sellers out in the Atlanta real estate market right now can be counted on to be serious about buying or selling at this time of year,” explained Ben Christopher. “And that kind of motivation on both sides actually improves the odds of a quick transaction.”

Depending on one’s price point and location in metro Atlanta, the selection of available, move-in-ready homes could be limited. Christopher advised starting online property searches such as the one available on http://www.realestateatlantaga.net and beginning the process of interviewing and selecting a real estate agent as soon as possible. Visitors can also click the Fairfield Mortgage logo link located on the lower half of the page to be taken directly to a page in which they can begin the quick pre-approval process for a home loan.

Christopher summarized by saying the month of November is more than enough time for experienced and knowledgeable agents to find buyers the homes of their dreams. To learn more about the current metro Atlanta real estate market or to search properties for sale, visit RE/MAX Greater Atlanta (http://www.realestateatlantaga.net/) online or call 770-973-9700. The firm also has an active social media presence, so be sure to visit and follow the company on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/remaxgtratl) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/REMAXGreaterAtlanta) for updates on the real estate market, mortgage rates and topics about metro Atlanta.

About RE/MAX Greater Atlanta

RE/MAX Greater Atlanta celebrated 25 years of selling metro Atlanta real estate in 2011. The company is co-owned by Ben Christopher and Denny Jones. Centrally located minutes north of Atlanta in Marietta, at 2050 Roswell Road, RE/MAX is the most recognizable brand in residential real estate today.  RE/MAX Greater Atlanta was named one of Atlanta’s Top 25 Real Estate Companies for 2012. The annual list is compiled by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and was formally published in a March issue focusing on residential real estate in Atlanta.

In 2011, RE/MAX had more closings than any other national real estate franchise (as reported to Real Trends).  In fact, RE/MAX agents had nearly 600,000 transactions, which was 20 percent higher than the next franchise on the list. RE/MAX International also received the highest overall customer satisfaction rating in the 2011 J.D. Power and Associates Home Buyer/Seller Study for both home buyers and home sellers – the first time in the survey’s four-year history the same company has won awards in both categories.