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Make plans now to attend the 16th annual Border Bash at the Augusta Commons on September 11 starting at 4pm. The Border Bash is an exciting family event that brings Georgia Bulldog and South Carolina Gamecock rivals together on the river in Augusta, Georgia to celebrate the annual rivalry football game. The event will include family and musical entertainment, cheerleaders and mascots from both teams, sports team logo vendors and all the food vendors you could ever want. Proceeds benefit several Augusta area children's charities. This year's musical guests will be Mother's Finest and the Joe Stevenson Band. Check out Mother's Finest. As always, if you have any questions about Augusta homes for sale, Columbia County Real Estate, or the Augusta real estate market, please give me a call at 706-373-4663. Thanks! - Stacie Wells

July Market numbers were just published by the Greater Augusta Association of Realtors MLS. I wanted to share a few of these numbers with you. I've plotted the absorption rate, the average days on market, and the average sales price to show you the trends since January 2005. Remember with the absorption rate chart that anything about 6 month supply is considered a buyers market, and anything below 6 month supply is considered a sellers market. The absorption rate tells us how long it will take for all teh currently listed homes to sell at the current rate of sale. - Stacie Wells

Good information to pass along…. Discover Downtown – August 29th (10am-6pm) Over forty businesses have banded together to offer Discover Downtown Augusta: a full day event spurring people to experience all that downtown has to offer – through a passport book stuffed with coupons for free stuff and special offers. Some of the offers include: A Free Book from Book Tavern Free Green Tea Lip Balm from Cloud Nine Free Hot Dog at 1102 Free Cup of Soup at White Elephant Free Chocolate Bar at Blue Magnolia and that’s just the beginning – there are 35 more! Passports are $5 and are available at blue magnolia The Book Tavern Vintage Ooollee Metro Spirit Office Health Central Oasis Garden Ninth St Wine Market and the Augusta Visitors Information Center all proceeds benefit D(a)2: The Downtown Augusta Alliance - Stacie Wells

Got kids? Have you ever held an alligator, touched a snake, or petted an opposum before? The Savannah River Ecology Lab (SREL) is giving people a chance to get up close and personal with animals. SREL will hold its first Touch an Animal Day on Saturday, August 8, from 9am to noon at the University of Georgia - SREL Conference Center on U.S. Hwy 278 in New ELlenton, SC. The community is invited to get up close and touch a variety of animals including reptiles, amphibians and mammals. Scientists will be on hand to give interesting facts about the different animals. Admission is FREE and no SRS security badge is required for admittance. Directions to the Conference Center: From Aiken, take Hwy 19 south (Whiskey Rd) to New Ellenton. From the intersection of Hwy 19 and Hwy 278, turn left on Hwy 278. After 3.5 miles, turn left at the gravel road marked by a low wooden sign on the left and a green Dept. of Transportation sign on the right. Follow the gravel road until you reach the... - Stacie Wells

I've just calculated the absorption rates for July. According to the Greater Augusta Association of Realtors MLS, there are currently: 1622 active single family homes in Columbia County (Martinez, Evans, Grovetown, Harlem, Appling 635 active single family homes in Aiken County (North Augusta, Aiken and Edgefield) 1570 active single family homes in Richmond County (Augusta and Hephzibah) In July, 222 single family homes sold in Columbia County giving us a 7.3 month supply, 74 single family homes sold in Aiken County giving us a 8.6 month supply, and 174 single family homes sold in Richmond County giving us a 9.0 month supply of homes. Remember that, on average, a 6 month supply of homes is considered a Balanced Market, less than 6 months is considered a Sellers Market, and greater than 6 months is considered a Buyers Market. As always, if you have questions about any Augusta homes for sale or the Augusta housing market, please give me a call at 706-373-4663. Thanks! - Stacie Wells

Great news! The Columbia County Board of Education has recently made a change to the school calendar. The October Fall Break has been eliminated for the 2009-2010 school year. Schools will be closed the entire week of Thanksgiving. Mark your calendars now! As always, if you have any questions about Augusta homes for sale or the Augusta real estate market, please give me a call at 706-373-4663. Thanks! - Stacie Wells

The 2009 Fall Recreation Sports Registration takes place at Patriots Park from July 27th until August 14th. Registration hours are M-F, 8:00am - 5:30pm. FOOTBALL - Age control date - Sept. 1, 2009 6 yr. flag football - 100 lbs. limit 7 & 8 yr. tackle football - 110 lbs. limit 9 & 10 yr. tackle football - 130 lbs. limit 11 & 12 yr. tackle football - 150 lbs. limit SOCCER - Age control date - Aug. 1, 2009 5 yr. old beginners Under 8's Under 10's Under 12's Under 14's 18 & Under CHEERLEADING - Age Control Date - Sept. 1, 2009 Flag Football - 6 yr. Tackle Football - 7 & 8 yr. Tackle Football - 9 & 10 yr. BASEBALL - Age Control Date - May 1, 2010 7 & 8 yr. Pitching Machine 9 & 10 yr. Pitching 11 & 12 yr. Midget Boys 13 - 15 yr. Junior Boys For more information, please contact: 706-863-7523 - Stacie Wells

Mortgage Rates Drop This Week Interest on 30-year fixed mortgages, 15-year fixed loans, five-year adjustable-rate mortgages, and one-year ARMs all fell this week, according to Freddie Mac. The average on 30-year financing slipped to 5.2 percent from 5.32 percent a week ago. The 15-year mortgage declined to 4.69 percent, down from 4.77 percent. Five-year ARMs were down to 4.82 percent from 4.88 percent. One-year ARMs fell to 4.82 percent from 4.94 percent. (from an article in the Los Angeles Times via www.Realtor.org) As always, if you have questions about any Augusta homes for sale or the Augusta real estate market, please give me a call at 706-373-4663. Thanks! - Stacie Wells

Keller Williams Realty Augusta Partners is having a school supply drive to help Miracle Making Ministries. If you're interested in helping us provide backpacks filled with school supplies to needy children, we're collecting: crayons, primary pencils,#2 lead pencils, colored pencils, scissors (rounded blades), pocket folders, pocket folders with prongs, glue sticks, writing tablets, journal composition books, markers, highlighters, ink pens (black or blue), spiral notebooks (wide ruled), spiral notebooks (college ruled), paper (wide ruled), paper (college ruled), compass, protractor, ruler, 3 ring binder, computer disks, scientific calculator, graphing paper, daily planners, and backpacks. As always, if you have questions about Augusta homes for sale or the Augusta real estate market, call me at 706-373-4663! - Stacie Wells

After you move into your new home, you'll probably start receiving letter from companies offering to set up a system that automatically pays half your monthly payment every two weeks. For a small fee, these companies promise their biweekly system will "miraculously" pay down your principal faster. If you do the math, however, you'll realize this is no miracle. A fifty-two week year includes twenty-six biweekly payments - the equivalent of thirteen monthly payments. In other words, biweekly payment is simply the equivalent of one extra monthly payment each year. An extra payment a year isn't a bad idea - it'll take close to ten years off a thirty-year mortgage. However, you don't need to pay some company to do something you can just as easily do yourself. As always, if you have questions about any Augusta homes for sale or the Augusta real estate market, give me a call! - Stacie Wells

Lender's fees and other closing costs can add 3 to 5 percent to your home's purchase price. When looking for the best deal on fees, though, realize that some lenders show third-party fees on their good faith estimates, while others show only their own fees. LIKELY LENDER FEES: Origination fee ("points") Administration fee Application fee Broker or lender fee Commitment fee Document preparation Underwriting fee LIKELY THIRD-PARTY FEES: Credit report House appraisal Pest inspections Recording fees Settlement fees Survey Tax and insurance prepayment Title search Title insurance Courier Services AND ALWAYS ASK: "What other costs will I be responsible for to get our home closed?" As always, if you have questions about Augusta homes for sale or the Augusta real estate market, please give me a call! - Stacie Wells

Hammonds Ferry is a neighborhood in North Augusta SC that is being billed as a "new traditional neighborhood connecting the City of North Augusta to the Savannah River." It's located on a one-mile stretch of the Savannah River directly across the river from downtown Augusta GA. Residences include classically designed detached homes, townhomes and cottages, many with guest carriage houses. Larger residential structures include live/work buildings, flats, and condominiums. Some will have shops, offices or services hosued on lower floors Traditional Neighborhood Design (TND) is a comprehensive planning system inspired by the many great towns and neighborhoods developed before WWII. These communities were developed prior to suburban sprawl engendered by the expanding highway systems of our increasingly auto-dependent society. Neighborhoods such as Hammonds Ferry that are designed as TNDs have the following characteristics: The neighborhood has a discernible center - often a square or... - Stacie Wells

There are so many great opportunities to volunteer in the Augusta GA area. Why not take a look at the list below to see if you're interested in one of the causes, and take the time to contribute to our great community! For additional info or contact information, see Volunteer Augusta. Alzheimer's Association Augusta Canal Augusta Convention & Visitors Bureau Augusta Museum of History Augusta Safe Homes Columbia County Library Columbia Middle School CSRA Humane Society Feathered Friends Forever Rescue Girl Scout Council of the CSRA Graystone Ranch Wildlife Education Center Golden Harvest Foodbank Habitat for Humanity Heartland Hospice Junior Achievement The Lydia Project Make-A-Wish Foundation Morris Museum of Art National Science Center, Ft. Discovery Phinizy Swamp Nature Park Ronald McDonald House Shepeard Community Blood Service Spooky to be Hungry As always, if you're looking for information on Augusta Real Estate, or if you have questions about Augusta homes for sale, give me a... - Stacie Wells

As a follow up to the Augusta June Market Statistics Report, I wanted to take a look at the absorption rates. Again, I'm breaking these down by county - Aiken, Columbia and Richmond. Aiken County - currently has 629 homes for sale, 49 homes sold in June, giving us an absorption rate for Aiken County of 12.8 months of inventory. Columbia County - currently has 1615 homes for sale, 233 homes sold in June, giving us an absorption rate for Columbia County of 6.9 months of inventory. Richmond County - currently has 1545 homes for sale, 150 homes sold in June, giving us an absorption rate for Richmond County of 10.3 months of inventory. Based on these numbers, is Columbia County nearing a Balanced Market while Aiken and Richmond Counties remain in a Buyers Market? It certainly appears so. Stay tuned next month to see! - Stacie Wells

I can't believe July is already here. School will be starting back before you know it. And June's Market Stats are out. I divided the numbers out this month to compare Aiken County, Columbia County, and Richmond County - the 3 counties that I'm most familiar with in our Greater Augusta Board of Realtors MLS. The following market statistics are for residential listings only, and were pulled from the GAAR MLS: Columbia County New listings = 390 (compared to 398 in June '08) Sold listings = 231 (compared to 237 in June '08) Average Days on Market = 121 (compared to 100 in June '08) Average Sales Price = $199,620 (compared to $213,015 in June '08) Richmond County New listings = 378 (compared to 398 in June '08) Sold Listings = 150 (compared to 205 in June '08) Average Days on Market = 78 (compared to 101 in June '08) Average Sales Price = $127,129 (compared to $120,976 in June '08) Aiken County New listings = 113 (compared to 140 in June '08) Sold Listings = 48 (compared to 80 in June... - Stacie Wells

Don't miss the fireworks display at Fort Gordon tonight! Events run from 5pm-11pm and the fireworks display will start at approximately 9:40. In addition to fireworks, there will also be children's carnival rides, pony rides, live entertainment, the U.S. Army Signal Corps Band, games, BOSS Bike Show, 28 food vendors, and MUCH MORE!! Civilians are welcome, and a photo ID is required for ages 16 and older to enter Fort Gordon. Enjoy!! - Stacie Wells

If you're looking at homes in Grovetown GA, you may be interested in the following list of neighborhoods (provided by Grovetown Planning and Zoning) that don't have cable service available: Euchee Creek (approx. 326 homes)* Main Street (approx. 145 homes)* Senators Ridge (approx. 106 homes)* Northlake (approx. 186 homes) Pamir Place (approx. 295 homes) Pepper Hill (approx. 227 homes) Sections I & II only Arbor Springs/Arbor Landing (approx. 93 townhomes and 94 single family homes)* Grove Landing (approx. 100 townhomes and 414 single family homes Reynolds Pond (approx. 272 single family homes) Berzelia Commons (27 homes) *some sections of development have cable service and some sections do not. There is also a handful of homes along Harlem Grovetown Road that are inside the City Limits of Grovetown that may not have cable service available to them. - Stacie Wells

If you're looking for an incredible deal on lakefront property, one of my clients has just reduced their .75 acre waterfront lot with dock from $134,900 to $114,900: Exclusive Providence Ferry at Clark's Hill/ Lake Thurmond. Homesite is located lakefront near the community Pavillion with grills, picnic tables and fireplace. Providence Ferry amenities also include: Community docks for non-dockable properties, Murray Creek equestrian center (horse rentals,etc.), Secured boat storage, Nature trails, and public water. - Stacie Wells

It is SO important that you remember these guidelines after you make application for your mortgage and have been approved. I'm not trying to single out first time homebuyers. Everyone needs these reminders. Don't change your employment status. Don't make any major purchases (cars, furniture, home theater, vacations, etc.) Don't increase your credit card debt or miss any payments. Don't change bank accounts or make undisclosed large deposits. Don't apply for a credit card, co-sign a loan or make a credit inquiry. Don't spend money you have set aside for closing. Don't delay in providing all paperwork asked for by your mortgage company. As always, if you have any questions about Augusta homes for sale, please give me a call! We also cover the Evans Georgia, Grovetown GA, Martinez GA, and North Augusta SC areas. - Stacie Wells

Don't miss Columbia County's 15th Annual Fourth of July Celebration at Patriots Park, July 4th from 4 pm until dark. It's the largest fireworks display in Columbia County! In addition, there will be inflatables and rides live entertainment food vendors children's entertainment much more!! Admission is FREE! Parking is very limited, although last year there were shuttles running back and forth from the Columbia County Fairgrounds. They'll probably have similar accomodations this year. Hope to see you there!! - Stacie Wells

If you're new to the area and will have children attending school in Columbia County, you'll need to make sure they're registered. Only new students are required to go through registration, and most schools are open to enroll new students starting July 20. You'll want to make sure to call ahead to schedule an appointment. The following documents will be required for all new students registering in any Columbia County School: A certified copy of your child's birth certificate A Georgia Certificate of Immunization (GA Form 3231)* A Georgia Certificate of Eye, Ear and Dental Examination (GA Form 3300) - also called "3-Point Screening"* Proof of residency (a current gas, water or electric bill) A copy of your child's most recent report card or grade report *The required health forms may be obtained from private physicians, Fort Gordon medical personnel, or the Columbia County Health Department. Appointments may be scheduled by calling the Columbia County Health Department in one of these... - Stacie Wells

Today I'm taking a look at how much Columbia County home you can buy for $150K. Yesterday we looked at how much home you could buy in the $100-$125K range. There are currently 246 Columbia County homes for sale in the $125K-$150K range. More 4 bedroom homes show up in this range, as do new construction in High Meadows in Grovetown GA new construction in Pamir Place in Grovetown GA new construction in Arbor Springs in Grovetown GA new construction in the Cottages at Brookwood in Martinez GA new construction in Hardy Station in Harlem GA new construction in Chamblin Ridge in Grovetown GA new construction townhomes with single car garages in Connor Place in Evans GA new construction townhomes with single car garages in Brookwood Village in Martinez GA new construction townhomes with single car garages in Bryan's Cove in Grovetown GA new construction townhomes with single car garages in Grove Landing in Grovetown GA All of these homes are currently listed in the Greater Augusta... - Stacie Wells

As a follow-up to yesterday's post "How Much Home Can You Afford for 100K in Columbia County", let's add $25,000 to see just how much difference that makes. The main thing I noticed was that the home size grew to an average of 1350-1650 square feet. Most are still 3 Bedroom, 2 Bath ranch style homes. Of the 92 Columbia County homes for sale in the 100-125K range in the GAAR MLS, here are a few that caught my eye... $109,900 3Bedroom 2 Bath in Petersburg Station in Martinez GA $124,900 and almost 1700 square feet in Merrymont in Martinez GA $103,900 and almost 1900 square feet in Ridge Pointe in Martinez GA $125,000 in St. Andrews in Evans Georgia $123,000 in Pamir Place in Grovetown GA If you have questions about any Augusta homes for sale or the Augusta Real Estate Market in general, please give me a call! I love to help and answer your questions! Stacie Wells The Wells Team Keller Williams Realty Augusta Partners 3633 Wheeler Road, Suite 125 Augusta, GA, 30909 Mobile: 706-373-4663... - Stacie Wells

I sold my first home in Columbia County in 2001 for around 85K. Just out of curiosity, I wanted to see what similar opportunities might still be there for first time home buyers today. According to the MLS of the Greater Augusta Association of Realtors (GAAR), the following homes are currently being marketed in Columbia County: $99,500 will buy you a 2Bedroom, 2 Bath end unit townhouse in the Villages of Greenbrier in Evans GA $94,900 will buy you a 3 Bedroom 2 Bath brick ranch with 2 car garage in Wynngate in Martinez GA $85,000 will buy you a 2 Bedroom 2 Bath townhome in Cammaron in Martinez GA $99,900 will buy you a 3 Bedroom 1 Bath home with single carport in Sweetbriar in Martinez GA $86,000 will buy you a 2 Bedroom 1.5 Bath townhome in Brittany Place in Martinez GA As always, if you have questions or would like to see these homes or any other Augusta GA homes, including Grovetown GA, Evans Georgia, Martinez GA or North Augusta SC, please give us a call at 706-373-4663. Thanks!... - Stacie Wells

The next Tyler Woods Homeowners Association Meeting will be on June 25th, 7 pm, at Woodlawn Baptist Church. Woodlawn Baptist Church is located at 4943 Columbia Rd. in Grovetown. Any Homeowners Associations (HOAs) that would like to have their meetings posted here can either comment or email the date and times to me at stacie@staciewells.com. As always, if you have questions about Augusta homes for sale or homes for sale in Grovetown GA, Evans Georgia, Martinez GA or North Augusta SC, please give us a call! Stacie Wells The Wells Team Keller Williams Realty Augusta Partners 3633 Wheeler Road, Suite 125 Augusta, GA, 30909 Mobile: 706-373-4663 Fax: 706-868-3782 stacie@staciewells.com www.AugustaGALiving.com A Hands-On Approach to Success Visit MyBlogLog and get a signature like this! - Stacie Wells

Why not just throw an old computer, cell phone or calculator in the trash? Because discarded electronics contain hazardous materials. Improper disposal of these items pollutes the environment and poses a danger to human health. The city of North Augusta SC is doing its part to help. North Augusta’s e-waste recycling program is a service available to all city residents free of charge. North Augusta commercial businesses and non-city residents are encouraged to recycle their unwanted electronic items by participating in the City’s semi-annual electronic recycling collection events. The next collection day event will be on Saturday, September 12, from 9:00 am until noon at the Kroger parking lot on Knox Avenue. Concerned about personal information on your devices? North Augusta’s recycling vendor cleans all recycled hard drives with software approved by the U.S. Department of Defense. Damaged hard drives that do not respond to the software are wiped clean with a magnet and shredded for... - Stacie Wells

Whether you're a first time homebuyer or about to buy your fourth or fifth home, it's easy to get caught up in the emotion of the moment. Before you make that final decision and have your REALTOR write up a contract, you may want to ask yourself the following questions: How do you like the neighborhood at different times of day? Do you know what the traffic is like during rush hour? How will the light be at different times of day? (Is the house too dark and dim, or too hot and bright?) How does noise carry? Does the floor plan "flow," or does it have a lot of tight corners and poorly placed appliances and cabinets? Is the Kitchen conveniently laid out? Is there enough room for storage? Will your favorite furniture fit, or are you willing to replace it? Stacie Wells The Wells Team Keller Williams Realty Augusta Partners 3633 Wheeler Road, Suite 125 Augusta, GA, 30909 Mobile: 706-373-4663 Fax: 706-868-3782 stacie@staciewells.com www.AugustaGALiving.com A Hands-On Approach to Success... - Stacie Wells

For those of you in the Augusta area who are gardeners, you won’t want to miss McCorkle’s Nurseries annual sale. They’re open to the public for 3 days only starting today – June 18, 19, and 20. If you’re not familiar with McCorkle’s, they’re a large commercial nursery in Dearing GA that supplies retail nurseries such as Lowe’s Garden Center. Their prices are phenomenal! Make sure to bring water (or change to buy a gatorade), a wagon, and a truck! Tractors will be pulling trailers full of plants in from the fields all day. You can usually find trees, ornamental grasses, azaleas, Japanese maples, daylilies, hydrangeas, and various other perennials and landscaping shrubs – all at great prices! If you’d like more information, (or if you’d like to follow me out there!), give me a call at 706-373-4663. As always, if you have questions about the Augusta housing market, or homes for sale in Augusta, Grovetown GA, Martinez GA, Evans GA or North Augusta SC, please give me a call! Stacie Wells... - Stacie Wells

I had the privelege of previewing this beautiful home in Grovetown GA today and loved it! Great condition and great price. Plus, if there's a little girl in your life, there is a bedroom already perfectly decorated for her. Take a look and let me know if you'd like to see it in person. I'll be glad to make the arrangements to show it to you! According to the description in the Greater Augusta Assn. of Realtors MLS, "Beautiful home in Ivy Falls, with nice floor plan. Great room has vaulted ceiling and fireplace, Large kitchen open to breakfast area, spacious Master with double vanities, separate tub and shower, large back yard for entertaining with covered deck and privacy fence. HOA includes front yard maintenance."  $149,900 Listing courtesy of Keller Williams Realty Augusta Partners - Stacie Wells

If Fort Gordon is bringing you to Augusta GA and you’re planning to buy a home while you’re here, I can offer you the same discounts that you’ll receive through a USAA preferred agent. You’ll also get my full commitment to client service because I depend on your referrals. Whether you’d prefer a discount in commission, a free home warranty or a free home inspection, you’ll get those from me in an effort to earn your business and your referrals. How can I best help you? Let me put my passion for the real estate business to work for you! Please give me a call with any questions about the Augusta Real Estate Market, or homes for sale in Evans, Grovetown, Martinez, Augusta or North Augusta. I would love to represent you! Stacie Wells The Wells Team Keller Williams Realty Augusta Partners 3633 Wheeler Road, Suite 125 Augusta, GA, 30909 Mobile: 706-373-4663 Fax: 706-868-3782 stacie@staciewells.com www.AugustaGALiving.com A Hands-On Approach to Success Visit MyBlogLog and get a signature... - Stacie Wells