Buyer Services by… Maria Mekus — Serving North Metro Atlanta and surrounding Cities- Such as: Canton, Woodstock, Marietta, Roswell, Kennesaw, Holly Springs, Ball Ground, Japser, Acworth and Dallas.

With my Home Buyer Services you will have an agent representing you that is experienced and aggressive. I want to be your agent for life — not just get you into a home for the sale. So many factors go into purchasing a home – Making sure it’s the right    decision for you is so very important to me.

My Buyer Services will assure you that you are making the right decision and getting the best deal. I have represented new homebuyers to move up buyers and specialize with first time Home-Buyers..

Before Your Home Search Begins we will sit down and discuss your goals and what™s important to you and your family.We need to know your wants and needs so your time is not wasted looking at homes that do not fit into your criteria or family needs.

Getting You the Financing Up Front.

Loan Qualification, we work with some of the most productive loan officers in the business, giving you access to any one of the thousands of loan programs available and making sure it’s the right loan for you.

The Search Begins…You begin receiving all homes on the market that meet your criteria. New listings can go fast so receiving email updates or a phone call or fax the day homes come on the market is in your best interest.

Customizing œYOUR Home Search

Better Ways to Find Your Home!Whether you want to have an agent with you when you do preliminary drive-bys or you want to go with your family for the preliminaries, it’s up to you. Many of our clients drive by potential homes to get a feel for the neighborhood and the home before they go inside. If the area or home is not appealing to you, it can be taken off the list, there by saving you time.

Whether you are a college student, just starting out in your first home, or simply someone on a budget, furnishing a home inexpensively can be a challenge. But by using low-cost and commonplace materials, you can express your own personal style and create functional pieces for inside and outside your home with concrete cinder blocks.  A variety of furniture can be created using a little creativity and a few concrete cinder blocks. If you™re not familiar, a cinder block is a large masonry block or made of cement and œcinders, which are the ashes of burnt coal. They are much lighter than a solid cement block, and look like a giant brick with two holes in it. Cinder blocks are inexpensive (while the price of concrete varies, a typical 6x6x16 cinder block can be purchased for about a dollar), and readily available”simply contact a hardware store or local concrete contractor to get as many as you need. Inside the home. A little imagination can go a long way:¢   Bed frames can be expensive, so instead, you can raise your bed by placing a cinder block under each corner of the box spring to create a stable raised platform. With a bed skirt, the blocks are virtually invisible.     ¢   Make a quick coffee table by placing concrete blocks under a piece of plywood. Plywood is inexpensive and can be covered or painted easily. You can even place a piece of glass on top of the wood, showcasing pictures or postcards underneath. Use an old door, or a framed mirror on top of the blocks for something really unusual.     ¢   Assemble shelves by placing a long piece of wood (such as a two by four) on two cinder blocks placed a foot or two apart. You can repeat this upward and make a second shelf. The unit will be more stable if the cinder blocks are placed on their side, but they can be set upright to store taller items. Ideally, this should be placed against a wall for stability, and you should go no higher then two or three couple shelves for safety. Also, keep in mind what you will be placing on the shelves, the lighter the items, the further apart the blocks can be placed (otherwise the wood will bow in the middle under any significant weight).      ¢   Paint the cinder blocks and place them upright by themselves to store smaller items in the natural holes, like small frames, CDs, or even wine bottles.Outside the home. Enhance your backyard with these inventive projects:¢   Cinder blocks make unique planters in your garden. Lay landscaping cloth down first, then place your blocks on their œback in any arrangement. Fill the holes with about an inch of gravel, then add your soil and arrange your seeds or plants. Different types of plants or herbs will grow better in some areas as opposed to others, so it™s best to research what will grow best in your garden based on where you live.  ¢   Make a bench from a sturdy piece of wood set on top of two cinder blocks. Waterproof fabric can be found at a craft store, along with foam or batting. A few minutes with a staple gun and you™ve got yourself a seat. Use a concrete adhesive to secure the bench top to the blocks and the bench can be placed anywhere in your garden.   ¢   Build a fire pit. The most simple types are temporary structures that first involve clearing the ground and laying down foil, then arranging a square of cinder blocks and placing a metal rack on top. More complex permanent pits can be constructed and may involve the use of mortar and other materials. Fire safety is of upmost importance; regardless of structure, it is an absolute must to do your research before attempting to build any type of fire pit, and it is recommended you work directly with a skilled concrete contractor. But with the right instruction and a few materials, it can be done without taking a toll on your wallet.These are just a few ideas on how to use cinder blocks to jazz up your home, inside and out. Don™t be afraid to œthink outside the block and come up with your own ideas to create functional creative pieces out of this common concrete staple. Helen Walker. ConcreteIdeas.com is the #1 <a href=”http://www.concreteideas.com”>concrete</a> resource directory on the internet for homeowners, contractors, and suppliers.<br><br><b>Article From</b> <a href=”http://www.electrictext.com/”>ElectricText Article Directory</a><br></body></html>

HOMEBUYERS-

maria@mekus.com

Buying a home is an exciting time in one’s life, whether it’s your first, second, or even fiftieth home purchase. Making the smart move of choosing a REALTOR ® is your first step to ensuring that your new home and community meets your needs. My services and experience range from negotiating to helping you find the home that best suits you and your family. For your convenience, I also provide listings by email.  I pride myself on repeat business and hope you’ll come to understand why and recommend me to others for their real estate needs.

As Your Agent, I Will:

• Assure that you see all the properties in the area that meet your criteria.
• Guide you through the entire home buying process, from finding homes to look at, to getting the best financing.
• Make sure you don’t pay too much for your new home and help you avoid costly mistakes.
• Answer all of your questions about the local market area, including schools, neighborhoods, the local economy, and more.

Before You Start Looking For Your New Home:

• Check your Credit Rating, Straighten out any errors before its too late.
• Determine a comfortable monthly budget for your new purchase, including down payment and monthly payment.
• Find a loan program that meets your needs and get pre-qualified (preferably pre-approved).
• Choose a REALTOR ® that you trust and who understands your needs.
• Determine what neighborhood best matches your needs.
• Identify important features you need your new home to have.

Closing Costs to Expect:

• Lender fees include charges for loan processing, underwriting, preparation and establishing an escrow account.
• Third-party fees include charges for insurance, title search, and other inspections such as termites.
• Government fees include deed recording and state & local mortgage taxes.
• Escrow and interest fees include homeowner’s insurance, loan interest, real estate taxes, and occasionally private mortgage insurance.

Affordable Home in Acworth- West Cobb County $189,000

Hamby Cove Community

Check out this new Traditional property that I just posted on my Web site. It is at 4490 Hamby Pond Place in Acworth. This Traditional property has 4 bedrooms and 2 baths.

When you talk with Real Estate agents, you will most times find that when they talk to you about buying real estate, they refer to your purchase as a “home”. Yet if you were a seller and you are selling property, they will often refer to it as a “house”. Your asking me why? There is a difference. Buying real estate is an emotional decision (most buyers will buy on emotion and then use logic). When selling real estate we need to remove the emotion. If you are selling you need to think of your house as a marketable commodity, a property for sale. Our ultimate goal is to get other potential buyers to see it as “their” home, not yours. This could be very difficult for many to do, but… if you don’t make that decision, it could take longer to sell your property. There are many steps to take when considering selling your house. The first step is to “de-personalize” it. When a buyer walks in, you want them to visualize their belongings in the home. I have many tips and suggestions to help you get ready for the process, simply go to Free Reports & Tips and let me know if I can be anymore help.

Why spend hours trying to stay on top of what’s happening in “The Real Estate World”, when you can have it done FOR you?

• The easy way to search the MLS
• Stay completely current with “New Home Listings”
• Search Homes by “Area Map”
• The best way to search on-line homes for sale
• MLS access is not only FREE, but it’s completely confidential

The MLS (Multiple Listing Service) is where literally thousands of potential Home Buyers visit daily. Now you can too!

Search MLS by  AREA MAP

Why spend hours trying to stay on top of what’s happening in “The Real Estate World”, when you can have it done FOR you?

• The easy way to search the MLS
• Stay completely current with “New Home Listings”
• Search Homes by “Area Map”
• The best way to search on-line homes for sale
• MLS access is not only FREE, but it’s completely confidential

The MLS (Multiple Listing Service) is where literally thousands of potential Home Buyers visit daily. Now you can too!

Search MLS by  AREA MAP

Registering with Re/Max Town & Country (Maria Mekus) allows you to access our full suite of advanced web based tools, including advanced search, saving searches, creating folders, viewing detailed property information and receiving e-mail notifications of new listings based on the criteria of your saved searches. This allows you to conveniently make informed decisions about properties you are interested in well before you commit to a viewing appointment.  Additional benefits include:

• Saved Searches-  Once you search for properties, save your search criteria for future reference, even re-run the search at anytime without re-entering the search criteria. You can save as many separate searches as you like.
• New Listing E-Mail Notification-  Be one of the first to find out about newly listed properties, which match your criteria. For any or all of your Saved Searches, select the option to receive e-mail notices of newly listed properties, then you will receive e-mailed with links to view new properties that were just listed.
• Favorite Folders-  Save unlimited favorite folders to help you save and organize properties you are interested in.

I Believe that time is your  most valuable  asset. My site provides a unique set of interactive features which allows you to use that time to achieve the most productive results for your home search. I look forward to assisting you in finding  your  new home.maria@mekus.com

Ok the real problem here is me. All I want to do is what I do best (Real Estate)- Iv’e been feeling sorry for myself (not because of the down market) Iv’e been thru many in my years of Real Estate, but not feeling like I fit in (meaning since I moved to Georgia) I did real estate in California with my husband for 16 years- yes I can brag we sold over 100 homes a year, have many testimonials, #58 for the top Re/Max 100 Teams, yea yea- but that’s not what it’s about, it never has been for me. It’s about helping that first time home-buyer or helping a seller get more for their home than they anticipated. I need to look forward and not once was. Been here for only 2.5 years, no I may not know every builder, or all the communities, or where the best shopping is- but…. given the opportunity, I will find out and I will do the best job possible. I won’t make things happen just because (I will honestly look out for your best interest) I think as we get older we get set in our ways and how things use to be. This area, market, people, business in Georgia is a newer journey for me, and I would like to ask you to join me in the journey.