Atlanta’s Very Own Haunted Mansion – 3816 Turnberry Ct

With it being Halloween week, our Over-the-Top Property is appropriately a replica of Disney’s very own Haunted Mansion – 3816 Turnberry Ct, Duluth, GA 30096. While listed by a real estate broker, this big ticket item is also listed on ebay with a Buy It Now price of $873,000. With 4 hours remaining in the bidding, 54 offers have been made through ebay – all declined.

So how much hauntedness does almost $900k get you? I’m glad you asked.

•  7 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms across 10,008 square feet
• Designed and owned by Mark Hurt (Former Disney Contractor) – built in 1996 in the gated community of Sweet Bottom Plantation (“That’s a sweet ass house”)
• Used the same foundry that Walt Disney used to make the iron details of the original Haunted Mansion
• Specially themed 1st floor bathroom complete with animated ghost scene. (What commode is complete without one?)
• 2 story library
• 1,100 square foot cypress wood roof deck
• 2nd floor front terrace
• Not actually haunted.

Check out the entire video tour.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of Haunted Mansions. How does this Duluth GA version stack up?

Atlanta’s Best Neighborhoods for Trick-or-Treating, 2012 Edition

The annual Little 5 Points Halloween Parade – Image via Creative Loafing

Oh how the spooky have fallen! After ranking as the 15th best city in the nation for trick-or-treating in 2010, Atlanta has been unranked for the past 2 years in Zillow’s annual Trick-or-Treat Index (Yes, that’s actually a thing). As Zombie Capital of the World, how is this possible? How many brains does a city have to eat to get on this list?

Before we recap our favorite neighborhoods in Atlanta to go door-to-door, let’s dig into a few of the cities that were ranked and figure out why the good people at Zillow believe these cities to be scarier than Atlanta:

• San Francisco – Alcatraz and Trolleys. But mostly the trolleys.
• Boston – Home of the Boston Strangler and Al Davis. Just boo, baby.
• Honolulu – Close your eyes. You’re on stage for a spelling bee. Your word – Kuliouou-Kalani Iki. Ahhhhhhhhhhh!
• Philadelphia -They throw batteries at Santa; Imagine what they would do to you.
• Washington -More politicians than anywhere else in the nation. Need I say more?
• Pittsburgh – Brett Keisel’s beard.
• Minneapolis – Mall of America. I shudder to think of all the kids, (40 million people annually) and all the shopping (500+ stores) under one roof. This is my nightmare.
• Buffalo – The Bills. Have you seen them play lately? Frightening.

Top Neighborhoods in Atlanta for Trick-or-Treating

1. Atkins Park
2. Brookwood Hills
3. Ansley Park
4. Garden Hills
5. Candler Park
6. Morningside/Lenox Park
7. Virginia Highland
8. Inman Park

6 Reasons Why You’ll Hate Condominiums

Photo courtesy of Seattle PI Blog

Condo? More like Con-don’t think so!

Here are 6 reasons why you’ll hate living in an condominium.

1. Like an Alcatraz cell, but smaller – Living in a box is not fun. Living in a box with another person is even less fun. And if there happens to be a kid involved too? Straight up torture.
2. No room for your junk- You might get a unit that comes with a storage room, but with smaller closets, no attic, and no basement, there’s no place to adequately store all your ceramic Siamese cat figurines.
3. They are Anti-Freedom – Condos are typically ruled with an iron fist; Joseph Stalin was a pushover compared to your new Condo Board. Here’s a few things that a Condominium complex may not allow – home-based businesses, pets, the ability to rent out your unit, or civil liberties. Well, the last one is a bit of a stretch, but you get the idea.
4. Prepare to be pasty- If you have a greenthumb, enjoy taking in a sunset in your backyard, or have any desire to frolick, then you’re out of luck. With little to no outdoor space, you’ll be spending more time indoors than Boo Radley.
5. Good luck selling it – I don’t recall much from Econ 101, but I do remember a little something called supply and demand. Since units are very similar, the ease of selling depends almost strictly on supply. If there are only a couple of available units on the market, then you’re in luck. If there are many units on the market, then prepare to take a sizable haircut to get your unit sold.
6. Parking is a pain – There’s a good chance that a condo will either have 1) only street parking 2) a parking lot with 1 assigned spot 3)  a parking garage with 1 assigned spot. It’s pretty rare to get a condo that has 2 assigned spots so if your family has 2 cars or you intend on having frequent visitors, you can count on parking to be a huge pain in the asphalt.

Think I’m wrong? Think condos are better than houses? Let me know why.

7 Reasons Why Condos are Better than Houses

Over-the-Top-Property of the Day: Back to the Eighties North of Chastain Park

It’s always fun when a listing catches you off guard. There you are, perusing photos of a not-so-unusual $1,799,999 dollar home, and then BAM – where did that come from? Such is the case with this 1989 contemporary off Mount Paran Road not too far north of Chastain Park. But we won’t let the secret out just yet. First, let’s take a look at what fancy schmancy Atlanta real estate looked at the end of one of our cheesiest decades.

During the 1980s, Atlanta gained high marks for the new High Museum building designed by Richard Meier. City boosters won’t hesitate to say it was one of the signature buildings of that decade – I mean hey, it was pictured on a postage stamp! Meier’s bright white, often square forms were a key Postmodern look and everything from small additions to entire mansions acquired the aesthetic, including this one. Consider that your history lesson for the day.

3 Misty Ridge peeks out from behind a wall, which is kind of odd considering the already secluded location. It makes more sense when you realize that the home’s pool is inside this enclosure; I suppose the home’s steep rear lot necessitated this unusual configuration. Inside there aren’t too many surprises. Plenty of windows let in copious amounts of light and allow views of the leafy terrain Mount Paran is known for. I wonder how big the budget was for can lights – they’re everywhere! The mezzanine level is an neat touch that reflects the era’s obsession with loft architecture. Luckily, it looks like the kitchen was recently renovated; 1989 kitchens aren’t known for their visual wonders. All this is leading up to the home’s coolest feature: a full fledged nightclub! At least, it could be with the right people. Glowy lighting, slick furniture, a full bar, and wall projectors complete the Miami Vice scene. Maybe you could rent it out for Sweet Sixteens? Or maybe it’s the space referred to in the listing as being large enough to fit 25 cars? Nevertheless, it’s strong evidence that the Northside crowd really knows how to throw down.

The Atlanta Neighborhood that Could: East Lake

Atlanta’s East Lake neighborhood has seen quite the transformation over the past decade. Not too long ago, who could have imagined that one this place – one of the city’s most notorious areas – would one day end up second on our list of locales with the greatest home value increases? Still, there’s ample opportunity to find your diamond in the rough, if you’re looking for a deal and don’t mind a little (or a lot of) work. This eastside ‘hood is known for its pioneering spirit, so you’ll hardly be alone in your quest for urban nirvana.

Photo by stonehousegolf on Flickr

The land that East Lake encompasses was rural up until the end of the 19th century. It was in the 1890s that ambitious plans were drawn up for an artificial lake surrounded by homes, hotels, schools, and entertainment facilities that would serve a mix of residents and fun-seeking tourists. The lake was built, and a few cottages were placed around it, but the financial downturn of 1896 meant that the touristy aspect of the plan would be the only function to survive. The amusement park was bought out in 1904, and not after that that a golf course was constructed. Voilà – Atlanta’s first country club! The neighborhood as we know it grew up around this emerald centerpiece.

The golf course went through many redesigns and changed hands quite a few times, but it was the construction of a large public housing project in the 1960s that had the greatest effect on East Lake. Named East Lake Meadows, the well intentioned development went into a deep decline that was nothing short of terrifying; at one point it had a crime rate eighteen times the national average. In the mid-1990s East Lake Meadows was torn down and redeveloped by the Cousins Foundation, who also revamped the golfing facilities, and the site is now a mixed income apartment community know as the Villages at East Lake. This positive turnaround was the catalyst for East Lake’s revitalization.

East Lake is located a scant 4.5 miles east of downtown Atlanta and borders Oakhurst, Kirkwood, and unincorporated Dekalb County. Access to I-20 is super easy, and the neighborhood’s served by its own MARTA rail station. As it always has, the East Lake Golf Club is the sun around which the neighborhood revolves. Things are particularly buzzy when the PGA holds its annual Tour Championship here. East Lake never developed a commercial district of its own, but those of Oakhurst and Kirkwood, not to mention East Atlanta Village, give residents nearby options for shopping, dining, and nightlife. One coveted asset the neighborhood is lucky to have: a fairly new Publix grocery store. East Lake Park holds a playground and hosts a farmer market, and there’s also a community YMCA.

Historically, housing in East Lake has been on the modest side, with bungalows, Tudor cottages, and Minimal Traditional homes making up the bulk of the available options. The larger homes tend to be historically inspired newer homes which have seen continued construction even as the housing market’s dragged. If you see chicken coops don’t be alarmed, as East Lake’s been one of the more popular places in the city for urban farming. Prices typically range from below $100,000 to $500,000.

The Overall Value of Atlanta Real Estate Is Down, But There’s More to the Story – Pt.2

Okay, enough with the bad news! Previously, we examined which of Atlanta’s ITP (inside the Perimeter) neighborhoods took the hardest hits when it came to year-over-year change in home value, as calculated by Zillow. The number went as high as 30% – ouch! While overall metro values are down in Atlanta, there are healthy pockets of progress as well. Let’s take a look at where that’s happening intown, as well as in the suburbs. Keep in mind that data is not yet available for every single neighborhood.

Top Five Increases in Y-o-Y Home Value for July 2012 (ITP Atlanta Neighborhoods)

1. Browns Mill Park: Notable for its two parks and quick access to the airport, this southside neighborhood characterized by ranch homes tops the list with a 15.1% increase in home value.
   Zillow Home Value Index: $55,000
2. East Lake: East Lake has made significant gains with the redevelopment of a formerly downtrodden housing development and renovation of its historic building stock. All that hard work has paid off: values are up 14.1%.
   Zillow Home Value Index: $207,900
3. Kirkwood: Just about halfway between Atlanta and Decatur, Kirkwood is a former streetcar suburb with a charming village area and a varied housing stock. Values in Kirkwood have increased 10.7%
   Zillow Home Value Index: $191,700
4. Candler Park: The revitalization of Candler Park has been underway for decades, so it’s a little harder to find a steal here than other intown neighborhoods. Values in this eastside neighborhood are up 10%.
   Zillow Home Value Index: $352,900
5. Reynoldstown: It might be playing catch up to the success of neighboring Cabbagetown, but things are looking up for Reynoldstown, which has transformed into an artists’ enclave in recent years. Values have increased 9.4%.
   Zillow Home Value Index: $164,1000

Meanwhile, a snapshot of the ‘burbs from increasing to decreasing:

South Buckhead’s Hidden Gem: The Communities of 26th Street

Posted on August 22, 2012 by clickscape

Tucked down 26th Street in Atlanta’s Brookwood Hills community is an entire neighborhood of condos, townhomes, and apartments that define “off the beaten path.” Really, unless you were looking for this dense little collection, you’d probably never know it existed. Although this area used to resemble the section of Brookwood nearer Peachtree Road with its stately 1920s homes, the construction of I-75 brought on partial destruction of the neighborhood and with it went the desirability of owning a house next to the interstate. Nonetheless, South Buckhead never lost its cache or convenience, and today it’s still in the process of rebuilding in a more compact fashion. Here’s a few of the options available near the western terminus of 26th Street.

The Reserve at City Park

Brookwood Park

There’s a good chance you’ve noticed Brookwood Park if you’ve traveled on I-75 north of Midtown. It’s got that unmistakably retro brick and glass look (1962, to be exact) that ten years ago might have been considered hopelessly passe but is right on trend with today’s appreciation of midcentury modern. With that age comes a variety of units, some updated and others not so much; parquet floors make a frequent appearance. Also, some units may not have washers and dryers, but a laundry facility is on-site. The mid-rise building sits on seven landscaped acres that hold two tennis courts, a swimming pool, dogwalk, and access to Tanyard Creek Park. One and two bedroom units are typically priced around $100,000.

City Park Townhomes

If you’re in the market for something new, there’s plenty of that in the neighborhood as well. Take the City Park townhomes for example. Featuring stacked stone and shake detailing that mimics Atlanta’s bungalow architectural heritage, these recently constructed homes are super well priced for a non-condo Buckhead residence (starting near $189,000). Each unit is four stories and features either one bedroom and a loft or two bedrooms. Also, every home comes with a garage. Interior features included cathedral ceilings, stainless steel and granite kitchens, and gleaming hardwoods, not to mention charming front porches. These townhomes were built to highly efficient energy standards, and the Beltline trail is only a block away.

The Reserve at City Park

The newest kids on the block are at the Reserve, which features 49 three and four story townhomes. Available floorplans include two and three bedroom options. Acadia Homes is the builder behind this project, and you’ll find the detailing to be top-notch. The stone and brick facades are beautiful and accented with arched windows, flower boxes, and covered entries. The interiors are similarly fantastic with airy ceiling heights, stainless steel and granite kitchens, generous trim, and site-finished hardwood floors. As with the rest of the communities off 26th Street, the Reserve is served by East Rivers Elementary, Sutton Middle, and North Atlanta High School. Pricing at the Reserve ranges from $229,900 – $315,000.

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