Author Archive
SpiritWares Embriodery and Gifts Hamilton Mill
Posted By Matt Hermes on December 22nd, 2008
This afternoon my wife needed to go pick up some monogrammed Christmas gifts and she asked (dragged) me to go with her to SpiritWares which is a new embroidery and gift shop in Dacula near the Ingles shopping center. Typically you could not get me to walk into a “gift” shop on my own but being the wonderful husband I am, I went with her.
To my suprise, this place ROCKS! I was so impressed with all of the local spirit ware they had that was very reasonably priced and they even embroider items you buy at the store for free. I ended up getting my brother in-law an awesome Dacula Falcons sweatshirt for Christmas which they are in the process of embroidering for me. Woo-hoo my shopping is done!
The store has all kinds of clothing for the Mill Creek cluster system as well as the Dacula system. I actually could have spent more time there but I wanted to get home and write this post to let everyone know about this place. If you have any last minute Christmas shopping to do head on over and take a look.
Also in their inventory is a huge selection of purses, handbags, and all the other ladies items I passed by but my wife found a headband for our daughters birthday and she could have stayed there shopping for quite a while. Honestly I did not spend too much time in the ladies/girls area I was too busy looking at the guys stuff.
The address is 2995-C Old Fountain Road, Dacula, 30019 and you can reach them by phone at 770-682-5961 or via email spiritwares@bellsouth.net.
Relocating To Gwinnett County GA - City Information
Posted By Matt Hermes on December 17th, 2008
Gwinnett County Georgia is a fantastic place to live and I continually get asked about some of the different areas and cities of Gwinnett and what they have to offer. So, I have put together a list of some of but not all of the wonderful places to call home and wanted to share some basic information.
Buford: www.CityofBuford.com
Dacula: www.daculaga.org
Duluth: www.duluthga.net
Grayson: www.cityofgrayson.org
Suwanee: www.suwanee.com
Norcross: www.norcrossga.net
Snellville: www.snellville.org
Additional Information that you will need:
Natural Gas: Buford Gas (770-945-6761), Lawrenceville Gas (770-963-2414), Sugar Hill Gas (770-945-6716)
Electricity: City of Buford (770-945-6761) City of Lawrenceville (770-963-2414), City of Norcross (770-448-2122), Georgia Power (888-660-5890), Jackson EMC (770-963-6166), Walton EMC (770-972-2917)
Telephone: AT&T (800-626-9149)
Water: Gwinnett County Public Utilities (678-376-6800)
Drivers License: Ga Department of Motor Vehicles - various locations (678-413-8400)
If you need any additional information on these services please feel free to contact us and we wil be happy to help you in any way we can.
Georgia Force(d) to cancel AFL season in 2009
Posted By Matt Hermes on December 17th, 2008
The Georgia Force of the Arena Football League has been informed by the Arena Football League (AFL) that the 2009 season has been suspended. It has been rumored for weeks that the season was in jeopardy but last week the AFL Board of Directors issued the following statement.
“Every owner in the AFL is strongly committed to the League, the game, and, most importantly, the fans,” said Acting Commissioner ED POLICY. “Owners, however, recognize that, especially in light of the current unprecedented economic climate, the AFL, as a business enterprise, needs to be restructured if it is to continue to provide its unique brand of this affordable, fan-friendly sport.”
This is a blow to all the local Georgia Force fans who come to expect a break from the winter time blues and head to the Gwinnett Center for some faced paced, inexpensive entertainment. The Georgia Force has been in the Atlanta area for a number of years and has had a very successful campaign since moving back to Gwinnett a couple of years ago. Since Arthur Blank purchased the team in 2005, the Force had compiled a 33-15 record and had appeared in three consecutive playoffs. The team recently issued this response to the league news that the season was cancelled.
Gwinnett County Home Bargains
Posted By Matt Hermes on December 16th, 2008
Did you know that some of the best deals in Gwinnett County and our surrounding areas are not bank owned foreclosures? Sure, there are a number of current inventory homes that are priced to sell but not every foreclosure is a deal. I can tell you that we just put a foreclosure under contract that is a new home and it should/could have sold a year ago for close to $300K and we got it for under $200,000. This is a great deal and if you want to know where it is located let me know. There are a couple more homes in this subdivision and the bank is willing to deal.
Over the past year or so more and more buyers are regularly calling me and asking where all the bargains are in foreclosed and or short sale homes in Gwinnett and surrounding counties. Well, the simple answer to that question is to start getting an email list of homes that I can provide that shows what homes are currently bank owned and ready for a great bargain if you know what to do and how to get the best deal.
How do you do that you might ask? Get a qualified agent to represent you in the transaction. If not me, fine, get someone else, but do not try to get into a dual agency situation on bank owned homes. This is not a time to try and go it alone. Honestly, if you do not feel I am the right person, no problem, I will be happy to refer you to any number of fellow real estate agents out there that are ready, willing and able to assist you.
A Christmas Angel in Gwinnett County
Posted By Matt Hermes on December 15th, 2008
For the past couple of years there has been a neighbor of mine that has been a Christmas Angel for a number of local area children and families.
Janie Morris, a Hamilton Mill resident and school teacher at Atha Road Elementary school in Monroe Ga. has come to the aid of numerous families during the Christmas season. With her zeal for helping the needy and donations from numerous Hamilton Mill residents she has been able to provide Christmas toys, clothes and other items to those in need.
I have been so impressed with her thoughtfulness and generosity that I asked her to give me a little insight as to what she does and why she does it. It goes without saying that the families she helps are grateful and thankful to have such a special person in their lives.
So here is Janie’s responses to a few of the questions I asked.
What I do and Why I do It:
As a child Christmas was always such a special time. Although we were fairly poor my mother always made Christmas special. It was the one time of year for me when we knew we would get a new toy and new pajamas. Giving to children and their families at Christmas is a way to share blessings. Christmas was always special to me as a child and I want to help make it special for children who otherwise would not have gifts on Christmas. The thought of a child, regardless of age, waking up to no presents under the tree breaks my heart! This is my way of keeping the spirit of Christmas alive!
Recipients/Location of Families:
The families consist of children who Atha Road Elementary and their siblings from newborn through the 12th grade. When possible we also give a little something to the parent(s) guardians. Atha is located in Monroe, Ga. in Walton County. Each year the classroom teachers are asked to submit names of students to the school counselor who they think may need help at Christmas. The counselor contacts the parent / guardian and confirms they need help. If they do, a form is sent to the parent to complete. Information such as clothing size, shoe size, hobbies, and toys with a list are completed on the form. The counselor assigns each child a “number” (for confidentiality reasons) and people are asked to “adopt” a child for Christmas. Those of us who adopt the child (shop for them) do not know who the children are. The families remain anonymous to the shoppers. All gifts are put into black trash bags, tagged with the number, and taken to the school where they await parents to pick the gifts up on pick-up dates.
This will be the third Christmas the residents of Hamilton Mill have helped. I post on the message board asking for people to shop for a child and the responses have been great. This year Hamilton Mill helped 90 kids. One homeowner made it possible to shop for 63 of those kids! The generosity is amazing. ”Goodwill towards Men” is alive and well in Hamilton Mill.
So there you have it, a Christmas Angel living in our midst. My wife and I “adopted” one of the children and allowed our kids to help pick out the presents and clothes we provided and they had a lot of fun helping us.
If you would like more information or would like to donate to a needy child/family, email me and I will pass your information onto Janie. It is not to late to help a family in need.
