Well, we were able to collect over 250 pair of slightly used athletic shoes and will be donating them to the Atlanta Union Mission in the next couple of weeks.

My 8 year old daughter thought we could help some folks in need and after reading an article about used tennis shoes in a tennis magazine we thought we could collect some and give to those in need versus giving them back to the manufacturer.

Here is a photo of McClain and the shoes we collected.

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Check out all the scheduled in events in today’s Gwinnett Daily Post.

Celebration Locations - Gwinnett Daily Post (7/1/09)

Out of over 2800 students selected for the National Merit Scholarship, 14 graduates representing six different high schools within the Gwinnett County Public School system were chosen.  The list of National Merit Scholars included two graduates from North Gwinnett and one from Collins Hill here in Suwanee. The other high schools represented were Brookwood, Parkview, Norcross and Duluth high schools.

The Robert C. Boyd Honors Scholars included 12 Gwinnett County Public School graduates representing 12 different high schools, including Suwanee’s North Gwinnett, Collins Hill and Peachtree Ridge.

Congratulations to all the scholarship recipients and to the outstanding work of the high schools here in Gwinnett county.

For a complete list of the student names and more information, check out Heather Darenberg’s article in the Sunday (6/28) Gwinnett Daily Post.

Entrance to Baltimore

These are quite different from the other fees that may be involved in a real estate transaction, and there are a LOT of fees.  The lenders have fees, the closing attorney has fees, there are state fees, county fees, insurance fees, delivery fees…  Simply put, buyers and sellers are paying plenty of fees.  Adding some BS junk fee like a paperwork fee, transaction fee, administrative fee or broker fee is just adding insult to injury.

There is already a commission or sales fee that the real estate broker and agent are sharing.  There is no reason to add another official sounding fee on top of this that is after the negotiated amounts.

And, that is how it usually works… the seller negotiates the fee for selling their home, and everyone shakes hands… and then the agent mentions that there is a $495 paperwork fee or something along those lines.  They say it is required… maybe not saying that they are the ones requiring it…

In the case of buyers, after going through the buyer’s agency agreement and telling the buyer that the commission is generally paid by the seller, they hit the buyer up for a transaction fee… again, saying it is a requirement.

There are various reasons for this…  What it mostly comes down to is that people and companies in the real estate industry are hurting for income.  But, many of our clients aren’t exactly rolling in money… and even if they were, it isn’t right to tack on junk just because we think we can… Some agents are working for companies that charge US a closing fee for closing a transaction instead of charging a split and the agents are passing it along.  It should be part of their cost of doing business.

I just say NO!

No additional fees.  You will know EXACTLY what you are paying for my services prior to delivery and prior to completing the negotiations.  I try to deliver more for EVERY client than other agents… but that doesn’t mean I need to add junk fees on top of fair fee structure.

And there are some different options available for sellers… but that is another post.

from LaneBailey.com

This home is fantastic 3 bedroom 2 bath ranch that has been extremely well maintained by the owners. It has a nice open kitchen, a great room and family room combined, hardwood floors, and too many other great features to list. Conveniently located near I-85 just minutes from downtown Atlanta. Come see for yourself!!

Nick Underwood                                   

Diamond Dwellings Realty, Realtor

nicku989@yahoo.com

(770) 899.0962

In the last 8 weeks, we’ve added a whole bunch of new Hamilton Mill listings to the Gwinnett Real Estate Listings.  None finer than the gem we listed today over on Heathermoor Way in Windridge.  This house is immaculate AND really well priced - not the usual combination

It’s got one of the best back yards anywhere in Hamilton Mill with well groomed bermuda grass and great fence around the entire perimeter.  The basement is fully finished - professionally done - with all the details covered.

They’ve also added lots of upgrades on the main floors, including lots of trim upgrades in the dining room, etc.

It’s initially priced at $315,900 (call for latest pricing if you are reading this post and it’s been a while).

Opening on August 18, 2006 with approximately 100 students, GGC held its first commencement ceremony on May 29, 2009 featuring U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus speaking to the class of approximately 40 graduates along with their friends, families, community leaders and college staff.  The college now expects to enroll over 3000 students in the fall semester and is well on its way to becoming a strong educational institution for the state.

While there are no established timetables for gaining accreditation, GGC’s ability to achieve this tremendous goal in less than three years is a testimony to the drive and determination of the college president, Dr. Daniel J. Kaufman,  as well as his faculty and staff.  Georgia’s first new 4-year public college in over 100 years is now accredited and prepared to continue adding new degree programs and students in the many years to come.

This article is intended to peak your curiosity and get comments about more specific ideas from you as citizens, residents and visitors to Suwanee for the future use of the property bordered by Main St, Scales Rd and Jackson St including the historic Pierce’s Corner building.  Even with our recent economic struggles, renovation and revitalization projects have been taking place all over Gwinnett county as residents look to preserve the past with tasteful modern businesses for entertainment, relaxation, shopping and services. Give your comments and let your friends and neighbors know what businesses you would frequent at Pierce’s Corner in Old Town Suwanee. If you haven’t seen the Old Town area in a while, then cruise on down Main Street and check it out.

The Old Town Main Street area is one of the key components in the recently completed Downtown Master Plan and which included, as always in Suwanee, a great deal of input from the residents of our community. The previous Old Town Master plan in 2002 included resident input and suggestions for the future of the Old Town Main Street. The citizen inputs for the Old Town district plan generally called for a mixture of retail, residential and commercial offices in a pedestrian-friendly environment while maintaining the historic environment. Many of these ideas have already been implemented with the restoration and renovation of several Main Street properties for businesses which include Revival Hair Salon, Main Street Photography, Allstate Insurance and other office and retail businesses.

I know… it doesn’t sound like the most glamorous event, but it was a lot of fun.  It was cool to see the technology inside the buildings.  Currently most trash carriers only handle 7 items for recycling.  The RBG is trying to push that to 35 items.  The have the ability to hold 250 garbage truck loads of recyclables while they are processed.  Cardboard, aluminum, paper and many types of plastic are all easily classified, separated and packaged fro shipment.  This can help reduce the loads on the current landfill system, as well as save money for the county.

After an enlightening view inside the RBG, we headed out towards Buford to visit the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center for their Earth Day Celebration.  We were running late and much of the crowd had already started to dissipate.  Some of the vendors and exhibitors had also packed it up.  However, there was still a lot to do, especially for Garrett.  At only 4 (almost 5) much of the science and ecology are lost on him, but he likes to walk the trails and visit the water room.

Personally, I love seeing the technology that makes the center one of the few LEED Silver Certified buildings in the southeast.  The ‘Green Roof’ and the water feature which functions as a heat exchanger are a couple of the items that top the cool list.  They have achieved a 35% reduction in energy usage for the center through the use of design, water feature, the planted roof and daylight utilization.

Either of these would be a great field trip.

from GwinnettGarageGuy.com

See the SlideShow on LaneBailey.com