Newsweek has published their annual list of the 1, 500 top U.S. high schools, and schools in Georgia make up 51 of them. It’s really a great time for Newsweek to release these rankings because we are just now at the beginning of summer. Many people are looking to relocate and school districts are going to be a big part of the final decision on where to move. You can move now and be settled into your new home before school starts in August. So, the big question is which school districts do you need to be looking into. The high schools that excel include Walton (Marietta), North Gwinnett (Suwanee), Campbell (Smyrna), Riverwood (Sandy Springs/Atlanta), Dunwoody (Dunwoody), Sprayberry (Marietta) – just to name a few.

Interested in what other schools made the cut? Check out the full list from Newsweek by clicking here.

Pending sales of previously owned homes in April unexpectedly saw their biggest monthly gain in 7-1/2 years, a report from a trade group Tuesday showed, supporting views the recession is easing.
The National Association of Realtors said its Pending Home Sales Index, based on contracts signed in April, rose 6.7% in April to 90.3 from 84.6 in March.

It was the third straight monthly increase and the largest jump since October 2001. The monthly gain took the index 3.2% above its year-ago level in the latest sign the battered U.S. housing sector was stabilizing.

“It’s a very positive and encouraging number. It plays into the ‘green shoots,’ economy stabilization story,” said William Hornbarger, senior fixed income strategist at Wachovia Securities in St. Louis.

Economists polled ahead of the report were expecting pending home sales to rise 0.5%.

The downturn in the housing market touched off a global credit crisis that sent economies worldwide tumbling into recession. Now, signs are emerging that the global economy is beginning to heal.

The association’s senior economist, Lawrence Yun, credited improved home affordability and a new government program that provides an $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers for the surge in buying activity.

The NAR said its Housing Affordability Index, which blends factors like home prices and mortgage rates, was “in record territory” with 30-year mortgage rates hovering around 5% and an abundance of homes on the market.

The last time the trade group’s pending home sales index had risen for at least three straight months was the period from July through October 2004 — a housing boom year.

Copyright 2009 Reuters Limited.

Summer is here! The sun is bright, the weather is warm, and the kids are are out of school. They have the long lazy days of June & July ahead so why not get out and enjoy some fun activities together. Here is a list of upcoming events around Atlanta including park outings, free movies, fireworks, story times, puppet shows and more!

Click here to view the full document!

Thanks to those that joined us for our Third Annual Braves Game & Tailgate on Sunday, May 3rd. We had a beautiful day at Turner Field and were there to cheer for the home team along with some of our favorite people! Here are some great photos from our tailgate. Stay tuned for more information about future events in the next newsletter.

The Suits Team newsletter is now available online in a PDF format. Be sure to check out this month’s issue with important real estate information, news from the team, gardening basics and details regarding our Braves Game & Tailgate event on Sunday, May 3rd.

Click here to download the PDF format.

Adorable Bungalow on one of the best streets in Brookhaven! Beautiful quality renovation from top to bottom. Home features 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths with a huge basement for storage. Completely renovated eat-in kitchen with granite countertops, new cabinets, newer appliances and french doors leading to large patio. Great family room with sunny window and lots of natural light. Incredible Master Suite with 2 closets and glamorous Master Bath with separate jacuzzi tub and shower, double vanity and built-in shelves. Incredibly large secondary bedrooms. Beautiful hardwood floors, designer paint colors and upgraded plumbing and light fixtures throughout. Large lot with gorgeous low maintenance landscaping, sprinkler system, great patio and fenced backyard. Best location in Brookhaven! Easy access to 400 and 85. Walking distance to New Brookhaven Village with great shopping and restaurants!

Click here to view a virtual tour of this property!

Renovated To Perfection! Bright and open, 4 sides brick ranch features 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths in great Drew Valley location. Spacious familiy room with plantation shutters. Beautiful detailed arched opening from family room into nice sized dining room. French doors open from dining room/kitchen to incredible oversized deck for entertaining. Wonderful kitchen with lots of cabinet space, all new stainless steel appliances and opens to dining and family room. Great mudroom/laundry room with storage cabinets. Nice size secondary bedrooms. Guest bathroom with new tile, lighting, vanity and tub with extra thick glass shower doors. Master Suite addition with two closets and glamorous master bath with double sinks, jacuzzi tub and extra thick glass shower doors. Beautiful hardwood floors, newly painted interior/exterior and new molding, chair railing and lighting throughout. Newer roof and hotwater heater. Large fenced in backyard. Best Location – Easy Access to 400 & 85. Walk to New Brookhaven Village – great restaurants & shopping!

Click here to view a Virtual Tour of this property!

Fannie Mae reported its refinancing volume jumped to more than $41 billion in February, nearly three times its refinancing volume in January and the highest refinancing volume in nearly a year.

The Washington, D.C.-based mortgage giant expects refinancing volume to continue to increase this year.

“Borrowers are increasingly taking advantage of the low mortgage rates available in the market today,” said Tom Lund, executive vice president of Fannie Mae’s single-family mortgage business. “We anticipate that volumes will increase even more as millions of additional homeowners become eligible to refinance under the President’s Making Home Affordable plan.”

A separate report Wednesday from the Mortgage Bankers Association said mortgage applications rose 21 percent last week, led by a 30 percent jump in applications to refinance existing mortgages.

Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM) said more than 100,000 borrowers have used its Website to see if they’re eligible to refinance under the Obama administration’s refinancing plan. About 50,000 have called Fannie Mae’s national hotline since the plan was announced.

Freddie Mac (NYSE: FRE) will report weekly average mortgage rates Thursday. Last week, it said 30 year fixed-rate mortgages fell to an average of 5.03 percent, down from 5.15 percent a week earlier.

Long-term mortgage rates fell to 4.96 percent in January, the lowest since Freddie Mac began tracking rates.

Click here to read the entire article from the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

The Suits Team newsletter is now available online in a PDF format. Check out this month’s issue containing important information about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (also known as “The Stimulus Bill”), news from the Team, our upcoming Braves Tailgate event and more!

Click here to view the newsletter!

Keller Williams Realty is now the third-largest real estate franchise in the country, as measured by number of agents.

Keller Williams had 72,794 agents at the end of 2008, according to Real Trends, a trade publication. That pulled it ahead of Re/Max International, which had been third.

The company has 679 offices in the United States, and it said it distributed $30 million to agents last year through a profit-sharing program.

Keller Williams focuses on residential real estate but last year launched a commercial division, which now has 220 brokers in the U.S. and Canada.

Click here to read the full press release.