Georgia RealEstateRama

“As usual, we are seeing the end-of-the-year rush to fund the government, which leaves us scrambling to find a fix for issues that should have already been dealt with. In the new year I hope to see smaller, more focused bills that don’t come to us the last legislative week of the year.”

Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-14) issued the following statement after voting in favor of the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act (H.R. 8), which would modernize energy infrastructure and update obsolete energy policies

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) announced today it will award $25.8 million federal housing tax credits to construct or rehabilitate 33 affordable rental housing properties located throughout the state. The developments include affordable housing for working families, housing for Georgia seniors and housing for persons with disabilities, and were selected from 75 applications in the annual competition.

The panel of experts considered the following criteria in making their recommendations for awards: measurable benefits to affordable housing in Georgia; the degree to which the project or innovation can be replicated; how well the project or innovation responds to the identified need or opportunity; and cost-effectiveness.

Mayor Reed also called on the Atlanta community to support the #DayfortheBrave campaign, which raises funds for the Welcome Home Kit initiative. This initiative bundles donations for security deposits, utility deposits and home furnishings for veterans moving into their new apartments. The Welcome Home Kits consist of key items to successfully house veterans, such as landlord engagement assistance, housing navigation, and security and utility deposits, as well as furnishings to transform an empty apartment into a home.

The ABR Market Brief is designed to offer an overview of the Atlanta residential market by providing a synopsis of sales and home prices, and covers 11 counties: Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Fayette, Henry and Paulding. Numbers in the reports are updated each month to reflect any additional recordings from the previous month. Each month, the numbers reported for the previous month are updated to reflect additional recordings.

The City of Atlanta today launched a new website for the public to learn about and follow the progress of the Renew Atlanta infrastructure bond program, www.renewatlantabond.com. The Renew Atlanta program was approved by more than eight in ten voters in a special election held earlier this year. Over five years, the City of Atlanta plans to complete more than two hundred transportation and municipal facility projects, including major repairs and upgrades from an infrastructure maintenance backlog of nearly $900 million.

Isakson thanked Ray for her military service, as well as volunteers at Ray’s home, where Rebuilding Together Atlanta and Fifth Third Bank have been performing work to complete several home projects that have gone unfinished since the passing of Ray’s husband in 2014, including painting the interior and exterior of the home, installing trim and base molding, and repairing flooring in the home.

The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee passed H.R. 3763, the “Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015,” clearing the last major hurdle prior to moving the bill to the House Floor. Included in the bill is language from Rep. Woodall’s H.R. 3739, the “VETOPPS Act.” Previously introduced as a standalone bill, the bipartisan measure is now set to advance as part of the long-anticipated surface transportation legislation

A Georgia real estate investor pleaded guilty today for his role in conspiracies to rig bids and commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Fulton and DeKalb counties, Georgia.

The Metro Water District received this national recognition for making a difference through water efficiency innovation and WaterSense promotion in 2014. The Metro Water District is the water planning agency for the 15-county Atlanta region.

U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and David Perdue, R-Ga., today issued the following statement applauding the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit for ruling in favor of Georgia and 17 other states in granting a nationwide stay of the Obama administration’s onerous “Waters of the United States” rule

The Cobb County, Ga. Water System in Georgia was among those recognized today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a 2015 WaterSense Partner of the Year. The Partner of the Year awards program the commitment of WaterSense partners for creating, rebating, communicating and educating consumers about WaterSense-labeled products, homes and programs. A total of 17 winners and more than 1,700 other WaterSense partners have helped Americans save 1.1 trillion gallons of water and $21.7 billion in water and energy bills since 2006.

The Home Depot, headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., was among those recognized today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a 2015 WaterSense Partner of the Year. The Partner of the Year awards program the commitment of WaterSense partners for creating, rebating, communicating and educating consumers about WaterSense-labeled products, homes and programs. A total of 17 winners and more than 1,700 other WaterSense partners have helped Americans save 1.1 trillion gallons of water and $21.7 billion in water and energy bills since 2006.

The Atlanta Board of Realtors® has received a $2500.00 Placemaking micro-grant from the National Association of Realtors® to help make the Beltline community a better place to live and work by transforming unused public spaces into vibrant community places. The grant is intended to help Realtor Associations partner with others to plan, organize, implement and maintain placemaking activities in their communities