View video survey of the kitchen and master bathroom upgrades in this recently reduced-priced home on a cul-de-sac in Brookside Plantation subdivision with the master on the main level.

Lawrenceville, Georgia

The article primarily draws attention to the tremendous growth and changes that have taken place over the past several years in Suwanee, and how the growth has been well planned around the the attraction and amenities which brought people to Suwanee in the first place.  Buyers are finding great deals in the homes for sale in Suwanee and the surrounding areas, because the city’s other attractions such as great schools, parks, greenway trails and a thriving civic community spirit continue to grow in value.

Suwanee Feature in the Sunday AJC Homes Section - 12-14-2008

Original post at GwinnettDwellings.com

Well, it has always been applicable until 2008, when suddenly it appears that all real estate can be discussed on a nationwide basis and lumped together as a single unified commodity. The truth is, and I understand that I’m preaching to the choir for the most part, there is no national housing market. The “national housing market” being discussed and lamented for the past several months is actually made up of thousands of very “real” individual neighborhood markets in your communities and mine, where the true market values should be and normally are determined by, you guessed it……Location, Location, Location.

Now, I am not ignorant enough to think that our economy does not have serious problems or that the real estate industry is not suffering from mistakes made during the boom years of easy loans and soaring demand. I know that the high number of foreclosures, short-sales and bank-owned properties have a tremendous impact on neighborhood markets, and has drawn attention at a national level. However, I do believe that the overwhelming fear and lack of confidence has been increased by misrepresenting the problem with a constant barrage of news on declining “national housing” prices. The truth is most of us will suffer to some degree during these challenging times and many will suffer more than others, but it also true that some bold individuals will flourish because they make wise choices and take courageous risks based on the actual conditions in their specific location, not based on national averages.

Part of our role as real estate professionals is to help communicate to the public and educate the public that real estate is local, has always been local and will always be local. The news about the market in another part of the country does not universally apply in our communities. It is our role to find out what the market is doing in our specific community. This may require us to focus even more intensely on even smaller segments of our communities….even down to neighborhood levels.

We need to be able to accurately advise our clients, buyers and sellers, on their realistic options. In today’s market, those options may not always be in our immediate best interest, as agents, for all neighborhoods, but in the long term we will all benefit from a market that operates on the best local information and facts. The challenges and opportunities are all unique to the location.

We still buy and sell real estate based on Location, Location, Location. In fact, one of the first questions agents ask of their buyers is, “Where are you interested in living?”

Original post at ActiveRain.com

For the sports fans, music fans and youngsters interested in taking a break from eating, there will be plenty of other entertaining distractions. Dish Networks will have a tent fully-equipped to air college football games for the football fanatics attending the event. The Kids Zone will be filled with new, improved inflatable activity centers to entertain children of all ages with fun games and lots of bouncing. The amphitheater stage will host live music and performances throughout the afternoon to suit a variety of “tastes.” As festival-goers move from one restaurant to another throughout the park, they will be able to visit with various business “Community Partners” and purchase arts and crafts from local in the Artist Market area.

The event benefits the North Gwinnett High School Tip-Off Club.

Admission is Free! Tickets to sample food and enjoy the activities in the Kid Zone are 50 cents each. Each food sample or activity cost 1-6 tickets.

The best options for Free Parking are located offsite at the Suwanee Public Library and Shadowbrook Baptist Church with free shuttles (11:30-5:30) running from the park to the church and library.

The residents of Settles Bridge and Barrington subdivisions have the added benefit of being right next door to this beautiful park with sidewalk access from their neighborhood entrance areas.  All of the residential neighborhoods along Suwanee Dam Road northwest of Peachtree Industrial will benefit from their close proximity to this new park and many neighborhoods are within easy walking or bicycling distance.  Residents can enjoy the opportunity to picnic in the park or just watch their children play in the playground and along the trails.  This is just one more reason to consider Suwanee when looking for a great place to “play hard, live well and smile more.”

Photos taken Sunday (10/5/08)  Sims Lake Park in Suwanee, GA Community Video - Suwanee, GA 30024

The City of Suwanee shares many of the same goals as Gwinnett county in upgrading the solid waste management systems within our community.  These goals include expanding recycling opportunities, saving energy, improving collection efficiencies, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, environmental enhancements and improving resident quality of life.  As city officials analyze Suwanee’s needs in 2009, opportunites will be provided for citizen input and feedback throughout the process.

Steve Williams, a representative from the railroad helping to oversee the underpass construction, explained that they are currently driving pylons deep into the embankment on the Town Center side of the tracks and installing a wooden retaining wall to support the railroad embankment to avoid disturbing the tracks during the actual digging.  Because of the limited embankment depth and close proximity of the tracks, the digging cannot be done with typical heavy equipment mechanical boring, but will actually be completed using hand-held equipment.   As the soil is dug out from under the tracks, steel support walls will be progressively bolted together in sections and installed in an arch beneath the tracks.  The fabrication of the steel support walls is one of the many components of the project which has been taking place off site and behind the scenes for some time.

The City of Suwanee, Georgia’s ability to obtain a $1 million dollar grant and, more importantly, obtain approval from the railroad to construct this pedestrian underpass is more evidence of the tremendous foresight and tenacity of the government and business leaders in this community.  This project demonstrates Suwanee’s total committment to providing sustainable economic growth while retaining and revitalizing the existing historic and natural beauty of the our hometown community.

Keyboardist Brian Clay is a WJZZ on-air personality, who also performs throughout the Atlanta area with a blend of smooth jazz grooves and urban rhythms.  Melvin Miller is a creative trumpet player and prolific performer, who was a featured artist at Town Center Park earlier this summer.  His latest CD release titled Here’s to Life is receiving rave reviews from the jazz community.  In addition, he is a member of the contemporary R&B/Jazz ensemble group, 5 Men on a Stool, where they blend a combination of various genres ranging from classic soul and jazz to hip-hop. Jeff Sparks‘ is a Jazz/Christian artist, whose soprano saxophone has also been featured on the Town Center Park stage during the 2008 season.  Jeff’s new CD is titled Havin’ Fun and will be available at tomorrow night’s concert.

The evening promises to be a perfect finale to a great season of wonderful music and fun in the beautiful Town Center Park.  As always, there will be plenty of activities for young and old throughout the park, including food and drinks, games for children and the variety of retail shops and restaurants surrounding the park.  The cool fall evening provides a comfortable backdrop for the great music and other activities.