Woodstock Youth Wins Grant

The Del Monte Foods "Do Something" program has honored 6 year old Lizzie Marie of Woodstock with a $2,500 grant for her creation of healthy cooking/nutrition shows to be shown in hospitals. Lizze was the youngest winner (by far) of the 10 recipients of this award. You can read more about this contest by clicking HERE or you can visit the Do Something website by clicking HERE. Woodstock is proud of Lizzie Marie!

FoxTale Book Shoppe

I love independent book stores! I love the fact that they carry really good books that nobody else does. I love the fact that the people who own them care about their customers and read what they sell. I love that they can ask you a few questions about what you like and make an accurate, good recommendation. And I love the feeling of community when I shop in one. All of those reasons are why I am a customer at FoxTale Book Shoppe in downtown Woodstock.
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I had the very good pleasure of meeting with one of FoxTale Book Shoppe's owners, Ellen Ward to talk to her about my favorite independent bookstore. My son and I sat at the checkout counter and had a terrific visit with her while she shared with us all about FoxTale.
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Upon arrival, one of the first things a visitor will notice is that the place is decorated like nobody's business! It's like visiting a cool, literary friends' place. Of course there are books on gorgeous shelves, but there is so much more to see. Each time I've gone to FoxTale, there has been a new window display. This time, there was a waterfall, colorful leaves, autumn touches and big, stuffed dogs that every customer under the age of four wanted to ride on.
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Ellen gives the credit for the shop's amazing decor to her partner, Karen Schwettman. Karen has a background in interior design so she really came through for them by giving the store the unique look, the cozy feel and the interesting touches such as the stunning chandelier, reading nooks and the fun bicycle dangling from the ceiling in the children's room. A favorite of almost all of the customers is the door that doubles as the checkout counter.
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Ellen says that there is a reason there are 2 barstool chairs at the checkout. "All of us (owners) are writers and we like to hear stories. When people come up here to check out, they'll have a seat and we just talk. We love to hear their stories. It helps us get to know our customers on a much more personal level."
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When I asked Ellen how FoxTale came to be, she relayed a story about how she, Jackie & Karen all attended a writing class at KSU and became friends. When Karen & Ellen went to Denver for their 50th birthday, they visited The Tattered Cover book store and were inspired by it. After that, everything started really coming together. Ellen thinks it's quite a trifecta that they all have backgrounds that compliment each other. Besides Karen's interior decorating background, Ellen worked in advertising for 18 years. Jackie was a paralegal. Together, they have all been able to take on various responsibilities to help the store run smoothly.
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When asked about their vision for the store, Ellen said it's the same vision of most independent book stores: to be an integral part of the community, to carry good books that larger chains don't have and to cooperate with other businesses nearby to create a stronger sense of community. They want to be able to point serious readers like me to really good books that I may not know about. One of my observations that Ellen confirmed is that unusual people gravitate to independent bookstores. And this book store is a necessary element to a part of downtown Woodstock in it's new growth phase where more communities are being established within walking distance of the main street area. This is creating a more diverse group of people coming downtown to shop, dine and enjoy the park.
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Besides the fun activities that the book store hosts, they also stay open after hours for book clubs to meet. They host authors, have birthday parties for children in their big children's room, and even have a story time each Monday and Saturday at 11am. With all of the events and book clubs at FoxTale, Ellen suggests that people either come by the store or send an e-mail to her at Ellen@foxtalebookshoppe.com to request being added to their e-mail announcement list. This will keep you "in the know" about their activities and events. OR, you can just check out the EVENTS on the sidebar of this site and we'll be sure to have FoxTales's updated regularly.
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When asked what types of things are on the horizon for FoxTale Book Shoppe, Ellen says they are about to start an online ordering service from their website (CLICK HERE), offer writing classes, add more book clubs and possibly start serving coffee, tea and snacks.
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As we talked about living in Cherokee County, I asked Ellen what some of her favorite places are (both in Cherokee and in north Georgia). Since she lives in Waleska, she enjoys activities at Reinhardt College (especially the music events) and shopping in Canton. She also loves visiting
Amicalola Falls, the High Museum of Art, the Georgia Aquarium and the fabulous Fox Theatre.
As I browsed the store, I couldn't help but remember that Christmas is just around the corner! Not only did I see books for sale, but also candles, calendars, journals, stuffed animals and loads of quality educational toys and really unique gifts that you don't see for sale everywhere else.
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Ellen reminded me that if they don't have a book that I'm looking for, they can order it and in most cases, the book will be delivered to them the NEXT DAY!
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While I was there, a man came in to pick up a gift bag. Ellen tells me that many people call them with a budget and tell them what the receiver likes. FoxTales will put together a collection of items that fit your budget. The one I saw was very nice and the goodies were in a nice FoxTales canvas tote bag.
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And in case you are reading this, Santa, here are a few things I would like to add to my personal Christmas wish list:

1. Savannah Bee Sugared Honey Body Scrub

2. This very cool FoxTale Book Shoppe fitted T-shirt3. Rock-n-Roll Quiz & Trivia page-a-day calendar
Be sure to visit FoxTale Book Shoppe located 105 East main Street, #138 next to the Woodstock City Park. (Map:Map of 105 E Main St Woodstock, GA 30188-5013, US ) Take your Christmas list with you!

So you want to be an investor?

It always seems to happen. When I meet someone new or I am getting to know an acquaintance, the subject of what we do for a living usually comes up. When they hear I am a real estate agent, these days they act apologetic and say things like "I sorry, it must be tough for you now" or "what do you think the market is going to?" My answer to both questions is the same. "The market has changed but I am very excited about the opportunities available."

This seems to take people by surprise a little because I am very optimistic about the future of real estate. Part of the reason is because I not only sell real estate, I am an investor, too. I also work with other investors and this is a great time to invest in real estate.

A post I wrote about last week (READ IT HERE)talks about how rents are on the increase in Atlanta. Supply of affordable rental housing is low and people will always need a place to live. It is a great time to buy because prices are flat and there is an abundance of houses available. There are still great loan programs available for people with fair to good credit and even FHA programs for first time buyers are starting to get traction again. If fact, I closed an FHA sale on Thursday to a single mom who bought her first home, a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, updated ranch on almost an acre of land in Woodstock. She only neeeded to bring $6,000 to the closing table and was able to walking away with a payment of about $1,000 per month, which included taxes and insurance.

My attention last week was towards renters who may be ready to buy a house and to get them thinking about what it takes to be a home owner. Today, I want to explore the world of investing. When I tell people that I am also an investor, most say something like "I have always wanted to do that but...."

With all of the reality TV shows about "Flipping" properties, I always wonder why more people don't explore what it takes to be an investor. Realtor.com recently had an article about the best markets to be a "flipper" and you can read it here.

I think know why more people don't invest in real estate. The answer, it is harder than it looks! It takes a lot of homework, due diligence and sometimes nerves of steel. At some point, you have to quit analyzing deals and "fish or cut bait" as the saying goes.

If you are wanting to put your money somewhere and let it grow without actively being involved, real estate is probably not the best place for you. But if the idea of being able to borrow money to pay for your investment appeals to you (try going to the bank and asking for a loan to buy stocks or bonds) and you want to either invest for monthly cash flow or long term equity buildup, real estate may be a perfect vehicle for you to use to accomplish that goal.

It's a great time to be a buyer, either as an owner/occupant or investor. I am confident that I can find a property that will meet your needs either way. Call me today and let's spend a few minutes talking about real estate, it is one of my favorite things to do!

Michael Bradford
Southern Prime Realty
770-862-8002