Author: Amanda Fard

Spring + Metro Atlanta = Food Truck Heaven  

Posted on by Amanda Fard

http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-image32207660I don’t know about you, but when I see a food truck… I get hungry. It doesn’t matter if I just had lunch – that truck wafting delicious aromas into my car makes for a “rumbly in my tumbly,” as Winnie the Pooh would say.

Good news for metro-Atlanta residents who also suffer from Rumbly-Tumbly Syndrome… We live in a city that is quite food truck-friendly! Here are a few food truck events around Metro to curb your cravings {pun intended}…

 

Food Truck Tuesdays

3188 Atlanta Rd SE, Smyrna 30080

Smyrna is bringing back “Food Truck Tuesdays” for the third year in a row. Residents can enjoy delicious fare from a multitude of food trucks in Taylor-Brawner Park starting at 5 PM beginning May 5. Here’s a link to the City of Smyrna’s events page with its May 5th line up. Come on out to support local FT’s along with others of Metro’s finest food on wheels!

Brookhaven Food Truck Nights

3493 Ashford Dunwoody Rd, Atlanta 30319

Brookhaven Food Truck Nights returns to Blackburn Park on Wednesday, May 6 starting at 5 PM! Each Wednesday, FT’s from around the city will be there for your culinary pleasure along with live entertainment and a bounce house for the kiddo provided by Baseline Jumps. {Any chance the bounce house is open to children of “all ages?”} Food, friends, a bounce house, and the possibility of wine and beer to be sold on site this year (according to their Facebook Page)… Sounds like a fabulous way to spend a Wednesday night to me!

Atlanta Food Truck Park & Event Center

1850 Howell Mill RD, Atlanta 30318

The Atlanta Food Truck Park & Event Center is, “the first permanent food truck site in Atlanta offering food trucks to the community and visitors for lunch and dinner,” according to the site’s Frequently Asked Questions section, http://atlantafoodtruckpark.com/faqs/.

{How cool is this?! I know I’m a bit late to the party seeing as the AFTP has been up and running since 2012. BUT, that doesn’t mean you should put it on the back burner for Family Night or Date Night.}

Want to know when your favorite FT will be there? Check out their Facebook page. Also, remember to BYOB, lawn chairs, blankets, and coolers to enjoy in the green space!

Happy May Day!

-Amanda

 

Explore Atlanta: Where to Find the Best Burger in Atlanta

Posted on by Amanda Fard

According to the calendar, summer is slowly winding down which means the eventual end to backyard bar-b-ques, picnics and grilling. Luckily, you don’t really need a special season to enjoy a burger; and in Atlanta we have an abundance of burger joints to explore!

Our friends over at Garden & Gun magazine recently asked their readers to submit suggestions for the best Southern burger spots. And while we love our Southern neighbors, we’re kind of partial to good old Atlanta – so here are the best burger places in Atlanta according to Garden & Gun magazine readers:

 

Bocado | 887 Howell Mill Rd, Atlanta, GA 30318  (404) 815-1319

Brake Pad | 3403 Main Street, College Park, GA 30337 (404) 766-1515

Canyons Burger Company | 335 Chambers Street, Woodstock, GA (678) 494-8868

Downwind Restaurant & Lounge | Inside Peachtree Dekalb Airport

Farm Burger | several Atlanta area locations

Flip Burger | several Atlanta area locations

George’s Bar & Restaurant | 1041 N. Highland Ave, Atlanta, GA 30306 (404) 892- 3648

Grindhouse Killer Burgers | several Atlanta area locations

H. Harper Station | 904 Memorial Drive, Atlanta, GA 30316 (678) 732- 0415

Holeman & Finch Public House | 2277 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, GA (404) 948-1175

Houston’s | several Atlanta area locations

Illegal Food | 427 Edgewood Ave, Atlanta, GA   (404) 401-7155

Stoney River | 1640 Cumberland Mall, Atlanta, GA 30339 (678) 305- 9229

The General Muir | 1540 Avenue Place, Emory Point, Atlanta, GA 30329 (678) 927-9131

The Varsity | 61 North Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30308 (404) 881-1706

The Vortex | several Atlanta area locations

Wrecking Ball Brewpub | 292 Moreland Ave, Atlanta, GA 30307 (404) 221-2600

Yeah! Burger | 1017 N. Highland Ave, Atlanta, GA 30306 (404) 437-7845

Happy eating everyone!
– Amanda

 

 

 

3 ½ Tips to Help You Sell Your Home….Faster!

Posted on by Amanda Fard

Ever wonder why some homes seem to sell the day after the For Sale sign goes up? Well, there are a number of reasons why homes sell quickly; but as a homeowner, you can certainly help the process along by following these quick and easy tips to help sell your home….faster!

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Tip #1: Break up with your home

It may sound strange, but the first thing you need to do is fall out of love with your home. Start thinking of your home as a product that needs to be marketed to the widest possible audience. If you still think of your home the same way you did the day you moved in, it will be difficult to begin the process of handing it over to someone else. Emotionally separating yourself from the memories will help you perform all the tasks needed to get your home in buyer-ready shape!

Tip #2: Do a drive-by

Do a drive-by of your home, and ask yourself if you’d want to go inside? Is the lawn manicured and well-kept? Is the front door clean and inviting? Is the mailbox standing upright? Does the house look loved? Homeowners tend to focus only on the interior of their home when getting it ready to sell; but it’s important to remember that a home’s curb appeal is what creates that critical first impression with prospective buyers. Help your home put its best foot forward by breaking out the lawnmower and paint brush to spiffy up the exterior in preparation for all the buyer visits you’ll soon be receiving.

Tip #3: Make beige your BFF

It’s true, beige is  beautiful – especially to prospective home buyers! You may love your bright yellow bedroom walls and antique taxidermy collection; but when buyers enter your home, they want to feel like it could be theirs. Buyers need a neutral canvas to work with, and if there’s too much of you and your life on display, they won’t be able to see themselves living in your home. Start the process of neutralizing by walking through your home with your “buyer goggles” on and answer the question, “who lives in this house?” If you are reminded in every room that you live there, then start subtracting down to the point where your home could be anybody’s home. Don’t go so far that the home is lacking personality; just cut back on the really personal and potentially polarizing items.

Tip #3 ½: Get out of the 80’s

An important tip that ties into Tip #3 is to ensure your home is not out-dated. If buyers walk into your home and think they’re on the set of The Golden Girls, you have a problem. Today’s buyers want a home that’s up-do-date and fresh. In a competitive seller’s market,  the last thing you want is a buyer to leave your home thinking “That was a great house, but…….” A small investment in updating your bathrooms, kitchen and overall appearance of your home will pay off with stronger offers, and hopefully a quicker sale!

– Amanda

Explore Atlanta: Decatur Book Festival

Posted on by Amanda Fard

2014-poster-diterlizziI love curling up with a good book! I also love supporting local events – so this Labor Day weekend, I’m going to check out the Decatur Book Festival.

The AJC Decatur Book Festival is the largest independent book festival in the country and one of the five largest overall. Since the festival’s launch nine years ago, more than 1,000 world-class authors and hundreds of thousands of festival-goers have crowded the historic downtown Decatur square to enjoy book signings, author readings, panel discussions, writing workshops, and more.

This year’s festival runs from August 29th through August 31st and features a full line-up of activities including:

  • A children’s stage featuring interactive activities and presentations by top authors and illustrators
  • Live music performed by nationally touring musicians
  • Cooking demonstrations by noted cookbook authors
  • Food and beer vendors, and a wine garden
  • The second annual art|DBF showcase
  • An opening day Children’s Parade, and a special Wizard of Oz parade on Sunday
  • A Youth Poetry Slam, for kids 12–18 years old and a poetry slam for adults.
  • A series on the sesquicentennial of the Civil War
  • Over 160 vendors in the book market and street fair

The festival is accessible by MARTA, just take the Blue Line to the Decatur stop, and you’ll exit the station in the center of the festival! If you decide to drive, there is plenty of parking available in decks, metered spaces, and paid private lots.  If you fancy a weekend bicycle trip to the festival, The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition has a free bike valet set up on N. McDonough Street, in front of the DeKalb County Courthouse. 

Hope to see all my fellow book lovers this weekend!

– Amanda

How To Avoid The 2 Biggest Home Buying Mistakes

Posted on by Amanda Fard

177165paper_shuffleDo you ever begin a project and end up muddling your way through the whole thing, only to just barely survive the chaos and come out on the other end thinking, “There has to be a better way!”

Well, don’t let the home buying process be another one of those muddled up projects! With years of real estate experience, I’m here to help you learn from the biggest mistakes I’ve seen home buyers make time, and time again.

Mistake #1: Not getting pre-qualified or pre-approved for a loan Sure, you can search for homes without ever talking to a loan officer; but that’s like planning a vacation without knowing your travel dates. Understanding how much home you can afford should be your first priority once you’ve committed to purchasing a home.

Beyond the obvious reason of helping focus your search to what you can truly afford, most sellers won’t even consider an offer unless proof of pre-qualification is submitted. For more information on the pre-qualification process, check out this quick summary from one of my recommended vendors, Supreme Lending.

Mistake #2: Not clearly defining your home search criteria When a buyer recently told me she was looking for a 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom house in Marietta, I told her she’d have to narrow down her search a bit, otherwise we’d spend a year or so looking at thousands of active listings in Marietta that match her criteria. You can’t possibly look at thousands of homes, nor do you want to! Narrowing down your home search will help you, and your agent, pinpoint homes that truly meet your wants and needs. One way to sort through all the options is to make a Top 5 list.

Your top 5’s can focus on anything that’s important to you, from school districts and commuting time, to backyard size and closet space. While it’s easy to deviate from your list, try to stick to your original Top 5 – it’s usually the best indication of what you truly want. Of course you may not know exactly what you want right out of the gate – that’s okay too. A good agent will guide you through the real estate jungle, and show you what’s available in your price point so you will ultimately be able to come up with your Top 5 list.

While there is no denying the home buying process is hard work, avoiding the mistakes of home buyers past will help keep you on a path to success and home ownership.

– Amanda

Explore Atlanta: The Piedmont Park Arts Festival

Posted on by Amanda Fard

What do you get when you co2014_Piedmont_postermbine arts and crafts, food, Piedmont Park and FREE admission? The perfect late summer activity!

The 5th Annual Piedmont Park Arts Festival kicks off tomorrow and features up to 250 painters, photographers, sculptors, leather and metalwork, glass blowers, jewelers and crafters spread throughout Piedmont Park.

The festival will also offer artist demonstrations, live acoustic music, a street market, children’s play area plus festival foods and beverages with healthy alternatives.  

Worried about parking? Don’t be, you can reserve a parking spot near Piedmont Park with Parking Panda!

The 2014 Piedmont Park Summer Arts Festival is organized by the Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces, LLC , who also sponsor the fall fine arts Chastain Park Arts Festival and the Buckhead Spring Arts and Crafts Festival. 

Explore Atlanta: The Atlanta Bar-B-Q Festival

Posted on by Amanda Fard

ATL_BBQ_Fest_logo_2I love Summer! It’s a great time to get out and explore all that Atlanta has to offer – like the 6th Annual Atlanta Bar-B-Q Festival which kicks off this Friday, and runs through August 16th at Atlantic Station.  I can already smell the smokey, mouth-watering goodness!

During this 2-day celebration of all thing bar-b-que, 50 professional and backyard teams from across the Southeast compete for more than $10,000 in prizes by working their magic on the grill. From Texas, Memphis and Carolina to Kansas City and Kentucky – you’ll find all the finger lickin’ sticky sweet bar-b-que styles this weekend right here in Atlanta.

Voted as one of the best BBQ festivals and competitions in the country by the Travel Channel, festival goers have plenty to keep them busy when they need a break from chowing down. There are BBQ cooking demonstrations, a kids area, a BBQ marketplace, live music and new this year – the bourbon experience.

For more information, and to purchase tickets, check out the the Altanta Bar-B-Que Festival website.

See y’all there!

– Amanda

Explore Atlanta: Atlanta Downtown Restaurant Week

Posted on by Amanda Fard

downtownrw-2014Sometimes I get in a restaurant rut. My husband and I tend to visit the same places over, and over again. Does this sound familiar? Well, here’s your chance (and mine) to break out of that rut and discover all the great restaurants downtown Atlanta has to offer.

The 12th annual Atlanta Downtown Restaurant Week starts August 9th and runs through August 17th. During this nine-day culinary event, top chefs from over 30 participating restaurants offer diners signature menus at exceptional prices – great food at great prices people, that’s what I like to hear!!

Presented by Central Atlanta Progress (CAP), the annual Restaurant Week event gives Atlantans the opportunity to indulge in Downtown’s finest dining hot spots, and break out of their collective restaurant ruts!

Check out all the participating restaurants and deals at www.atlantadowntown.com, and join in the conversation by using #DARW2014.

Happy dining everyone!

– Amanda

My Favorite Mansion

Posted on by Amanda Fard
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541 West Paces Ferry Road

Ever wish you could live in, or at least see inside one of the amazing Buckhead mansions that line West Paces Ferry Road? Well, here’s your chance!

541 West Paces Ferry Road is one of the most iconic mansions in Atlanta and is offered exclusively by The Home Boutique and Keller Williams Realty Cityside for $6,500,000.

Built in 1926, “The Pink Palace” offers nearly 16,000 square feet of European-style luxury combined with an impressive array of modern conveniences.

For a full slide show of gorgeous photos, check out the feature article that appeared in today’s Atlanta Business Chronicle highlighting the home as one of Georgia’s most elegant homes.

– Amanda