I love living in Atlanta. In fact, I love it so much that I’ve made it my life’s mission to help other people discover and fall in love with it. I’ve spent fifteen years living and breathing Atlanta real estate and truly getting to know what it means to be an Atlanta local. I haven’t always lived in this city, however! Having lived all around the world, from Cartagena and Bogota, Colombia to Kirksville, Missouri to New York City, I understand a lot about what makes a city great, which is exactly why I’m proud to call Atlanta home.

When it comes to this diverse city, there’s a lot to know, and I’ll be using this blog as a resource for both buyers and sellers to aid in their real estate quests. I’ll attempt to equip you with some of my local knowledge and help you make the smartest home buying decisions. But fear not, it won’t be all business. I’ll also be using this space to share some fun tips and tools to make the most of your home ownership journey. It can be easy to forget, when in the thick of buying or selling, that this journey is supposed to be fun and inspiring.

How about I start with why I got involved in the real estate, market to begin with? I first moved to the US almost 30 years ago to complete my college education at Truman University in Missouri, after graduation I found a job in Atlanta before being offered a job to one of the greatest cities in the world, New York, a place I had always dreamed of calling home. I quickly found myself right in the middle of the action! In fact, I lived at 70th and Broadway, for those familiar with Manhattan, during some of the most important events of the century. I was in the heart of the city for New Year’s Eve of 1999 as well as for the tragedy that was 9/11. Upon learning that my wife and I were expecting our first child, we decided, however, to move to a city that was a little bit more family friendly. We were looking for a place with ample professional opportunity, a diverse culture, safe and friendly neighborhoods, and great schools for our new baby. We found all this and more in Atlanta and decided to make it our new home.

When relocating to Atlanta I had very little time to devote to my home search. Between tying up loose ends at my New York job and and helping my pregnant wife get situated with a new doctor, I had very little time to find the perfect new home. This is where real estate really became an interest for me. Since I was still predominantly in New York, I had to enlist the help of a local Atlanta real estate agent from afar. I was lucky enough to find an expert who was willing to accommodate all of my needs, devote hours and hours into hunting down the perfect house for me, and make me feel safe and secure. This relationship was so trusting that eventually I purchased a home from this agent, sight unseen. Yes, that means that I said yes to the house without ever setting foot inside of it. How did I feel so confident making the biggest financial decision of my life without ever actually seeing what I was buying? It all came down to trust. The trust and confidence I had in my real estate agent made me secure enough to make this decision. This is precisely when I decided that I wanted to play a similar role in people’s lives. I had first hand experience in the ups and downs, excitements, and confusions of buying a home and I knew the vital role that a trusted agent plays in the process. I wanted to be that figure for people. I wanted to help home buyers feel comfortable and knowledgeable about their home purchase and I wanted sellers to feel confident and informed. Thus began my journey into real estate!

Atlanta is an incredible city to work and live in. There are endless reasons to love living in this Southern gem, but I’ll mention a few of my favorites.

1.The food! With nearly a half million people in the ATL, it has one of the most diverse cultural and culinary landscapes. Buford Highway is nationally recognized for its restaurant scene. This foodie hotspot alone is home to restaurants from over 35 countries. Renowned TV chefs often set up shop here, making Atlanta one of the tastiest cities in the country. Georgia is, by all accounts, a southern city. You’ll find some of the best home southern cooking around. But if biscuits, gravy, and chicken fried steak aren’t your favorites, have no fear! No matter your preference you’re sure to find comfort in the cooking in Atlanta.

2. The opportunity! Atlanta is the home of superlatives, especially when it comes to industry. Atlanta is the home of the CDC, or the Center for Disease Control. This is the only federal agency based outside of the Washington D.C. area. The CDC does incredible work and helps to keep the US a safe and healthy place. It is also one of the biggest employers in the area, with most people being directly or indirectly tied to the agency in some way. In order to assist families relocating to the area for a role at the CDC, I have devoted a part of my website exclusively to you!

3. Atlanta is also home to the most heavily trafficked international airport in the world! That’s right, the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport serves the more travelers each year than any other airport. In fact, over 50,000 people are somehow tied to the airport’s operations. That means that 1 in 8 Atlanta locals are somehow affiliated with this behemoth! For those in aviation, retail, travel, or almost any other industry, this means near limitless opportunity.

4. Atlanta is also home to some of the best tax incentives in the entertainment industry. Thousands of Hollywood bigwigs make their way to the ATL each year to produce all types of media, from feature films to television shows, to music albums. Some popular shows that are filmed in Atlanta are Ozark, Stranger Things, and The Walking Dead, among others.

5. The sports! If you’re a lover of sports, then Atlanta is a natural home for you. The Atlanta Braves play locally at SunTrust Park. Catching a night game with a hot dog and some locally brewed beer is one of our favorite things to do! Our beloved football team, the Atlanta Falcons, are excited to call the newly minted Mercedes-Benz Stadium home. In addition, we also have a new MLS soccer team. I recently went to an Atlanta United FC game, which was a nail-biting, record-setting game that drew a crowd of over 70,000 people! If you feed off the energy of screaming fans at sports games, you’ll be in good company.

6. The weather and nature! Atlanta is lucky enough to have pretty stable weather and definitely gives you a taste of all four seasons. In the summer months, the ATL often reaches temperatures above 90 degrees. Locals like to spend the sunny months getting outside and enjoying Atlanta’s ample greenery. Piedmont Park, Grant Park, and Centennial Olympic Park are among the city’s most beloved spaces. The city also has a soft, sandy beach only 5 hours away and locals love to slip away for the weekend to the seaside in the hotter months. Atlanta isn’t the snowiest, but it has been known to get its fair share of winter white. With an average of 3 inches of snowfall a year, Atlanta gives you a taste of the winter without being too extreme. Regardless of your favorite time of year, you’re sure to get a bit of all four seasons in the ATL.

7. The Atlanta housing market. The city is booming and listings reflect it. Each quarter we’re seeing the number of sold homes rising, the number of active listings slipping as more and more flock to the city, and the average home price increased slightly. There’s never been a better time to move to Atlanta. Having a strong grasp of the market and a trusted real estate agent are the keys to your success in this arena. Whether you’re buying or selling in Atlanta, I’ll be using this blog to make sure that you’re as knowledgeable and confident about making your next home decision. It made all the difference in the world to me, and I’m looking for the opportunity to do the same for you!