This unique event will be held at the newly renovated Courtyard by Marriott Atlanta/Decatur Conference Center in downtown Decatur. Currently, the Decatur Old House Fair is the only home show in the Southeast focused entirely on older homes.

The day-long show teaches homeowners how to restore, renovate, preserve, and maintain their old houses.  This year, the event will feature 30 minute “Short Bite” lectures, including: Electrical 101, Plumbing 101, Selecting Exterior Colors, Aging-in-Place, and Chimneys 101. Traditional seminars include: Researching Your Old House, Landscapes for Historic Homes, Energy Efficiency, Storm Windows, and the very popular Wood Window Workshop.

HGTV personality Jodi Marks, co-host of Today’s Homeowner, will present “Fun Projects to Enhance your Home.”  Roger Moss, nationally known exterior paint color expert, will be available for consultations and will discuss “Exterior Paint Colors from the 19th Century to Mid-Century Modern.”

The fair also features a large exhibit hall of professionals, retailers, and suppliers specializing in home improvement, historic preservation and interior furnishings.

The exhibit area opens at 9 a.m. with seminars beginning at 10 a.m. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. For the complete seminar schedule, exhibitor details, and ticket information, visit DecaturOldHouseFair.com.

By Shandra Hill Smith

If a new home is in your sights, is now a good time to buy?  Should you consider selling? Not clear on what to do in today’s housing market?

Three Intown professionals hope to set the record straight by schooling you on some of today’s myths regarding the current climate. They include Weslee Knapp, real estate consultant and managing broker, Keller Knapp Realty (kellerknapp.com); Dac Carver, vice president and managing broker, Beacham & Company (beacham.com); and Randal Lautzenheiser, managing broker, Atlanta Intown Real Estate Services (AtlantaIntown.com).

“A lot of buyers are not hearing the most up-to-date information because the market is changing faster than the economists can often project or respond,” explains Knapp. “It typically takes analysts six months to a year of previous data to decipher trends in the market, but by that time conditions have often changed and the findings are outdated. The best way for most buyers and sellers to find out about market trends in real time is to consult with a Realtor.”

What are some misconceptions (on the part of homeowners and potential homebuyers) you’re finding in today’s real estate market?

Weslee Knapp: Yes, homes are at great prices, but there are not enough of them. In 2009, we had 123,000 different units on the market in metro Atlanta.  Today, we have just over 51,000 homes on the market (GAMLS). There are a glut of townhomes and condos on the market. Condos and townhomes represent less than 11 percent of total product on the market right now. New-construction condos are at the lowest quantity they have been in the last decade. I’ve been a realtor for over 10 years now and I’ve never seen this low of product out there.

Dac Carver: There are [fewer] homes on the market now than there were 10 or 11 years ago; when we tell them housing inventory in Atlanta is at a 10- or 11-year low, everyone is always surprised. We project in Buckhead, it’s more around a 15-year low.

Randal Lautzenheiser: The biggest misconception from both buyers and sellers is that the property will sell for substantially less than the list price. If a property is correctly priced it will sell very close to the list price. The average that is being negotiated right now is about five percent in the Intown neighborhoods, meaning that houses are selling for about 95 percent of the list price. The average days on market is 85.

Is it a buyer’s market? If so, please explain why.

Knapp: I’ve never seen a better time to buy since I’ve been in real estate than right now. There [are] fewer homes on the market; I believe you’re going to start to see prices go up. It’s a rare time where interest rates are also extremely low. Very few homes on the market in key areas will mean higher prices, which may start as early as this spring. Higher prices will create more opportunity for sellers who could not previously sell their homes. It also means that buyers should take a serious look at current prices in combination with low interest rates of today.

Carver: I think it’s a buyer’s market to some extent. It’s not the same buyer’s market it was two years ago. It’s easier to get financing than it was a couple of years ago. Interest rates are still phenomenally low. But because of the inventory factor and the fact that a lot of sellers who had to sell have sold, there’s pressure on prices to go up. We see the market starting to turn and on its way up.

Lautzenheiser: It is definitely a buyer’s market because prices are as low as they are and interest rates are so low. Anybody who can buy right now should buy right now. If someone already owns they should buy a second home or investment property to take advantage of the low prices and interest rates. The market will turn around and come back up and there are excellent investment opportunities everywhere.

How would you describe the interest rates we’re finding today?

Knapp: We are at unusually low interest rates currently. Rates have remained low to spur additional home purchasing. However, as we see the market starting to turn, you will see rates start to rise toward the end of the year.

Carver: They’re historically low. They remain some of the lowest we’ve had in generations. We don’t foresee that changing going into the spring. It means that buyers can get much more house for their money than they could four years ago. If you compare the payment for the same house to four or five years ago, in some cases you’re paying half what you would have four years ago for a house.

Lautzenheiser: Interest rates right now are at an unprecedented low and when they start to go up it is doubtful that they will come back down this low any time soon.

What are your forecasts for 2012 and maybe even a little beyond?

Knapp: I believe that 2012 will be a solid year for Intown real estate and markets with solid school districts. In those areas, you will a small rise in prices. I believe that 2012 will be remembered as the first year in the beginning of the next positive real estate cycle.

Carver: I think we’ll see prices continue to increase in our areas – Buckhead, Intown. I don’t know that we’ll see an overall increase for Atlanta, but I’m optimistic.

Lautzenheiser: Home prices have reached bottom and they are currently stabilizing.

By Collin Kelley

Natalie Saxon’s love of repurposing furniture not only led to the creation of a business, but a personal project to help women in transition.

Saxon created her interior design company, Expressions by Natalie, last year, and found immediate success with clients who needed to spruce up a room, but had a limited budget. Saxon decided she wanted to give back to the community and took on her biggest project to date.

Through The Repurpose Haven Project, Saxon is working with Women of Gilgal, which provides housing for women who are transitioning from homelessness and addiction. Women of Gilgal has two homes in Atlanta with 17 bedrooms for 25 women.

“All the rooms were the same color and full of handed down, mismatched furniture that didn’t fit or function,” Saxon said.

Rather than do all the work herself, Saxon is working with the women to reconfigure, rebuild and repaint the existing furniture in the bedrooms. She’s been going to the residences twice a week since last September.

“I bring paint brushes, rollers and tools to help repurpose the pieces together,” Saxon said. “The women get to take a break from the verbal aspect of treatment and focus on more quiet time and painting. I enjoy working with them.”

Since the bedrooms are small, vertical space is at a premium, so creating storage has been at the top of the list for the women. One project they’ve worked on is getting old trunks from thrifts stops and turning the lids into bulletin boards and the bases into shelving units.

They’ve also worked with old barrels to create tables and surfaces for both inside the homes and out.

Saxon said the project has been an education for her as well. “I’ve learned so much from the women,” she said. “They are so strong to even be there and be honest with themselves.”

She said bringing light and color into the women’s lives, as well as teaching them helpful skills is part of therapeutic process. “My hope is that they will be confident to fix up their own places when they are living independently and realize they don’t have to spend money to have a nice place to live.”

The project with the Women of Gilgal will wrap up this month and Saxon is also planning a benefit concert for The Repurpose Haven Project on Friday, Feb.17, from 7 to 10 p.m., at Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee at 6640 Akers Mill Road. Visit nataliesaxon.com/outreach for more information.

Saxon, who grew up in Atlanta, said her knack for repurposing furniture began when she moved to Seattle a few years back. “I didn’t have any spending money, but it was important for me to me make my space homey and comfortable.”

She said it became a running joke with her friends in Seattle because she was always asking them to stop so she could inspect some discarded piece of furniture left on the side of the road. She also haunted estate and garage sales looking for items to repurpose. The friends who were laughing were soon asking Saxon to help them with a project.

When Saxon moved back to Atlanta in 2010, she started blogging at nataliesaxon.com about her finds and projects, which led to the creation of her business.

While many interior designers like to hand off the construction and painting to others, Saxon said she likes to be hands on. “It’s a more meaningful experience for me,” she said, “and I can apply that to working with those in need like with Women of Gilgal.”

By Melody Harclerode

As an elementary school student, my school offered limited options for after school activities. I had the choice of music lessons or girl scouts. If I wanted to learn ballet, gymnastics, art or karate, my parents had to drive me offsite for classes. Fortunately, these extracurricular classes are now readily available for many Atlanta area elementary students.

The Atlanta chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Atlanta) has established Discover Architecture as a fun and innovative after school option for 4th and 5th graders. Does your child love to create building drawings, make building models, have an interest in architecture or related fields including interior design, structural engineering, and construction? Then Discover Architecture might be for them.

AIA Atlanta pairs volunteer architects and design professionals with an elementary school art or gifted teacher, who appreciates architecture and provides a classroom for this after school program. I like to refer to this collaboration as Architecture Harmony. Under the guidance of the volunteers and support of the teacher, students draw and explore the architecture in their neighborhood, metropolitan area and across the United States, participate in exciting design exercises and make building models during a minimum eight-week session.

These young people have the opportunity to hear presentations and career advice from various professionals in the design industry such as an architect, structural engineer or furniture designer. At the end of each semester, the students present their work to family, friends and the school community.

I co-founded the AIA Atlanta Discover Architecture program as a pilot program in fall 2010 at E. Rivers Elementary School with art teacher Phillip Alexander-Cox in Buckhead. With the support of fabulous architects and design professionals, we just finished this past semester at four additional Atlanta schools:  Springdale, Mary Lin, Garden Hills and Morris Brandon Elementary Schools. As the accompanying pictures show, this innovative program brought lots of joy to the students and volunteers at E. Rivers during the fall 2011 session in which the students designed buildings for the Serenbe Community in South Fulton County.

AIA Atlanta wishes to add Discover Architecture as an extracurricular activity for more public and private elementary schools across metro Atlanta, particularly with the involvement of the school art or gifted teacher. To find out more, visit discoverarchitecture.org and contact me at mlharclerode@bellsouth.net.

Melody L. Harclerode, AIA, a local architect, promotes the power of architecture and design as a Board Member of the Atlanta chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the Principal of Harclerode Architects (harc-arch.com).  For more information about these programs, check out aiaatlanta.org.

By Shandra Hill Smith

You’ve likely heard the reports of new home construction slowing in parts of metro Atlanta and around the nation as a result of the economic downturn and its blow to the housing market.

In Intown though, steady and improving are the buzzwords these days as 2012 gets underway. We talked with three builders to help us shed light on the current trends: Monte Hewett of Monte Hewett Homes (montehewetthomes.com); Ryan Locke of Principle Builders Group, LLC (principlebuildersgroup.com); and Christopher Rudd of Thrive Homes (thrivehomesatlanta.com)

In what Intown neighborhoods are you building?

Monte Hewett: Inside the perimeter we are building in Virginia Highland, Hillside at Chastain, Chastain Park, Westminster, West Buckhead, Park Overlook, Decatur/Oakhurst Highpoint Manor and South Sandy Springs.

Ryan Locke: We work in Buckhead, Virginia Highlands, Ansley Park, Midtown, Brookhaven, Old Fourth Ward – basically anywhere the client will take us. We see strong growth in some of the lower cost areas like Kirkwood and Edgewood.

Christopher Rudd: Our Intown construction is limited to where we can identify lots, predominantly east of Peachtree Street and north of I-20.  The primary focus is on Intown neighborhoods such as Decatur, Oakhurst, Kirkwood, Lake Claire, Candler Park, Virginia-Highland and Grant Park.

What price points are selling?

Hewett: $350,000 to $1 million-plus; it is really location and product specific.

Locke: The warm markets are between $150,000 and $380,000.

Rudd: Price is extremely neighborhood dependent. We are selling homes across multiple price points, in the $300,000 to $500,000 range in Kirkwood, the $500,000 to $800,000 range in Decatur and the $700,000 to $1,200,000 range in Inman Park, Candler Park and Morningside.

What does the typical buyer now look like?

Hewett: They are prioritizing locations based on walking communities and lifestyle convenience. They don’t want to spend time commuting. They want all the closed-in conveniences. They are nervous like others, but because the supply is more limited, they are willing to move forward if the home is right because they know it might not be available next week.

Locke: He or she is one with a steady verifiable income with at least 20 percent skin in the game. There are only a few banks dealing in the CP [Construction to Permanent Financing] market, but the biggest hurdle now is getting a new project to appraise for the proper value.

Rudd: Current buyers and homeowners are incredibly savvy, in tune to the market and specific about their desires. We are seeing a trend toward buyers taking advantage of low interest rates and purchasing homes that they intend to live in for the next 20 to 30 years.

What special features/design elements are buyers looking for?

Hewett: They are looking for great kitchens with all the latest features, hardwoods. It seems to be less about square footage and more about function in the design of the home.

Locke: Cost, cost, cost! We find only a few of our clients are willing to create a home that reflects their specific architecture and design styles; it is all predicated by value.

Rudd: Buyers are looking for quality-built homes with low maintenance – that are equally well-suited for both day-to-day living and entertaining. Buyers appreciate the energy savings that result from the implementation of green building practices. 

What do you forecast for new home construction in 2012?

Hewett: In general, things are improving overall. It will still be a slow market for quite a while. We are going to continue to seek out great locations and build amazing homes that our buyers are looking for.

Locke: We are forecasting a steady pipeline of custom homes for 2012 but no growth – a zero percent year-over-year growth. We have to remember that zero growth is better than negative growth. Our renovation forecast is much stronger with a 22 percent year-over-year growth in revenue.

Rudd: We anticipate that new home construction will remain strong in neighborhoods supported by stable commercial districts, excellent schools and strong neighborhood organizations.

By John Fleming

From a distance, the house atop the hill at 1209 N. Highland looks rough and unkept, its windows covered with plastic sheeting, much of the exterior adorned with weathered and unpainted plywood.

Across Highland, from the cozy interior of the San Francisco Coffee House, one could come to the conclusion that it is neglected, dilapidated, even.

One could be forgiven. Because you have to get close to realize that this house is architecturally complex, solidly built with the finest materials and stunningly beautiful.

Welcome to The Tower, the creation of John Harich, engineer, carpenter, artist and self-described jack-of-all-trades.

It is nothing short of a work of art, but it is also almost impossible to describe. There is Gothic influence here, as well as Gaudi — a style usually described as ‘beyond the scope of modernism.’ There are marble arches, and “Japanese Moongates,” twisting columns rising from the earth and reaching upwards to hold the house in place, all made from 100 tons of Georgia marble.

The facade is mostly southern white pine and western red cedar. The flashing is copper, the roof is the highest gage aluminum.

Upstairs, above the cavernous first floor, is “The Great Hall of Tranquility,” a place dominated by massive wooden archways, held up by complex supports. It looks more like a cathedral’s sanctuary than a future living room.

And that helps explain why The Tower has been under construction since 1975.

When that fact is pointed out to him – a house 35 years in the making – John Harich simply smiles and reminds a visitor that, “many of the people who worked on the cathedrals of Europe knew they would never see them finished.”

Oh, the 61-year-old Harich wants to finish before he dies, but he also wants to get it right. A lot goes into the planning, and there is the question of finding the time and the money. So, he gets to it in bits and pieces, when he has the time, the money and the friends to help.

The Great Hall, for example, took about two years to design and two years to build. In 1998, about 20 friends pitched in to help him raise the arches and beams in two days.

Good work takes time, but there’s something almost spiritual about this place for Harich.

“I want it to be perpetually inspiring to live in,” he says.

It certainly draws a lot of questions. On a recent stunningly sunny day, neighbor Elizabeth Waddey drops around to introduce herself and asked if she could join the short tour.

“I’m absolutely fascinated with this place,” she said while looking out a south-facing window. “I see odd angles, different approaches to building. I think it’s so cool.”

Harich bought the lot at Amsterdam and Highland in 1973 for $4,250 and started building two years later. He’s been at it, off and on, ever since.

The city, he says, has been a pleasure to deal with. Inspectors, he explains, appreciate good building practices. The neighbors, as well, have been understanding and supportive.

Of course, what awaits is The Tower’s completion. He can’t give a solid date for that, but he does have the goal of installing the rest of the windows and finish the siding this year.

With a little help, he says, maybe he’ll get there.

From the crow’s nest is a magnificent view of the Highlands, and downtown. The bright sunlight plays with the shadows cast from leafless limbs that form a broken canopy above the roof.

It is a still, warm and peaceful winter’s day.

Standing atop his on-going creation, he looks about, taking it all in, then says, “this house is designed to live with, not in.”

By Tina Chadwick

Since Atlanta has once again become the film capital of the South, it’s no surprise that more and more movies and TV series are shooting in and aroundn the city. The latest is reality show called Mega Dens for the DIY Network.

If you’re willing to get your hands a little dirty in exchange for one of the coolest family living spaces in Atlanta, apply to be a Mega Dens family. Designer Anitra Mecadon transforms family rooms, dens and basements into dreamy spaces worthy of gracing magazine covers. The show airs Sundays at 8:30 p.m.

Mecadon spends time with the selected family to learn about each member’s likes/dislikes and also how the family dynamic plays out as a whole. She then puts her design skills to work drafting up a creative 3-D rendering that incorporates the family’s unique wants and needs she’s uncovered along the way. The renovation and filming takes place in just five days.

For a musically-inclined family, Mecadon made end tables out of old drums and cymbal sconces. But it’s all not just cool design. The rooms actually function as well. The music room had a sound-absorbing wall and additional wiring for all the equipment. She made a coffee bar out of aged wine barrel board and used railroad wheels so that the whole thing could be rolled out of the way.

Each member of a selected family is assigned a skill-appropriate task to help out with the renovation during the first couple of days. Then, the family is banned from seeing the final touches on the room to build excitement for a big reveal where the family is taken into the space and shown the metamorphosis.

“You’ll see lots of good ideas done really well,” said the show’s casting and field producer, Brian Bremer. “Sometimes it’s found items reused in fresh ways or it’s high tech toys like a touch pen TV that really make it all work for each family. The show is practical and modern all at once.”

Builders and brothers, Michael and Joey Scialabba, bring Mecadon’s ideas to life meticulously––even within the constraint of the 5-day turn-around. They assemble the right cast of builders, suppliers and other contractor partners to coordinate a seamless build out that all happens to be under the unblinking eye of cameras at every turn.

“There is constantly something funny going on. I mean, when you hand a paintbrush to a child, there’s going to be some artistic license. Somehow Anitra makes it all work.” Bremer mused. “There are also tense moments given the task and the timeframe. One homeowner accidentally screwed through Joey’s finger – that was a trip to the hospital!” But the house still made schedule.

If you would like to throw your den in the ring for consideration to be a Mega Dens family, visit diynetwork.com then search “Mega Dens Casting”.

By Julia Turner and Collin Kelley

Five Intown neighbors will mark the season with annual holiday home tours that will not only offer a glimpse inside beautifully decorated interiors, but also a chance to taste food from local restaurants and shop for last minute gifts. Mark your calendars.

Virginia Highland Tour of Homes

The 17^th annual Virginia Highland Tour of Homes is set for for Dec. 10-11. Presented by the Virginia Highland Civic Association, tour times are Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

The seven homes on this year’s tour include several beautifully renovated bungalows, a new construction that captures the spirit of the craftsman style in meticulous detail, as well as a new construction contemporary home in the Modernist/International style. Also featured is a renovation that appeared in an issue of Southern Living magazine earlier this year.

Food tastings from local restaurants will be held in each of the seven homes on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Restaurants will include Genki Noodles and Sushi, Atkins Park, Goin’ Coastal, La Tavola/El Taco and D.B.A. Barbeque.

Over the past six years the tour has raised over $100,000, which has helped create the Cunard playground at John Howell Park, renovate Orme Park, and plant trees with Trees Atlanta. Funds raised this year will also go towards the new Highland Park project, annual grants to local schools, and other projects.

Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 the weekend of the tour. Tickets may be purchased online at vahitourofhomes.org or Intown Ace Hardware, Aurora Coffee or San Francisco Coffee.

Peachtree Garden Club Christmas Home Tour

Peachtree Garden Club’s annual holiday treat is set for Thursday, Dec. 8, and features four distinctive homes in close proximity in an exclusive northwest Atlanta neighborhood. The homes, two on Garraux Road, one on Garraux Place, and one on Nancy Creek Road, will be festively decorated and open to Tour goers from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased online for $26 at peachtreegardenclub.org. Tickets are also available in person at Boxwoods, The Mercantile in Brookheaven, Erika Reade Ltd., Glen Weakley Ltd., and Gramercy Fine Linens & Furnishings.  Or you can urchase at the door of any of the homes on the day of the tour for $30 per ticket, cash or check only.

All proceeds benefit the Peachtree Garden Club Community Fund, which in turn supports charitable, scientific and educational needs in the fields of horticulture and conservation through the donation of funds to organizations in the Atlanta area.

Avondale Christmas Tour of Homes & Holiday Market

Visit some of Avondale Estates’ oldest homes on Dec. 11from 3 to 8 p.m. The tour features seven homes starting with and English Tudor on Covington Road, built in the early 1920s. Other homes include a newly renovated ‘30s bungalow, a transformed ‘50s brick bungalow, and a brick two-story American foursquare built in the late ‘40s. Points of interest on the tour are The Museum School, a new addition to the community, a charter school that opened in the fall of 2009, and Avondale Baptist Church, with its sanctuary filled with members’ nativities from around the world.

The Holiday Market will be open from noon to 6 p.m. and feature 30 booths where shoppers can purchase a variety of items such as jewelry, pottery, purses, bottle stoppers, soaps, lotions, leather items, jams and jellies, baked goods, pecans, grits bits, and cured meats. The holiday café will serve delicious soups and desserts.

Trolleys for the tour will run from 3 to 5 p.m. and from 5:30-7:30 p.m., or participants may drive themselves to each location. Tickets may be purchased for $12 in advance at Avondale City Hall, Finders Keepers Furniture, REAL Salon and Seventeen Steps, or for $15 on the tour day at the Avondale Community Club. Assure your place on a trolley by signing up in advance at various Avondale businesses or contact Margaret Lunsford at mplcvl@aol.com. More information can be found at avondaletourofhomes.com.

Decatur Candlelight Tour of Homes

The 29th annual Decatur Holiday Candlelight Tour of Homes is Dec. 2 and 3 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. The tour features homes in the Winnona Park and Glenwood Estates neighborhoods, including six single-family homes and one condo located in a completely renovated apartment building.

In addition to the seven beautiful homes, guests on the tour will also enjoy seeing points of interest that include the historic chapel at Decatur First United Methodist, the chapel at Agnes Scott, and the brand new 4/5 Academy at Fifth Avenue.

The tour supports several local non-profits that benefit the Decatur community. The Decatur Education Foundation works to help Decatur youth realize their full potential, not only in the classroom but also through learning experiences that contribute to personal development. The Decatur Youth Fund provides scholarships to low-income youth for summer camp programs. The DeKalb History Center collects, preserves and shares the history of DeKalb County. The Oakhurst Community Garden Project teaches environmental awareness through hands-on gardening and outdoor education programs.

Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door, and will be available soon at select locations in and around Decatur. For more, visit decaturtourofhomes.com.

Grant Park Candlelight Home Tour

Grant Park captures the holiday spirit with their Candlelight Home Tour on Dec. 10 and 11 from 6 to10 p.m. The neighborhood is Atlanta’s largest historic district with homes built in the Victorian, Craftsman, Italianate and various other styles from the turn of the 20th century.

The Candlelight Tour of Homes features eight to 10 homes representing renovations as well as new homes built to reflect the historic district’s character. Adding to the festivity are caroling hayrides, visits with Santa, an Artists’ Market, and holiday concert by the St. Paul choir.

The holiday home tour provides funds to three of Grant Park’s community enriching non-profits – St. Paul, the Grant Park Cooperative Preschool and the Grant Park Parent Network.

All activities, including the ticket booth and where pre-purchased tickets are exchanged for programs, are at St. Paul United Methodist Church, 501 Grant Street. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 the weekend of the tour and may be purchased by calling (404) 688-7501 or online at CandlelightTourofHomes.com.