Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Odds & Ends

Wow - I cannot believe it's been 15 days since my last post.  That's the longest I've gone between posts since I started blogging four years ago.  I'll never be a threat to John Heneghan's record number of post in one year (in 2009, John had 534 posts.  My record is 131 in 2010). 
A lot has happened since my last blog.  Dunwoody real estate has caught fire, at least comparatively speaking.  I have two Dunwoody proper listings, and both went under contract.  One was under contract in less than two weeks, the other had multiple offers.  I also have a buyer under contract on a home in Dunwoody North.  And I even have an offer on my $1,200,000 listing on the Dunwoody side of Sandy Springs (click on photo above to view more pictures and listing details of this fabulous home on the Hooch).  Other agents are experiencing similar results.  Now if we can just get prices up!!!

Butterfly Festival

I went to my first Butterfly Festival at the Dunwoody Nature Center on Saturday and it was fabulous!  In 18 years living in Dunwoody, this is the first time I've attended.  Truth be told, I didn't even know the festival existed until DNC Executive Director Alan Mothner asked me if our All Saints' Knights of Columbus would volunteer to grill hot dogs and help as servers.  Alan - it was a lot of fun.  My guys estimated they grilled up almost 700 franks!

DeKalb Tax Bill Snafu

Oh, how I love DeKalb County.  Last year I filed an appeal of my property taxes.  Finally, in May of this year, I received a postal notification of my hearing.  The only problem was, I received it two days AFTER the hearing!
The hearing was rescheduled, and when I finally had my day in court (so to speak), I got $52,000 knocked off my assessment, and in the process froze my taxes for the next couple of years.
Well last week I received my tax bill for 2012, and lo and behold, the $52,000 had magically reappeared!  DeKalb tells me it was an error, and that my mortgage company will be notified.  Like I said, I love DeKalb County!

Bad Press for Dunwoody PD

It hasn't been a good week for the Dunwoody Police Department.  Chief Billy Grogan's staff is feeling the heat for not treating Andrea Sneiderman as a suspect in her late husband Rusty's murder right from the get-go.  The Atlanta Journal Constitution has called the department to task.
I remember when the murder happened, my neighbor blurted out, "you watch, the wife is involved."  Even he knew!  I'm not sure if the DPD handled this in the correct manner, but I'm willing to give the department a pass.  Dunwoody Police have done too much right to let this drag the department down. 

Bob - You Da Man

Finally, I'm tired or reading follow up comments on the Crier, the Patch, the Dunwoody Reporter and other blog sites slamming Bob Lundsten for going public on an executive session leak.  Here's a guy that's done more for the Dunwoody community than all of those nameless critics combined.  He was a past president of the DHA spending countless volunteer hours ensuring we had the best zoning possible (under DeKalb County), was responsible for lifesaving portable defibrillators in every Dunwoody Police car and was a large part of the creation of the Dunwoody Community Garden at Brook Run, which donates thousands of pounds of food to the needy every year.  Bob thanks for standing up for what you believe in and walking the walk.  I owe you a breakfast at Old Hickory House!

6 comments:

Kerry de Vallette said...

Bob - you are spot on regarding your comments regarding Bob Lundsten! He's given more time, energy, and "heart" to Dunwoody and is an absolute asset to the community. He has been the "go to" guy for the DHA since the 1980s not only his knowledge of zoning, but his passion for the community. Without Bob's efforts I guarantee Dunwoody would have experienced far more commercial and multi-family encroachment than it has. It's interesting that those that take cheap shots at folks on the various blogs do so under fictitious names. That says it all about their credibility and "cojones"!

Unknown said...

Lundsten, if that is his "real" name, seems rather logical as well.

As for anon, it isn't the lack of a more reasonable nom de plume but that the statements, regardless of tagline, lack logic and substance.

I will use my "real" name this time.

Chip said...

Blogger Bob:

I think your sentiments merit more than a breakfast at the Hickory House! Dunwoody's newest pub on the East side, or the new tavern in da Village would seem more a'propos.

I hope this provides sufficient logic, clarity and substance of my thoughts.

I remain,

Chip Bagman

Bob Lundsten said...

Thanks for the kind words

Just an FYI there were over 20,000 appeals for the 2011 tax year in DEKalb. 2012 there are over 17,000
appeals 3 BILLION dollars worth of residential and 6 BILLION in commercial property.
The distrit 1 office found and had corrected about 1000 mistakes in appraisal before the tax letters were mail.
Property tax issues are still the nuber 1 topic of the hundreds of call the Commissioner's office gets each week. Water bills are the second.
In most cases where an appeal was sucessful yet the 2012 bill still shows the uncorrected value, my office can fix that with one simple call to the Chief Assesor.
Call 404 371 2588
Courtney Townsend is going to hate me but she is the office expert in getting these things fixed.

Bob Lundsten said...

oops 404 371 2844

Chip said...

Hey Blogger Bob:


As of Tuesday, Sept 4 it's been 14 days since your last blog. Don't know if you want to speed it up or wait to establish a new record!