BUSINESS
THE CHAMPION, THURSDAY, JANUARY 10 - 16, 2019 • Page 11
COUNTYWIDE
DeKalb housing costs rise, but market remains lively
BY KATHY MITCHELL
Freelance Reporter
Housing, whether rented or
purchased, is slightly costlier
in parts of DeKalb County
than it was a year ago.
Although Decatur rents
saw a slight decline at the
end of the year—0.2 percent
compared with the previous
month—they are up 2.9
percent in comparison to
the same time period a
year earlier, according to
Apartment List, a California-
based company that assists
those looking for apartments
in markets across the country.
Apartment Lists reports
that at year-end, median
rents in Decatur stood at
$1,020 for a one-bedroom
apartment and $1,180 for a
two-bedroom. “This is the
second straight month that the
city has seen rent decreases
after an increase in October.
Decatur’s year-over-year rent
growth leads the state average
of 1.6 percent, as well as
the national average of 0.9
percent,” the report states.
Year-end figures on metro
Atlanta housing sales show
that prices rose more sharply
for those buying houses than
for those renting apartments,
according to information
reported by Atlanta Realtors,
which releases a monthly
synopsis of housing sales
results for 11 metro Atlanta
counties, including DeKalb.
The median—midpoint
between the highest and
lowest—sales price for a
home in the metro Atlanta
area rose 7.3 percent from
$245,000 near the end of
2017 to $263,000 for the
corresponding time period
in 2018. During the same
time period, the average—
total sales divided by the
number of units—rose from
$302,000 near the end of
2017 to $328,000 for the
corresponding time period in
2018.
Near the end of 2018, the
median price of a home in
DeKalb County was $261,000
and the average sale price was
$340,000.
While metro Atlanta
home prices are slightly
higher now than they were
a year ago, there has been
a notable increase in the
number of houses on the
market compared to 2017
listings, Atlanta Realtors
reported. The association’s
report states that Atlanta area
housing inventory at the end
of November 2018 showed
an increase of 10.2 percent
CITY OF STONE MOUNTAIN
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
The City of Stone Mountain hereby gives notice
that a Public Hearing will be held to receive public
comment on a Variance Application for Parcel #18
089 04 003. Variance is requested for deviation from
the Office Professional Institutional (OPI) district
development regulations.
The Mayor and City Council will hold a Public
Hearing on this matter on Tuesday, January 29,
2019 at City Hall located at 875 Main Street, Stone
Mountain, GA at 6:30 P .M. Anyone wishing to at
tend the public hearing may do so and be heard
relative thereto.
CITY OF STONE MOUNTAIN
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
The City of Stone Mountain hereby gives notice
that a Public Hearing will be held to receive public
comment on a Variance Application for 6803 JBR
Memorial Drive, Parcel #18 126 06 002. Variance is
requested for deviation from Chapter 28 Storm Wa
ter Utility, Article III. Stream Buffer Protection, Sec.
28-545.Land development requirements.
The Mayor and City Council will hold a Public
Hearing on this matter on Tuesday, January 29,
2019 at City Hall located at 875 Main Street, Stone
Mountain, GA at 6:30 P .M. Anyone wishing to at
tend the public hearing may do so and be heard
relative thereto.
compared with November
2017. New listings were up
16 percent from the previous
year’s totals.
“New listings have risen
in the past few months, which
has helped moderate price
growth and has kept the
inventory level higher than
this time last year. Atlanta’s
market is still positioned as
a great long-term strategy
for homeowners,” states
Atlanta Realtors President Bill
Murray in the mid-December
report.
The current market
is better for sellers than
for buyers, according to
Brookhaven-based Realtor
Paige Girardot of Atlanta
Fine Homes Sotheby’s
International Realty, who
noted, “Sellers still rule, but
only if they prepare and price
their homes correctly. Today’s
buyers are more educated
on the market and refuse to
overpay.
“Homes that sell quickly
are correctly priced, clean, in
good condition, uncluttered
and freshly painted with
light neutral colors, with
professional staging. Buyers
today are glued to HGTV and
have high expectations in all
price points,” Girardot said.
She said homes priced in
the lower end of the range
are especially attractive in
the current DeKalb market.
“For example,” Girardot
said, “young singles and
millennials are swamping
the market for homes under
$200,000. Young couples
are looking for homes in the
$200,000 to $300,000 range.
Families are either moving
out away from the city to
find homes in that range or
staying in close in urban areas
where they find homes in the
$400,000 to $550,000 range
and up.
These markets are breeding
grounds for huge bidding
wars, and many disappointed
buyers.
“Many homes priced
above $600,000 will sit on
the market for a bit longer as
competition there is generally
not as steep,” she said, adding
that these observations are
generalizations and may not
apply in some areas.
Girardot noted that many
buyers are willing to pay
more to live near public
transportation because of
Atlanta’s reputation for traffic
problems. “Additionally,
our mild climate, cultural
offerings and international
airport all have a hand into
attracting new residents.”
She added that some
already in the area are finding
their housing needs changing.
“I am seeing baby boomers
who wish to downsize but
must do so in a way that
accommodates their adult
children who have either not
left the nest or may need to
return by necessity.”
PUBLIC NOTICE
The public is hereby provided notice that the City Council of the City of Brookhaven
may take up and consider, and may act upon, changes to the Charter of the City of
Brookhaven pursuant to the authority of O.C.G.A. § 36-35.3. A copy of the Changes to be
considered shall be on file in the office of the City Clerk for the City of Brookhaven and
in the Office of the Clerk of the Superior Court of DeKalb County, as required by Code. A
summary of the changes to be considered includes:
1. Amend Section 2.14 of the Charter to require that members appointed by the
Council to the Planning Commission, the Zoning Board of Appeals, and the Public Facilities
Authority must be residents of the City of Brookhaven.
2. Amend Section 3.02 of the Charter to explicitly require the City Manager be
appointed based on his or her executive or administrative qualifications and further permit
and allow the City Manager’s contract to extend for 2 years, coinciding with each council
election cycle.
3. Amend Section 3.03 of the Charter to clarify the reference of a pronoun in the
section.
4. Amend Section 3.06 of the Charter to allow the Council to suspend or terminate
the City Manager in accordance with the City Manager’s contract and to allow the
appointment of an interim city manager in the event of the death of the city manager while
in office.
5. Amend Section 3.07 to permit city manager to appoint an interim city manager in
the absence of the city manager.
6. Amend Section 3.08 to remove the disqualification of a member of the General
Assembly from serving as City Attorney.
7. Delete Section 3.10, that makes the Finance Director a mayoral appointment,
and allow the City Manager to directly supervise and answer to the Mayor and Council for
the financial health of the City.
8. Renumber Section 3.11 to 3.10
9. Renumber Section 3.12 to 3.11 and make explicit the power of the City Manager
to manage and direct staff subject to the budget and the table of organization approved by
the Council.
10. Amend Article VI of the Charter to remove language related to the referendum,
approval, transition, and other administrative text from the Article.
11. Amend Section 6.02 to make the Charter Commission a mayoral appointment,
with Council confirmation, and to direct the timeliness of Charter reviews into the future.
It is the present intent of the Mayor and Council that an ordinance may be considered by
the Council making these changes at two consecutive meetings on January 8 and January
22, 2019. If the proposed changes and ordinance are approved at each meeting, the
changes will take effect immediately.
