GA400 Tolls Extension

In order to finance $50 million in improvements to GA400, the tolls will remain until at least 2020.

Some Georgians are upset that the tolls have been extended since originally, they promised when the highway was built to lift the tolls next summer . Governor Perdue has asked them to lift the toll for a brief time between July, 2011 and Jan 2012 when the new lease agreement would begin. Nothing has been finalized on that yet.

About $40 million will go to completing the interchange between the highway and I85 southbound in Buckhead.

The other improvements to the highway include widening from McFarland Road to Ga. 20 in Forsyth County, building a triple left-turn lane on Mansell Road and improving three intersections that tie into the Northridge Road exit.

First Time Award for Forsyth County Youth

Cumming/Forsyth County was named on the 2010 list of 100 Best Communities for Young People. America's Promise Alliance developed the list for communities most dedicated to helping local youth graduate from high school. The winners come from 37 states and 30 are first-time recipients. They were chosen by a distinguished panel of judges that included some of the nation’s most well-known civic, business and nonprofit leaders.

You can read more about why Cumming/Forsyth was named at Winners/Cumming/Forsyth/2010.

Oprah to Visit Forsyth County

Oprah has announced her final season of her daytime talk show and apparently she has decided it's time for another trip down south. In 1987, she visited Forsyth County and was none too pleased with what she saw. At the time, the county was actually on the tail end of it's racism days.

Since then our county has drastically changed. I doubt she will recognize us. Our schools are very diverse, we have many many more citizens and we have way more traffic! Not only that, but the county is filled with citizens that have relocated from all over the country due to job changes and decided that Forsyth county was where they wanted to be. From the beauty of the lake, proximity to the north GA mountains as well as the city itself, and the numerous activities for families, it is such a wonderful place to live.

It should be interesting how the show portrays us this time. I know I will be very interested in seeing that part of the show. I can only hope that we have overcome the former ugly reputation and finally see redemption.

Megamansion takes 17 years to sell in Johns Creek

What took 4 years and $25 million to complete, has finally sold after 17 years on the market. Larry Dean and his first wife Lynda (who divorced shortly after completion) moved into the mansion in Johns Creek in 1992. Their dream was to raise their four children in an atmosphere like “Dynasty,” and then leave the 58-acre estate, with its 18-hole golf course, wedding chapel, band shell and formal gardens to a foundation that would open it to the public for charity events. But after the divorce in 1993, the mansion went on the market - and stayed there.

Mr Dean has confirmed that Michael Jackson wanted the place in 1994 as a surprise for his fiancée, Lisa Marie Presley. But when the media reported his plan and ruined the surprise, he did not sign the contract. Mr. Dean would not say how much Mr. Jackson was going to pay, but the home was on the market for $40 million.

The state has finally sold — for $7.6 million. The buyer, entertainment mogul Tyler Perry, said he plans to demolish it and build his own home, one that is environmentally friendly. I guess the land is probably worth more than the building at this point.

The sales price is the highest in Atlanta this year but well below the $11 million high of last year.

The tale is so sad since the entire family was affected by the circumstances and leads me to think that more is SO not more in some cases.

All About Credit

The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACTA) made it possible for you to get a free copy of your credit report. You can order a free copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – each year. You should take advantage of this privilege by ordering your credit report and using it to monitor your credit history.

You can order a free credit report online, by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com or by phone by calling 877-322-8228.

Below are a few things that can negatively affect your credit score:

• Paying late - thirty-five percent of your credit score is your payment history.
• Not paying at all
• An account sent to collections - a collection status shows that the creditor gave up trying to get payment from you and hired someone else to do it.
• Defaulting on a loan
• Filing bankruptcy
• Foreclosure
• Credit judgement - the court had to get involved to make you pay the debt.
• High credit card balances - (relative to your credit limit) increases your credit utilization and decreases your credit score.
• Maxed out credit cards - this make your credit utilization 100%

But WAIT! Here are some things that DON'T affect your credit score:

• Bank Overdrafts - as long as they are settled before going into collections
• Your income (salary)
• Insurance payments - Even though they use your credit score to make decisions about you, they don’t report your timely or untimely payments to the credit bureaus. Insurance payments won’t affect your credit score.
• Child support and alimony
• Utility and cell phone payments
• Rent payments
• Checking your own credit
• Your interest rate
• Obtaining credit counseling
• Your age

You can improve your credit score by improving your payment history and keeping debt to a minimum.

Mini Makeovers for Your Kitchen

Here are a few ideas that will freshen your kitchen space without breaking the bank:

1. Update your small appliances such as your mixer, coffeemaker etc. There are lots of colorful small appliances out there to add a punch of personality.
2. Add crown molding to your kitchen’s ceiling. Paint the ceiling.
3. Update or add tile back-splash - get colorful.
4. Add some drawer organizers like a cutlery tray insert.
5. Freshen up the sink area with a new shiny faucet.
6. Add a pot rack above the island to save space.
7. Paint! This seems to be a no-brainer but if you make the island a contrasting color from the walls it adds a focal point to the room.
8. Change your cabinet hardware. This one can add a lot especially if you are updating from original hardware that has been there for a while. There are also many options and price ranges to choose from.
9. Add task lighting above the island to brighten up the surface for food prep and entertaining.

Forsyth County Market - Average Days on the Market Measure	Month	2010	2009	% Change
Average Days on Market	January	152	138	10.1%
	February	140	142	- 1.4%
	March	120	145	- 17.2%
	April	131	134	- 2.2%
	May	125	137	- 8.8%
	June	130	137	- 5.1%
	July	132	146	- 9.6%