Atlanta Home Show

Come make your home new again
and find out why now is the best time
to remodel your home.

The 31st Annual Spring Atlanta Home Show is coming to its new location, the Cobb Galleria Centre, March 20-22, 2009! Take advantage of one-stop shopping for everything for your home, inside and out and talk face to face with over 300 participating companies offering you the latest home remodeling products and services. Whether you are selling a home that could use that competitive edge in today’s crowded market, buying a home that needs updating or remodeling, or if you just want to enjoy your home to the fullest, you will find what you are looking for at Atlanta’s largest and longest running consumer home show. For 31 years the Spring Atlanta Home Show has been improving home lifestyles and adding value to your largest single investment, your home. We’re proud of our ability to produce a family friendly environment and welcome you to our home.

Three days only in its new home at the Cobb Galleria Centre, the place to go for quality consumer shows!

Visit the photo galleries and check back often for updates as we continue to plan and add to the show!

Click here for the Viking Cooking Stage Speaker Schedule and Highlights including Chef Will Rece, Next Food Network Star finalist, Chef Hans Rueffert, Sugar artist Karen Portaleo, and more!

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Click here for the Home Show Stage Speaker Schedule and Highlights including Joe Washington and Walter Reeves, Coach Vince Dooley, Tonya Williams, and more.

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Click here for a complete list of show highlights including the SEE-THRU House, Home For the Ages, Joe Washington and Walter Reeves, Camp Jam's Rock U Lounge, and so much more.

Granite Atlanta : Why is Granite An excellent choice for kitchen countertops, floors, and other heavily used surfaces

Exact and current extraction figures are not available, as data collection from many countries is difficult. Statistics from various sources indicate that the granite quarried in the countries of China, India, and Brazil comprises approximately 2/3 of the granite used worldwide. There are granite quarries in operation in dozens of countries, and it is one of the most popular natural stones on the market. New granite resources are continually being located and developed throughout the world.

Granite has long enjoyed use as an exterior cladding and pavement material, and its inherent strength, abrasion resistance and superior weathering durability are likely to keep it one of the preeminent material selections available to today's architects. Granite has also been employed as the traditional material for municipal curbs, where its strength and durability have been documented with decades of vehicular abuse. In the northern climates where snow melting chemicals are used heavily, granite has resisted the attack of these caustic agents.

Being one of the hardest of the dimension stone types, granite was historically avoided by the smaller, local stone fabricating shops, who favored marbles and limestones due to their easier working properties. A recent boom in the supply of affordable machinery and abrasives technologies eliminated these previous difficulties in fabrication. The use of granite has skyrocketed in residential interior applications as a result. Available in a striking array of colors, granite's durability, longevity, and economy make it ideal for kitchen countertops and other heavily used surfaces, including table tops and floors.

Some synthetic surfaces scratch easily, while the hardness of the minerals comprising most granites surpasses that of the utensils that are used on them, resulting in excellent scratch resistance. Granite is typically heat resistant up to temperatures of ±250°C (±480°F), although direct application of localized heat sources is discouraged, since strong thermal gradients within the stone can initiate cracking. Studies of bacteria retention on common countertop surfaces have proven granite to be superior to the majority of surfaces employed for that purposes (Ref: MIA Technical Bulletins).

Absorption rates (% water, by weight) of stones in this group range from 0.05% to 0.40%, indicating that the available pore volume capable of harboring a staining agent is very slight. Impregnating repellents are sometimes used to further reduce the stain resistance of these materials. Source: Marble Institute

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Sensational Granite Countertops for your kitchen.
info@granitecountertopatlanta.comGranite Atlanta
678-391-9136

Flooring Destin is launched to promote tile flooring Northwest Florida

Flooring Destin is launched to promote tile flooring Northwest Florida

G& L Marble announces the release of new Destin marketing campaign and website

Destin, Florida Feb16, 2009- G&L Marble, a Georgia based supplier, quarrier and distributor of natural stone tiles and slabs announced today the launching of “Flooring Destin” marketing campaign. G&L Marble is a privately owned operation located in Winston, Georgia and currently has 90,000 square feet of warehouse space that stocks granite, marble, limestone, travertine, slate and onyx that is imported from all over the globe.

The Flooring Destin campaign will be a multimedia operation that will include ad placements in various media supported with online promotions including blogs, articles and other online strategies.

The website, www.flooringdestin.com will be an interactive web portal that will make it easy for consumers and businesses to learn about the many options available for granite and natural stone flooring in Destin, Pensacola and Northwest Florida. The site will inform and promote the ever-changing colors, finishes, and sizes of tile available. The site will link directly to the G&L Marble inventory at GLMarble.com where visitors can search the actual company database. The site will also focus on promoting the wide variety flooring offered will give their home unique qualities. The campaign will show how granite is quarried directly from the earth and how its extreme hardness and mirror like finish make it ideal for floors.

The site and campaign will be will be managed by Panorama Press, marketing firm specializing in strategy, sponsorships and web development. "The primary objective of the Flooring Destin campaign is to inform the public and business in Destin, Pensacola and the Florida panhandle that the showroom is stocked with flooring including travertine, slate, limestone, marble and granite.” said Manuel Enrique Lopez “QuiQue” spokesman for Panorama Press (Marketing Atlanta). “We want them to know that the showroom also has on display a large variety of tiles, mosaics, and trim pieces for floors, walls, for any existing or on-going commercial or residential project.”

In addition to the Winston distribution facilities, G&L has 8 showrooms located in: Atlanta and Alpharetta, GA, Destin and Jacksonville, FL, High Point and Raleigh, NC, Birmingham, AL, Knoxville, TN and Savannah, GA.

G&L Marble owns and operates nine granite quarries in Namibia, Africa, along with a processing factory in South Africa. The quarries produce approximately 25 color selections that are processed into slabs and tiles at various factories and distributed throughout the United States, South Africa, and Europe.

G & L Marble showroom in Destin is located in 217 Serenoa Road, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida 32459. For additional information, go to www.granitedestin.com , email info@granitedestin.com or call 912-754-4100. ###

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Flooring Destin Email-info@flooringdestin.com

217 Serenoa Road, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida 32459

912-754-4100

Granite Countertop Atlanta introduces a Quartz Countertop

Granite Countertop Atlanta introduces a Quartz Countertop

Marble Supplier announces the release of Masada Stone in Atlanta and Alpharetta Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia Feb 15, 2009- Granite Countertop Atlanta by G & L Marble, a Georgia based supplier, quarrier and distributor of natural stone tiles and slabs announced today the introduction of the Masada Stone quartz surface. Masada Stone is a quartz surface that blends the durability and stain resistant qualities of granite with the uniform appearance of an engineered quartz surface.

Granite Countertop Atlanta by G & L Marble is a privately owned operation located in Winston, Georgia and currently has 90,000 square feet of warehouse space that stocks granite, marble, limestone, travertine, slate and onyx that is imported from all over the globe. With the focus on service and selection, Granite Countertop Atlanta by G & L Marble is known for delivering fine natural stone for granite kitchen counters throughout Atlanta, Alpharetta and Georgia with hundreds of varieties of granites in stock.

Masada Stone offers 12 color options including a brilliant, pure white that is not often found in natural stone. The Masada Stone palette replicates the neutral tones of natural limestones and marbles with the practicality of a quartz surface. Masada Stone is very versatile and can be used most areas that require aesthetics and uniformity.

G&L Marble

Showrooms are located in Midtown Atlanta and Alpharetta. The showrooms are stocked with thousands of slabs on display that can be viewed and immediately reserved by the customer for purchase by the fabricator of their choice. In addition to kitchen counters, Granite Countertop Atlanta showrooms also have on display a large variety of tiles, mosaics, and trim pieces for floors, walls, or to simply compliment any existing or on-going project.

The website, www.granitecountertopatlanta.com is an interactive web portal that makes it easy for consumers and businesses to learn about the many options available for quartz countertops in Atlanta, Alpharetta and through out Georgia. The site is designed inform and promote the ever-changing colors, finishes, and sizes of Masada quartz surfaces available. The site will also focus on promoting to Georgians how the 12 color options offered will give their kitchens and bathrooms unique qualities. The campaign will show Masada Stone properties including its extreme hardness and mirror like finish make it ideal for countertops.

In addition to the Winston distribution facilities, G&L has 8 showrooms located in: Atlanta and Alpharetta, GA, Destin and Jacksonville, FL, High Point and Raleigh, NC, Birmingham, AL. and Knoxville, TN. G & L Marble showroom in Atlanta is located in midtown Atlanta at 129 Armour Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30324. The Alphartetta showroom is located at 8186 Industrial Place, Alpharetta, Georgia 30004. For additional information, go to www.granitecountertopatlanta.com , email info@granitecountertopatlanta.com or call 404-261-7444.

Property Managers: Samsung Phones Atlanta introduces the New wireless-wireline platform offers faster speeds, higher port capacity to the Atlanta mar

Samsung Phones Atlanta introduces the New wireless-wireline platform offers faster speeds, higher port capacity to the Atlanta market.

OfficeServ 7400 Converged Platform is now available throughout Georgia and the Southeast
(Atlanta, Georgia) February 9, 2009 Samsung Phones Atlanta by Botwin Communications announces that it is now offering the Samsung OfficeServ 7400 Converged Platform to businesses and institutions throughout Georgia and the Southeast. Samsung Atlanta is a division of Botwin Communications specializing in business phone systems including voip (voice over internet protocol) internet phone systems. Botwin is known for providing installation and custom fabrication of cables (on site and common point contact) for voice and data network applications. The company is a certified Samsung partner and official service provider that is currently installing the systems in business throughout the Southeast.

The OfficeServ 7400 is state-of-the-art business telephone system that offers higher port capacity, a gigabit Ethernet backbone and 64-channel MGI cards that enable larger VoIP applications and support for up to 500 users. The new platform also maintains the true convergence of wireless, wireline, analog voice, VoIP and data capabilities on a single platform, a concept first introduced in October 2005 with the OfficeServ 7200 platform.

“Samsung Phones Atlanta is excited to offer the OfficeServ 7400 to our clients in Atlanta that require a powerful infrastructure that supports many users and advanced data applications.” said Chuck Botwin, President of Botwin Communications. “Companies in our region will now have access a very powerful business phone systems that provides a complete voice, data wire-line and wireless solution. This is especially important to those that don’t have extensive IT departments or large IT budgets.””

The company maintains that in addition to the support for faster speeds and larger size, one of the real benefits of this new platform is how easy it is to install and maintain, whether upgrading from the OfficeServ 7200 or starting with a single platform. The company boasts that it will design and provide a single communications tool that enables mobility, productivity, flexibility and efficiency for smaller enterprises, for standard offices or for more advanced data center environments at a fraction of the cost of other solutions.

Botwin has a website named Samsung Phones Atlanta dedicated to promoting Samsung business telephone systems in the Atlanta area. The site features detailed information about the Samsung phone systems including features and specifications. The site also focuses on educating businesses about the technological advancements of Samsung phone systems.

Botwin Communications is located at 3268 Fairview Drive in Marietta, Georgia 30066 in Cobb County of metropolitan Atlanta. Advisors are available for consultation 9am to 5pm EST Monday thru Friday http://www.samsungphonesatlanta.com or call 678-324-5400
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Eviction Information

Laws vary from state to state, but when you add up the costs and time down of an eviction, the results are the same. Preventative medicine is the solution.

Evictions Overview

When a landlord wants a tenant to move out, certain procedures must be followed. There are four types of evictions under the law, each requiring a certain type of notice:

For not paying rent. If the tenant is even one day behind in rent, the landlord can issue a three day notice to pay or move out. If the tenant pays all the rent due within three days, the landlord must accept it and cannot evict the tenant. A landlord is not required to accept a partial payment.

For not complying with the terms of the rental agreement. If a tenant is not complying with the rental agreement (for example, keeping a cat when the agreement specifies "no pets"), the landlord can give a ten-day notice to comply or move out. If the tenant remedies the situation within that time, the landlord cannot continue the eviction process.

For creating a "waste or nuisance." If a tenant destroys the landlord's property; uses the premises for unlawful activity including gang or drug-related activities; damages the value of the property; interferes with other tenant's use of the property; the landlord can issue a three-day notice to move out. The tenant must move out after receiving this type of notice. There is no option to stay and correct the problem.

For no cause. Except in the city of Seattle, landlords can evict month-to-month tenants without having or stating a particular reason, as long as the eviction is not discriminatory or retaliatory.

If the landlord wants a tenant to move out and does not give a reason, the tenant must be given a 20-day notice to leave. The tenant must receive the notice at least 20 days before the next rent is due.

The tenant can only be required to move out only at the end of a rental period (the day before a rental payment is due.) Usually, a 20-day notice cannot be used if the tenant has signed a lease. Check the specific rental document to determine if a lease can be ended this way.

If the rental is being converted to a condominium, the tenant must be given a 90-day notice under state law.

How must a landlord notify the tenant of eviction proceedings? For a landlord to take legal action against a tenant who does not move out, the landlord must first give written notice to the tenant in accordance with the law the landlord's options include personal service, service by mail, and service by placing in a prominent place on the premises. See the statute to ensure strict compliance.

What if a tenant continues to live in a rental unit after receiving notice? If the tenant continues to occupy the rental in violation of a notice to leave, the landlord must then go to court to begin what is called an "unlawful detainer" action. If the court rules in favor of the landlord, the sheriff will be instructed to move the tenant out of the rental if the tenant does not leave voluntarily. The only legal way for a landlord to physically move a tenant out is by going through the courts and the sheriff's office.

Find Tenants In A Soft Market

How Landlords Find Tenants In A Soft Market
by: David Schneider

What has happened to all the renters? Well, Let’s examine what has happen in the last few years in the housing markets.

First of all, interest rates have dropped to all time historical lows. This means that many renters have taken advantage of this and went out and bought a house. The second thing that has happened is that most real estate values throughout the country have gone up a lot in a short period of time. Because of this, many more people have decided to start to invest in rental real estate. More landlords, fewer renters equal a soft rental market.

When the market is soft, you have to be better at finding renters

It’s the mission of all business to get and keep customers. Well, the business of owning and managing investment real estate isn’t any different. You must have a system and plan in place to find new tenants and keep you old tenants.

Typically owners of small rental property only do one or two things to find tenants. They may run an advertisement in their local newspaper or they may put a sign on the property that says “FOR RENT”. This is fine in a good rental market, but if you want avoid vacancy you have to do more.

Here are five simple ideas to help keep those vacancies filled:

1. Put together a property feature sheet explaining the features and benefits of your property and distribute it to local real estate offices.

2. Offer bonuses and incentives to your other residents if the refer anyone to you that rents. As an example: gift certificates for dinner out, tank of gas, microwave, etc.

3. Use the apartment rental services in your area. They can be found in your phone book and will list your property in their “properties for rent list” that they give to residents.

4. Make up some cards that say “Properties For Rent – Houses, Duplexes and Apartments. Call Me” and leave them all over. Put them in the envelope when you pay your bills, leave them at restaurants or post them on bulletin boards at stores. Leave them anywhere, be creative and get the word out.

5. Create a waiting list. Keep a list of all callers on any rental that you ever had available. When a new unit comes up for rent, notify the people on your list and see if they might have an interest. If you ever get calls from someone looking for a rental and you don’t have any available now, put them on you waiting list.

Even though the above list is short, it should give you the idea that you need to have many ways to find renters. I’m sure that if you sat down and thought about it you could create a list of 50 –100 ideas. Once you have your list created, you should now test the ideas and see which ones gave you the best results. By doing this process you will fill your vacancies fast and have a constant stream of new tenants wanting to rent from you.

Copyright 2006 David Schneider