Thinking about trading in your home for a smaller one? Whether you are an empty nester, retiring, or just looking for a smaller, more manageable space - there are many reasons and benefits to downsizing. If your lifestyle no longer requires a lot of square footage, here’s a 3 step plan to help you transition into that perfect smaller home.

1. Minimize your belongings. Downsizing your home will require you to minimize your belongings. And you will want to start early.  Focus on keeping what is necessary and begin purging items that you will no longer need. Think about the layout of your new home and the rooms sizes to determine which pieces of furniture will fit best in your new space; this will help you decide what items to keep.  Here are a few

Do you have real estate plans for 2021? Perhaps you are considering selling, buying, refinancing, or even reinsuring your home but not sure where to begin. Don’t fret, we are a team of real estate experts and we are here to help.  We’ve put together some action steps and listed them below to help you tackle your home goals.

Selling Your Home:  If you’re interested in putting your property on the market, now is a great time to sell. Our real estate agents are ready to guide you through the entire selling process.

Action Plan: 

• Find a listing agent

• Find out how much your home is worth (your agent will provide you with a comparative market analyst report to determine an estimate on the property’s worth).

• If applicable,

Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate had another successful year of providing the CSRA with real estate, mortgage, and insurance services despite the many obstacles of 2020- and let’s face it, this year has brought its share of challenges.  Businesses have had to adapt to new procedures and create new strategies due to COVID-19, and the real estate market was no exception. With strategic planning and strong relationships, we were able to find innovative ways to cater to our clients while conducting business seamlessly. Here is a recap of our 2020:

Awards & Recognition

Because of the challenges and bumps in the road due to COVID, awards were especially meaningful this year. Our team of staff and agents worked hard to achieve another successful

Written by
Alex Griffin | Investment Associate | Beman Group
Commercial Division

“If we avoid another lockdown of the population and broad shutdown of the economy, the Covid-19 recession is over.” Talk about a major IF statement. These were the first words spoken by Benjamin Ayers, Dean of the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia, at Thursday’s 2021 Economic Forecast virtual event (going virtual for the first time in the event’s 38-year history because of Covid-19). Dean Ayers’ outlook presented a rosy picture of the national and Georgian economy heading into 2021, but was predicated on two major items: 1) the development and adoption of an effective Covid-19 vaccine by mid-2021, and 2) additional fiscal stimulus passed by

Decorating a small apartment can be challenging.  So, how do you turn your home into a festive and functioning space?  Here are ten decorative tips and tricks on how to give your apartment a holiday touch.

1. Front Door: Create an inviting entrance by adding a wreath to the front door.

2. Foyer: With small spaces, like an entranceway in an apartment, less is more. Instead of bulky decorations, use a plugin or any fragrance system that will fill the air with a subtle seasonal aroma to delight the senses. 

3. Dining Table: Decorate the dining table with color coordinating place settings, a runner or placemats, and an attractive centerpiece.

4. Sitting Area: Toss a few festive pillows on the couch and chairs.

5. Fireplace:

It’s time to trade the flip flops for the boots, the swimsuit for the snowsuit, the pool for the fireplace- you get the idea; It’s also a time to prepare for the inevitable - winter. And even though it’s unlikely that a snow blizzard will occur here in the south (although anything is possible in 2020), there are still some preparation tasks you will want to tackle before temperatures take a major dip.

Insulate Windows:  If you have drafty windows, it can be difficult to keep the cold out and the heat inside of your home; As a result, your power bill is likely to increase. Below are some affordable, quick fixes to insulate your windows and keep your home warmer this Winter.

• Rope Caulk window seals: Rope Caulk, similar to Silly Putty,

Michael "Signature Mike" Siewert is an established Interior Designer and owner of Signature Interiors. After working with The Beman Group to select the site of his boutique located at 1403 Monte Sano Avenue, We wanted to discuss with him the importance of a good space, and his newest site coming to Fury's Ferry Road in Martinez.

What inspired you to pursue interior design?

I grew up with a Theatre background. I went to a Performing Arts High School with people like Lavelle Smith, Michael Jacksons choreographer and Paige Davis, the host of Trading Spaces. I decided I didn’t have a Bohemian heart and decided to change my path. I found that Interior Design was still a creative outlet for me and I had been decorating and redecorating my room

Once you’ve bought a home, you will inevitably want to improve it. But after such a big purchase, it can be hard to find the time and money to make such improvements. Luckily, there are a number of ways to increase your home’s value without sacrificing too much of your time and money. Keep reading for some affordable home improvement tips.

Spruce Up Outdoor Spaces

Curb appeal is so important to your home’s appeal - how it looks on the outside is going to entice people to walk through the door. To make your home look as appealing as possible, you can do small things to your yard that won’t break the bank but will make all the difference. Consider planting some colorful flowers and low-maintenance plants whose upkeep won’t take up too much of your

Buying a house will most likely be the biggest purchase you will ever make in a lifetime. While purchasing your first home is exciting, the process can be extremely overwhelming, especially if you are unsure where to begin. Don’t worry, you do not have to do this alone, we are here to help you every step of the way! To start, here is a six-step guide to buying your first home.

Step One:  Getting Pre-Approved

Before you begin to shop for a house, you will need to determine how much you can afford. To determine your budget, you must get pre-approved first and you will need a lender to pre-approve you. Pre-approval means that based on your income and credit, you should be able to get a loan (for a specific amount) as long as nothing changes with

Rachel Biestman is the owner of The Darling Loft Salon, a small boutique salon specializing in hair color, transformative cutting, and special event services. We recently discussed with her how the process of opening her business has been and how having a quieter and more intimate space for her salon has presented an opportunity for her during the pandemic.  

What or Who Inspired You to Start your Business? 

Salon ownership is the end goal for many stylists when they begin in the industry, but that hasn't always been the case for me. I had considered it for many years but didn't see the niche for the type of business I wanted to create until the first day of the stay-at-home order in March. After working in several