Atlanta Real Estate Forum

The house down the street might be a builder’s biggest competitor. It is already finished, the landscaping is established and there is no waiting for construction to wrap up. And if the buyer likes it, they may be able to move in within weeks. 

Andy Dugger, division sales manager with Meritage Homes, joins host Carol Morgan on Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio to discuss what he is seeing in the Atlanta new home market, how buyer priorities are shifting and why the builder considers Realtors a central part of its sales strategy. 

New construction is competing with more than other builders. Atlanta’s large and aging resale housing stock gives buyers another option, often with the advantage of a faster move-in timeline. Builders must account for that when they bring homes to market. 

Meritage Homes addresses that demand with its closing-ready guarantee, offering homes that can close within 60 days. The approach allows the builder to compete not only on home quality and price, but also on the buyer’s preferred timeline. 

Affordability goes well beyond the number on a listing. Interest rates, monthly payments, everyday expenses and the ongoing costs of homeownership all factor into the decision, making the overall cost of a home just as important as its purchase price. 

“Affordability is just a major issue across all purchasing decisions people are making,” Dugger said. 

Meritage Homes offers rate buydown opportunities on qualifying homes, including rates as low as 4.99% and 5.5% fixed for 30 years. Dugger said conversations with buyers often focus on how financing affects their monthly payment and what they can comfortably afford. 

Energy efficiency may not be the first thing a buyer asks about when touring a new home, but it can have a meaningful impact on the cost of ownership. Meritage Homes builds its homes with spray foam insulation and full encapsulation, and Dugger said the company highlights those features as part of the long-term value of a home. 

For Meritage Homes, Realtors are not simply another marketing channel. They are a critical part of the business model. 

“Realtors are the strategy. They’re not part of the strategy. They are the strategy,” Dugger said. 

More than 40% of the company’s deals last year involved Realtors who had worked with Meritage Homes before. Some agents bring multiple buyers to the builder each year, making those relationships valuable well beyond a single closing. Meritage Homes supports those partnerships through its Agents Rocks program, which provides participating agents with exclusive information, incentives, open house opportunities and, for top-tier agents, listing opportunities. 

A beautiful home tour can attract attention, but useful information can turn that attention into a lead. Realtors who are generating business through Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and other platforms are creating content that gives consumers a reason to reach out rather than simply showcasing a property. 

“I think the polished home tours help with views, but the information is really what drives people to reach out to somebody,” Dugger said. 

Dugger shared the example of a Realtor who completed 31 transactions in her second year, including 28 new construction deals. Nearly all of those leads came from social media, demonstrating how new construction expertise can become a powerful content and business-development strategy. 

Realtors do not have to create every piece of content from scratch. Meritage Homes gives agents access to model homes, amenities, spec homes and sales consultants that can help them develop content for their audiences. A Realtor could spend an afternoon filming in a community and leave with enough material for weeks of social media posts. 

Meritage Homes also works with Denim Marketing at events to create social media stations where Realtors can film professional content and learn techniques they can use on their own. For builders, those efforts extend the reach of their communities. For Realtors, they provide another way to demonstrate their new construction expertise. 

Realtors who primarily work in resale may be less familiar with the timelines and processes involved in new construction. Dugger encourages agents to connect with new home sales professionals and learn where they can add value for buyers. 

That knowledge can help Realtors prepare clients for the differences between a resale transaction and new construction. It can also give agents a steady stream of relevant topics to share online, from construction timelines to the stages of the homebuilding process. 

A successful builder-Realtor relationship should not end at the closing table. Meritage Homes views those relationships as opportunities for both sides to grow their businesses over time.

That distinction matters in a market where buyers need more guidance and Realtors are finding new ways to connect with potential clients. A builder that gives agents access to inventory, information and content opportunities becomes more than another option in an MLS search. It becomes a resource Realtors can return to for their next client. 

Atlanta’s new home market is asking builders and Realtors to think differently. Buyers are comparing new construction with resale inventory, scrutinizing monthly costs and looking for more information before making a major purchase. At the same time, Realtors are using social media to build relationships with buyers long before they walk through a model home. 

For Meritage Homes, the answer is not simply to build a better house. It is to meet buyers on their timelines, help them understand the full cost of homeownership and build lasting relationships with the Realtors helping them navigate the market. 

“When you have a business partner that wants you to succeed, that’s when it becomes transformative in their business as well,” Dugger said. 

To learn more about Meritage Homes, listen to the full episode and visit https://www.meritagehomes.com/.  

Meritage Homes is a leading U.S. home builder focused on designing and building energy-efficient homes for today’s homebuyers. Founded in 1985, the company operates across multiple markets throughout the country, including Metro Atlanta. Meritage Homes combines thoughtful home designs, energy-efficient features and a streamlined homebuying experience to help make homeownership more attainable. 

Thank you to Denim Marketing for sponsoring Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio. Known as a trendsetter, Denim Marketing has been blogging since 2006 and podcasting since 2011. Contact them when you need quality, original content for social media, public relations, blogging, email marketing and promotions. A comfortable fit for companies of all shapes and sizes, Denim Marketing understands marketing strategies are not one-size-fits-all. The agency works with your company to create a perfectly tailored marketing strategy that will suit your needs and niche. Try Denim Marketing on for size by calling 770-383-3360 or by visiting www.DenimMarketing.com.       

Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio, presented by Denim Marketing, highlights the movers and shakers in the Atlanta real estate industry – the home builders, developers, Realtors and suppliers working to provide the American dream for Atlantans. For more information on how you can be featured as a guest, contact Denim Marketing at 770-383-3360 or fill out the Atlanta Real Estate Forum contact form. Subscribe to the Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio podcast on iTunes, and if you like this week’s show, be sure to rate it. Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio was recently honored on FeedSpot’s Top 100 Atlanta Podcasts, ranking 11th overall and number one out of all ranked real estate podcasts.

The post Meritage Homes: Realtors Are the Strategy appeared first on Atlanta Real Estate Forum.

A buyer can love the house, like the neighborhood and still walk away without making an offer. That is the reality agents are seeing more often in today’s new-home market, where financing, incentives and the sheer number of choices can make the final decision harder than finding the house itself.

That uncertainty has changed the way builders sell homes, too.

Casey Wood, partner and broker with HillWood Realty, works primarily with new home builders across Northeast Georgia. From his perspective, the market isn’t simply slowing down or speeding up. It is forcing builders and real estate professionals to rethink how they approach land acquisition and sales.

He joins host Carol Morgan on Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio to discuss the advantages of new construction, shifting buyer behavior, the role smaller builders play in the housing market and why he is watching Northeast Georgia closely.

Interest rates have made it harder for some homeowners to leave a house with a mortgage in the 2% or 3% range. Buyers who don’t have an existing mortgage face a different problem: They may like a new home but struggle with the payment at today’s rates. Builders are responding by treating financing as part of the home sale rather than leaving the issue entirely to the buyer. Some are working with lenders to contribute significant amounts toward mortgage rate buydowns. In certain cases, the savings can extend for much of the life of the loan.

That strategy gives new construction an advantage that resale sellers typically can’t match. A builder can incorporate the cost of a rate buydown into its sales strategy, while an individual homeowner selling a resale property generally has fewer options for addressing a buyer’s long-term financing costs.

The result is changing the conversation. Instead of simply comparing the price of a new home with the price of a resale, buyers can look at the payment, incentives and overall cost of ownership.

And financing isn’t the only reason Wood sees value in new construction.

“Why not just go ahead and pick out your finishes, finance that into the house, and you move in and it’s all done turnkey,” he said.

For buyers who don’t have another $50,000 or $100,000 sitting in the bank for renovations after closing, that matters. A new home can allow them to make those decisions before move-in and roll eligible costs into the purchase rather than tackle them afterward.

The financing conversation explains part of today’s hesitation, but Wood has noticed another change that may be just as important: Buyers are taking longer to decide. HillWood Realty monitors community traffic each week. Buyers who once might have purchased after one or two visits now often want to compare nearly every available option before committing.

“Buyers used to come in; they may buy on their first visit and very frequently on their second,” Wood said. “But now they’re much more reluctant to pull the trigger.”

The longer a buyer waits, the more communities, homes, incentives and financing scenarios they may add to the comparison. This often leads to what Wood calls “decision fatigue.” Instead of viewing that hesitation as a reason to push harder for a sale, HillWood’s agents spend more time figuring out what is keeping a buyer from moving forward. Builders are adjusting, too.

Builders have become more willing to listen to buyers and make changes when possible. That could mean identifying a concern about the home, finding a way to address it or simply understanding what the buyer needs to feel comfortable making a decision.

“They’re really willing to be flexible and sit down and see what is maybe the buyer’s holdup, or what it is that would make this home a perfect home for the buyer rather than just a cold no,” Wood said.

Today’s buyer doesn’t necessarily need more choices. In many cases, they need help making sense of the choices they already have.

The same kind of flexibility is giving smaller builders an opening on the land side of the business.

A national builder may not want to spend the time and money required to rezone five acres for a handful of homes when the same process could support a much larger project elsewhere. A smaller builder can look at that same land differently.

“The smaller builders, they’re coming in and finding these what I call A-plus locations that may have a few acres, subdividing that and having really successful developments on just out parcels that were overlooked by the big national and regional builders,” Wood said.

Rather than waiting for another large tract to become available, smaller builders can piece together projects in established or growing areas where buyers already want to live. They may also face less competition because the sites don’t fit the typical development model of a national company.

That can mean something different for buyers, too: A new home doesn’t have to come with hundreds of neighbors and a massive amenity package.

“I’m excited about the Athens corridor up 316 from Gwinnett towards Athens and even beyond out towards Oconee County,” Wood said.

Oconee County offers a particularly interesting example. Local officials have taken steps to manage growth and protect infrastructure while the area continues to attract residents. The result is a market that can support everything from million-dollar homes on two- to five-acre properties to new communities offering lower price points.

HillWood Realty is putting more resources behind that growth. The brokerage recently opened an office in Statham, giving its team a base to serve builders and homeowners in the Athens area. Several of its builder clients also have acquired homesites in The Georgia Club.

The move isn’t simply about opening another office. It reflects where Wood believes housing activity can grow as buyers look beyond Atlanta’s traditional suburban growth patterns.

“Whether it’s picking up or a slowdown, whatever, I’m excited about opportunity during every slowdown,” Wood said.

People will continue to move even when sales activity slows because families grow, jobs change, homeowners downsize and people relocate to be closer to relatives. That leaves HillWood focused on something broader than the next market forecast: staying close to the builders creating the product, understanding what buyers need to make a decision and identifying the Northeast Georgia communities where its clients see room to build.

To learn more about HillWood Realty and its latest projects, visit HillWoodRealty.com.

Founded in 2017, HillWood Realty is a full-service real estate brokerage dedicated to helping buyers, sellers, investors, builders and landowners achieve their real estate goals throughout North Georgia and the greater Atlanta region. Specializing in luxury homes, new construction, residential real estate and land sales, the firm combines local market expertise, personalized service and innovative marketing strategies to deliver exceptional results.  

Through a client-focused approach and deep industry relationships, HillWood Realty provides trusted guidance across every stage of the real estate journey. To learn more, visit www.HillWoodRealty.com. 

Thank you to Denim Marketing for sponsoring Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio. Known as a trendsetter, Denim Marketing has been blogging since 2006 and podcasting since 2011. Contact them when you need quality, original content for social media, public relations, blogging, email marketing and promotions. A comfortable fit for companies of all shapes and sizes, Denim Marketing understands marketing strategies are not one-size-fits-all. The agency works with your company to create a perfectly tailored marketing strategy that will suit your needs and niche. Try Denim Marketing on for size by calling 770-383-3360 or by visiting www.DenimMarketing.com.       

Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio, presented by Denim Marketing, highlights the movers and shakers in the Atlanta real estate industry – the home builders, developers, Realtors and suppliers working to provide the American dream for Atlantans. For more information on how you can be featured as a guest, contact Denim Marketing at 770-383-3360 or fill out the Atlanta Real Estate Forum contact form. Subscribe to the Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio podcast on iTunes, and if you like this week’s show, be sure to rate it. Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio was recently honored on FeedSpot’s Top 100 Atlanta Podcasts, ranking 11th overall and number one out of all ranked real estate podcasts. 

The post HillWood Realty: Small Builders, Big Openings appeared first on Atlanta Real Estate Forum.

A home builder cannot build on a piece of land just because it is for sale. Before a single foundation is poured, someone must determine whether the property can support a community, secure the necessary approvals, solve its infrastructure challenges and make the numbers work. 

Eric Masaschi knows that process well. Known as the “Landman,” Masaschi is East Region president of Forestar, where he leads a team responsible for finding and developing residential land across Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and the North Gulf Coast. Forestar takes land from acquisition through entitlements, engineering and infrastructure before delivering finished lots to home builders. 

Masaschi joins host Carol Morgan on Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio to discuss what happens before the homes and streets buyers recognize ever exist. His perspective offers a different way to look at new home construction: The house may be the most visible part of the process, but the land sets the stage for everything that follows. 

For a land developer, finding a desirable property is only the beginning. The first question is whether the site can actually support a viable community. Location matters, but so does what the property can accommodate. A site needs enough usable land for the right number of homes, access to necessary utilities and a path through the local approval process. Atlanta’s topography can add another wrinkle, particularly when the terrain affects whether homes can support basements. 

Then there are conditions that cannot be changed. Rock, wetlands and stream crossings can quickly complicate a project and drive up its cost. 

“There are lots of things that can then make a deal go sideways pretty quickly,” Masaschi said. 

That is why evaluating a property involves far more than looking at its location or asking price. The opportunity must work both physically and financially before a developer can move forward. 

Land cost is only the starting point. The number of homes a site can support, the work required to prepare it and the fees associated with development all affect what a finished lot ultimately costs. A project that looks promising at first can become a very different investment as those expenses add up. 

That uncertainty sets land development apart from home construction, where builders can track labor and material costs through established processes. Every parcel brings a different set of circumstances, making the front end of a project harder to predict. 

The financial equation becomes even more challenging when a project takes longer than expected. Masaschi shared a recent example in which a final plat approval expected to take about two months stretched to six. By that point, the developer had already spent roughly 95% of the project’s capital, leaving significant money tied up while the project waited for its final approval. 

The impact goes beyond the developer’s balance sheet. A home builder may have a sales team, employees and other resources preparing to open a community, only to have the timeline pushed back. Predictability often matters just as much as speed. A developer can plan around a known timeline. An uncertain one makes it much harder to manage interest, carrying costs and the eventual delivery of lots to the builder. 

The work behind a new community can feel far removed from the buyer standing in a model home. But the two are connected. The price of a new home reflects more than framing, finishes and labor. It also reflects the years of work and investment required to prepare the land for construction. 

“I want my kids to be able to have the American dream and have a house sooner than later,” he said. 

A new home may be the finished product, but getting there starts long before construction. The land has to work physically, financially and through the development process before a home builder can ever break ground. 

Listen to the full episode of Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio to hear Masaschi discuss the work that happens before construction, what can make a residential site difficult to develop and how longer development timelines affect the housing pipeline. To learn more about Forestar and its approach to residential land development, visit https://www.forestar.com/. 

Forestar is one of the largest residential community developers in the country, developing residential lots for local, regional and national home builders. The company acquires and develops land, secures entitlements and prepares communities for home construction. Forestar has active projects in more than 60 markets across 24 states and more than 200 projects underway nationwide. The company also works with landowners to acquire properties and develop projects in phases based on individual sites and market needs. 

Thank you to Denim Marketing for sponsoring Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio. Known as a trendsetter, Denim Marketing has been blogging since 2006 and podcasting since 2011. Contact them when you need quality, original content for social media, public relations, blogging, email marketing and promotions. A comfortable fit for companies of all shapes and sizes, Denim Marketing understands marketing strategies are not one-size-fits-all. The agency works with your company to create a perfectly tailored marketing strategy that will suit your needs and niche. Try Denim Marketing on for size by calling 770-383-3360 or by visiting www.DenimMarketing.com.       

Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio, presented by Denim Marketing, highlights the movers and shakers in the Atlanta real estate industry – the home builders, developers, Realtors and suppliers working to provide the American dream for Atlantans. For more information on how you can be featured as a guest, contact Denim Marketing at 770-383-3360 or fill out the Atlanta Real Estate Forum contact form. Subscribe to the Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio podcast on iTunes, and if you like this week’s show, be sure to rate it. Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio was recently honored on FeedSpot’s Top 100 Atlanta Podcasts, ranking 11th overall and number one out of all ranked real estate podcasts. 

The post Eric Masaschi: Before the Home, There’s the Land appeared first on Atlanta Real Estate Forum.

The price and square footage may look right on paper, but will the home actually work for your life? That is one of the questions Atlanta homebuyers should be asking before they make an offer. 

Adam Cornett, division president at David Weekley Homes, joins Host Carol Morgan on Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio to share what homebuyers often overlook when shopping for a new home. From floor plan design and natural light to energy efficiency and builder reputation, he encourages buyers to consider how their choices will affect daily life long after closing. 

Atlanta’s housing market is giving buyers more room to shop and compare than they had a few years ago. The market is more balanced, with about 4.5 months of supply, according to the latest Georgia MLS data. 

“Buyers have more choices; they have more time to evaluate those choices, and in many cases, more negotiating power because it’s very location and price point specific,” Cornett said. 

More choice also means buyers can take a closer look at what they are actually getting for their money. A lower price or larger home may not be the better fit if the floor plan, homesite, construction quality or builder experience falls short of what a buyer needs. 

Price per square foot offers an easy way to compare homes, but it does not capture everything that contributes to a home’s value. 

“I wish that people, before they went and looked at the home, they were looking at the overall service they’re going to get, the quality of the home, how the home lives and all the other factors actually really affect the price too,” Cornett said. 

That means considering details that do not show up neatly on a price sheet. Does the homesite offer the right orientation, view or privacy? Does the floor plan fit the way the family lives? Will the builder be responsive if something needs attention after closing? Those details can be difficult to quantify, but they can shape how a home feels and functions for years to come. 

A model home can make a floor plan look effortless, but an empty room does not always reveal how it will function once furniture, people and everyday routines enter the picture. 

Cornett recommends paying attention to sightlines, traffic patterns, privacy, the placement of the primary suite and how effectively the square footage is used. 

“Traffic patterns matter like the flow of how you live every day, and you don’t even notice it when you’re looking at empty space. But once you start putting furniture in there, it changes how you live in the home and how easy the home is to live in.” 

His own experience working from home during the pandemic reinforced that point. An office positioned near the front of the home and living room may have looked functional on paper, but with young children at home, it was not necessarily the quiet workspace he needed. 

Buyers can apply the same thinking during a home tour by imagining where furniture will go, how people will move through the house and whether the layout supports their everyday routines. 

Natural light can also change how a home feels, but buyers may overlook it during a quick tour. The number of windows matters less than where they are located, how the home is oriented and how light moves through the rooms throughout the day. Buyers should consider where the morning and afternoon sun will fall, when the patio is shaded and which rooms receive the most natural light. 

Those details can help distinguish homes that otherwise look similar on a price sheet. 

When it comes to upgrades, Cornett recommends prioritizing the choices that are difficult or expensive to change after construction such as 

A better lot orientation or more useful floor plan can be difficult, if not impossible, to recreate later. Finishes are different. Appliances, hardware and other decorative selections can generally be updated without changing the home’s underlying structure. 

The approach gives buyers a practical way to prioritize their budget: invest in the elements that determine how the home lives, then update cosmetic details over time. 

The cost of a home does not end at the closing table. Buyers comparing new construction with resale homes should also consider ongoing expenses and the condition of major systems. 

New homes are built to current energy standards, and Georgia’s energy codes have changed in recent years. Resale buyers may also need to account for the age of the roof, HVAC system, appliances and other major components when considering the long-term cost of ownership. 

The home itself is only one part of a new construction purchase. Buyers may spend months interacting with sales, construction and warranty teams, making the people behind the home an important part of the decision. 

Cornett recommends asking about the warranty process before signing a contract. Buyers should understand who handles warranty requests, how they make a request and when they will meet the person responsible for supporting the home after closing. 

“A great home buying experience is one that the homeowners ultimately feel like they’re part of the process all the way through,” Cornett said. “They feel like they have a partner inside of the equation.” 

That sense of partnership can make a difference throughout the homebuying process. Buyers should feel comfortable asking questions, understand what happens next and know who will be there to help along the way. 

Builders can now use AI technology to help consumers visualize finishes, colors and design options, while buyers can use AI tools to research builders and communities before visiting a model home. 

David Weekley Homes has already seen leads come through ChatGPT recommendations, which Cornett described as “a whole new referral system.” 

As AI becomes another tool in the home search, buyers have more ways to gather information and narrow their options.  

For Cornett, evaluating a new home ultimately comes down to more than a transaction. He recommends asking three questions: 

The current Atlanta market gives buyers more opportunities to compare their options. Taking advantage of that choice means looking closely at not only what a home costs, but also how it lives, what it will cost to maintain and whether the people building it are the right fit. 

“If somebody feels at home, that’s where they really should be buying.” 

Listen to the full episode of Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio to hear Cornett discuss what Atlanta homebuyers should consider beyond price per square foot, the floor plan and homesite details that can shape how a home lives, what buyers should know about new construction versus resale and how AI is changing the homebuying journey. To learn more about David Weekley Homes and explore its communities, visit https://www.davidweekleyhomes.com/. 

David Weekley Homes, founded in 1976, operates in 19 markets across the United States and is headquartered in Houston. David Weekley Homes was the first builder in the United States to be awarded the Triple Crown of American Home Building, an honor which includes “America’s Best Builder,” “National Housing Quality Award,” and “National Builder of the Year.” Weekley Homes has been recognized 19 times by Great Place to Work® and Fortune magazine as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. Since its inception, David Weekley Homes has closed more than 130,000 homes. For more information about David Weekley Homes, visit the company’s website at www.davidweekleyhomes.com.   

Thank you to Denim Marketing for sponsoring Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio. Known as a trendsetter, Denim Marketing has been blogging since 2006 and podcasting since 2011. Contact them when you need quality, original content for social media, public relations, blogging, email marketing and promotions. A comfortable fit for companies of all shapes and sizes, Denim Marketing understands marketing strategies are not one-size-fits-all. The agency works with your company to create a perfectly tailored marketing strategy that will suit your needs and niche. Try Denim Marketing on for size by calling 770-383-3360 or by visiting www.DenimMarketing.com.       

Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio, presented by Denim Marketing, highlights the movers and shakers in the Atlanta real estate industry – the home builders, developers, Realtors and suppliers working to provide the American dream for Atlantans. For more information on how you can be featured as a guest, contact Denim Marketing at 770-383-3360 or fill out the Atlanta Real Estate Forum contact form. Subscribe to the Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio podcast on iTunes, and if you like this week’s show, be sure to rate it. Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio was recently honored on FeedSpot’s Top 100 Atlanta Podcasts, ranking 11th overall and number one out of all ranked real estate podcasts. 

The post Adam Cornett: Looking Beyond the Price Tag appeared first on Atlanta Real Estate Forum.

What does a family-owned Atlanta home builder do when buyers are cautious, interest rates remain elevated and national builders have significant scale? One answer is to compete where scale is not the only advantage. 

That idea runs through Kittle Homes’ approach to development, from communities planned around suburban downtowns to homes that can be customized beyond a standard menu of options. 

Zac Kittle, managing partner at Kittle Homes, recently joined host Carol Morgan on Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio to discuss what the home builder is building across Metro Atlanta, what he has learned from previous market cycles and how technology could change the business in the years ahead. 

Grove Park Village in Lawrenceville began with an unusual starting point: The city approached the builder. 

The community, coming soon near downtown Lawrenceville, presented an opportunity to create something that would fit into the city’s broader vision for the area. Kittle Homes began working with city officials and architect Stephen Fuller on a neighborhood that would feel distinctive rather than interchangeable with other new home communities. 

The plan calls for spacious homesites along with several unique floor plans. Full-brick entrances, gas lanterns and extensive landscaping will help establish the look of the community. The first 10 homes are expected to begin construction later this year. 

The location may be just as important as the homes themselves. Walkability to a suburban downtown has become an increasingly attractive proposition for buyers who want the convenience of restaurants, entertainment and community events without giving up the space and quality associated with a larger home. That is particularly relevant for empty nesters and baby boomers who may be ready to downsize but are not necessarily ready to change their lifestyle. 

The strategy has also played out in previous Kittle Homes projects, including Skyview on Broad in Sugar Hill and a community in downtown Grayson. In each case, the surrounding downtown is part of what makes the residential product compelling. 

Skyview on Broad offered another lesson, this time about what happens when a builder has room to respond to what it sees during construction. The townhome community presented opportunities for buyers to select finishes and personalize their homes, but one of the most memorable design decisions happened before a buyer ever moved in. 

While framing one of the homes, the team decided the space between the dining room and living room did not look quite right. Rather than leaving the design as drawn, Kittle directed the team to add two wing walls and a large arch spanning roughly 20 feet. 

The feature was not on the original architectural plans, yet visitors consistently responded to it. The on-the-fly decision became one of the home’s most noticeable design elements. 

This adaptation highlights a distinction between semi-custom building and a highly standardized production model. A buyer might request a cubby for jackets and shoes or ask for a particular finish, and the team can evaluate the idea without being limited to a predetermined spreadsheet of choices. 

The same philosophy shapes the company’s product research. Market data helps identify what is selling and which price points are working, but the goal is not necessarily to reproduce the most popular product exactly. 

Kittle said the company often takes what the research shows and pushes the design a little further, competing with bigger builders while targeting a different price range. The reasoning is straightforward: Buyers want to feel like they are purchasing a home that reflects their preferences, not simply another version of the house next door. 

“Cookie cutters belong in the kitchen, not your home design,” Kittle said. 

The ability to make those kinds of decisions starts well before framing. Kittle Homes typically handles both sides of development and construction. The company often acquires land, pursues rezoning, engineers the property, develops roads, streets and sidewalks and then builds the homes. That means decisions about the finished community do not happen in isolation. 

A site plan can affect the number of homes, while the number and configuration of homes can affect the economics. Development decisions also influence the lots, which ultimately determine what can be built and sold. Keeping those pieces connected gives the team a clearer view of the entire project and more control over its costs. 

“It really comes down to controlling the process from start to finish,” Kittle said. 

When more stages of development and construction stay under one roof, there are fewer handoffs and fewer opportunities for costs to accumulate between separate companies. The result can be more room to invest in the features buyers see and value while maintaining the economics needed to make a project work. 

Kittle sees artificial intelligence (AI) creating near-term opportunities in land acquisition and site planning. A builder could eventually input a property and generate an initial neighborhood layout, estimating potential lot yield before committing significant time and money to engineering. 

Today, that process can require builders to put land under contract and then begin engineering work to determine how many homesites a property can support. AI could help move some of that analysis earlier in the process.  The technology could also help with construction estimating, plan review and project coordination by organizing information, flagging code issues and identifying problems before plans reach a municipality. 

Kittle expects more capable estimating tools to emerge within the next six months to one-and-a-half years. AI will not replace experienced builders, but it could reduce the time they spend gathering, checking and transferring information. 

As a fourth-generation Atlanta builder, Kittle has experienced several market cycles. He described the current environment as one of the toughest of the past decade. 

Before COVID-19, builders could often presell entire neighborhoods. Then demand surged and inventory tightened, giving builders unusual leverage. The equation is different today. Higher mortgage rates have made monthly payments more difficult to manage, while homeowners who locked in rates around 3% have little incentive to sell. That has kept existing home inventory relatively constrained while leaving buyers with fewer affordable options. 

Kittle Homes uses mortgage rate buydowns and other incentives to help buyers make the numbers work. New construction also brings new finishes, a warranty and the ability to select certain features, strengthening its value proposition compared with an existing home. 

The bigger lesson is that builders can no longer assume buyers will simply accept the product as offered. They have to give buyers a compelling reason to make a purchase now. 

Beyond Grove Park Village, Kittle Homes has two communities planned: a 64-townhome project in Sugar Hill near Northside Hospital and downtown and a 59-townhome community along Paper Mill Road in Lawrenceville. Construction is expected to begin in late 2027 or early 2028. 

Kittle expects 2027 to remain challenging but believes builders will become more active in acquiring land as they prepare for 2028 and 2029 deliveries. That makes the decisions happening now particularly important. The right site, product and ability to adjust can determine whether a project is positioned for the market that eventually arrives. 

“You need to have a unique product, and you’ve got to grind it out,” Kittle said. 

In a business where conditions can change long before a home is finished, the ability to adjust may be one of the most valuable advantages a local builder can have. 

Listen to the full episode of Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio to hear Kittle discuss how local builders can compete in a changing housing market, why walkable suburban communities are gaining attention, how customization is shaping buyer expectations and where he sees artificial intelligence making its biggest impact on homebuilding. To discover where Kittle Homes is currently building, visit https://www.kittlehomes.com/.  

Kittle Homes is a family-owned Atlanta home builder with more than 75 years of experience. Now led by fourth-generation builders Judson Kittle and Zac Kittle, the company builds single-family homes and townhomes with a focus on quality craftsmanship, thoughtful design and lasting value. 

Thank you to Denim Marketing for sponsoring Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio. Known as a trendsetter, Denim Marketing has been blogging since 2006 and podcasting since 2011. Contact them when you need quality, original content for social media, public relations, blogging, email marketing and promotions. A comfortable fit for companies of all shapes and sizes, Denim Marketing understands marketing strategies are not one-size-fits-all. The agency works with your company to create a perfectly tailored marketing strategy that will suit your needs and niche. Try Denim Marketing on for size by calling 770-383-3360 or by visiting www.DenimMarketing.com.       

Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio, presented by Denim Marketing, highlights the movers and shakers in the Atlanta real estate industry – the home builders, developers, Realtors and suppliers working to provide the American dream for Atlantans. For more information on how you can be featured as a guest, contact Denim Marketing at 770-383-3360 or fill out the Atlanta Real Estate Forum contact form. Subscribe to the Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio podcast on iTunes, and if you like this week’s show, be sure to rate it. Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio was recently honored on FeedSpot’s Top 100 Atlanta Podcasts, ranking 11th overall and number one out of all ranked real estate podcasts. 

The post Kittle Homes Turns Local Know-How into a Competitive Advantage appeared first on Atlanta Real Estate Forum.

What do video games and homebuilding have in common? More than you might think!

Thomas Holt spent years creating visuals for major video games before turning his attention to residential construction. Today, he helps companies rethink the way they design, sell and build homes through artificial intelligence (AI). Holt, co-founder and vice president of visualization at Higharc, joined host Carol Morgan on Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio to discuss spatial AI, the future of new home sales and why technology could dramatically speed up the way the industry brings new products to market.

Holt’s background in video game development may seem like an unlikely path to homebuilding, but he sees an important distinction between the two.

“In games, you’re inventing a world, and the only rule is that it has to feel right,” Holt said.

A house has a lot more rules. Every wall has a cost, windows have requirements and design decisions affect framing, permitting and construction. Ultimately, there’s also a homebuyer counting on the finished product to work as intended. For Higharc, that means creating a digital model that accounts for more than what a home looks like. The platform connects information across the design, sales, estimating and construction processes.

One of the biggest challenges in residential construction is not necessarily creating information. It’s keeping that information consistent as it moves through an organization. CAD drawings, for example, are essentially representations of a building. A line might indicate a wall, but the line itself doesn’t represent what a wall is. That becomes an issue when the file moves from design to estimating, sales and construction. Each team may have to interpret the information and enter it into another system.

Holt compared the process to a game of telephone.

“Every one of those handoffs is a different chance for the versions to kind of drift,” he said.

By the time those differences reach the field, they can show up as change orders, material overages, delays and other expensive mistakes. A shared digital model gives each department access to the same underlying information, reducing the need to translate it over and over again.

Generative AI has become remarkably good at producing things that look and sound convincing. But convincing isn’t necessarily the same as correct. An AI-generated floor plan might be perfectly useful as inspiration. It’s a different story when someone needs to estimate materials or send the plan to a job site. Spatial AI is designed to understand the relationships between elements in a building. A wall isn’t simply a line. It is a wall with characteristics and construction implications. The same applies to windows, kitchens, rooms and other components. That context allows the technology to produce information that can support the actual building process.

Consumers have become accustomed to customizing products online. They can build a car, change a pair of sneakers or configure a computer before making a purchase. A house is considerably more complicated. There can be an enormous number of possible combinations, and changing one element can affect several others. Historically, giving buyers that level of choice has required a lot of manual work behind the scenes.

Higharc’s web-based showroom is designed to make the experience more seamless. Buyers can explore 3D floor plans, change structural options and swap exterior collections while seeing those choices update on screen. The experience can also incorporate real manufacturer products and builder-controlled pricing. The bigger advantage is what happens behind the scenes. Because the experience is connected to the same underlying information used throughout the process, changes can stay aligned with what the company is actually selling and building.

For buyers, that means more freedom to explore. For sales teams, it means less work trying to keep countless combinations straight.

Holt doesn’t see AI completely replacing most jobs. Instead, he expects it to change how people spend their time.

“I think everybody’s job in some way is going to improve,” Holt said.

That could be particularly valuable in an industry that continues to face labor shortages. Rather than eliminating people, technology can help teams spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time on work that requires experience and expertise. The same principle could extend to the job site. Holt expects technology to improve access to information, quality control, analytics and other tools that help tradespeople and field teams do their work more effectively.

Higharc recently raised $95 million in a Series C funding round led by Insight Partners. The investment will support two major priorities: accelerating the company’s AI product development and expanding the platform beyond builders into the broader housing industry. For smaller companies, the appeal may be the ability to offer buyers sophisticated 3D sales and marketing experiences. Larger organizations can benefit from bringing more consistency to complex product lines, options and processes.

Creating a new plan or adapting an existing one for a different community can take months. That makes experimentation expensive and can discourage companies from making frequent changes.

Holt believes AI could dramatically shorten that process.

“I think where AI will take us is to a point where plans can get generated and validated in hours instead of months,” he said.

That would give companies more room to test ideas, adapt designs to individual markets and respond to what buyers actually want. In some ways, the future could mean products are tested and refined continuously rather than treated as finished once they reach the market.

Listen to the full episode of Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio for more insights from Holt on spatial AI, the homebuying experience, the future of product development and how technology could reshape the homebuilding industry. For more information about Higharc, visit Higharc.com.

Higharc is a homebuilding technology company helping builders move from design to construction with a connected digital platform. Its tools bring together home design, configuration, 3D sales, estimating and construction documents, allowing teams to work from the same underlying data.  

Thank you to Denim Marketing for sponsoring Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio. Known as a trendsetter, Denim Marketing has been blogging since 2006 and podcasting since 2011. Contact them when you need quality, original content for social media, public relations, blogging, email marketing and promotions. A comfortable fit for companies of all shapes and sizes, Denim Marketing understands marketing strategies are not one-size-fits-all. The agency works with your company to create a perfectly tailored marketing strategy that will suit your needs and niche. Try Denim Marketing on for size by calling 770-383-3360 or by visiting www.DenimMarketing.com.       

Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio, presented by Denim Marketing, highlights the movers and shakers in the Atlanta real estate industry – the home builders, developers, Realtors and suppliers working to provide the American dream for Atlantans. For more information on how you can be featured as a guest, contact Denim Marketing at 770-383-3360 or fill out the Atlanta Real Estate Forum contact form. Subscribe to the Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio podcast on iTunes, and if you like this week’s show, be sure to rate it. Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio was recently honored on FeedSpot’s Top 100 Atlanta Podcasts, ranking 11th overall and number one out of all ranked real estate podcasts. 

The post Higharc Wants to Design Homes in Hours, Not Months appeared first on Atlanta Real Estate Forum.

Housing affordability often gets reduced to a few familiar factors: home prices, mortgage rates, construction costs and household income. But Jay Knight believes the conversation needs to start much earlier, with the rules that determine what developers can build in the first place. 

Jay Knight, a housing advocate and developer, joined host Carol Morgan on Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio to discuss his new book, “Zoned Out: How Cities and Counties Make Homes Unaffordable.” The book examines how zoning, land-use regulations, permitting requirements and development standards can increase costs and limit housing choices. 

At the heart of Knight’s argument is a simple question: What constitutes an “affordable” home? 

The term “affordable” means different things to different people. For Knight, the concept is practical: A home should be affordable enough for a municipal employee to purchase using only their own salary. That includes teachers, police officers, firefighters and nurses, as well as workers in similar income ranges. 

What does that translate to? Knight believes the industry could produce a home for approximately $225,000 with 1,100 square feet, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, no garage and a 35-foot detached lot. The home would not offer every feature found in today’s larger new homes, but it could provide something increasingly difficult to find: an opportunity for a working household to become a homeowner. 

“That’s what ‘Zoned Out’ is for,” Knight said. “It’s to explain that homes are not expensive because builders will only build big, expensive homes on big, expensive lots. They’re expensive because the municipalities will only allow us to build big, expensive homes on big, expensive lots.” 

Zoning codes establish minimum lot sizes, density requirements and other development standards. But the written code often represents only the beginning of the process. 

Consider a hypothetical 100-acre property designated for two homes per acre. On paper, that could mean 200 homes. In practice, buffers, roads, stormwater infrastructure and other requirements can significantly shrink the usable acreage. Once a municipality calculates density based on the remaining land, minimum lot sizes can further limit the number of homes a developer can build. 

A property that initially appears capable of supporting 200 lots could end up supporting only 140. That change does not simply affect the number of homes. It increases the land cost assigned to every remaining lot. That additional cost eventually moves through the development and construction process and reaches the home buyer. 

Lot dimensions can create another layer of expense. A 60-foot lot could cost roughly $100,000, while increasing the width to 70 feet could add another $10,000. Once the developer and builder account for their own costs and margins, that seemingly small change could add $16,000 to $20,000 to the final price of a home. 

The result illustrates Knight’s broader point: Small decisions made early in the development process can have a significant impact on the price a buyer ultimately pays. 

The impact becomes even more significant when those costs affect a buyer’s ability to qualify for a mortgage. 

Using National Association of Home Builders data and extrapolating it to Georgia, Knight estimates that every $1,000 increase in a home’s price could cause roughly 4,100 Georgians to no longer qualify for that home. At $15,000, that increase could potentially put a home out of reach for approximately 60,000 Georgians. 

Older neighborhoods often included a mix of housing types, from larger homes and smaller single-family houses to apartments, townhomes and other forms of “missing middle” housing. Modern zoning frequently separates those housing types into different districts. 

That division can limit housing options within a neighborhood and contribute to socioeconomic segregation, which separates people into different neighborhoods based on class and wealth. 

A home that sold for $380,000 a few years ago may sit next to a new home that costs $800,000 today. When regulations require new homes to match the size, lot dimensions and features of more expensive existing homes, the community can lose the ability to introduce more attainable homes. 

That does not necessarily reflect a lack of demand for smaller or less expensive homes. Instead, the rules may prevent developers from building them. 

‘Zoned Out’ does more than identify challenges. Knight also outlines potential solutions, including reforms that could make the development process more predictable and bring lots to market faster. 

The Georgia Residential Land Development Council, which Knight helped form, recently worked on land disturbance permit reform. The effort took about 15 months and required legislative support, but the result was an important step toward reducing development costs and increasing the supply of buildable lots. 

More lots reaching the market could create downward pressure on land prices, which could help builders produce more attainable homes. 

Knight also advocates for by-right zoning, which would allow a development that complies with an adopted future land-use plan to move forward without another lengthy and uncertain zoning process. This approach could give developers more certainty while allowing municipalities to establish standards through their comprehensive planning process. 

At its core, “Zoned Out” asks communities to look beyond the final price of a home and examine the decisions that shape it. 

Minimum lot sizes, density calculations, development requirements, mandated amenities, design standards and lengthy approval processes can each add costs. Together, they can make attainable housing increasingly difficult to build. The solution starts with recognizing that the current system does not have to remain the status quo. 

“It doesn’t have to be this way,” Knight said. “It’s just changing our mind.” 

That message extends beyond builders and developers. It challenges planners, elected officials and communities to consider how local decisions affect the people who live and work there. 

As the cost of housing continues to shape conversations across metro Atlanta and the country, Zoned Out offers another way to look at the problem: Before asking why homes cost so much, communities may need to examine what their rules allow the industry to build. 

“Zoned Out: How Cities and Counties Make Homes Unaffordable” is available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback formats, with audio and hardcover editions planned for a later release. 

For more insights from Knight on zoning, land development, permitting reform and the future of housing affordability, check out this recent Radio episode. For more information about the Georgia Residential Land Development Council, visit GRLDC.org. 

The Georgia Residential Land Development Council (GRLDC) is a coalition of leading developers, builders and industry stakeholders dedicated to improving land development and permitting processes across Georgia. The organization advocates for policies that increase housing supply, streamline regulations and promote responsible growth. By working collaboratively with policymakers and industry partners, GRLDC advances solutions that help ensure Georgia can meet current and future housing demand. 

Thank you to Denim Marketing for sponsoring Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio. Known as a trendsetter, Denim Marketing has been blogging since 2006 and podcasting since 2011. Contact them when you need quality, original content for social media, public relations, blogging, email marketing and promotions. A comfortable fit for companies of all shapes and sizes, Denim Marketing understands marketing strategies are not one-size-fits-all. The agency works with your company to create a perfectly tailored marketing strategy that will suit your needs and niche. Try Denim Marketing on for size by calling 770-383-3360 or by visiting www.DenimMarketing.com.       

Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio, presented by Denim Marketing, highlights the movers and shakers in the Atlanta real estate industry – the home builders, developers, Realtors and suppliers working to provide the American dream for Atlantans. For more information on how you can be featured as a guest, contact Denim Marketing at 770-383-3360 or fill out the Atlanta Real Estate Forum contact form. Subscribe to the Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio podcast on iTunes, and if you like this week’s show, be sure to rate it. Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio was recently honored on FeedSpot’s Top 100 Atlanta Podcasts, ranking 11th overall and number one out of all ranked real estate podcasts. 

The post Jay Knight’s ‘Zoned Out’ Examines the Hidden Costs of Housing appeared first on Atlanta Real Estate Forum.

Metro Atlanta is growing quickly, adding more jobs and new development, but delivering housing in step with that growth is increasingly complex. Builders and developers must balance limited land availability, infrastructure constraints, rising costs and evolving buyer expectations while creating communities that work for both residents and local governments. 

Myles Cardenas, senior land planning and development manager with Taylor Morrison, joins Host Carol Morgan on Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio to break down the forces shaping residential development across Metro Atlanta and what’s ahead for the region’s next phase of growth. 

As Metro Atlanta’s population grows, local governments are working to align housing demand with existing infrastructure capacity. Roads, water and sewer networks, utility expansion timelines and stormwater systems all play a role in whether new development can move forward. In some cases, municipalities are slowing approvals or tightening development standards while they assess how much additional growth these systems can support. 

“I don’t think it’s a shortage. I think it’s more so of a slowdown,” Cardenas said. 

That distinction is important. Land may be available, but development cannot proceed without the infrastructure and approvals needed to support it. 

Housing is not the only demand on these systems. Large-scale commercial projects, including data centers and industrial development, also require significant infrastructure capacity, making long-term planning even more critical. 

As large parcels become harder to find in established areas, older office buildings, outdated retail centers and underperforming commercial sites are increasingly being evaluated for residential or mixed-use redevelopment. These locations often have existing infrastructure and established communities nearby, creating opportunities to add housing in areas that already have jobs, services and amenities. 

While these projects can help bring housing closer to established activity centers, they also require more creative planning. Developers must work within existing structures, infrastructure and site constraints rather than starting with a blank slate. 

One of the most influential and often underestimated factors in land development is stormwater management. Regulations and infrastructure requirements can significantly affect site layout, density and overall project costs. 

Every added cost in land development ultimately affects home affordability. That reality is pushing developers to look for efficiencies earlier in the process by optimizing land use, refining site design and reducing unnecessary expenses wherever possible. 

Finding those efficiencies can help developers make better use of available land while keeping the cost of new housing in focus. 

Housing demand across Metro Atlanta is not uniform, and development strategies reflect that reality. Depending on location and market conditions, communities may include smaller lots, higher-density townhomes, larger homesites or mixed-use components. 

Local regulations, infrastructure availability, land costs and buyer preferences all influence what gets built and where. 

“I think everybody’s really taking a look at what they do and understanding what they do best and trying to strategize land position from there,” Cardenas said. 

That strategic approach is becoming increasingly important as builders determine where their products and expertise align with local demand. 

Metro Atlanta’s next wave of residential growth is not concentrated in a single corridor. It is emerging in multiple directions as employment centers, infrastructure investment and land availability. 

Southern communities such as South Fulton, Union City, Peachtree City and Newnan continue to attract attention as new jobs and master-planned communities take shape. At the same time, northern areas are seeing increased interest driven by data centers and other employment hubs. 

Across both regions, the pattern remains consistent: Housing follows opportunity. Where jobs, infrastructure and amenities expand, residential development tends to follow, although the pace of that growth still depends heavily on infrastructure readiness. 

While land availability is important, infrastructure ultimately determines whether development can move forward at scale. Water, sewer, transportation networks and utilities all influence what is possible in a given area. 

This makes coordination between developers and municipalities essential. Cities must plan infrastructure investment alongside expected growth, while developers must evaluate existing capacity before committing to projects. 

The result is a more varied growth pattern across the region. Some areas may have available land but limited infrastructure, while others have infrastructure in place but fewer large development sites. Together, those conditions are creating opportunities for both greenfield and infill development. 

Beyond land and infrastructure, the construction industry faces another major constraint: workforce availability. Skilled professionals are needed across every stage of development, from planning and design to construction and long-term community management. 

Cardenas recently earned his Georgia general contractor license through the Licensed Contractor Cohort, a program focused on expanding access to construction careers and licensing pathways. 

“There just aren’t enough young people that are getting into the industry fast enough to essentially take over the demand that’s coming through the housing and construction industry,” Cardenas said. 

The industry also extends far beyond field construction. Roles in architecture, engineering, design, marketing, insurance and technology all contribute to delivering housing at scale. Expanding awareness of these career paths will be critical to meeting future demand. 

As Metro Atlanta continues to grow, the ability to develop land efficiently will be just one piece of the puzzle. Infrastructure, housing affordability and a strong construction workforce will all play a role in determining how the region grows. 

To learn more about Atlanta residential growth and the trends shaping future communities, listen to the full episode of Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio. For more information about Taylor Morrison, visit https://www.taylormorrison.com/. 

Taylor Morrison is one of the nation’s leading home builders, with a history spanning more than 100 years. The company serves a broad range of homebuyers and renters across 12 states, offering homes and communities designed for different stages of life and lifestyles. Its family of brands includes Taylor Morrison, Esplanade and Yardly. The company focuses on delivering quality homes and sustainable communities while providing a customer experience built around service, innovation and trust. 

Thank you to Denim Marketing for sponsoring Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio. Known as a trendsetter, Denim Marketing has been blogging since 2006 and podcasting since 2011. Contact them when you need quality, original content for social media, public relations, blogging, email marketing and promotions. A comfortable fit for companies of all shapes and sizes, Denim Marketing understands marketing strategies are not one-size-fits-all. The agency works with your company to create a perfectly tailored marketing strategy that will suit your needs and niche. Try Denim Marketing on for size by calling 770-383-3360 or by visiting www.DenimMarketing.com.       

Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio, presented by Denim Marketing, highlights the movers and shakers in the Atlanta real estate industry – the home builders, developers, Realtors and suppliers working to provide the American dream for Atlantans. For more information on how you can be featured as a guest, contact Denim Marketing at 770-383-3360 or fill out the Atlanta Real Estate Forum contact form. Subscribe to the Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio podcast on iTunes, and if you like this week’s show, be sure to rate it. Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio was recently honored on FeedSpot’s Top 100 Atlanta Podcasts, ranking 11th overall and number one out of all ranked real estate podcasts.

The post Taylor Morrison: Rethinking Land as Atlanta Grows appeared first on Atlanta Real Estate Forum.

As lifestyles evolve, so does home design. Homeowners want flexible spaces, more privacy, stronger connections to the outdoors and finishes that reflect their personal style. The result is a shift toward homes that aren’t just attractive but also work for the way people actually live. 

Kelley Collins, design studio manager with Ashton Woods, recently joined Carol Morgan on Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio to discuss how thoughtful design can balance function, personality and timeless style — and why the best homes don’t necessarily follow the latest trend. 

“We always joke that your lighting is like jewelry for your favorite outfit,” Collins said. 

Lighting can transform a room, highlight architectural features and draw attention to artwork or other focal points. But good design goes beyond what catches the eye. It starts with understanding how people will use a space. 

That has become particularly important as more people work, study, exercise and spend time at home. Rooms that once served a single purpose now may need to accommodate a home office, classroom, playroom, workout area or guest space. 

Flex rooms offer a clear example of home design adapting to changing needs. A home office today could become a study space for a child tomorrow. A playroom could eventually become a hobby room, exercise area or guest room. Adaptability matters even more for multigenerational households. Rising living costs have contributed to more families living with parents or in-laws, making privacy and separation increasingly important. Doors, finished basements and multipurpose rooms can help families accommodate more people without making everyone feel like they’re living on top of each other. 

For homebuyers, it’s worth looking beyond how a floor plan works today. Consider how a room could serve the household five or 10 years from now. 

Open-concept living remains popular, but the way people use their homes has prompted a closer look at privacy. An open kitchen, dining and living area can make entertaining easier and create a strong sense of connection. But when several people work, study or relax at the same time, too much openness can become a challenge. Interior doors, pocket doors and strategically placed private rooms can provide some separation without giving up the benefits of an open layout. 

Rather than choosing between open and closed floor plans, homeowners increasingly want a balance between shared spaces and places to retreat. 

Personalization plays an important role in the design process, but it looks different for every homeowner. Some buyers want to customize nearly every selection. Others prefer a more restrained palette and use one or two features, such as a distinctive backsplash or lighting fixture, to make the home feel like their own. 

The goal is to create a cohesive design that reflects the homeowner without relying too heavily on a short-lived trend. 

“If they do have that bold design or that style that they want to incorporate, they really do it with intention,” Collins said. 

That doesn’t mean homeowners need to avoid bold choices. Instead, they should consider how those choices fit into the rest of the home and whether they’ll still feel right years from now. 

Home design trends constantly change. Cabinet colors have moved from dark finishes to gray and white and are now shifting toward warmer tones. Light and medium wood tones and off-white finishes are gaining popularity as gray and stark white interiors become less dominant.  Trend cycles make timeless design valuable. Buyers want their homes to feel current, but they also want to feel comfortable with their choices years after construction ends. A neutral foundation provides flexibility, while lighting, furnishings, artwork and hardware can add personality and allow homeowners to update their spaces over time. 

A beautiful home also needs to hold up to everyday life. Flooring and countertops offer good examples. Natural hardwood remains popular, while engineered luxury vinyl flooring attracts buyers who value durability. Quartz continues to appeal to homeowners who appreciate its consistency and low maintenance, even as designers continue to value the character of natural stone. Aesthetics are only part of the decision. Families with children, pets or frequent guests may prioritize different materials than homeowners looking for a low-maintenance second home or an entertainment-focused space. 

For all the changes in home design, some priorities remain remarkably consistent.  In the kitchen, an island can provide food preparation space, seating, a gathering point for family and friends and a place for homework or casual conversation. Other features, such as spa-inspired showers, reflect the same desire to make everyday spaces more enjoyable. Ultimately, good design isn’t just about making a room look good. It should make the room work better, too. 

For buyers building a new home, the number of decisions can quickly become overwhelming. Flooring, cabinets, countertops, tile, lighting and fixtures all contribute to the final result. A design professional can help homeowners understand how individual selections work together and where to focus their investment. Instead of making every decision at once, buyers can work through selections step by step and build a cohesive design. 

No one can predict exactly which colors, materials or architectural features will dominate home design five or 10 years from now. Trends will continue to change. What we can predict is that homes will continue to adapt to the people who live in them. Flexible rooms can accommodate changing needs. Private spaces can balance open gathering areas. Outdoor living can extend a home’s usable space. Personalization can make a house feel distinctly like its owners. The most enduring design principle may be the simplest: Start with how people live and design from there. The goal is to create a home that represents the homeowner so well that “10 years down the road they still love their home.” That may ultimately separate a home that simply follows a trend from one that continues to feel right long after the trend has passed. 

To learn more about home design trends and how lifestyles influence the way homes are built, listen to the full episode of Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio. For more information about Ashton Woods, visit https://www.ashtonwoods.com/. 

Ashton Woods is one of the nation’s largest private home builders, creating thoughtfully designed homes and communities across the United States. With a focus on design, quality and personalization, the company builds homes that reflect how people live today while providing opportunities for homeowners to make their spaces their own. 

Thank you to Denim Marketing for sponsoring Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio. Known as a trendsetter, Denim Marketing has been blogging since 2006 and podcasting since 2011. Contact them when you need quality, original content for social media, public relations, blogging, email marketing and promotions. A comfortable fit for companies of all shapes and sizes, Denim Marketing understands marketing strategies are not one-size-fits-all. The agency works with your company to create a perfectly tailored marketing strategy that will suit your needs and niche. Try Denim Marketing on for size by calling 770-383-3360 or by visiting www.DenimMarketing.com.       

Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio, presented by Denim Marketing, highlights the movers and shakers in the Atlanta real estate industry – the home builders, developers, Realtors and suppliers working to provide the American dream for Atlantans. For more information on how you can be featured as a guest, contact Denim Marketing at 770-383-3360 or fill out the Atlanta Real Estate Forum contact form. Subscribe to the Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio podcast on iTunes, and if you like this week’s show, be sure to rate it. Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio was recently honored on FeedSpot’s Top 100 Atlanta Podcasts, ranking 16th overall and number one out of all ranked real estate podcasts.

The post Ashton Woods: Where Design Meets Real Life appeared first on Atlanta Real Estate Forum.

The Atlanta housing market enters the second half of 2026 on relatively solid footing but buying and selling dynamics continue to shift. Inventory rises, buyers gain more options and sellers negotiate more often on price and concessions. 

John Ryan, chief marketing officer at Georgia MLS (GAMLS), joins Host Carol Morgan on Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio to discuss what recent housing data shows for Metro Atlanta and where the market is headed next. 

Ryan describes the market as “rebalancing, not retreating.” The market does not show a dramatic downturn. Instead, it continues moving away from the highly competitive pandemic-era conditions and toward a more balanced environment. 

One of the clearest signs of the shift comes from rising inventory and changing buyer behavior.  Recent GAMLS data shows 36.4% of listings sold between January and July experienced a price change. Nearly 67% of sold listings included a seller concession, with a median concession of $5,000. 

Those figures reflect a market where sellers respond more directly to buyer expectations.  Another key metric shows that 22% of listings that went under contract in January returned to active status by July. While that level does not represent a dramatic spike compared to previous years, it does show a gradual shift in negotiating power. 

“Buyers have really kind of regained some leverage in the transaction negotiations,” Ryan said. 

Rising inventory gives buyers something they have lacked in recent years: time. Buyers now compare properties, evaluate features and assess value without the same pressure to act immediately. That shift creates new challenges for sellers. Homes that once attracted multiple offers now compete with other listings for attention. Sellers benefit from pricing homes for current conditions rather than relying on past market highs. Competitive pricing increases early interest and reduces the risk of price reductions later. 

Presentation also plays a larger role. Move-in-ready homes often outperform properties that require updates or repairs, especially when buyers have multiple choices. Sellers also need to prepare for negotiation. With nearly 67% of sold listings involving concessions, buyers frequently request credits or other terms during the transaction. 

Even with higher inventory, the Atlanta housing market remains active. Closed sales stayed steady through June, with sales volume up 4% year over year. Nearly 5,700 homes sold across the Atlanta 12-county core during the month, generating more than $3 billion in volume. The median sales price reached approximately $420,000, compared with about $417,000 a year earlier. 

“Fundamentally, I think the market is healthy,” Ryan said. 

The $350,000 to $500,000 range remains the most active, but the luxury segment also continues to see movement. 

New construction adds another layer of inventory for Atlanta-area buyers. The additional supply gives buyers more choices when comparing new homes with existing properties.  For builders, steady demand supports continued development. For buyers, new construction offers modern layouts, warranties and fewer immediate repair needs. 

While closed sales remain stable, pending sales show a different trend. 

Those numbers have declined year over year: 

Because most homes close within 30 to 60 days, these declines may signal softer sales activity later in the summer and toward year-end. 

Mortgage rates, employment and consumer confidence continue to influence buyer activity. Even small rate changes affect demand. A move closer to 6% could bring some buyers off the sidelines, especially those comparing current rates to pandemic-era lows. 

Ryan notes that 6% to 7% mortgage rates remain historically reasonable, but many homeowners hesitate to give up ultra-low rates secured in recent years. That “lock-in effect” continues to limit resale inventory as homeowners weigh the cost of moving against existing low-rate mortgages. 

Ryan does not expect major swings in either direction for the remainder of 2026. The key question centers on whether declining pending sales will eventually reduce closed sales later in the year. Seasonality may also influence activity as the summer buying season ends and families settle into the school year. 

To learn more about GAMLS, listen to the full episode of Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio or visit https://www.gamls.com/.  

Georgia MLS is the largest real estate marketplace in Georgia, serving 52,600 agents and 4,600 brokerage offices across the state. Its offices can be found in the North Georgia Mountains, through metro Atlanta and all along the Georgia coast. 

What does Georgia MLS bring to the Atlanta housing market? The multiple listing service provides opportunities for brokerages and agents to connect and work together for their clients. Georgia MLS is also a proud founding partner of the Southeast MLS alliance – Georgia MLS, Charleston MLS, Charlotte MLS and Nashville MLS. 

Thank you to Denim Marketing for sponsoring Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio. Known as a trendsetter, Denim Marketing has been blogging since 2006 and podcasting since 2011. Contact them when you need quality, original content for social media, public relations, blogging, email marketing and promotions. A comfortable fit for companies of all shapes and sizes, Denim Marketing understands marketing strategies are not one-size-fits-all. The agency works with your company to create a perfectly tailored marketing strategy that will suit your needs and niche. Try Denim Marketing on for size by calling 770-383-3360 or by visiting www.DenimMarketing.com.       

Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio, presented by Denim Marketing, highlights the movers and shakers in the Atlanta real estate industry – the home builders, developers, Realtors and suppliers working to provide the American dream for Atlantans. For more information on how you can be featured as a guest, contact Denim Marketing at 770-383-3360 or fill out the Atlanta Real Estate Forum contact form. Subscribe to the Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio podcast on iTunes, and if you like this week’s show, be sure to rate it. Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio was recently honored on FeedSpot’s Top 100 Atlanta Podcasts, ranking 16th overall and number one out of all ranked real estate podcasts.

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