A manager once told me that there were  3 ways to motivate people to work harder, faster and smarter:

1) Threaten them

2) Pay them lots of money

3) Have fun while working

We all know that threatening does not work and paying lots of money is a short term solution. A fun workplace is not only productive but attracts people and new business.  Check out the fun Coldwell Banker NRT Development Advisors enjoyed at their Post Memorial Day Bash!  There were several gourmet chefs in the crowd that prepared delicious dishes!

Post Memorial Day Bash at NRTDA

Post Memorial Bash at NRTDA

We were excited to have the privilege to participate in HomeAid Atlanta’s ninth annual Essentials for Young Lives Drive!  HomeAid reported that more than 37,000 baby items were collected through the drive this year including:

 - 23665 baby wipes

 - 11984 diapers

 - 302 cups/bottles/pacifiers

 - 200 containers of formula

 - 509 containers of baby food

 - 75 baby bath items

 - 89 articles of children’s clothing

 - 207 stuffed animals/blankets/burp clothes/washclothes

 - 282 toiletries for moms

The items collected were distributed just before Mother’s Day to seven local shelters that serve homeless and young children.  HomeAid Atlanta Has provided housing construction assistance to all the shelters that benefitted from the drive.

We look forward to participating in the next fundraiser for HomeAid Atlanta -   Project Playhouse.  This fundraiser features extraordinary playhouses, designed and built by some of Atlanta’s premier architects and home builders.

NRT Development Advisors’ Real Estate Tweetups (#atlre) always attract such a lively crowd!  We enjoyed engaging conversation and tasty libations at last week’s Tweetup, held at the Loews Atlanta Hotel’s Bar Eleven.  Click here to view photos from last week’s event.

The Tweetups will pick back up after the summer, and we will share event details then.  In the meantime, let us know which locations you recommend for future Tweetups by leaving a comment.  We try to rotate the location (they’ve been held in Midtown’s Loews Atlanta Hotel, Buckhead’s Cantina Taqueria & Tequila Bar and West Midtown’s Ormbsy’s in the past) to make them convenient to all who are interested in attending.

 From January 4 through January 29, The Stacks opened up Unit E126 to aspiring designers to submit design presentations for the loft’s living room, and local students from the Atlanta campus of Savannah College of Art and Design exceeded expectations with their professional-quality entries.  SCAD student Christine Hudson is the first place winner, and as a result, her design has been implemented as a model unit at The Stacks that is now on display for the public and available for purchase. 

The lofts at The Stacks offer aspiring designers a wonderful palette to create a livable design to showcase to the public. Hudson and other competitors were required to adhere to a budget of $5,000 or less (including design fee, furniture, merchandise, paint, lighting and installation) and had to accommodate the profile of a 33-year-old clothing boutique owner who is currently renting in Inman Park but is looking to purchase a new home with her boyfriend who works for the Georgia Preservation Society.  The design presentation requirements included two presentation boards per entry: one for the floor plan and furniture layout and one for illustrations of merchandising and color samples.  Entrants also had to provide itemized costs as well as a design concept statement.

 Hudson’s design concept for the loft living room utilizes a blue, brown and grey color scheme, and features a mixture of modern furniture and antique pieces.  Her chosen furnishings contain clean lines, while the reclaimed wood and artwork convey a message of conservation.  Decorative touches such as a dress form and a floral patterned chair appeal to the prospective female buyer, while the black barstools and simplistic drawing table maintain a masculine component for her boyfriend.

 Not only did this design competition enrich local students’ educational experiences, it also shows prospective loft dwellers what The Stacks has to offer. The Stacks property was originally the Fulton Bag & Cotton Mill which was built in 1881 and was one of Georgia’s most successful late 19^th century textile mills.  Originally, the Mill was created to manufacture bags out of cotton bales for use in grain distribution, but when WWI began, the Mill also began to develop and manufacture tents for our troops overseas. Today, The Stacks remain a significant part of Atlanta’s industrial history and are one-of-a-kind homes that serve as the city’s only real New York style lofts with 26-foot ceilings, huge windows, cement floors and so many different floor plans.

The Stacks at Fulton Cotton Mill is located at 170 Boulevard Ave, SE;404-588-2728. For more information, visit www.stackslofts.com

Is next week’s Real Estate Tweetup on your calendar?  It should be!  Here’s why:

1. What other event brings together professionals from all parts of the real estate spectrum – from developers and brokers to bankers and media?  This event is a great way to expand your network.
2. Everyone wants to be ‘in the know,’ so come hear more about the latest deals happening around town.
3. Share perspectives with your peers regarding the impact of national headlines – including topics such as the homebuyer tax credit, the mortgage relief effort, construction starts and more – on the local real estate market.
4. Have you officially been to a tweetup yet?  Here’s your chance.
5. Cantina Tequila & Tapas Bar is conveniently located in the Terminus building, Buckhead’s hottest property with a mix of high-end retailers, popular eateries and luxury residences.   This is the perfect opportunity to stop by and see what all the talk is about.

Hope to see you on Wednesday, March 24 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Cantina Tequila & Tapas Bar (3280 Peachtree Road NW, Terminus 100 – Suite 150).  Don’t forget to RSVP to Leslie.Williamson@NRTDevelopmentAdvisors.com or (404) 705-1584.  You can follow #ATLRE on Twitter for additional information about the event, as well as local real estate news.

Click here to download the full presentation: 2009 Annual Atlanta Market Review.  And photos from the event can be viewed here.

Wondering how much to donate?  Consider what your donation would provide:

• $10 = Box of Nails
• $35 = Roof Shingles
• $50 = Low Flow Toilet
• $75 = Window
• $100 = Kitchen Sink
• $150 = Front Door

Hope to see you there!