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Buying and selling real estate without an agent is hard, to say the least. At the same time, many homeowners and real estate investors in the US housing market struggle…

To thrive in real estate investing, you don’t need to work hard – you need to work smarter. Getting access to real estate data is the ultimate way to start…

Real estate investing and buying an investment property can be done with the intention of making money in a few years after the value of the asset has appreciated. However,…

What are the best cities for rental income in the US housing market? Where are real estate investors generating the highest monthly rental income in 2020?  If you’re trying to…

US Economic Forecast – 2020 Predictions

US Economic Forecast 2020 Will the stock markets return fully to former price levels and will small business survive? Although the next few months will be rough for the US economy, we can say with some certainty that 2021 is looking like a boom year (Goldman Sachs). The 1 to 3 year forecasts are in…

Editor’s Note: INtown receives dozens of press releases daily concerning COVID-19 related news and events. We’ve rounded up those of interest to our coverage area. 

The YMCA of Metro Atlanta has begun a phased approach to opening its metro Atlanta. locations. There will be temperature checks, social distancing, and masks will be required. All activities will be limited to individual workouts with trained staff positioned to monitor and enforce social distancing. Starting May 18, lap swim, group exercise and select tennis facilities will be available by online reservation. As operations normalize, the Y will pivot to phase two in mid-June, which includes re-opening additional areas within Y facilities for broader use. Already open: Carl E. Sanders YMCA and East Lake Family YMCA Opening May 25: The Villages at Carver Family YMCA and Arthur M. Blank Youth YMCA. Opening June 1: South DeKalb Family YMCA and Decatur Family YMCA. For more information, visit https://ymcaatlanta.org/.

 Hopkins and Company is providing complimentary meals to hospitality and food industry workers impacted by COVID-19 through its newly launched nonprofit arm, Good Food Works Foundation, The restaurant group will have a pop-up at Colony Square over the next two Sundays (May 17 and 24) from 4 to 6 p.m. Individuals in need can stop by The Front Loop along Peachtree Street to pick up food.

Global biopharma company UCB, with U.S. headquarters in Atlanta, and local restaurant Lazy Betty, are helping to deliver healthy, gourmet meals to Grady Memorial Hospital healthcare workers throughout the month of May. In addition to supporting meals for healthcare workers, UCB has also donated to community efforts in Atlanta, as well as encouraged employees to take advantage of up to 32 hours paid-time-off to volunteer in support of COVID response.

Atlanta-based accounting firm Terminus is holding an employee fundraiser for ATLFAMILYMEAL, the nonprofit initiative to support hospitality workers in need. The company will match up to $5,000 in contributions. Since debuting in March, ATLFAMILYMEAL has delivered more than 25,000 meals to hospitality workers from over 200 metro Atlanta restaurants, breweries, and hospitality businesses.

SK Innovation has made a $400,000 donation to support Augusta University and Augusta University Health’s response and associated expenses pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the SK innovation gift will be used to support expenses associated with physicians at the Medical College of Georgia, the state’s only public medical school, and health care providers at AU Health providing free virtual telehealth COVID-19 screening visits through the AU Health ExpressCare app and testing through eleven drive-thru specimen collection locations statewide.

The East Lake Foundation has announced a $30,000 donation from the Greater Atlanta COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund, a joint effort from the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and United Way of Greater Atlanta. These funds will benefit the East Lake COVID-19 Relief Fund and the Drew Charter School Opportunity Fund for COVID-19 relief. This donation will provide $22,500 for immediate support for families at The Villages of East Lake Apartments experiencing economic hardship as a result of COVID-19 and $7,500 to support Drew Charter School families who are struggling during this trying time.

Nonprofit Frontline Foods Atlanta, which is paying local restaurants to make and deliver meals to healthcare workers on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic, announced that the cast of Georgia-filmed Netflix series “Ozark” sponsored lunch for frontline workers on May 15 at  Grady Hospital, Emory Johns Creek and Greater Atlanta Women’s Healthcare at Emory Midtown. Their donated funds went directly to Sweet Auburn BBQ, Corporate Caterers and Supreme Burger. The cast of CBS series “All Rise” donated for lunch from Sweet Auburn BBQ and dinner from Salaryman on May 16 for the healthcare workers at University Hospital Emory Main Campus.

The post Coronavirus Briefs: YMCA reopens, feeding healthcare workers, community donations, and more appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.

Google Anti-Trust Case

Google Anti-Trust Charges Soon? The US department of justice is pushing forward on anti-trust investigation delayed by the Corona Virus pandemic, and would be prepared to lay charges against Google Alphabet this fall. Google’s stock price dropped about 3% on the news, but the DOJ’s determination could see bigger drops by Monday as the intent…

The coronavirus outbreak has had an unprecedented impact on real estate. With stay at home orders and quarantines in many cities, property management companies have been forced to shut down…

The Advisory Council for the Reopening of the City of Atlanta has submitted a 119-page report with final recommendations for a gradual reopening to Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

The mayor will review the advisory council’s recommendations and the current state of COVID-19 cases in the city and will provide additional guidance in the coming weeks to ensure a safe and data-driven reopening of the city.

Informed by economic indicators and medical science, the report contains evidence-based short, mid, and long-range recommendations for the safe and data-driven reopening of the city.

The report reflects the insights and guidance of the advisory council, which was established by Bottoms through an administrative order on April 20 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 60-person council is comprised of experts from across Atlanta’s business, nonprofit, healthcare, and government sectors.

The report outlined three core focus areas for Atlanta’s reopening strategy, recommending:

• The city establish and track clear metrics to signal to residents and businesses when they can more safely reopen, what safety measures they should take, and how their operations or routines may need to be adjusted. Metrics will also enable the city, in partnership with the Georgia Department of Public Health and other agencies, to quickly identify resurgences of COVID-19, and provide an early warning system to the public in the event safety measures and restrictions need to be re-imposed.
• The city supplement the state’s reopening criteria with additional, voluntary guidelines. The council outlined five sequential phases for reopening, providing specific metrics that should be achieved to advance to each next phase, and voluntary guidance for individuals, businesses/non-profits, and the city for each phase.
• The city continue to work with public and private partners to address cross-cutting and sector-specific considerations for reopening, many of which cannot be addressed by a single actor or sector alone.

“After extensive research and review of global best practices, we believe the findings and recommendations in this report will help provide the city with safe and practical guidelines to help Atlanta residents and businesses through the COVID-19 crisis,” said Advisory Council Co-chair Ingrid Saunders Jones.

In addition to the insights from members of the advisory council and other leading health experts, the report also drew from the findings of a resident survey asking Atlantans how they were approaching and interacting with various businesses and venues during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conducted between April 28 and May 4 with over 15,700 respondents, the survey showed:

• An overwhelming majority of survey respondents indicated that, at the time of the survey, they felt unwilling to go to most businesses and venue types.
• Approximately 97% of survey respondents indicated they will not feel safe going out to various venues after reopening without taking their own protective measures, such as wearing a face mask, hand washing, avoiding crowds, and wearing their own personal protective equipment (“PPE”).
• Respondents overwhelmingly indicated that, if required to wear a mask by a workplace or business establishment, they would be willing to do so.

“The advisory council’s recommendations are based on the current available science on the virus, which we know is rapidly evolving,” said Advisory Council Co-chair Robert Ashe, III. “The council stressed that as the city establishes metrics and guidelines for reopening, the guidance should be reevaluated and amended as the science and facts are updated and made available to the public.”

The advisory council also recognized that there are federal guidelines, as well as state executive orders, that have been issued pertaining to reopening. The advisory council’s voluntary recommendations are put forth as benchmarks for proceeding in a safe and deliberative manner within the context of the state’s reopening orders.

The number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Georgia continue to rise. As of the release of the Advisory Council’s report today, the Georgia Department of Public Health has reported 36,544 COVID-19 cases in the state of Georgia and 1,548 deaths. Fulton County is reported to have 3,632 COVID-19 cases and 159 of deaths.

View the entire Advisory Council Report for Reopening Atlanta and the results of the resident survey here.

The post Advisory council submits final report for reopening City of Atlanta as COVID-19 outbreak continues appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.

After Gov. Brian Kemp further eased restrictions on the number of people who can be inside a restaurant dining room, more Intown eateries have announced plans to reopen.

All restaurants must follow state-mandated guidelines, including staff wearing masks, more sanitation, disposable menus, contactless payments, and social distancing. The state will now allow 10 people per table, but restaurants still must maintain 6 feet space between parties.

California Pizza Kitchen at Atlantic Station will reopen for dinner service starting today, May 15, at 5 p.m. inside the restaurants and on the patio. Takeout, curbside and delivery are still available.

Tamarind Restaurant Group, which includes Nan Thai Fine Dining, Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft, Tamarind Seed and Chai Yo Modern Thai, will begin to offer “limited outdoor patio dining and minimal dine-in services” starting today. The restaurant group continues to recommend and emphasize its contactless curbside pickup and delivery services.

Park Tavern in Midtown has reopened its patio Wednesdays through Sundays from noon to 9 p.m. with a special menu – wings, tacos, shrimp – along with beer, wine and cocktails.

Cafe Posh in Buckhead will have limited seating in its dining room this weekend and is still offering curbside and takeaway.

U Restaurants has reopened dining rooms and patios at Sotto Sotto and Fritti in Inman Park, Escorpion in Midtown and Novo in Dunwoody. Tables will be limited due to social distancing rules, so make a reservation.

Wood’s Chapel BBQ has reopen its doors (and walk-up window) for takeout in Summerhill after being closed for six weeks. May 16 is National Barbecue Day, so good timing.

Salata Salad Kitchen has begun opening up its dining rooms, including locations at Madison Yards and Midtown Place.

Ford Fry’s Marcel steakhouse on the Westside and Inman Park seafood restaurant  BeetleCat reopen for dine-in service on May 18.

Check out a much longer list of restaurants reopening for dine-in service at Eater Atlanta.

The post Restaurant dining rooms reopen as state further eases restrictions appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.