Oakwood Creek is located on North Hadaway Road, half a mile from Stilesboro Road. This community is a small enclave of only 18 homesites.

Homes in Oakwood Creek by Traton will feature exteriors with architectural detail highlighted by brick, cedar shake, stacked stone and fiber cement siding. Kitchens feature granite countertops, maple cabinetry, recessed lighting and stainless steel appliances. Hardwood flooring runs throughout the foyer, powder room, kitchen and breakfast areas.

Two homes are already underway at Oakwood Creek and are estimated to be complete in November. The Glenstone is a four bedroom, three bathroom home with a large media room on the upper level. The owner’s suite features trey ceilings, a large sitting area and luxury bath. The Knollwood is an inviting four bedroom three and a half bathroom home with a two-story foyer, mud room and covered deck. This plan also features the popular master-on-main layout, which includes a sitting room and access to the deck.

Children at Oakwood Creek will attend some of the most desirable schools in Cobb County: Frey Elementary, McClure Middle and Harrison High schools.

To visit the community, take I-75 to exit #269 (Barrett Pkwy.) Turn left on Barrett Pkwy and travel 3.2 miles to Stilesboro Road. Turn right on Stilesboro Road and go 4.5 miles. Turn left on North Hadaway Road. Travel 1/2 mile to Oakwood Creek.

For more information on Oakwood Creek, visit the Traton Homes website or call 770-420-1470.

Brandl Estates is convenient to shops, parks and historic areas. It is just over a mile to downtown Crabapple, just over two miles to Wills Park and Hembree Park and just over three miles to downtown Alpharetta.

Five home designs offer traditional and craftsman-style elevations, so homebuyers can select the plans that suit their varied lifestyles. Ashton Woods Homes thrives on personalization, and buyers are able to select finishes and additional features to truly make a mark on their homes at the Ashton Woods Homes Design Center.

Children that live in Brandl Estates are in the Crabapple Crossing Elementary, Northwestern Middle and Milton High school districts.

To visit Brandl Estates, travel 400N to Exit 9 Haynes Bridge Road. Go left (West) off of the exit. Drive 1.3 miles and turn left on Old Milton Parkway. Continue on Old Milton Parkway which turns into Rucker Road for 3.2 miles. Turn right on Colgan Court into Brandl Estates.

To visit the Sales Center, please visit The Oaks on Charlotte Drive. From Brandl Estates: Turn Left out of Brandl Estates to head East on Rucker Road for 1.2 miles. Turn Left on Charlotte Drive. The Oaks on Charlotte Drive is .3 of a mile on the left.

For more information on Brandl Estates, visit the Ashton Woods Homes website or call the onsite agent at 770-569-1470.

Recently, Traton Homes opened Davis Farm, a private enclave of only 30 homes, 21 which will be built by Traton. Traton Homes is offering spacious single-family homes from the $330,000s. The first three pre-sale buyers in the community can take advantage of a free third-car garage, and for a limited time all buyers can receive $5,000 in closing costs plus price reductions up to $23,000.

Children at Davis Farm attend Hayes Elementary, Pine Mountain Middle and Kennesaw Mountain High schools.

To visit Davis Farm, take I-75 North to exit 269 (Barrett Parkway), turn left and travel 3.2 miles to Stilesboro Road. Turn right on Stilesboro and travel 2 miles. Davis Farm is located on the left.

Visit the Traton blog for more information about new community openings and incentives.

In Smyrna, Brookfield Park at West Village is a true live/work/play community. Restaurants include Blue Moon Pizza, Crepe Revolution, Five Guys Burgers, Lime Taqueria and more. Businesses at West Village include an organic grocer, boutiques, dentist office, gym and salons to name a few. West Village received the Development of Excellence Award from the Atlanta Regional Commission.

Woodstock Knoll is walking distance to downtown Woodstock, accessible by wide sidewalks the entire way. A wide variety of restaurants are located downtown, from Hot Dog Heaven for a quick lunch to fine Italian dining at Ipp’s. Cafés, a pizzeria, gourmet Mexican and more round out the offerings. Salons, boutiques, a bicycle shop, bookstore, yoga studio, painting studio and more provide entertainment and shopping venues for Woodstock Knoll residents.

Woodstock Knoll and Brookfield Park at West Village offer single-family energy-efficient homes. Homes at Woodstock Knoll are priced from the low $200,000s to $500,000s and homes in Brookfield Park at West Village are priced from the high $200,000s.

For more information on these walkable communities, visit the Ashton Woods Homes website.

Equifax Finance Blog writer Mechel Glass shares some tips in her article Need Extra Cash? Host a Yard Sale.

First, you need to pick a date for the yard sale. Some last for the entire weekend while others are a one-day affair. Once you select the date, make sure and get any necessary approval from your homeowner’s association or local government. Also, some neighborhoods designate a specific weekend or two each year for yard sales and do not allow yard sales at any other time.

Second, try and recruit neighbors to help. Turning your yard sale into a multi-family yard sale can increase traffic and allow for greater advertising.

Third, be sure and promote your yard sale heavily. You can check your local newspaper for yard-sale specific ads. Online sites like Craigslist.org or garagesalesource.com have resources to help with advertising. Be sure to be descriptive about some of the key items you have – baby items, collectibles, furniture, etc. If there are many families taking part in the sale, use terms like “multi-family” or “neighborhood sale” to help let buyers know.

To ensure that your yard sale is a success, be sure and read Glass’ full article.

While presales are available, Ashton Woods Homes is building showcase homes in anticipation of more home buyers desiring a quick move-in. One home – the Logan – is already underway and is scheduled to be complete in October. Two Providence plans will soon be under construction for January delivery, and a Brighton plan will be build for February completion.

Each townhome at The Battery on Paces Ferry has traditional elevations with brick construction and detailed entry systems. Homes also come standard with two-car garages that include sheetrock finishes. Each townhome is energy-efficient, saving home buyers up to 45 percent on utility bills.

The Battery on Paces Ferry community provides elegant homes in the historic Vinings area that are priced from the low $300,000s. Homebuyers can choose from several unique floorplans that range in size from 2,246 to 3,031 square feet and offer up to three bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths.

For more information on this popular community, visit the Ashton Woods Homes website.

The ENERGY STAR designation means homes offer more than just energy efficient appliances, heating and cooling systems. It takes a more holistic approach in ensuring the home is overall designed to be energy-efficient from its initial planning stages.

Ashton Woods Homes is the largest builder of energy-efficient homes in the Atlanta area. The builder has committed to building 100 percent ENERGY STAR complaint homes. Since becoming a partner in 2002, Ashton Woods has built more than 2,100 energy-efficient homes in the Atlanta area; during April 2010 to March 2011, 319 were built.

In addition to the ENERGY STAR qualification, every new home built by Ashton Woods is rated energy-efficient through the PowerHouse Green with Environments for Living Program. Utilizing low-e windows, low-flush toilets and other low-energy features, home buyers can save up to 45 percent on their utility bills.

Start your energy-efficient Atlanta home search today. Visit the Ashton Woods Homes website for more information.

In “How Rising Oil and Gas Prices Might Affect Your Portfolio,” financial advisor Roger Wohlner examines how gas prices could help or hurt investments, depending on where you’ve put your money. He explains that major oil companies and funds or ETFs that have energy-related stocks are doing well.

As far as housing goes, the gas prices may help or hurt the market depending on the situation. If potential homebuyers are are paying more for daily expenses, investing in a new home or upgrading their current one may seem too risky. The increased daily expenses may encourage some buyers to look for residencies closer to work. Of course, some may simply see the gas prices as temporary and ignore their effects completely.

For more information from Wohlner on the impact of gas prices, visit the Equifax Personal Finance Blog.

Rarely does an opportunity come along that is this affordable and special. The Escavera house boasts a spacious, one-story floor plan that is large enough to accommodate any buyer’s needs. The home spans 3,905 square feet and offers four bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, a three-car garage and Guest Casita for overnight visitors. And, buyers will love enjoying breathtaking golf course views from the home’s large, covered outdoor living space.

Those who enjoy getting outdoors for a little exercise will value the community’s focal point: The prestigious Jack Nicklaus designed Flintrock Falls golf course.

Plus, with more than 20 years as one of the area’s premier Austin home builders, buyers will appreciate Sterling Custom Homes’ craftsmanship and quality building.

For more information about the Escavera at Flintrock Falls home, visit the Sterling Custom Homes website or call 512-263-2214.

But how exactly does showering reduce resource usage? Quizzical looks from friends may quickly turn into appreciative nods when you tell them that each 20-minute steam shower only uses about two gallons of water. When compared to the higher consumption from other showering methods, it’s easy to see the benefits of Mr. Steam products.

If your friends still aren’t convinced, you could always remind them that each home steam room generator is made from recyclable stainless steel and that the packaging is made from 100 percent recyclable materials.

But really, no matter what your friends think, you’re the one who knows the truth: You should be proud to steam. Whether it’s enjoying health benefits or reducing your impact on the environment, using a steam shower is both a luxury and a responsible alternative to other shower systems.

If you’d like to discover more about the power of steam, visit the Mr. Steam website.