Sandy Springs Crier - March 26, 2026 by Appen Media Group

North Metro city planners navigate density, housing

By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com

NORTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — North Fulton County cities navigate a complex web of often disparate interests in facilitating the next generation of development, city planners said at a March 11 town hall.

Community development directors from Roswell, Johns Creek and Alpharetta spoke to a group of about 50 for more than an hour at River Landing in Roswell. Hosted by the Atlanta Realtors Political Action Committee, the event featured Johns Creek’s Ben Song, Alpharetta’s Kathi Cook and Roswell’s Jeannie Peyton.

The North Atlanta area has become a focal point for development, the three community development directors said. That activity has sometimes posed tricky dilemmas to city planners.

In particular, affordable housing has required planners to carefully balance competing interests.

Developers often look to density to make projects profitable, which can bring additional residents and traffic to areas.

Density alone is not necessary detrimental, but Cook said officials must consider the surrounding community when considering how dense a project should be.

North Fulton Community Charities names leader

By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — North Fulton Community Charities (NFCC) appointed Amy Gates Stroud, Ph.D. as its next president, bringing her nearly three decades of leadership experience to the nonprofit.

Gates will lead NFCC’s strategic direction, operational management and community engagement efforts as the organization continues its mission of helping individuals and families overcome hardship and achieve financial stability.

NFCC has served the North Fulton community for more than 40 years and is recognized as a trusted resource for families in need through programs that include food assistance, financial aid, clothing support, workforce development and other essential services.

Gates currently serves as associate vice president for strategic partnerships and development with an Atlanta nonprofit supporting high school education, where she is part of the national leadership team supporting the organization’s expansion and operational strategy. Gates

served as the inaugural executive director of the Roswell Arts Fund when it was founded in 2014.

“Dr. Gates stood out throughout this search process for her depth of nonprofit leadership experience, strategic mindset and clear passion for community service,” said Matt Powell, chair of the NFCC Board of Directors. “The board is confident that Amy will help guide North Fulton Community Charities into its next chapter while continuing to strengthen the programs and partnerships that make NFCC such an important community resource.”

As president, Gates will serve as NFCC’s chief executive officer, providing strategic leadership across the organization’s programs, operations, fundraising and community partnerships while working closely with the Board of Directors to guide the organization’s long-term strategy and growth.

JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA

From left, Frankie Elliott, Atlanta Realtors Political Action Committee governmental affairs director; Roswell Community Development Director Jeannie Peyton, Alpharetta Community Development Director Kathi Cook and Johns Creek Community Development Director Ben Song appear at a March 11 town hall.

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City amends policy to allow motorcycle chases

By CARL APPEN carl@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Sandy Springs Police Department has amended its rules for vehicle pursuits, now allowing officers to chase motorcyclists.

The move expands a policy that was already more aggressive than surrounding jurisdictions, according to a 2025 analysis by Appen Media.

The reporting indicated that the previous year Sandy Springs officers had engaged in more than twice the number of chases than police in Alpharetta, Dunwoody and Roswell combined, based on interviews and an analysis of public records.

According to a department report recently obtained by Appen Media, the agency updated its policy in October to allow officers to pursue motorcycles.

A police spokesperson said there wasn’t a specific incident that spurred the change.

“No reason in particular other than a policy review and update,” the spokesperson told the newspaper. Law enforcement officials agree that the decision to pursue fleeing motorists is a balancing act; departments must weigh the risk for officers, suspects and bystanders against the danger of not apprehending the suspect at that time.

How Sandy Springs police make that calculation is what sets them apart from neighboring cities.

Alpharetta, Roswell and Dunwoody policies prohibit officers from pursuing vehicles based on traffic charges alone. Following the Department of Justice’s guidance, Alpharetta and Roswell also say pursuits should be avoided if it’s evident the suspect could be apprehended at a later time.

Sandy Springs relies on a more situational approach, allowing pursuits based on the “totality of circumstances.”

The aftermath of pursuit along Ga. 400 and I-285 in 2024 shows a Sandy Springs Police Department patrol car pinning a suspect’s Volkswagen against the median barrier. The city has expanded its chase policy to allow pursuing motorcyclists.

In 2024, Alpharetta reported five police pursuits, Roswell documented 10 and Dunwoody logged two.

Sandy Springs officers engaged in at least 41 car chases in 2024, according to an Appen Media analysis. They logged another 39 in 2025, the department said in its annual report.

Those figures are up from 2023, when Sandy Springs reported 17 pursuits.

Department officials attributed the rise to a “major policy change" in 2024.

The amended policy allowed for more discretion or freedom for officers, allowing them to pursue a fleeing vehicle if they have reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed or is about to occur.

The October change further expanded that allowance.

The city does not shy away from its

practice of pursuing vehicles and using Precision Intervention Techniques, or PIT maneuvers.

The Sandy Springs Police Department has published footage of some its chases, ending in box-ins or PIT maneuvers, on social media.

“When running from the police, do not enter Sandy Springs,” the said in a January Instagram post showing an SSPD officer PIT-ting a chevy on Peachtree Dunwoody Road.

The officers won’t be totally unaccustomed to chasing suspects on two wheels, however.

In one incident from February 2025, Sandy Springs police tried to pull a bicyclist over for riding without a bike light. When the suspect allegedly failed to stop, two police cars got on either side of him. Eventually, a spokesperson told Appen Media, “he gave up.”

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Area players headed to March Madness

By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com

NORTH METRO ATLANTA — Atlanta has a reputation for being one of the best cities for basketball in the country. It shows when you look at the hometowns of all players competing in March Madness.

No. 1 seed Duke University is the betting favorite to win a title and has one Chattahoochee alum on the roster – graduate student Cameron Sheffield. Betmakers have placed the Blue Devils odds of winning a championship at +300.

Sheffield is from Alpharetta and played for Rice University for three years after winning a 6A state championship at Chattahoochee in 2020. The forward has been in Durham for the last two seasons.

Rival UNC, a six seed, also has an Atlanta-area player. Holy Innocents alum Caleb Wilson is expected to be drafted in the first round this year. The Tar Heels need to pull off several upsets to meet Duke in the Final Four. It would be the first time the rivals met in the tournament since 2022 when UNC soured the ending of Coach K’s career. One Milton graduate who had his

DRIVEWAYS & CONCRETE

jersey retired this year will be making his first tournament appearance as a senior. Ohio State guard and program leading scorer for the Eagles and Buckeyes Bruce Thornton won a 7A title in 2021.

Vanderbilt has two area players on this year’s roster that went all the way to the SEC tournament championship.

Guard Chandler Bing is a freshman and alum of Pace Academy. Bing’s “fun fact” for his bio on Vanderbilt’s website is that he has never seen the series Friends.

Senior Devin McGlockton scored his 1,000th career point for Vanderbilt in December 2025. He attended South Forsyth High – left as the all-time leader in points and rebounds – before playing two years at Boston College prior to transferring to Vanderbilt. He averaged 18 points a game his junior and senior years at South and also played tight end for the War Eagles.

His sister Hannah is the varsity volleyball coach at Denmark High School and is an alum of Georgia Southern. Their uncle Chester McGlockton played 12 seasons in the NFL with the Raiders, Chiefs, Broncos and Jets.

The other SEC team with a player with ties to this area is Tennessee with forward Cade Phillips. Phillips grew up in Alabama, but nearly transferred

to Wheeler High during school. From seventh to twelfth grade, he competed with a club basketball program in this area called The Skill Factory.

The Skill Factory’s 2023 team boasted nine players who went on to get Division I scholarships – including Naismith National Player of the Year Isaiah Collier and SEC football players LT Overton and Bryce Thornton, Bruce’s younger brother.

Texas Tech sophomore guard Christian Anderson Jr. is from Atlanta and attended Lovett before transferring to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. Anderson’s father Christian Sr. was a professional basketball player in Germany.

Anderson has competed internationally with team Germany since 2022. He has taken home several honors this season including Player of the Week and was recently named a third-team AP All-American.

Clemson freshman Zac Foster also had an offer from another ACC school, Virginia Tech, during his senior year at Woodward Academy. The 20242025 War Eagles made it to the state championship, falling to region rival Tri-Cities.

Furman freshman Owen Ritger grew

DRIVEWAYS

up in Atlanta and attended Marist School. He was ranked by Prep Hoops and Sandy’s Spiel as the No. 4 Power Forward in Georgia for his class.

North Dakota State freshman Riley Saunders is from Sandy Springs and went to Landmark Christian Academy. The guard averaged 15 points a game in his senior year.

Lehigh freshman Caleb Thomas hails from Atlanta and attended Pebblebrook High School before transferring to Combine Academy in North Carolina. He maintained a 4.0 GPA in high school.

On the women’s side, many outlets have been reflecting on the last four years since the firestorm on social media calling out the NCAA for the vastly different experiences of competing in each gender’s tournament. Women were only allowed to use “March Madness” branding starting in 2023.

No. 1 seed South Carolina boasts two alumni of Westlake High School in Atlanta, seniors Raven Johnson and Ta’Niya Latson. The pair spent three years together before Latson finished her high school career at Miami Heritage HS, where she won Gatorade Player of the Year in Florida.

See PLAYERS, Page 9

Georgia Supreme Court sends Milton right of way suit back to appeals

By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — After review, the Georgia Supreme Court clarified standards of municipal liability in case of the City of Milton v. Chang and sent it back to a lower court for reconsideration.

The opinion, handed down March 12, limits a city’s responsibility to provide safe travel to roadways intended for ordinary use, and does not extend to areas outside of lanes of travel that may fall within the right of way.

Now, the case is back before the Court of Appeals to be considered with the guidance provided by the state’s high court.

“While the ruling is still under review with legal counsel, the city’s initial impression is that it is highly favorable to Milton’s residents and taxpayers,” the City of Milton said.

In 2023, a Fulton County State Court

jury found the City of Milton liable for the wrongful death of 21-year-old Josh Chang and ordered the city to pay more than $32 million in damages. Chang died in a single-car accident in 2016 after his car struck a concrete planter on the shoulder of Batesville Road in Milton.

The city appealed, but in 2024, the Georgia Court of Appeals upheld the decision and ordered Milton to pay post-judgment interest that accrues at roughly $10,000 a day.

Last year, the state Supreme Court agreed to review the decision, and more than 60 cities across Georgia responded by signing onto a friend of the court brief supporting Milton in the lawsuit.

If upheld, the decision would have expanded municipal liability to include any object in the right of way, the cities say.

Staff will continue consulting with city attorneys to determine next steps.

A concrete planter, near the entrance to Little River Farms event venue on Batesville Road, was involved in the fatal car accident of 21-year-old Joshua Chang in November 2016.

Dunwoody volunteers upgrade community center

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Volunteers with the Dunwoody chapter of the Young Men’s Service League spent nearly 400 hours painting, planting and improving the Community Assistance Center building on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs as part of the Ultimate Gift Project.

The sprucing up at the building, which houses the Community Assistance Center’s Canopy Thrift Shop and minimart, took place over three Sundays in October and November. During that time, 132 members painted benches, planted shrubs, spread mulch and weeded the garden and repainted the walls in the center’s mini-mart.

The Community Assistance Center is a human services nonprofit that works to prevent hunger and homelessness in Sandy Springs and Dunwoody.

The Young Men’s Service League’s improvements support the Community Assistance Center’s efforts to create a dignified, uplifting and positive shopping experience for its clients and Canopy Thrift customers, according to Jessica Heidish, CAC volunteer manager.

“Their engagement reflects a

shared commitment to strengthening the community support system and ensuring neighbors in crisis are met with compassion and life-stabilizing support,” Heidish said in a statement.

The Ultimate Gift Project is a chance for volunteers to learn leadership skills as well as empathy and responsibility in a hands-on way, said Kelley Patilla, president of the YMSL Dunwoody chapter.

“Together, we’re helping the Community Assistance Center provide a dignified, welcoming environment for every client, and that’s something we’re proud to support,” Patilla said in the release.

The Young Men’s Service League is a national nonprofit organization whose members are mothers and their teenage sons who volunteer in their local communities.

The YMSL Dunwoody chapter was founded in 2021 and serves the Dunwoody, Brookhaven and northeast Atlanta communities. More information is available at chapters.ymsl.org/chapter/ dunwoody.

— Dyana Bagby

Each line in the puzzle below has three clues and three answers. The last letter in the first answer on each line is the first letter of the second answer, and so on. The connecting letter is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each answer (the answers in line 1 are 4, 6 and 4 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, with each number containing 3 clues for the 3 answers on the line. But here’s the catch! The clues are not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually be for the second or third answer in that line. Got it? Good luck!

FAMOUS FAUNA

1. Indian bread. Nick & Nora’s pup. South American river.

2. Collie of TV & Movies. Lockup. Limerick language.

3. Social insect. Native American lodge. One of the Simpsons.

4. Disney dog. Large African antelope. Massage target.

5. Kick out. “Born Free” lioness. Like a gymnast.

6. Ploy. Bridge option. Lone Ranger’s mount.

7. Tied up. Bedrock pet. Biting

1 Indian bread. Nick & Nora’s pup. S. A. river

2. Collie of TV & Movies. Lock-up. Limerick language

How to Solve: Each line in the puzzle above has three clues and three answers. The last letter in the first answer on each line is the first letter of the second answer, and so on. The connecting letter is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each answer (the answers in line 1 are 4, 5 and 5 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, which each number containing 3 clues for the 3 answers on the line. But here’s the catch! The clues are not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually be for the second or third answer in that line. Got it? Good luck!

3. Social insect. Indian lodge. One of the Simpsons

4. Disney dog. Large African antelope. Massage target.

5. Kick out. “Born Free” lioness. Like a gymnast.

6. Ploy. Bridge option. Lone Ranger’s mount.

7. Tied up. Bedrock pet. Biting.

How to Solve: To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

number below the diagonal line is the sum of the white squares in the sequence below it. You may only use the digits 1 to 9, and a digit can only be used once in any sequence.

Bizarre Coffee opens new doors in Roswell

By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — Bizarre Coffee owner Sabrina Kaylor knows how important the first cup of the day is.

Each customer is asked, “How can I make your day?” when they approach the counter. Employees at Bizarre are called Daymakers and are ready to do just that.

“The opportunity to make such an impact in such a short interaction is really valuable,” Kaylor said. “And we try to teach them that that will compound over time and compound in people’s lives.”

The local chain has a presence in three communities and its reach is growing.

The brand started as a booth at a Canton farmers market. In 2020, its first storefront opened in downtown Canton.

“We just kind of figured it out as we went,” Kaylor said. “It’s been very much bootstrapped, and it’s been a really awesome experience.”

Bizarre Coffee continued to expand with a location in Woodstock in 2023. Its third location in downtown Roswell, 1090 Alpharetta Street, opened in February. Another is under construction in downtown Acworth.

“We have been really lucky,” Kaylor said. “The people who we get to serve every single day are the best.”

What Bizarre Coffee is serving is just as odd as the name implies. Signature drinks on its menu incorporate flavors that aren’t typically paired with coffee, like Froot Loops and lemon. Kaylor sees it as a way to keep surprising her customers – but not too much.

When making the spring menu, she

made sure to bring back a blueberry latte for the fourth year because people beg for its return.

The menu changes each season, and even if the same items return, they’re often made differently.

Bizarre Coffee has started using house-made syrups to further hone its craft and please the community. Kaylor said it has been cool learning a new skill and being able to revamp the syrup flavors they offer.

“It’s just awesome to see people come back and taste it in its different forms,” Kaylor said. “It's just been really cool to see that be well received as we’ve evolved.”

Social media has been a big part of cultivating Bizarre’s brand. Their Instagram account has nearly 30,000 followers, and multiple videos highlighting new drinks and carrying giant cocktails have gone viral across their social media.

They got a lot of attention when Kaylor announced she would dabble in craft cocktails at the Roswell location. She said the 3,500-square-foot space lent itself to add something fun and fresh to the menu.

One flavor Kaylor was adamant to include on the menu was guava, something she grew up loving in South Florida. It’s mixed with black tea and vodka to make a cocktail called a Guava John. Another signature drink combines espresso, soju and yuzu, a Japanese citrus.

“It’s a new thing to us,” Kaylor said, “so we wanted to make sure that those cocktails would be representative of things that we already do but in a way that exceeds expectations.”

Bizarre Coffee in Roswell is at 1090 Alpharetta St.

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HANNAH YAHNE/APPEN MEDIA:

Bizarre Coffee serves unique flavors of coffee and cocktails at its location in downtown Roswell, 1090 Alpharetta Street.

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Players:

Continued from Page 3

While in Atlanta, Latson trained under Bernard Pitts, who worked with several other players mentioned later in this article. Latson was ranked the top shooting guard in the class of 2022.

Latson transferred to South Carolina this year after three honorable mentions to the AllAmerican list at Florida State. She is already signed to the new threeon-three league in Miami called Unrivaled, founded by UConn alumni Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart.

Johnson drew attention after being waived off defensively by Caitlin Clark in the 2023 Final Four. She fired back the next season with a defensive intensity that couldn’t be ignored.

As a senior in high school, Johnson was the first ever woman to play in the men’s McDonald’s All-American game after winning Atlanta Tipoff Club and the AJC’s Player of the Year award two straight years. Westlake won four state championships while she was there. She posted a 116:35 assistto-turnover ratio her senior year according to the AJC.

Johnson was the No. 2 recruit in the class of 2022 and the top point guard. She won a silver medal with Team USA in the 2023 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup.

The University of Southern California has had a down year with

Fulton:

Continued from Page 1

“That’s how these developers are working to try to reduce the price,” Cook said. “No. 1, it’s density where density makes sense.”

In Johns Creek, city officials have faced similar constraints with a scarcity of undeveloped land, Song said. He also agreed density is appropriate in areas suited for it.

“Density is something we have to wrestle with,” he said. “What is the appropriate density for our individual communities? How does it make sense?”

Gates:

Continued from Page 1

Gates holds a Ph.D. in public policy and administration with a focus in nonprofit management and leadership

their star guard Juju Watkins out with an ACL injury. Last season, they had a No. 1 seed going into the tournament before Watkins injured her knee in the second round. This year, they have a nine seed.

The Trojans have one area player on their roster, senior Kara Dunn. Dunn played basketball and volleyball for Mount Paran Christian and grew up in Dallas, Georgia.

She transferred to USC this season after three years at Georgia Tech, where she made the All-ACC first team last year. Dunn is averaging 15.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists a game this season.

Her mother Stephanie played for UGA, and Kara grew up with her father as her basketball coach. She won two Region Player of the Year awards and was Atlanta Tipoff Club Metro, Sandy’s Spiel and Georgia Athletic Coaches Association’s Player of the Year in 2022. She was the No. 2 recruit in Georgia her senior year.

Louisiana State University is looking for their second title in four years, earning a two seed for this year’s bracket. Star guard Flau’Jae Johnson – the No. 1 recruit in Georgia in 2022 – attended Sprayberry High School after growing up in Savannah. The Tigers are eager to get a second championship for Flau’Jae’s final year with the team.

Flau’Jae was also trained by Bernard Pitts. She is projected to be drafted in the first round in this year’s WNBA draft alongside Latson and Raven Johnson. She is averaging 13.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists a game this season and is shooting a

Johns Creek officials recognize the importance of affordable housing for a number of career sectors, particularly those in public safety and essential fields.

Roswell city officials understand affordable housing can contribute diversity to communities, but they also recognize some residents may be opposed to the density it can bring, Peyton said.

“We have to stand in that gap,” she said. “We have to understand the citizens who are wanting to preserve their neighborhoods and not be impacted but also create a growing, vibrant community.”

That’s why public input can be

career-best 40.2% from deep.

Syracuse freshman Justus Fitzgerald graduated from Norcross High School, transferring there after two years at Roswell High. Her brother Michael Fitzgerald III was an all-state wide receiver for the Hornets and spent time at UMass, Central Missouri University and the University of Wyoming.

Ole Miss sophomore Tianna Thompson is from Atlanta and went to the Galloway School where she was the first girls basketball 2,000 point scorer in program history. She transferred to Ole Miss this year from Georgia Tech, where she shot 41.7% from beyond the arc.

Her father Rich was a three-time All-American at Georgia Tech and made the Olympic trials for long jump and triple jump, earning him a spot in the GT Hall of Fame. Tianna was a two-sport athlete in high school, competing in the long jump.

Two St. Francis graduates are competing in March Madness. Several of their former teammates are on Division I teams at St. Mary’s and Georgia Tech but unfortunately are missing the tournament.

Clemson senior Mia Moore is from Alpharetta and recorded St. Francis’s first ever quadruple-double with 15 points, 11 assists, 10 steals and 10 rebounds. She also holds the school record for steals with 500.

She started her college career at Mississippi State for two years and then moved on to UAB. There, she recorded 13 double-doubles and scored 20 or more points in 26 games.

She averaged the fifth-most

important in the planning process, she said. When city officials understand residents’ concerns, they can better meet their expectations.

“Often … it’s not a matter of ‘yes’ or ‘no,’” Peyton said. “It’s ‘how can we coexist?’”

Balance has become increasingly important in city planning in North Fulton County as the availability of undeveloped land has shrunk, the three city planners said.

That has led to a greater need for weighing the costs and benefits of every project, they said.

Alpharetta imposes numerous requirements for rental homes, Cook said. The city aims to maintain a ratio of

along with advanced leadership credentials and graduate degrees in education and speech-language pathology. Her career has been defined by a commitment to mission-driven organizations, cross-sector partnerships and innovative program development that creates measurable community impact.

She is actively engaged in civic and nonprofit leadership in the region, including board service with several community organizations in Roswell and Metro Atlanta. Gates will begin her role as president of North Fulton Community Charities on April 13.

rebounds in the conference, earning her an offer from Clemson where she is in her second year with the program. Last season, she led the Tigers in 3-point shooting with a 41.6% clip.

Southern University junior Anaja Hall from Alpharetta and was a two-sport athlete at St. Francis in volleyball. She spent one year at Alabama State before transferring to Southern.

At Alabama State, she was ninth in the conference averaging nearly 2 blocks per game. She averaged 2.5 a game as a senior in high school.

Princeton junior Olivia Hutcherson is from Johns Creek and went to Holy Innocents. She was a multi-sport athlete earning varsity letters all four years of high school in basketball and soccer and is a College Board AP Scholar.

Hutcherson is averaging 11 points and 5.7 rebounds per game and has brought home Player of the Week honors for her conference.

Her younger brother Devin just reopened his recruitment after previously committing to Belmont University. Their father played basketball for Samford and the University of Alabama.

Oklahoma State graduate student Wilnie Joseph is from Atlanta, attending both Roswell and Johns Creek High Schools before graduating from Whiteland High in Indiana.

Joseph played for Labette Community College for two years, then the University of Louisiana for one year, and transferred to OSU this year from McNeese.

32 percent rentals to 68 percent for-sale properties. They also require rentals to be attached to a 25-acre mixed-use development.

Additionally, planners will consider whether the property has connectivity to nearby parks, trails and other recreational assets.

Song said he understands the city will not be able to satisfy every resident every time, but officials can try their best to promote coexistence and understanding. Public input through meetings and hearings play an important role in that aspect, he said.

“You’re not going to satisfy everybody, and we understand that,” he said.

“North Fulton Community Charities plays a vital role in helping families navigate difficult circumstances and move toward stability and opportunity,” said Gates. “I look forward to building on NFCC’s strong foundation and advancing its mission to support individuals and families across our community.”

It’s well past time we give ‘time’ it’s due

RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com

OK, so we know that Bezos created Amazon based on a core idea – time –making buying stuff faster, easier and more convenient. That is, saving us time.

I just reordered some vitamins from Amazon. It took me probably less than 2 minutes. I’ll have those today – probably early afternoon. I ordered some other meds last week – melatonin – to help me sleep. I ordered the wrong ones. I pulled up my order and clicked on the refund button. It asked me to select the “why” I thought I should get a refund. I did. The automated response informed me that a credit would go on my account within 10 days. I was not asked to return the order. I did not have to endure speaking to “customer service” in India reading off a script – repeating the policy, word by word, over and over. I was not made to document anything. I was not harassed. I was not told “I have to ask my manager.” Three minutes. No hassle. You think I am going to keep doing business with Amazon?

Yes, I understand that Amazon knows it is cheaper for them to manage issues like this in this manner – sure. But Amazon also knows the longterm value of a respected and happy customer as well. Amazon views spending the money to respect their customer’s time as a literal investment

– no different than buying a stock or a piece of real estate.

You would think that as successful as Amazon has become, that every business on the planet would be laser focused on his idea – that people value their time.

Not. In fact, I suggest that our time is probably the least valued of everything we possess – by business in general. Our time is our most prized possession. Why would business treat our time as it has a value of $0?

Long waits

Lots of examples come to mind. Anyone been to a medical office that hasn’t ended up waiting – and waiting and waiting? How about those service guys who told you they would be there at 1:00 and show up after 2 or 3 and can’t understand why you are upset? How long have you been put on hold with a big company over an issue that was their fault – not yours?

Most big banks – not all – and their best friends, the credit card companies, rank high in the “your time to us has no value” world. So much of that banking world is structured around systems and processes that minimize labor; maximize customer inconvenience; maximize charges for just about everything; and are literally designed to consume and destroy your most valuable asset – your precious time.

Respect for another’s time seems to go hand and hand with personal connection – how you treat others – I think. They are related. If one doesn’t

value and respect the other person –their needs, their wants, there standing as a mother, dad, son, daughter, neighbor, or friend – one doesn’t respect or make time for them.

Why would you honk your horn at that car in front of you driven a bit slowly by someone’s older grandfather or perhaps a new driver unsure of themself? What if it was your relative? Why would you get frustrated waiting in line at the grocery store by that lady trying to find her coupons so she can save a couple cents off her grocery bill, cents she needs because she can barely pay rent? Why would you allow your blood pressure to explode because you are angered by someone who does or says something that you don’t agree with or favor?

Why? Because you don’t respect them. Because you forget. Because you didn’t remember how difficult it was for your parent when they grew too old to deal with little day-to-day challenges of life, or you forgot what it was like to be broke and struggling.

Adjusting behavior

Yes, you are kind and compassionate when it is convenient –when you are inspired. And you support your church and profess faith once a week. But that doesn’t really count so much. You need to be that way all the time – because that is who you are. You need to respect yourself first to respect others. You need to lead and realize that it is exactly your leadership that makes the world a little bit better – that sets the example for others to follow

so they too can step up and respect others, including their time, their standing, their place in your world. In parting, I always like to give a shout out to everyone – especially any small local business that respects the time of others – and in so doing –simply, respects. High five to the small banks – especially ours – Renasant Bank. High five to Publix, Costco and Nally Toyota – three businesses that get it – that make the investment in staff so their customer’s time is valued and respected. Yes, to Bezos. And, OK, yes to Appen Media because we try 100% to walk the walk. We try to answer the phone before the second ring – personally. We engage with our clients; we make the time to do that. We understand that we are valued only when we solve problems and when we save our clients time and make them money. We get it and try our hardest to stay true to our values.

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Shady lenders are coming out of the woodwork

A funny thing happened a couple of weeks ago when mortgage rates briefly dipped below the 6 percent benchmark. The roaches of the mortgage business came scurrying out from under the rocks.

Suddenly, every online lender, callcenter cowboy, and mystery-rate magician who had been suspiciously quiet for months started flooding in boxes, blowing up phones, and chasing down every potential homebuyer and refinance candidate they could find — whether refinancing

actually made financial sense or not.

Because when rates improve even modestly, some corners of the mortgage industry do not see opportunity.

They see bait.

And the bait, often, is a rate quote materially below the actual market.

Now, let me be clear: there are absolutely strong, reputable loan officers who will occasionally go a little “deep” on pricing to win a deal. That happens. A lender might sharpen the pencil and quote something 0.125 percent to 0.250 percent below prevailing national averages in order to be competitive, especially on a clean, well-qualified file.

That is normal.

What is not normal is when you see lenders — often large, non-local, lowaccountability operations — quoting

rates that are 0.50 percent to 0.75 percent below national averages and pretending that is somehow just good customer service and not an elaborate magic trick.

At that point, the borrower should stop and ask the most important question in consumer finance:

“Why are they so much lower than everyone else?”

Because if the rest of the market is clustered around one level, and one lender is out there pricing like they found a secret underground bond market behind a Buc-ee’s, there is usually a catch.

And here is the catch.

In many cases, these lenders are not actually giving you a rate that is available today. They are betting on the

market to move in their favor.

They sell the borrower on a dream quote, then tell them some version of:

• “You don’t want to lock yet.”

• “Rates are improving.”

• “Let’s float it a little longer.”

• “The Fed is about to pivot.”

• “Mercury is in retrograde, but for mortgage-backed securities.”

Now the loan officer is off the hook — because the borrower has just agreed to float the rate based on the opinion of someone who may have been in the business for 18 months, owns a ring light, and got a degree in something that had absolutely nothing to do with finance, economics, capital markets, or, frankly, arithmetic.

OPINION

The best way to keep your head above water

It was, as I recall, about this time of year but a lot of years ago.

It was near the end of winter. I remember that the winter that year had been cold and gray and a little depressing.

But spring was just around the bend. You could feel it in the air. The sun was out, and we were about to ease our canoe into the cold, clear waters of the Chattahoochee below Buford Dam for the year’s first float, an easy trip downriver to the takeout at Settles Bridge.

Things are always better when it’s about to be spring, and celebrating the season’s impending arrival from the seat of a canoe is just icing on the cake. Yeah, things were looking pretty good.

Just around the bend…

For a while, the river had been too high for safe paddling. But at last conditions were ideal. So, we found ourselves at the boat ramp below Buford Dam, a great place to start a float on the Hooch if you time things right and avoid water releases from the dam.

We loaded the boat and put on our life jackets and pushed off into the flow. Float time would be three to four hours, plus or minus stops to throw a lure toward those bankside brush piles where the big brown trout lived – wild, stream-born trout that just might defy your imagination.

The state record brown trout – a leviatan of near-Biblical proportions, weighing 20 lbs. 14 oz and measuring a nice 31.5 inches long – would eventually come from just such a brush pile.

But that was still years in the future. The question just then had to do with what might happen right then. Would we tangle with a big brown trout? Hope springs eternal when spring’s coming and you’re in an angling state of mind, so

spinning rods were ready in the bottom of the canoe, and we’d already made a few casts. Joe said he thought he’d had a strike. But no fish.

Maybe the fish would come later. Maybe the big surprise was just around the next bend.

The river carried us along. Joe, who knew his stuff when it came to canoes, sat in the back seat and took care of the nuances of boat control. I sat in the front seat and mostly just paddled.

Up ahead, another bend emerged. I squinted through the river mist, looking downstream, and that’s when I saw something unexpected. I squinted and blinked, clearing my eyes for a better look.

What I was seeing appeared to be a pig – a large, bleached-beige pig – perched up in a tree about 6 feet above the surface of the river.

One does not often see pigs in trees. So, I kept looking as we drifted along.

The pig began to morph as we drew closer. Slowly but inexorably, it became less and less a pig.

And then, all at once, I knew.

“Do you see that?” I said to Joe.

Joe had been quiet, but he spoke then.

“Yeah,” he said. “But I was kind of hoping you didn’t.”

We drifted closer. The shape-shifting pig shimmered one last time and resolved, at last, into what we had hoped it was not. There was no mistaking it now. Limbs, torso, feet, hands, and all the rest were suddenly clear, hanging there almost upside down about a grave’s depth above the surface of the flow.

The current picked up, carrying us on downriver.

The Ga. 20 bridge was coming up. We paddled to the right bank and managed to clamber out of the boat and up the bank. We bushwacked through the undergrowth to the road, stepped out onto the pavement, and hailed a Department of Natural Resources truck which, miraculously, just happened to be

driving by at that very moment.

Later, there were sirens and flashing lights and even a helicopter. Somebody helped us drag the boat up to the road. Statements were given. Then we hitched a ride and retrieved our shuttle car, tied the canoe to the top, and drove to Joe’s house where his wife had made us pizza.

At six o’clock we turned on the news and enjoyed our 15 seconds of fame.

“Two canoeists,” said the talking head, “discovered a body this morning while canoeing the Chattahoochee River below Buford Dam. It appears to be the body of a man who disappeared several months ago after falling into the river while floating with friends. The victim, it is reported, did not have on a life jacket at the time. Authorities speculate that the body had been lodged on the bottom in a deep spot but was dislodged by recent heavy flows…”

And that, friend, is the point of all this – not the story of the thing in the tree, which I will never be able to unsee, but the fact that it might have never happened if the victim had been wearing a life jacket.

That’s the point, and as the weather gets warmer and the call of our rivers and lakes grows louder, be sure you don’t

miss it: Life jackets are made to be worn, and you should wear yours when you’re on the water.

What kind of person wears a life jacket? I do, every time – and I’ve been canoeing now for decades.

My wife does, for it makes her much more comfortable when she joins me in the kayak or the canoe.

The grandkids wear one always, no matter how well they swim.

Anybody riding with me in my canoe wears one because you never know.

To amplify the message, and to make life better for those who don’t (or won’t) bring a life jacket with them, life jacket loaner stations are becoming more and more common at boat launches throughout the state. I’m really glad to see them, too. Don’t have your own life jacket? Then by all means borrow one. That’s what they’re there for – and put it on! You’ll feel good about it, I promise –good…and safe.

Remember: There is no shame in wearing a life jacket. It’s what all the smart folks do. Even if you’re a seasoned boater, use your PFD every time you go out.

It just might keep you alive to float another day.

STEVE HUDSON Columnist

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Aiken:

Continued from Page 10

If the market eventually rallies enough to reach that original “quote,” everybody celebrates and the lender looks brilliant.

But if the market stays flat — or worse, moves higher, as it has over the last two weeks — the conversation suddenly changes:

“Well… the market went the other way. Sorry.”

And just like that, the borrower is left with a worse rate than expected, a broken trust dynamic, and the sinking realization that the original quote was less a mortgage strategy and more a PowerPoint fantasy.

Economics of the bait-and-float

From a market-structure standpoint, this behavior is not complicated.

Mortgage pricing is tied primarily to the secondary market, especially the pricing of mortgage-backed securities (MBS), which in turn are heavily influenced by the 10-year Treasury yield, inflation expectations, prepayment risk and lender margin strategy.

That means there is a fairly rational range in which most legitimate rate quotes should cluster on any given day.

Yes, there are differences:

• Lender overhead

• Servicing-retention strategy

• Lock-period pricing

• Margin compression

• Discount-point structure

• Compensation model

• Credit-score and LTV overlays

• How aggressive a lender wants to be on any given file

But there are not usually giant, magical, no-strings-attached differences in available market pricing. So, when you see a quote that is wildly below the

broader market, one of the following is usually true:

1. It includes undisclosed discount points.

2. It assumes an unrealistic lock strategy.

3. It is based on a best-case scenario that may not apply to the borrower.

4. It is a teaser quote designed to get the application.

5. It is simply not a rate that can actually be locked today.

And unfortunately, far too many borrowers do not find out which one it is until they are already emotionally committed.

Lock it down

I have said this over and over again because it remains true:

The best mortgage rate is not the prettiest one on a worksheet. It is the one that is actually locked.

• Most lenders can lock a rate for 45 days. Many can go 60 days with only a modest pricing adjustment.

• A locked rate is real. A floated fantasy is not.

That does not mean floating is always wrong. There are times when floating can make strategic sense, especially if closing is far out and markets are improving.

But floating should be a deliberate, informed decision — not a sales tactic used to protect a loan officer from an unrealistic quote they should not have made in the first place.

Why local matters

This is also why I continue to believe that, in most cases, borrowers are better served by working with a reputable local lender.

Not because local lenders are automatically cheaper. Not because every online lender is bad.

But because reputation matters.

A local lender’s business is not built solely on whether one borrower closes one loan.

Full-Time

Secretaries and Administrative Assistants. Answer tel & take messages or transfer calls. Sched photography the property. Sched appts & update event calendars. Arrange staff meetings. Handle incoming & outgoing mail & faxes. Prep memos, invoices, or reports. Edit docs maint listing folders. Maint dtbases & filing systs. Perf basic bookkeeping. Req High School Diploma & 2 yrs exp in real estate. $85,155/yr. Send resume to: Posmos Enterprises LLC, 4562 Lawrenceville Hwy, Ste 201, Lilburn, GA 30047.

Accounting Clerk. Jalalabad Enterprise, Inc 931 Monroe Dr NE, Suite C-202, Atlanta, GA 30308. 40 hours/week, $52,000/ year. Job Duties: Record daily sales, including dine-in and delivery; Process invoices for food, beverage, and kitchen supply vendors; Track inventory costs and kitchen purchases; Maintain payroll records, including tips and shifts; Prepare food cost and daily revenue reports. Job Requirements: Bachelor’s or equivalent degree in any field; No experience is required; Travel is not required. To apply, send your resume to desispiceatl@gmail.com

It is built on:

• Relationships with local Realtors

• Repeat business

• Builder partnerships

• Attorney and title relationships

• Referral credibility

• Community reputation

• Accumulated weight of every borrower experience they create

In other words: if they treat people badly, word gets around. Fast.

And in Metro Atlanta, there are plenty of excellent loan officers whose track records can actually be verified:

• Customer-service reviews

• Years in the business,

• Consistency in communication,

• Local closing experience,

• Yes — occasionally even a degree in finance or economics, which, in a profession built around interest-rate risk, should not feel like a radical preference

Bottom Line

If a mortgage quote looks too good to be true, it probably is.

A quote that is dramatically below the broader market is often not a sign that you found a genius.

It is a sign that someone is trying to win the application first and figure out the pricing later.And for most people, a home purchase is the single largest financial transaction of their life at that point in time.

That decision should not be treated like buying a used Honda online because the ad said “priced to move.”

• Do your homework.

• Check reviews.

• Ask how long they have been in the business.

• Ask whether the rate is actually lockable today.

• Ask what the points are.

• Ask what happens if the market moves against you.

Because in mortgage lending, as

in life, if a roach is smiling at you and promising something everyone else says doesn’t exist…

…it may be time to turn on the kitchen light.

DC Aiken is Senior Vice President of Lending for CrossCountry Mortgage, NMLS # 658790. For more insights, you can subscribe to his newsletter at dcaiken. com.

The opinions expressed within this article may not reflect the opinions or views of CrossCountry Mortgage, LLC or its affiliates.

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