The 2009 Peachtree City Georgia Fireworks display is sure to please all 4th of July enthusiasts.

The 2009 Peachtree City Fourth of July fireworks display will begin at 9:30 P.M. on Saturday. Peachtree City has a tradition of offering the best pyrotechnics on the South side of Atlanta, and the show is always spectacular.

With Lake Peachtree used as a reflecting pool, the plethora of colors and sounds is a magical mix of awe-inspiring light and color and deafening sound!

If you are planning to attend the festivities, be sure to arrive early. The popularity of the annual gala increases every year, and traffic can be a nuisance. Be sure to park in designated areas and being a blanket of some chairs for seating.

Why not plan to come to Peachtree City on Independence Day? You'll be glad that you did.

Photos are from the 2008 Peachtree City Fireworks Show! Official Peachtree City Website

All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of Coweta Fayette Real Estate of ERA United Realty Newnan Georgia. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted, Copyright 2003-2009. Richard Weisser 770-827-6225.
Learn more about Coweta County and Fayette County Georgia Real Estate, and to search the entire Georgia MLS for free with no registration required visit CowetaFayetteRealEstate.com! Photos of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Get the latest GA Foreclosure List Updated Daily!

HOLY EXPOSURE!

Is what Robin the boy wonder said when Batman ripped his tights. Exposing certain objects to the world can have detrimental consequences and in some instances cause a little embarrassment.

Take for example electrical wires. Exposed wire is not a very desirable or safe. The wires in our homes and buildings are covered with insulation not only to protect us from them, but to shield each wire from the others. Touching two live wires together can yield some spectacular fireworks, which is why for many, many years now wires have been insulated.

(A little aside, originally wires were not covered and fires were quite common.)

Part of older wire insulation was made from cloth. I still see cloth covered wires all the time. Problem with cloth and really most any material is it breaks down over time, especially outdoors. Since cloth covered wire is old to begin with, when I find it, the cloth covering is usually in bad condition.

Recently I found what has to be one of the worst instances of deteriorated wire insulation I have ever seen. The main service wires for the home were almost completely bare. Talk about exposure! Talk about dangerous!

You can see them in the picture. Notice the wires have insulation to the right and after the splice, nada. These wires were just inches away from each other and could easily touch with the help of a high wind.

This is a case of very bad exposure which requires immediate covering. What do you think Robin the Boy Wonder would say?  

James Quarello
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

To find out more about our other high tech services click on the links below:

Learn more about our Infrared Thermal Imaging & Diagnostics services.

Learn more about our energy audits, the Home Energy Tune uP®.

Ecofriendly Roof from Wales

If you happen to be in DC visit this week Smithsonian's Folk Festival at the mall. Here are pictures of the environmental friendly roof display. Visit : Smithsonian Folk Festival

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact Ritu Desai, REALTOR,ABR,ePRO at Samson Realty
Cell: 703-625-4949 or Email: Info@eNOVAHomes.com
You are interested in purchasing or selling a property in Northern Virginia including Arlington County, Alexandria City, Loudoun County, Fairfax County, Falls Church City, Prince William county.

 

A Great old home with it's own Historic Covered Bridge!

206 Diamond St Hatfield PA 19440 Just Listed!

642 Daisy Lane Pennsburg PA New Listing!

Getting down off that fence! Buying your first home in todays market.

Still sitting on that fence and dreaming about buying your first home? Confused about how to get started? I don’t blame you, there is so much negative press in the media about people who are losing their homes that it can be a very scary thing. Remember up until recently, sub prime mortgages and over inflated prices were the norm. Now the game has changed in your favor. Prices have come down, interest rates are low, and lenders are far more cautious.

What should you do first? Look into what mortgage program is the best for you.  I went on the web to see how you would get your information. Wow, is it confusing! All these promises, how to trust someone you have never met with the largest single purchase you will make in your lifetime?  Which program is right for you? Although you need to get approval before looking for your new home, find the realtor you want to work with, yes, sit down, interview them, find out if this is the person you want to work with. Then ask your trusted realtor for help in navigating the confusing world of the mortgage business. Realtors have mortgage resources, they know who to trust, were to go, where not to go. There are so many programs out there that I for one give my clients as much information as I have at my fingertips, then give them the names of the people I am sure can help them. No fly by night internet scams, real honest to goodness mortgage professionals who get the job done.

Here are some examples of the programs that are available to first time home buyers. Remember, not all mortgage people can offer all these product so shopping around is a great idea. I would suggest contacting more than one person to find out what programs you qualify for, then do a comparison on the loan information to see which is right for you! (Most, but not all of this information is specific to Connecticut, and not all are in all areas of Connecticut)

The Housing Development Fund partners with certain lenders in the area to set you on the path to home ownership. A few different programs are available for you. Simply put, HDF will lend you the down payment, and the participating lender will lend the balance. There is even a fund for closing costs! These are not predatory loans, if you don’t have the credit scores, if you don’t meet their criteria they will tell you up front! You will have to attend a credit counseling session and there are sessions after the loan closes that you will also have to attend. My daughter used this program, it put her in a home that she loves at a price she can afford. No balloon payments, no surprises at all. She is happy as can be paying in total for her mortgage and taxes LESS than she did paying rent.

USDA Rural Development Loans are available for New Milford. Yes, this is the USDA that you know and love, that approves the milk and meat you eat! You too can get that seal of approval from the USDA to live in your own home. The home MUST fall within an approved address, there are certain requirements about the home, in Litchfield County the loan limit cannot exceed $285,000. The home must meet certain requirements which are clearly stated on their website. USDA Rural Development Loans can be used for up to 102% of the appraised value of the home.

CHFA loans are still alive and kicking! CHFA = Connecticut Housing Finance Authority. Low down payments, low income limits, low interest rates make these mortgages very attractive for the first time home buyer. A few of the lenders I work with on a regular basis are on the approved list of lenders for CHFA.

FHA loans are insured by the Federal Housing Authority. Low down payments, low income limits, low interest rates make these loans very attractive for the first time home buyer!

VA loans for Veterans, guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. There are criteria you have to meet, either as a veteran, or on active duty. This is a great product that is well deserved by those that can use it.

There are many more programs available which a qualified mortgage person would be able to tell you about!

After obtaining a mortgage pre approval it is then time to find your home! Based on which loan product you decided to go with can dictate the price range as well as the area you will purchase in. If you are interested in purchasing your first home in lower Litchfield or upper Fairfield County, I would be most happy to speak with you. Send me an email  to andrea@andreaswiedler.com or give me a call at 203.460.1775, your choice!

And don’t forget about the $8,000 first time home buyer tax credit this year!

Looking to purchase or sell a home in the greater New Milford CT area? Please contact me , or visit my website to find out more about me. Search the MLS like I do, sign up for a Listingbook account.

What is good about New Milford and the surrounding communities? Check it out!

Before you hit copy and paste, please read the following….

© 2009 Andrea Swiedler. Unless otherwise noted, the content, both written and in pictures, is the property of Andrea Swiedler. If you wish to use something you see here, please email me (andrea@andreswiedler.com) with your request. Most likely I will oblige, with a link back to my original content as well as an acknowledgment. Although imitation is the highest form of flattery, please let me know before you decide to bestow this form of flattery on me! Thank you.

4607 Virginia Dr Bethlehem PA Open House July 12, 2009!

SELLING A HOME IS A VOLUNTARY DECISION - OR, IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO TO THE CLOSING TABLE.

MR. SELLER, WOULD YOU PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE LET US IN TO SEE YOUR HOME LISTED FOR SALE?

A thoughtful post by Paddy apologizing to home owners who have listed their for sale inspired me to post about the same subject, from a different perspective. 

Well, of course we buyers agents try to accommodate the seller's wishes about access to their homes listed for sale.   We have no choice.  The seller determines access.  However, the key words there are "homes listed for sale".  

What does "FOR SALE" mean?   

It means that the home is listed FOR SALE by the owner with the understanding that interested home buyers will be visiting the home to walk through it to help them, the home buyers, determine whether or not the property will be considered as a future home.  Often, after trying to get access to a home listed for sale, I come to believe that the seller wishes to sell but doesn't want anyone visiting.  Fact is, many home buyers need to visit a home for sale more than once before making an offer.  This is particularly true of first time home buyers, which is a huge percentage of our market today. 

WALK THROUGH QUICKLY THEN BUY.  Probably no asset offered for sale in the world is purchased with less investigation than real estate.  Yet, this asset is gong to be, not only a possession of great value, usually encumbered by a costly lien secured by a note with a pay-off of many, many years.  Of course, there will be certain limited investigations and verifications following a Contract of Sale.  However, the fact is, most home buyers will make the largest consumer purchase of their lifetime following one or two visits to the property for sale.  Contingencies to the contract protect the home buyer to the extent that the buyer is able to verify the value and condition of the property, but not until they have entered into a contract and deposited earnest money, usually $Thousands, as a sign of good faith on the part of the purchaser to protect the seller. 

All of the above sounds routine and it usually is.  However, what is so often missed is the difficulty that serious, qualified and motivated home buyers have just getting access to see the home listed for sale.

WARNING!  HOME FOR SALE. 

• SHOWING BY APPT. ONLY! 
• LISTER MUST ACCOMPANY! 
• LIMITED SHOWING HOURS! 
• 24 HOURS NOTICE REQUIRED!
• CALL LISTER!
• CALL OWNER!
• NO LOCK BOX
• PRINCIPALS ONLY
• APPT. MUST BE VERIFIED
• CALL LISTER FOR COMBO

IS THE SELLER A BARRIER TO SALE?  When scheduling tours of resale homes for buyers, I often have to ask, "Do these folks really want to sell this property?"  How do they expect to sell it if they won't let folks in to see it?  Far to often, in my experience, prospective home buyers are treated as intruders. 

"WHY DO THEY NEED TO SEE IT AGAIN?"  That was the comment from a listing agent when I called for an appointment for a follow up visit to a home for sale.  The list price was $1,200,990.  Yet, the sellers, through their agent, made showing almost impossible.  Fact is, I was touring with the husband for two weeks to select homes to show his wife who had to travel from San Diego so they could make the final decision together.  The husband and I toured every afternoon for 2 weeks and narrowed the selections to five homes for sale.  Time for the wife to arrive to help with the final selection. 

IT'S NOT CONVENIENT THIS WEEK.  That comment came from a listing agent when I tried to make an appointment for one of the five homes.  My buyers had set aside two days to tour 5 homes.  Yet, it "was not convenient" for the listing agent to show it that particular week.  With no lock box, we had no access without the listing agent.  The listing agent was the broker, so, no higher authority to appeal.  Sadly, that home was elimitated from consideration.  The home my buyers purchased was vacant and they spent a good hour touring, measuring, discussing, placing furniture, planning carpeting, etc.  When buying a home, sometimes buyers just need time to help themselves "feel at home" in the house.  When scheduling a tour of homes for buyer clients, I begin to make appointments fully two days prior to the tour.  It often takes that long to reach the "agent must show", "no lock box", "limited hours", etc. listings and get the showing confirmed.  I'm relentless and unless someone says that we cannot see the property, I keep trying until I get all properties selected scheduled.  It's exhausting and time consuming, but just part of the job.  However, it doesn't really have to be as difficult as it is.  It often appears that sellers or their agents believe that theirs is the only home on the market. 

WE WERE 22 MINUTES LATE!  I have been denied entry to homes for sale when we were early or late for the appointment.  When we tour homes listed for sale, we are often scheduling 3-6 or more homes at a time. It is virtually impossible to arrive at a specific time for each appointment.  I allow reasonable drive time between properties and 15-30 minutes to tour each home on the first visit.  Yet, we've entered some homes whereby the sellers complain that we are early or late with a scowl and a very unwelcoming attitude.  What are their priorities, to sell the home or to adhere to a strict showing schedule?? 

HOW TO SELL A HOME FOR THE BEST PRICE, IN THE SHORTEST AMOUNT OF TIME WITH THE BEST TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR THE SELLER!

                               

 

Courtesy, Lenn Harley, Broker, Homefinders.com, 800-711-7988, E-mail. 

 

Who Says Condos are Only For the Old Folks?

Who says that condominiums have to be for the elderly or more mature, retired buyers? Sure, many are moving out of a big house and looking forward to not having to worry about maintenance and enjoying the luxury of a full service building. Who doesn't like a doorman to help with your packages, a 24-hour receptionist to greet you, to take your mail, your messages, your dry cleaning? It's kind of like hotel living.

Well it hit me when I was showing my Park Towers West to a young mother with a beautiful six-month-old baby boy. Oh, it was hard for me to stay focused on showing the condo when there was this perfect young baby who I could make smile and coo. You know me, the former Pediatric nurse.

Anyway, the prospective buyer asked if there were any young people living in the building. My first thought (not expressed) well of course not! Aren’t condos just for ole folks? But I would not give that kind of answer instead we stopped at the receptionist desk and asked. To my surprise, we learned there is a 3-year-old and a 10-year-old living in the building, not in the same family. 

Young people in a condo, there’s a novel idea in Baltimore. Yeah, yeah, I know in New York and other big cities there are lots and lots of kids who grow up in a high-rise buildings - there is no choice. It's not common here in Baltimore, though. But it got me thinking. With so many condominiums on the market with fantastically low prices, here is an opportunity for singles, young married couples, roommates, and college students to get into the housing market.

 I also noticed that the ramps were perfect for strollers, and bikes not just wheelchairs and walkers.

I have one that is below $57,000 and is fully furnished (Clarks Lane). I have three under contract under $80,000 (Strathmore) including  that lovely lady's  the perfect gift,  another is listed under $95,000 fully furnished (Tarragon in Reisterstown), another under $105,000 (Park Towers East), as well as a couple of Co-ops at 11 Slade. (Not sure what the difference is between a condo and a co-op? Just ask.)

But what about the high condo fees of $600, $700 a month or even more? Because those fees in many cases include the utilities, it is still more affordable than almost any single family home, and most of us believe renting is a waste! If this trend catches on, the prices will go back up and in a few years the buyers will have equity for their next home.

I see this as a new way to market all of my special properties. And, as these new buyers decide to move up, they might want to go to Annen Woods, or Rockland Hills Drive, or my latest listing at 8008 Derby Lane, an all brick Coach House, or down to Baltimore’s harbor area and Fells Point's Henderson Wharf or my Lancaster Penthouse.

So I am proposing to start a new trend. Let’s market to the younger generation, to students and first time buyers. This is a good investment for parents of law, medical and college students.  Let’s think outside the box.

 Get into the market for under $100,000 and figure in your condo payments. Then live like you are on vacation, in a hotel, with all the amenities of a full service building. Are you ready to set a new trend?

 

 

www.HomeRome.com

410-530-2400