We all know about the record rate of foreclosures and short-sales. And while these particular kinds of transactions have created short-term chaos in the real estate market, there is also a long-term ripple effect that will affect sales for years to come.

And that doesn't just apply to real estate sales. The loss of access to credit for millions of Americans over the next 3-7 years will have a devastating effect of sales of all kinds, as many consumers will be forced by necessity to make all purchases with cash.

Shoppers that previously had thousands of dollars of buying power will be reduced to practically none, and as inventories build jobs will continue to be lost.

There has to be a way to reconcile the fact that previously good borrowers were caught in an incurable situation. There needs to be a way to repair the long-term impact of those people that just didn't have any other way out.

For now, I don't have any solutions to offer. But I know that the problem needs to be addressed now before it's too late.

There is too much at stake to ignore it.

I have one of those fancy-smancy coffee makers that grinds the beans and brews the coffee automatically.

Of course, you have to set it up each night which requires loading the grinder, filling the water, replacing the filter and setting the carafe in place. It's a task that I have come accustomed to doing, and the grinder doubles as an alarm clock when it roars into action in the morning.

However, this morning I overslept a bit. And when I reached for the coffee pot and it was empty. A quick analysis revealed that I had made a fatal error:

I did not hit the "program" button which is the last step in the process.

And while that is a seemingly minor detail, it derailed the entire coffee-making/waking up on time process. One little omission is now going to affect my entire day.

Paying attention to details is important, because although we can do NEARLY everything correctly when conducting business or doing a task, one little slip up can cost us. And it's a shame to lose all of that hard work because of a single omission.

Now if you'll excuse me, I think that my coffee is ready ...finally!

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is next week? Like it or not, “the holidays” are here and from next Monday until January 2 we will all slip into an alternate lifestyle.

It’s not just that the upcoming festivities require actual preparation and make real demands on our already precious time, it’s also that we all tend to slip into some kind of alter ego personality, much more easy-going and relaxed and ready to savor life.

It’s a pleasant time of year that makes the onset of winter more palatable, and a time that we can reconnect with family and old friends and maintain those relationships in a very personal way.

And the best part of it is that we all have a built-in excuse for running a bit behind on our ordinary mundane duties:

“You know, it’s the holidays and…”

I know that my personal experiences are anecdotal, and I am a firm believer in statistics, but I have seen a dramatic increase in the amount of activity on listings priced over $200,000 since the new $6500 tax credit went into effect November 7th.

In one case, a beautiful home that sat for months almost unnoticed suddenly had two acceptable offers within a few days of each other. And the number of showings has nearly tripled in this range.

Could this be the kick in the pants the market really needed to jump start itself to a recovery, or merely a result of some pleasant fall weather? Only time and complete data analysis will tell the true story.

But for now, I’ll just enjoy the boost in business …whatever the reason!

Even though most of their compatriots have succumbed to shortening of the days and brisk gusts of wind, there are always a few stragglers that just won’t give up!

And although it’s the middle of November and we had a tropical storm that blasted though earlier in the week, there are still some small pockets of resistors here and there.

But the clock is ticking and time is running short, but as long as there are colored autumn leaves still hanging in there, I’ll keep the camera by my side. I shot this beautiful maple at the Male Academy Museum in Newnan Georgia this afternoon.

I suspect I’ll keep up the “hunt” until Thanksgiving!

We ate at one of our favorite lunch spots the other day. The reasons that we like this place in particular is that they serve great home-style food, have friendly service and are very reasonably priced.

And because we eat there often, our expectations are pretty high each time we visit. Because we are now “regulars,” we look for the staff and owners to not only maintain the level of excellence to which we are accustomed, but to also go beyond the ordinary and exceed our expectations!

But when you keep raising the bar higher and higher, the chances are that at some point you will miss the jump. Maybe it was just a bad day, but the last time we ate there we were disappointed. Perhaps they had problems with equipment or employees, or maybe it was  the fact that our expectations were just too high.

The same thing applies to OUR businesses. While we strive to provide service beyond what is expected, there will be times when we fall short. It doesn’t mean that we are lazy or uncaring, it’s just that we have stretched ourselves too thin and that while our spirits may be willing, the actual constraints of time and other resources may preclude us from a record breaking performance.

It happens to the best of us. We just have to get up, dust ourselves off, and get ready for the next jump!

I meet with a bunch of friends every other Friday night at a local hangout for some good guitar picking and singing. And it’s pretty casual. We show up when we can and just play whatever songs we feel like playing and it’s all great fun.

But I have noticed something that seems to happen every time we play, and for lack of betters words I will call it the “volume syndrome.” It’s occurs when each player decides that their instrument should be heard over and above all of  the others.

And so, after every song, they adjust the volume control ever so slightly in an effort to stand out just a little bit from the crowd. It’s a subtle difference, but an increase nonetheless. The problem is that EVERYONE does the same thing.

The result is that over the course of the evening, there is an ever constant increase in amplitude until the point when music is so loud that nobody can hear anything!

The point of all of this is that although we each want to be heard, we can’t LISTEN if we are all trying to dominate the session at the same time. How much better it is when we occasionally “turn it down” so someone else can shine for a few moments, and then we have the opportunity to excel when it’s our turn!

I am often distracted by simple things. The way a leaf dances in bright sunlight or a flower blooming late in the fall. I find beauty in the ordinary and uniqueness in the commonplace.

Sometimes I see the world in little pieces rather than in its entirety. A smeared palette of many mediums and colours that can be twisted and turned and blended each and every day.

And often this world of nature occurs in our own yards! There is no necessity to travel hundreds of miles to see nature in all of its glory!

I am grateful for every precious moment that I spend studying the splendor of creation. It’s good for the soul.

October 2009 was a good month for real estate sales in Coweta and Fayette Counties.

County-wide, in Coweta County the total number of real estate sales was up 0.8% in October, the only positive gain in 2009 so far. The previous best month had been June, which experienced a 3% decline in sales from 2008.

In Fayette County, October was also the best sales month in 2009 so far, with a 5.3% increase in sales.

Our Newnan ERA United Realty office closed more sides in October 2009 than any other month in the last two years.

And although this anecdotal information is only one statistical point in the entire data set of all local real estate sales, it is still an indicator that at least one real estate office is enjoying robust sales.

And November looks pretty good so far! It’s still a great time to buy, with low interest rates and unbeatable prices!

Yesterday, I got to spend five hours driving through the rains of tropical storm Ida on my way to join some fellow auctioneers for a continuing education class in Cleveland Georgia.

And although I could have taken the class online, I chose to make the trip to in order to see old friends and to make some new ones. These classes are more like class reunions, and we spend a lot of time catching up and listening to each other’s war stories revolving around the ancient profession of auctioneering.

Some of my readers were surprised when I mentioned that I was an auctioneer, and in the comment section asked some specific question about the profession that I would like to address now.

The first question is “how do you become an auctioneer?”

The answer is not so simple. It depends on where you live. Each state sets its own requirements for licensure, or some states have no license laws at all. In those cases, county or municipality governments may control who may perform an auction.

In Georgia, an Auctioneer’s license is a professional license, administered by the secretary of state. It requires 80 hours of pre-license training and successfully passing an examination.

Another question had to do with “auction verbiage,” and is that part and parcel of being an auctioneer?

It’s called “the chant,” and it indeed an integral part of auction. Some auctioneers are so good at the chant that they are hired by other auctioneers to “call” their auctions. The chants can be almost magical, and can inspire bids when properly performed.

Our venerable instructor, Charles Gay, who is also the chairman of the Georgia Auctioneer Commission, has an underlying tone in his voice that cannot mask his skills in the chant. It’s almost mesmerizing.

Another question asked was “can you sell anything or just real estate?”

An auctioneer in Georgia can sell anything that doesn’t require additional licenses. For example, to auction real estate, you must have both an auctioneers license and a real estate broker’s license. To auction used cars, you need an auctioneer’s license and a used car dealer’s license. Other examples are firearms and livestock, which have additional legal prerequisites.

Other that that, I can sell anything at auction such as antiques, tools, and other general merchandise. I can perform business liquidations and estate sales, and court-ordered disposals.

Estate sales are good, because I can sell the real and personal property, a form of “one-stop full service!”

If you need to sell real estate or anything else in the state of Georgia at auction, give me a call. I’ll be glad to assist you!