Michael's Blog

Family reunions: Rekindling old memories, making new ones

2008-07-23T14:10:17Z

Last weekend both of my parents' families held their annual reunions. The Dixons got together in their home town of Waycross on Saturday. To be more precise, their home town is Blackshear, but most of them now live in Waycross. About 80 Dixons, in-laws, aunts, uncles and cousins showed up.

The next day, Sunday, the Murray-Etheredge reunion was held at the Concord United Methodist Church in Schley County. Again, for the sake of accuracy, it should be said that my mother was a Lawhorn. But her particular Lawhorn family is now history except for her youngest sister, the last survivor, who is 88 and lives in Gwinnett County.

My mother's mother was an Etheredge (Cora) who married a Lawhorn (Fred D.). Both are buried with an infant child at the cemetery at Concord. Through my mother, I am descended from the Etheredges, Murrays and Lightners who settled in the Concord area in the mid-1800s. And so it is that I attend the Murray-Etheredge reunion every year on the third Sunday.

It's always good to see kinfolks. In the back of your mind you know you could be seeing some of them for the last time, life expectancies being what they are. My dad was one of 13 children of whom six remain. They posed for a picture Saturday. Then their children all stood together and smiled for the cameras, and then the children's children.

At this stage of my life, I know the names of the older generation, but few of the younger ones. As the elders go on to their reward in eternity, the families continue to grow but I know fewer and fewer names. In due time, I, too, will drop off the rolls. Truth forces itself upon us. We deal with it.

After our sumptuous meal at Concord Sunday afternoon, a bunch of us rode over to the Philippi Primitive Baptist Church and cemetery. The old church building still stands, but for how much longer? My cousins Margaret McMickle Gooding, Norman Manning and I were old enough to remember attending services and dinner on the grounds at Philippi.

Inside the church, the men sat on one side and the women on the other with an aisle between them. The congregation practiced foot washing. I recall seeing that symbolic act performed as members seated on the front pew would place their feet in a metal wash basin to be washed by other members.

If you have memories of people and events in Ellaville and Schley County, you would enjoy visiting the Yahoo group "Ellaville Memories." It is there for anyone with Ellaville or Schley County roots to post their memories and old photos. The website is moderated by former Ellaville resident Ernie Jones. It is entertaining and informative, and it serves as well as a repository of vignettes and pictures of people and the things they did years ago.

Another valuable source of Ellaville and Schley County history is the Schley GenWeb site maintained by Harris Hill, a Florida resident with strong Schley County ties. Harris is indefatigable. He has transcribed many articles from old newspapers that served the area over the years including The Ellaville Sun. If history interests you, visit (and contribute to, if possible) these informative websites. We must not bury our history.

MLS mysteries. Like, what is it?

2008-07-13T13:13:08Z

MLS mysteries:

Just in case you have not had any experience with the MLS -- Multiple Listing Service -- let me give you a brief introduction.

A Multiple Listing Service is a voluntary, cooperative group that real estate brokers and agents join to make it easier for buyers, sellers and REALTORS to get from point A to point B in the real estate buying and selling process.

For example, the Americus Board of Realtors has its own MLS, with its own website, where sellers can advertise their properties for sale and buyers can "shop" for properties to buy. REALTOR members of the MLS make their listings available to each other for showing and selling.

As a buyer, you can use one agent to look at any listed property in the MLS rather than skip around from agent to agent in different companies. Your agent can show you all the other agents' listings, and handle your offer if you make one.

When your purchase is closed and you become the new owner of a piece of real estate, the company that listed the property is paid a commission. If you worked with a different company to buy the property, the two companies will split the commission, usually 50-50.

Throughout the process you have been able to look at properties and purchase one while working with one agent. This enabled the agent to get to know your likes and dislikes about houses or land, and be better able to help you find what you wanted.

The MLS makes it possible for one agent to take care of you from start to finish. It gets the property sold by the seller, bought by the buyer, and earns a commission for the listing broker, the selling broker, and the agent or agents who worked with the buyer and the seller.

When you go online to look for a home or land to buy, hopefully you and the agent who shows properties to you will develop a rapport and be confortable working together. When that happens, stick with your agent. Your loyalty will motivate your agent to help you reach your objective. Everybody wins.

Do you have a question about buying or selling a house or land? For example, what is earnest money? What happens to your earnest money? Who gets it? How about commissions? How do you decide how much commission to pay? Who pays the commission? Buyer, seller, or both? It's something to think about. Email me at: michael@michaeldixonrealty.com or call me at 229-924-3089.

P.S. -- Don't listen to the doom and gloom commentators on TV about us being in a recession, and how terrible everything is. They are politically motivated, and are trying to effect the outcome of the November presidential election. The growth of our economy has slowed, but it does not meet the standard definition of a recession.

This is a great time to buy real estate because supply exceeds demand and most prices are negotiable. The value of your property should appreciate as the inventory of unsold properties declines. Think long term. As an investment, real estate should be a top priority.

The two sides of being pre-qualified

2008-07-10T18:33:37Z

Being "pre-qualified" is usually a reference to having a preliminary clearance to obtain a mortgage loan. Sometimes it's called "pre-approval," but by whatever name, it precedes final approval. There are hoops to jump through in the loan application process, beginning with a chat with your friendly loan person. That always should be your first step when you are thinking about buying real estate.

I tell my customers: Don't look at homes or land for sale until you have at least been pre-qualified by a lender. Ask the lender for a written statement. It will be conditioned on your meeting certain requirements, but it will give a seller some assurance that you have the ability to buy his or her property.

Pre-qualification tells you your price range. Why waste time looking at properties you can't afford? If you have been pre-qualified for a loan of $100,000, there's no reason to look at houses priced at $200,000.

There's another kind of pre-qualification that's very important as well: motivation. On your list of priorities, how high is buying a house? If you are both financially and mentally ready to buy a house now, then you are pre-qualified. If one element is lacking, you are not ready to buy.

Money and motivation: Make sure you have both.

When your real estate agent can see that you are ready, he or she will go all out to help you reach your goal of home ownership. After all, your agent is also motivated. There's a commission check waiting at the end of the process, but to get there may require a large investment of time, energy and expertise by the agent.

We REALTORS get paid, not so much for what we do, but for what we know how to do. A big part of what we do in many cases is "put out fires." We save deals that might otherwise go down the tubes. Again, we are motivated by the financial reward that awaits us. If our buyer and seller are equally motivated, we all will be rewarded at the closing table.

If you are a first-time buyer, and want to get started on the right foot to buy a home of your own, please call me. Let's chat. I have no "sales pitch," and there are no "dumb questions." I'll try to put myself in your place, and give you my best advice. Till then, best wishes.

Calling all Schley County

New family comes to Ellaville, Ga.

2008-06-29T18:28:10Z

Sunday, June 29, 2008

This past Friday brought a special pleasure to yours truly when I attended the closing of a real estate transaction in Ellaville. Sheriff Shane Tondee sold a house at 740 Ebenezer Road to Robert Kite. The Kite family will be a great addition to Ellaville and Schley County. Please say hello to them and welcome them to the community.

Thanks to Sheriff Tondee for making the house ready for the Kites to move in, and thanks to the Kites for buying it. Thanks also to Ken Wilson, Sheriff Tondee's Realtor, Debbie Simmons, Mr. Kite's mortgage lender, and Dewey and Cindy Gill for preparing the documents and closing the sale. Everyone cooperated to the maximum and made the transaction a pleasure for me. And at least one house in Ellaville got sold last week.

We still have a large inventory of unsold properties, and not enough qualified buyers. If you are thinking about buying a home, by all means talk to a mortgage lender now. You can still get a fairly low interest rate, and there are quite a few homes to choose from. I offer qualified buyers another incentive: their choice of a one-year home warranty or a Lowe's gift certificate valued at $400. It's my way of saying thanks for your business. If you have not already done so, check out two of my listings: www.343westwooddrive.com and www.236buchananrd.com. These are four-bedroom homes in the $150,000 price range. Of course, I can show you any listed property regardless of the listing company. Call me at 229-924-3089 if you are thinking about buying.

Exciting new gated community opens in Americus, Ga.

2008-06-10T16:22:55Z

The Village at SouthLand Ridge held its open house today. For Americus and Sumter County, Ga., this is an exciting development.

This is a first for the area -- a gated community for senior citizens. A few contracts for homes have been signed already, and we can expect to see more as the word spreads.

The open house provided an opportunity to tour one of the completed homes. It is stunning. The craftsmanship and attention to detail are impressive. At the same time prices seem quite reasonable: condos from $149,900 to $179,900, and free standing cottages from $167,896 to $213,340. Plenty of upgrades are available, too.

Amenities of The Village at SouthLand Ridge include a club house, a lake and a walking trail. There will be a variety of commercial shops in a section of the development.

The community is located within five minutes of city shopping, Sumter Regional Hospital East, pharmacies and restaurants. It is 27 miles west of I-75, 125 miles south of Atlanta, and 95 miles north of Thomasville, Ga.

You can see a web page on the community at: www.199southlandrd.com.

Homes are starting to sell again

2008-06-01T14:08:49Z

There's been a decline in the inventory of available homes for sale in recent days -- a fancy way of saying some houses have been sold -- but it's too soon to say it's a trend.

Today, June 1, the total number of available residential properties in the Multiple Listing Service covering Americus and Ellaville, Ga., is 149. That's down from 162 just three days ago.

Are things looking up in the real estate market? Let's hope so. There's a buyer out there for every house, and some of them have been on the market for six months or more. Most sellers are pricing their homes to sell. So what's the problem? Some buyers can't get mortgage loans.

But now there appears a glimmer of silver lining behind the mortgage money cloud. A few more buyers are being pre-approved for loans, and are able to put homes under contract. That's great news for buyers, sellers, mortgage lenders, real estate agents, closing attorneys, builders, home improvement stores, the cities and counties that collect property taxes, the school systems that depend on taxes, and everyone in general.

So if you're a pre-approved buyer, thank you very much!

A reminder: Pre-approved buyers who use Michael Dixon as their agent, and who close the purchase of a home (priced at $85,000 or more) get their choice of a one-year home warranty covering the major systems of their home against breakdown, or a gift certificate from Lowe's valued at $400.00. Which would you rather have?

Are you familiar with the purpose of the Multiple Listing Service and how it works to your advantage? Maybe I'll write my next blog about the MLS. Till then, thank God or your lucky stars that you live in southwest Georgia. Ain't it great!

Calling all Schley County business owners

2008-05-24T20:17:22Z

This is about one of those "back burner" issues for some of you. I'd like to see you move it up front and really start something cooking.

Let me tell you about an experience I had Thursday afternoon, May 22nd. There was an "After Hours" get-together for members of the business community sponsored by the Ellaville-Schley County Chamber of Commerce and held at Southern Paint and Body Shop in Ellaville.

It was a real nice event hosted by Jeff Williams and his family. They had some delicious refreshments on hand, and gave out a lot of door prizes. (I drew the prize for an oil change, and could have kicked myself for having gotten one just the day before. Oh, well, I'll need anoher oil change in due time.)

What I came away with, besides my door prize, was a very positive impression of business people in Ellaville and Schley County. They are moving forward, and they are making a difference.

Recognizing the truth that there is strength in numbers, many local business owners are members and supporters of the Chamber of Commerce. Together they are building a stronger economy for their area, and everyone will benefit from their can-do spirit.

The chamber's motto is "Schley County Spirit of Success." If you attended the "After Hours" gathering, you were a part of this forward looking "spirit." It is contagious.

Ellaville and Schley County are up and coming. I hope you, as a business owner, are a part of the progress. If chamber membership has been on the "back burner" in your case, you owe it to yourself and your business to move it up front.

Be a part of an organization that is actively engaged in making Ellaville and Schley County a great place to live and raise a family. The "spirit" is moving, and all of us business owners collectively can move forward with it.

Chamber membership is a wise investment in your community, and that means an investment in your business. Be a part of it. Call 229-937-2262 for more information and to get an application.

Lots of properties for sale, not enough nuyers

2008-05-18T14:38:23Z

Sunday, May 18, 2008

This morning the Americus area Multiple Listing Service (MLS) had 160 residential listings, 24 commercial and 96 land listings. These are the highest numbers of properties listed for sale on our local MLS in the 12 years I've been a member of it. What do these numbers tell us?

We have many properties for sale in our area, and not many of them are being bought. In past years, homes, land and commercial listings seemed to sell sooner than they do now, and the inventory of properties for sale did not build up to the high numbers we are experiencing today.

I'm personally aware of this trend because my own listings are not selling. They're not even getting offers. What's the problem?

Basically, the buyers just aren't there to balance off the number of available properties. Supply exceeds demand. That makes it a buyer's market; however, many would-be buyers cannot get mortgage loans these days. In recent years mortgage money seemed easier to get, and lenders took more risks with questionable buyers. Now they seem to have tightened their grip on the mortgage money purse strings. Someone who might have gotten a loan just a year ago cannot get one now.

This tightening up of mortgage money means fewer qualified buyers. Meanwhile the inventory of unsold properties grows. That's why it is at its highest point in my memory. As recently as a year ago 130 residential listings would have been considered an over-abundance. Now we're at 160, and it may go higher.

This is bad news for sellers, but good news for buyers; that is, for buyers who can get loans.

If you're thnking about buying a house or some land, your first contact should be with a lender. Get pre-approved for a loan up to a certain amount. That way you know two things: 1) you can get the money to buy a property when you find one you want, and 2) you know your price range.

Surprisingly, most would-be buyers do it backwards. They look at houses or land first, maybe even enter into a contract with the seller, and then go to a lender to see if they can borrow enough money to buy something. Half the time they learn that they cannot. So, everyone's time has been wasted. On the other hand, the pre-approved buyer is ready to go with an offer and an earnest money deposit when he or she chooses to buy a property in his or her price range.

In many cases, the pre-approved buyer beats out an unapproved buyer for a property because the one is prepared to buy it and the other isn't. Sellers, especially these days, are eager to make deals, and they almost always go with the pre-approved buyer over one who doesn't know where the money is coming from to buy the property.

While we're on the subject of getting pre-approved for a mortgage loan, may I strongly suggest that you do business with a local lender. You need a lender who shares with you an interest in your community, someone you will see at the grocery store, at church, or in your civic club. Some out-of-town lenders will promise you the moon, but can't deliver. Their deals often fall apart at the last minute, leaving you without the ability to pay for the house or the land you had your hopes set on. You will never hear from that lender again, and you are back on square one. Not to mention, you have one very unhappy seller who made a contract with you. Don't let that happen.

Do you have any questions about available properties in Americus, Ellaville and the surrounding area? Questions about the loan application process? Please call or email me, and let's chat. My number is 229-924-3089 and my email is: michael@michaeldixonrealty.com. I have a slogan: Asking the right questions up front could save you money at closing. Please ask.

Real estate closing in Ellaville brought lots of smiles

2008-05-07T14:15:07Z

Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending a closing on the purchase and sale of a property. This particular property had been on the market for many months. The owner must have wondered if a buyer would ever come along. It's easy for sellers to despair of ever selling their property, but we REALTORS know this: There is someone for every property. Eventually, that buyer and that seller find each other. In most cases they are introduced by a real estate professional.
That's what we REALTORS do; we bring buyers and sellers together and help them reach an agreement. Believe it or not, the real pleasure for most of us is seeing the smiles on the faces of the buyer and seller when they have completed their transaction. To know that we real estate agents had a role in making it happen is priceless. (Of course, we are happy to be compensated for our efforts, too, so we can pay our bills.)
In the transaction yesterday the buyers were a young couple buying their first home. They were obviously happy about it. The seller likewise was delighted to finally have sold his property. The seller was off to the bank with his check, and the buyers were off to their new home and their future together. The two REALTORS involved, one working with the seller and the other working with the buyers, shared the joy of the occasion as did the attorney and his co-worker who prepared the legal documents and closed the transaction. Everybody won.
If you were one of those involved, and you're reading this, you know who you are. Thanks very much for making my day. And, yes, thanks to the mortgage lender at the bank who provided the buyers' mortgage loan and made it all possible.
I am writing this while sitting in the swing on my back porch. It's another beautiful day. I worked in the yard earlier today, and noticed that we are very much in need of rain. There's a 30 or 40 percent chance of it predicted for Thursday. I surely hope it materializes.
As soon as I finish writing this blog, I'm going up to Concord in Schley County to take some pictures of an old house. It's the house I lived in for the first five and a half years of my life, and it its dear to my heart. The house served as both a dwelling and a post office from 1888 to 1905, and it is on the National Directory of Historic Places. It was called the Schley Post Office when it was first opened. Eventually it became known as the Patton-Hill Post Office. The Americus Times-Recorder is planning to publish a story and photo of the old post office and house in an upcoming edition of the Ellaville and Schley County Scene section of the newspaper.
Some baby birds are learning to eat seeds at the bird feeder in my back yard. Looks like a good crop of new songbirds coming along. The squirrels are having a fit to get into the bird feeder, but they can't. They will have to be satisfied with the seeds that the birds scatter on the ground.
OK, off I go to Concord.

Beautiful day, beautiful wedding

2008-04-20T12:50:26Z

Saturday, April 19, 2008, was a gorgeous day. The chance of rain predicted by the "weather man" seemed to evaporate in Schley County, and skies were a brilliant blue. What a great day for a wedding.

The Corinth United Methodist Church was packed for the ceremony uniting my cousin, Ann-Marie Phillips Streetman, and Robert Kevin DeVane in marriage. The ceremony itself was the nicest one of its kind I have attended in a very long time.

Kevin's parents, Tommy and Susan DeVane, hosted a reception following the wedding at their home acrosss Ga. Hwy. 26 from the church. The bride and bridegroom, accompanied by Ann-Marie DeVane's two daughters, Maggie and Mary Kate Streetman, rode over to the house in a white carriage driven my Ken Adams.

The wedding party, directed by Kim Lawhorn, was just as nice as the wedding ceremony, and was a lot of fun. I had a great time seeing family and friends, and making the rounds of the tables of finger foods, cakes and drinks. All in all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable occasion.

By the way, Susan DeVane does a very respectable rendition of "the twist."

This afternoon, I'll stroll along College Avenue in Americus and visit five homes that are participating in the porch tour sponsored by the Sumter Historic Trust. The Trust recently bought the "Eldridge house" on College Avenue which it plans to restore and put on the market for sale. Proceeds from the sale will go into a revolving fund to be used to purchase another house in the historic district. One by one, old homes will be bought, restored, and sold to new owners. It's a grand project of the Trust, and deserves everyone's support.

Did you attend the annual meeting of the Ellaville-Schley County Chamber of Commerce? It was perhaps the best annual meeting I can recall. The reason for my enthusiasm is the chamber's new spirit of success. In fact, it has a new slogan: "Schley County, Spirit of Success!" That spirit was evident at the annual meeting.

The people of Ellaville and Schley County can take pride in the progress of their town and county. This progessive spirit is the result of positive thinking and leadership on the part of many people. Ellaville and Schley County are on the move, and are now a "destination" for newcomers looking for homes, good schools, and a friendly, encouraging community. Congratulations to one and all!

I'm proud to say I'm a native of Schley County. Although I missed the opportunity to grow up there, it has always been "home" for me. That's a privilege I treasure.