buyers: "Your House is Not Your Piggy Bank" - In This Market, Buy For Your Lifestyle - 08/18/09 08:54 AM
In this market, buy for your lifestyle, not just for an "investment." A "down market" or a "soft market" is a great time to buy a home...but not for the reason that some people think. Ask yourself: what lifestyle do you want and how can buying a home help you to achieve it? Are you currently renting and eager to buy your first home? Are you expecting your family to grow in the near future? Have you been considering downsizing? It can be a scary time to buy, not only because of the way the media feeds our fears about the economy, but also … (6 comments)
buyers: What You Need to Know About the $8,000 Federal First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit - 06/30/09 04:47 PM
Surely, by now, you have heard about the $8,000 Federal Tax Credit for First-Time Homebuyers for 2009. It truly is an amazing time to be a first-time homebuyer! The government is practically paying you to buy a home! Here are a couple of things that you need to know about the $8,000 Federal Tax Credit for First-Time Homebuyers, which may help you to make up your mind to become a homeowner! The tax credit is equal to 10% of the purchase price of the home up to $8,000, whichever is less. The amount of credit you receive is also influenced by … (0 comments)
buyers: Senator Isakson's 1st First-Time Homebuyer Workshop a Success! - 06/29/09 10:04 AM
I had the distinct pleasure to attend Senator Johnny Isakson's first official First-Time Homebuyer Workshop on Saturday, June 27, on behalf of the Atlanta Board of REALTORS®. With about 100 attendees, many potential, interested first-time buyers, Senator Isakson's staff thought the event was a successful first try. With representatives from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), FHA, the VA, the Small Business Administration (SBA), and Mortgage Bankers of Georgia, as well as the Georgia Association of REALTORS® and the Atlanta Board of REALTORS®, attendees had an opportunity to learn about available loan programs, the importance of surrounding oneself with licensed and qualified … (0 comments)
buyers: Join Me Tomorrow at U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson's First-Time Hombuyer Forum! - 06/26/09 12:25 PM
Are you thinking of buying your first home? Now is a great time to buy, especially in Georgia. Why? Prices are at or below 2003 levels Buyers have amazing choices in inventory Interest rates are still historically low Federal $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers Georgia $1,800 tax credit for ALL buyers Money is available to well-qualified buyers FHA loans may be obtained with just 3.5% down Atlanta's population continues to grow, so that while prices may be down now, they are very likely to return to normal levels of appreciation in the near future What are you waiting for? If … (0 comments)
U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson welcomes you to a free workshop for first-time homebuyers, offering information about homeownership opportunities. Government agencies will be on hand to offer advice and answer questions. The workshop will take place THIS Saturday, June 27, 2009, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at Gwinnett Technical College, located at 5150 Sugarloaf Parkway, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043. This is sure to be a great event, sponsored by Senator Johnny Isakson, who is a REALTOR® by trade and a great advocate of homeownership. If you are thinking about buying your first home, this is an event you can't afford … (0 comments)
buyers: Georgia Homebuyer Tax Credit in the Works - Support the Georgia Homebuyer Tax Credit - 03/15/09 06:27 PM
Similar to the Federal tax credit proposed by Senators Johnny Isakson and Joe Lieberman, there is a TAX CREDIT in the works for Georgia homebuyers - in the form of HB 261 - a Statewide Homebuyer Tax Credit. With the current crisis of Georgia's housing market, the passing of this bill could positively impact Georgia's economy. Basically, the tax credit would be available to ALL BUYERS, not just first-time homebuyers. The bill would provide a tax credit of 1.2% of the purchase price, up to $3,600, to be paid out over a period of 3 years, with equal credits each year. … (2 comments)
buyers: Buyers: 10 Important Questions to Ask Your Buyer Agent . . . And Why! - 02/18/09 11:08 AM
Buyers: It is a good idea to have a REALTOR® representing you when you purchase a home. True, you can search for homes online and even view homes with the listing agent or the seller, but a REALTOR® can help you to navigate the often tricky waters of negotiation, inspections and legal aspects of a real estate contract, especially if you are a first-time homebuyer. Here is a list of things you should ask your Buyer Agent. Of course, this list is not complete - you will have questions of your own that you might want to ask - but it's … (8 comments)
buyers: Buyers: 10 Important Questions That Your Buyer Agent May Ask You . . . And Why! - 02/18/09 11:08 AM
Buyers: It is a good idea to have a REALTOR® representing you when you purchase a home. True, you can search for homes online and even view homes with the listing agent or the seller, but a REALTOR® can help you to navigate the often tricky waters of negotiation, inspections and legal aspects of a real estate contract, especially if you are a first-time homebuyer. Here is a list of questions that your Buyer Agent may ask you. She is not being nosy or trying to pry into your personal life - she needs the following answers in order to serve you better. … (2 comments)
More good news for Atlanta -- and more good news for Atlanta homeowners: ATLANTA, Georgia has been named one of the Top Ten Best Cities for business and careers by Forbes.com. "Companies in the U.S. are facing myriad challenges, from the credit crunch to soaring commodity prices to corporate tax rates that are behind only Japan's among developed countries. What is a chief executive to do? Head south." For the third straight year in a row, the Southeast is home to half of the Top Ten Best Cities for business, including Atlanta. "Common themes for the business-welcoming metros include … (0 comments)
buyers: ATLANTA - Named one of Top Ten Best Cities to Buy a Home - 07/29/08 11:10 AM
ATLANTA, Georgia is in another Top Ten list -- the Top Ten Best Cities to buy a home by Forbes.com. Described in the article as: "A city that constantly tops our lists of best places for just about anything, Atlanta is a great place to buy a home. With median properties in the $170,000 neighborhood, this booming city is affordable and packed with things to do. Ranked No. 6 on the 2008 Best Places For Business list, Atlanta has jobs and a competitive cost of living. This means taking out a mortgage is a safe long-term decision." Forbes.com "examined the country's 40 … (0 comments)
buyers: Women: What Are You Waiting For to Buy Your First Home? - 04/14/08 02:43 PM
Despite our ideals of the 21st-century woman being more independent than ever, making more money than ever before and climbing the corporate ladder, many women still feel that certain life milestones need to come in a certain order -- marriage first, buying a home second. Do you fit into this group? If so, what are you waiting for? What's holding you back? We want to know! Visit our website: Smart, Successful Women Own Real Estate. Perhaps we can change your views of homeownership! Subscribe to The Gebhardt Group's Real Estate blog today! Maura Gebhardt, ABR®The Gebhardt GroupRE/MAX Greater Atlanta10220 Medlock … (20 comments)
buyers: Announcing S.S.W.O.R.E. (Smart, Successful Women Own Real Estate) in Atlanta, Georgia - 04/11/08 01:27 PM
In an effort to continue to provide the highest quality real estate services to our clients, The Gebhardt Group has started a new division that focuses on women as homeowners and property owners. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, "Single women represent 20 percent of buyers, up 50 percent during the past eight years. That's an amazing statistic! The NAR® goes on to say that "single women, represent the future of real estate sales." Here are some other interesting statistics about women and homeownership, according to the NAR®: The single female segment of the homebuyer population accounted for 18% of all … (15 comments)
buyers: "Seller Motivated" - What Does This Mean To You? OR Doesn't Listing Your House Show That You're Motivated? - 03/21/08 02:49 PM
SELLER MOTIVATED! This seller is very MOTIVATED! Submit all offers! MOTIVATED Seller...accepting all offers!!! In going through the MLS system today working on some market reports for our clients, I was amazed at how many agents write "SELLER MOTIVATED" in the description and comments for their listings! To me, listing your home shows that you are motivated. Despite your reasons for listing or how realistic (or unrealistic, as the case may be) your expectations are, the fact that you have put your house on the market shows me that you are motivated. If I don't write "Seller Motivated" on my listing, does that mean … (21 comments)
buyers: A Good REALTOR® Does More Than Show Homes - 01/15/08 04:56 PM
Call on Your Real Estate Agent to Help You With ALL Your Real Estate Needs!Most people think of calling a REALTOR® at two times in their lives: when they are ready to sell their home and when they are ready to buy a home. In both cases, the REALTOR® is expected to do one main job - show homes. But a good REALTOR® does more than show homes. A good REALTOR® wants you to call on him or her for any number of a long list of tasks and is prepared to help you with them. In fact, showing homes really makes … (8 comments)
buyers: Why You Should Use a Licensed REALTOR® When Purchasing a Home - 01/11/08 02:51 PM
Answering Common Excuses for Not Using a REALTOR®Are you in the market to buy your first home? If so, I'm sure that you have heard many reasons that you should not use a REALTOR®, but I would like to debunk those homebuying myths and give you some very valid reasons why using a licensed REALTOR® is in your best interests. Test your knowledge below - Truth or Myth? If I go straight to the listing agent, I'll get a better deal. It will cost me too much money to work with a real estate agent. I can find out everything I need to know to … (0 comments)
buyers: It's a Great Time to Be a Home Buyer and It's a Great Time to Buy in Atlanta! - 12/07/07 11:52 AM
Why is it that the term "buyer's market" has such a negative connotation? To me, if I were in the market to buy a home, I would jump at the chance to buy a home right now, especially in Atlanta, Georgia. It's a good time to buy in general right now, according to National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) President Richard Gaylord. Real estate is traditionally an excellent long-term investment and is still the number one way that families in the United States invest, according to Gaylord. For a video clip of his recent television interview discussing why real estate is a long-term investment, the problems … (5 comments)
buyers: Should Newlyweds Buy a House? | Buying Property with your New Spouse | Buying a Home as a Joint Investment - 11/12/07 02:06 PM
Should Newlyweds Buy a House? I came across an interesting article on MSNmoney.com the other day entitled, "Should Newlyweds Buy a House?" An interesting question, indeed. In dealing, as a team, with a lot of newlyweds/first-time homebuyers, we encounter this question a lot. One of the first things we do with any buyer, not just the first-time variety, is refer them to our two trusted lenders. Not only do we know that these two lenders do a great job with our clients, but we have all used them personally and can attest to their knowledge and trustworthiness. And of course, one of the tips in the … (4 comments)
buyers: BUYERS: Why You Should Want to Sign a Buyer Brokerage/Buyer Agency Agreement | Why I Need You to Sign a Buyer Brokerage/Buyer Agency Agreement - 11/12/07 11:19 AM
Buyer Agency Agreement | Buyer Brokerage Agreement | Benefits of Working with a Buyer's Agent Buyers: I know what you're thinking..."why should I sign a Buyer Brokerage or Buyer Agency Agreement with my Realtor?" As a Buyer's Agent, I can tell you that my reasons for wanting you to sign the Buyer Agency Agreement with me is for more than just securing you as a client. This contractual agreement protects both you and me, and it is in your best interests to sign it. And in Georgia, it's the law. Here's why: First of all, by signing the Buyer Agency Agreement with me you … (10 comments)
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In this market, buy for your lifestyle, not just for an "investment."
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