The American dream has many meanings to many different people.  To most, it means the ability to materialize dreams of wealth and fortune.  Part of that hope is the dream of owning a home and property.  The foundation of our country was built on people searching to begin a new life and a new pride of ownership.  Unfortunately what was first a dream has become a nightmare for those who are unable to pay their mortgage.  These people are facing a perilous venture in an economy where fewer and fewer people are becoming able to afford the dream of home ownership.  Thankfully there is hope in the form of Short Sales and how they can benefit those in needs.

Short selling a house is the best way for those in a foreclosure situation to avoid completely ruining their credit and to have hope in the future to someday rebuild and start anew.   Essentially, a Short Sale of a home involves negotiating the pay-off of an individual's loan to where its price is lower than market value.  This ensures that a buyer can be found quickly and the foreclosure avoided.  Another beneficial aspect of a Short Sale is that there is essentially no cost to the seller.  Commissions are paid from the bank by way of a reduced pay-off.  Another part of a short sale home is the marketing of it to prospective buyers.  Investors look at short sale homes as a great way to invest in property and basically buy the previous home owners equity for free.  All and all the short sale of a home is extremely beneficial to that in need and allows hope for people that look to someday rebuild and move on. 

In efforts to revitalize the 1 mile stretch of retail shops on Elizabeth Avenue, the city began construction back in December of 2007.  The plan was to improve the area from the CPCC Campus east to the Presbyterian Hospital.  The city's goal was to balance the needs of mass transit with the utility of retail business in the area.  Additions such as new sidewalks, bicycle lanes, new trees, and even locating rail lines for a future inner-city rail line planned for the area.  The project was initially supposed to be completed by this December has been extended to April of 2009.  It is because of this extension that local retail shops have become distressed.  Mass construction has hurt local business hard due to increased difficulty in accessibility to the local shops.  Companies are finding it harder and harder to make ends meet with business plummeting up to 60% for some. 

Business owners primarily blame the lack of communication between construction officials and owners in the area.  As businesses struggle to stay afloat, they are finding new ways to cut down overhead and increase sales.  Restaurants are cutting breakfast and lunch out to focus on dinner.  Retail shops are carrying fewer inventories and diversifying their operations.  What is truly detrimental to these businesses is that they are finding it very hard to have hope for a resolved end.  Communication is getting better with the city but it is unknown if wading through the storm will result in a new area for Charlottians to congregate. 

The final installment to Queens College in Charlotte is a 22,000 pound sculpture adorning the front campus.  Designed by the late James Rosati, the sculpture stands about 16 feet tall and is made entirely of steel.  Named "The Triple Arc, I" the installment will shine on the campus for at least the next few years.  On loan from Rosati's Estate, this expression of art is said to be a statement to the beautification of Charlotte and the addition of art pieces around the city.  Another piece by the same artist which can be seen is the "Two Angled Forms" which rests outside the Charlotte Plaza building at fourth and college. 

I'm happy to see that Charlotte is truly making an effort to add an artistic flare to its scene.  The fact that they are concentrating on a college campus also adds that it will be an inspiration to the youth attending college who will be impressionable to the artistic form.  There is also a sense of exclusivity that the Queens College campus was chosen for the site.  I am sure that in the next few months this piece will become a somewhat local attraction.  No doubt, I will be stopping by to see it myself. 

A 2000 Census stated that 1 in 5 Americans has a disability.  This is a staggering number when considering the population of the United Sates.  On a local level, volunteers have created a haven for those children who face their disabilities every day.  Located in Nevin Community Park, Mecklenberg Division of Parks and Recreation has developed a play area that suits the needs of children with all types of disabilities.  From contrasting colors to help those with visual impairments to quiet zones for children with autism.  Designers based their fabrication on other disability friendly parks in America and with the help of hundreds of volunteers and were able to construct the playground in a matter of days.  People came out from all over.  From Wachovia CEO's to sororities, people showed up in numbers ready to work.  The playground is now complete and will have its grand opening on Oct. 29^th.

In times of hardship and need, isn't it great to see true acts of kindness?  It really does warm my heart to think that so many people showed up to help devote their time to a good cause.  It is quite obvious that although many playgrounds do fit the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities act, they truly do not have the best facilities for all in need.  Attributes like ramps instead of stairs and safe zones for children to be calm and collected.  It is extraordinary to see the amount of thought and research going into this project.  I would love to see more of these parks open up around the Charlotte area.  Although this is a great location, I believe that it is necessary to overhaul more playgrounds to offer such great facilities to more charlotte residents. 

A few weeks ago when the giant collapse of the US Economic structure occurred, people were forced to take a step back and reevaluate the way that we invest and the confidence we have in the system.  But what most Americans don't know or realize is that the effect of the US Stock Market is felt worldwide.  Comparative stock markets around the world became adversely affected by the massive withdrawal of funds necessary to keep stock prices in their current state.  Markets in Japan, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom all felt the effects of the US Stock crash.  It wasn't until Bush's planned infusion of money to relieve some of the debt that markets have shown a reversal of the misfortune.

With Bush's announcement of a proposed summit in the beginning of next year, world markets have begun to rebound from the shock of the fall.  It seems like even though the Bush Administration has been criticized for its handling of the crisis that it seems to be working.  The DOW Jones Industrial Average closed at 8905 last week. This is up 53 points from the previous day.  Gains like this give hope to investors who are otherwise reluctant to put money back in the system.

On the flip side a phenomena has occurred which many did not foresee in the fallout from this occurrence.  With stock markets dropping to all time lows, many investors are seeing an opportunity to buy into the market at prices which were unthinkable just a few weeks ago.  Among other things, this has been a helping hand in assisting the aftershock from this crisis.  I think that as long as the proposed summit goes through, the world will soon rebound from the shock of this fallout and retain its integrity in the world market.     

With the election coming to fruition this November many of us, including myself, have still not decided which candidate would be best for both myself and for my business.  With a slew of different marketing done by each prospective candidate, it is easy to become confused.  I believe that what it comes down to is which Presidential Candidate is best for my company and my family.  Unfortunately this is the way that most of the country looks at the upcoming election.  The thought that each individual will vote on the candidate that is best for the country is a lost notion these days.  But then again why should we worry about the rest of the country.  The reason is that each one of us no matter what situation we are in will be affected in some way by whoever is elected as our president for the next four years. 

What I need to know is that given my situation as a small business owner and a family man, what are the issues that are going to sway me from one candidate to the other.  I find that the few issues that truly affect me are each candidates views on Taxes, Health Care, energy and Labor.  To summarize the candidate views simply, Obama believes that any small business owner that makes over $200,000 will be taxed 39.6 Percent.  This would bring it back to the same percentage on business owners that were in place during the Clinton era.  Although small business in this bracket only make up close to 2% of all small business, the contributions that are made by this percentage are great.  Contrary to Obama, McCain would permanently affix the tax cuts that were put in place during the Bush Administration. 

In regards to health care, Obama would mandate that all business offer a discounted healthcare program to their employees.  This would force all owners to fork out money to provide insurance even if they cannot afford it.  McCain's solution suggests that health insurance would be up to the individual. By giving a tax credit to individuals, he believes that a great competition would be created for individuals seeking healthcare.  Either way I believe that these two views show two different extreme remedies to help with the massive healthcare issue in America.  Altogether I just don't understand how candidates can have such strong beliefs yet with no compromise.  The true test of these candidates is when they will be elected, I hope that they will be able to stick to they're word.

I know that most of my blogs begin with how terrible the state of the economy is these days but I really can't avoid it.  It seems like I cannot escape the looming debt of the nation or rising fuel prices.  This is why I love to write about companies who are defying the mold.  A person like Milton Silver of Silver Investments is one of those making a stand and continuing to work, business as usual.  Teamed up with Jeffrey Epstein of Marjorie Capitol are completing construction on a slew of new Office/ warehouses in the Charlotte area, the first of which being located on Granite Street near I-77 on Westinghouse Blvd.   Basically, Silver will be building 46,000-square feet located on a 8.38-acre site as multitenant.  Six more single tenant buildings will come in the near future.  Additionally, the two joint companies will be purchasing additional sites like a 20,000-square foot building in Concord on Ivey Cline Rd.  As I have said before it is great to see this type of commerce exist in this day.  Silver has responded to woes of a failing economy by developing more and more property in the Charlotte area.  They are finding that if relationships are maintained with close banks such as BB&T, that there is credit when needed.  It is with this leverage with they're bank that Silver and Epstein will continue to build well into the future.  Surprisingly, while the home market slows the commercial rental market has picked up some speed.  Compared to a 18.1% tenant vacancy in 2007, Vacancy has dropped to 16.7% this year.  This means that their new $3.15 million project will soon have a list of new tenants soon

Normally, I post blog entries more for keyword optimization and SEO but this one isn't for that at all. I'd really like some feedback. I've been offering positions on my team for about a month now with only moderate success. The thing is, I'm offering something that seems to be really cool for most anyone who is an average agent, closing one to two homes per month.  Especially for RE/MAX agents who now pay $1,000 to $1,500. or more for desk fees, I'm offering RE/MAX branding for half of that, just $550 per month and the only thing I'm asking for is an additional 5% to cover team marketing. $550 a month with a 90% split and RE/MAX Branding, not a bad deal at all! I'm also offering a second plan with a 75% split and just $150 a month in fees, still not too bad but I always like to see what other people think.

Like I said, I've been test marketing the plan for a little while with only moderate results but I can't tell if it's because of the low level of exposure or maybe because other agent's interpretation of it is different from mine. Maybe people don't think it's true and there's a catch? Any feedback that you guys could give would be appreciated before I put it on a postcard and send it to basically everyone in the area :-)

Thanks,

geoff

Presbyterian Growth inspires new Growth on Elizabeth Ave

In a failing market such as the one here in Charlotte, it is uplifting that companies such as Grubb Properties are making an effort to keep moving forward and develop this beautiful city.  The $75 million dollar project is located a block from the Presbyterian and will hold a 78,000 - square foot medical office building.  Additionally the building will house 20,000 square feet of boutique retail shops, 282 residences in Sterling Elizabeth Apartment Homes which will surround a full parking deck.  Combined with another 750 parking spots this center is planned to be a huge asset to the area while revitalizing the area between Hawthorne Lane and Independence Blvd. 

It is thanks to the growth of the Presbyterian Hospital that has given Grubb Properties the opportunity to build such a structure.  Without the demand for Medical Office space it is doubtful that Grubb would have been able to complete the construction of this property.  As of now there is a projected completion date of early 2010.  Hopefully by that time the property will have attracted enough interest to fill its empty space and attract buyers to its doors.  Perhaps the addition of a purposed movie theatre would help with this but until the completion date comes to term we will not know. 

With the dwindling economy, a presidential election, rising gas prices, and a shady real estate market, Charlotte residents have a lot to worry about these days.  Thankfully, in these times of concern some charlotte developers are coming up with new ways to market property and create revenue in these times of change.  Specifically, three companies have come up with new ideas which are not only current to this time of technology and green living, but that also appeal to an unsure market that still has the ability to buy new homes.

One of the companies that stands out from the rest is ASPTH LLC.  A South End developer, ASPTH has come up with an unusual way to market the remaining 16 units in their Condo development called The Abbot South End.  With help from Freedom Realty Exchange (www.fre.com) ASPTH has developed an online auction where bidders from all over the world can bid on homes at a fraction of their original asking prices.  By doing this, ASPTH has opened the market of their potential buys from a local area to a global area.    

Additionally another company that has drawn a line in the stand is a purposed "green" townhome development by the name of Rea Rd.  Insite Residential has completed plans for a 10 Unit Condo Development on 1.8 Acres.  It is planned that each condo will feature energy saving appliances, insulation, and low flow toilets, faucets, and showers, sustainable wood flooring, and formaldehyde-free cabinets, interior trim, and flooring.  Additionally the units are designed to maximize lighting during the day.  Irrigation will be composed of reclaimed rainwater for irrigation, as well as planting drought resistant plants.

It is amazing to see what people will do in times of crisis and need.  I believe that it is even more amazing how creative sellers can be in order to stay afloat in these times of hardship.  The few companies that I mentioned are only a couple of examples of the innovation that has arisen.  It is also nice to see that with better sales as they're goal, developers are still searching for ways to create a smaller footprint from each of us that lives on this planet.  Hopefully more developers will take the cue from them and keep finding new ways to lessen our green house emission and increase the sustainability of our homes and our lives.