Mike's Greater Athens Area Blog and Then Some

A Little Bit of Humor

2008-10-12T19:34:31Z

Stop me if you've heard this one!

A cabbie picks up a Nun.

The nun gets into the cab, and notices that the VERY handsome cab driver won't stop staring.

The nun asks him why he is staring.

He replies:
"I have a question to ask you but I don't want to offend you."

The nun answers,
"My son, you cannot offend me. When you're as old as I am and have been a nun as long as I have, you get a chance to see and hear just about everything. I'm sure that there's nothing you could say or ask that I would find offensive."

"Well, I've always had a fantasy to have a nun kiss me."

The nun responds,
"Well, let's see what we can do about that. There are two conditions:

#1, you have to be single and

#2, you must be Catholic."

The cab driver is very excited and says,
"Yes, I'm single and Catholic!"

"OK" the nun says. "Pull into the next alley."

The nun fulfills his fantasy, with a kiss that would make a hooker blush.

But when they get back on the road, the cab driver starts crying.

"My dear child," says the nun, "why are you crying?"

"Forgive me but I've sinned. I lied and I must confess, I'm married and I'm Jewish."

The nun says, "That's OK.
My name is Kevin and I'm going to a Halloween party!"

What Do You Assume About Your Clients?

2008-10-12T15:26:37Z

Most of us deal in real estate every day. We are, or we become, familiar with requirements and practices in our states and localities. And many appear to make assumption that their clients and customers are aware also.

A short while ago an agent in my office came back from a closing that didn't happen. Every thing was agreed upon up front, the buyers were from out of state and had flown in ahead of their furniture, kids and dogs to close on their dream home. Unfortunately, noboby told them that they required certified funds. Their agent didn't tell them, the closing attorney didn't remind the agent (or, if he did the agent forgot to pass it on), nobody gave them a heads up. They all assumed that the buyers would bring a certified check.

Everybody involved, including the agent from my office, could not believe that the buyers thought they could pay with a personal check. I asked where the buyers were from, she said the west coast. I mentioned that I had never needed to provide certified funds at anytime that I had bought on the west coast, in 3 states, 5 homes. Not until I first moved to the south, Kentucky, did I require certified funds. Oh yeah, my agent didn't tell me either. Luckily, I was able to get an electronic transfer through on a Friday afternoon.

And that wasn't the first time an agent made an assumption that almost had me kill a deal. When I first moved to Oregon I went to close, wrote my check and asked for the keys. I was told no, I did not get possession until the deed had been recorded, which, being a Friday afternoon of a 3 day weekend would probably not happen until the following Wednesday at the earliest. In the meantime, I had movers arriving on Monday.

Have you had any of these experiences? How much do you assume when working with clients? Do you use a check list to make sure everything is covered? Do you make sure that buyers from states that require a lawyer to close know that in your state it happens at the title company, or vice versa? Do you let them know what the default title usually is in your state? Do you let buyers know, before an offer, that it is common in your area that the sellers usually expect some time to pack and move after closing? Do you make sure that everyone that you deal with gets all of the information that they will need to successfully close?

Or do you assume? You know what they say happens when you assume...

It makes an out of u and me!

By the way, the buyers were able to have a wire transfer completed the next day and close the deal.

Who Let The Dawgs Out?

2008-10-12T14:20:21Z

The Athens - Oconee Junior Women's Club, that's who.

As you wander around Athens-Clarke County you will very likely run into some highly decorative and brightly colored BullDawgs. They have been placed throughout the county as a mobile public art exhibit showcasing the talent of several local artists as well as featuring Georgia's favorite canine, the BullDawg.

This mobile outdoor art museum project, We Let the Dawgs Out, has, at any one time, up to 36 bulldawg statues on display at various locations throughout the county. While most of them can be found in the downtown area there a several that are in other venues throughout the county. Manu can be visited at Southeast Clarke Park. Thurston LaDonnahue III stands watch at the intersection of Barnett Shoals Rd.-Gaines School Rd and Greencrest Dr.

Each bulldawg statue is 44" tall, 70" long and 33" wide. There is a plaque between the front feet indicating the BullDawg's name, the artist and the sponsoring patron. Pictures of all 36 dawgs can be found in a gallery on the project website. Click on the thumbnail photos to get full size pictures.

Next time in Athens, try and find out how many of these dawgs you can find!

8th Hole at Lane Creek Golf Club - Lane Creek Plantation

2008-10-10T19:01:20Z

I like to play golf and at every golf course that I have played I have one or more favorite holes. They may be my favorites because of the way they set up for my game or because of their aesthetic qualities. The 8th hole at Lane Creek Golf Club is one of those that fits both qualities.

Hole 8 is a PAR 3 with the distance varying from about 100 yards from the red tees to 170 yards from the tips. The tees are elevated and you need to carry your ball high across a marsh and a creek to land softly on the green. The approach from tee to green looks wide but there is forest on either side and a slight push or pull from the back tees will guarentee a lost ball. Once you cross the creek you still aren't safe. A hook or a slice will require a tricky pitch onto the green.

The green has two levels with the right side being a bit higher than the left. There is a small ridge dividing the two. It slopes from back to front and from left to right. Carry the ball a little long and you end up on a step slop chipping back down to the green, unless you end up in the bunker where you will require a tricky sand shot to hold the green. If you are short left of the green you end up in a deep sand bunker that will require you to get your ball up quickly out of the sand.

The pin on the day this picture was taken was in the middle back of the right side of the green. You can just make out the white flag looking like a bright spot in the middle of the bunker. I must have been feeling some adrenaline on this tee shot because I ended up about 18 feet to the right and above the pin.

Lane Creek Golf Club is located in Bishop, just a few miles from Watkinsville and 20 minutes from Athens. Butch Foust is the owner manager and always like to discuss golf.

By the way, my birdie put slipped just below the hole leaving me about 6" for my par.

Madison County, GA Home Sales Holding Steady

2008-10-04T09:27:36Z

Madison County is showing some resilience in todays housing market.

For August and September the sliding average of annual home sales in Madison County has remainded virtually unchanged. However, sales are still down almost 28% from the start of the year. The D.O.M. (Days on Market) decreased slightly but is still up almost 9% since January.

While down from last month, the average home sales price in Madison County is still slightly higher than at the start of the year while the median price is down from last month and just over 1% lower since January.

The following chart shows the sliding 12 month figures for Madison County:

		Madison County
Date	DOM	Average	Median	# sold
1-Jan	194	$148,726.00	$143,500.00	244
1-Feb	198	$148,541.00	$144,500.00	239
1-Mar	199	$149,963.00	$143,200.00	235
1-Apr	199	$150,099.00	$143,750.00	231
1-May	201	$151,100.00	$144,500.00	223
1-Jun	195	$147,999.00	$144,500.00	213
1-Jul	199	$150,638.00	$142,200.00	198
1-Aug	212	$147,995.00	$141,000.00	181
1-Sep	214	$152,894.00	$145,000.00	174
1-Oct	211	$149,273.00	$141,500.00	176

Oglethorpe County, GA Home Sales Volume Still Dropping

2008-10-03T06:58:44Z

But the median and average prices are virtually unchanged.

The month of September saw another decrese in the average annual residential sales in Oglethorpe County dropping the volume to almost 50% of a year ago. The average Days on the Market (D.O.M.), however, is still bucking the trend of other nearby areas and showing a decrease.

The following chart shows the sliding 12 month figures for Oglethorpe County:

		Oglethorpe County
Date	DOM	Average	Median	# sold
1-Jan	187	$149,394.00	$146,900.00	185
1-Feb	182	$153,509.00	$147,900.00	171
1-Mar	180	$157,918.00	$147,900.00	171
1-Apr	174	$156,909.00	$147,100.00	168
1-May	179	$157,427.00	$146,625.00	146
1-Jun	176	$149,611.00	$143,900.00	130
1-Jul	163	$148,092.00	$143,900.00	113
1-Aug	164	$148,076.00	$141,950.00	110
1-Sep	173	$143,643.00	$141,900.00	104
1-Oct	160	$143,068.00	$141,900.00	95

Watkinsville Home Sales Flat

2008-10-02T14:12:33Z

Are Watkinsville home sales bottoming? Data from September shows that with a decrease of 1 sales were virtually flat with August. The sliding 12 month sales figures indicate a decrease in sales volume holding steady at just under 26% for the last two month. The average number of days the sold home is on the market is still slightly increasing but overall it is only a 6-1/2% increase since the beginning of the year.

The median sales price has continued to rise, up just over 17% since Jan. 1. The average sales price is down from the previous two months but virtually even with the beginning of the year. The median sales price is down also.

The following chart shows the sliding 12 month figures:

Date	DOM	Average	Median	# sold
1-Jan	168	$334,504.00	$290,530.00	285
1-Feb	171	$330,426.00	$290,000.00	279
1-Mar	176	$327,049.00	$288,250.00	278
1-Apr	177	$321,762.00	$275,000.00	274
1-May	184	$319,412.00	$270,000.00	273
1-Jun	184	$320,944.00	$275,000.00	268
1-Jul	183	$329,444.00	$285,050.00	250
1-Aug	192	$336,554.00	$290,265.00	233
1-Sep	195	$339,421.00	$298,000.00	212
1-Oct	197	$334,449.00	$287,300.00	211

Athens-Clarke County Home Sales Bottoming?

2008-10-02T14:02:14Z

While still a decline from last month, the number of homes sold in Athens-Clarke County is almost flat. The sliding 12 month sales figures indicate a decrease in sales volume of just over 1/2%. The average number of days the sold home is on the market is still increasing but overall it is only a 6-1/2% increase since the beginning of the year.

The median sales price has continued to rise, up just over 7% since Jan. 1. The average sales price is still trending up although just below the high of August this year.

The following chart shows the sliding 12 month figures:

Date	DOM	Average	Median	# sold
1-Jan	167	$164,445.00	$139,900.00	1664
1-Feb	167	$164,857.00	$139,900.00	1632
1-Mar	171	$166,204.00	$140,000.00	1579
1-Apr	172	$165,930.00	$141,000.00	1516
1-May	173	$166,500.00	$140,000.00	1484
1-Jun	174	$168,257.00	$142,400.00	1382
1-Jul	173	$171,767.00	$145,000.00	1321
1-Aug	173	$175,821.00	$149,625.00	1229
1-Sep	176	$173,195.00	$149,625.00	1190
1-Oct	178	$174,139.00	$149,900.00	1182

Oconee County Home Sales Flat

2008-10-02T13:06:42Z

But at least they aren't down!

September shows that in Oconee County home sales volume is basically flat, a net increase of 2 over the last month, for the last two months. The number of days on the market average (D.O.M.) is still showing a slight rise.

At the same time the sliding 12 month median price went is down slightly while the average price, during the same period, went from went slightly down again to $308,707.00.

The following chart shows the sliding 12 month figures:

		Oconee County
Date	DOM	Average	Median	# sold
1-Jan	180	$315,785.00	$273,500.00	496
1-Feb	186	$314,269.00	$275,000.00	487
1-Mar	191	$313,979.00	$275,000.00	487
1-Apr	195	$310,178.00	$272,000.00	490
1-May	199	$306,516.00	$269,000.00	491
1-Jun	201	$307,398.00	$272,000.00	472
1-Jul	206	$309,223.00	$275,000.00	465
1-Aug	211	$309,415.00	$275,000.00	429
1-Sep	216	$310,441.00	$275,000.00	396
1-Oct	217	$308,707.00	$273,250.00	398

Blogging Leads to Call from Reporter

2008-10-02T10:12:21Z

Sometimes my phone doesn't ring. Well, lately, it doesn't ring a lot, or at least as much as it used to. However, what I was referring to is that it didn't ring but I received a voicemail notification. I don't know why this happens, I get calls that go straight to voicemail sometimes.

Anyway, like I said, my phone didn't ring but I had a new voicemail. When I checked I found that it was from a local reporter who is writing a story about home sales in the Athens-Clarke County area. He had found my blog, my outside blog, not my AR outside blog, or my localism blog, and found some of the sales data I have been posting to be relevant to his story.

So, called him back and we chatted a bit. I told how I had compiled the data and what my sources are. We discussed what the trending was showing. He then stated that he was trying to put this together with everything happenning in Washington. My anwer was simple. All real estate is local. And yes, I am trying to figure out what the impact will be here from events happenning in D.C.

He will be referencing my blog and data in his article this Sunday. I am looking forward to seeing what he writes. I have been interviewed several times before, in a previous life. Most of the time the articles were objective and reflected what was actually said. However, there have also been a couple where the reporter use "journalistic license" to turn positive events into negatives.

I wonder which one this will be.

New Senate Bailout Bill to Cost Us More for Healthcare Also

2008-10-01T17:50:33Z

Well, apparantly the Senate is not content to hit those few of us that pay taxes with other higher costs. Their latest 450 page version of the bailout plan also included the requirement for insurance companies to provide mental health treatment—such as hospitalization—on parity with physical illnesses.

I am not against mental heath treatment (I think it needs to start in those hallowed halls in the Capital Building first) however, it does not belong in this bill. Just like other bills that can't get passed on their own merits they have stuck this onto another bill that has a better chance of passing.

They realize that this will cost us more money, both out of our pockets directly and in taxes. But, it doesn't really matter to them it appears.

Read the full story here!

Do the Active Rain god's have a sense of humor

2008-09-28T11:30:17Z

or, was it just serendipity? While scanning the first page of the Realtors group I happenned upon these two posts in order:

HELP! I need an answer.
Robert Calistri - The Auction Specialist

The answer my friend, is blowing in the wind. The answer is blowing in the wind.
Richard Weisser, Associate Broker, E-Pro ERA United Realty, Auctioneer, CE Author

I found it to be rather humorous.

Run, Fat Boy, Run - Review

2008-09-28T09:06:12Z

I enjoy a good Simon Pegg movie. Laughed a lot at Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. So, my wife and I decided to make this movie one of our Netflix selections, and, we definitely enjoyed it.

Run, Fat Boy, Run is about a man (Simon Pegg) who, on his wedding day, panics and runs away leaving his pregnant wife at the church with all the guests. Fast foward about five years and Pegg is a security guard and a woman's boutique and he can't manage to do anything right at work or with his son.

He finds out that the mother of his son, whom he still loves, is engaged to an American (Hank Azaria in a role much different from that of Agador in the Birdcage) who is also a marathoner. Somehow, Pegg's character determines that running the marathon will convince his ex that he has changed. His ne'er do well best friend and his very overweight Thai landlord become his torturers trainers and it goes on from there. Yes, it is a bit formulaic but still entertaining.

Without giving anything away, we found it to be a quite enjoyable movie but a bit different from most of Pegg's work. We gave it 4 stars out of 5. Try it, you might enjoy it also.

What a Strange Way to Lose a Listing?

2008-09-27T16:58:26Z

I was at a listing appointment the other day and things were a bit touch and go. The seller didn't like the price range I recommended listing his home at. I did remind him that it did not sell previously at the price he was asking.

It appeared that he was going to resign himself to a lower starting price but then I opened my big mouth. I asked him to move his 4 cars out of the way so I could get a clear picture of his home. I also asked him to move a power band saw (meat cutting saw) out of the kitchen for both pictures and for showing.

Well, needless to say, he did not take either of those very well. He refused to take his saw out of the kitchen because it is almost deer season and, he refused to move his vehicles. After all, if I knew what I was doing I could sell the house at his price with the saw in the kitchen and 4 cars in the drive. Of course, that didn't include his collector tractor and vintage car under a portable carport next to the house.

I know that I haven't been in the business that terribly long. I have lost listings because I totally blew the presentation, I have lost listings because I don't have 5 years of experience, I have lost listings because another agent "bought" the listing, I have lost listings because I would not take an overpriced listing, I have lost listings because of a previous "bad" experience with a KW agent, and, I have lost listings because the seller decided to use a friend or relative.

But this is the first time I have lost a leasting because of a meat cutter and some pictures that I haven't taken yet.

What strange ways have you managed to lose a listing?

Active Rain - Another Update Just to Keep Me on My Toes

2008-09-25T08:39:40Z

Or just another cruel joke?

Has anybody else's order of subscribed groups changed lately, or are Rich & Brad, et al, just having some fun at my expense?

My subscribed groups list has been reordered and it is driving me nuts. I have spent months figuring out where all my groups were positioned in the list and could easily navigate through them to find the one I wanted to check out. Now, they have all been rearranged and I am having to learn where everything is again.

The Realtor group, as well as Active Rain Newbies used to be the top 2. Now, Realtors has moved down to about 10th and I still haven't found newbies. Club Chaos, Whacked & Jacked used to be at the bottom, now they have moved up and been seperated.

Is anybody else as frustrated as I am at this?

Does anybody know how to put the group list in any order that you want?

Faeries In Oconee County?

2008-09-21T19:08:31Z

Faeries In Oconee County?

While traveling to work a few days ago I happened upon an arc of mushrooms that was not there the day before. A large arc of mushrooms now grew in the middle where there was only grass the day before.

Some scientists will say that it is merely the capriciousness of nature, the accidental placement of mushroom spores in the shape of a circle or an arc. But science cannot prove it. There are other theories, none of which science has yet proven.

But many believe that these rings, or arcs, are the results of creatures of myth and legend. Celtic and Scandinavian lore say that these rings are the results of faeries, or elves, or even pixies dancing. French mythology calls them ronds de sorcier, the result of some sorcerers magic. In Germany they were known as hexenringe, or witches rings, the result of witches dancing on Walpurgis Nacht. Dutch tradition claims they are the marks of where the Devil used his milk churn and Tyrolian legend claims they are made by dragon's breath.

Almost all Faerie ring lore paint Faerie rings as dangerous places, warning that anyone entering one of them will suffer some form of harm from mild bad luck to death. However, a there are a few tales of those entering having good fortune including wealth, bountiful harvests and large families.

They have been the subject of poetry, of songs and of art. Shakespeare wrote about Faerie Rings in A Midsummer Nights Dream:

And I serve the fairy queen,

To dew her orbs upon the green

Throughout history men and women have wondered over Faerie Rings. They have looked to them for luck. They have avoided them for fear of bad luck. Many have claimed to have been trapped inside in a seemingly endless dance at the mercy of the elves and faeries.

So, are they a natural but unexplained phenomenon? Or are they the result of creatures we think of as nothing more than myth?

I don't know, I didn't see any Faeries, after all, they only come out at night. But maybe they were Pixies and able to hide under the mushroom caps and behind the stems. Maybe I needed to actually enter the ring. But if I had, I might still be there, trapped in an endless dance, at the mercy of the faeries, waiting for someone else to stumble upon the ring and take my place.

Are there Faeries to be found in Oconee County? I can only say perhaps.

Queso Fundido

2008-09-20T19:46:42Z

Queso Fundido

I may have mentioned that my wife and I really enjoy Mexican food. Here is another recipe that, if you like Mexican cheese dip, you might like to try. It is a variation on a dish called Queso Fundido.

Ingredients:

16 oz. Mexican melting cheese

8 oz. Chorizo

¼ cup chopped red or green onions

¼ cup chopped cilantro

¼ cup chopped pickled jalapeno peppers (more or less, according to how "hot" you like it).

Directions:

Crumble the chorizo into a frying pan. If the chorizo is in sausage form, remove it from the casing and discard the casing. Fry the chorizo completely and then drain and squeeze as much of the grease from it as possible.

Preheat your oven to 300°. Put the Mexican melting cheese in a baking dish along with the cooked and drained chorizo and the jalapenos. Stir the ingredients together. Bake this mixture in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted.

Remove the casserole from the oven and place the dish on the table using a trivet or hot pad. Serve it with corn chips or on small tortillas, as an appetizer or, if you like, as your main course.

We like to serve this dish alongside build-your-own tacos, our fresh ingredient guacamole, and, of course, margaritas or a cold Negro Modelo. Very tasty, we hope you enjoy.

Bummer of a Start to the Weekend

2008-09-20T18:41:50Z

Yesterday, Friday, started out to be a great day, pleasant temperatures, sunny, a slight breeze. I slept in a little bit, didn't have to be anywhere until 10:00 A.M. I even had time for a little bit of a lunch.

So I spent the afternoon out in the boonies, showing some homes. That's when I get a call from my wife. Now, reception out there isn't the greatest, the signal comes and goes, so it took some time, some broken connections and redials to understand what she was trying to tell me.

She had been in an accident. Someone had run a red light and hit her. (Lose connection).

Call back "Are you ok?!" (Much static, garbled answer).

Repeat "Are you ok?!" (Lose connection).

Call back "Are you ok?!" Finally, a clear yes.

"Anybody else hurt?" - Repeat above scenario. Find out that no one else is hurt. Car is drivable and my wife is already at home.

So, I finish the showings, not interested in any of the homes (another bummer).

Got home, hugged my wife and let her dump. She was just coming from volunteering at an assisted living home and was making a left turn when a woman from the cross street ran the red light and hit her and the passenger side front. First good news, she was almost through her turn so there was no direct hit, no T-bone.

The woman got out of her car as started screaming at my wife for turning into her lane in front of her. Second good news, three witnesses stepped out and supported my wife, all telling this woman to shut up, she ran the red light.

A patrol car arrives and the woman gives her story about my wife turning in front her. But all of the witnesses were still there and let the police know that the woman ran the red light. Third bit of good news, police give woman a ticket for running a red light. Report totally supports my wife.

Fourth bit of good news, the woman is insured.

So, other than a bit of a scare and some inconvenience, everything is fine. The damage is not too bad but will still probably be $1000 - $1500. The woman's insurance company pays pretty quickly, last November our car was hit in a parking lot by someone with the same company. The place that will do the repair work is very good and we will get a free rental car.

And best of all, like I wrote earlier, my wife was not hurt. Neither was anyone else. Guess that it's a bigger bummer start of the weekend for the woman that ran the red light.

Oglethorpe County, GA Home Sales Still Under Pressure

2008-09-08T15:19:10Z

But the news is still mixed, well just a little bit.

In Oglethorpe County the sliding 12 month sales figures have shown a slight increase in both the average and median sales prices of homes from Jan1 through May 1. However, since May both the median and average sales prices have retreated from the gains, dropping to below the numbers for the beginning of the year.

At the same time, the positive news is that D.O.M. has decreased by 7.5% (14 days) since the start of the year but had a slight up-tick in August. However, the number of units sold has shown a decrease of about 44% during that same time. In the recent three months that decline has decreased significantly.

The following chart shows the sliding 12 month figures for Oglethorpe County:



Date	DOM	Average	Median	# sold
1-Jan	187	$149,394.00	$146,900.00	185
1-Feb	182	$153,509.00	$147,900.00	171
1-Mar	180	$157,918.00	$147,900.00	171
1-Apr	174	$156,909.00	$147,100.00	168
1-May	179	$157,427.00	$146,625.00	146
1-Jun	176	$149,611.00	$143,900.00	130
1-Jul	163	$148,092.00	$143,900.00	113
1-Aug	164	$148,076.00	$141,950.00	110
1-Sep	173	$143,643.00	$141,900.00	104

Athens - A River Flows Through It.

2008-09-08T10:29:09Z

Athens is well known for being the home of the University of Georgia, Dawg-mania and the birthplace of great music with groups such as R.E.M. and the B-52's. But Athens also is a river city.

The Oconee River flows through Athens right next to "downtown," meandering through parts of the University, the suburbs and farms and into Oconee County. Most of the year the Oconee is a shallow and easily fordable stream. The almost crystal clear water flows over rocks, creating gentle rills that can't quite be called rapids, to arrive in smooth still pools.

If you look carefully you can sometimes see the flash of a fish or even a heron wading, searching for a meal. Often you can see kayakers along some stretches, although, in drier years, like this one, there is a lot of portaging.

Oconee is the Creek Indian word for "place of springs" and it gets its name from an old Creek settlement. The Oconee's headwaters are in Hall County. The Middle Oconee and the North Oconee join together in Athens to form the Oconee, which continues for over 100 miles to where it meets with the Ocmulgee and forms the Altamaha.

The river supports diverse wildlife; the herons mentioned earlier, other birds, frogs, turtles and a multitude of fish species. In the spring there is a large run of white bass. During that run, dozens of boaters can be found on the waters below Barnett Shoals Dam, all hoping to bring a stringer of bass home.

A greenway is being established along parts of the river, providing a quiet promenade for walkers and bike riders along its banks. You can often see turtles sunning themselves on exposed logs and rocks as you take advantage of the greenway. During the seasons different plants bloom and flourish along the river and the greenways, some wild, some cultivated, and some just gone wild after cultivation. The jasmine and beatyberry are found along the bank, wild or planted, it doesn't matter, they are beautiful.

The next time you are in Athens take some time and walk along the river. Forget, for awhile, the shopping, the clubs, the restaurants, your problems. Point out the wonders to your children. Hold hands with the person you love. Even forget, but just for a bit, that the Dawgs will be playing again soon.

What Will $500.00 Do For the Real Estate Market?

2008-09-04T08:24:37Z

That's part of Barack Obama's plan to make home ownership more affordable. Marchel Peterson wrote a post about this REALTOR® magazine interviews Obama and McCain- my question about housing affordability! It is a good article and I just want to take it a little bit farther. But please read hers.

Obama responded to the affordability question with "I've proposed a universal mortgage interest tax credit for families that aren't benefiting from the mortgage interest deduction. They would get an average credit of $500 a year"

My first question is "How does an average $500.00 tax credit help a family get into a home?" Will it really make the difference? DPA has been taken away so it will take 7 years of that average $500.00 credit to equal the down payment on a $100,000.00 loan.

Or will it become akin to a stimulus package for non-home owners that will give a short bump in spending?

And who will qualify for it? Will I? I don't have a house payment, my home is fully paid for, but, I don't get an interestet deduction.

Will a college student living in a dorm? Will a working teenager living in her parents home qualify? Will a legal immigrant on a temporary work visa qualify? Will an illegal immigrant that files a tax return qualify? Will those living in adult care, but still filing tax returns qualify. Will an unmarried couple filing separately but living in the same apartment get two credits? Will a married couple only get one?

Personally, I think it is just another attempt at feel good legislation that will have no positive impact on what it is purportedly designed to do. I don't see how it will have any statistical impact on home ownership.

What do you think.

For my last question, who will pay for it?

Watkinsville, GA Home Sales Prices Going Up

2008-09-03T14:27:11Z

But the news is still mixed.

In Watkinsville the sliding 12 month sales figures have shown a steady increase in both the average and median sales prices of homes since May with the last two months averages above the figures from Jan. 1.

At the same time D.O.M. has increased by 16% (27 days) from 168 to 195 days and the number of units sold has shown a decrease of about 26%

The following chart shows the sliding 12 month figures:


Date	DOM	Average	Median	# sold
1-Jan	168	$334,504.00	$290,530.00	285
1-Feb	171	$330,426.00	$290,000.00	279
1-Mar	176	$327,049.00	$288,250.00	278
1-Apr	177	$321,762.00	$275,000.00	274
1-May	184	$319,412.00	$270,000.00	273
1-Jun	184	$320,944.00	$275,000.00	268
1-Jul	183	$329,444.00	$285,050.00	250
1-Aug	192	$336,554.00	$290,265.00	233
1-Sep	195	$339,421.00	$298,000.00	212

Oglethorpe County, GA: 24 Acres of Prime Land in Oglethorpe County

2008-09-03T12:36:03Z

Just minutes from Athens, between the towns of Winterville and Arnoldsville lie 23.87 acres of beautiful and gently rolling land. Almost half of it is open with the remainder of it in mixed woodland. A creek gently flows through the wooded portion of the property.

There is over 2600' of paved road frontage on 3 sides (soon to be 4) along White's Run, Kimberly Ct & Owensby Mill Rd. The property has a Winterville address with Arnoldsville city water availble to all of the property. The property contains two parcels, one of 21.05 acres and an adjoining 2.83 acre parcel.

This is wonderful quite location to build, to farm, to enjoy the quiet. Plus, it is only 10 minutes to Lowe's, WalMart and other shopping and restaurants.

For more information about this property, or other land and homes in Oglethorpe County, Athens-Clarke County, Oconee County or any of the other surrounding towns and counties call:

Mike Saunders at 706-207-5290 or Barbara Loyd at 706-540-4111

Keller Williams Realty Greater Athens 706-316-29000

Oconee County Home Sales Down Again - But.....

2008-09-01T16:35:35Z

The news is still mixed.

In Oconee County the sliding 12 month sales figures have shown an almost 8% decrease in the number of homes sold in the area for the second straight month. In the year ending Jan. 1, 2008 the total number of homes sold was 496. In the 12 months from Sep. 1, 2007 to Sep. 1, 2008 the total number sold was 396. That is a decrease of 20% this year, with most of that in the last two months. From Jan. 1 to Sep. 1 D.O.M. increased almost 20% from 180 to 216 days.

From August to September the sliding 12 month median price stayed the sameat $275,000.00. The average price, in the same period went from $309,415.00 to $310,441.00, an increase of about .3%

The following chart shows the sliding 12 month figures:

Date	D.O.M	# Sold	Median Price	Average Price
1/1/2008	180	496	$273,500.00	$315,785.00
2/1/2008	186	487	$275,000.00	$314,269.00
3/1/2008	191	487	$275,000.00	$313,979.00
4/1/2008	195	490	$272,000.00	$310,178.00
5/1/2008	199	491	$269,000.00	$306,516.00
6/1/2008	201	472	$272,000.00	$307,398.00
7/1/2008	206	465	$275,000.00	$309,223.00
8/1/2008	211	429	$275,000.00	$309,415.00
9/1/2008	216	396	$275,000.00	$310,441.00

For more information on buying or selling in Oconee County please contact me by phone or email.

When Not To Use Ctrl - 1 To Enhance Your Text

2008-08-31T16:17:39Z

A month or so ago, someone, I don't remember who, shared the use of the control key in combination with a number key to change the appearance of your text without going into html edit mode.

Since then I have been using it often. However, today I used it on a localism post. The post on active rain looked good. It showed up like this:

You can get all this, plus lessons on iconography as well as shop at market stalls all at the:

11th Annual Athens Oconee Greek Festival

Sept. 13 & 14th a

St. Philothea Greek Orthodox Church

3761 Mars Hill Road

Watkinsville, Georgia 30677

For more information and a schedule of events check out the St. Philothea Greek Festival Website.

However, when I checked out the localism post it looked like this:

You can get all this, plus lessons on iconography as well as shop at market stalls all at the:

For more information and a schedule of events check out the St. Philothea Greek Festival Website.

I have since gone back and corrected it. But, be aware, if you want enhanced text on a localism post, use HTML and not the CTRL key.