What purpose do you serve? - 05/30/10 11:19 PM
 
Ken is a friend of mine... and I don't mean in the 'FaceBook' sort of way.  I mean in the handshakes and deep conversation sort of way.  He is a great guy... and this is a great post from him. 
My answer when I saw it was...    well, you'll just have to go back to Ken's original post to see...
 
Via Ken Cook, 678-439-8683:
What is it that you do? This is a question often asked at first meetings in social settings. Go to a business meetup and chances are you'll get one to three minutes to tell your name, … (0 comments)

53 Cool Concept Cars… Part VII - 05/30/10 10:51 PM
 
Image by Hugo90 via Flickr Gotta love a cool tow rig.  After all, that is how the toys move great distances.  At least trail toys…  I know that a lot of street rod guys NEVER trailer their cars.
Currently, my tow rig is a 2000 Ford F-350.  It has a 7.3L Powerstroke Turbo Diesel…  Running empty this last week, I was getting 16.7mpg on the highway.  That isn’t too bad considering the truck weighs about 7,500 pounds.  Pulling a trailer with two Jeeps on it across the country to Moab, UT, it averages about 11.2mpg.
Diesels make great pullers.  They … (0 comments)

Going Back... - 05/30/10 10:49 PM
Let me talk about my brief hiatus…
I grew up mostly without a garage.  From the time I was 11 years old until I was 25, I didn’t have a garage.  I became a car guy without a place to park one inside…  I learned to work on cars outside.  Honestly, I wasn’t a giant fan…  But, we make do.
Under the covers...
This past week I went to visit my mother.  She has been in the same house since I was 14 years old.  Still no garage.  And my truck decided to have a failure.  Specifically, the fuel injection wiring … (1 comments)

53 Cool Concept Cars… Part VI - 05/28/10 10:41 PM
RVs can be really cool.  The part that isn’t cool, though, is that they get crappy mileage.  Of course, when you consider the size and space that is rolling down the road, it isn’t that bad.  But, I think it could be WAY better.
RV tech + Railroad tech + High tech = Class A and Class C RVs are generally pretty big and bulky, especially the ones that appeal to me.  In addition to having a nice place to lay my head, I’d also like to be able to drag a trailer with a modified Jeep on/in it.  That kind … (1 comments)

Don't Bury Your Head in the Sand... - 05/22/10 12:30 AM
A couple of years ago I wrote about folks facing foreclosure.  I would love to say that things have really changed in the last couple of years, but I can’t…  They have actually gotten worse in many regards.  But we might be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel… but it is just a pinprick of light…recent numbers are showing that the tide of foreclosures might be easing… if only slightly… from record levels.
Image by lane.bailey via Flickr But I am still seeing something that really bothers me.  People that are in the sights, facing foreclosure, close themselves … (1 comments)

Graduation... - 05/22/10 12:28 AM
Image via Wikipedia Today was ‘Wing Day’ for my Kindergartner.  It wasn’t the official graduation, but rather a class thing. 
The class, made up of half Kindergartners and half 1st Graders, is called the ‘High Flyers’.  The Kindergartners are called ‘Co-Pilots’ and the 1st Graders are ‘Pilots’…
Today, Garrett got his pilot wings in class.  He was a proud kid.  He has been doing really well, almost meeting the requirements to graduate 1st Grade… while in Kindergarten.  Not only has he been doing it, he has been enjoying it.
For the Flashback, I thought I would highlight a couple of posts … (4 comments)

Mortgage Purchase Applications Have Fallen to a 13 Year Low - 05/19/10 10:28 PM
This was my fear from the beginning of the tax credit... that it would take future sales and push them up, while sending a bill to my kids and future grandkids... without actually "kickstarting" the market. 
We won't know for a few months, when the actual sales are in, but this isn't a good omen.
Via John Mulkey, Housing Guru (TheHousingGuru.com):
In a report from the Mortgage Bankers Association, mortgage purchase applications have fallen to a 13 year low. And while the interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages have declined to the lowest level in six months and remain near historic lows, the … (1 comments)

Thank you Ms. Curtis... Arcado has great teachers! - 05/18/10 11:23 AM
My oldest son is getting ready to graduate Kindergarten.  And he has been loving it.  Much of that credit needs to go to his teacher, Ms. Curtis, at Arcado Elementary School in Lilburn, GA...
The class that he is in is a 'multi-age' class that includes Kindergartners and First Graders.  It is called a CLE class, or Continuous Learning Environment.  And for my son, it has been a marvelous experience.  Each Kindergartner is paired up with a First Grader.  They work as a team, with the First Grader mentoring the Kindergarten student.
Ms. Curtis with Jackson Ms. Curtis has said that … (5 comments)

53 Cool Concept Cars… Part V - 05/16/10 11:05 PM
There are endless options to transplant modern drivetrains into older rides.  After all, it is the second oldest form of hot rodding… the first being ‘put in a BIGGER engine’.  And third in line is wringing more power out of the existing engine platform.  (just my opinion, not a provable timeline).  Somewhere in there is removing weight (stripping fenders and such was done to lower the weight and make the cars accelerate better).
It seems that retro-fever is sweeping many of the automakers.  The New Bettle, Mini Cooper, Mustang, Camaro and Challenger are all prime examples of retro-inspired design.  And while … (5 comments)

Let's Look at Some Garage Properties... Part VII - 05/16/10 10:57 PM
I used to do an irregular look at some garage properties.  I would grab a few properties that were representative of the variety of 4+ car garage homes available in Gwinnett County, GA.  While pulling properties for a buyer moving in from another state, I decided it was time to take you on a tour again... 
I have seen some real variety in homes over $2million.  Even concentrating on properties with at least a 4 car garage, these are very diverse homes.  Don't get me wrong.. most are 4 or 5 car homes in amazing golf communities (like Chateau Elan, The … (0 comments)

Let's Look at Some Garage Properties... Part VI - 05/16/10 10:38 PM
I used to do an irregular look at some garage properties.  I would grab a few properties that were representative of the variety of 4+ car garage homes available in Gwinnett County, GA.  While pulling properties for a buyer moving in from another state, I decided it was time to take you on a tour again... 
Honestly, when we are looking at properties between $1million and $2million, it is a rarity to see someplace with a shop.  They show up once in a while, but rarely.  We are getting into the territory of some pretty nice display spaces, though.  While it … (0 comments)

Let's Look at Some Garage Properties... Part V - 05/16/10 10:10 PM
I used to do an irregular look at some garage properties.  I would grab a few properties that were representative of the variety of 4+ car garage homes available in Gwinnett County, GA.  While pulling properties for a buyer moving in from another state, I decided it was time to take you on a tour again... 
By the time we get to $1,000,000, we are looking at what most people call mansions... and the $800,000 entry point to this segment isn't bad either.  Sometimes we run across "garages" that can accomodate a 45' RV, in addition to a whole lot of … (2 comments)

Let's Look at Some Garage Properties... Part IV - 05/16/10 09:52 PM
I used to do an irregular look at some garage properties.  I would grab a few properties that were representative of the variety of 4+ car garage homes available in Gwinnett County, GA.  While pulling properties for a buyer moving in from another state, I decided it was time to take you on a tour again... 
When we get up to this level of price, we see some really impressive properties.  There are actually a couple houses here that have more than 6 car capacity.  There are also several that have a few acres to spread out on...  At the same … (0 comments)

Let's Look at Some Garage Properties... Part III - 05/16/10 09:37 PM
I used to do an irregular look at some garage properties.  I would grab a few properties that were representative of the variety of 4+ car garage homes available in Gwinnett County, GA.  While pulling properties for a buyer moving in from another state, I decided it was time to take you on a tour again... 
Between $400,000 and $600,000, many more of the garages are attached.  In the lower price ranges, usually 4 car spaces are split up with a 2 car (or three car) attached garage and a 2 car (or three/four car) detached garage.  Here we see 4 … (0 comments)

Let's Look at Some Garage Properties... Part II - 05/16/10 12:25 AM
I used to do an irregular look at some garage properties.  I would grab a few properties that were representative of the variety of 4+ car garage homes available in Gwinnett County, GA.  While pulling properties for a buyer moving in from another state, I decided it was time to take you on a tour again... 
There are some really cool properties priced between $200,000 and $400,000 with 4 car or larger garages.  These homes tend to still retain garages built for working, although there are some sprinkled in that are more for show (or to stash the spare Corvette).  I … (1 comments)

Let's Look at Some Garage Properties... Part I - 05/16/10 12:07 AM
I used to do an irregular look at some garage properties.  I would grab a few properties that were representative of the variety of 4+ car garage homes available in Gwinnett County, GA.  While pulling properties for a buyer moving in from another state, I decided it was time to take you on a tour again... 
The popular misconception is that homes with 4+ car garages are only found at the higher end of the price range.  However, there are lots of homes to be found in Gwinnett County, meeting that specification, at all price ranges. 
There are a surprising number … (0 comments)

Hyper Inflationary Real Estate Deals? - 05/10/10 10:58 PM
While wandering through the blogosphere, I happened across a couple of post about inflation and the possibility of the US spiralling into a hyper-inflationary mode because of the massive debt, stagnant national economy and continued world economic issues. 
The theories have been around for a couple of years, and many of them point back to Germany (1923), Hungary (1946) or Argentina (1975-1991) as examples... and there are plenty of others. 
I am not one that wanders around expecting worst case outcomes for the United States.  There have been dire predictions before.  In fact, I think every few years we get a … (12 comments)

It's Not My Job - 05/10/10 10:01 PM
Bill kicked this one out of the park. 
As a real estate agent, I am NOT an expert is every part of the process and every system in a home and its purchase.  But, just as a General Contractor isn't the guy that builds the house, he IS the guy that coordinates everything.  He has to know enough about every system to know when there is a problem and to keep everything going the way it should. 
That isn't easy...
Via William J Archambault Jr (The Real Estate Investment Institute ):
It's Not My Job, read the comments on a friend's blog! My … (3 comments)

53 Cool Concept Cars... Part IV - 05/09/10 10:25 PM
I love Jeeps… I think that they are VERY cool vehicles.  In fact, not only is the Jeep credited as one of the decisive tools that helped the US win World War II, the Modern Museum of Art (MOMA) in New York has displayed a 1941 Jeep GP and a 1953 M38A1.  These are the militarized versions of the CJ3A and the CJ5.
Image by CKeslar via Flickr Even the Newest Jeep Wrangler JKs can easily trace their lineage back to the original WWII Jeeps.  Their simple, rugged and utilitarian designs have always been of the ‘form follows function’ school.
One of … (3 comments)

Two MileStones... - 05/09/10 10:18 PM
I haven't written "milestone posts" as often as I could... maybe not even as often as I should.  But there are two milestones that are coming together... oddly. 
In the next couple of days, I will hit 700,000 points.  I have written my 1500th post on Active Rain I'm also about a month away from celebrating 3 years on Active Rain.  But I don't think that one is ripe yet. Hover, I can't really seperate the last three years, the 700,000 points and the 1500 posts.  They are gloriously intertwined. 
Since joining Active Rain I have had the wonderful opportnity to … (6 comments)

Norcross, GA Market Report - March 2010 - 05/09/10 09:25 PM
Market stats for Norcross, March, 2010 indicate that there were 336 properties on the market. Overall, there is about a 9¼ month supply of properties, with sales remaining fairly steady…  Last March there were 54 sales, and there were 44 this time around.
Image by markellis_1964 via Flickr In the sub-$200k arena, there were 169 listings, with about 7 months supply.  Sales are down from a year ago in this segment, which is the main driver of sales in this area.
Between $200k and $400k, there were 111 listings for sale, and about 10.4 months of supply.   January was a … (1 comments)

Buford, GA Market Report - March 2010 - 05/08/10 06:21 PM
Market stats for Buford, GA, March, 2010 indicate that there were 637 properties on the market. Overall, there was about an 12¾ month supply of properties.  Sales were up dramatically from March, 2009, as well as February.
Image by lane.bailey via Flickr In the sub-$200k arena, there were 283 listings, with a 10 months supply.  The 50 sales in this segment were VERY strong compared to 30 for March 2009 and 16 for February.  I expect a similarly strong showing for April.
Between $200k and $400k, there were 282 listings for sale, and just over 14 months of supply.  In December, … (1 comments)

Sugar Hill GA Market Report - March, 2010 - 05/08/10 06:02 PM
Market stats for Sugar Hill, GA , March, 2010 indicate that there are 219 properties on the market. Overall, there is about an 9½ month supply of properties, with sales remaining steady, although February was much weaker than the year prior, March was much stronger.  It is one of the few markets to show more strength in the last three months than in the last six.
Image by lane.bailey via Flickr In the sub-$200k arena, there are 135 listings, with under 9.9 months supply.  This segment has been slowing until the last couple of months…  January, February and March were all … (0 comments)

Suwanee GA Market Report - March, 2010 - 05/08/10 05:40 PM
Market stats for Suwanee, GA, March, 2010 indicate that there are 620 properties on the market. Overall, there is about an 11.6 month supply of properties.  This is one of the rare markets that is showing a better Absorption Rate for March than February.  New listings were up by 10%, but sales were up by 50% (month over month)...
Image by lane.bailey via Flickr In the sub-$200k arena, there are 119 listings, with under 7.8 months supply. This is stronger than most of the rest of the county, but still not as strong as it was in November (less than 4 … (0 comments)

Duluth GA Market Report, March 2010 - 05/08/10 12:09 AM
Preliminary stats for Duluth, March, 2010 indicated that there were 618 properties on the market. Overall, there is about an 14.3 month supply of properties, with a marked deceleration in Absorption Rate.  However, sales in March were 59, compared to 44 a year earlier.
Image by djaquay via Flickr In the sub-$200k arena, there were 193 listings, with about a 10.3 month supply.  But that shows a slowing.  The Absorption Rate had gotten down into the high 4 month realm… and as recent as December, was in the low 5s.  January was the stinker month, with both February and March showing … (3 comments)

Lawrenceville, GA Market Report - March 2010 - 05/07/10 11:41 PM
Market stats for Lawrenceville, March, 2010, indicate that there are 1566 properties on the market. Overall, there is about an 10.8 month supply of properties, with a continued deceleration in sales, since November.
Image via Wikipedia In the sub-$200k arena, there are 1150 listings, with about a 9.4 month supply of homes. Sales accelerated through November, but then fell off as the first tax credit was slated to end… and the Holiday slowdown hit.  Sales have picked up for January, February and March, but so were listings.
Between $200k and $400k, there are 365 listings for sale, and about 16.6 months … (1 comments)

Lilburn Market Report - March, 2010 - 05/07/10 11:19 PM
Market stats for Lilburn, March, 2010, indicate that there are 419 properties on the market (as of March 31st). Overall, there is about a 15.3 month supply of properties, with a slowing in sales since December.  That is fairly normal for the winter season.  March sales were up compared to 2009, though.
Image by mjp* via Flickr In the sub-$200k arena, there are 240 listings, with about an 11.8 month supply.  Absorption Rates have been slowing since December, but sales were up slightly since March 2009.
Between $200k and $400k, there are 161 listings for sale, and about 27 months of … (0 comments)

53 Cool Concept Cars... Part III - 05/03/10 08:23 PM
NASCAR got its start on the backroads of the Carolinas and Georgia.  Many of the early drivers were running moonshine on Friday and Saturday nights... and then racing the same cars on Sunday afternoon.  The first "stock cars" were certainly not "stock"... but they were a far cry from the tube-framed, dedicated racing machines of today.
Image by David Cornwell via Flickr A common ride at that time would have been a 1940 Ford Coupe.  Power would have come from a beefed up Flathead V-8, while the suspension would have been mostly stock up front.  In the back, it would have … (2 comments)

Help needed for NAR national radio show - 05/03/10 07:47 PM
 
My friend Tara, of Reel Productions, is looking for someone that missed the deadline for the tax credit...  Give me a shout, or email her and tell her you saw it on my blog. 
 
Via Tara Jones- Atlanta, GA (Reel Productions TV- Real Estate Video ):
I am doing a story for the National Association of Realtors' national radio broadcast and am looking for an Atlanta based consumer who recently missed out on the $8K tax credit.  If you have a client that fits this description and would like to be interviewed for this national show please contact me … (0 comments)

 
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Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy

Suwanee, GA

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Century 21 Results Realty

Address: 2209 Sharon Rd, Suite 250, Cumming, GA, 30041

Office Phone: (678) 679-1393

Cell Phone: (678) 200-5895

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