Lane's Blog - Looking out from the garage

RETSO Recap... Business Model Reload... For and AT RETSO, Part II

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) — Wed, 01 May 2013 05:52:20 -0700

OK, so I wrote Part I over 2 weeks ago...

In that post, I wrote about the risk that Brad, Mike and crew took. As I said in that post, the change was perfectly timed for me, but not for everyone. And in fact, I have spent the last few weeks working more ON my business than IN it. I have been deciding exactly where my focus needs to be in order to rebuild.

In this post, I'm going to talk a little more about WHAT they did for RETSO Refocus...

What is 'Refocus'?

I come from a background in professional photography (among other things). One thing that professional photographer HAVE to do is control their focus. And often, what you are aiming AT is NOT what you are focused ON. Sure, you are focused on your subject, and your subject is in frame, but it is certainly not always in the center of your picture. But you are always watching that subject, and ALWAYS adjusting your focus to keep it sharp on the subject.

But, too often we see our focus drift. And just as often, we don't recognize it because we are too busy managing day to day affairs to see that we aren't even pointing the camera in the right direction anymore. To top it off, one of the issues that I personally face is that I LOVE the tech tools. I can get so distracted that I walk away from the 'camera' that is my business in order to play with the latest toy.

So, HOW do we Refocus?

RETSO introduced (for some of us, others were well familiar with it, I'm sure) a tool called the "Business Model Canvas". It is a fairly simple 9 panel box that allows us to see the relationships of the various aspects of our business. And it brings each of the most important segments to the forefront.

Instead of being wrapped up in which tech tool or sign solution would 'save the day', it forces us to look at our 'Customer Segments' and 'Value Propositions'.

As you can see from the video, the tool is pretty simple to grasp. However, it is FAR from a simple process. The questions are easy. The answers may be anything but easy.

Can you tell me YOUR value proposition? Why should someone do business with you instead of the 4 other agents they have talked with? BTW, answering along the lines of "honesty", "integrity" or "I'll sell your house for the most money in the least time" aren't giving value propositions... that is spouting empty rhetoric. There are millions of agents that say the same things...

What Next???

There are LOADS of resources devoted to the Business Model Canvas. I'm not going to explain it all in a simple blog post. I'm not even going to try. Instead, I'm going to give you one of MY resources. As I've been working in my personal BMC, I have assembled a lot of information. As I continue the process, I am editing the notebook, adding new sources and culling out things that I can replace with better information.

Lane's BMC SpingPad Notebook

If you are a SpringPad user, please feel free to follow this notebook. If you aren't you are welcome to visit and look around. Feel free to comment or suggest alternatives. I'm trying ot distill information that is especially pertinent to real estate agents and brokers while they assemble a canvas of their businesses.

There are also Android Apps available for free... and just a few bucks for iPeople. (I think that is really funny... free on Android but you have to pay for Apple products...)

Good luck.

I'd love to hear from you...

RETSO Recap... Business Model Reload... For and AT RETSO, Part I

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:21:49 -0700

It's hard to believe that RETSO was last week... that recent and that long ago... all at once.

But, the time has allowed some of the info to be absorbed. And RETSO didn't disappoint me with the type of info and the volume. What WAS different, and disappointed some was the type of info at this years event. Instead of shiny new tech toys and tools, RETSO this year was focused on the business of Business. Specifically, Business Models. There was a nifty tool, though, the Business Model Canvas.

For this report, I'm going to focus on the changes AT RETSO, next time I'll go into more about the content.

I almost didn't make it to RETSO this year. A few weeks ago I had started really working over my business. Instead of thought about tech tools, I was more concerned with HOW I needed to do business. And while things like websites and FaceBook tactics were (and are) very much a part of the new strategy, they were not the direction, just a tool in the box.

But, knowing that RETSO was changing THEIR focus this year... just in time for me to change MY focus made it a much higher priority event. It also made it one that I am VERY glad I didn't miss.

However, I do know of a few people that were disappointed with the "refocus" of RETSO. I spoke with a few attendees and a few usuals that weren't thrilled with the format or the expected content. They were looking forward to finding out about some more tools to put in their arsenal.

There is NOTHING wrong with that.

And THAT is the heart of the risk that Brad, Mike and crew took this year. They went from a VERY popular, almost universally acclaimed event with attendence that was reliably in the 700-800 range, and TRIED to tear it down to something almost unknown with a hoped for attendance closer to 300. They still ended up with a bit over 400 registered attendees.

It was a HUGE risk for RETSO. Whether it was a good or bad outcome depends on each individual's view.

For me, it was a perfectly timed change.

What do you think? Tech or a concentration on HOW we do business?

I'd love to hear from you...

RETSO... Business Reloaded

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:25:54 -0700

Five years ago I spent a day at a local hotel in a new conference. A few weeks before that, I had recieved a call from Matt Fagioli, reaching out to me individually to come to the new event he was putting on with Brad Nix. It was called REtechSouth (that was before they thought of calling it RETSO). I spent my $99 and made plans to attend.

Since that day, five years ago, I have managed to go to four more RETSO events. In fact, it wasn't that long after that I ended up with Matt as my broker. Matt moved on from RETSO, leaving it in the very capable hands of Brad. Matt went on to create Xplode, a series of events around the country.

This year will mark my sixth RETSO... which makes me part of a small group that will have been to all of them.

Why do I make time for RETSO?

Every year, I am challenged. I learn and grow from the information and opportunities I gather at each year's event. In addition to meeting my peers from other parts of the country (yes... country, not just a bunch of Atlanta agents...), I have also had the opportunity to spend time with some of the industry's deepest thinkers. People like Jeff Turner, Pat Kitano, the Notorious R.O.B (Rob Hahn), Jay Thompson, David Gibbons... you get the picture.

For the first few years, technology was the focus. Last year, I started to notice a shift away from pure tech... especially tech for tech's sake. I started to see more of a focus on WHAT the tech was delivering. Customer Relationship Management. Content Manegement. How to truly engage clients. How to better deliver on the promises we make...

This year RETSO is about "Refocusing". The move away from tech and toward experience will be on the front burner. Tech for the sake of having groovy junk on the website or nifty new toys to carry around is NOT what REtechSouth is about anymore... although, honestly, it wasn't about that to begin with. But not it is even more plain.

I make time for RETSO because it makes ME better...

Because of the information I have learned at RETSO, I am better at doing my job. Five years ago, I needed to learn about technology. Three years ago I needed to better deploy the cool tech I had. Last year I needed to be reminded WHY I had the cool tech in the first place.

I think that this year will be more about the business we are really in... getting it done... and done well... and more or it.

There are a LOT of conferences. Heck, I don't know how some people can afford to go to all of them since they are so frequent that they barely have time to work between them.

But there are a few that are REALLY worthwhile. RETSO is one of the best.

I'd love to hear from you...

Suwanee, GA, Market Report, February, 2013

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 18:04:43 -0700

Market stats for Suwanee, GA, February, 2013 indicate that there were 315 properties on the market (down from 332 last month). Overall, there was about a 4.8 month supply of properties (up from 4.7 last month). February had 66 sales. Compared to February, 2012 (64), this year was up, but inventory was down compared to 2012 (433). There were 50 sales last month, so this month was up a good bit. There is generally a dip in January, so the bump in sales isn't really a shocker.

In the Under $200k arena, there were 64 listings in Suwanee, GA, with about a 2.7 month supply (compared to 4.3 months supply last year). This February's sales were 24 (30 last year, 15 last month). It used to be a county leader, though, for now it is moving back to one of the best price/locale segments again. The next level up is coming up fast, though. Sales were likely limited by constricted inventory. Last year at this time, there were 133 listings.

Between $200k and $400k, there were 167 listings for sale (201 last year, 148 last month), and 5.5 months of supply. Sales in February, 2013 were 32 (27 in January), compared with 27 for the same period in 2012. Sales have been consistent for the last few months, but have fallen off somewhat for the last five months. I'd like to see it get up to around 40 sales or so for the next couple of months. This shouldn't be a "peaky" market/price segment. Unlike most of the county, this is the largest price segment in the area, and its direction plays a major part in how the area looks. Make no mistake, this is still pretty much in Seller's Market territory.

From $400k to $600k, there were 44 homes on the market. The absorption rate was at 6.0 months (4.7 in January). There were 6 sales in February (5 last month)... flat from 5 last year at this time. Looking at the three month average, there were 22 sales this year and 15 for the same period last year. This segment has become dramatically stronger in the last couple of months.

In the $600k to $800k arena, there are 18 listings, with about a 5.4 month supply. Sales at this level are not consistent, but there was 4 sales this month (3 last month). Looking at one month makes the numbers jump around. For the last three months, sales were 10... For the same time last year, the sales were 3. With the huge decrease in listings over the last couple of months, I was looking for this to become one of the strongest $600k-$800k area in the county. It is fairly strong right now... we'll have to see if it holds.

The range from $800k to $1m, there are 7 homes listed and 21 months of inventory on the market. There were only 4 sales at this price level in 2011. There were 7 in 2012. This is a tough segment to try to sell in right now, but if inventory stays low, it won't be quite as rough. But there still needs to be some more sales activity. There was 1 sale each in March, July, August, September, October, November and December last year.

In Suwanee, GA, Above $1m, there are 15 properties listed. The current absorption rate indicated about 45 months of inventory, but because of the smaller numbers of sales, this could be significantly impacted by just a couple of sales. In this segment, we should be seeing reduced inventories... There were 24 homes listed in this segment at this time last year. There were 0 sales in February, but 1 in the Dec-Feb time frame, 3 the year before.

Suwanee, GA is a suburb of Atlanta in Gwinnett, Forsyth and (just a little bit) in Fulton Counties. The population is 2000 was 8,725, but that only included the area inside the city limits, and it had seen tremendous growth since that census. Money Magazine rated Suwanee in the “Top 10 Best Places to Live” in 2007, and it is one of the wealthiest parts of Georgia. Recently, the City of Suwanee has revamped their old town, adding a large park with a bandshell, condos, town homes and small businesses. It is also home to North Gwinnett High School, Peachtree Ridge and Collins Hill.

I have a page dedicated to Suwanee Market Data.

Atlanta Metro Zillow Home Value Index

Atlanta Metro real estate info

Originally posted on LaneBailey.com

I'd love to hear from you...

Phishing Bait...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:23:22 -0700

Those of you that are FaceBook friends may already know this... I had a listing hi-jacked by a scammer. It has kind of ticked me off.

The backstory...

One morning I got 3 calls in a row asking me about renting one of my listings. Since it isn't available for rent, I was curious as to why there was a flurry of sudden activity. However, since I was at my youngest son's school for a program they were putting on, I wasn't able to investigate immediately. The last caller was pretty upset with me that I wouldn't talk to him about renting the property...

About 30 minutes later, while enjoying the pot-luck lunch marking the last part of the program, the last caller called back. He apologized for getting cross with me and told me he found the listing again. He had been pretty miffed at me and decided he was going to tell the owner of the property that I refused to talk with him about renting it. But when he found the rental listing again, he remembered that my name wasn't on it. He had done some digging to find my name in the first place, since the person whose name WAS on the listing didn't have a phone number and hadn't responded to emails.

So, he looked up the tax record... thinking that the other name might be the owner. It wasn't. That was about the time he guessed it was a scam and thought to call me back and apologize. He also gave me all of the info I needed in order to track down (as much as possible) the person responsible. And going above and beyond, he followed up with me as the listing popped up again with a different telephone number after I squashed it.

The frontstory...

The venue that this particular "Phisherman" is using is Postlets. For the same reasons that we agents love syndication sites like Postlets, scammers love them, too. Enter the data once, and it gets syndicated to dozens of popular sites, or more. In this case, the curious renter found it on Trulia. I flagged it on Trulia and on Postlets as a scam listing. Of course, one of the issues is that my actual sales listing is on Trulia, too... as well as Zillow and a bunch of other places that are syndicated through the MLSs, Century 21, my broker, etc.

Trulia and Zillow/Postlets only took a few hours to respond that they had each pulled the listing.

As stated above, the next morning, it was back. Again I made the rounds and killed it at Postlets, Trulia, HotPads and some other rental sites. I got quick replies from most... but one was absent on a reply that things had been handled... and unfortunately, it was the one that had the most power... the one where the syndication was taking place... Zillow/Postlets.

I asked them if they had a way that they could block further attempts to post the property. I was told that it was impossible. Not happy...

What SHOULD happen...

As I see it, there are several problems:

The perpetrators are almost untouchable. They are praying upon the dumb and the desperate... those that are willing to email their financial information to someone without EVER have met or even possibly talked with them on the phone. And they are very likely NOT in the US. Since we don't have the ability to call in a drone strike, nor send a SEAL team to deal with them, we are left with stopping them from posting...
There are no checks on WHO can post a property. The account for this clown was suspended, but 12 hours later, he was back... same address, same name, different phone number. At no point is there a backcheck to see if it is a verified person creating the account or posting.
Nobody is willing to take responsibility...
The MLSs won't allow us to identify ourselves in our listings so that the feed is more valuable to other services... IDX, scraper sites, aggregators, etc.

But there ARE solutions.

Can't do too much about a foreign entity operating illegally in the US. So, we have to make the operation less profitable. I thnk that the way to do that is to choke off their ability to find suckers.
The first step in doing that is to limit WHO can post properties. And I think it is incumbant on the syndication services to know WHERE they are getting these listings. In the case of those coming off of an MLS, there is a pretty solid certainty that they are real. In the case of "owner entered" or even "agent entered" listings, that certainty is gone. I'm not one for government intervention, and I don't think it is needed here. I think it takes Corporate Responsibility.

Charge for access for individuals to post up... agents and owners should pay. The US Post Office charges $1 to electronically file a Change of Address form. Do they make money with it? No. It is because THEN, they have bank info that is tied to a real person. Otherwise, I could set up an anonymous email account and create havoc with changing addresses of people that anoy me. Credit Card/Debit Card... NOT PayPal... unless it is linked and verified.
Back-check posters. When someone creates a new account, verify the phone number. Call it. Talk to them. My web host called me and talked to me. That was after I paid them. They wanted to make sure that there was a REAL person there and that I wasn't a front for a scam. I don't know why Postlets can't do the same...
Build filters. How the heck could someone post up with the same name... probably from the same computer... with the same address just a couple of hours after having his account terminated? Why not filter for address, name, IP... something.

And while the MLSs won't allow us to identify ourselves, perhaps we SHOULD put language in our descriptions like "This home is NOT available for rent. Please flag any listing where you see this home offered for rent." In the case of my stolen listing, the dirtbag was using the pictures from the MLS and my description. Word for word. I wouldn't be shocked if they very same language owuld show up in a stolen listing.
And while we are on MLSs... both of the local MLSs have required that we give up rights to our photos. That is a whole different blog post, but THIS is exactly WHY they say we need to GIVE them the rights... and it is exactly why we SHOULD NOT. Do you think that the MLS is going to go after these people for stealing copyrighted images? Or do you think that it would be more likely that a pissed off agent or broker might do that? Copyright Law has an international component... and it is VERY difficult and expensive to pursue, which is why MLSs won't do it. And most agents won't, either. But if some of the above reforms were to take place, tracking the entities responsible would be easier... going after them for financial damages would also be easier.

The only real way to hit these people back is by crippling their ability to "do business". Their business is stealing, and they are stealing from us, stealing from our clients and stealing from people that could potentially be our clients. Further, who do you think gets the first look when one of these low-lifes swipes someone's identity? The police will start looking at the agents that have had listings stolen, and the owners of the property. Even though WE had nothing to do with it, WEare the first ones that have to prove ourselves.

Unfortunately, we also no longer have the power to stop where our listings go in order to pressure the big syndicators. We just have to suck it up and raise a stink after the fact.

BTW, just as a note, I know some folks at Zillow. They are fine people. I don't think ill of them, or even the company. I just think that they, and others, need to find a way to get back in front of the abuses of the system they created. If they wait until there are laws in place to "protect us", the laws will damage them more than being pro-active would have...

I'd love to hear from you...

A REAL Code of Ethics...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 19:51:48 -0800

The "quadrennial" ended a few days ago, and you know what thet means... tens of thousands of REALTOR^® had to rush out and take the required Code of Ethics training to maintain their membership status. I did too.

But something occurs to me each time we play this game...

The NAR Code of Ethics isn't a code of ethics at all...

Honestly, it is closer to license law that a code of ethics to practice our profession under.

I'm not going to knock it for content. I think most of the regulations and rules are fine for business. But that is what our "code" really is... it is a rulebook.

Here is a "Code of Ethics":

A Scout is -
trustworthy,
loyal,
helpful,
friendly,
courteous,
kind,
obedient,
cheerful,
thrifty,
brave,
clean,
reverent.

There are no case studies. There are no specifics. It is a code to live by.

There IS an expanded version that the boys study while learning the Boy Scout Law.

Not to be left out, another great "Code of Ethics":

I will do my best to be
honest and fair,
friendly and helpful,
considerate and caring,
courageous and strong, and
responsible for what I say and do,
and to
respect myself and others,
respect authority,
use resources wisely,
make the world a better place, and
be a sister to every Girl Scout.

The Girl Scout Oath is another wonderful example of ethics... not rules, but guidelines.

That is where the NAR Code of Ethics falls down. It is more like a legal code than a moral code. It isn't inspirational or aspirational. Instead, it's defensible or prosecutable. Rather than being designed to remind us to do the right thing, it is a document that allows language to be parsed...

The Girl Scouts say "I will do my best to be... responsible for what I do and say..."

The Boy Scouts say "A Scout is trustworthy..."

The NAR says "The obligation of REALTORS^® to preserve confidential information (as defined by state law) provided by their clients in the course of any agency relationship or non-agency relationship recognized by law continues after termination of agency relationships or any non-agency relationships recognized by law. REALTORS^® shall not knowingly, during or following the termination of professional relationships with their clients:

reveal confidential information of clients; or
use confidential information of clients to the disadvantage of clients; or
use confidential information of clients for the REALTOR'S^® advantage or the advantage of third parties unless:

clients consent after full disclosure; or
REALTORS^® are required by court order;
or it is the intention of a client to commit a crime and the information is necessary to prevent the crime; or
it is necessary to defend a REALTOR^® or the REALTOR'S^® employees or associates against an accusation of wrongful conduct.

Information concerning latent material defects is not considered confidential information under this Code of Ethics. (Adopted 1/93, Amended 1/01)"

Loopholes. Legalese.

Instead of sounding like the way we should aspire to do business, it sounds like something put together by a Congressional subcommittee.

Obviously, being a Boy Scout isn't as complicated as being a REALTOR^®. There are a lot of considerations we have to work with... laws, contracts, etc.

But a Code of Ethics is something that members should be able to memorize, not something that they should have to be retrained in every four years.

What do YOU think?

I'd love to hear from you...

Taking Real Estate Pictures... Part II, Camera Options

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:22:06 -0800

As mentioned last week, I am doing a series on taking better real estate pictures for your listings. Most of the tips are for those that wish to DIY (Do It Yourself), but there is a HUGE caution that goes along with that... if you aren't willing to take the time to do it right, hire someone to do it for you. Remember, you are representing your client's property and you need to put it forward in its best light (no pun intended). That doesn't mean that every listing needs to look like a feature from Better Homes & Gardens, but it DOES need to have good, clear pictures that are well composed and lit appropriately.

You do NOT need to run out to the store and get the most expensive camera and lighting system you can get your hands on (Hasselblad H4D-50 Medium Format DSLR Camera Body Only affiliate link). In fact, that might be the exact opposite of what you should do. Instead, there are a few things you should look at to start...

Wide Angle Lens... The camera needs to have AT LEAST a 28mm (35mm film equivalent) lens. A 24mm focal length, or even a 20mm would be better. Too much wider and there is a high likelihood of distortion.
Super high resolution isn't that important, but you do need to be at least above 5mp. This isn't so much for the web as it is for possible use in creating flyers or other media aside from web publication.
It HAS to have a tripod socket.
If it has the ability to accept an add-on flash, that would be better than just the on-camera flash.
Finally, if there are manual controls, you will be ahead of the game. You might be able to get by with something semi-automatic, like Aperture-Priority, or a REALLY good scene selector.

Of course, the camera isn't the only thing you'll need to have. You'll need to have a few other things in order to wring the most out of your camera.

A good tripod. Keeping the camera steady is ultra important, especially if you don't have the ability to use and external flash... but even if you can use one, the tripod will make life a lot easier. You want a tripod that is light enough to carry, but solid enough to be stable. And the bigger and heavier your camera, the bigger and heavier your tripod will likely need to be.
Add-on flash... or even flashes. Some are equipped with sensors to allow use even if there isn't a "hot-shoe" on the camera. Depending on how nuts you want to go, these could cost anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to thousands...
Light modifiers. These can be any of the following, including combinations... umbrella, light box, reflector, white index card or white foam-core. There are other things that can be used as well, and as you get more comfortable, you might try experimenting with different items. Many are cheap or even free...
Convenient camera case. Even though I haven't been shooting professionally for a few years, I still have a little fetish for camera cases. At one time I had at least 30 of them. I had some cases pre-packed for specific kinds of shoots. Others carried film (remember film?). Some were for certain jobs. Finally, there were the general cases I carried my cameras in. One thing to keep in mind, after you build up a collection of equipment, you probably won't want to carry it all.

With all of that in mind, I'll outline a few options that are currently available on Amazon (all product links are affiliate links), but you can shop anywhere convenient. All prices are as of this writing.

Point and Shoot Cameras... these aren't the most compact P&S cameras, but they are quite capable of delivering a high quality image and allow manual control, external flashes and (in the case of the Nikon) an external wide angle converter.

Canon G12 set-up... Canon G12, about $400. Canon Speedlite 430EX II Flash, about $300. The biggest issue here is that the lens's widest angle is a 28mm. There are aftermarket wide angle adapters available for under $100, but I can't vouch for their quality. Add a Fotodiox 6"x8" Softbox for Flash to soften the light, about $13. Add a nice tripod, like the SLIK PRO 700DX ($140) and a Lowepro Photo Runner 100 Convertible Beltpack/Shoulder Bag (Black) ($45). Total about $900 + wide angle converter.
Nikon P7000 (or P7100) set-up... Nikon Coolpix P7000 (about $280) or the Nikon COOLPIX P7100 (about $410). The P7100 is the replacement for the P7000, but the P7000 is still available, and at a great price. To handle flash duties, pick up the Nikon SB-700 AF Speedlight Flash ($330). The Nikon Wide Angle lens is the WC-E75A Wide-Angle Converter ($210) and requires a UR-E22 Adapter Ring (about $40). This also pushes the wide angle capability out to the equivalent of 21mm. Add the SLIK PRO 700DX ($140), a Fotodiox 6"x8" Softbox for Flash ($13) and a Lowepro Photo Runner 100 Convertible Beltpack/Shoulder Bag (Black) ($45) to round it out. Total about $1060 or $1190).

Entry Level DSLR Cameras... these cost a little more than the Point & Shoots above, but also have a wider lens selection. They can actually use the same flash units, tripods and maybe even bags as the Point & Shoot cameras above, so stepping up isn't that tough. The main advantage of the smaller cameras is that they are a lot easier to carry around... more of a vacation issue than a problem when shooting a property, though. If you are going to use the camera for general photography, you might consider adding

Canon EOS Rebel T3i kit... Canon EOS Rebel T3i with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (about $710). To get a good wide angle, you'll need to add the Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM SLR Lens for EOS Digital SLRs ($735). Add the flash, soft-box and tripod from above, but upgrade the bag to the Lowepro Inverse 200 AW Camera Beltpack (Black) (about $80). Total about $2000. (as a note, the sensor on the T3i is smaller than 35mm film, so the film equivalent for the lenses above are 29-88 for the standard lens and 16-35 for the add-on lens. 1.6x factor )
Nikon D3100 kit... Nikon D3100 with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens (about $600). For the wide angle duties, get the Nikon 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED AF-S DX Nikkor Wide-Angle Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras ($840). Again, add the flash, soft-box and tripod from above, but upgrade the bag to the Lowepro Inverse 200 AW Camera Beltpack (Black) (about $80). Total about $2000. (as a note, the sensor on the D3100 is smaller than 35mm film, so the film equivalent for the lenses above are 27-83 for the standard lens and 15-36 for the add-on lens. 1.5x factor)

If you really want to go nuts or get serious, Nikon and Canon both offer options to fulfill those desires. Prices and options can go up DRAMATICALLY. In fact, you can spend as much money as you want. Canon EOS 1D Mark IV bodies go for about $5k. The Canon EOS 5D Mark II full frame bodies fetch about $3200. Lenses range wildly, but if you are shooting a "pro" body, shooting with pro lenses would be a good thing. Expect to spend at least a similar amount for the first couple of lenses. For real estate shooting, I would recommend the 14mm for the EOS 1D ($2100) or the 16-35 F2.8 ($1530) for both... but you'd also need the wider lens for the EOS 1D since it isn't a full frame sensor. In the Nikon range, the Nikon D4 is about to hit the streets. Currently, the top of the line is the Nikon D3X ($8k). It is a full frame camera, which means there is no factoring lens focal length. the 14-24 F2.8 ($2k) would probably be my first choice for real estate shooting. In the case of any of these top of the line cameras, you can add multiple flash units and they will ALL sync together and the camera can meter them... they run about $500 each. Both Canon and Nikon also have "perspective control" lenses which are great for architectural photography, but are pretty specialized.

The steps and techniques for each camera are pretty similar. the primary differences revolve around the aperture range of the lenses and the available shutter speeds. The more expensive cameras have more shutter speeds and better metering (measuring the light and exposure), while the better lenses let in more light at one time.

Coming up we'll talk about some of the tips, tricks and techniques that you can use with any of these cameras, as well as the basics of exposure.

Real Estate Photography With Nikon (greatindiebookreviews.wordpress.com)
Camera Tripod Reviews (answers.com)
Interested in Photography? (fpsanders.wordpress.com)
How to Take the Best Pictures of Your Home. (saskatooncommunityblog.wordpress.com)
Check Out the Canon Speedlite 430EX II Flash For Your Canon Digital SLR Camera (greatindiebookreviews.wordpress.com)
Buying Guide: Best starter DSLRs: 6 tested (techradar.com)

from LaneBailey.info

I'd love to hear from you...

Time Machine Thursday... a 3fer, Cheap Ways to Prep Your Home to Sell

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:20:19 -0800

Normally, each week I pull a post from the past to highlight again. This week, I'm pulling three of them. They were all part of a series I did on Cheap Tips...

It has never been more important to make sure your house shows as well as possible. And for most sellers that I deal with (spelled n-o-t b-a-n-k-s), they don't have a bottomless pit of cash to spend while getting ready to sell their home. Finding efficient and inexpensive ways to make their home look WAY better than the foreclosure up the street are priorities. It doesn't matter if you are hiring an agent selling unrepresented (FSBO or For Sale By Owner), these tips will help out. Check out the posts from last year and feel free to drop some of your own tips in the comments.

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Taking Real Estate Pictures, Part I… Getting Started

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:44:03 -0800

In real estate photography, there are three ways to go about showcasing listings.

Hire a professional photographer to capture the images
Do it yourself
Skip that whole thing and list it without pictures

In this series, we'll be talking mostly about doing it yourself. However, in many cases, it would be advantageous to hire a photographer. If you are so busy with other parts of your business that you don't have time to do it right, get a pro. If you don't have the skills (and/or you aren't willing to take the time to learn them), get a pro. If you don't want to dedicate the time to get it right, get a pro. These aren't meant to be mean... but to let you know that the pictures on a listing are one of, if not THE most important marketing tool you have.

There is no shame in hiring a pro... I have better than a decade in professional advertising photography behind me, and I have hired photographers to shoot some of my listings. I did, however, go back and shoot more supporting images. And that is a GREAT way to transition from hiring out the photography to handling it in-house. Bring in a pro to shoot the major scenes, then shoot the details yourself. It will save a little money, and not compromise the marketing of the listing.

There are a few things that you need to know in order to get started in handling your own photography for your real estate listings. Over the next few weeks, we'll be covering them in more detail, individually...

Cameras (you don't NEED to have a big, expensive camera to shoot great pictures, but it doesn't hurt)
Lighting (this is where the action is)
Aperture and Shutter speed combinations (the mechanics of taking pictures)
Composition (framing it up to make it work)
Tricky Details (those little things that catch us off-guard)

Photography isn't hard, but it does require attention to detail. The techniques are all pretty basic, but stacking things on top of each other is where things can get a little tricky... for example, combining flash and ambient lighting, or balancing inside and outside light. And one of the greatest aspects of modern digital photography is the ability to see immediately the results... in time to correct the images BEFORE breaking down and going back to the office.

I will try to get specific as often as I can, and the tips will be related to shooting real estate. Of course, some of them might also jump over into your vacation shots and family pictures. Stay tuned...

Unusual Sunset Shoot: Indoor Photography (dashamones.wordpress.com)
Top real estate photographer of 2011 awarded (agbeat.com)
Take More Photos - Keep Less (digital-photography-school.com)
Lighting Guidelines For Photography (tfollowers.com)
Photography 101- Aperture (stoneandrose.com)
Photography: Just Like Flying (captainkathymccullough.wordpress.com)
A Basic Look at the Basics of Exposure (nikonusa.com)
Zoom Lens Maximum Aperture: Fixed and Variable Apertures (nikonusa.com)

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How Good Are YOUR Market Reports?

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:51:50 -0800

I ask myself all of the time...

How good are my market reports?
Are they compelling?
Why should a buyer or seller read MY market report instead of one of the hundreds of other reports out there?
Am I providing value?
What do consumers want in a market report?

I am specifically NOT leaving a link to one of my market reports in order for everyone to grade it. Rather, I would love to hear about what YOU think makes a great market report... whether you are an agent, broker, consumer or vendor.

What makes a great market report?

I'd love to hear from you...

rebarcamp Atlanta, 2011... Coming up SOON!

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:32:06 -0700

Less than 10 days from now, Atlanta will have its second rebarcamp event.

If you haven't been to one of the rebarcamp (rebc) events around the country, you REALLY need to change that. rebc events are billed as the "unconference". Unlike a traditional conference, there aren't a bunch of vendors running sessions that are thinly disguised sales pitches... and sometimes they aren't even thinly disguised. If you've ever been to the NAR Convention, you know exactly what I'm talking about. It seems like every "education" seminar ends with "and you can get my DVD set at booth 347, for just $199."

At rebarcamp, you talk with other real estate professionals about things that each of you are doing to build your businesses. Small groups get together and share ideas around specific topics. There aren't any "presentations" or lectures, but rather crowd sourcing solutions.

One of the coolest things about the rebc movement is its flexibility. Unlike a traditional seminar, the schedule isn't preset. It makes it seem a little crazy at first, but there is a HUGE advantage. Participants come in with needs and questions, and they have a much better chance at finding solutions and answers.

We are bending the "normal" rebc conventions a little bit. The first round of sessions in the morning will be set before the event, but after the first hour, anything goes. When we have the opening remarks, we will call for ideas on sessions. They could be anything from "Better Leveraging FaceBook Pages" or "Twitter for Non-Twits" to "Short Sale Disaster Avoidance" and "How Should I Spend My Advertising Budget... like I actually have one".

rebcATL2011 is only $17.50... for a FULL day of learning and networking. This year's event will be held at the Mansour Center in Marietta, GA.

Check out the website for more info. If you want to go straight to the ticket page, you can do that, too...

I'd love to hear from you...

Just thought I would share...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 23:30:39 -0700

Those of us that live in the Atlanta Metro area are all pretty familiar with Buckhead. And I have lived here for a little over 22 years... but I have a connection that goes back WAY before that.

I lost my father in 1997, and he never lived here... but he did visit Buckhead... LONG ago. He visited me several times after I moved to Atlanta in 1989, but when he was still a kid, he was passing through Buckhead with a few teammates. He was a student at the Columbia Military Academy in Columbia, TN, and on the Rifle Team. They had just completed a competition in South GA, and were passing through on the way back to school. It would have been around 1946... and my father would have been around the tender age of 14.

The driver of the car stopped in Buckhead for a short break. While he was out of the car, my father made a quick run into one of the local bars (yes, there were bars there then, too...) and bought a beer. He was in his Military Academy uniform, and the bartender probably assumed that he was a soldier...

So my dad had his first beer in Buckhead.

True to his nature, we drove down to Buckhead one day... probably around 1995 or so... and he was able to show me the exact place that they were parked, as well as the bar where he got the beer. It wasn't a bar then, and now it doesn't even exist as a building, but we found an old picture... and he was right on point.

Oddly, my dad was never really a beer drinker. He joked that if he'd bought a 6-pack at that time, it might have been a lifetime supply.

I'd love to hear from you...

So, A Real Estate Blog Should Be About Real Estate, Huh?

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 15:17:01 -0700

But what about social networking?

A few days ago I posted that (in my humble opinion) real estate blogs should be about real estate... not movie reviews, restaurant reviews, not recipes... Real estate. That is what the audience is tuning in for, give them what they want. I gave a few examples of what I see from my traffic patterns, and generally tried to support my opinion.

But, real estate agents that are marketing online (should) have a LOT more channels aside from their real estate blog. And I DO believe that there is a place in some of those other channels for items with less focus. First, let's run down a few options:

YouTube
Posterous
Twitter
FaceBook (Business) Page
Delicious (Link sharing)
Flickr (Photo Sharing)
FourSquare (Location Sharing)
Community Websites
More...

With the exception of the community websites, EVERY one of those items listed is FREE. Community websites might be free, might cost a few bucks a year, or might cost as much as $100 (if you have to have someone set it up). But there is something that they ALL have in common, too. They can all be support systems for your real estate website. And they can all send links to your real estate website... they are all outposts, providing information and hopefully send a few people trotting off to visit your cyber-office. A community website is the absolute toughest to get going... and has the most reward if you get it right.

Video is hot. You should have video of testimonials, communities, local events, YOU and likely a plethora of other things. Host them on YouTube, embed them on your site (the ones that belong) and let them pull in a little traffic. Flickr is much the same... but with pictures instead of video.

Posterous is COOL. It is a great way to get some of the content to the other sites... and also share news and tidbits about things that are happening in the community. Grab an RSS feed from your Posterous site and let it run on the sidebar of your blog. Pull in calendar entries from local events, interviews with local politicians or business-people, news items, reviews or local places, etc. Don't make it the focus of your website... let it stand on its own, while contributing a little to your website. Better yet, make it community specific, and find people in the community that want to load THEIR content onto it. Be the publisher...

A great source of news is Twitter. I have come to see Twitter as "broadcast media" rather than as person to person social networking. Some will disagree, but I look at Twitter the same way as I look at the "newswire services". Filter it down to what is important, and then share that in a news feed on your site. It isn't terribly difficult in a geographic specialty... but a bit tougher with a lifestyle specialty.

Delicious is a link sharing site. Instead of having a giant blogroll of all of the people you might know, share the links through Delicious... they can be tagged and categorized to make finding resources easier for your reader. Again, publish a feed to your sidebar.

On FourSquare, do those reviews (in the "Tips" section of the location). Have a great profile and point it back to your website. If there is someone out there that will buy a house from you based on your incredible writing about an ice cream cone... they can still find you.

FaceBook could be 20 posts all by itself. But, the basic idea is to make a Page about a community and then get the community to give it life. You should be there to nurture it, cull out the junk (and competitors) and keep it moving along. Talk about the parks, restaurants, movies, local parades and a zillion other things. Let it be a virtual Town Square where people can gather at 4am in their underwear without being laughed at (nobody has to know).

The bottom line is that there IS a place for all of that other content we want to use to show everyone how connected we are to the community. It just might not be the main real estate website.

What do YOU think?

HOW TO: Create a Foursquare Page for Your Nonprofit (nonprofitorgs.wordpress.com)
Neybor Introduces New Lead Generation and Conversion Solution at Inman Connect Real Estate Conference (prweb.com)
Foursquare: More Than Fun & Games, A Potent Local Search Tool (searchengineland.com)
Groupon & Foursquare Partner Up for Real-Time Deals (blogworld.com)
8 Tips to Creating a Branded Foursquare Page (socialmediaexplorer.com)
Atlanta Real Estate Forum Celebrates Fourth Anniversary (prweb.com)
Real Estate Internet Marketing Expert Launches New Twitter Marketing Blueprint (prweb.com)

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I'm Going to Post RE Blogging Heresey...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 21:14:43 -0700

Image via Wikipedia

I have been blogging about real estate since 2008... so over three years. I can say proudly that I have a few thousand posts. Of those, there are a lot that were NOT about real estate, but that appeared on my real estate blog. Some were about cars (I just started a car blog JUST for those posts). Others were about local news. Still others were about local businesses, entertainment venues, parks and recreational opportunities.

As long as I have been blogging, the mantra has been to "Be the source of information about EVERYTHING in the community".

But after years of blogging, and looking over my blog posts and traffic patterns... I'm not so convinced any more. I see where my traffic is coming from, and I see which posts are the popular entry (and exit) posts. BUT, I also talk to the people that call, email or contact me in other ways... and I ask them what made them make the call.

Let me make a few points...

Almost without exception, my most read posts are NOT real estate related in any way.
My most read posts are NOT about local issues, businesses, personalities or events.
The post types that causes the most direct contact from consumers are market reports.
I've NEVER had someone say they wanted to work with me because of a review of a local business.
Most of my local name recognition has come from local event and local issue posts... but I can't say one has ever brought me business.

Keep in mind, this is specifically about real estate blogging...

Here are the take-aways that I see from the above points.

A real estate blog needs to be focused on real estate. There is plenty of room for reviews, lists of area attractions and other local interest items, but they should not be the focus of the blog.
Hyper-local news DOES belong on a good real estate website. It shouldn't be the focus, and even a "curatorial" style might be enough (rolling links to a variety of hyper-local news stories, for example... like a Twitter based local news feed).
Market Reports are one of THE most important things to have on a real estate website. Consumers want to understand the real estate market, whether they are buying or selling.
Market Stats are nice... but people want interpretation of the stats. They want to know your professional opinion is about the direction of the market... up or down.
Community profiles are VERY in demand. Buyers want to know about the communities and the schools that they are considering. They might like to know about the history, school performance and local culture... but they REALLY want to know about prices, styles and economic outlook. All of those items belong in the community profile, but some might be links to specialty sites, like GreatSchools.net or sections of a city's website.
Daily updates are overkill... but a good real estate blog needs to have depth. After you have 40 or 50 solid posts, posting up 2-3 times a week might work... assuming that will cover the areas you need to cover.
Helping real estate "Do-It-Yourselfers" is good business. Give them your best tips for promoting their property, warn them of the most common pitfalls they may face (Fair Housing laws, for example) and give them the steps for a smooth transaction. But don't talk down to them.

Is this a sure-fire path to success? No. But it might help. Don't forget, though... it's just my opinion. Look for a related post coming up about Social Networking.

Lane's Newest Toy... CCotD (gwinnettgarageguy.com)

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****Post-script... I just added the next part of this series to Active Rain. I had it up on LaneBailey.info yesterday (for those that wanted to jump ahead...). Here is a link.

I'd love to hear from you...

Lane's Newest Toy... CCotD

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 23:43:12 -0700

It is NO secret around here that I am a Car Guy. I guess that would be why I am THE Garage Guy, too. For the last 4+ years one thing I have had NO problem being transparent about is my love of things automotive. Here on this blog, as well as my blog, LaneBailey.com, and my website, GarageHomesUSA.com, I have written numerous posts about cars, garages and cool tools.

Recently, I started a blog solely targeted to other car lovers. It is called CoolCaroftheDay.com. And because I seem to be a glutton for punishment, I also created a network of supporting sites:

Cool Car of the Day on FaceBook
Cool Car of the Day on YouTube
Cool Car of the Day on Twitter
CoolCaroftheDay.mobi on Posterous

Blogging here on Active Rain and meeting so many influential and successful bloggers has taught me a LOT about creating content and delivering it. I've tried to take some of that knowledge in a new direction.

I still enjoy blogging about real estate... but I have also written around 2000 posts. I have 1780 posts here in the Rain, and there are around 1600 on LaneBailey.com... there is certainly a lot of crossover between my blogs. I am slowing down a bit on real estate. I have trimmed back from 7 days a week on LaneBailey.com down to 3 days a week.

The new blog has been up around a month. There have already been some really cool cars... and there are more coming.

Road Atlanta preview

I'd love for you to check it out...

I'd love to hear from you...

The Gwinnett County Market is a Little Weird Right Now...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 20:16:41 -0700

Image by lane.bailey via Flickr

I have been pulling Gwinnett County Real Estate Market Data, and I'm not done with it yet. But, I have been seeing a few things.

Listings are down markedly from where they would normally be. This can be either a positive or negative, depending on your outlook.
- On the Plus Side, fewer listings means that Absorption Rates are better. There is less inventory to get sold... it tilts the table back toward sellers. It has been largely tilted toward buyers for quite a while.
- On the Minus Side, it shows that there is pessimism in the market on the side of sellers. They aren't confident about the market. That lack of confidence has carried over to buyers... sales are also slowing.
Sales are down... like I just mentioned. Even though Absorption Rates make the market look better... the sales just aren't there.
Results are mixed. There are a few cities that are doing well... and there are a few price segments that are doing quite well. Others are VERY weak.

Norcross, GA, Market Report, April 2011 (lanebailey.com)
Buford, GA, Market Report, April 2011 (lanebailey.com)
Lawrenceville, GA Market Report, April 2011 (lanebailey.com)
Sugar Hill, GA, Market Report, April 2011 (lanebailey.com)
Let's take a break from Market Reports in Gwinnett County, GA (lanebailey.com)

from LaneBailey.com

I'd love to hear from you...

Wayback Wednesday... Car Show THIS Weekend...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) — Thu, 05 May 2011 00:33:46 -0700

Image by lane.bailey via Flickr

Kind of odd that for a "Wayback" post I would talk about an upcoming car show... But the show happens around the first Saturday in May each year... and so THIS Saturday is the day.

Smokerise Baptist Church is having their 11th Annual Smokerise Car Show on Saturday from 9am until 3pm. Registration runs from 9am until Noon... so there might be a few cars that don't show up until late. Judging runs from Noon until 3pm.

And check out this link for pictures from last year's show. There were some pretty cool rides on hand... and that was with showers threatening all day.

BTW, the other car show mentioned in that post, Mud4Blood, will be on May 28th. That one promises to rock, too...

I'd love to hear from you...

Dear Builder... I've NEVER heard...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) — Tue, 03 May 2011 21:55:24 -0700

Image via Wikipedia

Dear Builder,

I've NEVER had a buyer client tell me that they thought the garage was too big. Granted, most of my buyers are "car people", so the deck is a bit stacked, but not all of them are. In fact, I've had clients with little interest in cars... and they still wanted a garage that was just a little bigger.

You see, lots of people use their garages for a lot of different things. Many of my clients like to build cars or weld something back together in their garage, but others just want to be able to fit two cars and their riding lawnmower. Some people might want to move the cars out and build a nice piece of furniture. Others need a place to store their camping equipment while they are back in civilization.

Of course, square footage is valuable, especially as margins are squeezed, but homes with more generous garages might also sell a bit quicker. And that helps the margin, too. Turning over inventory faster lowers carrying costs. And while we're at it, can we have a couple more outlets in the garage? I've seen too many garages lately that only had one outlet (aside from the one for the garage door opener). One. Even my 40 year old house has four outlets...

Photo Friday... What are YOUR Garage Needs? (lanebailey.com)
Wayback Wednesday... The Builder Forgot to Add ___ (lanebailey.com)
Wayback Wednesday... Make YOUR Garage Cool... (lanebailey.com)
Some Cool Garage Homes in Gwinnett County, GA (lanebailey.com)

I'd love to hear from you...

$34M for a Royal Wedding? What Does That Get in Gwinnett County GA?

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) — Mon, 02 May 2011 22:13:35 -0700

Cover of Royal Wedding

Are you "Royal Wedding"ed out yet? Honestly, I was a bit over it a week ago. I appreciate the historic significance of the event, but knowing what type of diapers Kate and William wore as infants and interviews with people that saw them in the hallways at grade school is a little much.

And then I heard that the estimated cost of the event was between $34M and $60M (British Tax Payers shelled out about $30M for security in addition to the cost of the nuptials...). And I got to wondering...

What kind of Real Estate would $34M buy in Gwinnett County, GA?

Honestly, that would be a REALLY generous budget around here. The most expensive house listed in the county right now is "only" $6,750,000. It is lovely 8 bedroom, 10 full/2 half bathroom home in the Sugarloaf Country Club (and it you want to buy it, I would be GLAD to help you out... Proof of Funds are required for showings).

There would even be a nice chunk of change left over to buy a warehouse to keep the toys in... and there would be a pretty nice toy budget in there, as well.

What about a nice lake house on Lake Lanier?

Well... I happen to know of one. it is a mere $4,500,000 and has 5 bedrooms, 5 full baths and 2 half baths. There is also a 6 car garage and just over 6 acres of grounds... with 750 feet of lake frontage. Lake Lanier is just north of the Atlanta Metro area, between Gainesville and Cumming, GA. It borders Gwinnett, Hall and Dawson Counties.

There are some homes in Buckhead and a few other areas around here where there are homes between $10M and $20M... but these are pretty interesting homes. And $34,000,000 is a LOT of money. In fact, ALL of the homes sold in Lilburn, GA, during the 1st Quarter of 2011 totaled up to about $16,800,000. That is a lot of coin...

I'd love to hear from you...

53 Cool Concept Cars... Part L...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 22:52:37 -0700

I have been busy over on my other blog, plugging away writing 6 posts a week... And I have been working on this series for about a year. There are only 3 more to go (L = Roman Numeral 50). Come on over and see what I'm up to over there...

Image via Wikipedia

I previously wrote about a diesel-electric RV... and the natural extension from that would be a diesel-electric semi. After all, it is the power supply of trains.

Yep... diesel powered trains are actually hybrids, and they always have been. The diesel engine powers a generator producing electricity. At the axles, there are electric motors that provide the actual motive power. The advantage is that the diesel engine can be tuned to run under a more specific RPM range... basically tuned for maximum efficiency. Instead of the engine speeding up and slowing down with the speed of the truck, it only needs to react to the needs of the generator.

In the case of a semi, they already weigh a lot. So, the addition of some battery packs wouldn't have as much of an impact. And since the size (and weight) of the engine could be reduced, the generator package shouldn't add that much weight either.

It sure would be an interesting hybrid. And since tractor-trailers spend all of their time on the road, often running well over a million miles, they should be able to actually pay back the increased cost of the hybrid system. (Just guessing about that...)

It would be pretty cool, though.

53 Cool Concepts... Part IL (lanebailey.com)

I'd love to hear from you...

Wayback Wednesday... Property Tax Valuations...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 22:23:53 -0700

Image by epSos.de via Flickr

It's that time again. Last week we got our tax valuation reassessed. For us, it wasn't a bad thing and honestly, it hasn't been for the folks I have talked with. Let me qualify that... for the amount of tax we pay, it wasn't a bad thing.

Two years ago, Gwinnett County re-assessed our home. The jacked us up by about 12%, even though there was NO justification in the comps. They got away with it because it wasn't worth the fight for us to carry on. We disputed it a couple of levels, but eventually dropped it.

Oddly, this was almost exactly two months after the State of Georgia passed a law requiring the counties to consider foreclosures and short sales in the valuation process. I think it might have been their "last hurrah" before having the valuations that were based in reality.

As mentioned, we got our valuation last week. And it went down... way down. in fact, it dropped by more than twice as much as it went up... we were down over 25%. Good news for the house payment. Bad news for the value of our house. Bad news for Gwinnett county... the budget is not going to be happy with all of these lower valuations.

Wayback Wednesday... The Lilburn CID (lanebailey.com)
Wayback Wednesday... Let's Freak Out Some Counties! (gwinnettgarageguy.com)

I'd love to hear from you...

Yeah... I've been kind of absent lately...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 21:02:55 -0700

But don't worry, everything is fine. I've been blogging on my regular site, LaneBailey.com... and sometimes on LaneBailey.info, which is more about social media. I just haven't had much time to spend here commenting or posting special content for my A|R Blog. I'm going to change that a bit... I'll bring some of my content from the other sites, as well as some specific content for here... Obviously, the points aren't my main concern anymore.

There are a lot of things going on... Social Media Breakfast Atlanta (not getting as much of my time as I think it needs), reBarCamp Atlanta, my Junior Achievement volunteer time (and check out the kids in those links...), Cub Scouts (I'm a Den Leader and active in Pack Leadership), building a Jeep from the ground up and life... oh, and selling some real estate.

One of the things that has pulled me back to post on Active Rain is the incredible community. I have had calls from several folks I "know" through the site. Some that I have never met, and others that I likely wouldn't have met had it not been for AR. It is great to know that I am part of such a wonderful community. And it is even better to know that others have noticed my absence and even taken a moment to worry about me.

I'm fine... And thank you. Thank you very much.

BTW, I am working on a couple of other projects which may find their way onto Active Rain in the not too distant future, but I can't release any details on those yet.

And for those coming ot REtechSouth at the end of March, I will be there. I'm going to be hanging out and enjoying the opportunity to learn some new skills and reconnect with some of my Active Rain peeps... I hardly get to see some folks.

I also my be involved with Xplode - Destin, FL, which is part of a series of real estate technology events outside of the Atlanta market. I'll have to see what happens with that... but Matt Fagioli and I are talking.

Geez... I almost forgot that my 4wd club is hosting a blood drive at the end of May. We want YOUR blood. We want to retake the #1 spot for 1 day blood drives with LifeSouth. We were #1 for a couple of years, and then got kicked all of the way to #3. Our little 40 member family club had to take a back seat to a 2,000 member church congregation and a 1500 member alumni group. We want our title back... ;^ )

Life is busy, but I haven't forgotten about my Active Rain friends, and I will spend a bit more time here.

I'd love to hear from you...

53 Cool Concepts... Part XLII

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 22:28:52 -0800

It is a time honored tradition among car companies... and it makes a lot of financial sense. Build cars with similar components. If they can dive into the parts bin instead of designing a new piece from the ground up, they can save a lot of money. Everything from floor architecture to minor switchgear may be shared among cars.

Image via Wikipedia

A great example of this is with Chrysler. The Charger, Magnum, 300 and Challenger all have the same underpinnings... suspensions, brakes, steering... and also (with a few exceptions) the same engine and transmission offerings. In the case of the Charger, Magnum and 300, the front clips could be interchanged... although it wasn't a direct bolt-up.

And then there are cases like the Toyota MR2, where a common front wheel drive powertrain was relocated behind the driver to build a mid-engine, rear wheel drive car.

So... what can we do with that?

Ford has the Taurus SHO. It is a higher powered version of a reasonably boring, but competent car. There aren't that many front wheel drive 365hp powerplants floating around.

Image via Wikipedia

Twenty years ago, Ford took the SHO powerplant and transplanted it into a Fiesta... the result was the SHOgun. Nasty powerful and incredibly twitchy. A wolf in econobox clothing.

What they really need to do is make a Ford GT for the rest of us. Perhaps a 2 seat, mid engine car, maybe weighing under 2400lbs. Back it up with a 6 or 7 speed transmission and a limited slip differential. I would bet that it could stretch 30+mpg on the highway. The Taurus weighs in at almost 4400lbs. Dropping a ton and reducing the frontal area would rock the mileage, even with a sporty tune. The Taurus SHO is rated for 25mpg on the highway. The SHO kicks out around a 5.5sec 0-60 time and a 13sec 1/4 mile. I would expect that a 2400lb mid-engine car with good traction could drop that time under 4sec for the 0-60 and 11.5sec for the 1/4.

Fun...

2013 Ford Taurus SHO To Get Horsepower Bump? (ridelust.com)
53 Cool Concepts... Part XXXII... (lanebailey.com)
53 Cool Concepts... Part XXVIII (lanebailey.com)
53 Cool Concept Cars... Part XXXVIII (lanebailey.com)

Cool Concept Cars on LaneBailey.com

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Photo Friday... This Little Piggy Went to Market

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 21:00:51 -0800

Looking over the wares

Last summer, Lilburn, GA, began a weekly Farmer's Market every Friday from 4-8pm. Booths were set up on Railroad Ave., next the the Police Station and City Park. We made it out a few times with the kids to pick up some fresh treats... and see some neighbors. One of the things that makes Lilburn seem like a small town is that we run into our childrens' schoolmates, fellow Cub Scout Parents, our neighbors and other folks we know in the community... seemingly everywhere.

It looks like the Lilburn Farmer's Market will be back again this year. It should be starting around June 3rd. That is just me guessing, though...

If you'd like to live in a community like this, I'd love to help you find the perfect home for you. We have great people, great schools, and excellent access to all that the Atlanta area has to offer.

Lilburn, GA Market Report, December 2010 (gwinnettgarageguy.com)
Flashback Friday... Where in the World is Lilburn? (gwinnettgarageguy.com)
Photo Friday... Where in the World? (gwinnettgarageguy.com)

Lilburn Happenings on LaneBailey.com

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Local? Hyper-Local? National? What IS the Market?

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 22:39:09 -0800

I love watching the news... but when they talk about the real estate market, I cringe. I like to hear the national numbers, but I also know that they are just a framework for a smaller discussion. Yep... a smaller discussion.

It matters what the overall market is doing, but it's not nearly as important as what is happening in your neighborhood. It matters what is happening in Georgia, and the Atlanta Metro market, but not nearly as much as what is happening in your specific city. Real estate prices and demand react to specific local issues much more than to national trends. In fact, the national trend is just a compilation of local and hyper-local trends. What the national market does is create a headwind or a tailwind. That's about it.

Here locally, we look at things like...

changing employment statistics
companies relocating into or out of the area
school performance and trends
tax burdens
quality of local governmental services
proximity to recreation and entertainment
ease of movement (commuting, shopping, etc)

As we see these things change, we see the market move in one direction or another. A prime example at the moment is the City of Atlanta schools issue. It is possible that the Atlanta City Schools could lose their accreditation. If that were to happen, it would drive down the price of most of the homes served by those schools. The price would be driven down because there would be a lack of demand on the part of buyers, combined with an increase in supply as sellers seek to move to districts without the same problems.

Gwinnett County has one of the lowest unemployment rates in Georgia, below the national average. But there is also a tremendous overhead of foreclosure action. We also have one of the highest performance school systems in the region... and reasonably low tax rates.

The market in Miami or Las Vegas doesn't have an effect on what is happening in Georiga, much less what is going on with real estate in Gwinnett County.

Explaining Market Reports on LaneBailey.com

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