I always thought that the much quoted line in the Declaration of Independence, that we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights such as "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" actually meant the same thing to everyone who read it.

I always thought "Liberty and the pursuit of happiness" meant that you, as an individual, were free to do anything that you wanted as long as you didn't infringe on the rights of others to do the same thing.  My understanding is that we formed a government in order to protect those individual rights for us.

But it's shocking to find out that some "conservatives" have a different understanding.  Here's what a Republican candidate for president has to say on the topic.

"The pursuit of happiness and personal pleasure is harming America."

"One of the criticisms I make is to what I refer to as more of a Libertarianish right.

They have this idea that people should be left alone, be able to do whatever they want to do, government should keep our taxes down and keep our regulations low, that we shouldn't get involved in the bedroom, we shouldn't get involved in cultural issues.

That is not how traditional conservatives view the world.

There is no such society that I am aware of, where we've had radical individualism and that it succeeds as a culture."

This is what Rick Santorum actually said on multiple occasions.  He said it several years ago and he has said it very recently.  It seems to be his core belief.

He says that the pursuit of happiness is harming America.  He says that the kind of freedom that our founders envisioned wasn't to be able to do whatever I want to do as long as no one gets hurt.  Instead, it's a freedom to be responsible to do what is good for society and the common good.  I suppose that  Rick Santorum and other smart people in government know what that common good is.  They seem to want to use the force of government to make us be "free" to do those good and responsible things. 

What does "Liberty and the pursuit of happiness" mean to you?  Do we as individuals decide what's best for us or do we allow the government to use it's force to make us do what's best for us and society?    This is a core question that each of us needs to answer because it determines what road we go down.

Presidential elections are very important.  They set the agenda and the philosophy of government.  Here are some quotes that I love that I found from Jefferson.  He's the guy who actually wrote the Declaration of Independence.  Read these quotes and then watch the videos of Rick Santorum's interrpretation of liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  There's a big difference.

Jefferson's own definition of happiness:

"Happiness is not being pained in body or troubled in mind."

He also said that:

"I believe that every human mind feels pelasure in doing good to another."

Then goes on to say:

"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."

Here's his definition of liberty:

"Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual."

Can we trust ourselves to govern ourselves?:

Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. Can he, then be trusted with the government of others? Or have we found angels in the form of kings to govern him? Let history answer this question.

I like a good deal and Publix has a really good deal this week.  Hopefully the Publix in your area is running it too.

Just buy $25 in groceries and you can buy a $50 gas card for only $40.

Think about that.  That's 20% off gasoline.  If you are paying $3.49/gal that means that it would be $2.79/gal.

They ran this special a few months ago and I tried it out to see if there were any catches.  It was really simple and easy to take advantage of.

I'm going to use this along with the specials they have this week.  I like Fiber One cereal or Raisin Bran.  They are having specials on both. Fiber One is only $2.50/box instead of the normal $4.39.  Raisin Bran is Buy One get One Free.  So if I buy ten boxes of Fiber One for $25 I'll save $10 on gasoline.  That makes each box of cereal only $1.50.  That's a pretty good deal. 

So check out the specials this week and use them in conjuction with the gas card deal.

I think I might actually buy a year's supply of cereal and get as many $10 off gas cards as possible.  It's not as if I won't need to buy gas throughout the year.

On Thursday morning CBS News had a story about the Republican Primaries from New Hampshire.

You can watch the whole video below.  But this screen shot says it all.  There's a candidate that they didn't include in the results of a poll that they showed.  This candidate was in 2nd place in this poll with 14%.  This candidate came in a strong third in Iowa with 22% of the vote vs. 25% for the two winners.

Watch the complete 3 minute news report.  They do not mention this candidate's name nor show any picture of him.  But they do show some video of Rick Perry who is not campaigning in New Hampshire and they do show some video of Michelle Bachmann who dropped out of the race the previous day.

It's not like this guy isn't attracting huge crowds in New Hampshire.  Here are two events that he had there.  That's a lot of people. It would be hard not to notice such large crowds.

So it makes you ask the question.  Are they incompetent or do they have an agenda and want to try to do what they can to keep this candidate from succeeding?  Remember, in the last debate that CBS hosted, they let this guy speak for all of 89 seconds during the entire 2 hour debate.  Is there a pattern here? 

The bottom line is, what else aren't they telling us?  Keep that in mind everytime you watch these "legitimate" news organizations. 

P.S.  CBS isn't alone.  Here is a post I did about ABC News distorting the news about an event this guy did.  My mission is to keep track of these stories in order to expose the lies and distortions that they put out.  Once enough people become aware of this stuff, maybe they might feel compelled to give us the truth.

I spent the day yesterday with an investor couple who are looking to buy a few more investment homes.  They like buying $70,000 homes that take about $5000 to clean up and then rent out for over $1000/month. They have been successful with a few that they bought earlier this year and are ready to pick up a few more.

They picked out 22 homes from the daily updates that I set up for them to receive.  The day before I set up the tour with calls to the agents or the sellers.

The homes were spread out quite a bit, from Sugar Hill to Lawrenceville on down to Snellville.  We traveled a total of 65 miles.

I met them at the first one up in Sugar Hill, then they followed me to the second one in Lawrenceville where we parked their car and all went in my car from there on.

Many of the homes were either short sales or foreclosures.  Unfortunatley, many of the foreclosure homes didn't have good pictures.  It was amazing on a few.  They were really torn up and a mess but not a word or picture saying how bad the condition was. 

I took note of the time and milage just to give you an idea of what is possible when you are organized.  I didn't tell the buyers that we were on any kind of schedule.  I wanted them to take the time that they needed.  If we didn't hit some horrible traffic between #18 and #20 we would have completed the tour within my standard time frame of allowing 15 minutes per home.  Instead, we averaged 15.6 minutes per home.  Not too bad considering that the homes were spread out quite a bit.

This is just another example of how my 12-12-3 system  works.  That's where I recommend that a buyer see 12 homes in 3 hours two days in a row and then make offers on their top 3 picks. 

 This morning they emailed me their t op 4 choices.  I sent them the comps for each and how much the rents are for those neighborhoods.  We'll make offers and see which ones we end up with.

I just updated my Atlanta Market Stats with the latest data from November.

Prices have continued down but volume has formed a noticable upward trend. 

Below is my 12 month weighted moving average for single family detached homes for the entire FMLS area.  We clearly are experiencing a double dip in prices.   Which means that we must be nearing the bottom.  The pick up in volume seems to indicate that buyers are taking advantage of the low prices.  Volume is back to where is was in 2003 while prices are back to where they were pre-2000. 

Unfortunately, market stats are always looking at what has happened in the past.  These numbers are already almost a month old.  Case-Shiller stats are 3-4 months old when they come out.  By the time you see the charts turning upwards, you will have missed the bottom. 

For the above chart above to turn up, we'll need to have prices be above $190,000 for about 6 months in a row.  November's average price was $165,000.  The point is that if you are waiting for that chart to turn up before you buy, by that time current prices will already be quite higher than they are right now.

Life's a gamble and anything can happen.  But it looks like we are well into the double dip.  I haven't heard any talk of a triple dip so it just might mean that we are near the bottom.  If you lock into a 30 year sub 4% loan at these prices I think the downside risk is getting to be very small. 

Real estate is very local so this overall picture of the Atlanta market might not represent what's going on all over the Atlanta area.  Go to my main website where I have more charts for 37 specific market areas around Atlanta.  There are also Absorbtion stats for all of the areas showing sales in the different price ranges.  Some areas might have a 1 month supply of inventory under $100,000 but might have a 24 month supply of inventory above $1 million.

This post isn't about politics.  It's about being able to trust what you read in the main stream media.  

ABC News is regarded as a very respectable news agency.  I want you to read the story below.  See what kind of picture it gives you.  Fortunately, CSPAN was there taping the event that was reported on.  To save time, just start watching the video at the 25:40 mark.

CSPAN filmed the whole event.  They don't do editing so you can see the whole scene from start to finish. 

Did this ABC reporter attend the same event? Think about this next time you read the news or watch it on TV.

ABC report:  Ron Paul Attacked for Views on Health Care.

Ron Paul’s views on health care came under fire tonight at a campaign stop in New Hampshire, where his position on eliminating Medicaid was met with open hostility from the audience.

Paul has called for the eventual elimination of Medicare and Medicaid and has suggested that charity hospitals should pick up the slack for the uninsured. That view got one woman in Manchester up in arms.

“Thirty three percent of the children in the U.S. are on Medicaid and another 10 percent are uninsured,” the woman said. “You have offered charity by doctors as a solution to this. Do you really think that 43 percent of America’s children will be taken care of by charity?”

Paul said that his current budget preserves the program, but it would eventually be phased out because of the unsustainable cost. Paul added that when he worked in a charity hospital in the 1960s nobody was turned away.

“I really want to promote these medical savings accounts so people can put their money aside and get it off their taxes, and buy their own insurance and pay cash to their doctors,” Paul said.

As the congressman was finishing his answer, another woman in the audience shouted, “What about the 43 percent?”

Paul, seemingly taken off guard, shot back, “You mean when? Right now?”

“I described this transition,” Paul responded over the voice of the woman.

“Why not look at how the country looked before 1965. Maybe it wouldn’t cost so much,” Paul said.

Paul’s voice then picked up as he stared at the woman and acknowledged that his own plans may seem “cold hearted,” but he is ultimately trying to save the country from financial ruin.

Now watch the CSPAN video .  You can start at the 25:40 mark.  Does the reporting reflect what really happened?  How do they distort other events? 

I'm sure you've heard of 9-9-9.  Herman Cain's catchy name for his tax proposal.

It inspired me to come up with a catchy name for what I've been doing for the 12 years I've been a buyer's agent.

I call my system the "12-12-3 Buyer Plan"

Quite simply, I want you to see 12 homes in three hours on day one. Then see another 12 homes in three hours on day 2. Then make 3 offers on your top three at the same time and let the sellers compete for your business.

It's Bold.  It allows you to be Decisive. It brings Clarity to your decision.

You might start with a pool of maybe 50 possible homes.  But through satellite views and pictures you can narrow it down to 24 homes.  Send me your list and we'll set up two efficient home tours where we'll see 12 homes in three hours on day one and then see the other 12 homes in three hours on day 2.  At ten minutes per home and a 5 minute travel time between homes, you can easily see 4 homes per hour which translates into 12 homes in 3 hours.  Some homes will be eliminated in just 2 minutes, some will require 15 minutes.  During our transit from one home to the next we'll talk through the pros and cons and rank it compared to the others we have seen. If needed, we'll go back to see your top three at the end of day two.

Don't kid yourself.  Pictures help a lot but they don't provide some important details that might be key to your decision.  You have to go see the homes in person. 

• Pictures don't tell you how moldy the basement smells.
• Pictures don't tell you how much privacy you have on the deck
• Pictures don't tell you how dark and dreary it might be in the middle of the day
• Pictures don't tell you the size of the garage
• Pictures don't tell you the details of the floor plan
• Pictures don't tell you the size of the rooms

When in doubt, let's just put it on the list and let's go see it.  If it's not "The One", we'll just turn right around and move on to the next.  It's not a big deal.

Also, don't rely on the tax records for accurate square feet numbers.  I've seen many times where the size is way off.

I suggest you make three offers at the same time for a few reasons.

• You don't want your #2 and #3 choices to be gone if your #1 choice doesn't work out.
• It might make the sellers more motivated to get to their bottom line quicker
• It positions you as someone who knows the market and has other options
• It's an easy way to find out who's most negotiable in the shortest amount of time

The quickest and most direct way to find out who is most negotiable is to put an offer in front of them and see how they counter.  Then, the best way to see if that is really their bottom line is to be ready to walk away.  Having three legitimate possibilities puts you in the driver's seat.

Maybe the first home that we see will actually  be "The One".  But do you want to be second guessing yourself forever?  There's really no harm is playing it out and seeing the other 23 homes.  If nothing else, you'll feel more confident that you are making the right choice.  You'll be more educated on the market.  We're only talking about spending 6 hours looking at homes. 

Some agents will say that I'm crazy.  They'll say that they are trained professionals who can listen to your needs and therefore can show you just a few homes that are right for you.  I've worked with hundreds of buyers and I just don't see it happening that quickly.  What I see when buyers see just three or four homes before deciding is fear and doubt.  I also talk with buyers who are moving up to their second home who say that they wish they would have seen more homes in order to get what they really wanted.  Instead, they were rushed and made a poor buying decision.

Maybe even after seeing 24 homes we still won't find "The One".  No problem.  We'll set up a listing alert for new listings coming on the market.  You'll already have done your homework and probably will realize a good deal when you see it.  Sometimes the screaming deals require you to offer full price, or more.  If a home worth $200,000 comes on the market for $150,000, getting it for $155,000 would still be a really good deal.  But would you be prepared to do that if that was the only home you saw?  I don't think so. So educate yourself on the market and don't put blind faith in your agent.  You are the one who will be living there for a long time so don't let any agent rush you into making a decision.

If you want to work with an agent who isn't afraid to show you as many homes as it takes, an agent who isn't afraid to submit a few extra offers, then give me a call.  I'd love to get started with you.

Since surveys aren't required by lenders anymore, I have difficulty trying to convince buyers of the importance of getting a survey.  It's been especially difficult in the past few years when most surveyors seem to be charging close to $500. 

I'm so excited about finding Brendan Blake of Blake Engineering and Land Surveying.

The quality of the surveys and the quick turnaround times are the real value.  I've seen so many surveys where it's almost impossible for anyone to decipher what they mean.  Brendan has everything spelled out and provides incredible details on the survey. 

He also does rush orders at no additional charge.  That's so important when you are racing to meet due diligence deadlines.

Brendan specializes in residentlal properties but also is well qualified to do large commcial projects such as sites for WalMarts and such.

I did a quick interview with Brendan in order to give you a quick personal introduction and let him speak for himself.

Don't let your buyers not do a survey.  At only $325, there's no reason not to.

"What city or county around Atlanta has the lowest property tax?"

I get that question asked a lot.  Unfortunately, the answer isn't clear cut. 

It all depends on your indvidual situation.  You can't just look at who has the lowest millage rate.

What's the price of the home?   Some counties have high homestead exemptions.  A high homestead exemption makes a much bigger difference on a $100,000 home as opposed to a $1,000,000 home. 

How old are you?  Some counties such as Cobb and Forsyth exempt seniors from the school tax. That's probably half of the property tax.

In DeKalb County it also depends on how much they take in on their 1% HOST (Homestead optional sales tax).  If it's a good year in sales taxes, the homestead credit is larger. 

Also, things change from year to year.  Fulton County increased the standard homestead exemption from $15,000 to $30,000. That makes a huge difference for properties under $200,000

In order to help people compare property taxes, I created a property tax calculator that compares 6 metro Atlanta counties and about 40 cities in those counties.  Input the price of the home you are buying and click a button to get estimated property taxes around Atlanta.  The code doesn't work here on the ActiveRain platform so go to my website and try it out. 

Atlanta Property Tax Calculator

I sourced the millage rates and homestead exemptions for each city or county  and have links leading back to those sources so you can verify the numbers for yourself.  The calculator gives you two results.  One with the basic homestead exemption and the other without the homestead exemption. 

Maybe you qualify for additional exemptions.   I have links going to all of the sources so you can see if you qualify for higher homestead exemptions.  Then, click on the particular city link on my calculator and you'll go to a page where I have an interactive spreadsheet for that particular city so that you can play around with the numbers yourself.

Yes, I know it's crazy how much time and energy I spent on gathering and organizing all of this information.  But now when a buyer asks me about how much the property taxes should be on a home, I can be confident in my answer.

Here is a snapshot of the results for a $350,000 home.

A question I get asked a lot is about how property taxes vary from county to county or city to city.

Does it really make much of a difference if you live in Sandy Springs vs. Atlanta even though both are in Fulton County?

Can I save money by living in East Cobb or Dunwoody?

If you are talking about a normal owner/occupant home, it's not a straight forward issue that can be answered by just comparing millage rates.  The different homestead exemptions that are offered in different localities make the caluculation a little more complex. Homestead exemptions have a larger effect on the lower end of the scale and becomes less of an effect on higher priced homes.  So it really depends on what price range you are looking at.  Then, throw in a varying HOST (Homestead Optional Sales Tax) credit in DeKalb County and it really gets complicated to make comparisons.

But never fear, I have created an online property tax calculator that allows you to compare property taxes in 44 taxing localities around Atlanta.  Just enter the price of a home, and click a button and it will give you the property taxes in 44 different areas.  It calculates the taxes with the standard homestead exemption and also the taxes without a homestead exemption.

Atlanta Property Tax Calculator

For every city or county, I have a page that has an interactive online spreadsheet that I have worked into the calculator.  It also has a real tax bill for comparison purposes so that you can see exactly where the numbers are coming from. 

Dunwoody Property Tax Calculator

Sandy Springs Property Tax Calculator

Cobb County Property Tax Calculator

City of Atlanta Fulton County Property Tax Calculator

To make it easy to quickly compare these four areas, I created a chart that shows you how the taxes vary as the price of the home goes up.

As you can see, up in the million dollar range, the city of Atlanta is more expensive and Cobb County is the lowest.  Sandy Springs and Duwoody are in the middle.

Below is  the same chart but with a close up look at the lower price range.

Here you can see that when you get under around $170,000 the city of Atlanta actually has the lowest taxes.  This is where you see the large $30,000 homestead exemption come into play.  In the city of Atlanta, the $30,000 homestead exemption is also used against the school tax portion of the tax bill where as it isn't in Sandy Springs.