georgia: Time to Sell that Lake House? - 06/19/13 05:07 AM
We had an extended and serious period of drought in Georgia for several years. Oh, some were better than others, but several years we got practically no rain during the winter and spring when we build our water levels up.
The media seems to have forgotten that in the scurry to talk about flood warnings. Anyone in Georgia, especially the northern mountains, can attest to the fact we've had plenty of rain the last couple of years ... our ground is saturated and has been for months!
So, we can sit around and complain about how we are sick of all … (0 comments)

georgia: Granddogs - 06/01/13 05:12 AM
My daughter and her husband decided to get a dog a couple of years ago. Into our lives came "Boone" (named after Boone Hall Plantation in Charleston, where they were married). He is a labradoodle. I'd seen them, and heard the stories of their origination in Australia as assistance dogs, but had never been around one. They are completely unique to any other dog you've ever seen. Extraordinarily smart, docile, hypoallergenic, they don't shed, and their fur feels wonderful! (However, they are pricey.) If anyone is looking for the perfect best friend, I would highly recommend them as the answer.
Last … (0 comments)

georgia: Indy Memories - 05/26/13 05:27 AM
Memorial Day is in many ways one of my favorite holidays. It reminds me of good times. The pools open, and in my home state of Indiana it's usually the first opportunity for warm weather and sunburn. Baseball playoffs for high school teams. The smell of freshly cut grass. And when I still lived in Indiana, it was time to follow the Indy 500 for the entire month of May.
No one draws a parallel between Indiana and Georgia, but when it comes to racing, the only difference is the choice of open wheels or fenders. Instead of modified stocks, there … (0 comments)

georgia: Keep it Real Folks! - 05/25/13 04:55 AM
I heard a story from a client's father yesterday that I thought might prove useful.
He was once trying to buy a home from a seller that was being particularly stubborn on negotiation. The seller's agent had tried logic and reason and patience, but was making no headway. Finally, somewhat out of frustration, she said to the seller, "If you turn down this offer, which is perfectly reasonable, you are effectively buying this house from yourself. The question I ask you is, if you were this buyer, would you be equally generous with your own money in meeting what are your … (40 comments)

georgia: "DAM!" - 05/23/13 05:18 AM
I was reminded this morning when I got my annual assessment for our lake lot about the dark side of maintaining a man-made lake. The dam is in need of repair again.
We have a lot of man-made lakes in Georgia, and while they mostly add to the beauty of the countryside, they can create problems for both the owners of property on the lake, and those down stream from the dam. Trees grow in them and the roots weaken the "system". Critters dig burrows in them and weaken the "system". Just like the dikes in Holland, a small leak can … (3 comments)

georgia: We're Goin' Downtown! - 05/22/13 05:13 AM
Congratulations to the Pope Greyhounds for advancing to the Georgia State Baseball Finals!
http://www.popebaseball.com/Default.asp?snid=dMHJ\3L6_&org=popebaseball.com
Apparently my decision to get my bad luck out of the park was a good one, since they came back from getting drummed in the first game of a best of three series. Starrs Mill was ranked number one in the state, but the Greyhounds were undaunted. I am convinced that being ranked in the top ten is a curse ... but baseball people are notoriously superstitious.
Good luck to Coach Rowland and the team. Bring us another championship!
 
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georgia: Playoff Time! - 05/21/13 06:44 AM
In Georgia, the state high school baseball playoffs are wrapping up. My kids went to Pope High in Cobb County, a real hotbed of baseball talent producing many college and professional players. My son played and my daughter was team manager, so our baseball roots run deep. It's never a matter of whether or not Cobb schools will be in the finals at different classes, but which ones will be there.
This year Pope is in the semifinals against Starr's Mill, another strong baseball program. I hadn't been to a high school game in awhile, so I decided to make the … (1 comments)

georgia: "It's a Rainy Night in Georgia" - 05/20/13 05:11 AM
This is the wettest year I can ever remember in my Georgia lifetime since 1975. We haven't had a week without rain since the new year. Just got through getting five inches over the weekend. A few years ago we had drought, with wells and lakes running dry.
Can't wait until August so we can all complain about the dry weather!
But I didn't start this to complain about the weather.
This year we have a lot of rain, but we always have a lot of trees. It is not unusual for a home here to have 5-10 acres, like we … (1 comments)

georgia: Happy Endings - 05/18/13 05:58 AM
Every now and then, there is a deal that comes my way that makes all the negative in this business seem worthwhile! Anyone who says they enjoy handling foreclosures and short sales has a morbid sense of humor or a masochistic approach to life, in my humble opinion. Most closings lately are fraught with tension, anxiety, acrimony, and all the other things most people try to avoid in life.
Last week I had a closing where I listed a little farm of 40 acres for a couple. He is now 85, but can keep me hustling to keep up with him … (2 comments)

georgia: Be Respectful of Others - 04/28/13 06:19 AM
I have been in this business of opening doors and walking into people's homes for a long time, and I still can't get used to the feeling. I was taught when I was small that you did NOT enter someone's home without permission. Now, I compensate for that by recognizing my job requires me to do that, but it still gives me the creeps to open doors, and pull open cabinets to see the quality of the construction or another legitimate reason.
Another thing I was taught is to return borrowed items in the same or better condition as you received them … (3 comments)

georgia: "Waterfront Property in Valdosta" - 04/26/13 05:24 AM
I'm always referring to the "Waterfront Property" in Valdosta, or better yet in Waycross (Okefenokee Swamp country) as being something that is a total waste of time to pursue ... for anyone! This would also be appropriate for the ski lift next door to the beach. A not so subtle dig at real estate agents guilty of puffery, but also a good description of some buyer's unrealistic goals, like I want to own Clarke Gable's old house, and my budget is $200,000 ... but I guess that would depend on what house and if it was still standing.
I received a … (2 comments)

georgia: The "Protected Period" in Listings - 04/24/13 05:50 AM
Exclusive listing agreements usually contain a "protected period" where a seller is not allowed to sell a listed property directly to a prospective buyer. It's a blank that can be filled it, and I usually enter 360 days.
There are two very important qualifiers to collect commission. One is that the listing agent must prove they were the procuring cause of the sale. Most would expect that. The second part was taught to me differently in school, in that I was told it applied to all buyers. It does not, even if you can prove you were procuring cause.
If you … (3 comments)

georgia: The "A's" Are Coming!!! - 04/19/13 05:15 AM

Tomorrow the Model "A" Car Club will be on hand at Jasper ArtFest from 11 AM to 3 PM. The location is South Main Street, and will be in conjuction with the "Flapjack Run" by the Optimist Club, the Biergarten at the Woodbridge Inn, and the juried art show, which will also run on Sunday from 10 AM to 4 PM. There will be live music both days. Come to the mountains for a little fun! For information go to www.JasperArtFest.org.
… (1 comments)

georgia: Radon - The Story Continues - 04/16/13 04:59 AM
Had a contract on a home around Christmas. Everything went well until the buyers requested a radon test, which turned up barely positive. The buyers freaked out and terminated the contract.
Obviously we had to remediate, even though it was only .1 over the maximum reading, but first we retested to make sure the original readings were accurate. They were, so the remediation was completed.
In the meantime the listing expired, and as sometimes happens, the seller blamed me for the problems and listed with someone else, but promised to honor the origninal listing if the property was purchased by our … (3 comments)

georgia: Jasper ArtFest Next Week - 04/13/13 04:41 AM
If you're looking for something to do in North GA next weekend, check out Jasper ArtFest in Jasper, GA on Saturday and Sunday. Examples of some of the great artwork that will be on display and for sale is included below. Hours are 10 AM to 5 PM Saturday, and 10 AM to 4 PM Sunday. There will be a Plein Air painting competition all day Saturday, with awards given away that evening.

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georgia: There's Only One Market Value! - 03/26/13 05:36 AM
As a listing agent, it's starting to annoy me that some people insist on yammering at me, after I've done tons of market research, that a property isn't worth the asking price. I don't make this stuff up folks!
Market value is not the total price of purchasing and renovating a property to your specifications of "move-in ready". Hopefully, when the home goes on the market, it's ready to be sold and lived in, but whether it needs repairs or not, if someone wants to buy it, that's their decision.
Furthermore, don't accuse me of false advertising when I list a 25 year old … (2 comments)

georgia: Are You Ready to “Move Up”? - 03/23/13 07:07 AM
There is a development in the real estate market that is certainly welcome news for those of us who make a living at it. For several years now, buyers have looked at homes, considered the price, and decided what ridiculous offer they might make. Sometimes that approach even worked, because either the sellers were desperate, or banks were willing to unload their loss and move forward. That scenario is rapidly disappearing.
 
There is a number in real estate circles that has endured all the market changes in time. When you divide the number of homes currently for sale by the … (0 comments)

georgia: Remembering ... - 03/15/13 09:21 AM
While meeting with an appraiser, whom I've done business with for years, we were laughing at the way we used to do business compared to now.
Remember when websites were very cryptic, and were controlled by cyber geeks for exhorbitant amounts of money? I remember it costing me five bucks to add or remove a listing from our site. Looking back on it, it was a really pitiful looking thing that had no tools like we have today. No search engine inside, no links, just pitiful. For a brief period, those people held the gate keys, like the programmers did back … (2 comments)

georgia: Plein Air Paint Out Celebration in Jasper, GA! - 03/14/13 05:14 AM

 
Eligibility •
 
Open to artists 18 years and older
Calendar •
April 19 or 20, 2013 Arrive in Jasper
• April 20, 2013 8:00 a.m. Register at the Sharptop Arts Center.
Blank canvases, boards or papers need to be stamp certified.
• April 20, 2013 Work Delivered back to Sharptop Arts Center by 5:00 pm – Judging at 5:30 pm
• April 21, 2013 Art delivered for exhibition by 10:00 am.
 
Exhibition On Display at the Sharptop Arts Center 68 D.B. Carroll Street
 
• April 21, 2013 pickup artwork at the Sharptop Arts Center 68 D.B. … (0 comments)

georgia: Sick of Suiting the Appraisers - 03/09/13 05:46 AM
Is it just me, or is anyone else sick and tired of appraisers controlling the real estate business? It's really not their fault. They didn't exist until banks saw the need for them to justify loans. If the loan went bad, it's wasn't the bank officer's poor decision that caused it, because he had an "expert" appraisal.
Then the banks started abusing the appraisers, because the government pressured them to make loans. We all know what happened next.
Then the government said that everyone was being mean to the appraisers, and we all know what happened next.
Now the appraisers are … (4 comments)

 

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