homes in stockbridge: The Super Bowl and Stockbridge Real Estate’s Top 7 Parallels - 01/31/18 06:17 AM
Readers who check in here regularly know that every once in a while I’m moved to relate Stockbridge real estate matters to various hot issues that are claiming the popular imagination. Such topics used to be called “water cooler talk” (but that was before we all started carrying water bottles around all day). So despite the fact that we may not gather around water coolers anymore, the odds are that the leading topic of conversation won’t be the State of the Union or Stockbridge high school basketball. I’m guessing that (especially as the weekend nears) that other topic will rule.
So, … (2 comments)

homes in stockbridge: CTW in Henry County Proves the Prudence of Buying a Home - 01/29/18 06:13 AM
If you find yourself in a quandary over whether to jump into buying a home now or waiting for a clearer signal that the time is right, there is one method you can use to inject some hard numbers into your decision. It’s called the CTW.
CTW stands for “Cost to Wait.” It attempts to approximate the money saved or lost if buying a home today is postponed until a later date. The most reliable CTW calculations are based on what have proved to be the most accurate projections. For this example, we rely on quasi-governmental mortgage guarantor Freddie Mac for interest … (1 comments)

homes in stockbridge: Selling Your Mcdonough Home: Project Wrangling Tips - 01/25/18 06:31 AM
If you are planning on selling your Mcdonough home—perhaps as early as this spring—you’ve already begun to give thought to getting it in shape for photography and showings. Some of the most obvious projects will be the most important (cleaning and de-cluttering are among those). You might tackle some of the areas that will require deep cleaning early on, but for the most part, those activities can be scheduled closer to launch: the day when your agent posts your Mcdonough listing.
On the other hand, there are some projects you can think about tackling right away. Depending on your own DIY enthusiasm, … (3 comments)

homes in stockbridge: 4 Tips for a More Economical Stockbridge Winter - 12/01/17 05:49 AM
Officially, it may not be winter in Stockbridge yet, but the end of November is more than a signal to turn to the last page in 2017’s calendar. It’s definitely time for Stockbridge residents to secure their domiciles against the mercury drops Mother Nature will be providing sooner or later.
Even in places where a November heat wave makes it hard to focus on the inevitable onslaught of chilly weather, there are some household winter preparation tips that apply equally to all areas of the country. Here are four tips to benefit just about every Stockbridge household:
         Tune … (1 comments)

homes in stockbridge: Stockbridge Mortgage Rates Echo Another 2017 Low - 09/18/17 07:52 AM
A couple of weeks back, the ultimate authority on Stockbridge mortgage rates hadn’t minced words. That was Freddie Mac, whose opinion about mortgage rates constitutes the final say in the matter. Freddie isn’t modest about its preeminence (Freddie’s trademarked corporate slogan is “We make home possible”). Together with sibling Fannie Mae, the quasi-governmental entities stand behind 60% of U.S. mortgages.
Each week their PMMS survey collects data snapshots from thrifts, credit unions, banks, and mortgage lenders to gauge of the direction of the home loan market. Future Stockbridge home hunters and the homeowners whose properties are found in the current listings (or … (0 comments)

homes in stockbridge: 15-Year Mortgage Initiative: Update on the Experiment - 06/29/15 02:54 AM
Henry County home buying activity may be going great guns, but for some would-be buyers, credit score woes are still a stubborn obstacle. That’s why we have been keeping an eye on the new pilot project that was announced late last year. This was the one called the "Wealth Building Home Loan." It’s an experiment aimed at opening up home ownership options, particularly for first time home buyers. Bank of America and Citibank were first to sign up for the program, said to “take a fresh approach to affordable mortgage lending.” It sounds like a pretty good idea!
How It Works
The Wealth Building … (2 comments)

homes in stockbridge: Henry County Mortgage Rules Could Ease — if the Rumors Hold! - 11/09/14 09:16 PM
 The financial press has been on it for a while: in September, Bloomberg News was pointing out that FHA mortgages to borrowers with weaker credit scores had plummeted 19% in the previous nine months. Something, you could sense, was about to give—but, per Bloomberg, “Washington regulators and major banks continue to haggle…”
True, home prices were up, which put a smile on Henry County homeowners’ faces. Yet the number of sales was less than overpowering. In reaction to the housing bust, regulators had tightened the screws on mortgage lenders, causing them to raise requirements for borrowers—Henry County mortgage applicants included. So although the … (0 comments)

homes in stockbridge: A Henry County Property Inspection Shows What You’re Getting Into - 09/22/14 10:27 PM
You’ve successfully located the home that fits your wish list! The listing agent says the home is in “great condition!” Financing is pretty much a done deal! Time to relax!
Er—maybe not just yet.
When you are buying a home, among the scores of thoughts that might be racing through your head (“Is this the best one for the money?” “Will everyone be comfortable in it?” “Will it be enough house over the long haul?”), one you definitely don’t need is “Will this house become a money pit?” 
The home that looks perfect may well be exactly that—but if not, you … (1 comments)