Mike's Greater Athens Area Blog and Then Some

Athens - Clarke County, GA Weekly Real Estate Market Report & Stats, 12/6/2009

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:11:44 -0600

In Athens -Clarke County, GA, for the week ending Dec. 6, 2009 the real estate market in Athens, Ga. looks like this:

There are 1539 active listings of which 1264 are residential, 13 are farm and land. This is a decrease of 9 listings from the previous reporting period.

There are 108 listings under contract. This number is 26 fewer than the previous period.

There have been 13 closed sales duiring the period of Nov. 29 - Dec. 6, 2009, all of which were residential. This is 6 more closed transactions than in the previous period.

For more information on Athens, GA or if you are interested in buying or selling your home there, please call me at 706-207-5290. Or you can click here to email me with your inquiries. To search for homes in Athens, please visit my website The Athens Real Estate Page.

Note: All data is taken from the Athens Area Association of Realtors MLS system and accurate as of one day after the reporting period. Athens-Clarke County market data includes the City of Athens, the town of Winterville and the remaining areas of Clarke County.

Jackson County GA Weekly Real Estate Market Report & Stats, 12/6/2009

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:14:56 -0600

In Jackson County, GA, for the week ending Dec. 6, 2009 the real estate market looks like this:

There are 334 active listings of which 165 are residential, 11 are farm and land. The listing number is up 3 from the previous reporting period.

There are 38 listings under contract, that number is 4 fewer than in the previous reporting period.

During the week of Nov. 29 - Dec. 6, 2009 there were 2 closed residential transactions and 1 closed farm & land transaction in Jackson County. This amount is down 1 transaction from the previous reporting period.

For more information on Jackson County, GA or if you are interested in buying or selling your home there, please call me at 706-207-5290. Or you can click here to email me with your inquiries. To search for homes in Jackson County please visit my website www.theathensrealestatepage.com.

Note: All data is taken from the Athens Area Association of Realtors MLS system and accurate as of one day after the reporting period.

Watkinsville, GA Weekly Real Estate Market Report & Stats, 12/6/2009

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:45:50 -0600

In Watkinsville, GA, for the week ending Dec. 6, 2009 the real estate market looks like this:

There are 476 active listings of which 257 are residential, 12 are farm and land. The total listings are 7 fewer than in the previous reporting period while residential listings are down 2 and farm & land listings are unchanged for the reporting period.

There are 22 listings under contract, down 4 from the previous period.

During the week of Nov. 29 - Dec. 6, 2009 there were 4 closed residential transactions and 0 closed farm and land sales, in Watkinsville, Ga. This is the same number of transactions as in the previous reporting period.

For more information on Watkinsville, GA or if you are interested in buying or selling your home there, please call me at 706-207-5290. Or you can click here to email me with your inquiries. To search for homes in Watkinsville, please visit my website www.theathensrealestatepage.com.

Note: All data is taken from the Athens Area Association of Realtors MLS system and accurate as of one day after the reporting period.

Madison County GA Weekly Real Estate Market Report & Stats, 12/6/2009

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:25:28 -0600

In Madison County, GA, for the week ending Dec. 6, 2009 the real estate market looks like this:

There are 365 active listings, 20 fewer listings than in the previous report, of which 174 are residential and 44 are farm and land.

There are 35 listings under contract, and this is 1 more listing under contract from the previous report.

For the period of Nov 29 - Dec. 6, 2009 there were 0 closed residential transaction and 1 closed farm and land transaction in Madison County. This total is down 1 from the previous reporting period.

For more information on Madison County, GA or if you are interested in buying or selling your home there, please call me at 706-207-5290. Or you can click here to email me with your inquiries. To search for homes in Madison County please visit my website The Athens Real Estate Page.

Note: All data is taken from the Athens Area Association of Realtors MLS system and accurate as of one day after the reporting period.

For Your Edification

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:13:06 -0600

I received a link to this video in an email this morning. I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought that I would share it with all of you in the hope that you feel as good after watching it that I did.

Although I have been to Alaska multiple times and have seen plenty of moose, I have never seen anything like this. Although I am sure that Jesse Clifton and others have enjoyed scenes like this very often.

So, without any further adieu:

Oconee County GA Weekly Real Estate Market Report & Stats, 12/6/2009

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:10:22 -0600

In Oconee County, GA, for the week ending Dec. 12, 2009 the real estate market looks like this:

There are 774 active listings of which 402 are residential, 20 are farm and land. The total number of listings is 7 fewer than in the previous report.

There were 53 listings under contract at the end of the reporting period, that is a decrease of 4 from the previous reporting period.

During the week of Nov. 30 - Dec. 6, 2009, there were 9 closed residential sale in Oconee County, Ga, and 0 closed farm and land sale. This is an increase of 7 closed transactions from the previous report.

For more information on Oconee County, GA or if you are interested in buying or selling your home there, please call me at 706-207-5290. Or you can click here to email me with your inquiries. To search for homes in Oconee County please visit my website www.theathensrealestatepage.com.

Note: All data is taken from the Athens Area Association of Realtors MLS system and accurate as of one day after the reporting period.

Oglethorpe County GA Weekly Real Estate Market Report & Stats, 12/6/2009

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:59:14 -0600

In Oglethorpe County, GA, for the week ending Dec. 6, 2009 the real estate market looks like this:

There are 195 active listings of which 117 are residential, 30 are farm and land. The number of listings is down 3 from the previous report.

There are 15 properties under contract, an decrease of 1 from the previous report.

During the week of Nov 29 - Dec. 6, 2009 there were closed residential sales and no closed farm and land sales. This is 1 fewer than the previous report.

For more information on Oglethorpe County, GA or if you are interested in buying or selling your home there, please call me at 706-207-5290. Or you can click here to email me with your inquiries. To search for homes in Oglethorpe County please visit my website The Athens Real Estate Page.

Note: All data is taken from the Athens Area Association of Realtors MLS system and accurate as of one day after the reporting period.

Athens - Clarke County, GA Weekly Real Estate Market Report & Stats, 11/29/2009

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:17:40 -0600

In Athens -Clarke County, GA, for the week ending Nov. 29, 2009 the real estate market in Athens, Ga. looks like this:

There are 1548 active listings of which 1272 are residential, 14 are farm and land. This is a decrease of 4 listings from the previous reporting period.

There are 144 listings under contract. This number is 4 fewer than the previous period.

There have been 7 closed sales duiring the period of Nov. 23 - Nov. 29, 2009, all of which were residential. This is 2 fewer closed transactions than in the previous period.

Jackson County GA Weekly Real Estate Market Report & Stats, 11/29/2009

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:56:49 -0600

In Jackson County, GA, for the week ending Nov. 29, 2009 the real estate market looks like this:

There are 331 active listings of which 169 are residential, 12 are farm and land. The listing number is down 1 from the previous reporting period.

There are 42 listings under contract, the same as in the previous reporting period.

During the week of Nov. 23 - Nov. 29 , 2009 there were 4 closed residential transactions and 0 closed farm & land transactions in Jackson County. This amount is down 1 transaction from the previous reporting period.

Note: All data is taken from the Athens Area Association of Realtors MLS system and accurate as of one day after the reporting period.

Watkinsville, GA Weekly Real Estate Market Report & Stats, 11/29/2009

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:00:53 -0600

In Watkinsville, GA, for the week ending Nov. 29, 2009 the real estate market looks like this:

There are 8active listings of which 259 are residential, 12 are farm and land. The total listings are 9 fewer than in the previous reporting period while residential listings are down 8 and farm & land listings are unchanged for the reporting period.

There are 26 listings under contract, down 2 from the previous period.

During the week of Nov. 23 - Nov. 29, 2009 there were 0 closed residential transactions and 0 closed farm and land sales, in Watkinsville, Ga. This is the same number of transactions as in the previous reporting period.

Note: All data is taken from the Athens Area Association of Realtors MLS system and accurate as of one day after the reporting period.

Historic Danielsville Ga, Zip Code 30633

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:32:59 -0600

Just a short drive northeast of Athens, Ga, along U.S. Highway 29, sits the small town of Danielsville, Ga. Founded in 1817, Danielsville is the county seat for Madison County.

Danielsville is named after General Allen Daniel, an officer of the militia, who also served as captain in the Revolutionary War. The original public buildings in the town were built on land provided by General Daniel. It's historic courthouse (which is no longer in use as a courthouse) was built in 1901 and is on the national register of historic buildings. The courthouse sits on a square in the center of town, dividing the north-south lanes of higway 29

On the grounds surrounding the courthouse a statue of Dr. Crawford W. Long can be found. Dr. Long introduced the use of ether as an anesthetic during surgery, one the the major medical advances in history. Also on the grounds is the Madison County Veterans Garden, where there are brick pavers bearing the names of Madison County Veterans that sacrificed their lives for the U.S., from the revolution through the current wars in Iraq & Afghanistan.

The zip code for Danielsville and the surrounding area is 30633. The town itself has a population of about 460 with the zip code having a population of about 8500. Convenient to both Athens & Commerce, the estimated median home value in the zip code is about $142,000.

For information about Danielsville, Ga or Madison County real estate, of, if you are ready to buy or sell your home in Danielsville, call me at 706-207-5290. To search for homes in Danielsville and Madison County or northeast Ga, please visit my website, The Athens Real Estate Page.

Madison County GA Weekly Real Estate Market Report & Stats, 11/29/2009

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:01:55 -0600

In Madison County, GA, for the week ending Nov. 29, 2009 the real estate market looks like this:

There are 385 active listings, 30 more listings than in the previous report, of which 178 are residential and 44 are farm and land.

There are 34 listings under contract, and this is 5 fewer listings under contract from the previous report.

For the period of Nov. 23 - Nov 29, 2009 there were 2 closed residential transaction and 0 closed farm and land transactions in Madison County. This total is down 2 from the previous reporting period.

Note: All data is taken from the Athens Area Association of Realtors MLS system and accurate as of one day after the reporting period.

Wordless Wednesday - Parting the Waters

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:11:40 -0600

Photos Copyright Mike Saunders - 2009. For information on things to do, dining, lodging or about buying or selling your home in Athens - Clarke County, GA and the surrounding counties, call me at 706-207-5290, click here to send me an email with your inquiries or visit my website at The Athens Real Estate Page.

Oconee County GA Weekly Real Estate Market Report & Stats, 11/29/2009

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:56:09 -0600

In Oconee County, GA, for the week ending Nov. 29, 2009 the real estate market looks like this:

There are 781 active listings of which 405 are residential, 22 are farm and land. The total number of listings is 8 fewer than in the previous report.

There were 57 listings under contract at the end of the reporting period, that is a decrease of 5 from the previous reporting period.

During the week of Nov. 23 - Nov. 29, 2009, there were 2 closed residential sale in Oconee County, Ga, and 0 closed farm and land sale. This is an increase of 1 closed transaction from the previous report.

Note: All data is taken from the Athens Area Association of Realtors MLS system and accurate as of one day after the reporting period.

Oglethorpe County GA Weekly Real Estate Market Report & Stats, 11/29/2009

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:27:32 -0600

In Oglethorpe County, GA, for the week ending Nov. 29, 2009 the real estate market looks like this:

There are 198 active listings of which 118 are residential, 31 are farm and land. This is the same number of listings as in the previous report.

There are 16 properties under contract, an increase of 2 from the previous report.

During the week of Nov. 23 - Nov 29, 2009 there was 1 closed residential sale and no closed farm and land sales. This is the same as in the previous report.

Note: All data is taken from the Athens Area Association of Realtors MLS system and accurate as of one day after the reporting period.

Greater Athens Area Residential Real Estate Monthy Statistics Charts, June - Oct. 2009

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:40:56 -0600

The following charts show the month to month residential real estate sales volume of the Greater Athens Ga metropolitan area for the months of June through September 2009.

Chart 1 shows the trends for both the number of residential units sold and the average number of Days on Market (D.O.M.) for those units. After a two month trend downward, the sales volume rose slightly in October while the average D.O.M. decreased slightly after a two month increase.

The total number of units sold in October was 112, up 6 units from September. D.O.M. fell to 197 days, down almost 3 weeks from the 215 days in September. Both are positive indicaters.

Chart 1:

The second chart is tracking both the average and the median price of residential sales in the greater Athens metropolitan area. The average price rose sligthly from $186,702.00 to $189,764.00 but is still relatively flat for the monitoring period. The median price, however, showed a sharp increase of almost $22,000 from $143,400.00 to $165,000.00.

Chart 2:

The Greater Athens Metropolitan area, for this report, includes Athens-Clarke County, Oconee County, Oglethorpe County, Jackson County and Madison County. All figures come from the Athens Area Association of Realtors® multiple listing service (MLS).

For more information about real estate in the Athens, GA area, or, if you are looking to buy or sell real estate in the Athens Ga area and surrounding counties, please call me at 706-207-5290, or, you can click here to email me with any questions. To search for homes, land and other real estate in the Athens Ga area please visit my website, The Athens Real Estate Page.

Home Sales Up for First Time in More Than a Year - Athens-Clarke County, GA Residential Real Estate Market Report & Stats for October 2009

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:07:48 -0600

October 2009 residential real estate sales volume in Athens - Clarke County, GA showed the first increase in the 12 month sliding sales volume for more than a year. While only 2.8%, the increase is a postive sign that perhaps the Athens, GA market is stabilizing, if not improving. Also, as volume went up, the average Days on Market (D.O.M.) dropped by 4 days, another positive indicator.

Both the average and median sales price of homes remainded flat from September, however, both the median and average prices are down just over 6% from a year ago.This is probably driven by two factors: 1) the number of foreclosures and short sales on the market; 2) first time homebuyers taking advantage of the $8000 tax credit.

At the end of September there were 148 pending sales of residential property in Athens - Clarke County, up 5 from the September figures. Residential properties include single family homes, duplexes, triplexes, condos, townhouses, mobile and manufactured homes.

The following table shows the sliding 12 month residential sales volume in Athens-Clarke County over the last 12 months:

		Athens
Date	DOM	Average	Median	# sold
1-Nov-08	181	$173,224.00	$149,838.00	1141
1-Dec-08	185	$173,172.00	$149,800.00	1110
1-Jan-09	184	$173,985.00	$149,000.00	1073
1-Feb-09	187	$173,811.00	$149,600.00	1061
1-Mar-09	187	$171,941.00	$148,000.00	1042
1-Apr-09	190	$172,330.00	$145,000.00	1009
1-May-09	194	$172,007.00	$145,000.00	961
1-Jun-09	200	$171,810.00	$145,000.00	901
1-Jul-09	203	$168,160.00	$143,000.00	848
1-Aug-09	203	$161,929.00	$140,000.00	818
1-Sep-09	204	$163,222.00	$139,500.00	787
1-Oct-09	205	$162,882.00	$139,900.00	772
1-Nov-09	201	$162,511.00	$140,000.00	794

If you would like more information on Athens-Clarke County, GA, or you are interested in buying or selling your home there, please call me at 706-207-5290. Or you can click here to email me with your inquiries. To search for homes in Jackson County you, please visit my website.

Jackson County, GA Residential Real Estate Market Report & Stats for October 2009

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:51:49 -0600

During October, 2009 the Jackson County, GA real estate market slightly in the 12 month sliding sales volume after 3 months of being virtually flat. Overall, the volume is down less than 10% from a year ago, which is one of the better performing counties in the Athens, GA area.

The average Days on Market continues to increase, up slightly over September but still not much higher than a year ago. Both median and average pricing have decreased slightly from September, continuing their slow but steady decline. It will take a couple of months of being flat before we see a price bottom in Jackson County. This decline might be attributed to an increasing number of first time home buyers entering the market and getting the $8000 tax credit as well as the high percentage of foreclosures included in the sales figures.

The number of pending sales, at the end of August, for Jackson County was 46, down 1 from the end of September.

Residential sales includes single family homes, duplexes & triplexes, condos, townhomes, mobile and manufactured homes.

		Jackson County
Date	DOM	Average	Median	# sold
1-Nov-08	158	$173,608.00	$158,525.00	178
1-Dec-08	156	$172,137.00	$157,500.00	173
1-Jan-09	149	$168,344.00	$155,900.00	177
1-Feb-09	154	$168,473.00	$154,950.00	182
1-Mar-09	157	$166,297.00	$153,400.00	188
1-Apr-09	155	$165,522.00	$155,900.00	187
1-May-09	150	$159,864.00	$152,000.00	189
1-Jun-09	146	$149,725.00	$147,500.00	173
1-Jul-09	152	$147,934.00	$140,000.00	160
1-Aug-09	155	$148,091.00	$140,000.00	168
1-Sep-09	157	$150,322.00	$139,800.00	167
1-Oct-09	162	$150,709.00	$138,500.00	168
1-Nov-09	164	$147,875.00	$136,300.00	164

If you would like more information on Jackson County, or are interested in buying or selling your home there, please call me at 706-207-5290. Or you can click here to email me with your inquiries. To search for homes in Jackson County you, please visit my website.

Madison County, GA Residential Real Estate Market Report & Stats for October, 2009

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:51:20 -0600

October 2009 residential real estate sales volume in Madison County GA, showed a decrease from September. This marks 3 consecutive months of declining sales volume which has reached a 12 month low. All of the declines were in North Madison County while the volume in South Madison County was unchanged.

The average Days on Market (D.O.M.) increased by more than a week throughout the county. However, North Madison County did experience a two week decrease in D.O.M. while South Madison County had a 10 day increase.

Throughout the county median prices have remained virtually flat for 8 months now showing some price stabilization. The average price, while increasing almost 2% over September has cycled within a $5000 range (4%) for seven months, again, showing some price stabilization. North Madison County did experience an almost 9% average price increase. South Madison County has maintained a virtually flat average price.

At the end of August there were 37 pending sales of residential property in Madison County. Residential properties include single family homes, duplexes, triplexes, condos, townhouses, mobile and manufactured homes.

The following tables show the sliding 12 month residential sales volume for Madison County, North Madison County and South Madison County for the last 12 monts:

		Madison County
Date	DOM	Average	Median	# sold
1-Nov-08	201	$141,510.00	$139,900.00	181
1-Dec-08	196	$140,307.00	$134,810.00	172
1-Jan-09	193	$139,919.00	$136,000.00	166
1-Feb-09	195	$137,423.00	$130,391.00	165
1-Mar-09	193	$134,875.00	$130,000.00	165
1-Apr-09	192	$130,813.00	$125,500.00	156
1-May-09	185	$127,390.00	$125,000.00	160
1-Jun-09	181	$128,373.00	$125,000.00	150
1-Jul-09	182	$125,901.00	$124,900.00	155
1-Aug-09	192	$127,264.00	$125,000.00	161
1-Sep-09	195	$122,511.00	$124,900.00	159
1-Oct-09	199	$123,804.00	$125,000.00	154
1-Nov-09	207	$126,309.00	$125,000.00	148

		North Madison County
Date	DOM	Average	Median	# sold
1-Nov-08	205	$120,293.00	$106,000.00	48
1-Dec-08	213	$118,969.00	$104,000.00	46
1-Jan-09	199	$116,086.00	$104,000.00	45
1-Feb-09	194	$114,444.00	$104,000.00	47
1-Mar-09	191	$113,523.00	$ 98,250.00	42
1-Apr-09	197	$113,917.00	$ 96,500.00	41
1-May-09	184	$110,077.00	$ 93,750.00	42
1-Jun-09	160	$107,937.00	$ 89,200.00	40
1-Jul-09	161	$109,624.00	$ 89,200.00	36
1-Aug-09	151	$103,608.00	$ 72,750.00	32
1-Sep-09	136	$ 92,272.00	$ 70,000.00	31
1-Oct-09	140	$101,740.00	$ 89,900.00	31
1-Nov-09	126	$110,381.00	$100,000.00	25

		South Madison County
Date	DOM	Average	Median	# sold
1-Nov-08	200	$149,167.00	$149,900.00	133
1-Dec-08	192	$147,016.00	$148,448.00	126
1-Jan-09	191	$148,782.00	$148,895.00	121
1-Feb-09	195	$146,575.00	$147,329.00	118
1-Mar-09	194	$142,166.00	$141,500.00	123
1-Apr-09	191	$136,838.00	$135,000.00	115
1-May-09	186	$133,552.00	$131,446.00	118
1-Jun-09	188	$135,804.00	$131,446.00	110
1-Jul-09	188	$130,825.00	$128,000.00	119
1-Aug-09	203	$133,132.00	$128,300.00	129
1-Sep-09	209	$129,834.00	$126,200.00	128
1-Oct-09	214	$129,364.00	$126,400.00	123
1-Nov-09	224	$129,546.00	$126,000.00	123

If you would like more information on Madison County, or are interested in buying or selling your home there, please call me at 706-207-5290. Or you can click here to email me with your inquiries. To search for homes in Jackson County you, please visit my website.

This Might Not Be a Catchy Title, But, Do We Need to Talk About Title?

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:49:18 -0600

Do you ever talk to your buyer's about taking title and what their options are? If not, why not? If so, why, and how?

I have seen multiple buyers, especially first time, (or first time in a state) go to a closing and take the title as it is prepared, the attorney or other closing entity not asking one question about how the buyers would like to take title. For instance, here, in Georgia, multiple buyers, including married couples, can take title to a property either as Joint Tenants or Tenants in Common. And most don't really understand the difference or the implications. In other states, there may be different title options, or restrictions.

When my parents bought property in Arizona they purchased as joint tenants. When my father died, my mother thought that she had received the rights to the property. I purchased the property from my mother, or, at least I thought that I did. Come to find out, I only purchased 1/2 of the property, her half. However, I did not find this out until I sold the property, 15 year after my mother died. Nobody told my parents that they need to add "with Rights of Survivorship" in order for my mother to get my father's half. It took some money, and some time, but we were able to get things corrected.

But back to my question, do you ever talk to your buyer's about title? I know that I do, although I only point out the options here in Georgia and do not advise them as to what would be best in their circumstances. I recommend that if they want legal advice as to how they should take title, to talk to an attorney.

Like I said, it might not be a catchy title, but, how a title is taken can catch the buyers unaware when it is time to sell.

Watkinsville, GA Residential Real Estate Market Report & Stats for October 2009

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:18:17 -0600

October 2009 residential real estate sales volume in Watkinsville, GA showed a slight rise in the 12 month sliding sales volume after a slight decline in September. For the last 3 months, volume has been hovering in a narrow range.

Annual volume is still down over 32% from a year ago. The average Days on Market (D.O.M.) is down slightly from September but still above last years average by 2 weeks. The average sales prices is almost back to what it was at this time last year, and, has been experiencing 3 months of rising after the lows of August. The median sales prices is still down from this time last year.

First time home buyers are still a strong part of the market. With the current extension, first time buyes will probably still remain a significant percentage of purchasers, and the inclusion of existing home owners qualifying for a credit will, hopefully, also contribute to a volume increase.

At the end of October there were 32 pending sales of residential property in Watkinsville, the This Residential properties include single family homes, duplexes, triplexes, condos, townhouses, mobile and manufactured homes.

The following table shows the sliding 12 month residential sales volume in Watkinsville over the last 12 months:

		Watkinsville
Date	DOM	Average	Median	# sold
1-Nov-08	197	$332,449.00	$280,000.00	203
1-Dec-08	197	$331,078.00	$272,500.00	199
1-Jan-09	194	$334,024.00	$280,000.00	192
1-Feb-09	189	$336,007.00	$277,500.00	187
1-Mar-09	190	$337,712.00	$291,950.00	180
1-Apr-09	190	$332,343.00	$287,250.00	176
1-May-09	183	$336,594.00	$294,000.00	169
1-Jun-09	191	$328,256.00	$277,500.00	157
1-Jul-09	190	$322,206.00	$265,000.00	151
1-Aug-09	204	$309,087.00	$264,900.00	163
1-Sep-09	206	$320,788.00	$264,323.00	156
1-Oct-09	216	$327,384.00	$270,000.00	154
1-Nov-09	211	$331,129.00	$270,000.00	157

If you would like more information on Watkinsville, GA, or you are interested in buying or selling your home there, please call me at 706-207-5290. Or you can click here to email me with your inquiries. To search for homes in Watkinsville please visit my The Athens Real Estate Page website.

FOX NFL Sunday Team Broadcasts Live from Afghanistan

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:49:12 -0600

I usually don't turn the on the TV on Sunday until later in the evening. However, today I did the unusual and decided to watch a little before lunch. After flipping through channels I settled on the FOX NFL Sunday pregame show and was very surprised to see team all in military fatigues.

I initially thought it was just in celebration of Veteran's Day this week, and, I was only slightly wrong. The FOX NFL Sunday team has spent the previous week in Afghanistan, meeting with the troops stationed there, talking with the men and women on their way to of from combat, trying to bring a little bit of cheer, and home, to those in harms way.

They were doing today's show from a quickly erected studio inside of a tent with an audience of hundreds of U.S. military serving there. I only caught a small part of the show, the final 30 minutes, but I think maybe that it was the finest 30 minutes of the program.

The team terminated the regular football broadcast about 15 minutes before the normal end of the hour. At that time, each of the 6 members of the broadcast team gave a wonder homage to our men and women serving in war zones. I was pleasantly surprised to not just hear platitudes about how much they appreciated the troops but truly heartfelt emotion.They were universal in their appreciation for those serving, and their understanding and support of why they are there.

Terry Bradshaw gave the final few statements, and, if you are familiar with Terry Bradshaw, his ability to present ideas is sometimes the subject of jokes (almost as often as jokes about President Bush). However, Terry was extremely eloquent, about the men and women, about the mission and how important it all is to the U.S. Upon completion, he then led the broadcast team, and the audience, in singing God Bless America, a very emotional few moments for both those on stage and in the audience.

Kudos to Terry, Howie Long, Michael Strahan, Jay Glazer, Jimmy Johnson and Kurt Menefee. Not just for the broadcast but for all they did during their stay, including serving food, participating in air drops, and just being there for the troops.

Oconee County, GA Residential Real Estate Market Report & Stats for October 2009

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:10:05 -0600

October 2009 residential real estate sales volume in Oconee, GA showed a decline of just over 3% in the 12 month sliding sales volume from Septemer, after being flat for a month. The average Days on Market (D.O.M.) remained constante while both average sales price rose more than 1% and the median sales price rose just over 3%. The volume losses were experienced across all areas of Oconee County while prices fell is South Oconee County but rose in West Oconee County and Watkinsville, GA.

At the end of October there were 51 pending sales of residential property in Oconee County. This number is down from the last month. Residential properties include single family homes, duplexes, triplexes, condos, townhouses, mobile and manufactured homes.

The following tables show the sliding 12 month residential sales volume in Oconee County over the last 12 months through August 31:

		Oconee County
Date	DOM	Average	Median	# sold
1-Nov-08	217	$304,654.00	$268,500.00	391
1-Dec-08	216	$305,629.00	$266,000.00	387
1-Jan-09	219	$308,195.00	$269,900.00	384
1-Feb-09	215	$310,098.00	$269,200.00	375
1-Mar-09	209	$307,682.00	$265,000.00	364
1-Apr-09	209	$305,192.00	$264,900.00	365
1-May-09	214	$303,511.00	$261,150.00	348
1-Jun-09	225	$301,322.00	$255,000.00	330
1-Jul-09	217	$293,272.00	$239,450.00	300
1-Aug-09	223	$284,824.00	$245,000.00	316
1-Sep-09	226	$291,198.00	$245,000.00	303
1-Oct-09	234	$292,215.00	$245,000.00	303
1-Nov-09	234	$296,288.00	$253,000.00	294

		South Oconee
Date	DOM	Average	Median	# sold
1-Nov-08	257	$285,103.00	$274,500.00	60
1-Dec-08	258	$290,938.00	$274,000.00	61
1-Jan-09	255	$307,427.00	$279,750.00	58
1-Feb-09	248	$321,342.00	$300,000.00	55
1-Mar-09	218	$316,064.00	$298,000.00	53
1-Apr-09	213	$308,903.00	$292,000.00	55
1-May-09	249	$296,703.00	$267,650.00	60
1-Jun-09	243	$288,588.00	$255,000.00	59
1-Jul-09	226	$281,749.00	$233,950.00	50
1-Aug-09	226	$264,332.00	$210,600.00	51
1-Sep-09	223	$267,070.00	$210,000.00	49
1-Oct-09	220	$257,823.00	$206,000.00	49
1-Nov-09	230	$252,230.00	$206,750.00	42

		West Oconee
Date	DOM	Average	Median	# sold
1-Nov-08	231	$269,791.00	$237,450.00	128
1-Dec-08	228	$273,065.00	$242,450.00	128
1-Jan-09	240	$271,790.00	$237,450.00	127
1-Feb-09	238	$269,326.00	$237,425.00	134
1-Mar-09	230	$263,368.00	$234,750.00	133
1-Apr-09	235	$265,010.00	$234,088.00	134
1-May-09	245	$260,463.00	$231,675.00	119
1-Jun-09	262	$270,819.00	$238,175.00	114
1-Jul-09	253	$254,959.00	$210,000.00	99
1-Aug-09	253	$256,298.00	$218,500.00	102
1-Sep-09	259	$256,160.00	$212,500.00	98
1-Oct-09	267	$254,906.00	$212,500.00	100
1-Nov-09	273	$258,186.00	$215,000.00	95

If you would like more information on Oconee County, GA, or you are interested in buying or selling your home there, please call me at 706-207-5290. Or you can click here to email me with your inquiries. To search for homes in Oconee County please visit The Athens Real Estate Page website.

Oglethorpe County, Ga Residential Real Estate Market Report and Stats for Oct., 2009

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:37:47 -0600

Oglethorpe County, Ga 12 month sliding average of residential sales has now been flat for four months in a row. This trend is a pretty good indicater that sales volume has bottomed in Oconee County.

A more positive note is that both average and median sales prices have been trending upward. While they are still well below the levels of a year ago, they may have reached bottom and are now either stabilizingor starting back up. Next months annual figures will be a better indicator.

The average Days on Market (D.O.M.), which has been rising again is still below but approaching it's highs of April.

Residential sales include the sale of single family residences, condos, townhomes, mobile and modular homes.

The Oglethorpe Count pending residential sales at the end of August totals 23 units, which is down 2 from July.

The following chart tracks the sliding 12 month averages for Oglethorpe County Ga through Aug 31, 2009:

		Oglethorpe County
Date	DOM	Average	Median	# sold
1-Nov-08	149	$142,820.00	$141,900.00	93
1-Dec-08	152	$141,339.00	$140,700.00	83
1-Jan-09	158	$148,117.00	$141,400.00	83
1-Feb-09	160	$144,593.00	$138,000.00	81
1-Mar-09	161	$132,423.00	$134,950.00	80
1-Apr-09	174	$133,678.00	$134,900.00	77
1-May-09	158	$128,868.00	$125,875.00	78
1-Jun-09	166	$131,032.00	$125,875.00	86
1-Jul-09	164	$127,220.00	$127,000.00	87
1-Aug-09	169	$120,862.00	$117,000.00	86
1-Sep-09	163	$117,237.00	$114,500.00	88
1-Oct-09	164	$119,434.00	$114,000.00	85
1-Nov-09	170	$124,039.00	$117,500.00	86

All figures above are for 12 months and provide a clear picture of year to year and month to month trends in the market. Using annual numbers helps smooth out any temporary spikes or dips from month to month.

This Thursday, in Watkinsville, GA, Bite a Dog to Save a Dog!

Mike Saunders (Keller Williams Realty - Greater Athens) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:38:17 -0600

This coming Thursday, Nov. 5, from 10 AM until 4 PM, the Athens Area Humane Society will be hosting the famous Oscar Mayer Wienermobile outside of it's facility at 1781 Mars Hill Road, Watkinsville, GA 30677.

Bring your kids as an excuse to tour the Wienermobile and have a hot dog or two, or three..... There will be prizes, giveaways, adoptions, games, AAHS merchandise for sale, and in case you missed it, HOT DOGS!!!

Volunteers are still need to help with:

Grilling the hot dogs and handing out drinks
Running the game booths
Helping at the merchandise stand and info table
Crowd control
Help with adoption room

If you would like to volunteer, please call Denise Plemmons, Special Projects Manager, at 706-224-4474.

The weather is supposed to be beautiful, so come on down and have a hot dog and be a little kid again. And maybe you can help save an abandoned animal with your contribution, or, even adoption.

The Athens Area Humane Society is a No-Kill shelter. More information about AAHS can be found on their website, www.AthensHumaneSociety.org.