How much confidence do Realtors have in their local markets?  The Real Estate Confidence Index answers that question.

The people who host my website, Point2Agent, conducts a monthly survey of its thousands of members across North America to determine how real estate professionals see the current and future market conditions in their respective areas.

The survey receives over 3,000 responses monthly from every area of the country across many different types of markets.  Respondents rate their markets on a scale of 1 to 10, showing their confidence level in local real estate markets over the short term (3 to 6 months), and the long term (12 to 18 months).  A statistical mean on the 1 to 10 scale is then derived which becomes the monthly Real Estate Confidence Index.  The Index is statistically valid due to the number of responses received.

The Real Estate Confidence Index (R.E.C.I.) for October, 2009 is 5.59.  This seems a bit middle-of-the-road, and one might say, "Yeah... half the country's confident, the other half isn't."  However, the Index is based upon real opinions from real professionals in the real estate field, and if watched over time, does fluctuate by State and economic conditions.

To those of us in Georgia, confidence is not great.  The Georgia R.E.C.I. is 5.08.  Georgia real estate professionals rate their confidence in the current market a 4.53, with improvement in the short term to 4.63, and the long term to 6.08 - still a long way from complete, or even comfortable confidence in the marketplace.

In the South, Georgia professionals are joined by South Carolina, Florida, Mississippi, Kentucky and Oklahoma practitioners with only low to moderate confidence in their markets.  Professionals in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee and North Carolina exhibit a bit more confidence, but still hover only slightly higher (current index 6.3) than the country as a whole.

Survey administrators point out that "the Real Estate Confidence Index is a purely subjective survey, and is in no way intended to be an accurate reflection of current market conditions."  It is based on the opinions of real estate professionals across the country.  Even so, it's both interesting, enlightening, and probably not too far off.

Home for Sale in Covington, Georgia - Clark's Grove  GAMLS# 02402631   $379,000

For more information, call my mobile phone 770-337-5262, or visit my website
www.CovingtonLivingHomes.com

Home for Sale in Covington, Georgia - Clark's Grove - 4 Bedrooms, 3 1/2 Baths

This lovely Federal-style Home for Sale in Covington, Georgia's Clark's Grove offers non-traditional value in Covington's premiere Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND), Clark's Grove.  Climb the wide steps to the broad rocking-chair front porch, and enter the home's great room through classic double front doors.  Notice the marble facade of the room's fireplace with easy gas starter, the lovely hardwood floors, and the rounded corners on all walls.

To the left, enter the formal dining room with its judge's paneling with plate rail, dramatic chandelier and inlaid hardwood floors.  Pass through to the gourmet chef's kitchen to see the solid surface island cooktop, double convection ovens, tile backsplash, granite countertops and large dining area.

This Clark's Grove Home for Sale includes a large laundry room with built-in cabinetry and a half bath located just off the kitchen for your convenience.

A large gallery space off the kitchen connects the Home for Sale downstairs amenities to the master suite on the main level, and the covered sitting porch just off the huge, enclosed patio.  The master features a sitting area, master bath with subway tile, separate shower, jetted tub, and large walk-in closet.  Access the covered porch through the master's double french doors.

Upstairs are two additional bedrooms, two full baths and a huge rec room with closets which might be used as a fourth bedroom.  All bedrooms have double closets, and under-eaves, floored storage space is also accessed from the upstairs rooms.

Off the brick-paved patio and covered porch in the rear is the detached two-car garage.  The garage has an epoxy floor for ease of maintenance, and is connected to the main house by a breezeway.  Above the garage is a finished room with hardwood floors which might be perfect for an office, or just additional storage.

Outside this Home for Sale in Clark's Grove, you can stroll the neighborhoods tree-lined sidewalks. swim in the Olympic-size pool, use the playgrounds, ballfield and picnic pavillion, explore the walking trails or grow herbs and vegetables in the community garden.

Covington's Clark's Grove is just a short walk off the city's historic square, and with all Covington, Clark's Grove and this exceptional home has to offer, there's everything you need to enhance your lifestyle, entertain friends and relax with your family.

This Swann Street Home for Sale has been reduced from the original asking price of $459,000, and offers exceptional value.  Contact me today to view this move-in-ready Home for Sale property.

View the location of this Clark's Grove Home for Sale on the map below.  And be sure to watch the virtual tour located just below the map.

For more information regarding this property, call my mobile phone at 770.337.5262.  For information on other Homes for Sale in Covington and the surrounding areas, visit my website at www.CovingtonLivingHomes.com.  And, to keep up with what's happening in Covington community news, events and real estate market, visit my blog at www.CovingtonLivingToday.com

View 33.595735, -83.872379 in a larger map

Nine past citizens of Newton County “spoke” to visitors strolling through the historic Covington City Cemetery last Thursday evening during the Newton County Chamber of Commerce’s “Voices From The Past” tour.

Local residents dressed in period costumes portrayed notable past citizens of the county, providing vignettes of their lives and county history during the 1800s and early 1900s.  Each presented their story standing beside the grave of the resident they portrayed.

Residents represented in the portrayals included Mahala Pitts Clark, born into slavery who died at the age of 100; George Thompson, a gypsy killed at Clark’s Grove as a result of a gambling altercation; Reverend Toney Baker, first pastor of the African-American Bethel Baptist Church; Dr. Luke Robinson, one of the county’s first physicians; Julia A. Camp Porter whose husband founded Porterdale and its textile mill, and after whom the Julia A. Porter Memorial Methodist Church is named; Martha Hood Dorsett, a young frontierswoman who died at the age of 20, but whose descendants still reside in the area; Frances Reynolds Brown Merritt whose husband and three children all died within a short seven-year marriage; Reverend Andrew Hamill, a Methodist circuit-riding preacher who served the spiritual needs of Georgians from Brunswick to Blairsville, and; General James Phillip Simms, Confederate General and state legislator.

Local resident Louise Adams portrayed Mahala Pitts Clark.  Ernie Smith was the gypsy George Thompson.  The Reverend Hezekiah Benton, current pastor of Bethel Baptist Church, portrayed Reverend Toney Baker.  Chris Smith, descendant of Dr. Luke Robinson, portrayed his ancestor.  Cynthia Millsaps became Julia A. Camp Porter.  Amelia Thomaston, Oxford College student, portrayed Martha Hood Dorsett.  Sandi Schein tugged your heartstrings as Frances Reynolds Brown Merritt.  Reverend Brian Dale became circuit-rider Reverend Andrew Hamill.  And Will Alisberg played General James Phillip Simms.

Tour guides led groups from the sold-out event through the cemetery, pointing out distinctive monuments, inter-relating the cemetery and county history, and explaining the meaning and significance of symbols and markings on the memorials and grave stones.

The Covington City Cemetery consists of five separate sections:

• The Old Methodist, Northwest Section
• The Confederate, Northeast Section
• The African American, Eastern Central Section
• The Memorial Garden, West central Section, and
• The City Cemetery, The Central and largest Section

Within the city limits of Covington, ten other cemeteries have been identified, bringing the total cemeteries in Newton County to 270, identified so far.

The Tourism Division of the Newton Chamber, in cooperation with the Newton County Historical Society should be commended for staging this unique event.  "Voices From The Past" offered Covington residents a special opportunity to be both educated and entertained by our county’s history.

Covington Georgia September 2009 Real Estate Market Report

• Active Listings        1024
• Pending Sales         126
• Closed Sales            79
• Week's Inventory     56  (Absorption Rate)
  

The "Weeks Inventory" indicates the number of weeks it takes to sell the current inventory of homes on the market at the present rate of sales.  Inventory level in a "good real estate market" is considered to be around 24 weeks.

Since Last Month's Report:

• Active Listings  DOWN 26.3%
• Pending Sales  DOWN 9.4%
• Closed Sales  DOWN 15%

Foreclosures:

New foreclosures in the Covington and Newton County real estate market were DOWN in September by 9.4% from last month's figure.  However, for the nine-month period, foreclosures are still UP 1.4% in the county over 2008.

The Average Sales Price of homes in the Covington real estate market in September was UP 31% over August to $141,031, and UP 7% from the same period in 2008.  That's good news!

It's still taking longer to seel our homes in the Covington real estate market.  The Average Days On Market of homes listed in Covington was UP 9.7% over August, and 12.9% over September 2008.

DISCLAIMER:  All information, photographs & content contained within this blog is the property of Bill Blair and may only be used with express written permission of the author or via the Active Rain "reblog" function, posted in its entirity with attribution to the author.

All statistical information used to create this report was obtained from GAMLS.  Information Deemed Reliable but not Guaranteed.

The Covington Georgia Real Estate Market Report - August 2009

Valerie Jarrett, one of the president’s senior advisers told major media outlets this morning that President Obama will travel to Denmark to support Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.  He will leave this Thursday and join his wife Michelle in Copenhagen where they, along with a packed contingent from Chicago’s bid committee and the world of celebrity, will lobby the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the international event.

The IOC will decide the host city on Friday from among the final contenders, Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro.

What’s wrong with this picture?  I see two major problems.

First, let me say that there is no bigger supporter of the Olympic movement than me.  Before I became a realtor in Covington, I was a sports marketing consultant working primarily for worldwide corporate sponsors of the Olympic Movement for over 15 years.  I developed and implemented marketing programs to help sponsors leverage their sponsorships in Olympic Summer and Winter Games, regional competitions such as the Asian Games, and local trial competitions for National Olympic Committees in countries throughout the world.  I worked on Games and competitions in Europe, Asia, India, Australia and the U.S.  To me, there is no greater movement, nor one that elicits more national pride, emotion, history, or personal satisfaction than the Olympics.

My first issue with Obama traveling to Denmark is that the U.S. taxpayers will be springing for yet another presidential boondoggle and photo-op.  Not only is Obama going, but he is “meeting” Michelle there, and taking along Jarrett, Education Secretary Anne Duncan and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, according to the AP.

And since Obama is going, it’s a good bet that taxpayers will also be liable for a good portion, if not all, of the Chicago contingent’s costs.  The Chicago group will include the city’s bid committee members, Obama crony Mayor Richard Daley, Ophra Winfrey, and 14 Olympic and two Paralympic gold medalists, including Michael Johnson, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Nadia Comaneci and Nastia Liukin.

There is no reason for the US President to lobby for the Games being held in the United States.  President George H.W. Bush did not make an appearance when Atlanta won the bid in 1989, nor has any other American president ever done so.  Obama will be the first U.S. president to actually appeal in person to the IOC for an Olympic event.  And in fact, it is likely that the IOC’s mind is already made up as to who will be the winning city.  Although no one will know until this Friday, IOC officials have been visiting potential cities, asking questions and receiving input from potential hosts for the past seven years.

But even more than Obama needlessly spending taxpayer money for this useless boondoggle, I’m concerned that Chicago even has a chance to win the 2016 Olympic Summer Games.

If you thought there were improprieties in winning the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Games, which came close to destroying the Olympic movement, can you imagine the graft, corruption and quid pro quo that will be going on if Chicago is the chosen city?  Corruption and questionable dealings already exist throughout the city and state administrations, and will only be amplified by the lust after the billions of dollars of economic impact an Olympic event can bring to a city.  I can only hope that IOC members remember and have learned from the past what an ill-advised decision Chicago would be.

There’s nothing I would rather see than the Olympic Games back on U.S. soil.  But not at this time… and NOT in Chicago!

If you enjoy history or want to learn more about Covington's history and that of the people who have lived here, here's something you won't want to miss.

On Thursday evening, October 15, the Tourism Division of the Covington/Newton County Chamber of commerce is sponsoring a guided walking tour of the historic Covington City Cemetery.  The cemetery is located off Conyers and Church Streets just a couple of blocks off the historic square.

The tour will be conducted by people in period costumes representing several "residents" of the cemetery who will provide graveside commentary about their lives and history of Covington and the surrounding area.

For those unable to walk the route, golf carts will be provided.

The crisp fall weather, personal portrayals and rich history of Covington will make this an event not to be missed.

Tickets may be purchased at the Covington visitors center on Clark Street between now and the event.  No tickets will be sold at the cemetery.  Admission to the tour is $10 for adults and $5 for children.  All proceeds will go to the Newton County History Center, being developed in Covington's historic jail building, and to the construction of the Newton County Miracle Field.

Come out for an enjoyable evening.  Learn more about our history.  And support our local charities.

This week begins the autumn season, and Colonel Cob’s Corn Maze in Oxford is open again with an all-new maze and several new attractions.

The pathways through Colonel Cob’s 7-acre cornfield this year is in the shape of a giant pirate ship.  You should be able to navigate your way through the ship and safely back to the dock in about 30 minutes.  But for the “directionally challenged,” it could take much longer.  Co-owners Tommy and Emy Mitcham have also placed water-related trivia clues throughout the maze to help you navigate.  If you answer the trivia questions about uses of water, large bodies of water, etc. correctly, they’ll point you to the next clue and out of the maze.  Incorrect answers will send you in circles and ensure that you just wander about in the corn.

Other attractions at Colonel Cob’s include the traditional pumpkin patch, hayrides, bonfires, helicopter rides, pony rides, a corn cannon, inflatable slides and jumpers, a sand mountain full of treasure, and barbeque catered by Where There’s Smoke Barbeque and Catering from Mansfield.  The Mitchams also provide educational activities for children and school groups such as movies and audios about farming and farm life.

At Colonel Cob’s, tickets are $8 for the maze and $4 for the hayride through the farm.  Combined tickets are available.  Helicopter and pony rides cost extra.

Other corn mazes in the area include Corn Dawgs in Loganville, Southern Belle Farm in McDonough, Washington Farms in Watkinsville, Cagle’s Dairy Farm in Canton, and Uncle Shuck’s in Dawsonville.

Even as the leaves begin to change their color, Covington’s Clark’s Grove is "going greener.”

The Clark’s Grove Homeowner’s Association and several individual homeowners in the neighborhood are applying for a solar power grant from the Georgia Environmental Facilities Agency (GEFA).  GEFA will supply grants from a $4,000,000 pool provided by the Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the “Stimulus Bill”) for alternate energy projects in the state.

The Homeowner’s Association portion of the grant would provide solar panels for power and hot water for the neighborhood swim club.  Individual homeowner grants would provide power for normal electrical service, solar thermal water heating, or a combination of the two. 

The grant, if approved, would provide 75% of the cost of each residential system, with the homeowner providing the remaining 25%.  Homes must have proper sun orientation and exposure to participate. 

Hannah Solar, who is submitting the grant on behalf of Clark’s Grove, says that the roof-mounted solar panels should cut electricity bills almost in half for the homeowners, providing a payback to the user in only two to three years.  After the payback, everything is “savings” for the consumer.  The system should be expected to operate without problems for at least 20 years.

Clark’s Grove is Covington’s premiere Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND).  TNDs are an emerging national trend in land use planning, smart development, and environmental stewardship.  Walkable communities where people live, work, shop and play, TND neighborhoods, such as Clark’s Grove, feature a town center, parks, plazas, commercial establishments, civic buildings, common green spaces, tree-lined sidewalks, narrow street grids, paths and trails throughout, and homes with front porches set close to the street on small lots.

Homes in Clark’s Grove are built to “EarthCraft” standards.  EarthCraft House is a green building program that specifies building standards resulting in healthy, comfortable homes that reduce utility bills and protect the environment.  The program is a partnership between the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association, Southface Energy Institute, the government and industry partners whose aim is to help home builders be leaders in smart growth management and environmental stewardship.