My Computer Died! A Tip to All! - 07/31/09 10:23 PM
I am just getting back on line after working for a week on my laptop.  It feels like skinny dipping, because all my software and webs were on my main PC.  Well last week I tried to wake my computer form it's sleep and guess what it would not wake up!  The motherboard failed!  I really almost lost it because I had not backed up recently, but as it turned out the hard drive was in good working order, we could not boot past the bios screen on the PC!  Well to make a long story short, I just received the … (60 comments)

NVU - Free Web Authoring System! - 07/31/09 10:07 PM
Since I do all my own web publishing for my Atlanta real estate sites, I am constantly looking at free easy programs that make my life more simple, and yet will have an impact on the web.  I found a free little HTML Web Authoring download that is perfect for creating my Active Rain posts off line, and allow me to take advantage of the html posting feature found here, and yes, I can even highlight in different colors!  How is that for Emphasis?  It is nothing dramatic, but I think it can make a big difference to the viewers, and … (22 comments)

North Fulton Home Sales - Alpharetta, Johns Creek Roswell - Eastside Area 14 - 07/31/09 09:48 PM
I have been noticing lately that North Fulton homes sales are off more than usual this summer in North Fulton County.  I am referring to the east side of the GA 400 better known to Atlanta real estate agents as Area 14.  It include the new city of Johns Creek, Roswell East, and Alpharetta.  These are very sought after areas in the Atlanta real estate market.  So I went back a few years and pulled up sales of June 2006 to see what was occurring, and I was pretty shocked at the numbers.

Sales of North Fulton homes are off over … (1 comments)

Duluth GA Homes│Duluth Georgia Homes for Sale Update - 07/31/09 08:44 AM
Looking at buying homes in Duluth Georgia?  Duluth Georgia is located in Gwinnett County and is highly sought after place to live because of its access to Atlanta, resonably priced homes, and great schools. Click for a Map of Duluth Georgia. Historic  Duluth Georgia  borders the Chattahoochee River and is to the east of Fulton County, and north of Norcross, and Peachtree Corners. It is easily accessible from Peachtree Industrial Blvd., and I-85.  It is a most sought after area because of its central location for commuting, shopping at the Gwinnett Mall, Mall of Gerogria, and Discover Mills Mall.  Duluth Georgia … (2 comments)

Duluth GA Home for Sale By Subdivision │ Duluth GA Homes and Neighborhoods - 07/31/09 08:33 AM
Interested in homes for sale in Duluth GA?  Don't know where to look?  Well I am here to help you!  Duluth GA is located in close in Gwinnett county GA and and borders Fulton County along the Chattahoochee river to I-85.  There are some great subdivisions and fantastic neighborhoods in the Duluth area.  I have placed some of them into an IDX search so that it would be easy to find Duluth GA homes in a particular neighborhood in Duluth.
Duluth GA Homes for Salein Gwinnett County Georgia
Abbotts Pointe Berkeley Forest Berkely Manor  Berkeley Springs  Berkeley Trails Berkeley Walk Barkley Square … (0 comments)

Is the Atlanta Real Estate Market Improving? - 07/30/09 09:02 AM
The Atlanta real estate market is still moving forward, but we must actually assess what is taking place.  Many of us have noticed that some of the real estate news is turning positive in many markets.  Slight increases in Atlanta home sales and prices seem to have everyone in a more cheerful mood, but until we get at least 6 months of solid back to back improvements...only then can we quote a trend that we have turned the corner.  I personally question recent increases in home sales.  Now the media wants a positive spin on everything, so the news stories we … (16 comments)

Brookfield Country Club Roswell GA │ Brookfield Country Club Homes for Sale - 07/29/09 07:07 PM
Brookfield Country Club  - Roswell GA!  Brookfield Country Club (formerly known as "Brookfield West") is a planned and established luxury, golf, swim tennis country club community located in Fulton county in Roswell GA. Large mature lots, tall full trees and mature landscaping set this fine established subdivision apart from the cookie cutter homes!  Brookfield Country Club  is swim tennis golf and country club community that has great recreation facilities and a clubhouse! From the GA 400 north, Brookfield Country Club  subdivision just a short ride from Holcomb Bridge.  Brookfield Country Club  in Roswell GA has a clubhouse, lake, golf, and swim … (2 comments)

Edenwilde Homes for Sale in Roswell GA │ Edenwilde Subdivision Roswell GA - 07/29/09 05:33 PM
Edenwilde is an swim tennis subdivision located in the Crabapple area of Roswell Georgia just past the Silos at the intersection of Crabapple Road and Houze Road.  Edenwilde is a newer swim tennis subdivision of single family homes.  The subdivision is complete with streetlights, public water and sewer, cable TV, sidewalks and is convenient to all shopping, roads for commuting and schools.  There are homes for sale in Edenwilde with full finished basements, slabs, and full finished terrace levels.  Most of the homes in Edenwilde are brick and frame, and a few Stucco.  As of today July 29, 2009 there are only 6 … (0 comments)

Academy Park Townhomes Downtown Alpharetta│Alpharetta GA Luxury Town Homes in Gated Communities - 07/28/09 09:54 PM
Academy Park is a sought after luxury townhomes communities in historic down town Alpharetta GA.   Academy Park a gated town home community with swim tennis, exercise and recreational facilities.  Academy Park is a John Wieland planned gated luxury town homes development in a swim tennis community and located just off Academy Street in downtown Alpharetta GA.  There are many fine Academy Park town homes for sale.  Some of the town homes for sale in Academy Park will have finished basements, and others will have a master suite on the main level!  Academy Park in downtown Alpharetta GA is a great place to call home.  Perhaps it is … (0 comments)

How is Your Real Estate Market? The Atlanta Real Estate Market is So So! - 07/28/09 07:44 PM
The Atlanta real estate market has been soft for while.  Thank goodness listing inventory is finally moving off its peaks, but it is still very high with over 71931 Active listings in all classes.  Due to sellers being upside down, there is a lot less real inventory than there appears.  Currently, the Atlanta market is off 15% in sales price from last year.  Chronic overbuilding, speculation, e-z credit with no money down, foreclosures, and 10.7% unemployment levels in Metro Atlanta has cooled our market off considerably. Recovery is still a bit down the road.  In spite of this... I noticed activity is picking … (22 comments)

The Listing Agent is On Vacation! - 07/26/09 07:04 PM
In all the years I've sold Atlanta real estate I've found nothing is more chilling than to call for information on a listing and not being able to contact the listing agent for more information about a property. It is occuring more than ever in this current real estate market, and I really think it is totally unacceptable for all. My first thoughts are "What would occur if there was an emergency?"  When we contact the listing agent we are doing more than following protocol for appointments, showings, and asking information.  The listing agent under the law has a fiduciary to … (32 comments)

Woodstock GA is A Great Place to Live! - 07/26/09 11:34 AM
Welcome to Woodstock Georgia located in Cherokee County Georgia! ( Click for Map of Woodstock Georgia) Woodstock GA is a quaint, historic country town with a historic downtown district with loads of charm and revitalization. For these reasons, Woodstock GA is the fastest growing city in historic Cherokee County.
Woodstock GA homes for Sale are some of the most reasonably priced homes for sale in the Atlanta area. Here is an example of Woodstock Homes for Sale. Woodstock Georgia also has lower taxes, beautiful country scenery and so much more!
Woodstock GA Map Search - Search Woodstock Homes for Sale … (4 comments)

Atlanta First Day of School Begins Soon│First Day of School - Atlanta Metro School Listed by County - 07/25/09 08:18 PM
Parents across Georgia will soon start humming the song "Happy Days are Here Again! as the schools season lies just around the corner.  For those of us in the Atlanta real estate business the first day of school marks a change in the selling season.  The reason?  Experience shows us that when school starts in Georgia... the selling season for Atlanta real estate will wind down pretty rapidly. For those that are relocating to the Atlanta area from up north, they are caught off gaurd every year, because back home...September normally marks the beginning of the school year, but that is not … (10 comments)

Another 6 Banks Fail in Georgia - 07/24/09 09:03 PM
Bank failures in Georgia are becoming way too common and almost a weekly event.  Today, we had another bank fail in Georgia and it subsidiares. Regulators shut down Security Bank Corp of Macon Georgia.  the failure was a total of six banks with 20 branches.   This was the 16th bank failure for Georgia this year, and the 64th national bank failure this year.  Georgia leads the nation with bank failures.  Nationally, this month has been the biggest and in July we had a total of 19 bank failures. Accorging to the FDCI - State Bank and Trust Company of Pinehurst, GA will assume the deposits at … (17 comments)

Atlanta Condo Sales | Atlanta Real Estate Sale Trends - Atlanta Condos Sold - 07/22/09 10:47 PM
Atlanta Condo sales have picked up a little last month over the same period last year and over last month, but the longer term trend for Atlanta condos is not positive at all in sales and price.  In this Blog post, I am concentrating on attached home sales which includes condos / town homes.  According to the most recent sales data released by FMLS which was just released on July 21 2009 there was a slight uptick in condo sales, but when compared to FMLS data for the same time frame period for preceding Junes the trends is not a good thing.  I created a … (16 comments)

Atlanta Condo Prices | Atlanta Real Estate Price Trends - Atlanta Condos - 07/22/09 10:34 PM
The most recent Atlanta real estate statistics have just been released on June 21, 2009 by our FMLS for the Atlanta Metro area sales.  This also included sales prices for Atlanta condos covered in our MLS system, and not limited to just the city of Atlanta.  I have used these statistics and created a 5 year trend graph that allows the viewer to see what is really taking place in Atlanta condo prices.  Compared to the peak in June sales the average sales price on attached condo / town home has dropped an average of 18% which is very substantial.  That … (4 comments)

Atlanta Home Sale Trends | Atlanta Homes Sold - Single Family Detached Homes July 2009 - 07/22/09 10:22 PM
Atlanta homes sales may have increased slightly over last month, but the long term trend is not very positive at this point.  I personally do not feel we have hit bottom yet or that it is even in sight.  I have created a 5 year trend graph to share Atlanta homes sold so that you can see the bigger picture in Atlanta home sales.  I have compared 5 years of June Atlanta home sales data that is released by our primary MLS - FMLS and placed it in a graph format.  This graph will show single family Atlanta homes sold in June in … (2 comments)

Atlanta Metro Home Prices | Atlanta Sales Price Trends for Detached Homes - 07/22/09 10:10 PM
Our most recent Metro area Atlanta real estatestatistics were just released by our FMLS on July 21,2009.  These statistics are not for the city of Atlanta, but for our Metro Atlanta MLS coverage.  There are some interesting trends.  I have created a 5 year graph so that you can see what is really at play in our Atlanta real state market for single family Atlanta homes.
Many times we look at reports and feel there is a lot of good news in them.  We need to keep in mind that one month of increase for Atlanta homes does not constitute a trend.  Normally we … (2 comments)

Atlanta Metro Home Sales Real Estate Update July 2009 - 07/22/09 09:45 PM
The most recent sales data was just released by our primary MLS service FMLS on July 21, 2009.  These are for all listigngs in our Atlanta metro area, but not limited to just the city of Atlanta.
Personally I believe it is a mixed bag of information, and feel the numbers do not share everything.  June sales still were down for all single family and stood at 4,773 closings for all single family homes in June 09.  Prices are down 12.4% from June 2008.  There were 4,105 closings in June for single family detached a decline of 12.3% from June 2008. Single family attached … (0 comments)

Breaking Down the Numbers of Atlanta Higher Average Home Sale Prices - 07/22/09 07:43 PM
Across the board the average June home sales prices have risen in Atlanta. The Atlanta average home prices for single family homes sold, condos and town homes rose substantially in last months home sales statistics.  In single family detached homes, the average home sales price for all single family in June was $209,999 and the the 4th consecutive monthly to month increase and now stands at a full $37,000 above the February 2009 low of $172,860.  At first this tends to be very good news, but experience would question are prices really rising or have the prices been driven up by the rising costs of home … (0 comments)

Brokers Need to Explain Broker Reciprocity to Their Agents. - 07/20/09 12:27 AM
Each day in real estate we receive calls from buyers that have already identified they have an agent and want to see homes, or agents that want specific information on listings that were found on a website by their clients.  On a typical day phone calls can start in the morning, and end in the evening.  It is very time consuming, but it is very obvious that mostly new real estate agents do not understand the difference between homes found for sale on the Internet via IDX or 'Broker reciprocity!"  Obviously, all 100,000 listings on a website are not owned by … (111 comments)

Alpharetta GA Make Money Magazine High Income List - 07/18/09 10:59 PM
Money magazine has included Alpharetta GA on a list of high income cities.  That is good news for  Alpharetta a town of almost 50,000 that we are still on the map for income. The median family income in Alpharetta is $117,002, and the median Alpharetta home price is $297,450.  Alpharetta GA is just about 25 minutes north of Atlanta and it is where I live.  I have been a resident of Alpharetta  GA since 1992.  Alpharetta GA is a great place to live and own a home.  As the article points out there is a lot to do here, shopping, fine … (9 comments)

The Many Sources of Lead Generation and Real Estate Survival - 07/17/09 10:41 PM
Most agents in real estate never quite get how real estate works.  They start off on fire and quickly burn through their sphere of influence and then start looking for their next deal.  The problem is that some times those next deals are very few and far between.  More often than not these agents sit around the office waiting for a walk in or a lead from the broker....I only hope they are not holding thier breath these days..they may be in for a big surprise.  In real estate those that are veterans know that we can never  rely on only … (41 comments)

Winder Georgia Bank Failure - First Piedmont Bank Fails - 07/17/09 07:53 PM
The FDIC appointed a receiver of the First Piedmont Bank in Winder Georgia today.  This makes the 15 banks failure in Georgia since 2008.  We also had major bank failures here in GA in 2007 with the failure of NetBank in September 28, 2007 that makes 16 bank failures here in less that two years.  At the time NetBank failed, it was considered the 4th largest bank failure in US history.  Georgia has the highest bank failure rate in the nation to date in this economic crisis that seems far from over.  According to FDIC announcement, First Piedmont Bank of Winder, GA will have its … (7 comments)

Spammed in The Rain! - 07/17/09 09:29 AM
For the last few days I have been stopping by AR only to find out my old Blog posts have been spammed.  I like to have it so outside persons ( Non -members) can post to my Blog because that is what this is all about, but I cannot allow the spammers to ruin my site or dilute the importance of Active Rain.  So for the time being, I have disabled outside comments by non-members.  This should just be a temporary thing and the spammers should move on, but I wanted to give a heads up to others here to keep … (24 comments)

Where are the Brokers? - 07/15/09 10:43 PM
I was showing homes the other day, and I made 6 calls to agents about their property.  Many of the MLS listings said, "Listing agents must be called before showing," and there was no lockbox.  One agent's message said she would return later this weekend from vacation but left no other contact information.  The others never returned my calls at all.  This is very serious.  These were all occupied homes currently listed for sale. This is extremely unprofessional and unethical while the listing brokers are supposed to be taking care of the needs of their sellers.   However it is always the broker that … (76 comments)

Georgia Unemployment Rate Rises to 10.1% - 07/15/09 07:32 PM
According to the Georgia Department of Labor unemployment in GA has hit 10.1% which translates into a loss of 209,500 jobs in the last year.  We currently have over 483,394 Georgians were looking for work - almost a half a million unemployed.  That is a new historic high for Georgia unemployment.  June's unemployment was up over 65% from last year, and new filings for 88,756 newly unemployed filing first-time claims for state unemployment insurance benefits in June are up 94.8% from last June.  Less than one third of the unemployed are collecting unemployment.  The biggest losses are in manufacturing, new construction.
… (10 comments)

Mortgage Fraud 101 – Short Sale Fraud - 07/10/09 04:40 AM
All too often in real estate we focus on the sensational stories and neglect the most obvious abuses of mortgage fraud.  Since fraud is involves stealing something that's not yours there are many ways to take something that you are not entitled to.  It starts with deception, and ends with the possession of ill gained goods.  Since short sales en-masse are so new, everyone assumes the process is transparent and legal.  I am taking the position it isn't, and it is mired in deception and fraud.
Real Estate has always been know for change - it is our only constant.  Right … (173 comments)

My 500,000 Point Post! - 07/09/09 12:09 AM
A lot of emotion comes with milestones, and this post will mark 500,000 points in ActiveRain Posts.  I've come to learn that Blogging isn't an obsessive compulsive activity as many claim.  Rather it is a production tool and a real estate net-worker's dream that places my name, my resume and my knowledge out to other real estate professionals across the USA, Canada and the public at large!  Active Rain works well because it is real estate-centric, and that is what makes it so great.  The AR platform allows participants to learn from other agents, brokers, inspectors, appraisers, loan officers, stagers and … (84 comments)

Yet Another Stimulus? - 07/07/09 09:23 PM
Wall Street took a dive today, the reason?  Well the sentiment is that maybe we are not headed toward recovery, and maybe we just got way ahead of ourselves.  When word got out that Congress and the administrations was talking about additional government stimulus...it kind of gave them the jitters My thoughts?  Let whoever is going to fail.... fail!
First I would like to know what all the previous stimuli has done to get the economy going again?  Is that too big a question to ask?   The administration promised after the last massive budget busting stimulus money grab that it would prevent us from going … (32 comments)

Helicopters on Lake Lanier? - 07/07/09 10:10 AM
I received an email today that I thought was very important and timely.  It is worth sharing to all.  It concerns helicopters flying to our Beloved Lake Lanier.  In my own opinion, it would be an intrusive nuisance to all that live their and want to escape the noise and din of the city and enjoy the natural beauty and solitude.
"On June 15th the Hall County Zoning Board voted to recommend the approval of a helicopter landing in a South Hall residential neighborhood so one family from another county can visit their vacation home on Lake Lanier. I am opposed to … (7 comments)

Do You Check Your Referring Web Traffic? You Should! - 07/06/09 08:07 PM
There are many agents and brokers that have websites but very few of them actually understand the mechanics of the web.  I suppose many think it is just magic, but it doesn't have to be. Like many other agents, they are most probably paying more for the web per month than the we is returning to them in income.  Most likely they purchased a website from a company, and never took the time to properly set it up.  Perhaps they purchased the web at a seminar or from a meeting held at their brokers office. After all it seemed like the right thing … (84 comments)

Annoying Holiday Phone Calls! - 07/05/09 07:59 PM
It is amazing that each set of holidays there are loads of phone calls that come in from persons that want the services of a real estate agent, or further explanations about a property.  Some callers are serial callers, calling on the hour or half hour.   It is not unusual for callers to call either after 8:30PM or before 8:30AM.  This year the phone calls seemed to be more than usual.  That means a lot of other agents must be asleep at the wheel or on the beach in Destin.  Many of these phone calls come in over VOIP where every … (25 comments)

The July Real Estate Doldrums? Where are the Atlanta Buyers? - 07/05/09 04:14 PM
Many agents are asking me lately why things are so dead, but to my relocation...July has always been a very slow month for real estate sales in Georgia.  Since we no longer have large groups of buyers relocating in we are now forced to deal with a local market.  The local market is always dictated with he ending of one school year, and the beginning of the next. Since summer vacations are in full swing, and to start the month everyone is out of town for the 4th of July..The Atlanta area is pretty much a Ghost town!Atlantan's are probably soaking … (8 comments)

Happy 4th of July to All! - 07/04/09 09:45 AM
The 4th of July is a great day for all in the United States.  As a nation we demonstrated resolves to rid ourselves of a tyrannical government that wanted to usurp all from the new colony!  The United States has grown into a great nation over the years, and will continue to do so for a long time to come.  God bless all and have a great and safe holiday!  "God Bless America!"

… (11 comments)

Dress for Success - Have we Become too Casual? - 07/01/09 09:22 PM
Years ago in real estate I can remember the phrase "Dress for Success" was a major component of sales presentations.  There was not a seminar you would attend that did not stress the fact.  A trip into the office confirmed that there was a "Dress code" that complimented the professional image of the company you were associated with.  This was not limited to just one company, but in several companies that I was associated with.  The first reason was that we represented our clients in the biggest possible transaction of their lives. Their home or purchase represented their dreams, a fulfillment of their … (64 comments)

Numbed to the News! - 07/01/09 08:42 PM
Today's Headlines..."Mortgage Applications are Off By 19%" places fear in the hearts of many.  I confess, it is beyound scary even if the news shrugs it off and the stock markets climb higher. That is not where I want to place my money.  I think it is safe  in real estate...at least at the end of the day at least I own something.
The question is are you really surprised at any of today's news, even if in your hearts you already know the answers to the stories may be hald truths or just totally wrong.  Each day bad news is released and we are inundated with … (18 comments)

Putting Yourself in Your Clients Shoes - Empathy and Sales. - 07/01/09 08:16 PM
All too often in real estate the rush is one for the sales and ringing up the closings on the office board.  In real estate many are consumed with their deals, but forget their clients needs and fears.  If you haven't noticed, we live in epic times.  Many clients have lost jobs, or are afraid they are next on the chopping block.  There are those also that lost retirements, 401K's, and much of the equity in their homes or second homes.  Many buyers were just in the wrong place in time when they had the misfortune in being relocated by their company for a job … (6 comments)

 
Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO, Jim Crawford Atlanta Realtor (RE/MAX Paramount Properties) Ambassador_large

Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO

Jim Crawford Atlanta Realtor

Atlanta, GA

More about me…

RE/MAX Paramount Properties

Address: REMAX Paramount Properties, 1605 Mansell Road Suite C, Alpharetta, GA, 30009

Office Phone: (888) 940-0074

Cell Phone: (678) 595-5283

Email Me

Atlanta real estate broker associate, real estate columnist for www.RealtyTimes.com, real estate speaker. Real estate marketing, Internet marketing for real estate, real estate coaching

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