Although we have had a few flurries here and there in 2009, and additionally we have had many sub-freezing nights and icy cold winds from the north, we have not experienced any measurable snowfall in Newnan yet this year. Which is too bad, because in this part of Georgia, a snowfall event is considered a to be a work holiday! People that move here from the northern areas of the country laugh as the entire business community is paralyzed by an inch of snow. You will hear the excuse that we "don't have the snow removal equipment" but the truth is, it's a rare enough occurrence that everyone really just wants to get out and play in the snow! And so Mother Nature, if you please, send a little white stuff our way. I need the break! Photo: Newnan in Snow, 2008 All content, including text, ori... 01/21/2009

    Below is the SG Mkt Watch. Due to the subd getting close to being built out, the year posted unit sales down 45.1%. Ten of the eleven homes sold in Dec were resales. Of the 157 homes sold for the year, 103 were resales or 65.6% of the total. Per MLS there are only 47 new homes remaining.      Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Gain % Gain 2005 18 21 33 27 33 35 47 30 28 32 26 31 361 2 0.6% 2006 21 21 47 23 28 46 30 39 24 37 21 29 366 5 1.4% 2007 10 23 27 35 38 33 30 29 15 18 19 9 286 - 80 - 21.9% 2008 12 13 15 13 16 14 21 15 11 13 3 11 157 - 129 - 45.1%         01/14/2009

We have all seen those terms used to advertise a property that may be in the need of repair. The problem is, the expressions can refer to anything from needing paint and flooring to tearing down the walls and starting from scratch. With that being said, caveat emptor used to be the rule of the day. It was the buyer's responsibility to make certain that the property was suitable for purchase. Over time, the process shifted towards due diligence. Still, it was the purchaser's responsibility to diligently inspect the property to determine if the sale should be consummated, renegotiated, or terminated. In addition, in most jurisdictions sellers are obligated to disclose all known adverse material defects of which the seller has actual knowledge to a potential buyer. The information containe... 01/11/2009

 The community of Summergrove in Newnan, Georgia has certainly proved to be one of the most desirable areas to  call home today.With the amazing amenities and beautiful homes, it is not surprising to see the increased popularity of Summergrove. I encourage buyers and real estate agents to get acquainted with everything Summergrove has to offer. Some of  the amenities include:A 100 acre stocked fishing lake,an 18 hole championship golf course,9 tennis courts,three pools, a lazy river water park,playing fields, parks and much more. Downtown Newnan offers a thriving business area with an old-world charm and the historic district with majestic old homes.Just minutes away on Hihgway 34, you will find the new commercial areas with the best in dining, shopping and entertainment. The Summergrov... 01/03/2009

Last Friday night my wife and I were walking through downtown Newnan Georgia. It was an unusually mild evening for Newnan, and I was taking photographs as usual. A street had been cordoned off for musicians and there were some booths and carriage rides. Several organizations were doing some fundraising during the festivities, and were offering wares and good things to eat. As I was walking by behind one of the booths, a lady turned around, and looked at me and asked: "Do you work for the paper?" I replied: "No, I am taking photos for CowetaFayetteInfo.com." She went on: "Were you at the parade last week?" I answered: "Yes, I was on the bridge on the south side of town." She asked: "Did you happen to get a photo of Mrs. Claus?" Well, it turns out that she and her little dog Molly were in... 12/24/2008

I guess I was the only person in the country that did not know that the moon would simultaneously be full and at perigee (Nearest point of orbit) on December 12. So there I was, driving down the main drag, Bullsboro Drive when the ascending moon suddenly appeared before me on the highway. I was totally unprepared, but had the camera at the ready. I pulled at the camera at a stop light and the guy next to me started honking on the horn. I thought that he was going to cuss me out, but instead he hollered: "Have you EVER seen anything so amazing?" The shot was handheld, and is has not been modified in any way. The golden moon rose magnificently above the road. It was indeed, as the gentleman so succinctly stated, AMAZING! All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, i... 12/20/2008

Newnan Georgia does not enjoy the status of being subtropical!. It is, however, located in the Deep South, and the weather can change dramatically overnight! If the winds blow from the North at the behest of the jet stream, Old Man Winter sends frigid temperatures and frosty mornings. However, if the winds blow from the south and the Gulf of Mexico, then warm and pleasant weather results. Friday night in Newnan was one of those warm, balmy nights. Although less than a week from Christmas, the crowd that had gathered for music and shopping enjoyed the luxury of leaving their coats and jackets at home! Newnan Georgia is one of those classic old downtown areas that still does extensive holiday decorating, and it's a beautiful spot for a December stroll. To be able to do so in one's shirtsl... 12/20/2008

The 2008 Newnan Christmas Parade took place on Sunday December 7. Newnan Georgia, is about 40 miles southwest of Atlanta. Although the weather was chilly and a cool breeze was blowing, the sun was shining brightly and it was a glorious day for a parade. Jackson and LaGrange Streets were lined with thousands of Coweta County residents and visitors to witness the event. The parade featured marching bands from all three county high schools; Newnan, East Coweta and Northgate. There were floats present from nearly every civic association, church, and school in the County. Many businesses in the Chamber of Commerce were also represented. The parade lasted nearly an hour before the primary guest of honor closed the show! Santa Claus made his arrival on a bright red county fire truck, to the d... 12/07/2008

Real estate maven Barbara Corcoran talks on NBC's Today Show about how to prepare your home for a sale.Here are a few of her highlights from the 5 minute video: Go online and shop for your own home first. Clean out the clutter. Keep your home immaculately clean. Barbara Corcoran also offers pricing strategies to help get your home sold faster.The entire interview is avaliable online at MSNBC. 12/05/2008

The stark, cold light beset the planesOf wall, and pane and sash aglowThe eerie light of lamp dispersedO're piles of rocks arranged by row.                   (R Weisser) Downtown Newnan Georgia is still a great place to walk at night. The streets are well lit, with broad sidewalks and safe pedestrian crossings. Most of the restaurants and the coffee shop are open well into the evening, so it's a great place to have a bite to eat and enjoy the historic architecture, bathed in the light of the streetlamps! It's a journey back in time, as the setting could easily have been the same in the 1940's or 50's. So why not try a walk in downtown Newnan after dark. It's quite an experience! All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayett... 12/04/2008

The day after Thanksgiving is traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year. Retailers go to great lengths to try to outdo each other, by having great sales and by modifying their hours. Most stores around these parts opened at 5:00 A.M. this morning. I never understand why anyone would deliberately drag themselves out of a nice warm bed, and go out and brave the cold for the privilege of making a purchase. And it's not just a handful of people that participate in the annual ritual. These early store opening attract HUGE throngs of bargain seekers. By 7:00 A.M. the parking lots are full. My wife, who works at a local department store, arose at three this morning to get ready for work. And of course, she went to bed early last night, and tossed and turned with dread and apprehension... 11/27/2008

When tempests swirl above the crownAnd heaven's dust conceals the tone.The siren's blasts though fissures slinkTo permeate through crack and chink.                    (R Weisser) In most parts of the country, winter has already arrived. There is a bit of excitement associated with the first cold waves of the season. A lot of locales have even experienced early snows and they gear up for full holiday mode. This is the exciting part of winter. It's the season of "Over the River and Through the Woods" and holiday decorating, and the partaking of sumptuous food with family and friends. It is both energizing and invigorating, and it puts everyone into high spirits! Although we have not experienced any snow in Newnan Georgia this season, we have had chilling temperatures near twenty degrees, ... 11/25/2008

For the first time in many years, there will be no Newnan Candlelight tour of homes this Christmas season. Although the tour was very popular, there was some difficulty getting at least five homes within walking distance of each other, a necessary prerequisite the event. The city of Newnan is nicknamed the "City of Homes," and features many fine homes, some of which predate the civil war. Newnan's antebellum treasures and a pristine downtown area lends itself to both history lovers and decorators alike, as the entire town is bedecked for Christmas. A spokesperson from the Piedmont Newnan Hospital Auxiliary, which hosts the event and receives a portion of the proceeds, said that the tour will be back in 2009. All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclu... 11/25/2008

The patrons of the arts in Coweta County support organizations and facilities that highlight drama, visual arts, music and dance.  The Wadsworth Auditorium, located in Historic downtown Newnan, is Coweta County's only Art Deco building.     This facility was named after Charles Wadsworth, the world renowned classical pianist and a native of Newnan. This building dates back to 1939 and features original mosaic floors. The auditorium has a restoration committee that is dedicated to enhance its original building elements but to also update the facility with the latest electronics and furnishings.   The Centre for Performing and Visual Arts of Coweta County is located on Lower Fayetteville Road and easily recognized due the recent construction of a new entrance sign.  This 48,000 square foo... 11/21/2008

I have been taking photographs of autumn leaves for over thirty years now. I love the notion that time in moving quickly, and the subject is fleeting, and the window of opportunity is very short. And I have probably taken 10,000 photographs with fall color. It has always been my favorite film genre, and I have transitioned that into digital. I have taken many broad landscapes, and mountain shots, and set up in cold streams trying to capture small instants of time in an ever deteriorating environment. What makes fall so special is that it is out of our control, and all that we can do is hope to preserve a small memento of its magnificence. So when I see a beautiful tree like I did today, I know I have many, many shots of trees, and that this one will be one of the many in the collection ... 11/17/2008

Times are very hard in real estate these days. A lot of offices are making changes in order to remain competitive in an ever shrinking market. And change often involves casualties. A few weeks ago I wrote about a merger that made us the number one ERA franchise in the state of Georgia. We have combined forces with four additional offices for both market presence and to benefit from the economy of scale. And that often means the reduction of staff, and in this that is exactly what occurred! Linda Nesbit joined our company just under two years ago, and her beautiful smile has welcomed agent and client alike as they entered our real estate facility. But Linda did much more than just act as a receptionist. She handled all of our listings and files, and assisted the agents with their day to ... 11/13/2008

Every year during the holiday season, the Newnan Hospital Auxiliary sponsors a tour of historic homes in the city of Newnan. Since Newnan has many historic homes, including some antebellum houses, the tour can be very interesting. Two years ago, on a dark and cold December night, we visited a home on the tour reportedly haunted by a ghost named Mary. My wife and I like enjoy reading and watching television programs about paranormal activity, so we entered the house and hoped that we would have an experience of some kind. But nothing happened, as the house was very crowded and I'm sure that any right thinking spirit would have been terrified by all of the activity. So we continued the tour until we finished looking at all of the open houses and then we started walking back to the car. Ou... 11/09/2008

Wow, it's hard to believe that it's already November. Halloween has come and gone, and the election is over, and now we are all taking a collective sigh of relief. But time waits for no man. As I was driving through downtown Newnan yesterday, the workers were putting up the CHRISTMAS decorations. Oh my gosh! Can it possibly be time for Christmas already? Where has the year gone? Newnan is one of those picture postcard towns that look great when all the halls are decked with boughs of holly, and I know the department stores are already in full holiday mode, but it just reminded me that I am not ready for this! It was just another kick in the pants for me. It's time to get on the ball, and to shift into the holiday mode. Hmmm...I wonder if I should put my blog URL in my Christmas cards? A... 11/06/2008

Today is election day, 2008. The general election is underway as I write this post. I refrain from expressing political views in this forum, because politics can be incendiary and divisive. I have been thinking about the competitive nature of elections, and the passion with which supporters promote their candidates. During the many months of campaigning, it gets pretty intense. But now, we have to realize that it's all over, and it's time for us to come together, shake hands, and buy each other a drink. There are no winners or losers among the electorate, only choosers. And if the candidates that prevail are not of our own choosing, then God bless America and the representative system of government that allows us to take part in the continuing evolution of our great country. And if ther... 11/03/2008

Today, October 30 2008, in Newnan Georgia, it was announced that ERA United Realty has merged with ERA Buckhead Realty, and will operate under the name of ERA United Realty! The company now has over 250 Realtor associates and operates five offices. The locations are Roswell, Marietta, Tucker, Conyers and Newnan Georgia, which offers complete coverage of the entire metro Atlanta area! The combined operations provide agents with marketing expertise and technologies that are second to none in the region! ERA United Realty is located at 246 Bullsboro Drive, Newnan Georgia! All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of ERA United Realty and Cowet... 10/30/2008